Sweet Peas and Pumpkins

Meatless Monday Grocery List: Enchilada Rotini

2012-01-27T14:04:00.002-05:00

Up next in our Meatless Monday Healthy Eating Challenge: Enchilada Rotini.

A great warm Mexican pasta dinner, this recipe is one of those "as-your-family-likes-it" winners. You can read the original post, but basically when I make this dish, I line up some vegetables and have each of the boys pick at least three.

One way you can think of this dish if you're having a hard time with the idea of Italian-Mexican fusion is to think of it like a Burrito Bowl over pasta instead of rice!

Here's the easy grocery list:

Produce:
several different vegetables (4-5 cups total--zucchini, corn, mushrooms, red onion, peppers, etc)
cilantro (optional)

Grocery:
1 -12 ounce jar red enchilada sauce
1 - 8 ounce tomato sauce
canned black beans (to use as one of your vegetables)
1 pound rotini or other pasta

Dairy:
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Pantry:
olive oil
ground cumin
ground oregano
cayenne pepper

Have a sweet weekend,
SPC

Top Seven Cold Weather Soups

2012-01-26T13:34:00.003-05:00

It's raining, cold and gray. Sound familiar? While meteorologically this has been a very mild winter, we live in Ohio, so even the mild winters feel cool, especially when it rains. Honestly, I think I would prefer snow to lots of cold, damp rain.

What's the perfect dinner on a cool, cold or downright frigid night? Soup! Here's my list of Top Seven Cold Weather Soups:

Seven Bean Soup: An almost perfect blend of savory herbs and hearty beans. This recipe came from my friend Camille, a friend who has given me many sure-fire recipes. Bonus: it makes enough to share with a friend!

Perfectly Simple Chicken and Orzo Soup: Almost as easy as opening a can of condensed soup, but far more transcendent in flavor. Good, solid soup that is a real crowd pleaser.

Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup: Who knew soup could be slightly sweet? This soup is one of my boys' favorites, and I love that they get tons of good Vitamin A with each bite.

Make-it-your-own Chowder: A slow cooker soup that you can alter to your family's tastes. We love it with potatoes, cheese and crab, but to each their own!

Pizza Soup: Tomato soup, all jazzed up and re-named to appeal to my boys. Again, you can make it whatever type of "pizza" you want, and top with your favorite flavors.

Creamy White Bean Soup: A low-fat soup that tastes like a rich cream-based soup.

Slow Cooker Lentil Soup: My newest favorite soup. Full of vitamins, iron and most importantly, delicious flavor.

Choose one of these soups to warm up your cold winter night!

Life is sweet,
SPC

Football Cupcakes (without any gunk)

2012-01-24T13:34:00.000-05:00

For his birthday party this year, G chose a football theme. So for weeks I was on the hunt for football plates, napkins, and all the fun football things a 5 year old would enjoy for a party.

When it came to the cake, I asked G a rather open-ended question to which he answered rather specifically (note to self: open-ended questions aren't always the best route).

"G, what sort of cake do you want for your birthday party?"

(pause for thinking)

"Cupcakes. I want lots of cupcakes, decorated to look like the Green Bay helmet. I want the frosting to be lime flavored and the cake should be peach-y tasting."

Sigh.

I suggested vanilla football cupcakes, and since G is one of the most good-natured people I know, he happily obliged.

These were the best homemade birthday cupcakes I've ever made, thanks to my wonderful SP&P fan Jo, who suggested Anne Burrell's Sour Cream Cupcake Recipe. They turned out perfectly!

After the cupcakes were cooled, they need some decorations to get from plain to:

I've been trying to come up with gunk-free (read: no artificial colors or dyes) cookie and cake decorating methods for years. We've had great success with things like our Naturally Orange Frosting that uses canned pumpkin for color.

But this time I needed green, so I sized up my options and decided to use:

Spinach.

Spinach, steamed in water for several minutes and strained, to make about 3 tablespoons of spinach mush (culinary term, to be sure). I combined it with 2 tablespoons of vanilla soy milk (to add the vanilla flavor) and pureed it in my blender and then strained out the excess pulp:

I then combined the green spinach "dye," with 4 oz of light cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon additional soy milk. I then blended it with about 1 1/2 - 2 cups confectioners sugar:

Sure, it is not kelly green, it is a light mint, but for our purposes, it suited G just great and (and this is important!) it did not taste like spinach.

A little chocolate frosting (1/4 cup melted chocolate added to 4 oz light cream cheese, a dash of vanilla and milk and 1 1/2 - 2 cups confectioners sugar) in the shape of a football with some white icing (about 2 tablespoons milk with 1/2 - 1 cup confectioners sugar) laces, and G was over the moon about his football cupcakes!

Try some if you are hosting a Super Bowl party or football birthday party yourself!

Life is sweet,
SPC

Meals for a Busy Birthday Week

2012-01-23T10:00:00.003-05:00

Birthday Week is in full effect, with G's preschool friends birthday party yesterday and R's actual birthday this week. I've baked, frosted and decorated up a storm, so I am looking forward to a little breather later this week.

I've had help though from each brother as I prepare the other brother's birthday food:

(in case you doubted my comment that G is a huge Green Bay fan--yep, that's a custom-made Green Bay apron (thanks mom!), worn over his GB jersey)

Need some meal-time inspiration for your busy week? Here is my weekly dinner plan:

Egg Drop Soup with Vegetables
Breakfast for Dinner (always a favorite in the Sweet Pea home)
Caramelized Onion Calzones, Spinach Salad
Olive Bar Fish
Chana Masala, Brown Rice, Mango

Have a sweet week!
SPC

Meatless Monday Grocery List: Egg Drop Soup with Vegetables

2012-01-21T10:45:00.003-05:00

Here's the grocery list for this coming Monday's Meatless Healthy Eating Challenge. This week I am suggesting the Egg Drop Soup with Vegetables recipe I just posted, since Monday is the Chinese New Year.

(Hint: using holidays and other celebrations from around the world, and sharing about the customs of said country or region, is a great way to encourage your child to try new foods!)

Grocery List:

Produce:
a thumb size amount of fresh ginger
8 oz container of mushrooms
2-3 oz spinach or other greens
1 green onion

Grocery:
1 quart of good-quality vegetable stock

Dairy:
1 package extra-firm tofu (optional)
2 eggs

Pantry:
reduced-sodium soy sauce
corn starch

Have a sweet weekend,
SPC

And the Slow Cooker Cookbook Winnter is...

2012-01-20T12:43:00.002-05:00

Remember this giveaway?

The lucky duck whose number was chosen by Random.org is:

#11 -- Kim Baker

Kim, email me your address at my email: sweetpeaeats@gmail.com.

Sorry I don't have one for everyone!

Life is sweet,
SPC
Enjoy!

Pancake Birthday Cake

2012-01-19T15:36:00.005-05:00

It's birthday week once again in the Sweet Pea home. Both R and G celebrate their birthdays, a mere four days apart. A happy week indeed!

G is younger, but his birthday comes first. He actually arrived a few weeks before his due date, and we joke that he knew that if he was going to always be the little brother, at least if he came early, he could celebrate first.

And celebrate we do.

Is there any more special of day for a child, the day when you get to celebrate them: their life, their special, unique qualities and the blessings they bring to your life? I love birthdays.

This year we started early in the morning with a special cake made out FIVE pancakes, with FIVE candles. Can you guess how old G is now?

G was all sorts of excited about his special breakfast treat:

A little bit of strawberry jam helped "glue" it together, then once the candles were blown out, a dollop of cream:

Happy Birthday, sweet G!

Life is sweet,
SPC

**Tomorrow I will choose a winner in the Slow Cooker Cookbook Giveaway--enter here**

Chinese New Year Egg Drop Soup with Vegetables

2012-01-18T10:32:00.004-05:00

This coming Monday is the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Dragon. I forget what animal symbol represents my birth year, but I do remember the paper place mats that were at our local Chinese restaurant growing up, and being relieved I wasn't a rat or a pig.

If you want to celebrate the Chinese New Year with your family this year, I have an easy and very quick healthful version of Egg Drop Soup that you can make for your celebration. (Added bonus: if you are following this blog's weekly Meatless Monday Healthy Eating Challenge, this soup will fit the bill!)

I added greens to the traditional version of Egg Drop Soup to make it more healthful. If either the greens, tofu or mushrooms in this soup won't fly with your family, use whatever vegetables you wish. Some other options include: peas, green beans, baby corn, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, carrots, water chestnuts.

Egg Drop Soup with Vegetables

1 quart good quality vegetable stock
2 cups water
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons corn starch
5 quarter-size slices of fresh ginger
8 ounce container, sliced mushrooms
1 cup (packed) sliced spinach or other green
1/2 cup tofu, diced (optional)
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon sliced green onions

In a medium stock pot, combine the stock, water, soy sauce, corn starch and ginger, stirring well to make sure the corn starch dissolves. Bring to a boil while stirring regularly, and then reduce to a steady simmer.

Add the mushrooms, spinach and tofu. Let simmer 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg whites until slightly frothy (about 30 seconds). Make sure the soup is still simmering, and slowly pour the egg whites into the soup.

They will cook as you add them, creating beautiful shapes in your soup!

Add the green onions and serve.

Serves 4-6 as a main course, 6-8 as an appetizer.

Life is sweet,
SPC

**Don't forget this week's Slow Cooker cookbook Giveaway, you have until Friday at high noon EST to enter!**

Slow Cooker Cookbook Giveaway

2012-01-17T10:01:00.000-05:00

My slow cooker kicks into overdrive around the start of school and doesn't start humming all year long. In other words, I've been using my slow cooker a lot lately. I'm guessing you just might be too.

I think a lot of folks have a sort of aversion to slow cookers, tending to think they are for bland, overcooked, or mushy foods. I have a cookbook that will change that perception!

The Vegan Slow Cooker touts, "Set It and Forget It with 150 Recipes for Intensely Flavorful, Fuss-Free Fare Everyone (Vegan or Not!) Will Devour!" I couldn't have written it better.

As a non-vegan, I found recipe after recipe that I wanted to try as I flipped through this cookbook. I loaned it to a friend, and a few days later she said, "I am buying this book, otherwise I will end up having this a very long time."

Here's just one example of The Vegan Slow Cooker's flavorful recipes, one that will send you on a dinnertime trip to the islands:

Caribbean Mango Black Beans
(from The Vegan Slow Cooker)

3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 cups mango (from 2 mangoes), diced
4 - 15oz cans blacks beans, drained and rinsed -OR- 6 cups cooked dried black beans
1 cup water
2 tablespoons vegan chicken-flavored bouillon
3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 - 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Night prior:
Mince the garlic. Cut up the mango. Grate the ginger. Set in an airtight container for the morning.

In the Morning:
Oil the inside of your slow cooker. Add all the ingredients except the salt and pepper.

Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. Once done, salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 8.

We served ours over brown rice, with a squeeze of lime, a couple dashes of hot sauce and a bit of cilantro:

Despite being quite chilly outside, inside we were playing reggae music (really) and being transported far away from the cold of Ohio!

If you want even more slow cooker inspiration, be sure to bookmark author Kathy Hester's blog: http://healthyslowcooking.com/

Her blog is full of great recipes, just like the ones in The Vegan Slow Cooker.

So...

I am giving away one copy of this flavorful, creative and most of all, super convenient cookbook to one Sweet Peas and Pumpkins fan.

To enter:
Leave a comment on this blog post letting me know you have "liked" Sweet Peas and Pumpkins on Facebook. You can leave an additional comment letting me know you have become a "Follower" (see the right side bar) of this blog too. Two chances to win one cool cookbook!

I'll choose a winner this Friday at 12 noon EST.

Life is sweet,
SPC

Green (Bay) Chips and our Weekly Meal Plan

2012-01-16T12:19:00.000-05:00

It was a big football weekend for R and G, who adopted the Patriots and Green Bay as their respective teams.

For R, it just happened that a couple years ago, he was watching football, liked what he saw, and sort of declared "I like the Patriots!"

For G, it was even easier: his favorite color has always been green and his name starts with a G. He saw the green helmets with a "G" on them, and became an instant Packers fan.

My boys are nothing if not scientific in their NFL allegiances.

Who can blame them? Since Mom and Dad cheer for the Browns and the Redskins, if they wanted to avoid the misery of losing lots of close games, they had to look elsewhere.

R's team was victorious, and while Green Bay won't be repeating as Super Bowl Champs, I told G that I had some "Green Bay" chips that I wanted him to try. It ended up being R who was a bigger fan of my green chips, but I think G appreciated their color, if not their taste.

Green (Bay) Chips

2-3 cups kale pieces, pulled off the stems
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, pull the kale leaves into smaller bite-size pieces.

Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss well.

Place on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 minutes, then use a spatula to gently move the leaves around a bit, to ensure even baking.

Bake an additional 2-5 minutes, depending on the size of the leaves. You want them to be crisp, but not browned, as this adds bitterness.

Makes about 2-3 cups kale, er, Green (Bay) Chips.

It's a busy week in the Sweet Pea home, so we're doing a couple dives into our freezer to use some leftovers on busy nights. But here's what I am making too:

Black Bean Soup, Slow Cooker with Corn Bread
Taqueria Asada Tacos, Frijoles Refritos, Mango
Veggie Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries, Fruit
Hummus, I’ll-Never-Buy-Grocery-Store-Hummus-Again, Pita, Spinach Fatayer

Last but not least, I have a wonderful cookbook giveaway to announce tomorrow. Here's a hint: if you like your slow cooker, you will want to check it out!!

Have a sweet week,
SPC

Meatless Monday Grocery List: Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

2012-01-13T12:59:00.000-05:00

It's snowing as I type this and the boys couldn't be more excited.

R left for school this morning with plans for Big Snow Fun after school. I don't have the heart to tell them it is pretty hard to make a snowman with a mere 1 inch (if that) of snow on the ground, but maybe Old Man Winter will bring some more as the day progresses.

Snowy weather always makes me think of soup. For this coming Monday's Meatless Healthy Eating Challenge, here's a slow cooker soup that will warm you right up!

Added Bonus: there is pureed pumpkin in the soup, making this a pretty powerful bowl of soup! You can also use pureed sweet potato or winter squash (sold pureed in the frozen foods section of your grocery) in place of the pumpkin.

Grocery list for Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

Produce:
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno
cilantro (if using)

Grocery:
3 -15 oz cans black beans -OR- 1 pound dried black beans
1 - 15 oz can tomatoes with green chilies
1 - 15 oz can pumpkin puree
1 quart vegetable broth
corn muffins -OR- corn muffin mix+ingredients to make the box

Dairy:
light sour cream (if using)
shredded cheddar (if using)

Pantry:
chili powder
ground cumin
dried oregano
salt
pepper
hot sauce (if using)

Life is sweet,
SPC

Slow Cooker Chicken/Chicken-less Pot Pie

2012-01-11T10:27:00.000-05:00

We are in prime "comfort food" time on the calendar, but also in the midst of everyone's big annual "New Year, New You!" healthy eating kick too. Often comfort food and healthy eating are at odds with one another, but here's a full-of-comfort meal that is healthful too!

You can make this dish with chicken as is traditionally done, or you can easily substitute Great Northern or white beans, and it is makes a very tasty vegetarian rendition.

Just take a gander at this tastiness:

Use your slow cooker to do most of the work and finish in your oven to bake up the low-fat biscuit topping.

Slow Cooker Chicken/Chicken-less Pot Pie

Filling:
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 celery ribs, diced
1 large potato, diced
7 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken -OR- 2 - 15oz cans Great Northern beans (or 3 1/2 cups cooked beans)
2 cups frozen peas
1/2 cup corn starch
1/3 cup light sour cream

Topping (based on a recipe from Eating Well magazine):
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or just use all-purpose flour)
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk*

Make the filling:
Combine the carrots, celery, potato, water, salt, pepper, thyme, chicken (or white beans), and peas in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Strain the vegetables and chicken, being sure to collect all the broth in a stock pot. Ladle out about 2 cups of the broth in a bowl, and add the corn starch. Add the broth/corn starch mixture into the broth in the stock pot and heat to high, stirring until it boils. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until it thickens. Remove from the heat. Add the sour cream and stir well.

Meanwhile, if you are using chicken, remove the chicken from the strainer and shred with two forks.

Add the chicken (if using) and the vegetable mixture back into the thickened creamy broth. Stir well. Pour into a 9x13 or slightly larger pan.

Make the topping:
Combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and thyme in a bowl. Add the butter, and using two butter knives or a pastry blender, "cut" the butter into the flour until the butter is in small pieces, no bigger than a small pebble.

Add the oil and buttermilk. Stir until just blended. Scoop in 2-3 tablespoon sized scoops on top of the creamy broth.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the biscuit top is slightly browned.

I don't know about you, but this screams "comfort food!" to me.

Life is sweet,
SPC

*don't have buttermilk? No problem! Just add 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup milk, let sit for 5 minutes, and voila: homemade buttermilk.

On learning homonyms and our meal plan

2012-01-09T10:32:00.000-05:00

Parents of young children, can you relate?:

Doesn't it seem that about 97.23% of the time your child gets sick/injured/needs serious medical attention it happens:

A. In the evening, after the pediatrician's office is closed
B. On a Sunday, when the pediatrician's office is closed
C. While celebrating a major holiday, when the pediatrician isn't even thinking about being open
D. When on vacation, when a reputable pediatrician is who-knows-where?

This weekend, G chose option B. A mildly runny nose without a single other symptom turned into a thrice-during the night wake-up routine, reaching its pinnacle at around 5AM when G was literally crying because "my ear hurts so bad!"

Thank goodness we were able to go to the local children's urgent care...along with (wait for it)....approximately two dozen other children, all in the queue before G.

I found it ironic because we've been talking about homonyms with R, so I tried to look on the bright side of having to wait hours for a doctor to briefly look into G's ear by and turn it into a teachable moment:

"G, you're showing great patience while we wait for the doctors to see the other patients."

It's all in the attitude, right? And the fact that they had a television didn't hurt either.

G is doing great since we caught the ear infection and he's been on antibiotics, so onward and upward this week!

Our meals:

Northstar Cafe Burgers, Pineapple, Oven Fries, Real Deal
Chili Lime Salmon, Asparagus, Roasted, Wild Rice with Cranberries
Black Bean and Avocado Tostadas, Mango
Italian Stuffed Shells (never got around to making these last week!)
Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili

Life is sweet, even when it demands patience!
SPC

Meatless Monday: (Almost) Northstar Cafe Burgers

2012-01-06T15:26:00.000-05:00

Did you think I had abandoned my weekly Meatless Monday Health Eating Challenge?

Um, no. The week of Christmas and New Year's I just figured you were a little distracted because, well, I was too.

So in case you forget, last autumn I started challenging my readers to eat vegetarian each Monday. There are countless health benefits to reducing the amount of meat you eat, some of which our family has experienced first-hand. But eating less meat is generally less expensive, better for the environment and can expand your cooking horizons, all good things in my book.

This week we're doing one of my favorite meatless recipes, (Almost) Northstar Cafe Burgers.

Here is your grocery list:

Produce:
fresh beets (or use canned)
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
lettuce

Grocery:
canned beets (or use fresh)
brown rice
1 - 15 oz can black beans -OR- dried beans, cooked
pickles (for the buns)

Pantry:
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
dried parsley
dried thyme
salt
ground pepper
flour
vegetable oil
toasted buns

Bakery:
hamburger buns

Have a sweet weekend!
SPC

Top Seven Healthy After-School (or Afternoon) Snacks

2012-01-05T13:10:00.004-05:00

Throughout 2012 I plan to share some of my "Top ___" lists of different recipes. Since R started school this week, and since he always comes how ravenous, I thought I'd share our favorite after school snacks:

Apple Nachos: Our perennial favorite. If you or yours have a peanut allergy, you can easily use another nut butter.

Pumpkin Muffins: Sure, you can eat for breakfast, but they make a quick after school snack too (bonus: you're getting your kids to eat a vegetable for a snack!)

Seven-Layer Greek Dip: When I make this, it never lasts long. For the boys, I omit the red onion and tomato; you can customize it to your family's tastes! (PS--this recipe also uses my homemade hummus recipe, which is an easier, but equally tasty, after school snack)

Slow Cooker Applesauce: Have a busy day, mom? Then put all this in the slow cooker before you leave in the morning, and have a special treat waiting for your kids when they get home from school. Tastes waaaaaay better than applesauce, more like apple pie filling.

Homemade Microwave Popcorn: All you need is a brown paper lunch bag and some popcorn kernels...easy peasy and another Sweet Pea family favorite.

Super Granola Bars: An oldie, but a goodie (you can tell by the picture--I am no photographer now, but I've certainly learned a thing or two since this pic was snapped!), we've been making these for years. You can alter the fruit and other mix-ins to your heart's content.

Roasted Tomato Salsa: Sure, you can open a jar, but this is tastes so much better and takes very little effort!

All of these snacks are healthful and a great way to recharge your kid after a long day of school or play!

Life is sweet,
SPC

Slow Cooker Accuracy

2012-01-04T10:10:00.002-05:00

I had a bit of a changing of the guard ceremony in my kitchen after Christmas:

On the left, my first slow cooker, a gift from our wedding, nearly 12 (!) years ago. It served me well, but I noticed in early December that it wasn't cooking as fast or consist as it once had. Sniff, sniff, I had to come to terms with the fact that one of my "old standby" kitchen tools was needing to be replaced.

On the right, my new slow cooker, a soup-ed up version. I love it.

Once I started using my new slow cooker, I realized how "HIGH" on the new version was much, much warmer than my old-school model. So I wrote a post on FamilyEducation.com yesterday sharing some easy ways to see if your slow cooker is up to snuff.

Here are the highlights:

*Older slow cookers often cook lower than newer models. To test your slow cooker, place two quarts of water into it and cook on LOW for 8 hours. Test the water with thermometer and it should read 185-200 degrees.

*If your slow cooker is not cooking at least 185 degrees, it is unsafe to use, as it may not cook high enough in temperature or quickly enough to avoid food safety issues. Either replace your slow cooker or use merely as a warmer (we use our slow cooker on Thanksgiving to keep side dishes, such as mashed potatoes, warm).

*Newer slow cookers cook on HIGH at about 300 degrees and LOW at about 200 degrees.

*When using your slow cooker for the first time, be sure to use it while you are home to observe its speed and accuracy for cooking.

In the meantime, I am working on some great new slow cooker recipes with my fancy schmancy new slow cooker.

Life is sweet,
SPC

Simple Lemon Pepper Flounder

2012-01-03T13:25:00.004-05:00

If you are looking for a simple, quick and easy healthful dinner for your family, you can't go wrong with a mild white fish.

Fish cooks in next to no time, so it is the ultimate fast home-cooked food. This recipe is family-friendly since it uses baked potato chips as the crust, so they end up tasting similar to fish sticks but without all the extra fat or calories.

Side bonus: this recipe is gluten-free.

Simple Lemon Pepper Flounder

4 Flounder filets, or other mild white fish such as cod, tilapia, grouper or catfish
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup baked potato chips, crushed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a cookie sheet or other baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.

In a shallow bowl, mix the oil, lemon juice, honey and ground pepper. In a separate bowl, add the crushed baked potato chips.

Take one fish filet at a time and gently dip in the bowl with the lemon mixture, using a pastry brush or the back of a spoon to ensure some of the lemon mixture is on each side. Then place the filet in the potato chips, gently pressing on one side, then flipping and then pressing on the other, to coat the fish with the chips.

Place the fish on the cookie sheet. Repeat with the other 3 filets.

Bake for 8-10 minutes*, or until the fish flakes when you gently press a thick part of the filet with a fork.

Serves 4.

*Cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of the fish filet.

My boys both love this recipe, I hope your sweet peas do too!

Life is sweet,
SPC

New Year, New Week, New Meal Plan

2012-01-02T11:04:00.000-05:00

A short post today, just to check in and share our meal plan for the week. As I type this, we are getting our first real snow of the season. We saw a few flakes in December, but nothing that came close to sticking. But today:

Of course the irony is that today we're taking down all our decorations--the boys waited all December for a White Christmas that never came to be, and as we take down our tree, the snow arrived!

Tomorrow its back to work and school and back to reality. Our meals for the week:

Winter Pumpkin Pasta, Lemon Glazed Green Beans
A new Veggie Burger recipe, Perfect Oven Roasted Potatoes
Caribbean Mango Black Beans (new recipe), Brown Rice, Simple Greens
Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala (One of my Top 11 of '11)
Italian Stuffed Shells

Eat Well.
Feel Well.
Live Well.

Life is sweet,
SPC

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T14:35:00.001-05:00

Are you like me? Do you like:

Fresh starts?
Clean slates?
New beginnings?

Me too.

It's the day and season of fresh starts, and if you are looking for a fresh start (or a jump start to healthy eating that went awry during the holidays), you are not alone.

I can't wait to continue our family's healthy eating journey in the new year, and I hope you will journey with us as we:

Eat better.
Feel better.
Live better.

To me, the end goal of healthy eating is a healthy body, a healthy outlook on life and an overall improved quality of life.

So here's two quick, practical, and relatively easy ways to begin this year's healthy eating journey:

If you have 15 minutes: spend 15 minutes each weekend or Monday, or really, whenever fits best into your schedule and plan your week's worth of meals*. Menu planning will invariably improve your health since it leads to more home cooking, less eating out, and will heighten your awareness of what you are eating. Usually, the more aware you are of your eating choices, the better you will choose to eat.

If you have a mere 1 minute: take 1 minute each time you plan to eat or find yourself craving a snack and stop and think before you eat. Think about how everything you eat is not merely to satiate your hunger, but also affects your health, and how you will feel after you eat what is before you.

The one minute trick is a huge help to me--I love, love the way the smell of french fries wafting through the air smells, but if I fast forward and think of how I feel after I eat the french fries, I usually choose to pass. With fresh baked cookies, this trick doesn't work so well...which is why I am a huge proponent of the 90/10 rule, allowing yourself treats now and then. But just taking that one minute to think things through usually leads me down a path of better eating.

So whether you have 15 minutes or 1 minute, choose to take the time to:

Eat well.
Feel well.
Live well.

*Each Monday I share our meals for the week, if you need a weekly inspiration. Also, may I suggest the "Recipe Index" tab at the top of the blog for some really great recipes?

Life is sweet,
SPC

New Years Countdown

2011-12-29T08:32:00.002-05:00

'Tis the season for "best of" lists from 2011. So in case you missed it, here are my:

Top Eleven Recipes in '11.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala: a healthy Indian dish featuring tons of flavor:

Chili Lime Salmon: Who says you need a lot of time to eat healthy?

Honey Almond Cake (Gluten-free and Dairy-free):

Taco Lasagna with Cilantro Lime Cream Sauce: don't let the word "cream" fool you, still healthy and full of flavor!

Edamame Caviar: Just like Texas Caviar, but with a twist:

Citrus Glazed Chicken: On the grill or in the oven, this chicken dish is moist and a great combination of tart and sweet:

Summer Cucumbers: Enjoy 'em any ole' time of the year.

Roasted Tomatillo and Cilantro Dip: Addictive. Perfect with veggies or chips. Just put in your blender or food processor, give it a whirl and you are done.

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili: Award winning! :) A great hearty, but healthy, chili.

Candied Orange (or any citrus fruit) Peel: My answer to my gummi bear or fruit gem cravings:

Herb Roasted Butternut Squash: Beautiful on your plate, beautiful flavors in your tum:

A great list from 2011, but also a great way to start 2012 on a healthful note!

Happy New Year!
SPC

(not so) Silent Night and Columbus Cowboy Caviar Recipe

2011-12-27T10:02:00.000-05:00

We're winding down and regrouping this week after the Big Christmas Weekend:

Christmas Eve we went to the family service at our church, during which G decided that his green and white striped shirt needed a festive red touch. In the middle of singing "Silent Night," he did some sort of move in his seat, fell, and knocked his chin into the seat in front of him. Suffice it to say, G's wailing ensured that that particular moment of the night was anything but silent.

I swooped up G, made a fast dash to the exit and took him into the restroom where his chin was bleeding quite nicely. It was a Christmas miracle--there was no need to rush out for stitches.

After celebrating with family Christmas Eve, we returned home to do the Santa bit and get ready for Christmas morning...and afternoon...and evening. A long, but wonderful day during which we got to witness lots of "YES! I really wanted this!" phrases from the boys.

And now...

It's back to reality.

To be honest, I hate to see Christmas go. The anticipation, the food, the fun...it is lots of work, especially for us parents, but I just love, love this time of the year. But again...

It's back to reality.

In the next week we'll be celebrating New Year's Eve and Day and (if you're a fan or married to a fan of college football) loads of great College Football Bowl Games. How 'bout a recipe that is perfect for either?

This recipe is a variation of Texas Caviar, a recipe from a friend of my mom and dad. She calls it Cowboy Caviar, but now that we've had the recipe and tweaked it a bit, we call it Columbus Cowboy Caviar. There are cowboys in Columbus too, you know.

One last thing: this recipe is uber-healthful. I know some folks view avocados as fattening, but they are loaded with the good, healthy fats, and gobs of vitamins and minerals. It also features healthful black-eyed peas, which are full of fiber and vitamins, and, if you are from the South, the perfect food for New Year's Day.

Columbus Cowboy Caviar

1 - 15 oz can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained (or 1 3/4 cup cooked black-eyed peas)
1 generous cup frozen white corn, thawed (just run under some warm water for a quick thaw)
1/2 cup red onion, diced
2 plum tomatoes, cored and diced
2/3 cup cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
juice of one lime
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 avocados, diced

Combine all ingredients except avocados. Stir well. Tastes best if made at least an hour ahead, as the flavors can marinate together.

When ready to serve, chop the avocado and add to the mix. Stir well.

Serve with tortilla scoop chips.

Makes about 4-5 cups.

Each time we make this recipe (it is in our fridge as I type), it not only makes a great side dish, appetizer or game-day snack, it is the perfect thing for a healthy little nosh between meals.

Life is sweet,
SPC

Shrimp and Grits Breakfast Bake

2011-12-21T12:12:00.005-05:00

I love egg casseroles for an easy, make-ahead breakfast dish. I was looking to develop something different for this year's Christmas morning, something I could still make-ahead but that would be a good, hearty, healthful and non-sweet breakfast. My boys are already sweet enough, and on Christmas morning, the last thing they need is sugar in their breakfast!

This shrimp and grits bake can be infinitely adapted to your family's tastes. You can use any cheese you wish, or omit it altogether. You can use the greens and red pepper the recipe calls for, or whatever vegetable you have on hand...or omit those too. Adapt away!

Shrimp and Grits Breakfast Bake

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1-2 bell peppers, chopped
4 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup packed greens, chopped
1/2 cup white wine or broth
1 pound small shrimp
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup quick grits
4 cups water
salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon each)
2 ounces goat cheese

In a large skillet that has a lid, heat the oil to medium high. Add the onion, peppers and garlic. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the onions become translucent and the peppers soften a bit. Add the 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Add the greens and the wine or broth. Stir in pan and then cover for 2-3 minutes. Uncover and stir well. Continue cooking until all the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and place the greens and pepper mixture in a bowl.

Meanwhile, coat the shrimp in cornstarch and dried thyme, tossing well. Add the shrimp to the still heated skillet (add an additional tablespoon to the skillet if needed)and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the shrimp is no longer gray. Remove from heat and place in a bowl.

Heat the 4 cups water and 1 cup grits in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and then simmer according to the package directions. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Coat a 9x13 or similarly sized dish with cooking spray. Add half the grits to the bottom of the dish.

Top the grits with most of the greens and peppers and all the shrimp.

Top with remaining grits.

Sprinkle top with remaining greens and peppers on top, followed by the goat cheese.

In the morning:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Serves 8.

Merry Christmas All!
SPC

Holiday (Family) Cocktails

2011-12-19T08:33:00.000-05:00

Check out a post I wrote a couple weeks ago, picked up by BlogHer for syndication.

Nothing says "festive" like a fun, sparkly or fruity drink for your whole family.

The Sweet Peas are on the road for a couple days, but home soon and I have a fantastic Goat Cheese Shrimp and Grits Bake with Collards and Red Peppers (tres green and red) for your Christmas morning or other holiday celebration.

'Til then, enjoy the holiday drinks post and your Meatless Monday challenge!

Side note: can you fathom that a week from now the whole Christmas morning gig will be behind us?

Life is sweet,
SPC

Meatless Monday: Paninis

2011-12-16T12:26:00.000-05:00

Things are extra Merry!, Merry! yet, busy, busy, here in Sweet Peaville. G and I are preparing the snacks for R's school party later this afternoon...then a weekend full of merriment and celebrating. I am feeling a bit stretched, and I am guessing you are too!

So for Monday's Meatless Healthy Eating Challenge, I am keeping it super easy.

One word: paninis.

If you don't have a homemade panini maker, don't sweat it--I don't have one either. To make ours I use our grill pan and a heavy pan on top to smoosh it (yes, a technical culinary term!).

If you don't have a grill pan, any ole' skillet will work, it just won't have those tell-tale panini lines on the bread. No worries, it still will taste fantastic!

The description for some panini ideas can be found here. Of course, for Monday, we will be omitting the bacon and/or Proscuitto. Again, no worries, since the real star of any panini is the cheese!

Grocery list:

Bakery:
Good bread--we like sourdough or Italian

Produce:
Spinach
Pear
Apple
(or whatever you want in your sandwich)

Dairy:
Sharp Cheddar Cheese or any other cheese you wish!

Hope your weekend is Merry and Bright,
SPC

Candied Orange Peel

2011-12-14T10:30:00.003-05:00

Here's a super simple, crazy easy holiday treat. All you need are ingredients I am guessing you already have in your kitchen: an orange, sugar and water. Yep, that's it.

These humble ingredients create candied orange peel that tastes better than any fruit gem, gummy candy or other fruity treat, hands down:

I'd been wanting to try my hand at candied orange peel for years, and now that I've done it, I already have plans to do lemon, lime and grapefruit too, to create a veritable rainbow of sugar-y goodness.

Wanna know how simple it is to make? Read on:

Candied Orange Peel

1 navel orange, with thick skin and few blemishes
water
1-2 cups sugar

Slice the top and bottom off your orange and then slice the peel off the sides, pith (the white stuff inside the peel) and all. Slice each piece of orange peel:

Bring a few cups of water to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Add the orange peel and simmer for 15-20 minutes:

Drain and rinse the orange peel well:

Combine 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar in the same sauce pan. Heat to medium and stir until the sugar is dissolved (will only take a couple minutes). Add the orange peel and simmer again, this time for 45 minutes.

Drain the orange peel again (save the syrup--you will have a delicious orange syrup for mixed drinks or ice tea!).

Dry out the sauce pan and add 1/3 cup sugar. Toss the orange peel in the sugar until it is fully coated:

Let dry on a drying rack for 1-2 days, while you try, try your best not to eat any:

Makes about 2-3 dozen pieces of candied orange peel.

Now you can package up for a sweet holiday treat to share with those you love! You can also dip one end in chocolate, which I intended to do, but when I tasted the orange peel plain, I decided not to mess with its vibrant flavor. But to each their own...

Life is sweet,
SPC

Celebrations and Reunions

2011-12-12T10:01:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we celebrated, but nothing having to do with the holidays, rather: SPH returning home from a week's long trip to Asia, R, who did great in his first-ever Tae Kwon Do Tournament and a great visit from SPH's mom who came into town to help me during the latter half of his trip.

I always like to have some special things to do with the boys while SPH is out of town, as they are both big daddy's boys, and it serves as a good distraction for all of us. Last week we had some neighbor friends over to learn how to cook dinner and dessert for their parents! It honestly was a lot of fun, and the kids did great, but man, was I beat when all was said and done:

This week will be a lot less out-of-the ordinary, with SPH home and more of a steady pace. We're gearing up for the holidays, to be sure, but at least this week, all four of us will be eating dinner together.

Our meals this week:

Louisiana Red Beans and Rice (Meatless Monday Healthy Eating Challenge--are you in?!)
Simply Sauteed Rockfish, Broccoli and Wild Rice Pilaf
My version of Slow Cooker Senate Bean Soup (will share the recipe once its been adequately tweaked)
Busy Night Garlic Pasta, Green Beans, Pineapple
Greek Salad

Here's to the last week of school before Winter Break!
SPC

Meatless Monday Grocery List: Louisiana Red Beans and Rice

2011-12-09T14:19:00.000-05:00

How 'bout another easy slow cooker Meatless Monday Healthy Eating Challenge? The meal for the week's Meatless Monday is a vegetarian (vegan, actually) recipe for Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice.

Here's the grocery list for the recipe, omitting the optional bacon:

Produce:
1 onion
5 cloves garlic
1 bell pepper
celery

Grocery:
2 cups dried kidney beans
-OR-
3 - 15 oz cans kidney beans
rice
hot sauce (optional)

Pantry:
bay leaves
garlic powder
pepper
dried oregano
thyme leaves
cayenne powder
ground cloves
allspice
salt

Side note: I know several of you have mentioned wanting slow cooker recipes that can cook alllll day. This is a great one, as it can cook on low for up to 10-14 hours.

Have a sweet weekend,
SPC

Easy Flavor Savers

2011-12-08T09:28:00.002-05:00

This week I've been thinking a lot about easy ways to add incredible flavor to your meals without reaching for a can or jar. I love jarred sauces but you can make some pretty awesome flavors at home with just a few minutes and a food processor or blender...

I've written a series of posts at FamilyEducation.com with three new easy flavor savers:

You can try my new recipe for homemade Kale-Basil Pesto, and use it flavor pasta, sandwiches, pizza or bruschetta:

Or my take on Chimichurri, a great South American sauce that is cook-free!:

Or roast some garlic for instant yummy-ness:

I don't know about you, but I am all about easy and quick for dinner this time of the year!

Life is sweet,
SPC

Chocolate Drizzled Salty Pretzel Caramels

2011-12-05T11:03:00.000-05:00

This recipe could be explained using lots of superlatives and oh-my-goodness adjectives, but I will let a picture do the talking:

Ready for the easy, microwave recipe for this Christmas treat? Here you go:

Chocolate Drizzle Salty Pretzel Caramels

1/2 cup sweetened, condensed milk
1/2 cup light Karo corn syrup (other brands are sometimes made from high fructose corn syrup--yuck!)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup pretzel pieces
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 teaspoon kosher or rock salt

Combine first five (condensed milk through butter) ingredients in a large glass bowl (note: use one that is at least 2 quarts large--that equals 8 cups):

Microwave for 2 minutes. Stir well, repeat 2 times until you have cooked the mixture for a total of 6 minutes. Note: place a piece of waxed paper under the bowl...it will boil in the microwave and just in case, the waxed paper will catch any drips.

While the caramel is cooking, break up pieces of pretzel and lay on the bottom of a 8x8 or 9x9 pan, that has been lined with GREASED foil, making sure they are only in one layer.

Pour the caramel in the pan (make sure you place the glass bowl in the sink and immediately fill with hot water to soak, it will make clean-up a breeze!):

Place in the fridge for about 15 minutes or until is firm but still malleable. Bring out and cut into 6x6 or 7x7 cubes:

Pick up each piece of caramel and shape gently with your fingers if desired. Place on tray, Silpat mat or parchment paper.

Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, 30 seconds on high. Stir, repeat until the chocolate is fully melted. Use a fork or spoon and drizzle chocolate on top of caramels:

Sprinkle with kosher or rock salt:

Let cool and then they're ready to eat!

Want another look?:

Yum.

Life is sweet!
SPC

PS--if you want to do just plain caramels, here is the original recipe I used as a launching point for this recipe.

Our Weekly Meal Plan

2011-12-05T10:34:00.004-05:00

It's rainy, cold and gray this morning. Bet this week's Meatless Monday Healthy Eating Challenge will warm us right up!

Our other meals this week are quick, easy and simple. It's a busy week, and I am taking the advice of my Friday post on FamilyEducation.com, entitled, "Slow down, you move too fast." This week I'll be relying on some leftovers in our freezer (Chana Masala, Chicken Paprikash) and my good friend (Trader) Joe, who will pitch in some ready-to-cook meals too.

This Wednesday I am whipping up a batch of some Vegetarian Taco Soup with two neighbor girls who have been wanting to do some cooking. Should be fun!

So there you have it--a perfectly easy week of meals, so I can focus on some other fun cooking and baking. I'll be posting a new sweet recipe here shortly...

Life is sweet,
SPC

Meatless Monday: Italian Bean and Artichoke Heart Slow Cooker Soup

2011-12-02T14:56:00.004-05:00

For Monday's Meatless Monday Healthy Eating Challenge, I have a great, family favorite soup: Italian Bean and Artichoke Heart Slow Cooker Soup.

If you aren't into artichoke hearts, you can easily replace them with another vegetable, or omit them all together. But here's the grocery list for the recipe as written:

Grocery:

3 cups dried beans, such as kidney, navy, canellini
-OR-
5 - 15 oz cans beans
1 -28oz jar marinara sauce
1 - 15oz can artichoke hearts
1 quart vegetable broth

Pantry:
bay leaves
minced dried onion
dried parsley
garlic powder
pepper
dried oregano
thyme leaves
red pepper flakes

An easy soup for a busy (Meatless) Monday!

Have a great weekend y'all,
SPC

Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies

2011-12-01T11:37:00.004-05:00

Happy December, Happy First Day of Advent Calendars, Happy Holiday Month, and for many--Happy Baking Month.

I am gearing up for some baking, and I have a new recipe I created for Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies. I blogged about the recipe today at FamilyEducation.com, but I wanted to share the recipe here too. These are fun, easy cookies full of my favorite sweet flavor combination.

For the recipe and full instructions with pictures, be sure to click on the link above.

Let the Baking Begin...
SPC

Slow Cooker Lentil Soup

2011-11-29T10:22:00.001-05:00

These are soup days. I love a good soup on a cool or downright cold, night. Soup soothes, warms and comforts like few foods are able. And a soup that is ready, waiting for me after a long day? Well, sign me up!

I've been working on a good lentil soup for some time. Lentils are crazy healthful for you, high in protein, iron, fiber and loads of good nutrients while being low in calories. I've had a few go rounds in trying to come up with a good flavor combination, and I think I have finally nailed it.

This original recipe uses lentils, a bit of quinoa (optional, you could omit) and a bag of frozen peas, carrots, corn and green beans for added convenience. Saute one onion while you gather up the rest of the ingredients, and in about 10-15 minutes, you have dinner on its way to being ready before you even start your busy day.

Slow Cooker Lentil Soup

1 tablespoon vegetable or extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 - 15 oz can broth (chicken, or vegetable if you want to make this vegetarian/vegan)
6 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups uncooked lentils
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
10 oz bag (or use about 3/4 of a 16 oz bag) frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, corn and green beans)
1 cup packed spinach, kale or other green, chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
fresh chopped parsley or other herb for garnish, optional

In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat the oil and add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes, or until translucent and slightly browned.

Add to a large slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients, except red wine vinegar and fresh parsley.

Cook on HI for 6-8 hours, LOW for 12-14 hours. Add red wine vinegar, stir well. Serve and top with fresh parsley (optional).

Serves 8, and freezes well.

**You may add chopped bacon, ham, sausage or other meat if your family desires.**

Life is sweet,
SPC

Turkey Trot and Turkey Feast

2011-11-28T11:44:00.000-05:00

Our Thanksgiving was very turkey-ful. First, in the morning, a turkey mini-trot for the boys...

and a 5 miler for my dad and I:

Just had to share this photo my mom (aka, the historian of the family) took of some fellow runners:

After a shower and some champagne to celebrate (for me, my longest race to date and for my dad, to celebrate being in his late 60s and outrunning a girl in her 30s--dad, thanks for easing up on that hill during mile 4), it was time to check in on the smoked turkey:

Thanks to SPH, for being the chef of our family. The meal was delicious and we have some great turkey frozen for future meals. But for tonight, we have leftover sweet potatoes for this week's Meatless Monday Health Eating Challenge: Sweet Potato Enchiladas.

And our meals for the rest of the week too:

Northstar Burgers, Green Salad, Pineapple
Busy Night Garlic Pasta, Broccoli
Chicken and Vegetable Tetrazini
Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup, Bread, Fruit

Have a sweet week,
SPC

Meatless Monday: Sweet Potato Enchiladas

2011-11-25T16:58:00.002-05:00

Anyone feeling like they need a healthy meal? Yeah, me too.

Yesterday was a wonderful day, and I'll share more about this long weekend on Monday when I'll be back for a longer post, but for now, I share this week's Meatless Monday grocery list for this week's recipe: Sweet Potato Enchiladas.

Here's your grocery list for this amazing enchilada recipe!

Produce:
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 - 6oz box or bag of baby spinach
1 sweet potato **OR use some leftover mashed sweet potatoes from Thanksgiving**

Grocery:
1 - 4oz can diced green chilis
1 - 15oz can Great Northern Beans, or about 2 cups cooked Great Northern Beans
10 tortillas
1 -10oz jar or can, red enchilada sauce

Dairy:
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (light if possible)

Pantry:
vegetable oil
salt
pepper
cumin
chili powder
dried oregano

Pick up these items this weekend and you'll be half-way there to Monday's meatless challenge!

Happy Thanksgiving weekend all (and GO BUCKS and GO 'HOOS!),
SPC

My Big Event hosting check-lists -or- how I keep my sanity before hosting a shingdig

2011-11-22T11:33:00.003-05:00

I just finished emailing and phoning some relatives for some last minute checks on our Thanksgiving feast we are hosting this Thursday. We have about 2o folks coming by for supper, and since I mentioned checking my list in yesterday's post, I thought I'd share my lists.

These are lists I use every time we have a big gathering. They help me mentally walk through the day and all I have to do, and frankly, save my sanity and my sleep the days before a big event.

I hope they may help you too!

House Preparation:

*Empty out closet space or prepare a place for jackets and outerwear (sometimes as simple as a free bed or sofa)
*Spot clean the bathroom, make sure there is plenty of toilet paper and soap, and clean hand towels
*Sweep the entryway to make sure it is presentable
*Have the boys put away toys, especially ones that might cause others to trip
*Do a quick, general spot clean and pick up of any errant items
*Since we have lots of young kids in our extended family, make sure there are no dangerous or toxic items in toddlers’ reach
*Prepare guest accommodations if hosting overnight guests, including towels and linens.

Kitchen Preparation:

*Pull out any serving pieces I might need to use, check that I have counter or table space for dishes and other sides folks might be bringing, also checking serving utensils.
*Determine a space in our home for drinks, dinner serving and desserts.
*Pull out plates, napkins, silverware and glasses, making sure I have enough of each.
*Figure out seating (this can be as casual or formal as you like) and do place cards if necessary.
*Review menu and ensure I have all the food items I need--for instance, if I am using a box mix, that I have all the items needed to make said mix.

Dining Room/Tables Preparation:

*Set up enough chairs, do a headcount if doing a seated dinner
*Put out tableclothes and placemats, if using.
*Either set tables if doing a formal seating, or stack dinnerware for use
*Spot clean or polish anything, if necessary
*Figure out centerpieces, if using.

Final touches:

*Chill wine or other drinks, if necessary
*Make sure your grocery shopping is truly finished (I am notorious for thinking “we have onions” and then realizing I need 3 or 4 and I only have 2), checking each recipe carefully
*Check cleaning supplies, especially dishwasher detergent and dish soap, paper towels, etc.
*Make sure you have a good supply of kitchen towels.

Last but not least:

*Take a load off...and chill for a bit. Chances are, if you are hosting a big group, you will need the extra energy!

Anything I am missing? I would love to hear your ideas!

Life is sweet,
SPC

Making a list, checking it twice

2011-11-21T10:28:00.000-05:00

No, not that kind of Christmas-y list, my menu list...and house-prep list and so on. We're hosting a big crowd on Thursday, so I've been working on getting all my ducks in a row so the turkey day goes smoothly, otherwise everyone will be in a fowl mood (horrible joke, I know, I just couldn't help myself with all the bird references and all).

If you are looking for some last minute ideas for tasty side dishes, be sure to check out my Recipe Index for some inspiration.

Since this week is pretty heavy Turkey Day preparations, I've kept it super simple with our meals this week:

Breakfast for dinner, featuring Breakfast Tacos for Meatless Monday
Tuna Melt Sandwiches, Spinach Salad
Pantry Pasta*
Thanksgiving!
Leftovers#

Hopefully, this easy menu will give me plenty of time to chop, dice, stir, whisk, roast and bake my way to a delicious Thanksgiving!

*basically, I clean out my kitchen with "whatever we have on hand" and make a pasta dish, a great carbohydrate load before the big Turkey Trot my dad and I are running Thanksgiving morning

#if you can, be sure to save about 1/2 - 3/4 cup of sweet potatoes for this coming Monday's Meatless Monday challenge

Have a great Monday y'all,
SPC

Shopping List for Meatless Monday: Breakfast Tacos

2011-11-18T13:22:00.000-05:00

With all the meal and holiday preparations next week, I decided to stick with a very simple Meatless Monday Healthy Eating Challenge for this coming Monday: Breakfast for Dinner, aka Brinner.

But before you think that breakfast for dinner has to be just scrambled eggs, check out this post I did on Breakfast Tacos.

Breakfast Tacos are an easy and fun dinner recipe, one that you can easily customize for your family's tastes. Serve with a side of refried beans and some fresh fruit and dinner is done in about 15 minutes...which leaves you extra time to start thinking about your Thanksgiving preparations.

Here is your grocery list for the week, feel free to alter the taco toppings to suit your family's tastes:

Produce:
1 avocado
1 bunch cilantro
fresh fruit

Grocery:
taco shells
salsa
1 - 15 oz can refried beans

Dairy:
eggs
shredded cheese

Have a sweet weekend,
SPC

Clementine Ginger Cranberry Sauce

2011-11-17T15:34:00.004-05:00

This extraordinarily simple recipe yields a sublimely delicious cranberry sauce that is head and shoulders above canned cranberry sauce.

For years I've heard "it's so easy to make your own!" regarding cranberry sauce, and since we're hosting a large group this year, I've decided to make as much of our dinner ahead of time as I possibly can. This sauce is already in the freezer, and I have to say, it is hard for me to keep it frozen and use it now...something I've never felt about canned cranberry sauce.

Canned cranberry sauce is almost always laden with high fructose corn syrup, and I promise you, if you try this simple recipe, you'll be hooked on fresh sauce too.

Clementine Ginger Cranberry Sauce

3 cups fresh cranberries (the amount in one store-bought bag)
1 clementine, sliced
1 inch piece of ginger, sliced
1 1/4 cup water
3/4 cup white sugar
dash of salt

Rinse the cranberries.

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan.

Heat to medium high until the mixture begins to simmer.

Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until most of the cranberries have split (this process creates a fun popping sound--but be sure to have on an apron in case of a very hoppy cranberry).

Let cool. Remove clementine slices and ginger.

Makes about 3-4 cups cranberry sauce, which freezes well.

Holiday (Family) Cocktails

2011-11-16T12:59:00.000-05:00

When I spent my first Thanksgiving with my in-laws, I remember my Mother-in-law opening a bottle of champagne and the whole family toasting with a glass of bubbly. It is a wonderful tradition that we have continued: special drinks on special holidays.

Now with two young boys, I've tried to come up new, what they deem, "fancy drinks" to enjoy at holidays and other special events. Since we try to eat natural, whole foods, sodas and other artificially sweetened and gunk-y (yes, that's a technical term) drinks are off the table. Instead, we've come up with some really easy and above all, fancy, homemade drinks for guests of all ages to enjoy!

(Sparkling) Fruit Water

Perhaps the easiest of all fancy drinks, fruit water simply requires fresh, cut-up fruit, water (we think sparkling is fun, but you can use regular water) and a little bit of time for the fruit flavors to marinate into the water.

Making it is as easy as ONE (cut up the fruit of your choice to flavor the water):

TWO (place in a drink pitcher):

THREE (fill with sparkling or flat water and let sit for several hours):

(Added bonus: this is a really super way to use the middle of the pineapple, the part that is too tough and fibrous to eat)

Serve and garnish with fresh fruit:

Other easy fancy drink ideas:

Sparkling Berry Juice

Mix half unsweetened seltzer and half 100% juice in a glass or container. Garnish with a lime and ice.

Spiced Cider

Drop a cinnamon stick and vanilla bean in cider and let sit overnight in the fridge. The vanilla flavor adds a new flavor dimension to the cider. Let kids have their own cinnamon stick or star anise in their drink (if they are older and can understand it is not for their mouth).

Click here for the full description and pictures.

Snowy Hot Chocolate

This is a great dessert drink. Mixing 6-8 oz warmed (heat in the microwave for 45-60 seconds) skim milk and three chocolate kiss candies creates velvety hot chocolate. Let preschooler and older kids stir the milk themselves while the chocolate melts. Sprinkle unsweetened coconut on top for the snow.

Mint Fool-ups

A great alternative to the mint julep. Make a mint simple syrup (Microwave 1 cup water in a glass pyrex until boiling. Add 1/2 white sugar and stir until it melts. Add 10-20 mint leaves and allow to steep, much like a tea, for about 20 minutes. Remove the mint leaves and voila, mint simple syrup). Mix 1/4 cup mint simple syrup with 1/2 cup unsweetened seltzer or club soda. Garnish with a mint sprig!

And there you have it, a handful of ideas to fancy-up your holiday drinks!

Life is sweet,
SPC

Homemade Laundry Detergent and some meals, too

2011-11-14T11:09:00.001-05:00

I have a rare Monday recipe (instead of my usual weekly meal plan post--if you opened this post looking for meals, scroll down the bottom) for you this morning, one that isn't *quite* the same as my usual posts.

About a month ago, a natural living speaker came to my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. She shared lots of hints on using natural cleaners in your home, and then had a raffle for some homemade natural cleaners.

I won homemade all-natural laundry detergent, which I took home and tried out on a load of mildly dirty clothes. It worked great, but I wondered how it would stand up to some really, really dirty clothes. I got my chance for a trial run when SPH and R returned home after a weekend tent camping trip.

You know how certain clothes get so dirty, so mud-ridden, that they can almost stand up on their own? These were the type of clothes SPH and R brought to the laundry room after they unloaded their camping gear.

The result? The homemade laundry detergent worked just like store-bought detergent. I couldn't believe it. So this past week, I picked up the ingredients, made some of my own, and have begun using it.

The best part? All told, it cost less than $4.50 to make enough for 160 loads of laundry. The even better part? No chemicals, no gunk, no nothing to harm our environment. Sounds pretty good to me!
Homemade Laundry Detergent

1 bar, Dr. Bronner's Castille Soap -OR- 1 cup liquid Dr. Bronner's Castille Soap* (from Whole Foods)
1/2 cup washing soda (sold at Meijer's)
1/2 cup borax (sold at Target)
water
5 gallon bucket with lid (sold at Home Depot)

Using a food processor with a grater attachment, or an old-fashioned regular grater, grate the Castille bar soap, or simply use the liquid Castille.

Heat 6 cups of water until very hot, but not boiling. Pour the water into the 5 gallon bucket, and add the Castille soap. Stir until dissolved.

Add washing soda and borax, and stir until dissolved.

(for this next step, you really want to make sure that the bucket is in a place where you will be storing it, so you won't have to carry it. Once the bucket is full, it is heavy!)

Fill the bucket within a few inches of the top, and stir well. Let stand overnight.

In the morning, stir again. There will be a gelatinous topping, so you want to stir the detergent, until it is the consistency of egg-drop soup.

You are now ready to use the detergent. I used a ladle and a funnel, and re-used several plastic juice and cider containers, and poured the detergent into several smaller containers, and stored the rest of the detergent in the bucket.

TO USE: Simply add 1/2 cup of the laundry detergent, while the water is filling the basin, so it mixes with the water.

*Dr. Bronner's comes in all sorts of nice scents, I chose a citrus scent, which works great. However, since the scent comes from essential oils instead of chemicals, it is much more subtle than traditional detergent. If you want stronger scents, add essential oils. But honestly, I love the way clothes just smell, well, clean.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

And our meals for the week:

Meatless Monday Challenge
Pasta Puttanesca, Broccoli, Bosc Pears
Homemade Falafel, Hummus, Cucumber Salad
White Chicken Chili, Corn Spoonbread, Pineapple
Gnocchi with Peppers in a Goat Cheese Sauce

Have a sweet week,
SPC

Meatless Monday: Easy Tofu and Veggie Stir-fry

2011-11-11T08:45:00.000-05:00

Okay, if you've read the title of this week's Meatless Monday Healthy Eating Challenge, and turned up your nose at a certain four-letter word, I am here to try to convince you that you really should try cooking with tofu.

I understand. Tofu can seem a bit odd if you've never cooked with it before, but cooking with it is easy and delicious, since tofu takes on the flavors of any sauce or other foods in a dish. The trick to cooking tofu is to coat it in either flour or corn starch and to saute it so it develops a bit of crust.

Tofu and Veggie Stir-fry

1 pound block, extra-firm tofu
1 tablespoon corn starch (or 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour)
1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
2 cups vegetables, cut in small pieces (broccoli, bell peppers, green beans, edamame, carrots, etc)
1/4 cup Soy-Vey Teriyaki, or other stir-fry sauce of your choice
3 cups cooked brown, white or jasmine rice

Slice the tofu and place on a clean dish cloth, folded in half.

Cover and place something on top to gently press out any extra moisture. Let sit in the towel for about ten minutes.

Cube in 1/2 - 1 inch pieces. Place in a bowl and toss with the corn starch.

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, place the tofu in the pan, allowing a bit of space between each piece.

Let cook for 3-4 minutes, then flip. You don't have to cook the tofu on all 6 sides, but make sure 2-3 sides have a good brown on them. Remove from the skillet or wok.

Add the garlic, onions and vegetables and stir-fry for 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables are crisp tender.

Add the tofu back to the pan, along with the sauce. Gently toss for 1-2 minutes.

Serve over 3/4 cup rice.

Serves 4.

So, are you ready? You can do this!

Here is your grocery list for the week:

Produce:
2 cups vegetables--such as broccoli, bell pepper, carrot, etc.
garlic
onion
1 pound extra firm tofu

Grocery:
Teriyaki sauce or other stir-fry sauce
3 cups cooked rice (1 cup uncooked)

Pantry:
vegetable oil
corn starch

Have a sweet weekend!
SPC

Green Lantern Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

2011-11-10T10:35:00.000-05:00

I am a big fan of marketing healthy food to your kids. Silly names, the right twist on a food name, or comparing a new food to something they like, can all help get some good powerful power foods in your sweet peas' bellies.

So when I decided to try and do a green salad that was raw kale, I decided to call it the Green Lantern Salad (we're big into super heroes). Then I switched gears to talk about the dressing...how it was made with apple cider (their favorite drink right now) and honey. I'm pretty sure if I said "we're having kale salad," they wouldn't have been as accepting.

Here's the thing about kale: if you find only the big leaves of kale, they are pretty tough and need to be sauteed, baked or blended into something else in order to be easily eaten. But if you find small leaves of kale, they can be eaten raw, much like spinach or other green.

Lastly, I added cut-up pear and walnuts to this salad, since that suits our tastes. Add diced red apple and cranberries and you'll have a great looking salad for the Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Green Lantern Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

1 bunch kale
1/2 cup apple cider
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons water (or extra oil--I use water to cut down on fat)
1-2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder
pinch (about 1/8 teaspoon) dried thyme
1/4 cup walnut pieces (optional)
1 medium pear, diced

Wash the kale and remove the leaves from the center stem. Chop kale well.

In a jar with a lid, combine the apple cider, oil, water, 1 tablespoon honey, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard powder, and thyme. Close and put lid on tightly. Shake well. Taste--add one more tablespoon honey, if desired.

Serve greens, topped with dressing and walnuts and pear, if using.

Serves 8 as a side salad.

This salad holds up well to the dressing, and does not get soggy like lettuces and baby spinach sometimes do. If you wanted to make this for Thanksgiving, you could dress it and place it on the table or in a buffet line and it would keep well.

Life is sweet,
SPC

Mashed Sweet Potato and Squash Bake

2011-11-08T10:09:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I asked you what recipes you might like for Thanksgiving. I had lots of emails and messages about healthy side dishes, and specifically, for ones that could be egg-, gluten- and dairy-free.

How 'bout a recipe that fits all these descriptions?

I developed this recipe as a replacement for the traditional sweet potato recipe using lots of sugar and marshmellows, my boys' favorite Thanksgiving side dish, so I was a little bit nervous to see how they liked it.

This sweet potato recipe was inhaled by my boys.

I added acorn squash, since squash is super-healthful and a vegetable my boys don't readily eat on its own. Since the greater the variety of vegetables, the greater array of healthfulness, I added the squash, and honestly, you couldn't even taste it.

One last bonus: this is a great make-ahead dish. You can make it 1-2 days before baking *and* it freezes great too.

Mashed Sweet Potato and Squash Bake

3 pounds sweet potatoes
1 medium acorn or similar squash, such as butternut squash
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
3-4 tablespoons honey
Toppings:
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (optional--but is a good, natural fill-in for the white marshmellows)
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place the sweet potatoes on a foil-lined cookie sheet.

Cut the acorn squash in half, and remove the seeds and pulp. Place upside down on the same baking sheet.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes and squash are very tender. Let cool.

Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees if baking immediately.

Peel the sweet potatoes (the skin will just fall right off!) and scoop out the cooked flesh of the squash. Place in a large bowl.

Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, bourbon (if using) and honey. Blend with a handheld mixer or stand mixer to whip.

Pour into a 9x13 baking pan. Top with unsweetened coconut and chopped pecans, if desired.

Bake 20 minutes or until sides are bubbly.

This tasted so good, the boys didn't even miss or ask for the marshmellows!

Life is sweet,
SPC

Meal Plan and Falling Leaves

2011-11-07T10:07:00.000-05:00

First, our meals for the week, I hope they may give you some inspiration:

Meatless Monday: Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli, Clementines
Simply Crusted Baked Fish, Radicchio and Arugula Salad, Roasted Parsnips
Lentil Soup (new recipe), Bread, Homemade Applesauce
Tofu Stir-fry with Broccoli, Baby Corn, Red Peppers

Second, a picture of R, raking leaves, which gives me inspiration, thinking of the day when we can hand over some outdoor tasks to the boys!:

And after a little raking, of course there is always time for playing too:

Of course, after all the raking, I looked up to see:

Which means, we still have plenty of raking to come...

Life is sweet,
SPC

Meatless Monday: Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli

2011-11-04T08:05:00.003-04:00

Are you ready for next week's Meatless Monday Challenge?

For Monday's meal, we'll be making a homemade macaroni and cheese that has both cauliflower and broccoli mixed into the cheese sauce. Before you think, "there is no way my child will eat mac and cheese with cauliflower in it!," let me share that neither of my boys are big cauliflower fans, but both love this recipe.

This recipe calls for you to "mash" the cauliflower a bit and mix it in the cheese sauce. By using a small pasta shape, such as shells, instead of the traditional macaroni noodle, the cauliflower gets lost in the texture of the pasta.

The original recipe called for turkey bacon crumbled on top, but I am omitting it for this week's challenge.

Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli

1 pound small shell pasta, preferably whole grain
½ small head cauliflower
2 cups broccoli florets
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups skim milk
1 ½ cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon dried mustard powder

Bring 10 cups of water to a boil in a large stock pot. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions.

Using a metal colander placed over the boiling water, steam the cauliflower and broccoli until very tender. Drain the pasta and set aside.

Place the cauliflower in a bowl and break into very small florets with the back of a fork.

Set the steamed broccoli aside.

In a medium pot, melt the butter and heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the flour and stir well until the mixture is fully incorporated. Add the milk and stir constantly with a whisk to prevent lumps. Increase heat and continue to stir until the mixture comes to a simmer.

Let simmer 1-2 minutes and remove from heat. Add the cheese, salt, pepper and mustard powder. Stir until the cheese if fully incorporated.

Add the cauliflower and broccoli, stir well.

Serves 6.

Now for the grocery list:

Produce:
1 small head cauliflower
1 head broccoli

Grocery:
1 pound box small shell pasta, preferably whole grain

Dairy:
butter
6 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese
skim milk

Pantry:
olive oil
salt
ground white pepper
dry mustard powder

Have a sweet weekend!
SPC

Green Tomato Chutney

2011-11-02T10:09:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I shared a recipe for homemade Pumpkin Butter that I think would make a delicious gift from your kitchen for someone special.

Today I share a recipe for another kitchen gift...one that will use all those green tomatoes that you may have lingering in your garden or on your kitchen counter. In the past, we've used green tomatoes to make tasty Harvest Muffins, but this year I used them in a savory new way.

I'd never made homemade chutney before, but I found it to be fun and easy! Give it a try, you will create the most beautiful condiment, see?:

I posted the recipe today at FamilyEducation.com. Click here for the recipe for Green Tomato Chutney!

Life is sweet,
SPC

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Butter

2011-11-01T11:35:00.003-04:00

Okay, so I know last night was the Great Pumpkin of pumpkin nights, but am I the only one who leaves all our pumpkin/non-jack o'lantern gourds up until Thanksgiving? Yep, November is all about pumpkin too.

While I love pumpkin pie and (even more) pumpkin cheesecake, my favorite Thanksgiving pumpkin treat is pumpkin butter. I love it since it is sweet and tastes decadent and yet is pretty darn healthy too. The sort of love that would lead someone to lick a jar clean in one sitting, not that I've known anyone to do that (wink, wink).

I started thinking that I could easily make pumpkin butter in our slow cooker since pumpkin butter is essentially just pureed pumpkin, spices and sugar, allowed to cook for a good long time. Guess what? You can make homemade pumpkin butter, and you can reduce the amount of refined sugar too, by using apple cider and honey instead.

Tasty, easy and more healthful too? Sounds like a winner to me!

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Butter

1 - 29 oz can pureed pumpkin
3/4 cup apple cider
6 tablespoons honey or molasses
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (optional)
dash of salt
brown sugar to taste (optional)

Combine all ingredients except brown sugar in a slow cooker.

Stir well and then scrape the sides so the pureed pumpkin mixture is not on the sides.

Cook on HI for 6-7 hours, LOW for 12-14 hours. Be sure to prop up the lid of the slow cooker with either a wooden spoon or, my favorite, a cinnamon stick*, to allow steam to escape, so the pumpkin will thicken.

Once it reaches the desired consistency and is a deep brown color, do a taste test. Is it sweet enough for your palate? If not, add brown sugar, starting with about 1/4 cup. A lot of pumpkin butters have up to 1 cup or more of added sugar, so adjust to your taste. Additionally, you may add additional spices, if desired.

Makes about 3 cups pumpkin butter.

*using a cinnamon stick to prop open your slow cooker lid will act almost as a natural potpourri, since the escaping steam will carry the cinnamon and pumpkin butter fragrance throughout your home.

Once the pumpkin butter is made, you can freeze some for Thanksgiving--since many of you emailed and left me messages about more healthy Thanksgiving desserts, as well as dairy, egg and gluten-free desserts, this would be a super dessert dish. To serve as a dessert, I would put in small bowls, almost like a pudding, and give folks dippers to enjoy with it.

Life is sweet!
SPC

Halloween Parties and Endless Monopoly

2011-10-31T12:17:00.000-04:00

On Friday R's school had their annual dress-up parade, a long line-up of kindergarteners through 5th graders. There is usually at least one costume that catches my eye or gives me a good laugh. This year there were two:

and

That is G in the foreground, getting a good laugh out of the "giant iPhone!"

After the parade and party, R was home, begging me to teach him how to play Monopoly, a game he read about in a book and has wanted to learn for some time.

So...Friday afternoon I taught him and G, and at this moment, the game is still in progress. R and G paused and unpaused the game all weekend, and I've been amazed at how well they've played it. But in true Monopoly fashion, it looks as though this game may never end.

Still, it is neat to see my "board game" gene coming out in my boys:

Tonight we'll be serving up our annual Halloween night dinner, then we'll head out for some fun Trick-or-Treating and the candy onslaught. Hope y'all have fun out there tonight!

Thanks to those of you who suggested some meal ideas for our menu this week. Here's our meal plan for the week:

Vegetarian Taco Soup, Guacamole, Chips, Mango
New Recipe: Chana Masala, Naan, Eggplant
Barbecue Chicken Meatloaf, Broccoli, Roasted Potatoes
New Recipe: Poached Fish in a Tomato-Fennel Broth, Asparagus
Taco Night

Happy Halloween!!
SPC