Spaghetti a la Jayden

One hot, summer day, my oldest wanted to help make dinner 'for me'. He planned what he wanted to make, shopped for it, and the result was delicious! I am so pleased that he wants to learn to cook and show love through the meals we make for others.

Browning the ground turkey - most of the meals that call for ground beef anymore, we make with ground turkey. But you can use ground beef or pork, or sausage... 

Whatever sounds good to you!

Our neighbor sent some basil over that very morning. And fresh basil makes everything better!

The final product! It was delicious!

Here's our kid-friendly recipe, in case you have kids who would like to cook 'for you'!

Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

1 lb ground turkey
1 jar favorite pasta sauce
Salt & Pepper
1 bunch basil leaves, chopped
12 oz spaghetti noodles, or favorite pasta
parmesan cheese

1. Brown your seasoned ground turkey, add pasta sauce and let simmer for 20-30 minutes. My son added a special ingredient to add more flavor (he peppered the ground turkey a little more than I would have).

2. Prepare your noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

3. Plate your pasta and sauce, however you love! Top with parmesan cheese. Serve!

4. Make sure your child cleans up the dishes, too... It's not a labor of love without the clean-up!!

Peach and Strawberry Soda

I watched this episode the other day and this sounded so good. I made it using just the Strawberries, as I was making it from memory. Oops. Either way, this was really good! A fun treat for my daughter. I plan on making this all summer long for the kids, as I believe it's a great substitute for "real soda". You can cut back on the sugar, and use fresh berries/fruit when available. I did and it was great (and pretty too!)

2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 cup (6 ounces) frozen and thawed peaches (preferably with no sugar added) or 2 fresh peaches, peeled and pitted - Didn't use
1 cup (6 ounces) frozen (preferably with no sugar added) and thawed or fresh strawberries - I used fresh
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
1 teaspoon lemon zest (from1/2 large lemon) - I forgot! didnt use
1 cup sparkling water
Ice

Directions:
In a small saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside to cool for 20 minutes.
In a blender, combine the cooled syrup, peaches, strawberries, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Blend until smooth. Add the sparkling water and pour into an ice-filled pitcher.
Recipe: Giada De Laurentiis

Popcorn 101

ok, i realize that popcorn doesn't sound that hard to make. and it isn't. you buy some microwave-thingys, follow directions on the box, and WAHLAH! you have a tasty snack. but for some reason, it always bothers me HOW much they charge for that microwave stuff. it's ridiculous. and even if you have a coupon, it's just that, well, it's something you have to find, cut out, find again when you're in the grocery store, and actually USE in order to save any money.

So here's a super easy way to make popcorn and to make it CHEAP! cause a bag of whole kernels in the store is around $1.50...

i've been doing this for years... literally - years. before i had kids. way back in the days of working full-time as a preschool teacher. so i had kids - 12 of them, usually.

and i used to get the Martha Stewart Living Magazine - that was before the whole scandal.

somewhere in some magazine, i read how easy it was to put some popcorn kernels in a paper bag, microwave it and you get some popped corn.

So, here's a breakdown of "my" recipe:

1/4 cup whole kernel popcorn

2 paper bags (if you don't have paper lunch bags, i've put it in a microwavable bowl WITH LID loosely on top)

microwave

optional: popcorn toppings

I split the 1/4 cup kernels between the 2 paper bags. I drizzle a bit of olive oil over the kernels and sprinkle some salt on top.

Then, put 1 bag into the microwave at a time - for about 1 minute (i usually put it in for 1 min and 10 sec, to be exact).

It gets all warm and popppy and yummy. add salt or butter or any popcorn toppings you like. try cinnamon and sugar if you want something sweet!

all for pennies.

Pumpkin Waffles

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice, I used one ts. of each)

4 large eggs

2 cups milk

1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

Vegetable oil for brushing waffle iron or cooking spray


Preheat oven to 250°F and preheat waffle iron. Sift together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and spices. Whisk eggs in a large bowl with milk, pumpkin, and butter until smooth. Whisk in dry ingredients just until combined
Brush waffle iron lightly with oil and spoon batter into waffle iron. Drop lid and cook until golden brown. 
Transfer waffles to rack in oven to keep warm and crisp, while making the rest of the waffles.

French Toast Waffles

Okay fine, I stole 2 recipe ideas from Tyler Florence's new Cookbook, Family Meal. This is brilliant to a busy mom! French Toast Waffles.
I'm going to post my french toast recipe:
4 eggs
1/4 c. milk
2 Tbs. melted butter
1 ts. vanilla extract
1/2 ts. cinnamon
Beat all ingredients until well combined.

I used Wheat Sandwich Bread, but you can use any bread! I imagine a day old French bread would be amazing.

Preheat your waffle maker. Spray with Pam, or wipe with oil to prevent sticking.
Dip the bread in the batter and place on your waffle iron. Once each "square" is filled with bread (Mine makes 4), drop the lid as if you are making waffles.
Cook until brown and crispy.

These were great! I love how crispy the bread gets! No more soggy French Toast in this house, yum!
Please excuse this picture, it's from my phone, and snapped in a not so pretty manner as ravenous children were attacking me.

Back-to-School Breakfasts: French Toast Sticks

I had some time this morning, so I broke out the thick cut bread. The plan was to make a big batch and freeze whatever was left. I think I ended up freezing 5. So, the batch wasn't quite big enough for my 3 kiddo's and me.

French Toast Sticks

8 slices of thick cut bread

2 T butter

4 eggs

1/4 cup sugar (or if using sugar substitute, cut in half again)

2/3 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla (I always use a little more. i love that stuff!)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 T orange juice

Preheat oven to 375, place the butter on a baking sheet in the oven to start warming.

Cut the bread into 3rds.

Combine the rest of the ingredients in a mixing bowl (i always end up pouring it into a shallow bowl - easier to dip the bread in) and beat well to combine.

Dip the bread sticks into the egg mixture and place on the warm baking sheet (make sure to swirl the butter around the whole baking sheet).

Bake for about 30 minutes, flipping the sticks over halfway through the cooking process to toast both sides.

TO FREEZE: allow the sticks to cool thoroughly, place in a freezer bag. To reheat, place in a toaster oven or oven at 375 for approximately 8 minutes. They can be microwaved for a couple of minutes, but may be a bit soggy...

Back-to-School Breakfasts: Yogurt & Fresh Fruit

This morning I hit a home-run. My Kindergartner loves yogurt. Today, I simply put a few pieces of fresh fruit on top. Raspberries, Blackberries and banana's. Try some granola on top, too.

For the last 6 months, I've been buying greek yogurt. It has a higher protein value as well as less sugar than regular yogurt. All of which makes you fuller and last longer in your body. Most resources say to get the low-fat or non-fat version, because it can be high in saturated fat. I never paid much attention to the brand I buy, but it turns out mine is full fat. I'm not too worried for my kids, they all need to put on some weight, but you may care. So think about that when your standing in front of the yogurt aisle.

Greek yogurt is also richer and thicker than traditional yogurt. All of which adds to the texture and flavor. The kids find it tastes more like a dessert than a healthy snack or, in this case, breakfast.

Back-to-School Breakfasts: Birds Nest

For this mornings try-out, I made Birds Nests...

With a piece of whole wheat bread, make a cut-out with and shape cookie cutter you have. Try to make sure the cutter fits within the perimeter of the crust, so your nest stays pretty.

I buttered the toast and put it on a pan that was warmingover a medium heat. Then crack your egg and let it cook for a couple of minutes. Then flip it over (i had to use 2 spatula's this morning to make sure it flipped cleanly) and let it cook for a couple of more minutes.

The finished product. A fried egg inside a lightly toasted (and buttered!) piece of toast.

The yolk was still soft, too!

I'm scoring big with my 3 year old, but the Kindergartner is still wanting cold cereal. ~sigh~

Back-to-School Breakfasts: Whole Grain Waffles & Banana's

School is starting back up in a week! The summer has flown (and crawled) by. My 4th grader and I are trying to get back into the routine of things - going to bed early, waking up early(ier), and finding breakfasts that my 5 year old (and Kindergartner!) will eat, besides cold cereal.

This morning I saw a bunch of oh-so-ripe banana's in the fruit bowl and a vision of whole grain waffles with sliced banana's on top flashed before my eyes.

So I popped a few waffles into the toaster, sliced some banana's on top and drizzled with agave syrup (if you haven't tried agave, you HAVE to! i love it in place of sugar or honey, or in this case, maple syrup). Agave has less sugar than syrup, a lighter taste than honey and adds the right amount of sweetness.

It's so easy and so good. Enjoy!

Rainbow Jell-OOOOOOOOOhhhhh!

A friend of mine made this Jell-O for her daughter's 2nd birthday party. I forgot how much I enjoy a bowl of this gelatin delight with a dollop of cool whip... so refreshing, so delicious, so EASY!

You'll Need:

5-6 small packages of Jell-O in different colors/flavors

Cool Whip (or any whipped topping)

What You'll Do:

Make one recipe of Jell-O at at time, follow the directions on the box.

Then pour into any glass dish. Place in the refrigerator until firm.

Repeat the process with the remaining Jell-O packages.

(I recommend making this the day before a party or get-together, that way it has over night to set.)

Before you are ready to serve, top with cool whip (or any whipped topping).

Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal

I loooove pumpkin pie. Looooove it. Looooove it. Looooove it.
When I saw this recipe on goodLife{eats}, I knew it was just for me. Only me.

I made this last week after my introduction to FREEZE IT, and there was none left to freeze... We ate it all!

Here's the recipe:
1 cup old fashioned oats, not quick cook
1 Tbs whole flax seeds, optional
2 1/2 Tbs brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp butter, softened
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (freeze any left overs! or... I saw on another blog to add pumpkin puree to a bowl of apple sauce - makes a yummy snack)

Topping:
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
2 tsp butter, softened
1 Tbs brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 4 individual sized ramekins. Set aside. (I used one 8x8 casserole dish)

Combine the oats through salt in a medium sized bowl. Stir well. In a separate bowl, combine the vanilla, butter, pumpkin, and milk. Whisk thoroughly. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the oats. Stir until combined.

Divide mixture evenly between 4 individual sized ramekins. Place ramekins on a baking sheet (this makes it easier to move in and out of the oven.). Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the topping: chopped pecans, butter, and brown sugar. After the oatmeal has baked for 10 minutes, remove and divide topping mixture evenly between the ramekins. Bake and additional 7 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving. Top with a splash of milk and raisins, if desired.

goodLife{eats} Friday, September 11, 2009

Summer Pasta Bolognese

12 oz fettuccine
2 T evoo
1 lb ground turkey
salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced (i always add more) :)
1.5 pounds beefsteak tomatoes (about 3); chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine (if you don't have wine on hand, chicken stock is a good substitute)
1 small zucchini, coarsely grated (my kids loved grating the zucchini)
3/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn (another job you can have your kids do!)

cook the pasta according to package directions. set aside.
heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey and season with s & p.
add the garlic and cook for another minute. add the tomatoes and wine and simmer, until the sauce has slightly thickened, 4-5 minutes.
remove from heat and fold in the zucchini and basil. serve over pasta. i topped with parmesan cheese, of course!

real simple/august 2008

chicken salad

4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on

2 tbs. olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good mayonnaise

1 tbs. whole grain Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 cup small-diced celery (2 stalks)
1 cup green grapes, cut in 1/2

1/2 cup toasted, sliced almonds

*and a note: If my husband wasn't allergic to onions, I would have thrown in a green onion or two..

It is so easy to make this salad using either regular boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or canned chicken. I'll tell ya though.. the roasted chicken adds a whole world of flavor.. you will never get that from canned or boneless/skinless chicken. It's well worth it, I promise.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the chicken breasts, skin side up, on a sheet pan and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside until cool.
When the chicken is cool, remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin and bones. Cut the chicken into a 3/4-inch dice. Place the chicken in a bowl; add the mayonnaise, Dijon, tarragon leaves, celery, grapes, almonds, 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and toss well.

adapted recipe from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa, Food Network

chick pea dip

I spent Memorial Day weekend in San Diego with one of my favorite people, Aubrey. We love to cook, share recipes.. and go to the beach. We did plenty of both. This is a bikini friendly version of hummus, without the Tahini. As much as I love Tahini.. did you know it has, like 200 calories per tablespoon? Considering I can eat hummus with a spoon.. this is bad for the thighs. This recipe is just plain delicious... Thanks Aubrey!

1 can chick peas (garbanzo beans) drained, rinsed
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 cloves garlic
5-7 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped from stems
course salt and freshly ground pepper
a few drops hot sauce, to taste (I use Frank's Red Hot)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
dipper ideas: pretzels, gourmet chips, red bell pepper, cucumber,
celery, any veggie you like

Combine the chick peas, garlic, lemon zest and juice, thyme, salt and pepper and hot sauce in food processor. Turn processor on and stream in the extra-virgin olive oil. Transfer the dip t0 a dish and surround with veggies and chips.
this recipe was adapted from a Rachael Ray recipe.

15 minute fruit cobbler

It's been in the upper 90's here in California where I live.. whew! Last night I was trying to figure out something yummy to make for a quick desert.. I had some fresh cherries that I had picked up at a church fundraiser, and I had some frozen blueberries. I didnt have a lot of butter, so I was having a hard time finding a crust recipe. I had originally wanted to make some hand pies.. Anyway, after reading a few different recipes I came up with this. And it was really good. Only took me 15 minutes, and was just enough for us. I have a small family and always hate to have a trough of leftovers that don't get eaten. You could easily double this recipe. It was just enough for about 4 servings of 1/2 cup each. I topped it with vanilla ice cream and I my 20 month old daughter rolled her eyes, threw her head back and yelled "NUMMMMMEY!"

1 1/2 c. fruit. I used fresh, pitted and halved cherries, and frozen blueberries. about equal parts each
1/4 c. sugar
2 tbs. flour
dash of cinnamon
Preheat oven 400 degrees. In a saucepan, combine and cook on med-low heat until warm and bubbly and fruit has thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.

3/4 c. Bisquick
2 tbs. sugar
1/2 ts. cinnamon
3 tbs. milk
2 tbs butter, softened.
Combine all ingredients and mix until dough starts to form.
Pour fruit into a casserole dish. I did not grease mine. Top with dollops of dough, covering fruit as much as possible.
Place in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until top is just browning. Serve warm, with ice cream.

pizza crust (from scratch!)

I did it! I did it! i finally made a good pizza crust - without the help of boboli or pilsbury!
i have been experimenting with some different recipes and different food blogs' techniques.
one site especially, smitten kitchen - she gave some great advice on her pizza dough. i think i have told you before, that i am not a baker. but i am realizing i want to be! pizza crust was one of those things that i was bound and determined to get right. i had absolutely no idea what dough should feel like, or not feel like. except that all of the recipes i have tried before turned out small, cause i couldn't get the dough to roll out - and they turned out puffy. so i guess i would tell you, if you have no point of reference as to what a dough should be, if a dough won't roll out - it's not right. if a dough won't stretch when you pull on it, it's not right.
follow her advice and you will get it right, just like i did!!
read below - and this recipe is all hers... my notes are italicized and bold
the picture below is my creation :)

Really Simple Pizza Dough
Makes enough for one small, thin crust pizza. Double it if you like your pizza thick and bready.
1 1/2 cups flour (can replace up to half of this with whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water (may need up to 1 or 2 tablespoons more)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Stir dry ingredients, including yeast, in a large bowl. Add water and olive oil, stirring mixture into as close to a ball as you can. Dump all clumps and floury bits onto a lightly floured surface and knead everything into a homogeneous ball.
(here's the great advice...) If you are finding this step difficult, one of the best tricks I picked up from my bread-making class is to simply pause. Leave the dough in a lightly-floured spot, put the empty bowl upside-down on top of it and come back in 2 to 5 minutes, at which point you will find the dough a lot more lovable.

Knead it for just a minute or two. Lightly oil the bowl (a spritz of cooking spray perfectly does the trick) where you had mixed it — one-bowl recipe! — dump the dough in, turn it over so all sides are coated, cover it in plastic wrap and leave it undisturbed for an hour or two, until it has doubled in size.

Dump it back on the floured counter (yup, I leave mine messy), and gently press the air out of the dough with the palm of your hands. Fold the piece into an approximate ball shape, and let it sit under that plastic wrap for 20 more minutes.

Sprinkle a pizza stone or baking sheet with cornmeal and preheat your oven to its top temperature. (my sister, elisabeth, also recommended cranking your oven to the very hottest setting - and i am now a believer!) Roll out the pizza, (i rolled out my dough on the counter and when i went to pull it off, it stuck to the counter. so i did as she suggested, i covered it back up with the plastic wrap, made my pizza sauce, came back, and it was as soft as ever! i was so happy!) toss on whatever topping and seasonings you like. (I always err on the side of skimpy with toppings so to not weight down the dough too much, or if I have multiple toppings, to keep them very thinly sliced.)

Bake it for about 10 minutes until it’s lightly blistered and impossible to resist.

Homemade Playdough

1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

1 cup water

2 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons cream of tartar

Food Coloring, if desired

Mix flour, salt, oil and cream of tartar in a saucepan. Slowly add water. Cook over medium heat, stirring until dough becomes stiff.

Turn out dough on parchment paper and let cool.

Knead dough with your hands until proper consistency.

Add food coloring, if desired. You can store this in a plastic container with a lid and it will keep "forever".

Chicken in Parmesan Chive Cream Sauce

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup diced red onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup brown rice


Directions:
If you use brown rice, you'll want to start it before you start chopping and mincing... it usually takes 45 minutes to cook.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken breasts, cook for 5-7 minutes on each side (it doesn't have to be completely cooked, you'll add it again to the sauce later. Remove chicken and let rest. Add thyme and bay leaves to the pan and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Slice chicken thin and return to pan. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Add parmesan cheese and simmer for 1 minute or until sauce has thickened. Remove bay leaves and stir in chives. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serving:
place a scoop of rice on a plate, place the chicken on top and pour a spoonful of sauce of over chicken and rice. the sauce adheres to the rice really well, and it's a creamy, delicious, very mild entree. (my kids love it!) i usually serve with green beans or broccoli.

adapted from a Recipe courtesy Robin Miller 2007

Show: Quick Fix Meals with Robin MillerEpisode: Fish and Fowl

HOLIDAY POTATO CASSEROLE

There must be 100's of versions of this casserole, but its always a favorite. Here is mine.

1 package frozen hash browns (you can also use Potatoes O'Brien)
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 can water
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup onions (omit of using Potatoes O'Brien)
1 stick butter (melt and save 1/4 for top)
1-2 cups cornflake crumbs

Preheat oven to 350. Place potatoes in 9x13 greased pan. In a separate bowl, mix together: cheese, soup, water, sour cream, onions and butter. Pour over potatoes. Cover with layer of cornflake crumbs. Pour remaining butter over the top and bake 350 for 1 hour.

EASY CRESCENT TACO BAKE

I had a tube of crescent rolls in the fridge I was trying to figure out what to do with. So I logged on to http://www.pillsbury.com/ and I found this recipe, tried it and thought it was very good. It only took me 20 minutes to cook dinner! Awesome!
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 lb lean ground beef
3/4 cup salsa
2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
Shredded lettuce, as desired
Diced tomato, as desired

Sour cream, as desired
Heat oven to 375°F. Unroll dough; separate into 8 triangles. Place in ungreased 9-inch square pan or 10-inch pie plate (I would grease the edges because mine stuck) press over bottom and up sides to form crust. (Bake crust for 10 minutes)
In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in salsa and taco seasoning mix; simmer 5 minutes. Spoon meat mixture in crust-lined pan; sprinkle with cheese.
Bake 10-15 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown and cheese is melted. Served topped with lettuce and tomato.

I would also add black beans, olives, green chili's..or jalapeno's. The original recipe said to fill the crust unbaked and bake for a total of 20-25 minutes. Mine came out brown at crust, but uncooked at bottom. So next time I will bake it for 10 minutes or so before I fill it.