mayo breadcrumbs horseradish baked chicken

OH HELLO!
i made the EASIEST yummiest chicken last night

1/2 cup mayo + 1/4 cup grated parm + about 1 table spoon or more of Kozliks horseradish + salt & pepper. spread mixture on chicken breasts + sprinkle with Panko breadcrumbs. cook at 450 for 25 minutes. 
CRA-ZAY GOOD and SUPER EASY.
go eat!

while you were sleeping

wake up mama it's 7am on saturday morning!! only 10 hours to fill until we go to the baseball game!!

oooookay.

there are a few ways to make this scenario better.

sanagans bacon.
el peto gluten free waffle/pancake mix. THE BEST THING IN THIS WORLD - know this.
fresh strawberries.
coffee beans (FULL COBRA) from the common.

here's what i wizarded up this morning...

COFFEE FIRST.

then...lil theo and i mixed the mix as per instructions on the back but oh hey i added some pure vanilla extract and some frozen wild blueberrries while lil lucky eva slept in.

THEN i crisped up that bacon real good and crumbled the delicious morsels of salty fat on the blob of waffle batter before cooking.

butter waffles, slice up strawberries, add lots of maple syrup.

YEAH GUY.

it's not all that bad getting up so early on a weekend...because now it is NAPTIME!

have a happy!

ARTICHOKES!

crazy crazy!

chop off hard bottoms and tippy tops.

place in boiling water for about 30mins until the leaves start coming off and are tender at the bottom.

melt some butter with garlic.

peel away the magical leaves, dip in butter, sip water and your mouth will magically be filled with sweetness!?! CRAZY.

AND if you leave the water overnight that you boiled the artichokes in (not recommending this - I am just lazy and left it out) the water will turn into the most vibrant green you have ever seen!

what an exciting and intriguing little ugly plant/vegetable thing!

breaking news!

i made beef stew without making the beef turn to leather! awesome sauce!

that is all.

Red Lentil Soup

So cold today. Did not remember to layer. Lets talk soup.

1 tablespoon ghee (or butter), plus 1 teaspoon
1 chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
1 cup chopped tomatoes (1 can diced)
1 cup dreid red lentils. wash and drain them.
4 cups water or stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds

OK I thought this looked way too crazy hard to even try but I realized this is actually really easy. Like most soups right?

- melt the ghee at onion and garlic. cook until they get nice and brown. yum.
- add the spices. (i ALWAYS forget this step and end up added spices later which kind of sucks but doesn't ruin the soup.)
- add tomatoes
- add lentils
- add stock or water
- simmer away for about an hour stir often
- add salt

heat the teaspoon of ghee in a small pan and fry cumin and mustard seeds until the pop and crackle. pour them into the soup for a very dramatic sizzling amazing time.

warm and cozy. makes all my neighbours think i am an amazing cook when i make this. or makes them think i am super annoying since i make this like twice a week. the kids are SO over this soup.

Your New Favorite Chicken Curry Stew

I just learned this from a nanny buddy at playgroup a couple of weeks ago. As you can imagine I almost never measure anything so everything below is approximate...this is a really forgiving recipe though! If I can do it you know you can.

Olive Oil
2-3 cloves Garlic
1 Onion, chopped
3 large Carrots Chopped
3-4 Potatoes Chopped (skin on is fine)
1 can of chick peas, drained
1 -2 packages of chicken breasts or thighs (boneless) cut up in smaller peices
Curry powder, 3 tablespoons + to taste
Salt, to taste

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Heat 2+ tablespoons of olive oil in large pot
Throw in garlic, potatoes and carrots stir and let cook until potatoes and carrots start to get soft, stirring often - yummy!

In frying pan heat olive oil and cook onions until brown and tasty
Add chicken stir until cooked through

Add cooked chicken and onions to the pot with potatoes and carrots

Add curry powder - I would say maybe 3 tablespoons?

Add chick peas

Slowly add water 1/4 cup at a time to create a stewy texture and to help cook potatoes and carrots further, I'd say 1 cup but you'll have to make the call on how stewy you want it to be.

You may want to add more curry powder - its up to you. Definitely add some salt to make everything yummier.

Serve with rice.

Theo says its his favorite dinner, its mine too.

Spelt Zucchini Bread aka 1st Day of Kindergarten Bread!

from some random google searching for gluten-free banana zucchini bread, shawn and i cobbled together a recipe that makes a really yummy moist bread.

2 tablespoons butter/coconut oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup maple syrup / agave
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cup mini choco chips
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1 smashed banana

preheat oven to 350. grease a loaf pan.

mix dry stuff first then add wet. **add zucchini and walnuts and choco chips at the end.

bake for at least an hour closer to hour and half or until cooked obviously.

its a really good snacking/breakfast/first day of kindergarten bread!

Camping Trip #2

well people, it was a success. we did not forget the food!!! i know, amazing right?we actually ate really well!

2 large baskets of peaches were a good addition to our list, instant oatmeal instead of cereal, and Shawn's giant batch of amazing lentil soup was a fantastic meal (i will post that recipe soon...)

the pinery was gorgeous and even had yummy poutine for us at the tuck shop and the saltiest and vinegariest chips we have ever had. those were gross. but the poutine made primarily of salt was a yummy treat for me.

anyhoo we survived: it didn't pour rain and we had food to eat and made wicked campfires everynight.



**oh highly recommended is the campsite emergency phone that directs you to the camp warden office when the LOSERS right next to you party until 1 AM. had i known about this wonderful phone the night of, i would not have had to walk over and frighten them with my scary sleep deprived maniac shouting to shut the party down. i was happy to find out some one else had complained the next morning so i wasn't alone in my sleepy anger. but yeah next time i am all over that phone....beware loud loser campers.

Wheat

Looks like Eva is back to having wheat issues. We kinda got lax on the wheat thing this summer and she has yet again developed a persistant cough and red racoon eyes. So we are back on the wheat-free train. This seriously ups the challenge for me in the food department.
Also super hard if we are out for the day since it seems that everything that is sold anywhere (except french fries) is made with wheat. I will admit limiting wheat isn't such a bad thing for the family either...it's just HARD to do.

Food we can do:
Rice Pasta
Real Rye bread
Rice or Ryvita crackers
Baking our own wheat free cookies and treats

Feel free to suggest other ideas. PLEASE.

Oh Dear God These Are GOOD powerbars - UPDATE

Adapted from the Kitchen Stewardship Healthy Snacks To Go ebook. So good So easy.


You will need a strong food processor. I say this only because the first one I used broke after one batch.


Step 1: Grind 1/2 cup walnuts and 1/2 cup almonds
Step 2: Add in 1/2 cup of pitted dates and 1/2 cup of raisins
Step 3: Add approx. 1 tablespoon shredded coconut, approx. 4 teaspoons of cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon coconut oil (the one that tastes like coconut - virgin)
UPDATE - Add a tablespoon or two of peanut butter and a squirt of maple syrup to make thses into desserty power bars. SO YUMMY!


I mush the finished product in some parchment paper or saran wrap, keep in the fridge (not necessary) and eat whenever hungry. 


Next I want to try an apple cinnamon version.


Oh we are going camping this weekend and are determined NOT to forget the food. Wish us luck!

Easy Guy Tomato Basil Soup

adapted from Feeding The Whole Family. this is a souper :( easy soup.

this is also the double version because we eat BIG portions.

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter/coconut oil
2 onions chopped
4-6 cloves of garlic minced
2 teaspoons sea salt
4 cups veg or chicken stock - did not use this by accident and it was still super yummy just not as much soup was made. we added the stock after the soup was all blended.
2 cans of diced tomatoes, or equivalent fresh tomatoes
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup basil finely chopped
pepper

heat oil, butter/coconut oil on medium heat. add onion garlic and salt cook until onions are clear and soft. add stock (or not), tomatoes, honey simmer for 10 minutes.

cool tomatoes and blend with sour cream.

add basil and pepper.

soups are like magic they are so easy.

Camping! notes from the trip...

SOOOOOO
heading up shawn and i realised that we forgot pretty much all of the yummy food! What??!? but thankfully had enough to tide us over anyway. and we ate a ton of marshmallows!


here is the scoop:

MEALS
cereal and scrambled eggs for breakfast - FORGOT THE EGGS CEREAL WAS BREAKFAST
easy chili - frozen, to be thawed and eaten 2nd day - YEAH THIS WAS GOOD! CUT UP AVOCADO TO GO WITH.
organic hot dogs from dufferin grove farmers market & beans from rural quebec bean restaurant called "la binerie". - FORGOT THE HOT DOGS, STOPPED FOR YVES VEGGIE DOGS EN ROUTE TO CAMPSITE, THE BEANS WERE EATEN AT TWO MEALS
egg salad sandwiches and canned soup - THESE SANDWICHES HELD US OVER THE SNACK ATTACKS ON DAY ONE

SNACKS
nacho chips with salsa and guacamole - FORGOT THE SALSA, NEVER BOTHERED TO MAKE THE GUAC.
cut up fruit & veg - FORGOT
large bag o' smartfood - ATE THIS FIRST DAY ON BEACH
quinoa banana berry loaf - muffin recipie baked in loaf pan - easier to transport - FORGOT
a few homemade larabars  - FORGOT
also planning a trip to the campground snackbar for a grilled cheese here - NO GRILLED CHEESE BUT HELLO DILL PICKLE CHIPS!!!


we are going camping again next month, i think we have learned our lesson...


also i THINK my kids are slowing down on the snacking front? did i just jinx myself?

Camping!

tomorrow we go camping for the second time ever with kids. last year was good and bad. daughter loved it while son cried pretty much the entire weekend. ROUGH. thinking/hoping this year will be better. here is the plan for food...

MEALS
cereal and scrambled eggs for breakfast
easy chili - frozen, to be thawed and eaten 2nd day
organic hot dogs from dufferin grove farmers market & beans from rural quebec bean restaurant called "la binerie". plan to eat this awesome meal twice - fire cooked hotdogs YES!
egg salad sandwiches and canned soup

SNACKS
nacho chips with salsa and guacamole
cut up fruit & veg
large bag o' smartfood
quinoa banana berry loaf - muffin recipie baked in loaf pan - easier to transport
i also made a few homemade larabars but then my brand new (cheap) food processor died on the second batch. note these bars are KILLER good will post the recipe when we get back
also planning a trip to the campground snackbar for a grilled cheese here and there MAYBE an ice cream cone too

looks like they are calling for thunderstorms for day one of camping - perfect. will let you know how the camping adventure goes...and what food notes i will have for next year's trip.

Random Parenting Book Recommendations

this is not really anything to do with cooking, but i promised my sister i would make her a list of my faves just in case she ever wanted to do some prep work (no pressure buddy!!). i will update this list as i find more books i wish i had read before i had kids!!

Feeding The Whole Family a must, i mentioned this in my first post i think. each recipe includes a baby friendly version so you can include the littlest one in the family meal - just say no to custom meals for kids, make them eat what you eat! super healthy yummy whole food recipes and lots of health food info too.











How To Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk lays it out real simple. i like.













Buddism for Mothers not saying i am by any means close to a Buddhist, but just reading this calms me down. now if i could only apply to my life perhaps the yelling will one day cease...












Simplicity Parenting from a Waldorf perspective.

Free-Range Kids love this idea. let the kids be. worry less.

Lazy Time Lime Water

cut 2-3 slices of lime.
put in pitcher of water.
place in fridge.
cool your self down.

easier than lemonade & just as refreshing. limes just make everything better.

ps: i am so friggin overheated/sticky/grumpy. but i still love you summer!

pps: in other news i got a little food processor today so i can make faux powerbars out of dates and nuts and other yummy stuff. this means i can eat/continue to thrive with out cooking once i get a batch of these whipped up. party!

GENIUS Snack Solution

OK so while the kids were away for a week shawn and i had an AMAZING time. one of the highlights - no joke - was giving our fridge a deep clean (finally!! and thank you shawn!). i decided to then assign the bottom shelf to kids snacks. now if/when the kids are hungry they can go to the fridge by themselves and take a snack. the only rule is that they have to take a different snack each time. here is what i have right now for snacking:


- bowl of chick peas
- pint of blueberries
- bowl of watermelon chunks
- cheesestrings
- leftover pasta from dinner
- bowl of grapes
- hummus and mini pitas


* and that rule is actually working. eva goes for a single grape then 5 minutes later a chunk of watermelon or a handful of chick peas. very cute. seriously this is a life changing solution (for me at least) that takes a very little amount of time to prep and i think it makes the kids feel all independent and kinda grownup. also very cute.

Yummy Drink for Damn Hot Days

from the weelicious website. i am sure this would be good with any other juicy berry or fruit and would be fun to make with the kids. mmmm!

Blackberry Agua Fresca (Serves 4)

1 1/2 Cups Blackberries, rinsed (or Frozen Blackberries, defrosted)
4 Cups Water
2 Tbsp Agave
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

pour blackberries, water and agave in a blender and puree
strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher, i'd say this is skippable if you don't really care about pulp, teeny seeds in your drink and are feeling lazy.
stir in the lemon juice
Refrigerate until icy cold

Coconut Cherry Fro Yo...yo.

i am totally reposting this from smitten kitchen because i need to make this. my mom just dropped off a basket of fresh niagara cherries so i could really pull this recipe off - and eat it before the kids come home... (even if i have sworn off the dairy due to the fact that it makes me feel totally insane AND more importantly i do not have an ice cream maker - whatever. maybe i can just freeze this right? like what is so special about an ice cream maker?? perhaps i can just google that question for myself and report back).


Coconut Pinkcherry Yogurt
Adapted from The Perfect Scoop
Makes about 1 quart
3 cups Greek-style yogurt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup cherries, pits removed and roughly chopped
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk


Mix the yogurt, sugar, almond extract, cherries and coconut milk. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Refrigerate 1 hour.


Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.


**filed under things i want to make one day....soon!!

Kids Are Away - NO COOKING!!

the kids are off to grandma's cottage for a week!!!

it's a cooking holiday - one of the best things i have ever experienced. the peace and mental clarity that i have on day two is unreal. if i ever win a lottery i am hiring a personal chef asap. i think the world would be a better place if i didn't have to cook food. straight up.

our big plan is to not cook anything all week. don't worry i promise we will not whither away. shawn and i will be eating cookies and popcorn all week and it will be awesome.

* we went out for dinner last night and i almost exploded from fullness. shawn thinks it is due to the fact there were no children to share food with, spill drinks, run after and interrupt my normal speed eating.

AHHH YEAH!

http://www.whatthefuckshouldimakefordinner.com/

amazing.