eat this now: crockpot chicken curry.

as we all know, my food photography is more than a little lacking, so no pics of this. but y'all. this curry is the easiest thing to make EVER and it is freakishly delicious. i love things with just a few ingredients that work together and are amaze.

this recipe sizes well - double it, or just add a little extra of whichever ingredients to make it your own.

ingredients:
- 1.5-2 pounds chicken thighs (you can use breasts, but thighs are more delicious i think)
- carrots (i usually pile quite a few in there - you can use baby carrots or chop some up, whatever meets your fancy. probably 4-6 carrots' worth)
- red potatoes - for this size i use 5-6 smallish ones, diced to bite size
- garam masala - this is an indian spice that i love. use at least a tbsp or so
- kosher salt - just a little
- curry - you can use any color, powdered or paste. this most recent time i used powdered green curry, about a tablespoon because i don't like it crazy spicy
- 1 can of full fat coconut milk
- 1/2 a can of tomato paste
- cilantro and greek yogurt for garnish (optional)

method:
place chicken thighs and veggies in slow cooker (chicken on the bottom). sprinkle with garam masala, curry and salt. be generous, really. in a separate bowl, use a fork or spoon to mix the coconut milk with the tomato paste. pour that over the meat/veggie mix. let cook on low for ~8 hours. my slow cooker has a timer so i have it stop cooking and switch to the warm setting at the eight hour mark which i find keeps the veggies soft but not overly mushy. use a fork to mix it all around/shred the chicken, then serve. you don't need anything else, but i find it's delicious over a bed of cauliflower rice. regular rice would be tasty also, if you're down with grains. cilantro as a garnish is a nice finish, as is a dollop of greek yogurt (especially if you were a little heavy-handed with the curry).

modifications/options:
this is the most basic form of this recipe, but i have made it with sweet potatoes, peppers, onions, etc. as added veggies. also, if you don't have/can't find garam masala, it's not necessary - just add a little garlic powder and maybe onion power to round out the flavor profile. you could also do this with chickpeas, throw in some spinach...the possibilities are endless!

bon apetit!

how (and why) to make homemade mayo.

i started making my own mayo when we did our whole30 back in april/may and it is the best thing ever. i have always like mayo, but i can also take it or leave it. i realize people have crazy strong opinions about mayo, but i think even people who aren't mayo lovers would get behind homemade mayo. it's super versatile and one of those fabulous healthy fats. mayo (and the process of making it) doesn't photo very well (and i am not a food photographer in any capacity), but this is for instructional purposes.

homemade mayo (unlike store bought) has only a few ingredients:
- 1 whole egg
- 1 1/4 cup of light olive oil (seriously, do not use extra virgin! i've heard avocado oil works well too, but i haven't personally tried it yet)

- juice from half a lemon
- salt (to taste)
- dry mustard powder (to taste - i usually just sprinkle a lil in there and don't really measure, but i think a quarter to half teaspoon is plenty)

that's it! no additives, sugar, creepy preservatives, etc.

the secret to good mayo that's the right consistency is starting with ingredients that are all at room temp. so, take your egg out an hour before you're making this, or just plop it in a cup of warm water for 5-10 minutes. make sure your lemon is room temp too, if you keep your citrus in the fridge.

so, just whip out your food processor (i have tried to make it with an immersion blender and that works well too, but i like the more hands-free method with a food processor).

put the whole egg, 1/4 cup of the oil, lemon juice, salt and mustard powder in there. put the lid on and turn that puppy on. while it's whirling away, drizzle the remaining cup of oil into the top slooooooowly. seriously. it should take you more than a minute or two to drizzle all that business in there. your arm will get tired. but slow is what you need for that perfect texture (in addition to the room temp thing). once you've finished drizzling all that in there, you can stop the food processor.

use a spatula or a spoon to transfer all your gorgeous mayo into a cute mason jar. label it if you think expiry will be an issue - it's not at our house since we go through a jar in about a week here, but homemade mayo will last one week past the expiration date of the egg you used. so, a while.

some ideas for tasty mayo use:
- use a dollop with an acid (citrus, some form of vinegar) and a little sesame oil to make a creamy and delicious salad dressing (especially perfect for cole slaw)
- toss a little with sauteed veggies and fresh dill for breakfast or a side dish
- dip homemade sweet potato fries in it
- make a variation - i love cilantro lime (add cilantro and garlic to your food processor at the beginning and use lime juice instead of lemon), dill, garlic, and any other herb variation
- mix it with roasted red pepper sauce for the most delicious sauce of all time, perfect for zoodles

bon apetit!

whole30: week one.

well, we made it through a week of whole30 eating!

you're not supposed to weigh or measure yourself until day 30, so the literal results are yet to be discovered, but i can comment on the intangible results so far...and they are good! i'm not going to claim there has been any sort of miracle transformation (yet - mwahaha!), but i figure we've been eating very indulgently for months/years now, so it's unlikely everything will just be amazing in a single week. that being said, i definitely feel a difference. the first few days were draggy - low energy, cranky, i-want-to-nap-non-stop. but by the weekend, i was feeling waaaay better. specifically, i have consistent energy levels all day. am i ready to run multiple marathons and tackle the day with so much gusto immediately upon waking? no, though i'm told by the end it will be closer to that. but - there are no slumps. i can plow right on through until it's bedtime, without really any mood swings or bouts of wanting to pass out under my desk. i'm also sleeping like the dead, which is awesome.

so, what exactly have we been eating? some pretty delicious stuff. i was initially worried about the absence of cheese, no creamer for my coffee, and (of course) no vino for 30 days!! but seriously...so far, no crazy cravings. my homegirl's birthday was last friday and i even went to a brunch and a booze-y boat party to celebrate and managed to do so without drinking! and it was still fun! like, way way fun! not saying i'm off the sauce permanently, but i do think i'll be able to breeze through the next three weeks fairly well since that was my biggest social engagement of the month. woohoo!

here was our meal plan for week 1+ (since it's already tuesday!):

monday:
meal 1 - 2-egg omelet with spinach, red onion, cherry tomatoes; 1/2 an avocado
meal 2 - salad made with power greens (blend of baby kale, spinach, chard, etc), red pepper, carrots, broccoli, snow peas, strawberries, and chicken. dressing was just some evoo
meal 3 - flank steak (cooked on the stove with ghee as the cooking fat) with roasted sweet potatoes and roasted zucchini & yellow squash

tuesday:
meal 1 - two eggs over medium over a bed of sauteed kale with half an avocado
meal 2 - leftover flank steak on power greens with leftover zucchini and squash (side note: leftover roasted veggies on a salad is a genius idea), yellow bell pepper, dressed with evoo & white balsamic
snack - 10 raw almonds and an apple (snacks aren't super-encouraged, but they say to have one if you need one and i was dragging this day)
meal 3 - this was delicious: spaghetti squash sauteed in ghee with cherry tomatoes and power greens, topped with baked steelhead trout.

wednesday:
meal 1 - sweet potato hash (this wasn't as delicious as i was expecting it to be, but it was very filling and satisfying afterwards): cubed sweet potato sauteed with ground beef and red onion in coconut oil. topped with a fried egg
meal 2 - slaw of red and green cabbage, shredded carrots, green onions, pineapple, sesame seeds, and slivered almonds. topped with chicken and dressed with a blend of homemade mayo, sesame oil and ACV
meal 3 - amazingly delicious: roasted sweet potatoes topped with shredded pork from the crock pot then topped with guacamole. hella good.

thursday:
meal 1 - eggs, half avocado, sauteed snow peas
meal 2 - leftover slaw topped with leftover pork
meal 3 - grilled bratwurst with grilled sweet potato packets (foil packets made with sliced sweet potatoes, sliced onions, some evoo, orange zest and the juice from the orange), plus more slaw

friday:
meal 1 - eggs, ground beef, guacamole
meal 2 - more leftover slaw (this stuff makes a ton so we ate it for basically a whole week), leftover chicken, a zucchini and a squash sauteed in a little coconut oil with fresh dill
meal 3 - grilled chicken with mushroom tarragon cream sauce - recipe here (soooo gooood); roasted green beans with a splash of balsamic, roasted broccoli with lemon zest & juice

saturday:
meal 1 - leftover pork, sweet potatoes, avocado
meal 2 - 2 eggs over medium, sauteed spinach, bacon, tomato juice
meal 3 - brisket & shredded pork - we were on a boat, so no veggies. but the meat was delish!

sunday:
meal 1 - omelet with leftover brats & power greens, side of avocado - realized that i'm not a huge fan of omelets. so dry!
meal 2 - leftover slaw, leftover chicken, zucchini & squash with a little homemade mayo
meal 3 - salad at whole foods - side note: i was absolutely shocked at how sugar is in basically everything. i was wanting to add some meat to my salad, but every meat on the salad bar had sugar in the ingredients! ended up getting some prosciutto from the deli and two hard-boiled eggs to add to my salad of power greens, rainbow carrots, daikon raddish, and golden beets. also had some dried plantains and guacamole.

monday:
meal 1 - eggs with sauteed zucchini & squash, half of a leftover brat, leftover guacamole
meal 2 - chicken protein salad (chicken, onion, celery, grapes, slivered almonds, homemade mayo), power greens, yellow bell pepper (about a quarter of one), homemade paleo ranch, small apple
meal 3: spaghetti squash with ground beef and homemade whole30 tomato sauce (super super yummy and surprisingly satisfying)

tuesday:
meal 1 - leftover "spaghetti" from monday night
meal 2 - tuna protein salad (same as the chicken salad, but with tuna), half a red bell, small apple, ranch, baby carrots
meal 3 - chicken with roasted sweet potatoes and slaw

it's not always easy to find sample meal plans, so maybe this will help someone else. i don't make stuff with pretty graphics, but the content is there!

menu.

i've been doing a decent job of menu planning lately. except when jb was traveling, but whatever. most of the stuff i've been making is very vegetable-heavy, so i'm in heaven. i am a veggie lover (much more so than fruit, which i can take or leave).

anyway. the hardest part about this is that the kids aren't super veggie eaters, especially in their current picky phase. i want to be a hard-ass and only serve what i'm cooking for the adults to them, but somehow i just know they're not going to eat a brussels sprout salad or cauliflower veggie stir fry. so, i cook two meals most nights. maybe if they just see us eating healthy stuff, it will normalize it for them a little?

the food is pretty, i think. points for trying.

asian noodle jar salad (modified a little).

steamed veggie salad with macadamia nut dressing

roasted brussels sprouts with balsamic honey glaze.

omgoodness i made some delicious brussels sprouts last night. i love brussels. i know this is not the most common opinion, but if my three year-old will eat them, i think these are worth sharing. 

i wish i had taken a picture because they were pretty, too, but i'm an atrocious food photographer (which is depressing considering how much i love food), and i didn't want to post a picture that didn't do them justice. 

so, a recipe!

ingredients:

- 2 lbs brussels sprouts, washed and cut in half

- kosher salt

- 4-6 tbsp coconut oil

- 1-2 tbsp local honey

- 1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (i used this fig-infused vinegar we bought in florida and it was pretty legit)

preheat your oven to 400. throw your brussels in a bowl and salt them. in a separate small bowl whisk all the other ingredients together, then dump it all over your brussels. get your hands dirty and coat them all generously. add some more coconut oil or another small batch of the glaze if you think your veggies aren't coated liberally enough. you won't be sorry. 

lay those bad boys out levelly on a baking sheet. i like to use foil because i don't use cooking spray because i *may* be crazy. pop them in the oven for 18 minutes. toss them, then back in the oven for 8-12 more minutes, or to the desired magical golden brown-ness you seek. 

you're welcome.

almost the weekend.

starting on tuesday afternoon, i felt like it was almost the weekend, so this was a pretty long week.  not bad (at all - actually quite good in many ways!), just slow.  i wish the weekends and evenings and holidays felt as slow as my work days do.

anyway...random things:

we lose hollis a lot.  not really, but there are many times where we realize we haven't heard from him in several minutes.  independent second child, bless his heart.  almost always, we discover him holed up in his room reading books.  i won't pretend this doesn't make me intensely happy, especially since i don't feel like he's gotten the quality reading time his big sister got from me.

the weather here has been unbelievable this spring.  it's normally into the 90s and even 100s by this point in may, but i wore a FLEECE to drop of the kids yesterday morning.  because it was 47.  in may.  in texas.  i snapped a pic of this on wednesday because it was so pristine and then it was even crisper on thursday.  i know it won't last much longer but ooooh i will enjoy it while it lasts.

last night i perfected my roasting of spaghetti squash.  i learned a couple of secrets that made a huge difference that i will share in case anyone else loves spaghetti squash like i do:

• just chop off the ends before you cut it in half lengthwise.  don't ask me why i haven't thought of this before, but it made a HUGE difference in me not nearly chopping my fingers off.  
• scoop out the seeds then rub a little olive oil and salt and pepper on the flesh of the squash.
• put the flesh side DOWN in the roasting pan - i've done this both ways and the flesh down makes for less watery squash.  
• roast for longer than you think you might need to - i have always done like 40 minutes for medium sized ones, but you really need more like 50 minutes.  and on 400, not 375.  this makes the squash more tender and way way way more delicious.  
• have your kidlet help you scoop out the flesh with a fork (after it's cooled down a bit).  this will make them want to taste it and then they will like it and actually eat their WHOLE plate of spaghetti squash with shrimp and spinach.  

recipe for our yummy dinner last night:

• roast spaghetti squash; separate the meat from the skin
• in a large saute pan, saute shrimp in a little olive or coconut oil
• add salt, pepper, garlic granules, and dill to taste
• throw in handfuls of baby spinach and stir around until it gets all wilty.  don't be scared to put lots of spinach and add more seasoning if you need to
• dump all your spaghetti squash in there to combine and mingle flavors
• add a pat of butter and more dill (if you want, because let's be honest, more dill is always a good idea)
• serve with a little salad or crusty bread or just by itself - top with a little shredded parmesan or goat cheese for extra deliciousness

zucchini soup.

last night i made this soup.  it was delicious.  clean-tasting and filling and warm and yummy.  emme liked it.  hollis refuses to be fed by a spoon, so he focused on the butternut squash instead.

ingredients:
- coconut oil
- chopped small onion
- 4-5 cloves of garlic
- salt, pepper, ground ginger (or fresh)
- 4-5 zucchini
- chicken broth (4 cups)

sautee onion and garlic in coconut oil until lightly browned/translucent. add salt, pepper, and ginger to taste.  toss in zucchini then pour chicken broth in.  bring to a boil.  cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until zucchini are very soft.  this took me about 20 minutes or so, but may take longer.  cutting the zucchini smaller helps it go faster.  when everything is soft, whip out your immersion blender and blend everything until smooth.  serve hot, topped with some chives or scallions or a dash of sesame oil.  next time, i'll add a little more salt and a little more ginger.

more soup!

84 degrees is appropriate weather for soup.  i promise.  i had a couple of butternut squash in our produce stash from our recent CSA deliveries, so i glanced around pinterest and landed on this little delight one of my cousins had pinned.  i happened to have all the other ingredients on hand (when does that ever happen?), with the exception of the parsley.  but, i never have parsley, so i left it out.

i've been trying really hard to let emme help with making dinner as much as possible.  it keeps her distracted while i'm cooking, and makes her really excited about whatever it is we're going to eat.  anyway...the original recipe can be found here, but here's my version (a little shorter and a few modifications). 

ingredients:
- 1-2 butternut squash (i had two small ones so used both), peeled, seeded and cubed
- 1 onion, diced
- garlic, diced
- olive oil or coconut oil
- 4 cups of chicken broth
- 1-2 pounds of shredded chicken (i bought pre-shredded chicken this week, but usually i make my own and freeze the stock)
- 1 can diced tomatoes (i used ro-tel since that's what i had and it gave the soup a nice little kick, but not too spicy for emme)
- 2/3 cup of quinoa
- 1 cup (more or less to taste) of kalamata olives, chopped in to fourths
- salt, pepper, oregano, and parsley (if you want it/have it)

steam your butternut squash for about 12 minutes.  take out half the squash and set aside while steaming the rest of the squash for another 5-10 minutes (until soft enough to mash).  meanwhile, saute onions in olive or coconut oil.  add garlic and oregano once onions are translucent and stir for about a minute.  add canned tomatoes and stir.  add squash cubes and squash mash and mix everything together.  pour in chicken broth and return everything to a simmer.  add quinoa, cover, and let simmer on low for about 15 minutes.  take lid off, throw in your chicken and olives.  stir for 5-10 minutes to heat and mingle flavors.  add parsley at this time if you want to.  salt and pepper to taste.  this is a quick soup that only takes about 25-35 minutes, so it's perfect for weeknights.  i recommend serving with crusty bread...which we didn't have last night, but will definitely make next time! 

soup peddling.

it is still in the 80s and 90s here.  i have resigned myself to the fact that it will be this way for a while, and that's ok because the 80s are SO much nicer than the 100s, and at least we have something that resembles a breeze most days. 
but, even though the temps don't reflect it in texas, it is fall.  my favorite time of year.  and this time of year makes me want to make and eat soup.  it's easy and filling and comforting and great.  and i love that you can throw a bunch of random stuff in it when you need to get rid of something. 
monday night, emme and i made tortilla soup together and it was delicious.  she also loved helping, and was so excited to eat the soup that she helped make.  yesterday, i threw ingredients for a crockpot potato soup together (though i modified a bit).  it also turned out great!  ek was especially thrilled about watching the immersion blender do its thing, even though she kept telling me it was "too loud, mama".  recipes below - both of these are keepers, i think.  they are both really quick, really easy, and really tasty (for adults and kids). 

tortilla soup:
- 4-6 cups of chicken broth (i used 4 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of water because i didn't want to open another carton...)
- 1 rotisserie chicken, culled
- 1 small onion (i used a purple onion)
- 1 tbsp garlic
- coconut oil
- 1 large zucchini, sliced
- 1 can of ro-tel, drained
- 1 can of corn, drained and rinsed
- 1-2 tbsp of cumin
- kosher salt to taste
- avocado, cheese, tortilla strips, lime (for garnish)

* saute onion in coconut oil in the base of a soup pot/dutch oven.  add the garlic, then zucchini and stir until relatively tender - about 5-7 minutes.  add corn and ro-tel and stir to mix.  add broth and bring to a low boil/simmer.  add salt and cumin, then stir in chopped chicken.  let everything mingle and cook for 10-30 minutes (however long you want, really, without evaporating all the liquid), then serve in bowls and garnish with whatever you like. 

crock pot potato soup:
- 5 lbs of potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch cubes (i used yukon gold, but i bet you could use whatever)
- 8 cups of chicken broth
- 2 leeks, white and light green parts, sliced thin - OR - 1 large onion
- 1-2 tbsp garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
- 16 oz (2 blocks) of cream cheese

* put potatoes, garlic, leeks or onions, salt and pepper into your slow cooker.  stir everything around a little (it will be really really full) so the onions/leeks aren't resting on the bottom.  pour in all the chicken broth.  leave in slow cooker for 5 hours on high, 10 hours on low.  add 2 blocks of cream cheese and wait about 20-30 minutes for it to soften/melt.  whip out your immersion blender and blend away.  garnish with grated cheddar cheese, bacon, or chives, if desired.  

jj's visit, labor day weekend and curry.

last week, emme's school was closed on thursday and friday.  since we'd just taken days off to go on our sweet vacation, i didn't feel great about taking more time off (even if i would have loved to).  fortunately, my parents are non-stop awesome with their willingness to help out in these situations, so my dad fled the scene of the hurricane and came to austin.  since he was with her and i was in the office, i don't have a ton of pics from their adventures, but i can attest to the fact that ek had a great time with her jj.  she woke up every morning asking for him and was not really interested in seeing mama or daddy.  he took her to the pet store, to the central market playground, etc. and they read books non-stop.  friday night, the four of us had a fun happy hour dinner at contigo and jj hit the road after brunch on saturday.  we loved having him stay with us, and emme relished the extra attention. 

the rest of the long weekend was a great combination of productive and restful.  i wonder how much more organized our lives would be if we got a three day weekend every week.  sigh.  i taught a friend how to quilt, we brought the dogs to the park, we did some swimming, i organized ALL of emme's clothes (past, present and future), justin painted an area in the living room that's been needing a touch-up AND the hall, laundry got done, and the kitchen got scrubbed and decluttered.  of course, we all woke up with colds on tuesday morning, so it was kind of a frantic back-to-reality day.  emme decided 4:45 was an appropriate time to greet the day and spent the morning as a cranky mess, including coloring in green crayon on the couch upholstery.  ugh. 

finally, just a random mental note (if i write it down, i will remember it)....i had some red lentils in the pantry and have been wanting to be better about making stuff like that.  i found a red lentil curry recipe online and conveniently had pretty much every single ingredient i needed on hand (which is basically akin to a magical event in my house).  the curry paste i had on hand, though, was green curry paste (which i had never used).  it was HOT.  like, open up your sinuses hot.  i like a little spice.  but this was crazy.  and of course i served it to emme before trying it.  ha.  she took a bite and was like "too spicy mama", which is one of her favorite things to say these days (maybe we should stop letting her taste the salsa?  anyway...i threw a bunch of greek yogurt on it to calm it down a little...and it was tolerable for us, but emme mostly stuck to the roasted zucchini.  so here's my tip...when feeding toddlers, go for the yellow curry.  or be VERY conservative in your curry paste contributions...

kombucha.

several weeks ago, justin's stomach started giving him grief.  he isn't sick, per se, but he just feels not super great in the tummy rather frequently.  we are pretty sure this is related to our lack of any form of exercise and our inability to eat a consistently healthy diet (i swear, it's like we can do SO well for a few days and then we get suckered in to eating mexican food AGAIN.  stupid texas and your delicious chips and queso.).  anyway, since we've been so unhealthy, we've been on a quest to re-balance our systems.  enter kombucha.  kombucha is a weird probiotic tea drink that you can buy for $5 a pint or make for yourself for pennies.  so, that's what i decided to do.  it tastes kind of like a vinegar-y ginger-y tea...but i really like it.  it also has an organism in it sometimes (that's the scoby - more about this later).  kombucha is a raw food and it's kind of an acquired taste, but it does help replenish the good bacteria in your digestive tract and it also has health benefits for your skin, etc.  so, if you are like me and you want to make your own kombucha, here is how you do it.
supplies you need:
- 1 gallon glass jar (i got mine at wal-mart for like $5 - it should have a pretty wide mouth.  you do not need a lid).
- black tea (any plain black, non-flavored tea will do.  i think i use twinings english breakfast.).
- filtered water.
- 1 cup of sugar.
- 5-6 empty, clean kombucha bottles (or other glass 16.9 oz. bottles).
- ginger, fresh berries, or other mix-ins.
- a scoby with some starter tea.  a scoby is the organism that ferments the tea to turn it in to kombucha.  you pretty much have to get this from someone who already makes kombucha (each new batch of kombucha produces a new scoby).  my friend alison gave me mine and taught me all the ins and outs of the process.  if you live in austin and want to do this, i will hook you up with a scoby...if not, you should consult with your local health food store or hippie friends...
- a piece of cheesecloth.
the process:
first, fill a kettle with filtered water and bring to a boil.  next, fill your gallon jar not quite halfway with filtered water.  pour boiling water into a container and steep four bags of tea and cup of sugar for a minimum of 20 minutes, making sure the sugar dissolves completely.  do this while the filtered water is coming to room temperature (you want the tea to be at room temp when you add your scoby, as too-hot water will kill it).  after at least 20 minutes (i have waited as long as an hour when i get distracted by other things), add your tea to the filtered water in your glass jar.  this should leave the jar near full but with some room at the top.  place your scoby into the tea.  pour starter tea on top.  place cheesecloth over the lid of the jar, securing with a rubber band.  place in an out-of-the-way area for about 10 days, but up to 30 (the longer you let it ferment, the stronger and less sweet the kombucha).
after the fermentation process, pull out your clean kombucha jars.  add grated ginger, blended berries, citrus zest, or whatever other tasty treat you want to the jar.  remove your scoby and then decant the tea into your jars, making sure to fill them.  close them tightly and leave them out overnight for the final fermentation.  put them in the fridge, then drink whenever you're ready for some awesomeness!
you should always save a small amount of tea from every batch for your next round of starter tea.  it also keeps your scoby happy.  if you don't start your next batch while decanting the previous batch (this is the easiest, quickest, and least messy way to deal with all of it), store your scoby and starter tea in a jar in the fridge (mine is in a clean pickle jar) covered with cheesecloth (scoby needs to breathe) until you're ready to make the next batch.
enjoy!

outdoors and lasagna in the crockpot.

it has been fabulously beautiful outside these days.  every year around this time, justin and i reflect that this is why we live in austin.  in all honesty, we've got it really good where weather is concerned.  

we've been taking advantage of the slightly longer days and mild temperatures by taking strolls in the evening when jb and i get home from work.  sometimes one of us wears the little miss (she's recently been allowed to be forward-facing in her bjorn and she LOVES that) and we take the pups into the field by our house and let them run wild.  sometimes we plop the bunny in her stroller and we walk and talk and look at houses that have more than one bathroom....

anyway....we are having a great time these days, even though it feels like we are still learning how to adjust to everything.  justin summed it up well in an email this morning: we're still moving at the same pace as pre-emme and are having a hard time with it.  we will get there - i just have to manage my expectations of myself (particularly the orderliness of our house).  

one thing we're hoping to do better with is prepping easier meals in the crockpot during the week.  jb and i both love to cook (and eat) and in our earlier lives we would spend pretty much an entire evening on meal preparation.  this seems luxurious even without a bebe in the house, but overly decadent now.  however, we both think we can figure out a way to make food that is tasty that doesn't monopolize our night (isn't that the holy grail of meal time?).  

to that end, i made a spinach lasagna in the crockpot yesterday.  this was EASY and pretty fast.  it was also quite delicious and i am already planning modifications for next time - i think it would be really easy to do eggplant and ground turkey or zucchini and other veggies, etc etc.  i modified this from a recipe in real simple:  

- 2 packages frozen spinach, thawed and drained

- 1 small container part-skim ricotta cheese

- 1/2-1 cup of parmesan

- 3 cups of marinara sauce

- 6-7 whole wheat lasagna noodles

- 1 1/2 cups of grated part-skim mozzarella

- italian seasoning, salt, pepper to taste

* mix spinach, ricotta, and half the parm together in a bowl.  add about 1/2 cup of water to the marinara sauce in another bowl.  spread 3/4 cup of marinara on the bottom of your crockpot.  put down a layer of noodles then another 3/4 cup of marinara, 1/2 the amount of spinach mix, 1/2 cup of mozz.  put down another layer of noodles and repeat.  finish with final noodles topped with marinara, mozz, and half of the remaining parm.  cover and cook on low about 4 hours.  serve with a sprinkle of more parm and a side salad.  

it's not the prettiest lasagna, but it's yummy and fast.  

spaghetti and meatball casserole.

i know 98% of our posts are about the young miss, but i swear there are a few other things that go on in our lives (not really, but we can pretend...).  one of those things is eating, and tonight i made something pretty tasty that i think is worth sharing.  the recipe is from clean eating magazine, but i made a few adjustments (we had delicious pesto ready-made from my mother in-law so i didn't have to make it from scratch; and i used ground turkey, but the recipe calls for lean ground beef).  anyway...it's healthy and, according to the magazine, contains manganese which is an often overlooked mineral.  supposedly, there are about 275 calories per serving of this stuff, though maybe a little more since i am not sure how the pre-made pesto compares to theirs, calorically.

ingredients:
- cooking spray
- 1/2 lb whole wheat spaghetti (8 oz package)
- pesto (about 4 tbsp i think)
- 1/3 cup low fat cottage cheese
- 1 lb ground turkey (or beef)
- 1 tbsp wheat germ
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1/2 cup finely diced purple onion
- 2.5 cups (one big can) crushed tomatoes

preheat oven to 400.  spray casserole dish with non-stick spray.  cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain.  in food processor, blend a little over half of pesto with cottage cheese.  in separate bowl, mix ground meat with remaining pesto, wheat germ, and milk.  form into small meatballs (you want them about bite-size).  add onion and meatballs to a heavy skillet to brown.  once cooked, reduce heat and add tomatoes.  i also added some salt and pepper to taste.  simmer until sauce begins to thicken - about 8 minutes or so.  mix noodles in with sauce and meatballs.  put down first layer in casserole dish, then dot that layer with the pesto stuff.  add the remaining pasta, then dot the remaining pesto stuff on top.  pop it in the oven for 15-20 minutes, then serve sprinkled with parmesan, if desired.  tasty tasty!

*i should also add that i didn't have wheat germ, so i made my meatballs with just pesto and ground turkey and salt (no milk or germ) and they were still moist and delicious.

spinach and quinoa lunch treat.

this is a recipe from my friend a who got it from clean eating magazine.  it's sooooo good and light and filling.

- about 1/2 cup of quinoa, cooked
- 1-2 cups of baby spinach, raw
- walnuts
- 1 apple, cut into bite size pieces
- chicken sausage
- olive oil or some other fruity vinaigrette

pile everything together in a bowl and sprinkle with the dressing.  i like to let it chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.  eat.

mary had a little lamb....

so morbid, but we ate lamb last night.  and it was delicious.  as i think i've mentioned, i've been a little lazy when it comes to kitchen duties these days.  thank god my husband is an awesome cook.  anyway...i decided to whip something up, and it was tasty!  here is the recipe (kind of a modified version of something i found in real simple and other recipe sites online):

lamb:

- 1 lb. ground lamb
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- kosher salt and pepper
- scallions (i used about 4 or 5 but not much of the green parts)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
*mix together in a bowl and form 12 mini-patties/balls.  place on foil-lined baking sheet and broil for 8-12 minutes, flipping once.

tzatziki:

- greek yogurt, plain
- cucumber, seeded and grated
- dill (fresh is best but i didn't have any and it was still good)
- garlic
- lemon juice and lemon zest
- kosher salt
*mix everything together - add more yogurt to affect consistency.  i threw ours in the blender but it came out too liquid-y, so i'm not sure what the solution is for that.  i've also read you can strain the yogurt through a cheesecloth so it's thicker, which might have helped.  regardless of the liquidiness, it was still super tasty.

anyway...serve the lamb with whole wheat pita, tzatziki, hummus, and feta.  it was light and perfect for a summer weeknight meal.  and we had leftovers for lunch!

**quick note to those who have commented about the lafayette baby shower - i would love to see any and everyone, but totally understand the travel restrictions.  we invited the out of town cousins hoping everyone might be coming in for uncle pit's 60th birthday party.

yummy dinner.

now that we're finally kinda sorta back in the swing of things (except for what happened this morning - i'll get to that in a sec), we are back to cooking dinner at home.  yay!  not that we haven't been at all, it's just been more about throwing stuff together lately than actually planned, functional meals.  anyway...last night was the first night i felt like life would be normal again after school and all the activity and fun that has been going on, and it was awesome.  we got home from work, picked veggies in the garden, jb mowed the lawn, and i watered all the potted plants (man, we have a LOT of plants) and ran to the grocery store to pick up the goods for dinner.

i was craving salmon and central market (this amazing grocery store by our house) has a salad they make in their cafe area, so i went over, took a picture of the description on the menu, and bought all the ingredients to make it at home.  it was a super tasty treat - the perfect summer dish.

- salmon (about 4 oz. per person.  i prefer wild, but they only had farm raised last night.  put cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar, then bake on 400 for about 20 minutes, depending on the size of the filet.  i like to broil it for a few minutes at the end so it's kinda crispy on the outside).
- daikon radish, grated or julienned
- carrot, grated or julienned
- english cucumber, grated or julienned
- mango, cubed
- fresh lettuce or field greens
- ginger mandarin salad dressing - i used brianna's and it is delicious

all in all, a great night at our casa.  and then there was this morning.  poor ollie - i woke up (early), walked in to the kitchen, and fortunately decided to turn a light on.  good thing because that dog must have eaten something really bad as there was an explosion (or more like 6) all over the place.  clearly what justin wanted to be woken up with: "hey honey, our dog had explosive poop everywhere, can you get up and come clean it?".  gross.  anyway...i guess it's good practice for future diaper changing and all that.  hopefully our baby doesn't excrete with the same volume and ferocity as our dog.....and i hope mr. ollivander is feeling much better by this afternoon when we get home.  we left him in a crate today to contain any potential madness.

ollie on a day when he was feeling much better than today....

it's over!

school, that is.  officially.  this weekend was a whirlwind of activity and excitement, and it was completely awesome.

thursday night, mom and dad came into town and the four of us got to spend some down time before all the festivities started.  jb braised some beef deliciousness and i made veggies from the farmer's market.  smothered new potatoes with dill recipe is below - yum.

friday we ran around in the morning until we picked my brother up from the airport.  we were able to have lunch just the nuclear hesterly fam, which never happens and was super fun.  marilyn, jb's mom, came in as well, which was awesome.  friday night was the actual commencement ceremony.  that was pretty lackluster, but helped to make everything feel final and done.  we went to a reception for just my class afterwards that was ok, but by that point i was SO tired, i was just ready to get some sleep.

saturday we woke up early and got the house and yard ready.  all the parental units worked SO hard to make sure everything looked perfect, and it really turned out nice.  it  made jb and i want to spend more time/energy on the yard in the future because i feel like it's so much easier to enjoy it when it's cleaned up.

anyway...about 40-50 people showed up at our house and there were piles of delicious food brought in from louisiana, kansas, and austin.  it was incredible.  everyone was so supportive and it was just phenomenal to have the vast majority of the people i know and love all in one spot.  the weather, though hot, was pretty good, and everyone was able to spread out a bit so our house didn't seem quite as teensy.  jb and i agree it was the best party we've ever thrown.  such a blast.

yesterday was a day of recuperation and farewells and today we're back to the grind at work!  fortunately, this is a 3-day work week, so we just have to get through this, get packed and organized, and then we're OFF to st. thomas!

**new potatoes smothered with fresh dill:
- about 1 pound of fresh new potatoes, skins on
- about half an onion, sliced or chopped
- a few tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- about 2-3 tbsp butter
- salt and pepper to taste

wash potatoes and chop into fourths (the goal is roughly bite-size pieces).  in a big saucepan (that has a lid), put a dab of butter and sautee the onions until translucent.  add the potatoes over a med-high heat until lightly brown and kinda sticking to the bottom of the pan.  pour in about half a cup of water, cover, and simmer over lower heat for about 10 minutes.  check potatoes and stir, adding more water if necessary.  add salt, pepper, remainder of butter, and dill and stir.  re-cover and simmer until water is mostly drained.  you'll probably have to add about 1-1.5 cups of water in half cup increments, and this whole process should take about 30 minutes.  make sure potatoes are fork-tender and that the water is all evaporated.  serve.

tasty treats.

food is on my mind a lot these days.  i've always loved meal time, but it's taken on new meaning between being pregnant and being done with classes and thus having time to spend in the kitchen again.

we harvested our first tomato yesterday!  we haven't eaten it yet - probably tomorrow - but it is beautiful!  i have to give jb full credit for all his hard work with watering and fertilizing and feeding.  we've got tons more on the vine, so i'm sure we'll be taking lots of pictures as the full bounty comes to fruition.  that is...provided it doesn't get too hot in the next week or two....

also, this weekend while driving back from lafayette, jb and i decided to challenge ourselves to get more creative with meals.  we're each taking one day a week to cook something we've never cooked before (or, at the very least, something we hardly ever cook....).  super fun!  my night was monday of this week, so i made black bean soup (recipe from the joy of cooking) and chicken enchiladas (recipe was sort of a weird hodge podge of my brain and the joy of cooking).  the soup could have used some extra pizzazz (i didn't have a ham bone or salt pork to cook with), but the enchiladas were pretty good.  i shredded chicken and mixed it with salsa verde combined with some cream cheese for the insides and then enchilada sauce and grated sharp cheddar on top.  not bad.

jb, though, in typical fashion, totally showed my efforts up last night.  it didn't hurt that everything we ate was super duper fresh - the fish had been fileted less than 2 hours before we were eating it, the lettuce and onions from the salad and dill for the fish were in the ground yesterday morning (gotta love farmers market days).  and the bread was fresh baked from the farmers market as well.  tasty!  anyway...menu was: baked butterfish with sauteed dill and garlic; bibb lettuce salad with toasted pecans, purple onion, goat cheese, avocado, and mandarins; and freshly baked ciabatta.  doesn't get much better than that, so i took a picture.  and no, that whole chunk of bread wasn't just for me....i promise!

yummy.

since i don't have class anymore (YAY!), and my energy level is slllllloooooooowwwwwwllllyyyyyy starting to show its face again, i decided to be a tad bit domestic last night.  i made whole wheat bread in our bread maker, which has been sadly neglected for far too long now.  homemade fresh bread is one of my most favorite things of all time, and i am totally vowing to make at least 1 loaf a week now that i have more free time to focus on such things.  anyway...i set the timer on the machine so i didn't have to stay up past 11, and i awoke at 5:40 before my run to the smell of warm toasty fresh bread.  holy goodness.  i had about 20 more minutes i could sleep, but my tummy immediately started growling, so i sliced some up with some all natural peanut butter and honey from my friend d's dad's bee farm.  i recommend this as the way to start every morning.  if you have a bread machine, here is the recipe i used.  i am going to be trying out lots of different whole wheat recipes over the next few weeks, so i'll post the ones i like the best.  this one was a little dense, and i think they were a little short on the yeast (the top didn't poof out the way it usually does).  


100% whole wheat bread
makes 1 1/2 to 2 lb loaf - i used the 1.5 lb setting for whole wheat, light crust
* 1 1/2 cups water plus 2 tablespoons water 
* 3 3/4 cups wheat flour
* 2 tablespoons dry milk
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 tablespoons honey
* 1 1/2 tablespoons gluten
* 1 tablespoon molasses
* 2 1/8 teaspoons fast rise yeast
(or 3 tspns active dry yeast) 


this weekend, before justin's big ride on saturday, he asked me to make him the homemade granola bars my cousin posted on her blog a few months ago.  he says they are the best energy boosters on a long ride, and they are super delicious.  this is the original recipe, but i usually do about half the amount of brown sugar (i think they're too sweet with the full load) and add pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries or pineapple, and chocolate and peanut butter chips.  yum!  anyway...jb did GREAT on his ride - finished 100 miles in just over 5 hours - beating his last year's time by over 2 hours.  shiner was super fun and i am looking forward to going out there again next year with some pups and a kiddo in tow for music, beer, and brats.  fun!  


Granola Bars Basic Recipe
 * 2 Cup Oats
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1 Cup whole wheat flour
* 1/2 tsp baking soda
* 1/2 tsp baking powder
* 1 tsp cinnamon
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 tsp vanilla
* 1/2 Cup honey
* Any dried fruit, nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, etc.
 Mix all ingredients and press into greased pan, 9 X 13. Dough will be very dry and crumbly, but press until dough forms with pan.. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes or until edges are browned. Take out and let cool entirely. Cut into strips and store in snack size bags.
 **The dough was very dry. I added a couple of tablespoon of water to help mix it all together and you might need to use your hands to get it mixed up and pressed into the pan.

holy deliciousness.

jb and i eat fish tacos a lot.  it is seriously one of our favorite dinners, now that we know how amazingly delicious they are.  i think we ate our first fish tacos a little over a year or so ago, and i am so sad that i missed out on nearly 28 years of fish taco delight.

so anyway...tonight, we made some and they were particularly tasty, so we wanted to write it down for posterity.

- tilapia filets, blackening spices, broiled for 13 minutes (7 then 6)
- guacamole with cilantro and purple onion, salt, lime, lime zest, pepper, served on a bed of homegrown lettuce
- black beans sauteed with onions, cumin, cholula, salt, and pepper
- cotija cheese - the coup d'etat of the whole experience
- blue corn tortilla chips
- fresh cilantro and tomatillo salsa for garnish
- whole wheat central market tortillas
- cholula to taste

if we hadn't been so hungry, we might have taken a picture.  maybe next time....