Photo-A-Day Challenge: Day #4, #5, #6

Day #4: "Fresh" - cucumbers and tomatoes from Gran and Grandpa's garden for Sunday dinner.

Day #5: "Early" - this may look like a stack of drums covered in shiny things... but really it was a cake that the girls had assembled and decorated. All before 7:30 in the morning... My brain used to be that active upon waking up. I seem to be slowing down...

Day #6: "This means a lot to me" - The actual fence itself, now with the additional boards on the inside, really just means that the chickens will no longer be visiting the neighbor's yard (the yard without the dog and the neighbor who kindly returns them). But this project, along with many others, went something like this: I call my Dad and say "Hey Dad! I need to do ____ ", to which he replies, 100% of the time, "Great! How can I help?". For this project, he came right over, looked at what my plan was and headed to Home Depot for supplies so that I wouldn't have to interrupt the girls' rest time. I love to build and I get so much satisfaction from doing projects. But sometimes the company along the way is just as rewarding. Thanks, Dad!

Foodie Friday: Peas, please

Nothing fancy to share today - more about simplicity and speed. Even staying home, there are plenty of days when lunch hits us after a busy morning and we need food, stat. I think it is important that the girls understand that food doesn't appear instantly - I often ask them to come sit at the table before a meal is ready, much as they would have to do in a restaurant. I enjoy their company and I expect that they are learning patience as well as an appreciation for cooking. 

As you'll notice below, we've also developed an appreciation for peas. I just recently got hooked on frozen peas - their presence is certainly not one of tremendous nutritional value, but they are a fast and easy way to add some green to many meals. Sometimes that's as important as using vitamin-rich kale - keeping them in the habit of seeing and eating green, along with many other colors, makes including all fruits and vegetables a breeze. Abby actually likes eating the peas still frozen and both girls think munching on toasted, uncooked couscous is grand. But let's be honest - when it comes to food, these are are not hard to appease. 

Parmesan and Peas Pasta

• Whole wheat organic penne pasta
• Organic frozen peas
• Boil pasta according to directions; add peas in final few minutes
• Drain all together
• 1/2 can organic evaporated milk
• 1 T butter
• 1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• In empty pasta pot, melt butter over medium
• Add milk and Parmesan; whisk until sauce thickens; add salt/pepper
• Serve pasta with a drizzle of olive oil and some sauce

Couscous with Chicken and Peas

• 1 C Whole wheat couscous
• 1 1/2 C organic, low sodium chicken broth
• Peas
• Leftover grilled chicken (local, hormone/antibiotic free)
• Toast couscous in a dry pan until fragrant and slightly darker in color
• Add chicken broth; bring to a boil and cover; simmer for 15-20 minutes
• Heat peas with hot water; chop chicken
• Serve couscous with peas, chicken, olive oil, salt, pepper

Foodie Friday: Drink green. Eat sweet.

Green(ish) Smoothie

• 1 organic frozen banana
• 4-5 organic frozen strawberries
• Juice from 2 organic oranges
• Local whole milk (maybe 1/2 cup)
• 4-5 big leaves organic kale
• 1 T organic coconut oil; melted and drizzled in while blender is running
• 1 local, organic egg yolk

Japanese Sweet Potato

• 1 organic Japanese sweet potato
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Wash sweet potato
• Prick skin with fork several times
• Bake on foil-lined baking sheet until fork pierces easily into potato - this really depends on size... but maybe averages 30-45 minutes?
• I LOVE these - without anything on them. Baked. Eaten. Yum.

Fun with food

I do not advocate for playing with food, necessarily. But eating should be fun, right? Well, yesterday was a lazy Saturday over here - I made it out for a run before the drizzle/snow started (again) and then we all settled in because our night out with friends and no kids included a KU win, some tasty beverages, and a late night. The girls were also tired, especially because they were found giggling in their bed at Gran and Grandpa's at 4 in the morning. When Gran asked what was going on, they were just sure that it was almost time to get up. It wasn't. 

After naps and between basketball-watching, we found a production of The Cat in the Hat on Netflix - a live performance by the London National Theater. It was 30 minutes long (perfect length, in my opinion) and included real actors instead of animated ones. Anyhow... what is the perfect dinner to fit the theme and is a snap to make? Well, green eggs and bacon, of course! Thanks to Uncle Travis' suggestion, we just tossed eggs and spinach in the blender - beautiful green eggs! I really liked the flavor that the spinach added and the girls cleaned their plates.

• Green Eggs
• 3-4 local organic eggs
• Big handful of organic baby spinach
• Pinch of salt
• Splash of organic local milk
• Blend away and prepare like scrambled eggs!

Continuing the fun-food today, I made the girls a colorful, silly lunch. Again, every morsel was devoured and they were so excited to tell John about what it had looked like. Eating is fun, isn't it?

Foodie Friday: Kale Salad

• 3-4 leaves organic kale; shredded
• Heat 1-2 T olive oil in pan
• Sprinkle red pepper flakes in pan (amount depends on your heat preferences)
• Add kale to pan and toss in red peppered olive oil
• Saute until tender - I covered for a bit to steam slightly
• Toss kale with fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper, grated Parmesan, organic avocado

A little something on the side...

"Variety is the spice of life"... right? And variety is most definitely the key to eating - I love to graze. A perfect meal for me is an entire appetizer spread - delicious bites that I can sample, taste, nibble, and enjoy. As far as feeding little ones, I've always offered a great deal of variety - 4-5 different choices, focusing on quality not quantity. And anytime I can add a side dish to my "go to" choices, more power to me! Here are a couple of my newer faves:

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

• 1-2 organic sweet potatoes
• 2 T organic olive oil
• 1/2 - 1 tsp kosher salt
• Slice sweet potato into fry-shapes (can do with or without the peel)
• Toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt
• Bake at 450° for 20-30 minutes, flipping over halfway
• John and the girls love these with A-1 sauce for dipping

Roasted Brussel Sprouts
adapted from HERE

• Organic brussel sprouts (I probably had about 15-18)
• Organic olive oil
• Organic real maple syrup
• Whole grain dijon mustard
• Bragg organic apple cider vinegar
• Wash and halve brussel sprouts
• Toss with 2 T olive oil and roast at 425° for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through
• Mix 1/4 C olive oil, 1 T maple syrup, 1 T Dijon mustard, 1 T vinegar
• Toss roasted brussel sprouts with sauce and serve
• Yum-O!

Let's face it: the more options there are on the table, the longer everyone stays. The longer everyone stays at the table, the more powerful family dinners become. The more powerful family dinners become, the more we talk, eat, laugh, and love. To say that family dinners are a big part of our life would be a tremendous understatement and, after our 90+ minute dinner at Freestate last night, I think it's safe to say that Abby and Elise have a good understanding, and appreciation, of our mealtime routines.
Lastly, I'll leave you with a few sides from the girls:

• Abby to me, as I was nabbing a bite of her ice cream: "Now Momma, this needs to be your last bite."
• Elise to me, as I was trying to hide the chocolate-covered pecan that was in my mouth:
• Elise: "Momma, what do you smell like?"
• Me: "A pecan."
• Elise: "Hmmm.... that's funny because it smells like a chocolate chip."
• Abby, singing herself to bed one night (as overheard through the baby monitor): "I drink a beer... I drink a beer... Hi-ho the dairy-oh... I drink a beer."
• Elise to Gran, talking about something that happened over the summer: "Gran, that was so long ago I can't remember what I was wearing!".
• Abby to John: "Fix your attitude, Daditude."
• Elise to me, at bedtime: "Thank you for snuggling with me, Momma. I just love you."

Latest food conquered: Asparagus

In a previous post, I shared our broccoli success... and this week asparagus simply reinforced my beliefs about eating habits/preferences in children. When it's in-season, John and I eat a lot of asparagus. Grilled, sauteed, drizzled with balsamic vinegar, tossed into pasta - it makes regular appearances. Abby and Elise have been present for those appearances time and time again and, without pressure, have been required to take at least one bite. Before this week, the bite was had and, when asked if they'd like another, "no thank you" was quickly answered. 

At dinner on Monday night, they both cleaned their plates - I made a simple chicken and asparagus stir-fry and served it over brown rice. Each green piece disappeared and asparagus-filled bellies were excused from the table. 

My belief: "picky eaters" are not born; they are created. Children have taste preferences and favorite foods. But is a child's refusal to eat certain foods a true expression of dislike? Or is it a powerful tool allows them, at their next meal, to avoid encountering that dreaded asparagus again?

Chicken and Asparagus with Brown Rice

• Local, free range chicken breasts
• Organic asparagus
• Organic garlic
• Organic short-grain brown rice
• Balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• Cook brown rice: 1 C. uncooked rice, 2 C water, 1 T organic unsalted butter; boil water/butter; add rice; simmer until done (approx. 30 minutes)
• Slice chicken into 1-2 inch pieces; cook over medium heat until almost done
• Salt and pepper the chicken
• Add asparagus, chopped into 1-inch pieces, and drizzle with olive oil
• Saute for a few minutes; add 2-3 pressed garlic cloves
• Drizzle with balsamic vinegar
• Serve over brown rice

It's too bad that there isn't any love between them...

Just a spoonful of dip-dip...

"Just a spoonful of dip-dip makes the veggies go down,

Veggies go down,

Veggies go down.

Just a spoonful of dip-dip makes the veggies go down,

In the most delightful way!"

I'm really making it a priority right now to have a fresh vegetable at lunch and dinner for the girls everyday. It's easy to overlook veggies, especially at lunch. And it's just as easy to include them! We are eating a lot of raw pepper slices (red, yellow, green, orange), cucumber, green beans, sugar snap peas... and a little something to dip into can make a world of difference. Please excuse the dip pic - it's much prettier in person!

Avocado Yogurt Dip

• 1 whole organic avocado
• 1 C organic plain Greek yogurt
• Juice of 1 organic lemon
• Fresh herbs - homegrown cilantro and basil
• Pinch of salt
• Blenderize and enjoy!

Sweet Potato, Swiss Chard, and Sorghum

A home-cooked meal, from start to finish, it such a wonderful thing. For those who enjoy these meals on a daily basis, it's easy to take them for granted. And that's part of what I love about blogging like this - after baking or cooking, I get to stop and look at what we've made, take pictures of it, and then relish in the beauty and taste. 

Last week, we had one of "those" dinners, the kind of dinner that I stopped to admire because of the health factor, the homemade factor, and the yum-o factor: Chicken, Black Bean, and Sweet Potato soup with Swiss Chard and fresh Whole Wheat Bread. Now it's time to share!

Whole Wheat Bread
adapted from Zesty Cook Easy Whole Wheat Bread

• 2 tsp local honey
• 2 2/3 C warm water
• 4 tsp active dry yeast
• 3 T organic sorghum
• 5 C organic whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 C wheat germ
• 1 T oats
• Stir honey into 2/3 C warm water
• Sprinkle yeast over mixture and let rest for 10 minutes
• Combine sorghum with 2/3 C warm water; combine with yeast mixture
• Stir into flour; add salt, wheat germ, and 1 1/3 C warm water
• This is a very sticky, gooey dough
• Pour into non-stick pan, smooth top with wet fingers or spatula, and sprinkle with oats
• Cover with towel and let sit until rises to top of pan (less than 1 hour)
• Bake at 400° for 30-40 minutes

Chicken, Black Bean, and Sweet Potato Soup

adapted from our very own Gran's recipe box

• 2 local organic chicken breasts
• 1 box organic low sodium chicken broth (with extra water, if needed)
• 2 small-medium organic sweet potatoes
• 1 small organic onion
• 1/2 organic pepper (red or green)
• 1 can green chilies (I had whole chilies and chopped them myself)
• 1 can organic black beans, rinsed
• Mild salsa
• Organic sour cream and fresh cilantro for garnish
• Saute onion, pepper in organic olive oil
• Add chicken breasts and chicken broth; simmer until chicken is done
• Remove chicken and shred or chop; return to pot
• Add diced sweet potatoes; simmer until cooked
• Add green chilies, salsa, black beans - extra salsa, salt, and pepper are good flavor boosters
• Serve with a dollop of sour cream and cilantro

Swiss Chard

• 1 big bunch organic swiss chard (ours was homegrown from Gran and Grandpa's garden!)
• Olive oil
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt
• Organic lemon
• Heat approx 2 T olive oil over medium
• Add red pepper flakes (more or less depending on desired spice-quotient)
• Add roughly chopped swiss chard and cover
• Cook until swiss chard is wilted and tender
• Squeeze lemon over before serving

I loved everything about this meal. I've made the soup many times and the girls eat every drop. This was my second attempt with the bread recipe - I used sorghum this time (the original recipe calls for molasses) and I increased the salt. We thought it was much tastier and, as far as a no-knead whole wheat bread goes, it's great. And the swiss chard? Loved it. Thank you for enjoying this little walk down meal-memory lane with me - I'm so thankful for this kind of dinner. 

Pickle Face and Pizza

"We're gonna make it after all..." (cue Mary Tyler Moore theme song here). I think John woke up singing this song a couple of mornings ago and it has managed to stick in my head since. Need proof that we are indeed going to make it? Here you go:

Elise's "Pickle Face" was necessary in order to assist Daddy in the making of a bloody mary!

Need more proof? Well take this:

Does that look like the face of a child who is feeling better? I THINK SO!

What's that you say? Still not totally, 100% convinced? Well... the Lawrence kitchen is officially up and running again! Yes, friends, I fixed dinner last night! For someone who loves to cook/bake, this shouldn't seem like such a feat, but I haven't fixed a meal in DAYS, maybe even WEEKS!! It's just rather tricky to wash, chop, prepare, saute when there is a very sad face looking at you, pleading with you "Momma, please hold me". 

We had a simple meal of homemade pizza with a side of fresh organic green beans. The pizza dough can be found here. And the remaining ingredients included:

• 1/2 can Muir Glen organic pizza sauce
• 1/2 organic zucchini (quartered then thinly sliced)
• 1/4 organic red onion (diced)
• shredded cheese
• fresh organic green beans - boiled then drizzled with balsamic vinegar

And for dessert? Homemade organic vanilla ice cream topped with organic strawberries and blueberries. Sorry, no picture. By the time I had the camera turned on, all that remained were a couple of grinning toddlers with ice cream mustaches. :)

Kale - from smoothie to soup

The kale-a-thon continues! As you may have seen, it reigned supreme in smoothies, and last week the mighty, mighty kale came through in soup! I've often heard the word "rustic" used in reference to various foods and I think that word would be appropriate for the kale and potato soup I made - it was basic, it was simple, and it was really tasty!

Kale, potato, and carrot soup

• 1/2 organic onion, diced
• 3-4 organic carrots, chopped
• 4 cloves organic garlic, pressed
• 3-4 organic potatoes
• 2-3 C. organic kale, chopped
• 4 C. homemade turkey stock 
• kosher salt, pepper, dried thyme and basil
• handful organic barley (uncooked)
• Saute onion and carrots in olive oil, seasoned with thyme and basil, until onions become transparent
• Add potatoes and saute for a few minutes
• Add garlic and cook until fragrant
• Pour in stock (I had it warming on the stove so it would keep the temp up)
• Add kale and cover for a few minutes, just until kale starts wilting
• Stir in kale and add barley
• Simmer all together until barley is done, about 35-40 minutes
• Season with salt and pepper, serve with a dollop of plain organic Greek yogurt

Sweet and Sour Chicken

While I did my fair share of baking over the holidays, I pretty much got a free-pass on fixing meals (thanks, Mom!). So, now that we're back to the ebb and flow of a normal schedule, it's time to feed the fam. We rarely eat out and, when we do, it's often either Freestate Brewery or sushi. That being said, some of the less-often prepared tastes, like Chinese cuisine, are still fairly new to the girls. I'd like to change that, so this little dish was a good start:

Sweet and Sour Chicken

• 2 local, free range chicken breasts
• Fresh organic broccoli (approx 2 C. chopped)
• 2 organic carrots, sliced into thin strips
• 1/2 organic yellow onion
• pineapple (canned or fresh, cut into small chunks)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• fresh ginger, minced
• For the sauce, whisk together:
• 1/4 C. low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 C. rice vinegar
• 1/8 C. organic cane sugar
• 1 T. local honey
• 1 T. organic hoisin sauce
• 1 T. cornstarch
• splash of pineapple juice, from canned pineapple if used
• extra soy sauce and vinegar if dish needs a big more sauciness
• Cut chicken in 1-inch chunks; saute chicken and veggies in olive oil over medium to medium-high heat until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender
• Add garlic and ginger; saute until fragrant
• Stir in sauce and add pineapple
• Simmer all together until ready to eat
• Serve over organic short grain brown rice

This was super easy to put together, it is a great way to use any veggies you have, and I made it a bit in advance so the girls and I could go out walking before John got home. If only we'd had enough leftover for dinner again tonight!

We love our hats and mittens, Auntie Sara!

"Beans and rice!"

I asked the girls yesterday afternoon what they wanted for dinner. "Beans and rice!". How could I say no to that? Healthy. Easy. Delicious. Yes, let's have beans and rice!

Beans and Rice

• 1 C. organic short grain brown rice (uncooked)
• 2 C. organic low sodium chicken broth + 1/2 C. water
• 1 can red kidney beans (drained)
• 1 can Muir Glen organic diced tomatoes without added salt
• 2 organic carrots; shredded
• 2 stalks organic celery; chopped
• 1/2 organic onion; chopped
• 1 organic zucchini; chopped
• 1/2 organic red pepper; chopped
• 1 big clove organic garlic; minced
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Apple cider vinegar
• Ketchup
• Cook rice in chicken broth/water combo for 40 minutes
• Saute onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, pepper in olive oil
• Add garlic until fragrant
• Add tomatoes and beans
• Season with: salt, pepper, spices, vinegar, squirt of ketchup
• Serve over rice, topped with sour cream and fresh avocado

They say you're supposed to eat the rainbow.... so pretty! 

Nothing beats fresh avocado and the Organic Valley sour cream is great!

You put the chicken in the coconut...

Grocery shopping without a list, without the girls, and in an unfamiliar store naturally leads to impromptu buys. I wander. I get distracted. I buy random things. This week, it was coconut milk. So last night, it was coconut chicken.

• Local free-range chicken breasts cut into chunks
• Coconut milk
• Bread crumbs
• 1 Egg
• Unsweetened shredded coconut
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• Pierce raw chicken breast with fork; marinate in coconut milk in fridge (1-2 hours)
• Dredge chicken in egg, followed by bread crumb/shredded coconut/salt/pepper mixture
• Pour a bit of coconut milk into bottom of greased pan (I used an organic olive oil cooking spray)
• Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes
• Once chicken is done, turn on the broiler for a few minutes to give the coconut crust a nice browned color and taste

We ate this with a simple veggie pasta, made with steamed broccoli, sauteed carrots and onions, wilted spinach, and a sauce of white wine, milk, mozzarella cheese, salt, and pepper, topped with a few fresh cherry tomatoes.

Dessert is ALWAYS a killer reinforcer for eating a good dinner; the girls chowed on the chicken! Abby isn't typically a fan of pasta (I can relate), but she ate up this tasty whole wheat mini-bowtie pasta - will buy again. Oh, back to dessert... homemade raspberry frozen yogurt. Yes, the counter-top is now jam-packed because the juicer was added to the mix, right beside the ice cream maker, which has earned its spot atop the counter!