That Infamous No-Knead Bread Recipe everyone's been going on and on about

You know the recipe I'm talking about. You must know about it. According to urban legend out there on the web, it's the most emailed recipe out there. I can believe it because I've had it sent to me no less than five times. And at least two people have actively campaigned to try to get me to try and make it. What's that? You say you don't know which recipe I'm talking about? Why, no-knead bread. Bread that's supposed to taste exactly like the fabulous kind you tried in Europe with cheese and wine. Bread that you can never find in the US unless you go to a super duper bakery and pay big bucks for it (I can only find it for $10+ at my local bakery).

I think it was the New York Times that published the recipe that first began the frenzy. I received a version of the recipe via a facebook post by a friend in upstate New York that convinced me to finally try it. It was a great explanation of the process and step by step recipe published at Mother Earth News. You can find the recipe and directions here. I'll reproduce them here step by step, with photos of my first attempt. See, when I thought about doing this and blogging about it, I figured that whether it was a success or a complete flop, it would still be entertaining.

Here goes.

The idea is you take four basic ingredients -- active dry yeast, warm water, all-purpose flour, and salt -- add some interesting flour for dusting (I used yellow cornmeal), and you get a rustic loaf of bread -- crunchy, thick crust encasing a moist, chewy, yeasty, and slightly sweet inside. Lovely. Other than the ingredients, you need some kind of big, heavy, dutch oven that will retain moisture. I used my Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker. (No, I am not a consultant, I just have a lot of friends who are. So I have a lot of the stuff.)

Start by dissolving 1/4 tsp yeast in 1 1/2 cups of warm water in a large bowl. (Yes, that's my Pampered Chef Classic Batter Bowl.)


Add the flour and salt, stirring until blended.


Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at least 8 hours, preferably 12-18 hours at warm room temperature. (I let mine rest for about 20 hours and my indoor house temperature during Michigan winter was warm enough.)


The dough is ready when it's surface is dotted with bubbles.




Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it.


Sprinkle the dough with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice.


Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 15 minutes.


Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or to your fingers, gently shape it into a ball. Generously coat a clean dish towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal. (Again, I used cornmeal. And my laptop to see the recipe.)


Put the seam side of the dough down on the towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal.


Cover with another towel and let rise for about 1 to 2 hours. (I let it rise for 2 hours.) When it's ready, the dough will have doubled in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

At least 20 minutes before the dough is ready, heat oven to 475 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot in the oven as it heats.


When the dough it ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven and lift off the lid. Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over into the pot, seam side up. the dough will lose its shape a bit in the process, but that's OK. give the pan a firm shake or two to help distribute the dough evenly, but don't worry if it's not perfect; it will straighten out as it bakes.


Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid...


...and bake another 15 to 20 minutes (I baked it another 15 minutes), until the loaf is beautifully browned. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.


Then, you can slice it and enjoy it :-)






This was by far the easiest experience I have ever had making yeast bread, including using a bread machine. And this was my first attempt. I'd say give it a try; you won't regret it. I sure didn't.

How Do You Get A Picky Eater to Eat Healthier?

My oldest child has always been a picky eater. As a baby she refused to nurse, preferring the fast flow of a bottle to working for her meal. (Although an aggressive nurse contributed to the problem.) When she started solid foods (at 4 months as was recommended such a short time ago) she had a distinct preference for oatmeal cereal over rice and definite opinions about each flavor of baby food she was presented.

By the time she was a toddler she could put a spoonful of meat and vegetables (mixed together in a casserole) in her mouth, swish her tongue around a little, put her fingers in her mouth and hand you the one green bean in the mix. She went on food jags for weeks at a time, forsaking nearly all other foods in favor of grapes or frozen peas. I was thankful the jags were always something healthy but as a new mom I worried about her nutrition, probably too much.

I've found that the more focus you put on food, the picker the eater becomes. With my son I was less worried about what he ate and he eats a much wider variety of healthy foods than his older sister. And with my littlest one I hardly have time to worry at all and she eats the best of anyone in the family.

Over the last few years I've tried to increase my oldest's repertoire of healthy foods (she has no problem with eating crap). We have had some success and she is also more willing to try new things or even "old" things again.

One of the things we've done (for the whole family) is to pick out a new item from the fresh produce department for the whole family to try. Everyone must at least try a bite if they have never tried it before or if it has been a while since they tried it and didn't care for it. The bite must be a true bite and not a nibble. We must also be willing to try a second bite if the food can be modified in some way (sprinkle of pepper for example).

Confession: I too am a picky eater. Or, at least I used to be. Through these experiments I have added a lot more healthy foods to my food repertoire as well.

We've tried things like hummus, plantain, pomegranate, kiwi, avocado, asparagus, plums, cherries, nectarines, honeydew melon, zucchini and more. Perhaps not the most exotic (though we have tried some unusual things too) but what is accessible in our stores and what looks interesting. We may revisit some of the ones we tried and didn't care for, in the interest that tastes change over time.

I also make only one meal for the whole family. If anyone chooses to not eat, that is his/her choice and there will be only one alternative: fresh fruit or vegetables.

So far, these are the strategies that work for us...what have you tried?

Brinner

One of our favorites is brinner. Breakfast for dinner. Our latest favorite arrived with our Belgian Waffle maker. I looked for a good recipe that would make fluffy, yumminess for anytime of the day. I found this recipe, and have tweaked it to be our own.

2 c Hodgon's Mill gluten free all purpose flour

2 tsp xanthan gum

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

4 eggs separated

2 T sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

4 T smart balance

2 c almond milk

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. Mix yolks, sugar, vanilla, smart balance, and milk. Add to dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Whisk the egg whites until peaks form. Fold them into the batter gently and until just mixed.

How to Make Homemade Hot Chocolate and the Best Sugar Cookies Ever

Oh my goodness, it's almost midnight on Wednesday!  How did that happen?

1.  Laundry.
2.  Basketball game (mine).
3.  Grocery shopping.
4. Turning above-mentioned groceries into meals for laundry-generating family.
5. Laundry.
6. Coaching 6th grade basketball.
7. Cub Scouts.
8. Sliding on ice and hitting Cadillac in parking lot of Cub Scout event.
9. Basketball games (8th graders)
10. Auto Body Shop for above-mentioned fender bender.

And all of this happened on Monday and Tuesday.

That said, we've had a patch of lovely weather here in the Midwest.  The Northeast is getting slammed with snow yet again, but we've just had a slow steady snowfall, blanketing our yards and trees.  It's sparkly and beautiful.

When the kids come in for a break from the snow, here are two of my favorite recipies:  homemade hot chocolate (throw that instant stuff in the trash!), and the best sugar cookies ever.

Hot Chocolate

photo credit: Stepheye

1 mug of warm milk, not quite boiling
1 small spoonful of sugar
1 slightly bigger spoonful of cocoa powder (unsweetened)

Warm milk in saucepan.  Mix sugar and cocoa in mug.  Add small amount of warmed milk to sugar & cocoa and stir until dissolved.  Add remaining milk and stir.

Best Sugar Cookies Ever
My mom's friend Dolly Fischer gave her this recipe when I was a little girl (KG, maybe?).  While I was still a girl, Mrs. Fischer died from breast cancer, but her recipe has lived on in our family for all these years.  I think of her and her family every time I make them.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sift:
2 c flour
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Cream:
1/2 c margarine
1/2 c shortening
1 c sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
Also need:
melted butter
extra sugar

Sift together the first 4 ingredients.  In a separate bowl, cream the last 5 ingredients.  Add sifted ingredients to creamed ingredients and mix by hand.  Roll into very small balls; press flat with the bottom of a glass dipped first in a bowl with melted butter, then a bowl with the extra sugar.  Bake @ 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes.  Don't bake for too long!  If you want to get creative, you can add food coloring to the cookie dough or used colored sugar.

These are thin, airy, and absolutely delicious!

foody friday for a New Year

I am guilty of putting on Holiday pounds - more so since we have moved to Minnesota - I blame it on the cold. I start to hibernate around Thanksgiving - durn turkey - and then wake up in a mad dash around March.

I have been trying to be more pro active this season, but alas, I have still put on a pound or five. In addition to moving more and signing up for a running race, I have been looking at LaaLoosh for months. I have tried a couple of her recipes, and they are awesome - AWESOME! So, as you ring in the New Year this eve, I encourage you to take in a few of her recipes and try them out for the New Year.

Cheers!

happy halloween!

my two animals, the house cat + leopard {shown above at their class party} and the giraffe + bumble bee wish you all a happy halloween!

what will you be doing?

my bff made these for her son's class {both her daughters classes last year} they are oranges carved with strawberries and grapes inside for a fun, festive and healthy treat. 

30 took her 6 hours!! {can we say wonder woman}  i'm going to try to do 4 this weekend. we'll see. i'm not nearly as patient nor precise.  wish me luck.  do you have any fun halloween treats you make?

Fall inspired popcorn, fresh from the kettle

Once fall rolls around and the temperatures stay low all day, it just feels right to pop popcorn. I've never liked air poppers, so I pop ours in a large saucepan or kettle over an open burner on the range. If I'm looking for an easy dinner, I can always pair it with grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, with some grapes on the side -- YUM!

As easy as popcorn is, I discovered a couple ways to make it even better. Around Halloween, I make the popcorn with melted butter and salt, but I also add candy corn into the mix. It's just enough sweet to make the popcorn seem like a dessert and just enough salty to take the sickening sweet out of the candy corn. Another snack I add the popcorn is dried cranberries. This is certainly more nutritious than the candy corn and it still adds a little sweet without overpowering the natural taste of the popcorn. I've even added candy corn and cranberries in the same bowl which works just fine.

Another trick for popcorn that I learned, (and it's an invaluable trick for me!), is to have a very large plastic bowl with a sealable top. Once the popcorn is popped, I transfer it to the bowl, add whatever else is going into the mix and then shake away. When I add all these extras, even if it's just butter and salt, it makes mixing up the popcorn a cinch. It works when the popcorn is still too hot to touch, too. And plus, if we don't eat the popcorn all in one sitting, the sealed top allows us to keep it fresh up to a day after it was popped.

Every year, my oldest daughter wants to have a Halloween party on Halloween itself. The teens can sit there watching scary movies and noshing on candy and soda if I provide it. But I've found that if I give them something a little more nutritious (and tasty), they'll be just as happy. And they won't be as hopped up as they would have been otherwise. So fall-inspired popcorn is my remedy. The only drawback is that we always seem to have that clichéd moment when something scary happens in the movies and the popcorn bowl ends up being thrown upwards, sending the popcorn flying all over the den :-)

Happy Children's Day!

Children's Day in Brazil is October 12th, so our girls got gifts and ice cream cake last night. They look happy, no?

Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

I will put the disclaimer at the top here: 2 of my 3 kids refused to eat this. Granted, my son was sick so he may have eaten it if he was feeling better. Our toddler, who eats pretty much anything, LOVED it. My husband and I commented how tasty it was to one another.

My Aunt found a version of this recipe in our local paper and made it. She received rave reviews so I asked for the recipe. My cousin sent it to me in Cliff Notes version and I made it my own wrong way.

Here's what I did:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup minced onion
1/4 cup butter
4 cups milk
1 tsp salt
1 med head of cauliflower
1/2 lb. Velveeta
dash pepper
2 cubes chicken bullion
1 T minced garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped carrots

I grabbed my trusty Pampered Chef Microwave steamer/cooker thingie ...let me see if I can find a link...Okay, it's like this but bigger and doesn't have the long handle. My mom and dad gave it to me for a wedding shower present. Love it!

Back to the recipe...I chopped up my head of cauliflower, added the butter, minced garlic, minced onion, carrots and about 1/4 cup of the milk and threw it in the Micro steamer and cooked (nuked) until the veggies were soft. Once they were soft, I used a fork to mash up the cauliflower and mixed it all together well.

While the veggies were cooking I added the remaining ingredients to a large pot on my stove and stirred continuously (well, sort of) until the cheese was melted and the bullion dissolved.

Finally I combined the veggie mixture from the micro cooker in the pot on the stove and mixed well.

You will be surprised how tasty this soup is...though if you don't like cheese you'll probably want to skip it...but who doesn't like cheese?

Fall football eats

As we charge into football season, here are a few easy things I throw together for a buffet on game day:

Bruschetta (a good way to use the basil and tomatoes in your garden)

5-7 tomatoes diced

2 C loose leave Basil

2-3 green onions diced

2-3 garlic cloves roughly chopped

1/4 C olive oil

1 t Kosher salt

place basil in a food processor and chop for 30 seconds. add the rest of the ingredients and chop for an additional 30 seconds. serve on toasted french bread

shredded chicken

place 3-4 frozen chicken breasts in a crockpot for 3-4 hours. once cooked, shred with a fork. serve with a variety of sauces and deli rounds

Guacamole

2-3 ripe avocados

2 cloves garlic

1 jalapeno pepper

1 t kosher salt

juice from 1/2 a lime

1/8 cup diced tomatoes (optional)

chop and blend until desired consistency is reached. serve with tortilla chips

Cheer for your favorite team! Here we cheer for the Vikings, Gophers, and Ducks!

One of my favorite things

It's simple, I know. A covered cake plate. Would you believe it took five years to choose just the right one and obtain it?

As I grew into an adult, I found myself drawn to classic things. Flowers in vases. Photographs of family on the walls. The one thing I always imagined, something I had never seen in real home but only in magazines, was a covered cake plate. I wanted to have a pretty way to display whatever goodies were in the house. I wanted goodies to always be there to eat in moderation.

My mother gave this plate to me two years ago for Christmas. It's always on the table. This week it's displaying the cupcakes that are leftover from the baby's first birthday celebration. Who knows what it will hold when they are gone?

I'm One

She's seems to have survived the first year and is thriving. Thank goodness.

Summertime Ideas for Kids

Most of us can smell summer coming.  We can't wait for the freedom and sunshine and loose schedules.

And then we get what we wished for.

Is there a parent out there who hasn't heard the bewildering, "What can we do now," or "There's nothing to do here!" of summer?

If you're struggling with kids that are bored, here are a few suggestions:

1.  Let them be bored.  After hectic back-to-back activities during the school year, it takes awhile for kids' brains to shift gears.  Nothing to do?  Watch clouds.  Boring?  Plant flowers?  Too hard?  Tough.  The key is to offer a few suggestions (which will be promptly dismissed) and then let go.  Given enough time, kids will find something to do--collect cool rocks, make up a game, read a book.  Kids have an incredible capacity to amuse themselves, if only we give them the time and space to do it.

2.  Plan a weekly outing.  Break up the routine of groceries and neighborhood playdates by getting out of your comfort zone.  Usually take your kids to the zoo?  Fine, but try a new museum next time.  Have a favorite park?  Save it for the fall...find a new one to try this summer.  Pick strawberries, ride go-karts, hike the dunes or in the woods.  When you try something new, it gives you all a shared experience to talk about and a sense of adventure.

3.  Have a party.  During football-soccer-basketball-swimming-lacrosse-hockey season, it's tough to get families together.  Summer can be hard, too, with people heading for the beaches.  Still, there are bound to be more bodies around than during practice/game time.  Include the kids, choose a theme, make it potluck so you have fun too, and be sure to invite some families you don't know that well.  Expanding your social horizons to include your kids friends and their families is a great way to connect--and help your kids connect--in your community.

Catering to a meat-less diet

This weekend I'm hosting friends from out of town. They are vegetarian. I am not. But I have a lot of people in my life who are. Thus, I have my fair share of recipes that cater to those with no need for meat.

It's somewhat intimidating to try to go meat-free, especially if your having to serve vegetarians who are somewhat intolerant. You know, the people who make a lifestyle choice and then make you feel bad for not making that choice too? It doesn't have anything to do with choosing to be a vegetarian; you can be intolerant without ever having to think about food. We've all come across all kinds, and I've always been grateful for the people who are kind and thoughtful, making choices for their lives without shaming those around them for not making the same choice.

For what it's worth, my friends who are visiting now are motivated to practicing a completely meat-free diet due to sustainability concerns. How many acres of land does it take to feed the cow that eventually becomes the burgers we scarf down every week? What about chickens and chicken feed? And I just heard on the BBC World Service last (via Michigan Radio) Wednesday night that blue fin tuna are likely to be extinct outside of farms in the next 3-4 years. That's something for me to contemplate.

My sister went meat-free decades ago. She's raised three kids on the diet. So it stands to reason that when I was faced with entertaining on vegetarian cuisine, she would be a great person to advise me. She emailed me her trusted and true recipe for peanut butter pasta. Tasty, hearty, filling, nutritious. It goes great with fresh steamed broccoli and iced tea in the summer time. Enjoy!

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

Peanut Butter Pasta

1 lb. uncooked spaghetti
1 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup lime juice (or lemon)
1/2 cup water (depending on consistency desired)
3 tbsp. chopped peanuts, salted
optional:
1 tbsp. red chili flakes or dash hot sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed

Cook spaghetti according to the instructions given on its packaging. Drain, rinse, set aside. Mix together in a large bowl peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, and water. If using optional chili flakes, hot sauce, or garlic, add to the peanut butter mixture at this time. Once the mixture is well blended, add spaghetti and toss until all the noodles are coated. Serve immediately. Serves 6-8.

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

Though this is a great dish, tonight the kitchen is closed at my house and we are going out to our favorite local vegetarian kitchen, Seva. 'Cause they do vegetarian and vegan better than I could ever dream of!

Our family's accidental Chicago outing

Well, the summer is finally upon us. Our family's summer will mostly be taken up by a trip to Brazil, visiting my husband's family. Our baby is 10-months-old now and hasn't been baptized. Oh, who am I kidding, forget sacraments -- she hasn't even met her grandmother or her aunts and uncle and cousins on her Dad's side yet! So our venture into summer will quickly transition into the last preparations for our trip.

If you've ever traveled abroad, especially with kids, you know that it's a little different from traveling to Disney World. Just for a minor to get a US passport (both of my girls need one), you have to have both parents present when you apply for the thing. When you add another country into the mix, there's even more work. In our family, with respect to Brazil and the US, no two people have the same residency status in the two countries. This means that the documents involved to get from here to there and back can get quite overwhelming. The only thing that makes it more complicated is that the closest Brazilian consulate to us is in Chicago. More than 250 miles away.

We've visited the Consulate General three times this past year. The last visit was this past weekend. It was a quick in and out to pick up the baby's Brazilian passport. That was a relief after the last visit which took over 3 hours.

So there we were, 11:45a, at the NBC Tower on Michigan Avenue, just next to the Michigan Avenue Bridge over the Chicago River. The possibilities were endless.

Stop and take a token picture in front of the Wrigley Building.


Then it was time for lunch at Ed Debevic's on Wells Street. Good, greasy diner food, rock music, lots of silly antics, and a "world's smallest sundae" for dessert. My oldest daughter took the complimentary sundae cup with us as a souvenir.

Then we took a quick stroll back to Michigan Avenue for window shopping up the Magnificent Mile. (Helped us work off the "food coma" that we were risking after all those burgers and ice cream sodas!) Niketown (to check out the World Cup wear for each country's team), the Apple Store (to check out the new iPad), Tiffany's (to check out the bling), and Border's (to rest and catch our breath).

We finally made it to Water Tower Place and to the new location of American Girl Place, where Lord & Taylor used to be. My oldest daughter Grace introduced the baby to all that is American Girl and then tried to convince us that the baby loved the Josefina doll most of all. I think we'll wait a few more years before entering into that roller coaster ride of consumerism again!

Time was running out and we were realizing we would need to move on or face the worst of Friday rush hour out of the city. The car was parked six blocks south back at Northbridge, so we had time for one last stop before ending our day out. OK, then, Garrett Popcorn it was. After a few minutes of contemplation, we decided on a medium bag of caramel crisp popcorn and a bottle of cold water.

All said and done, the whole day cost us about $100, including 6+ hours of parking.

That was the best trip to the Office of the Consulate General I ever made.

This is probably not what they had in mind.

So since I'm new around these parts, and still getting used to the idea of posting within specific topics rather than just spouting off whatever comes across on the digital scroll display that is my brain.. (Oh look, the mail came! The new Entertainment Weekly is here...)

Anyway, Friday's usual topic is Food. Now, here's a little something you might want to know about me.

I don't really cook much.

I used to like to cook. Really, I did. But then I married a very picky, non-risk taking eater. And then I bore him two children, of equal mindset in regard to "I WILL NOT EAT THAT."

So anytime the conversation turns to food or cooking, I generally try and steer things toward wine. As in, "I like to cook with wine. Sometimes I even add it to the food."

Which is a long way of explaining that for years I did a Friday Wine Goodness series over on my personal blog, We're Not in Kansas Anymore, Toto. And I plan to re-invigorate that series here, for you lovely people. But first, let me explain my critical theory, if you will. Generally my code for wine recommendations goes like this:

• Cheap, but not headache inducing cheap
• Yummy
• Funny or interested labels

Yeah, I know, most wine critics don't really care about the label, but since I fill out my NCAA March Madness bracket based on the hotness of the players, you might guess I'm not a purist.

She's such a hack.

I had always thought calling someone a hack was a bad thing, until I became a parent in the age of the Internet. But as it turns out, a "hack" has come to mean a way to get what you need, working with what you have. I love that.
You know, my mom and I talk about this parenting thing sometimes. She's a little in awe of the network I have to work out some of the problems we come up against, or to celebrate and share the wins. She didn't have Dr. Google to turn to when someone ran a fever with a weird rash in the middle of the night. She didn't have girlfriends in other cities to which she could reach out and vent in a strange mix of over-sharing and anonymity. She didn't have ParentHacks.

So here's my favorite hack, for your use or amusement. It's very simple.

I keep a large cooler in the back of my minivan, so that I can feed my kids decent, healthy snacks or meals without hitting the drive-thru every single night.

See, I spend a ridiculous amount of time driving my kids from one activity to another. As kids get older, they get more and more activities, exponentially. Even for those of us who think that we are making an effort not to over-program our children, it just happens. I swear, one minute you're all "OMG Sally is such an overachiever helicopter mom with the karate and the cheer and the piano lessons and the basketball - does that kid ever just get to play in the yard?" and the next you're all "Oh gotta go, I have to run drop off the boys at soccer, then swimteam then feed them something and get them to cub scouts by 7 so they can race their Raingutter Regatta boat that we just built last night at 10pm."

Sometimes I have my own activities and meetings to go to. Then it gets really interesting.

Anyway, We do probably hit some kind of fast food drive-thru at least once a week. I try and use it as a rare reward, but some nights it just can't be helped. Calories are important to active kids. You can't drop a kid off at a sports practice and expect him to function for an hour on nothing but a granola bar. Funny enough, volunteer coaches don't really like your child when he's a starving basketcase melting into a pile of goo after only a few laps.

So, I keep a cooler in the car. Then, on the days we leave the house at 4:30pm and don't return until 8, I can have sandwiches, protein packed yogurt smoothies, cold Gatorade or G2, and fresh fruit ready to go.

The great thing is on those days we just hit the drive-thru for the ice cream. Kidding.

Homemade Baby Food

If you've read my posts before, then you know I don't like to cook.  Being a family of 6, I do it, but I don't like it.  What I do like tho, is pureeing baby food! 

With my first 2 kids I stumbled upon this book from fresh baby the recipes are basic and super easy. I was sold and soon, my freezer was full of assorted frozen baby food cubes.

You can purchase their trays or just use your own ice cube trays. I used both.  My main reason 5 years ago for making my own baby food was to save money.  Feeding 2 babies can get expensive and I couldn't save on daycare.  I also loved that there weren't any preservatives, added sugars, just o'naturale. 

I'm doing it again with my new babies to save money, be more healthful, and less wasteful. Now in the height of the green revolution, I was way ahead of my game and I didn't know it. 

Here is what their website says about making your own baby food - So Green!

"Making baby food is a great gift to give the environment and your baby. Consider the GREEN facts: 
ORGANIC - Organic fruits and vegetables are the best choice for making baby food. They are the most natural ingredients and organic foods drastically reduce harm to the environment. 
LESS WASTE - When you make your own baby food, there are no jars, labels or metal lids to dispose or to recycle. 
NO FACTORY REQUIRED - Just a little energy to steam foods and run a blender is all you need to make your baby's meals! Did someone say near 'zero' greenhouse gases? 
LOCAL - Your baby's food does not need to trucked to you from a factory thousands of miles away. Instead you can simply buy organic produce from your local farm market and get started.
HEALTHY - Homemade baby food is safe & nutritious. Baby food jars are often lined with Bisphenol-A, a controversial hormone disruptor that should be avoided. In addition, homemade baby food has no preservatives, additives, or chemicals - it is pure and natural goodness.

If you are looking to reduce your carbon footprint making organic baby food is a great way to go. Plus homemade baby food tastes great. Who knows? Your baby may grow up to love brussels sprouts and mangoes! "

For bigger kids::
Pureed food are an excellent way to sneak extra fruits and veggies into your meals for older kids, they'll have no idea!  Oh and I pop a few frozen apple cubes into a bowl, thaw and they have applesauce.  Easy as pie! That has me thinking of my next food post...easy pie...

Freelance...

Fridays are for food - recipes and sharing of delectable and often diabolical foods. Being the only guy, surrounded by these talented and chef-like co-writers has stretched my ability to keep up. In fact, I am pretty sure I have posted the recipes of all 3-5 things I can cook without screwing them up, calling 911 or setting off the sprinklers. So... I am choosing to not post a recipe this week.

Instead, I will close out the week with some food thoughts...

• There is nothing closer to sin than dark chocolate and red wine. Don't believe me - try 70% dark chocolate with a glass of red zin... (yeah, you will thank me...)
• Want to calm the soul and make everyone in the house take a deep breath... bake a loaf of bread or throw a roast in a crock pot. Comfort food at it's best...
• Somedays, nothing beats a good pub burger and fries.
• Tuesdays were meant for tacos...
• An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
• Blueberry pancakes, ice cold milk, maple syrup.
• Eat your vegetables...
• Next time you pick up that can of soda, read the label. What the heck is sodium hexametaphosphate anyway?
• Always pay at the pump. Nice times out of ten, if you walk into a convenience store to pay for gas, you or your kids will walk out with foods that are bad for you. Seriously, when was the last time you grabbed a banana. It was either a Milky Way, M&M's, or some other form of processed chocolate.
• Never, ever go grocery shopping when hungry.
• Did I mention dark chocolate and wine?

Let me know your food thoughts....

Oh Food Network, how I love you!

I just made this recipe and both Randy and I loved it. It wasn't too hard and I am going to tweek it to make chicken sandwiches with grilled chicken this summer. It is easy, not too hot, but hot enough.

Sweet and Hot Pepper Chicken, Asian-Style

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2006

from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/sweet-and-hot-pepper-chicken-asian-style-recipe/index.html

Prep Time:

20 min

Inactive Prep Time:

15 min

Cook Time:

10 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 4 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons minced green onion bottoms
• 10 dried red chiles
• 1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 cup sliced yellow onion
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, dark soy and cornstarch. Whisk to blend well, and add the chicken to the sauce. Toss to evenly coat the chicken and set aside for 15 to 20 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the ketchup, stock, chili garlic sauce and sugar. Stir to combine and set aside until ready to use. Place a wok over high heat and add the vegetable oil to the pan. Swirl the wok to be sure to coat well with the oil. Add the ginger, garlic, green onions, dried chilies and jalapenos to the wok. Cook, stirring often until the garlic is fragrant and the chilies begin to brown, about 20 to 30 seconds. Add the chicken, bell peppers and onions to the pan and stir-fry until the chicken is no longer pink, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the sauce to the pan and bring to a boil, being sure to toss well in order to coat all the chicken and vegetables evenly, about 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the sesame seeds, sesame oil and cilantro into the pan and toss to combine. Remove from the heat and serve on a platter with steamed white rice.