what's for dinner

When I am really on my game, I prepare dinner in the morning. Our afternoons are busy and I love having dinner ready to go before everyone gets home from school and the afternoon rush begins. We are trying to eat a plant based diet these days. Low dairy, very low meat, high whole grains and fruits and vegetables. Tonight we're having the Pioneer Woman's Quinoa with Buttery Roasted Vegetables. It might not feel like fall outside yet (still in the upper 90s here in Arizona-blah), but it's the season for roasted vegetables and I couldn't be happier.

I've made this recipe before and loved it, but I'll be honest and tell you that I make sure to serve it with lots of whole wheat toast so that Oliver doesn't go to bed hungry. :)

happy weekend

Elliot turned seven last week, and ever since then, he's been gelling his hair before school and looking way too grown up. Ah! I don't know if I can take it. Elliot is full of personality, a good playmate, and a great baseball player. He is always getting his siblings outside to jump on the trampoline or ride vehicles, and likes to be in the middle of the action. He'd eat oatmeal every morning if he could and still likes a good snuggle first thing when he wakes up. And also, he looks exactly like his dad. :)

Two things we tried this week for dinner (and most of us liked): Spicy Instant Pot Carrot Soup (not too spicy and served over rice) and Breakfast Enchiladas with Ranchero Sauce (assembled in the morning, kept in the fridge, and then popped in the oven at dinner time--I love when I can do that!).

What I'm making myself for Mother's Day: The Best Yellow Cake. I haven't been eating sugar all week, saving it up for Mother's Day, so I am really looking forward to eating this cake. Yellow cake with chocolate frosting will always be one of my most favorite desserts, but I've never made a successful homemade version. I am excited to try this recipe!

I hope you have a happy weekend, especially on Sunday.

some things we've eaten lately

I am determined to perfect my biscuit making abilities. I have the fondest memories of my grandma B making buttermilk biscuits each time she visited. In my memory, hers were tender and fluffy and warm (and served with molasses, of course). Her recipe called for crisco, which I just can't bring myself to use, so I am always on the hunt for another recipe. My favorite so far is this one:

Buttermilk Biscuits, from the kitchn

6 tablespoons butter (I use salted, so I omit the salt called for in the recipe)
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus a little more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk, plus a little more for brushing

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Cut your butter into little pieces and stick in the freezer while you assemble the other ingredients.

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut in the very cold butter with a pastry cutter, or with your fingers. Add the buttermilk and stir until just barely holding together. (It should be a mess.)

Dump onto a lightly floured surface and press the dough into a rectangle. Work fast and don't handle the dough too much. Cut it into three even pieces, stack them on top of each other, and with the heel of your hand, press it into a rectangle again. Repeat once.

Then roll or press the dough into a rectangle that is about 1/2 to 1 inch thick. Using a sharp knife, cut the rectangle into 6 or 8 pieces, depending on how big you want the biscuits to be. Place them on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush with a little buttermilk.

Bake for about 12 minutes, or until golden and starting to brown.

I have always used a biscuit cutter to make round biscuits (like in the picture), but I made them last Sunday with this method of cutting them with a knife. I loved that there were no leftover bits that had to be re-rolled to form another biscuit. I'll be making them square from here on out. Also, don't substitute whole wheat flour, please. Biscuits are only biscuits if they're made with all-purpose.

Two other things we've liked lately (both from Cookie and Kate):
Banana Nut Waffles (minus the nuts)
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burgers

happy weekend

There were lots of tears at our house this week, as Stella's sweet little gray kitten, Pedro, passed away. I think he'd been sick for a long time, and he just got weaker and weaker and was no longer eating. We buried him underneath our pretty lilac vine and now every year when it blooms, we'll remember him. It was hard watching my kids mourn, but I think it brought us all a little bit closer together, which was a happy blessing.

Mike and I didn't have any big plans for our anniversary yesterday. We lifted weights together and grabbed Cafe Rio for lunch before he went to class. But we're not big celebrators, anyway, so it felt just right. I got him a pretty brass tie bar with M + S engraved on it. He made me ring once, long before we were married (and even before his mission) that had our initials engraved on the inside like that. And then he did the same on my wedding ring, too.

Almost everything I made for dinner this week was a big flop. Some weeks are like that, aren't they? Mabel and I liked this Broccoli and Cheddar Gratin, but we were the only ones who did. Next week I'll save myself some grief and make fish sticks and pancakes every night instead. Ha!

I'm trying to muster up the energy to go for a run this morning. Wish me luck and have a happy weekend!

happy weekend

My friend and I took advantage of our terrific weather and hiked Camelback Mountain yesterday. I am not really a hiker, but I love hiking Camelback. It is steep and difficult and it just feels really good to climb those boulders all the way to the top. During Spring Break I want to try some of the hikes Kayla listed on her blog with my kids. I know there are a lot of beautiful things to see in this desert, and we're going to find them.

For dinner this week, we tried these Little Quinoa Patties and some really great pasta. I'll share the pasta recipe below. We ate the quinoa patties like hamburgers with a side of roasted sweet and regular potatoes.

My friend (and everyone's friend), Ellen, sent me this pasta recipe and I am totally going to add it to our favorites:

Farfalle Alle Erbe e Panna Rosa, from Lisa Ure
1 pound farfalle (bowtie) pasta
4 tablespoons of butter
2 teaspoons of fresh basil, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of fresh sage, finely chopped (I didn't have sage, so I skipped it.)
1/2 beef bouillon cube (I used a teaspoon of chicken Better Than Bouillon.)
2 pounds fresh ripe plum tomatoes
1 teaspoon of salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup of heavy cream

Peel, seed, and cut the tomatoes into a 1/4 inch dice.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the herbs and bouillon and stir with a wooden spoon for one minute or until the bullion has dissolved completely. Don't let the butter burn. Add the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5-10 minutes or until the tomatoes have reduced and separated from the butter. Raise the heat to medium-high and pour in the cream. Cook, stirring frequently, until it has reduced by about half. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.

While the sauce is cooking, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and cook your pasta al dente. Then drain it and toss it with the sauce.


This weekend Oliver will be off on a scout campout while the rest of us recover from this long, tiresome week. Hopefully there's some good food in there somewhere, too.

Have a happy weekend!

happy weekend

It seems like most of the country is being blanketed by snow right now, but here in Arizona it is 85 degrees! My kids came home from school yesterday with pink, sunburned noses. Ah! I'm not ready for the heat, but I sure love an Arizona spring. Our lilac vine is about to go crazy with blossoms and I can't wait.

I never wanted to be the mom who was constantly in the car, shuttling kids to a million different places, but I was totally that mom this week. Man alive, I'm exhausted! It was my week to drive the carpool to high school plus it seems like I was going back and forth to Oliver's school (about 15 minutes away) a million times. Add in the usual piano lessons and choir practice and mutual and scouts and I'll tell you what, I am ready for the weekend.

Mabel joined the tennis team at school, so our big plans this weekend include buying active wear (please tell me you've seen this video!) and looking at tennis rackets.

Recipes I tried this week: Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos (Loved these! I added chicken and avocado.), Turkey and Swiss Sloppy Joes (a surprise hit), and Brazilian Style Black Beans and Rice (My first time successfully cooking dried beans! I used our instant pot. Not as good as my favorite beans from Tucanos, but pretty all right.)

Are your kids passing out valentines? Stella doesn't want to, but Elliot does. Maybe these heart pom pom bookmarks will change Stella's mind?

Have a happy weekend!

happy weekend

It's the time of year when the citrus is ready to be picked and juiced. Yesterday I juiced a few bags of oranges and my house smelled so fresh for the rest of the day. We got so many lemons this year! I used to freeze the juice to make lemonade all year long, but do you know what's in lemonade? Lots and lots of sugar, so I don't make it as often anymore, and now our main use of the lemons is to squeeze them on top of our Sunday morning german pancakes. Must research how to use more lemons (outside of my favorite lemon deserts: warm lemon pudding cake, lemon cake, lemon squares, and lemon poppy seed muffins).

Thanks to your comments, I tried a few new recipes this week. Rollup Blender Pancakes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe were probably the biggest hit (even though they were for breakfast and not dinner). We also tried Mel's 30-Minute Quinoa Enchilada Skillet (Mabel and I loved it), Our Best Bite's Black Bean Soup and Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos. I would make them all again. Thank you! Oh, and we brought these Healthy Applesauce Oat Muffins to Sunday dinner and they were gone in a flash.

I printed out lots more recipes from those sites to try next week, too. Hurray!

This is the best time of year to be in Arizona, so we are going to do our best to soak it up this weekend. Yard work is on our to-do list, and hopefully we'll actually do it instead of loafing around like we usually do on Saturdays. Ha!

Have a happy one!

happy weekend

I think Elliot really thought he could beat Mike at stick pull the other night during Stella's volleyball practice. He certainly gave it everything he had. Look at that face! Mike surprised us and showed up at Stella's practice. We seriously never see him anymore, he is so busy at school. Honestly, I feel like a single mom most of the time. (I have enormous respect for real single moms. You are strong, capable ladies.) It is hard but it will be worth it, I think.

A list of things I have found upon waking in the last three weeks:
a bat flying around my kitchen
a rat hiding under my kitchen table
a rat under our dresser, being chased by our cat*
and the worst one-- a rat trying to escape out my opened but screened bedroom window, inches from my head.*

*occurred in the middle of the night

Our cat is officially (I mean it this time) fired. It used to drive me nuts that she'd bring dead birds and lizards into the house, but I'd take that over the live animals she's been bringing in lately. I can't even. . . I mean, I'm just glad we found and caught these things before Mike left for the day. Otherwise I'd really have to put my brave face on, and I don't think I could do it.

Have your kids picked out their Halloween costumes yet? We are still trying to decide on a few at our house, but time is running out!

Some recipes I tried and at least half of us liked this week: Ree's Quinoa with Buttery Roasted Vegetables (I doubled the vegetables), Ree's Veggie Tortellini Soup (this came together in like 20 minutes), Cha Cha's White Chicken Chili (minus the jalapeno), and Pumpkin Magic Cake (go heavy on the glaze).

I wish I could say it felt like fall here, but we have another week or so of hot (and I mean hot) weather. And then, then, it will be in the 70s! Happy day.

I hope you have a good weekend full of fall things. We have the school carnival, which is always a good time.

happy weekend

I don't have much to report this week, but here are two recipes that I tried and liked: Ree's Veggie Stir Fry and Chicken Pot Pie. I left out the peppers in the stir fry because we don't like peppers at our house, and I only used 1 tablespoon of the sugar and sriracha. Even with just that little bit of sriracha, it was too spicy for my little kids, but I loved it. I doubled the pot pie and gave one to my sister-in-law and her family, who just moved in two doors down and then had a brand new baby. I got to snuggle that baby for a minute the other day and she is just the world's sweetest thing.

This weekend marks the beginning of our fall break and we are all so ready! Mike finished up his finals yesterday (he's on a quarter system) and he has the week off, too. So we are going to live it up! Or probably just plant our winter grass. I've been scalping and raking and aerating, so we're all ready for the new seed. Our regular grass goes dormant in the winter, so if we want a green lawn year round, we have to plant rye in the fall. It's a lot of work, but it's so pretty when it's in.

And maybe we can get away to my in-law's cabin in the mountains for a few days, too. I'd like to drink hot chocolate and bundle up for a minute. There's no internet there, so it feels like a true break from reality.

Something I've been thinking about this week: faith requires work, just as it should. I believe that if I make a diligent effort to have faith in Jesus Christ and to walk in His path, then I will be happier, and the things that are required of me (that are sometimes difficult), won't seem quite so difficult. If you are searching for peace in your own life, I urge you to look to Jesus Christ. Learn of Him, and follow His ways as best you can. I know that when I try harder to do this, I am happier.

Have a nice weekend!

fall soup

After dinner last night, Stella said, "I'm sorry, Mom. I wish I liked it." You win some, you lose some, you know? She was referring to the soup I had just served, which she and the boys did not enjoy. But because Mabel, Mike and I liked it, I thought the recipe was worth sharing here.

This soup is fairly involved, so make it on a day when you have some time on your hands. Also, if your children are at all like mine, make sure to serve it with lots of warm bread or leftover macaroni and cheese to avoid hungry bedtime tummies.

Butternut Squash and Corn Soup

Heat your oven to 375 degrees and split a large butternut squash in half, lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and stringy bits. Place the squash, cut side up, in a 9x13 inch pan. Score the top like a tic-tac-toe board and sprinkle each half with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and half of a tablespoon of honey. Honestly, I think you could skip the honey, if you are avoiding added sugar. Roast the squash for an hour and a half, or until it is nice and tender. You could baste it with the juices a few times while it is cooking, if you think about it.

Meanwhile, in a large pot over medium heat, cook 3 chopped onions and the peeled cloves from one garlic head (I know, that's a lot of garlic!) in one stick of butter. Stir from time to time, but cook until nice and golden, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh sage leaves and about 5 medium carrots, chopped. Stir and cook for five more minutes.

Once the squash is tender, scrape out the flesh and add it to the onion mixture with 6 cups of chicken broth. Cover your pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Then reduce the heat to a simmer until the carrots are very soft, about 30 minutes.

Use and immersion blender to puree the soup until it is nice and smooth. Add a teaspoon (or more) of kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Then stir in 3 cups of corn. (I used frozen, but you could also cut the kernels off a few cobs. Just don't use canned, whatever you do.) Once the corn has warmed up, serve the soup with a little dollop of sour cream.

And then try really hard not to be frustrated that after all of that effort, some of your kids won't eat it. Ha! Just more for us, I guess.


So, it's probably still too warm here for soup, but I can't help it. It's all I want to make for dinner. Do you have a favorite recipe to share?

happy weekend

I feel like we're really earning our weekends these days. And this one is even a long one! Hurray! Mike is looking forward to using it to catch up on school work, which is totally sad. But the rest of us are going to let loose. And by let loose, I mean lay around and relax. We're low energy people.

Right before the summer heat started, Mike and I did some work on our yard. Lots of the plants we added or moved didn't survive, but these aloe sure are happy. And that jasmine, too. I am anxious for the weather to change so that we can finish up some planting.

Two things that helped me feel good this week: Making dinner for a friend who is going through something really hard. And giving myself a project. I've been wanting to do something with the little office off of our kitchen for a long time, and this week I did it! I'll post pictures next week, but first I need to finish up a few things.

Good news! Ryan Tanner released a new album. His music is my favorite-- slow and quiet and easy. You can find it here.

This macaroni and cheese recipe was a big winner at our house the other night. I even used whole wheat pasta and bread and it was still delicious. And Mabel made Martha's Triple Chocolate Cheesecake for my birthday last weekend. If you are in the mood for the richest, most delicious cheesecake, this is the recipe for you.

Have a good weekend!

falafel

Truth: Falafel in Paris is a lot prettier than falafel in Mesa.

Mabel has been sending me recipes, mostly vegetarian dinner ideas, which is the best! Deciding what to make is always the hardest part about cooking for me. This week, we tried falafel. Mike and I had the best falafel in Paris, which we ate in the most beautiful garden. What I made last night doesn't even come close, but it was still pretty good and I think I'll add it to our regular dinner rotation.

I used Sean's Falafel and Cucumber Sauce from allrecipes.com, but I'll post it here, too.

for the sauce:

6 oz plain yogurt
half of a cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Mix all together, then chill for at least 30 minutes.

for the falafel:

1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained (Or, I used 2 cups of cooked lentils instead.)
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 egg
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
pinch cayenne
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup dry bread crumbs (or about one cup of whole wheat flour)
oil for frying

Mash the beans or lentils. In a food processor, blend the onion, parsley, and garlic until it's smooth. Add to the mashed beans/lentils.

In another bowl, mix the egg, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon juice, and baking powder. Add to the bean/lentil mash along with the oil. Mix in the bread crumbs (or flour) a little at a time until it's the consistency you want. The original recipe says you should be able to form balls, which you will then flatten into patties. Mine never reached that point, and I didn't want to add too much flour, so I left it at about thick pancake batter level.

Heat some oil for frying (cover the bottom of your pan generously). I used my cookie scoop and scooped the mixture into the hot oil, one scoop per patty. Cook until golden brown and then flip and repeat. This made about 25 small patties (enough for our family of 6 plus leftovers for Mike's lunch today).

I fried mine early in the day, then stuck them on a cookie sheet in the fridge until we got home hungry from piano lessons at dinner time. I broiled them for a minute to warm them up and we were good to go.

Serve wrapped up in a nice warm piece of naan, with the cucumber sauce, sliced red onions and tomatoes.

And then pretend that you are wandering around secret gardens in Le Marais. :)

(Full disclosure: Oliver didn't like it.)

Who would you most like to have dinner with?

I know this is just a commercial, but I thought the message was powerful and sweet. It made me really grateful for the opportunity to sit with my kids around the dinner table almost every night, and a little more willing to cook that blasted dinner, too.

powerful nurturing

In Sacrament meeting yesterday, one of the speakers quoted from Julie B. Beck's 2005 article, Powerful Nurturing. I loved the quote so much that I went home from church and looked up the whole thing. Because school starts soon, and because I need a little reminder about why family dinners are so important, I'd like to share the article here for my weekly conference report.

Basically, the gist of the article is that women and mothers are "primarily responsible for the nurture of their children." (From the Proclamation on the Family) And to nurture means to "feed, foster, care for, or rear." So, as the woman and mother in my home, it is my job to feed my family. But it turns out that feeding my family can be about so much more than the food!

Sister Beck says, "As a young mother I did not fully understand my power as a nurturer. Though we were a busy family, I considered everyone's presence at dinnertime nonnegotiable. It was our most consistent gathering time, and everyone planned to eat together before going on to other activities. I learned of the influence of my nurturing when our youngest daughter wrote in a college paper: 'Dinner in our home was not just an eating ritual, but a special time for the family to communicate and to share our thoughts and stories of the day. ... We often sat together for over an hour as we savored the conversation as much as the food.'

"I thought I was just cooking casseroles and soup. But I had created the venue, the reason to gather. Because I prepared a meal to share with my family, something special happened. ... Mothers who are 'primarily responsible for the nurture of their children,' can be a powerful force for strengthening families when they use mealtimes to gather loved ones. They follow the example of the Savior to calm, teach, and help their families remember important things as they feed, cultivate, educate, and rear at the consecrated tables in their homes."

I'm not sure what our dinner routine will look like this new school year. Last year, we ate at 4:30 every afternoon. But I do know that sitting down together and eating as a family every night is one of the best things I can do for my children, and is worth whatever sacrifice we have to make for it to happen. As my children have grown, our dinner time experience has changed. I feel like it just keeps getting better and better, and hopefully more of the teaching that Sister Beck mentions will begin to take place.

Read the entire (really short!) article here.

happy weekend

It's been a big summer for Mabel's teeth. She got her upper braces on a couple of weeks ago, and then yesterday, in preparation for her bottom braces (just in time for high school!), she got three teeth extracted-- teeth with big daddy roots still attached. I almost had to put my head between my knees as I watched the dentist yanking them out. Don't feel too sorry for her. She is off to Sundance today to recuperate with my parents' ice cream packed freezer and her best girl cousins at the first ever "Granddaughters Week". Stella will be there, too, and I know they are going to have the best time.

A couple of you asked about meal ideas or resources for our no sugar/no white flour life. I know, I know that documentaries aren't the best places to find unbiased information, but Mike and I found Fed Up, Sugar Coated, and That Sugar Film to be very helpful/inspiring. They'll make you want to clean out your pantry asap.

Things we've eaten for dinner this week: tomato soup with homemade whole wheat rolls, shredded beef tacos on grilled corn tortillas with guacamole, chicken fried brown rice, and whole wheat oatmeal pancakes with fruit and very, very lightly sweetened freshly whipped cream. Since Mabel has become a vegetarian, I've made these black bean burgers and buns (subbing in all whole wheat flour) lots of times. We have fruit at every meal to satisfy our sweet tooth. And I've successfully made these muffins without the added sugar for a snack. I've put strawberries, blueberries, and raisins in them, and they've been delicious every time (although, to be real, my kids won't eat the ones with raisins).

I still make all of our bread, and I always use this recipe. I use half whole wheat flour, half white wheat flour. The recipe calls for three tablespoons of honey, but it's the only added sugar in my diet and I figure that three tablespoons spread out in a whole loaf of bread is a negligible amount, so I don't sweat it.

I found it easiest to go cold turkey. I cleaned out our kitchen and got rid of everything with added sugar and white flour (including white pasta and flour tortillas). (Ok, I moved all of the Ben & Jerry's to our deep freeze for special 'moderate' desserts. Ha!) I survived a trip to my parents' house and girls camp without eating added sugar, so I know I can survive anything. :) It was not easy, but it was possible.

We aren't perfect. For example: my kids had corn dogs for dinner the other night. I don't freak out when they eat sugar or white flour because I know that at home, where they eat the vast majority of their meals, we are making good choices. I don't want it to be a thing, you know? We do the best we can.

Have a happy weekend!

on the weekend

I am still processing this weekend (and honestly, mostly mourning the end of Downton Abbey). There was a lot to think about, and I feel very scattered on this bright Monday morning, which isn't a super motivating way to feel. In an effort to get going, I'm going to set some of my thoughts here.

on Stake Conference: Instead of the usual Sunday meetings with just our small congregation or ward, we met together with our stake, which is made up of 8 wards. This happens twice a year. I think this is probably what is mostly crowding my brain. I attended three wonderful meetings and took lots and lots of notes. After reviewing them quickly, I wanted to share my favorite thought, taught in a special meeting by Sister Laurel Lawrence, wife of Elder Larry Lawrence, our visiting authority. When we are born, our spirits are already mature. As our physical bodies grow, our spiritual selves can grow as well, but not in stature--in light. In order for this to happen, we need to continually feed our spirits light. That light can come from scripture study, from attending church meetings and the temple, through prayer and meditation, from anything uplifting and good, really. I need to be feeding my spirit a constant diet of light.

on rats (most definitely not part of a diet of light): It is late in the citrus season, and almost past time to clear our trees of their fruit. A few days ago, I found lots of oranges on the ground that had been picked clean, a sure sign of rats. Gross. We have several very lovely and mature citrus trees that reach nearly 30 feet high. I was under the canopy on Saturday, long citrus picker in hand, trying to reach the highest oranges. I was causing quite a bit of rustling as I tugged on those oranges, when all of a sudden the biggest, fattest rat I've ever seen plopped out of the tree right in front of me and scurried away. I don't know if I'll ever be the same. And our citrus trees don't seem quite so lovely anymore, you know? Side note: would anyone like to come clear out our trees? All the pink grapefruit, tangelos, and Arizona sweets you can eat! Don't mind the rats.

on the finale of Downton Abbey: Oh guy! I need a good cry over this one. I feel like everyone got their happy ending except me. I don't think I've ever been so sad to see a show end. I would have happily continued watching for the rest of my life. I love those Crawleys, and their servants, too. Even Barrow, who turned out to be not such a bad guy after all.

on sewing: I am tempted to participate in Katy(from no big dill)'s sewing challenge. She isn't going to buy any clothes for herself or her children for a year. A year! I think Mabel, who has been suffering in school uniforms for the past two years and will start High School this fall, would kill me if I told her I'd be making all of her clothes. Ha! That's what every teenager wants, right? A closet full of homemade clothes. :) So I'd limit the challenge to myself (minus running clothes). I think it would be fun and definitely challenging. But mostly I think it would help me figure out what I like to wear most. I'm sort of a disaster in that area.

on Sunday dinner: I made Ree's favorite meatloaf. I contemplated having the leftovers for breakfast this morning, it is that good.

Anything on your mind this morning? Feel free to spill.

tomato soup and french bread

It seems like Tuesday is turning into soup day around here. This week I made Design Mom's Crock Pot Tomato. It's a major favorite at our house. I love that unlike most canned tomato soups, it doesn't have any sweeteners and I really love that it simmers away in the crock pot on a busy day. My crock pot isn't big enough for the full recipe, so I always halve it, which is plenty for our family of six.

This time I served it with fresh french bread. It was my first time baking this recipe and I really loved how it turned out. It could be because I never eat white flour anymore, but warm from the oven, this bread was the best thing I've eaten in weeks. It was chewy and soft, with a nice, crunchy crust. The two loaves I made disappeared in a snap. I need to work on my shaping skills, so I'll be making it again for sure.

Bread Machine French Bread

2 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups water

4 cups (19 oz) flour
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons gluten
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 1/4 teaspoons SAF yeast (or 2 3/4 tsp bread machine yeast)

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks are formed. Add them to your bread machine with the water. Add the rest of the ingredients and use the Dough cycle.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Once the Dough cycle is complete, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it in two. Flatten each portion into a thin 10x6 inch rectangle. I used my hands, but next time I might try a rolling pin. Starting on a long side, roll the dough tightly to form a cylinder. Place it on your baking sheet with the seam side down. Cover them loosely with plastic and let them rise until doubled in size (about 30 minutes, depending on the temperature in your kitchen).

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees, with a pizza stone on the middle rack.

Beat 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon of water with a fork until foamy. Brush the tops of your risen loaves with the egg. Using a small, sharp knife, cut three or four diagonal slashes on the tops, going no more than 1/4 inch deep.

Place the baking sheet on the hot pizza stone and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown. Makes two medium sized loaves.


From my most favorite bread cookbook, The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook.

potato soup

It has been rainy and cold all week here in the desert. That means soup is on the menu. Tuesday evenings are our busiest, so I made a pot of our favorite (and easiest) potato soup for dinner last night.


Potato Soup

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
3 cups milk
3 cups chicken broth
3 or so potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 onion, diced
1 celery stalk, chopped
salt & pepper

Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the flour and cook on low for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add liquids and vegetables and bring to a boil. Boil until the veggies are soft, about 15 minutes, stirring lots so it doesn't burn. Blend to liquify. Add salt and pepper to taste.

We ate our soup with our favorite rolls (the virginia light rolls posted here, but made with mostly whole wheat flour).

The sun is out this morning, but it's still colder than usual. What's the winter weather like at your house today?

Sweet Potato Soup

It might be getting too warm to have soup simmering in the crock pot on the counter all day long, but I couldn't resist trying this new recipe. I'm so glad I did. It was delicious, and I'd totally make it again. We are eating less meat these days, so I skipped the chicken called for in the original recipe. We didn't miss it.

Sweet Potato Soup

2 raw sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of petite diced tomatoes
1 cup grain (like quinoa or rice)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 batch of homemade chili seasoning
5 cups chicken stock

top with:
sour cream
chopped avocado

Put all of the ingredients (except the sour cream and avocado) into your crock pot. Cook on low for 5-7 hours. I happened to have a package of brown rice with chia and kale in the pantry that I subbed for the grain. Topping with the sour cream and avocado is a must! I've been eating the leftovers for lunch all week.

quinoa

A few months ago I discovered a mysterious grain in my pantry. After a quick google image search, I was happy to see that it was quinoa. I had only eaten quinoa a few times before, and I was anxious to try cooking it for myself.

It turns out that it is super easy. I found this post to be particularly informative. (I use broth for the liquid.)

I made a batch this morning to keep in the fridge and use for my lunch for the next few days. I'll probably do a variation on this recipe for quinoa with black beans and corn each day. I have a few avocados that are threatening to go bad, so I better dice them up asap. Cold, warm, plain, wrapped up in a tortilla, I've found Elizabeth's recipe to be delicious each way.

Do you have a favorite quinoa dish? I'd love to try some others.