Lamb Burgers

I thought being a mom to one kid would be the most exhausting thing I would ever do.  Boy was I wrong.  Being the mom to 2 kids under 2...oh boy-this is some other level of exhaustion I didn't even know existed.  In college I pulled lots of all nighters - I thought that was rough...again, I was so wrong! 




We welcomed our second son into this world at the beginning of December.  He is a chunky little fellow who smiles all of the time.  He is already an easier baby then our first, but that combined with our toddler is a lot of work.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining!  I love our kiddos, and I love our life - we are just really tired and can't wait to get to the part where the baby sleeps through the night. 

These days dinner prep looks like this.

Wearing my crying baby in my ergo.

Toddler crying "Up me"...meaning he wants me to hold him too
Toddler asking for every snack food he can think of or demanding I play duplos with him.

Momma trying to stir and cut, clean up, set the table...and not fall over from sleep deprivation.

Papa returns home from work...let there be much rejoicing in the land!!!  : )\

That being said this is an easy dinner to throw together!

My Mom came up with this lamb burger recipe and we love it.  We don't really eat red meat, but we do make these burgers at least once a month.  They are really easy to make and super delicious!  They also make a great appetizer if you form them into little meatballs instead and serve with pita bread and tzatziki sauce,



Lamb Burgers
makes 4 burgers

1 Pound ground lamb
1 egg
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper

Mix all ingredients together with hands until well combined.  Form into 4 patties.  Heat grill or skillet pan.  Lightly oil.  Cook burgers until browned on both sides and no longer bright pink - same way you cook a beef burger....if you like those more rare then do that with these too. 

I usually serve these bunless since we don't do a lot of bread.  We eat them with potatoes or sweet potatoes and a veggie.  Also good with some ketchup or mayo on them.

Ridiculously Easy Black Bean Dip

I was having people over to our home for a meeting and realized 10 minutes before they got there that I had nothing to offer them to snack on.  All I could find was a bag of tortilla chips.  So I decided I needed a dip.  I drained and rinsed 1 can of black beans and heated them on the stove with a glug of olive oil, 1/2 cup of salsa, and a sprinkle of salt.  Once they were hot I put them in my food processor and pureed them smooth.  I didn't even taste it - I just hoped it tasted good.  Holy monkeys batman  it was awesome!  My friend graciously offered to help me finish it off and we quite literally licked the bowl clean.  BEST.BEAN.DIP.EVER.  This would also make a great burrito filling, quesadilla filling, or taco filling.

Black Bean Dip

1 Can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup salsa

1 TBS olive oil

sprinkle of salt to taste
sprinkle of chili flakes if yo want it to be hot

Combine all ingredients in small saucepan and heat until hot.

Remove from heat and puree in food processor or blender until smooth.

Enjoy hot or cold with your favorite mode of dip holding.

I wasn't even going to try to make this look good - I mean making bean dip look good is darn near impossible.  You get the idea though : )

Savory Superbowl Snack Suggestions

Alliteration.  Boom.  Nailed it.

In case you needed some ideas for some savory yummy bites to serve during the super bowl...here is a list of my favorites from old posts.

If you plan on making them please invite me over so I can eat them with you! : )  

Happy Super Bowling People!

Sausage Cheddar Balls are always a request at our house when we throw a party.  

They are easy and delicious...and always the first thing to be eaten up!

This is a weird dip, it doesn't really have a name, but it is tasty!

These Spicy Garlic Potato Wedges are nice and crispy and if you plan on spending calories on carbs these blow potato chips out of the water!

Wow.  If you want to wow your friends make this Mediterranean Salsa.  It is fresh and delicious - serve it with Pita chips or pita bread.

I highly recommend making these Sea Salt Pretzel Bites.  I really want to make some right now!  

Don't all their little grooves covered in butter and slat look so appetizing?  

Roasted Chickpeas

I have seen recipes for this around the blog world for a while now.  Finally decided to give it a try.  It is weird, but oddly good.  I found myself continuing to reach for more - curious about the taste that was happening in my mouth.  I ate them straight up as a snack, but I imagine they would also be pretty tasty on a salad too.

Today is the March for Life in Washington, D.C.  In past years I have attended multiple times.  It is always encouraging to see so many people standing up for life!  Of course the media doesn't tell you that for one day the nation's capitol is swarmed with pro-lifers and you can barely move on the metro...they are silent and don't report anything on the matter.  Hopefully one day the March for Life will be a March of Thanksgiving instead and we will live to see abortion abolished.  Until then, continue to pray for all the souls of the aborted babies and for their parents who feel like abortion is a valid choice for them.

May the souls of the faithfully departed 

through the mercy of God rest in peace.  

Roasted Chickpeas

from the How Sweet it is Food Blog

1 can cooked chickpeas (drain and rinse)

1-2 teaspoons olive oil, or olive oil spray/mist

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place chickpeas on a paper towel and pat completely dry. Remove any loose skins.

Place on a baking sheet and mist with olive oil or oil of choice. Roll around to coat. Sprinkle with seasonings of your choice and toss well to coat. Make sure chickpeas are in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes, toss well and flip, then bake for about 15 minute. Let cool and eat!

My favorite Cheeses!!!!

I figured it was a good time to talk about cheese as today marks the one year anniversary of my Papa leaving this earth.  During the last year of his life my Mom got him addicted to sharp cheeses as an after dinner snack.  So whenever we would visit him he would say, "Dagny doll, can you be an angel and slice me some thick chunks of that good cheese and bring them to me with some of those really crunchy crackers your Momma buys? And be sure they are nice big slices of cheese, not those thin ones."  I can't believe it has been a year already!  We all miss him more than words can say, but I know he is sitting in his lounge chair up in heaven asking a real angel to bring him some cheese!

Now, I don't eat cheese that much because it makes me feel sick - but every once in a while if I have a bad day I whip out a block of cheese and a chick flick and go to town!  Oh how I adore a good cheese!  You can be sure a party will be good when the cheese is divine.  If you are invited to our home for a dinner or a party you can pretty much count on us always have a cheese plate present...lucky you. : )

In my humble opinion a good cheese plate consists of the following things: something sweet, salty, sharp, crunchy, soft, and fruity.  Some cheese, some nuts, some jam (I recommend anything from my Friend's Jam Shop - Jam by Mags) some crackers or bread, and some fruit.  You won't find many smelly, super soft, or pungent cheeses in our fridge.  We like our cheeses clean, simple, and classic.

Now I know cheese cases at the grocery store can be overwhelming and intimidating, but really just dive in and sample everything!  Figure out what you like and start building a cheese repertoire.  Really, nothing makes you sound more sophisticated then if you know a lot about fancy cheeses.  Most grocery stores will let you sample as many of the cheeses as you want - so don't be afraid to ask!

7 Things you might not know about Cheese:

1)  There was a study recently done on whether or not eating cheese before you went to sleep caused nightmares.  Contrary to popular belief cheese does not cause nightmares, but instead helps promote restful sleep.

2)  The three countries that consume the most cheese are...wait for it...Greece, France, and Iceland.

3)  Lactose intolerance is most prominent in Asian cultures, since cheese is not present in most traditional Asian diets. 

4)  Did you know there is such a thing as "Moose cheese"?  Not too sure how I feel about that.

5)  Good cheese tastes the best when consumed at room temperature

 6)  Some ancient Roman houses had a special kitchen, called a careale, just for making cheese...how insanely awesome is that?  My dream home will have a careale...and we will also eat cereal in it so it has two functions.

7)  Cheese dates way back to ancient Egypt.  Turns out when King Tut was walking like an Egyptian it was a signal to bring more cheese

Now that you know a little bit more about cheese, I will let you in on my secret list of favorite cheeses

1. Midnight Moon - this nutty cheese is a rich, creamy, semi-hard goat's milk cheese that is a rare treat to indulge in.  Ranging from $25-$35 / pound it makes for a special occasion treat. (FYI - most of my cheese knowledge comes from my older sister and her husband who have impeccable taste when it comes to good food.)

2.  Piave Stravecchio - this cheese is similar to Parmesan in texture but with a stronger sharpness to it.  This is a semi-affordable cheese, and tastes great on any cheese platter.

3.  Sharp Cheddar - plain cheddar doesn't stand a chance standing next to a sharp cheddar.  So good, you just have to keep eating it!  My favorite kind of cheddar is Cabot's Vermont Sharp Cheddar.  Make a grilled cheese with this baby and some nice crusty bread alongside a hot soup and a glimpse of heaven you will see.

4.  Brie- My Dad is old school and always comes back from the grocery store with brie.  I personally enjoy a good brie, but only when paired with a nice jam or fruit.  My absolute favorite way to eat brie is baked and topped with cranberry sauce...check out this recipe for a super easy appetizer.

5.  Gouda - This is a semi-hard cheese with a light flavor.  A good cheese to snack on in between eating the stronger flavored ones.  This cheese is also featured in one of my family's favorite movies, She's the Man, as a pick up line..."Do you like cheese?" "Why yes I do, my favorites gouda."

Also - If you do prefer the stronger flavored cheeses and your taste buds are a little overwhelmed - be sure to snack on some frozen grapes in between cheeses to cleanse your pallet.

Eat some cheese, pray for the soul of my Papa, and hug or call your grandparents if they are still around!

Eat your heart out!

Dagny

Road Tripping Food and Tips

"Leave sooner, drive slower, live longer."  ~Author Unknown

Is it just me or does travelling on long road trips make you insanely hungry too?  For some reason in my pea sized mind I feel like when you are in the car calories and grams of fat don't exist.  Suddenly it is okay to eat all the trail mix in the world...and French fries, they are expected and approved for road trip diets.

Epic fail.  Maybe that is why every time I arrive at my destination I feel like complete and utter crap.  In the more recent years I really have been trying to pack more healthy nutritious snacks to accompany me on our journeys.

I decided that it was high time I compiled a list of my favorite munchies for road trips just in time for road trip season.

1.  Popcorn

This effortless light snack is perfect for those hands that just want to keep snacking.  Don't skimp on the prep of this, make the real stuff and toss it with some melted butter and kosher salt.  Trust me, so much better for you then a bag of over salted, over processed potato chips.  Making it from scratch is so simple!  You can pour 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels into a brown paper bag, roll the bag shut, and microwave for 3 - 3/12 minutes until popping stops.  Season accordingly!

2.  Apples and Peanut Butter

"Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly."  ~Author Unknown

Slice up your apples, toss them in some lemon juice.  I like to keep mine in the cooler so the apples are crispy.  Also, use crisp apples not mushy ones like Macintosh...my favorite are pink ladies.  Reach for the natural un sugared peanut butter, in a low easy to scoop out container.

3.  Trail Mix

We like two versions of trail mix in our cars.

My Mom's version : Mini pretzels, raisins, and peanut M&Ms.

My Version (stolen from my Friend Shnabs) :  Toasted walnuts and pecans, raisins, dried cranberries, and dark chocolate chips.  (warning:  if you are traveling during these hot summer months there is a good chance the chocolate chips will melt...no worries, just an excuse to eat more...or you can store it in a cooler.)

4.  Hummus and Veggies

I don't know what is wrong with me, but I have a hard time cramming all these necessary veggies down my throat.  Don't get me wrong, I love veggies, but sometimes I feel like I am eating the earth and that no matter how fast I eat I can't get enough of them into my system.  Darn you veggies.  If you cover the veggies in a dip they are so much more appealing.

This time around I made black bean hummus.  So simple and delicious!  Will post this recipe soon!

5.  Rice Chips

These chips are a new favorite with us.  They are crispy, salty, and tasty!  They also come in other flavors like pico da gaio and lime....yum!

6.  Granola Bites:

This is a fun excuse to eat granola in the car without the mess.  I used a basic granola bar recipe and smashed them into greased muffin tins.  Baked them for 10 minutes, then let them cool completely before removing them from the pan.  I will also post this recipe soon!

7.  Cookies!!!

Cookies are always a good idea!  Typically I make something with chocolate, but with the summer temps being so high this time I opted for my applesauce oatmeal raisin cookie.  Yummy, not too crumbly, not to melty, perfectly chewy.

8.  Granola Bars

My personal favorite bars of choice are Kashi Honey Almond Flax chewy bars.  I also like Lara Bars.  If you want to make those from scratch see this post.

Besides snacking these are some Road trip rules I like to follow 

in order to have the best trip ever :

1)  Stop every 2 hours no matter what.  Chances are someone has to go to the bathroom, and if they don't it is a good idea to stop and stretch your legs.

2)  Do jumping jacks.  Whenever you do stop try to run around the car or do some jumping jacks.  After sitting in the car for so many hours you are bound to be restless and getting the blood pumping always helps!  Also, this majorly embarrasses the people you are traveling with, which is an added bonus.  

3)  If your road trip is over 12 hours do travel with at least 3 people in the car.  That way 2 people will be awake at all times while the other one rests.  This rule is especially important in my book if you are traveling through the night.  Be vigilant, and stay awake!

4)  Books on Tape make the trip so much more tolerable!  You have a few options when it comes to finding books on tape....or cd...or ipod. 

 -  Rent them from your local Library

-  Rent them from the Cracker Barrel Restaurants.  They charge you a high price up front, but when you return them you get most of the money back.

-  Download them from ITUNES or audiobooks onto your phone or ipod.

5)  Bring a pillow and a blanket...get rest whenever you can!!!!

6)  Music is key.  Hopefully you can all agree on at least a few common songs, if not this can be a problem...rap music for a long road trip is completely terrible!

7)  Pay attention to your Car's gas levels.  Coming from someone who has run out of gas before, trust me this one is important!

A pedestrian is someone who thought there were a couple of gallons left in the tank.  ~Author Unknown

8)  Don't spend most of the trip watching movies or on talking on your phone!  Pay attention and watch the countryside pass you by.  It is amazing how different the land can look in just a matter of hours!

I hope you all enjoy my little tips for road tripping!  Have a safe and fun road tripping season!

Eat your heart out,

Dagny

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Every time my littlest sister and I go to the movies we witness some random incident.  Usually it involves teenage girls being really obnoxious, and then sometimes it doesn't.  A few weeks ago we were exiting the movie theater via a long stair case.  In front of us was a group of three teenage girls, and directly in front of them were three elderly women.  The three teenage girls were giggling and rushing the old ladies, getting really close to them, and getting really annoyed with the fact that they were walking so slowly.  Then they decided to rush past them and almost knock them down.  Oh how I wanted the old lady to stick her cane out and trip those young girls.  I wanted to call the kids out on their bad behavior, and I also wanted to congratulate the old women on their patience.  Of course I did neither, and we just left with a bad taste in my mouth.

A few weeks later we went to the movies again...and yes, going to the movies is the thing to do here in Houston. This time we were able to witness a complete 360 in how people treat their elders.  An elderly couple arrived late to the movie and entered on the opposite side of where we were sitting.  The theater was packed and they were trying to find a seat, but really there weren't any.  They were standing there trying to figure out what to do when a young couple, probably in their 20's, offered up their seats for them.  It was pretty much awesome, and I smiled as my faith in humanity grew.  Way to go awesome people!

Not too sure why I wanted to share those two stories with you, but I did. : )

Now look at these lovely ingredients that go into this scrumptious salad, and tell me it doesn't look amazing!

Now onto the recipe...Southwest Quinoa Salad.  This is a great summer recipe!  Perfect for all those BBQ's you get invited to, or perfect for eating by yourself because you didn't get invited to any BBQ's. It also makes a great week day lunch.  I made this salad last summer, and have been thinking about it for some time now since the weather has turned into summer all of a sudden.  Since I have resorted to talking about the weather I think that is a good sign that I should stop writing since that is all I can comment on at this point in the day. : ) 

Enjoy your Memorial Day Weekend, be thankful for those who give their lives defending ours, and make this salad to bring to your holiday festivities!

Eat your heart out,

Dagny

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Mix together in medium bowl:

2 cups dry quinoa cooked (this ends up being 4.5-5 cups cooked)*

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn, defrosted, or fresh cooked corn

1/2 cup chopped red pepper

1/8 cup diced red onion

2 cloves diced garlic

1/2 jalapeno diced

1/3 cup fresh cilantro chopped

Mix dressing ingredients below in small bowl and pour over the above ingredients:

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp oregano

juice of one lime

 Mix together and serve room temperature or cold.  Store in fridge.  Should last about a week in the fridge...and yes, a "fridge" is a "refrigerator" for all those people who make fun of us for calling it that.

* If you don't have quinoa you can also use a variety of cooked grains instead : rice, farro, millet, Bulgar, amaranth, etc...

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

With the way I have been cooking you are all probably starting to think I have turned into a Vegetarian.

 Not to worry, not to worry I still eat the way of the meat.  It just so happens to be Lent, and during the season of Lent Catholics do not eat meat on Fridays.  I am Catholic so I eat no meat...and yes, lamb is meat. : ) So I have been making more meatless meals then I usually do.

Do you ever wonder about Vegetarians?  Do you think they have a special bond with animals?  Do you think animals can sense that they don't eat their kind and instantly like them more then carnivores?

These are the things I ponder when cooking vegetarian meals.  Which is by they way not very acceptable in my home.  Usually the men in the house go and get some bacon or ham from the fridge and top my vegetarian meals with it.  "If there ain't not meat in it, I ain't going to eat it.!"

How do you feel about Eggplant?  I think it is the ugly stepsister in the family of vegetables.  I mean come on, what a weird shape it is!  The color however redeems it, along with the outstanding taste and texture it has going on.  I have only recently been convinced that I do in fact like eggplant.  I mourn all those lost years I lived without it.  Don't make the same mistake I did, find and eggplant today and make a renewed commitment to add it to your diet.  You will thank me in the end.

This recipe is lighter then the traditional Eggplant Parmesan where they deep fry the eggplant...which is of course - delicious, but heavy and unhealthy.  This version is equally delectable, and way healthier for your belly.  Make it as your main course, or as a side dish.  Paired with a nice salad it makes a wonderful meal!

Eggplant Parmesan Lightened Up

serves 2-3 people

1 eggplant, peeled and sliced into 1/2"slices

1 egg, beaten

1 cup bread crumbs

1 TBSP grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

Mozerella cheese, shredded or whole - the less you put the heathier it is : )

2 cups Tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Peel, slice, and cut the eggplant, set aside.  In small bowl beat together the egg.  In medium bowl mix together the bread crumbs, parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt, and garlic powder.  Take each eggplant slice and dip it into the eggs covering completely.  Take out of the eggs and let drip for a second, then dip it into the bread crumb mixture.  Coat evenly on both sides.  Place on a greasedcookie sheet.  Continue until all eggplant are coated in bread crumbs.  Bake in oven for 15 minutes until golden on one side and then flip and bake another 10 minutes.  The crispier and the darker the better : )

Once eggplant is cooked remove from oven.  Now assemble the Parmesan!  Place a layer of the eggplant on the bottom of a 8x8 pan.  Cover with sauce and some cheese.  Then repat with another layer of eggplant/sauce/cheese until you run out of eggplant.  Place back in oven and bake 10-15 minutes.

I am soooo very close to buying a camera...I know I have been telling you that for sometime now, but really this time it is true and soon!  Stay tuned for better pictures!!!!  PS.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE FOOT!  YOU ARE AN ADULT NOW...WATCH OUT WORLD HERE SHE IS!

Eat your heart out,

Dagny

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

 "Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education" - Mark Twain

When I was a wee sprout I loathed cauliflower.

We would only really eat cauliflower when Dad was in charge of making dinner. He would steam the cauliflower just to the point of mush and give us all huge helping of it. Yuck.

 

At one point in time my Mom was on weight watchers and she mashed the cauliflower trying to convince us all it was mashed potatoes. We were on to you Mom, and we didn't buy it.

I realize that cauliflower is an acquired taste, and I am proud to say I finally acquired it.

If a boy would show up on my doorstep with a bouquet of cauliflower I would marry him then and there.

As many of you are on board with the Pinterest craze you probably came across a pin for pizza crust made with cauliflower. Weird right? I think I pinned it about a million times before I decided maybe I should just get it over with and test the recipe out for myself.

The result was different. Surprising. Interesting. Intriguing. Quite good when all was said and done. I made these pizzas on Superbowl Sunday, and then fed it to our sweet cleaning lady the next day. Poor thing, she doesn't speak English, so when she bit into the pizza she was really confused and my explaining didn't help. After the initial shock wore off she ended up liking it and finishing it off. We should pay her more just for testing out all my weird cooking experiments : )

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Serves 6; Adapted from Your Lighter Side, and eat drink smile blog

3 cup riced cauliflower (1 head makes about three pizzas)

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

3 eggs, beaten

3 tsp dried oregano

1 1/2 tsp crushed garlic

1 1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

olive oil (optional)

12 TBS of tomato sauce (I used spaghetti sauce)

1 box frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed super dry or your pizza will be soggy

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (If you don't have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese grater). Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. There is no need to add water, as the natural moisture in the cauliflower is enough to cook itself. Alternately you can steam it on the stove top, just don't submerge it in water or it will be too wet.

To Make the Pizza Crust:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray 3 cookie sheets with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together cauliflower, eggs, and mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, pepper flakes, and stir. Divide into 3 equal portions. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 9" round. Optional: Brush olive oil over top of each mixture to help with browning...this is optional but highly recommended...it helps the crust become more crispy.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes until very golden brown. Make sure you make the crust nice and brown this will help it stay together and be crispy.

Remove from oven. Top each crust with 4 TBS sauce...spread around...then 1/3 of the box of defrosted super dry spinach, and 1/2 cup cheese. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately 3-4 minutes).

I also made the crust ahead of time, put the toppings on it and froze it until ready to eat. Then just stuck it in the oven until cheese was melted.

Eat your heart out,

Dagny

Fruit and Nut Crisps

Is this a cracker?  A cookie?  No, it is a crisp!!!

 

I walked into the restroom at work and the sensor lights failed to go on.  If that isn't a boost of confidence I don't know what is.  Leave it to bathroom lights to deny the importance of my existence.  Darn lights.  Little do they know all I have to do is unscrew a light bulb and their existence will suddenly not exist...take that you cowardly lights!

"Cogito ergo sum"  I think therefore I am.  Lights don't think so they aren't.  See, I was paying attention in all of those philosophy classes I took in college. : )

So let's be real here for a second.  This is a safe place and a circle of trust...no judgement.  How is your resolution to get healthy going?  As far as I am concerned I have upped my gym attendance...but the diet is not as great as I would have hopped it would be at this point.  It is hard to detox when you have little siblings home on break requesting beignets and cinnamon rolls for breakfast...you know who you are.  It also doesn't help that I have had a few cake orders the last few weeks...someone has to eat all those scraps.

If you are craving something sweet try reaching for fruit or natural sugars instead.  Honey, maple syrup, molasses.  These little crisps are a great snack or dessert.  They also last for a while, so you can make them last.  Just remember that even though they don't have refined sugars in them you can't eat them all at once.   These little guys are great sandwiched with  nut butter, or cream cheese, or a cup of coffee.  Or they pair wonderfully with a nice cheese plate.  Or they pair well with ice creams...but don't do that because that would ruin your diet.

Yes, I play with my food...how fun is this? : )

These crisps are wicked easy to make, you can do it!

Fruit and Nut Crisps

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup raw sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup raw millet or sesame seeds

1/4 cup ground flax seeds

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped unsweetened dates (or cranberries, or another dried fruit)

1/2 cup pecans (or another nut)

In large bowl stir together flours, baking soda,and salt.  Add buttermilk, sugar, and honey.  Mix just until combined.  Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combined.  Pour into 2 greased loaf pans and spread smooth.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.  Cool and freeze.  Once 1/2 frozen slice into thin slices.  lay flat on sheet pan and bake in 350 degree oven 15 minutes on the first side and 10 minutes on the opposite side. Cool completely.   You can also store the loaves wrapped in plastic wrap in the freezer until you want to bake them the second time.  If you do this allow them to defrost for about 15 minutes on the counter before slicing them.  Once baked the second time store in sealed container room temperature.  Should be good for about 10 days.

 

Resolutions, making healthy choices, street fights, and BLACK BEANS

At Mass this past Sunday the deacon made a good point during his homily.  He said that unlike a wish, a resolution requires a plan and an action.  How easy it is to say you are going to do something...to promise yourself you are going to get healthy this year.  If you truly are going to make resolutions then don't just say them.  Make a plan, and follow that plan with your actions.  Don't just say "I am going to be healthy", say "I am going to exercise 3x a week, incorporate more vegetables into my diet, and limit sweets to weekends alone."  It is so much easier to achieve our goals if we have an action plan to obtaining them...just like it is easier to get where you are going if you have a map.

So this year don't just make your resolutions, PLAN and ACT your resolutions. : )

I must say we already had a rocky start to 2012.  My siblings and I were playing tennis on New Year's day when we saw a group of a about 10 kids (16-18yr old) break into a fight.  At first we thought they were just joking as they threw out a slew of insults and horrible things at each other.  Then we saw one kid holding what looked like a bat in his hand, and then the punches started.  I did what any normal adult would do and started screaming at them to cut it out and stop acting like animals...yes, I know, I am so helpful in crisis situations : )

One of my favorite Christmas gifts this year...a mini colander ornament...LOVE!

My family reacted very quickly and we all changed into our super hero costumes.  My brother Gunnar took off in a dead sprint towards the boys...there was a tennis court and pool in between us and them...I have never seen him run that fast.  I continued screaming like a mad banshee woman shouting out commands to the people standing around...Nick..."GO GET DAD", Mimi..."SAVE THE CHILDREN"...please note that on the other court there was a group of 3 - 14 year old boys...Mimi directed them to safety. : )  Then I also broke into a sprint...which in all honesty was more like an old person learning to use their walker for the first time...very fast in my head, very slow motion in reality.  Then for some reason I released my tiny dog from her leash thinking she would do what...yeah, not sure about that...I realized how dumb that was and started chasing the dog instead.

When my tiny slow legs finally got to the scene my brother had both guys on the ground.  He had the guy on top in a headlock.  He just sat on top of them both not saying anything, just holding them down.  Keep in mind my brother is a solid 5'6 and these guys were much bigger then him.  He just sat there holding them down while everyone was screaming.  This is where I whipped out my super powers and starred the boy in the headlock deep into his eyes and bloody face.  He sat there looking up at me as I yelled,  "DON'T DO THIS...IT IS NOT WORTH IT...YOU ARE BETTER THEN THIS."  I swear I saw the demons jump out of those boys as my exorcism totally worked.

The boys stood up ran to their cars and left with their groupies, and maniac girlfriends.  Before they sped off I yelled very loudly that we saw their faces, had their license plate numbers, and called the cops...really smart to show them all my cards.  I quickly jumped out of the way realizing that there was a good chance they would just hit us with their cars if they wanted or they might have guns.  Smart move Dagny, real smart.  The kids sped off and my Dad showed up on the scene, he jumped into his car with my sister and followed them down a dead end street.

Now there are 4 things that really bothered me about this whole thing.

1.  That is was happening right next to our home.  The crime rate has shot out the roof in our neighborhood, and it ticks me off that the neighborhood association won't do anything about it.  We used to pay for a cop to patrol around the neighborhood, but they got rid of that a few years back.

2.  That these kids looked like decent kids, and that they resorted to violence to solving their issues.  Why has this become so acceptable?  Plus, the language and words they were using, were empty and made no sense...use your words for good ding dongs!

3.  Then the whole time this fight was happening one of the maniac girls was filming on her camera.  No doubt that video was on facebook within minutes of happening...really, really?  How sad is that.

4.  Now the thing that really makes me mad is that we called the cops and they never came.  Not only did we call them once but we called them 3 times and they told us it wasn't an emergency.  Granted that the fight stopped, but my Dad had managed to follow all the kids find out their names and where they lived...plus he got 2 of the kids to get into his car and they spilled all the info on the other people involved.  Maybe to some people it was just a lame fight...but to me it was people being a danger to themselves and to my neighborhood, and to my family.  There was blood, there were pipes in their hands, and come to find out these kids had criminal records.  At least show up and scare the kids.

To end a long story we spent most of the day waiting around for the cops.  It is nice to know our tax dollars are helping pay to make our streets so safe.  It is also comforting to know that if a bigger emergency happened the cops would be so swift to respond.  Thanks, thanks for that.

This has nothing to do with being healthy, it was just an epic story and interesting start to 2012.  So....make healthy choices, don't beat each other up, use your words for good, and make these beans for supper.

the end.

Simple Black Beans

2 cups dried black beans

2 TBS lemon juice

Cover beans with at least 3 inches water over the beans...add lemon juice. Soak overnight or at least 8-12 hours.

Next day: Drain and rinse black beans, and set aside.

Coat the bottom of large heated soup pot with about 1 TBS olive oil. Over medium heat saute the following about 3-4 minutes:

1 large onion (diced)

1 TBS garlic (chopped)

1 whole jalapeno (I used 1/2 of a roasted hatch pepper instead)

Then add the beans back into the pan. Stir with veggies. Cover with the following:

8 cups liquid (I used a 1/2 and 1/2 combination of water and chicken broth)

You can use chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water. Bring to a boil and cook until beans are tender...this ended up being about 45 minutes over a medium heat. Stir the beans every once in a while. If the liquid seems to be evaporated too much add some more. You don't want the beans to stick to the bottom of the pan during the cooking process. Once tender add salt (I used a tsp.) and remove the jalapeno with tongs...or give it to someone who likes hot food as an early Christmas present. Once cooked you can do so many things with them:

1. eat them with rice

2. eat them with a tortilla and some cheese

3. eat them with some chips

4. eat them with some salad

5. make them into refried beans

6. put them in soup

7. mix them with chicken apple sausage and call it a meal

8. dress them up and take them out

Flopsy looking pretty fly in her new winter vest

If you have a big enough pot you can double this recipe. Freeze the extra and take out for a quick weeknight meal.

On the topic of salting beans before or after cooking them:

Experts have been arguing about this fact for centuries now. Pretty sure Helen of Troy had something to do with this issue. I don't claim to be an expert, but I have cooked many a pot of beans and have decided that it is better to salt the beans AFTER they have been cooked. I find that salting them before makes them mushier and they do not hold their shape as well...so basically if you salt your beans before cooking them you will end up with mashed beans whether you like it or not.

"To each their own I say,

cook your beans in your special way,

and that is all I have to say."

Eat your heart out,

Dagny

I taught Rudolph everything he knows : )