Wrapping up the long weekend.

What a positively lovely weekend it was!

Last night, I did make up the breakfast cookies and banana bread, as planned. Unfortunately, it was an evening of "oooops" mistakes and "darn" I don't have any of that ingredient.

Breakfast cookies: These turned out pretty well. I managed NOT to mess it up, but I didn't have the cheerios nor the rolled oats. I instead used rice crispies and quick-cooking oats. I figured this was better anyway, as the quick cooking oats are always in the oatmeal cookie recipes I find. I also topped each cookie with a simple frosting/glaze (just water and powdered sugar). I have found that my picky three year old will eat nearly anything with frosting on it. I gave her a bite last night, she told me it was good, yet tried to tell me she didn't like it this morning. I told her it was what we were having for breakfast this week, so "tough cookies..." No pun intended, of course!

Low fat banana bread: This was a HUGE oops. I added TWICE the buttermilk called for. I caught it just as I was ready to spread into the loaf pans - and added the last little bit of white flour that I had (1/4 cup) to remedy it. I then poured it into pans and hoped for the best. It WORKED! In fact, it is so good, I am hesitant to make it as written in the future. Let me add that I didn't have buttermilk, so I looked up alternatives online and found that you can "make" buttermilk by adding 1 tsp of vinegar to a scant 1 cup of milk. I put in 1 1/3 teaspoon and filled with milk up until the 1 1/3 line. The vinegar actually mixed with the baking powder in the dry ingredients to make a wonderfully spongy banana bread; an effect that I'm not sure could be mimicked with regular buttermilk. I ended up using 2% milk, but had I used the fat free, the only fat would been the small amount in the oil and the natural fat in the bananas.

Chickpeas: They are done and in my fridge. Just as I said, I boiled them with a tablespoon of thyme leaves, 1 tablespoon of rubbed sage, 2 tablespoons EVOO, and salt to taste. Now they will be ready for salads and rice for the week.

Pizza: We grilled it tonight, as scheduled. What was NOT scheduled? Running out of white flour. So, I made a "Colorado style" pizza instead, just changing the white flour out for wheat. I found that I needed slightly less flour, but it cooked up just the same. As any Coloradoan would dictate, we dipped the crusts in honey once the cheese and tomato sauce had been eaten off each piece. The kids LOVED it! I think my husband found himself right at home, too.

On top of the cooking and eating going down, my husband and I are working on some green changes as well. Amazon.com is having a Memorial Day Sale, and Pyrex dishes are part of it. If you have considered giving up on some of your plastic pieces, now would be a good time to toss some Tupperware and go with glass. Pyrex is made in the USA, and it's not plastic.

Meal and cooking plan for the week of 5/22-5/30

This week, I was tasked with the job of feeding our family, with minimal sales and ingredients, so we can make budget. We've got $40 left (after this week's shopping). That should be plenty, even with a mid-week run for milk.

Sale items: shredded cheese (we go through TONS of this stuff), mushrooms, corn, blueberries, and not much else. Pretty disappointing sale day. So much for the "BOGO" sale my store was advertising. The best BOGO product was probably the Goldfish. And, if you have toddlers, you understand that Goldfish are probably the perfect food.

Already have: All the "standards" (flour, sugar..), lots of cheese, and salad fixin's (good for lunches on the long weekend).

Thursday (5/22): We ended up having the tomato soup that I (oops) left out the last serving of. Darn. It would have made a nice lunch. We had some store-bought bakery bread too.

Friday: Out to dinner.

Saturday: philly cheese 'shrooms. Caramelize onion (a little bit of vegan organic smart butter melted, cook onions until soft and turning a beautiful caramel color. Medium heat works best). Remove from heat and replace with large portobello mushrooms with stems removed, tops facing up. Toss in a couple of tablespoons of water to steam, and cover. Allow a few minutes, then flip mushrooms, replace the onion inside the caps, and top with cheese of choice/available. Season with salt and pepper. Replace lid and let cheese melt. Dab sandwich rolls with mayo, and place mushrooms on mayo. Squish around a bit to even out the mayo.

Sunday: Shrooms in "gravy" with cous cous.


Monday: Grilled Pizza, with plain 'ole shredded mozzarella.


Tuesday: Rice and chickpeas. I will cook the chickpeas up tomorrow following the instructions, and adding some EVOO, thyme, salt, and garlic.


Wednesday: BBQ beans and rice, inspired from this. I say "inspired" because once you make this recipe, you find that you don't need it any more and can just "kitchen sink" it. In other words, as long as I have the beans and BBQ sauce...I can make do with whatever I find in the fridge and pantry.


Thursday: Spaghetti, with the sauce probably thinned out with carrot puree. Added vitamin boost.


Friday: A big fat "?". I've got plenty of stuff in the freezer and pantry, so we won't starve. Friday is my "cleaning" night - I won't want to get too fancy anyway. My accountant (you know, the guy I am married to) said that shopping on Saturday would effectively push us into next month's budget, so that means I need to come up with something on Friday. Whatever, this will be the first month in ages we won't have gone over budget (a collective HOORAY!) I'm doing what I need to make it!

Also this weekend:

Pumpkin pancakes - tried and tossed. My griddle is dead. I thought I could make them in a pan, and the sides wouldn't cook up right. A new one should be here from Amazon within 7-10 days.

blueberry muffins - made and freezing. Adapted from the Deceptively Delicious cookbook.

Sweet potato puree - unmade, for DD recipes. Need to steam, blend, and freeze the potatoes.

chickpeas - tomorrow.

banana bread - I just discovered that I have failing bananas, need to look up a low fat recipe.

breakfast cookie of some sort - I have nothing to feed the kids for breakfast, with the failed pancakes.

I know I've been MIA lately - but given it's the end of the school year...it happens! I promise during the summer I will be posting (nearly) daily, save a vacation planned in July! Just two more weeks of school!

Kitchen sink pasta

So, if you got some Broccoli (or asparagus, or Brussels sprouts, or maybe even some red peppers and olives)....some pasta...lemon juice...white wine...and spices.....did you know you can make a fabulous meal?

First, boil up a pound of noodles according to the instructions. Drain and set aside.

In a large fry pan (or I prefer a dutch oven), throw down some EVOO (a tablespoon or so), some onions, and a clove of garlic (minced). Get it good and melded, with the onions and garlic starting to soften. Next, add some broccoli, juice of two lemons, and a 1/4 of dry white wine. Season with a few dashes of salt and pepper. Cook broccoli for a few minutes until crisp-tender. The lemon juice and wine seasons the broccoli beautifully as it steams.

Toss in the pasta, and a cup or so of parm cheese. You can add some water if you need a little moisture to mix the flavors around. I also added a 1/2 cup of pine nuts. Excellent dinner, made tons for lunch leftovers, and tasted great cold and hot. The beautiful thing about this is that you can completely change the ingredients depending on what you have. Tomatoes, green olives, capers, feta, hunks of meat, bacon, or zucchini. I am sure this list is not exhaustive. As a help, consider stocking up on pasta when it goes to buy one get one status. I've got TONS of ziti, spaghetti, rotini, and elbows on hand for when I need them!

The world's most perfect breakfast food, made more perfect.

On Monday, I posted about the world's most perfect breakfast food. Well, as I typed, I went ahead and froze probably a batch and a half in individual servings. When I brought home strawberries and bananas, the husband eyed me. No, he wasn't propositioning me - he was hoping that I would make my new specialty.

Inspired, in part, by a great restaurant we frequent for breakfast...and, in part, by a creation my father turned me on to long before I knew my husband....I let my creativity take hold and made a to-die-for breakfast.

Take two -three pancakes, pile lots of fresh fruit (whatever you like). Right now strawberries and bananas are available and what we like, but you can choose whatever turns your taste buds. Mangoes, pineapple, and peaches all make me salivate. Then stack whipped cream (high cal) or low fat/fat free vanilla yogurt (low cal), some shredded coconut, and dust some powdered sugar. Notice I totally left off butter - who NEEDS it with all the flavors this has going? We also like the crunch of the nuts - you can add whatever you prefer. I did pine nuts this morning because they're a little lighter than macadamia nuts (which is what I used last weekend). If in Oregon, I would use hazelnuts (oh, how I MISS hazelnuts). Walnuts would be good to - almonds don't really do anything for me, and peanuts wouldn't work. Candied pecans are a good southern option.

Anyhow, this LOOKS fantastic, and like you've been slaving for hours. But really, aside from the slicing fruit and nuking the frozen pancakes, this was nothing. We were eating in 10 minutes.

Meal Plan: 5/15-5/22

On sale: tomatoes, shredded cheese

In fridge: fresh mozzarella

Left from last week: Hungarian Lesco, broccoli pasta

Thursday - Caprese salad (tomato, mozzarella, and basil) with bakery bread and EVOO.
Friday - Broccoli pasta.
Saturday- Hungarian Lesco
Sunday - Friends over, Mexican food (make your own burritos/fajitas)
Monday - Salad Asian or Mexican, got the fixin's for both.
Tuesday -Tomato soup and bread.
Wednesday -Ziti (eat some/freeze some)
Thursday - Freezer or grocery store or maybe salad (leftovers?)

The world's most perfect breakfast food

The pancake.

A year and a half ago, not this past fall but the prior one, I was in search of a yummy holiday breakfast. Something that pushed the taste buds and made you feel warm all over. I stumbled across this recipe and fell in love. They are so moist, delectable, and my husband adores them. Notable, as he's not a true "pancake person." He'll eat them, but he doesn't LOVE them. These pancakes he LOVES. Even better? The kids devour them too. I think what really makes these is the vinegar, which does react with the baking powder, making them bubbly, light, and airy.

Well, as time wore on, I began to experiment with this perfect food, finding my own combinations.

Banana: Replace pumpkin with mashed banana, remove all spices except for Cinnamon and add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Applesauce: Replace pumpkin with chunky, thick applesauce (the less water the better). Keep the spices the same.

Blueberry (my personal favorite): Replace pumpkin with sweet potato. Remove allspice, add 1 tsp vanilla. Add 1-1.5 cups of blueberries (2 small containers of blueberries).

The tricks to making perfect pancakes:

(1) Don't over mix the wet and the dry. Blend together well, and then stop.

(2) Don't get overly zealous and make them too large. I use a 1/4 cup to keep myself in check.

(3) Use a griddle. They work SO much better than a fry pan. Perfect pancakes, every time.

(4) Use LOTS of butter. I use less when I'm making it for the family, and more when I want to impress guests. Good butter makes a very thin ring of golden goodness on the pancakes. If you like Cracker-Barrel pancakes - this will get you the same effect. I probably toss a heaping tablespoon onto the griddle each time I pour.

Final tip: I always make a double batch, and freeze everything that we don't eat for breakfast. I freeze them in 3-pancake portions (it's the perfect amount for each of us, and for the kids to share). Then I just take them out and nuke them when I need them. Better than Eggo!

Happy Mother's Day

In my home, today is a day of rest. When God said that Sunday was the sabbath, and we were to break, that must have been directed at the men and children. My typical Sunday involves a frenzied several hours of preparation/cooking/sorting laundry, all that leads up to nearly two hours at our church. We arrive home at approximately 12:30PM, which means lunch, a little TV, and bed time for the kiddos. The husband and I take several hours to get things accomplished, those which are more difficult with our two year old underfoot. My non-napping three year old usually has "quiet time" with a video and her blanket. I bake cookies, start dinner, make foods for lunches, and of course - do laundry. I also prepare the kids' materials for the week, make sure the house is clean...blah...blah...blah...

This all boils down to the fact that my only time for me might come on Saturday. Sunday really doesn't have a chance. So, when contemplating Mother's Day - I only wanted one thing: A break. I have a loving husband who is willing to let me have it, but the reality is that I am still Mommy. I still orchestrated getting out of the house for the early church service a full hour before we are normally out the door. I still managed the kids, what they needed, not coloring the pews, etc. We got pictures of our daughter's Sunday school performance, then home to make fresh blueberry pancakes. I meant to make them last night, but just ran out of hours. When they were done, and my husband and I grabbed our breakfast (at 12, 4.5 hours after we woke up), I finally sat down to enjoy my coffee and news paper. The rest of the day should be easy enough. Yesterday, I managed to finish my share of the laundry (all the washing and drying, only the kids' folding). I deep cleaned our dining and living rooms, cleaned up part of the kitchen, and wiped down the bathrooms. All I have left today is making the kid's lunches, a task I'm hoping will be easy after grabbing Mother's Day dinner from a local gourmet pizzeria.

In doing all my "duties" and still managing my household even on my "day of rest," one thing is painfully clear: I can't shed the title of "mommy" for a second.

Before I became a Mom, I had no real understanding of what that meant. You cannot comprehend how all-consuming motherhood is without experiencing it. Mom is your title, whether those kids are with you or not. At the grocery store I think about what foods are best for them and what they would like to eat. At the mall yesterday, I spent the entire time finding some shirt perfect for my daughter, or shoes for my son. I can't look through a magazine or walk through Target without seeing some toy that my kids would be crazy for, or a movie I would love to grab them. While I'm at work, I think about how I want my kids to be proud of me, and how important it is to me that my daughter sees that women can take care of themselves. When I drive, I try to be extra cautious, so I don't rob my children of their mother. Everything I do - goes back to them. Yes, motherhood changes a person. We've all heard that. However, the reality of that statement is much greater than one can comprehend.

I know this will continue on for years to come. I will trade my late at night "checks" for waiting up until curfew. I will trade my curfew nights for drives home from their college. I will trade college for weekly phone calls. I will trade my children for adults. I won't worry about SIDS, but I will worry about STD's. My greatest concern won't be a bully on the playground, but an attacker on my childrens' way back to the dorm. I won't have to stress over my daughter finding out her crush has his own crush on another young lady - but I will have to worry about her losing the love of her life.

This reality of motherhood only makes me appreciate my own mother more. Those hours that she spent tending to and caring for us. How she made us healthy food and kept our environment natural. How she always taught us to fight for what was right, and made sure to model just that. How she taught me right from wrong, good from bad, polite from impolite, moral from immoral, Godly from unGodly. I learned that women could do anything, should do everything, and never depend on a man to take care of her family. Education was a necessity, and it was never too late to accomplish something new. I learned that a woman had high expectations on her - but those high expectations were a blessing. A blessing because, when done right, the rewards are about as consuming as the responsibility.

So on this day, as you shuffle around your kitchen, mutter under your breath, and wonder why you can't have just ONE DAY, look at your kids. You are creating adults. Adults that will (likely) become parents, and celebrate their own Mother's (or Father's) day. Adults that will mutter, and stress, and feel overwhelmed, until a light bulb goes off. Suddenly they will realize exactly how hard you worked to raise them, and although the role has changed, how much they still need you. Parenting does not deliver constant rewards for output, nor are they equitable in frequency or duration. Regardless, the rewards are worth every second.

I love you, Mom!

Hollee, Meal Planner Extrordinnare!

Well, it's been a crazy little bit round here. I'm trying to get all my "chores" done today so I can relax tomorrow and enjoy mother's day. My husband brought me home a beautiful bouquet of flowers, so I want to make sure everything around it looks just as beautiful. Anyhow, some stuff went on last night that delayed my grocery run to this morning, which delayed the outlet mall run for a couple of hours. Got it all in, starting the laundry, and I will do my weekly "zone" of cleaning. I've "invented" a new process of cleaning my house that (I hope) will serve well. If everything goes as I see it, you can expect a post within the next couple of months about my process.

In the mean time - today's post is about meal planning and grocery shopping. I said I would do it, so now I am. I know, I know - I need to get more food (and pictures) up. I will, I promise. In the mean time, I want to share a few day-to-day tips as well.

Every week, on Thursday, my local grocer (Publix) releases their ads. Now, those in Florida will likely argue that Publix is the most expensive grocer. While it does cost more than say, Walmart...it is not unbearably expensive. And, if you shop the sales it is quite affordable. I am very brand specific in a lot of areas, so for me - I know when the sales go. When the sales go, I stock up.

On Thursday evening or Friday afternoon, I start my list. It begins with a list of sale items from the circular that I find online. This week they had lots of berries and citrus on sale. They also had tomatoes, broccoli, Kraft shredded cheese (some now made with milk from hormone-free beef!), and organic romaine lettuce. I also make notes about the items I purchase that don't go into meals, like this week that includes Mott's Apple Juice (BOGO), Post cereal (BOGO), and Nature's Own Organic bread (again, BOGO - and no high fructose corn syrup).

With my "ingredient" list, I head to AllRecipes.com where I begin to search recipes. It wasn't a great week for sales, so I couldn't really get too creative with my weekly menu. In fact, I don't think I'm trying anything new this week:

Friday: I was planning on making Nachos, but didn't make it out to the store. I just made Guacamole instead.

Saturday: Caprese salad (tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, EVOO, and balsamic vinegar), corn (from last week), and some bread in the bread maker.

Sunday: OUT for mother's day!

Monday: Fried rice

Tuesday: Fresh Salad

Wednesday: Hungarian Lesco

Thursday: Broccoli & pasta in a light lemon and garlic sauce with pine nuts and goat cheese crumbled in.

You can see that I really attempted to utilize whatever vegetable and fruit was on sale that week. I have friends that do monthly meal planning, and that doesn't go for me as we use lots of fruits and vegetables in our meals. Come a week later, some of the less hearty veggies and fruits are done for. Its' about all we can do to get through a week!

When I've figured out my menu, I take that and my list of sale items, and put it all into one list. I try to keep the items in categories in the order I go to the store. I keep my list in a very small (4 by 6) notebook, with a pocket in the front cover for coupons.

Anyhow, since i do the meal planning anyway - I will be putting that up on my blog. I'm finding that many have an interest in this, and maybe one of my meals might help peeps in the same area.

Now, off to clean.

Mama said there'd be days like this.

There are two main ways for the frugal cook to save a buck. These are the stockpile and meal planning methods. Of course, there is a third option of starvation - but this is a FOOD blog so let's not go there, okay?

The stockpile method involves buying hefty amounts of on sale ingredients all at once, so as to have a sort of "grocery store" right in your own home. Meal planning involves making a menu for a specified amount of time, and then shop only according to those needs. I happen to do a mixture of both these - and I will walk y'all through the entire process later this week.

However, even with my meal planning extraordinaire skills, it will happen that I run out of meals for the week. In the present case, it's because I (a) failed to plan that the tomatoes purchased Thursday might not make it to Tuesday (I will only eat very fresh tomatoes) and (b) forgot to get cabbage for the Moroccan Stew. SO, that left me with a hungry husband and no dinner.

Oh dear.

This is when having a firm grasp in the culinary saves the day.

I had some cilantro lime rice, green peppers, and corn on the cob that needed consuming before they went bad. I had some onions, pita pockets, mayo, and cheese that didn't need consumption - but were available for my use. So, I whipped up some quick fajita veggies with some lime juice, cumin, onions, peppers, and salt. I boiled up the corn, and nuked some cheese inside the pitas. Then I stuffed each pita with a teaspoon of mayo, rice, and topped with vegetables. Corn was on the side.

It was wonderful!

The mathematician in me takes great pleasure in creating something out of nothing. It's like a giant puzzle that only I can find the answer to.

What puzzle lives in YOUR pantry?

Just to wet your whistle...

I am doing an online class for students with limited English language proficiency, which means I spent an extra hour online tonight. I've pretty much been on this computer since 6, and the ball and chain asked that we go to bed early tonight...eek!

So, let me just say a couple of things:

(1) The cookies that I made last night are 1000 times better TODAY than YESTERDAY. I had to make my husband take them all out of sight. On the plus side, I am envisioning the chocolate chips and walnuts gone...replaced with white chocolate chips, cranberries, and macadamia nuts. Perhaps nuts, berries, and orange glaze? Oh, the possibilities are endless.

(2) Dinner last night was fantastic. I whipped together some quick enchiladas:

Take 5 tortillas, roll up 3/4 cup cheese (whatever you fancy, jack is more traditional) in each one, and line up in an 8 X 8 pan. Make sure to grease the pan first!

In a separate pot, fry up one onion, two minced garlic cloves, and one green pepper in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Cook until the onions turn translucent. Then add one can drained diced tomatoes and one can undrained diced tomatoes. Cook tomatoes down (10 minutes or so). Add 1 Tablespoon of cumin, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1 teaspoon of paprika (lovely color), and 1/8 cup chili powder (less for less heat, more for more). Add one can of tomato sauce, heat, and taste. Adjust seasoning.

Spoon half the mixture over the enchiladas. Garnish with 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or so. The other half of the sauce can be frozen for next time!

So, the oven got a break this weekend.

The fam and I have a couple of trips in the works. The first one is coming in January of 2009, when we will be taking the little ones to Disney. Once they turn three you have to pay, so I took our little girl when she was 2 and 11 months. We plan on doing the same with our little guy. Then, the following November, I turn (gasp) 30! I told the husband that I wanted nothing for my birthday - except for a short trip. I plan on sitting back and sipping on something tropical that long weekend in November. You only turn 30 once.

So, in preparation for this little jaunt, we're saving cash. The ball and chain is on this HUGE Dave Ramsey kick, which is good for the pocket book. Now, truthfully, if darling husband was as committed as the book suggests, I would have been told"no," to these little trips. Thankfully, my spouse also buys into the "if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy..." philosophy.

What on EARTH does this have to do with my kitchen, you ask?

Well, I had employed a couple of lovely young ladies to come clean my home once per month. When they started with me, I was working ridiculous hours and couldn't keep up. It was either clean all weekend or hang with the kids...I chose hang with the kids. I still had to maintain the house - but the big cleaning was left to the professionals. At first, their cleans were impressive and through. As time went on, they turned to "average." I began to wonder why I was paying $85/month for something I could do myself. As I became a more experienced teacher, I found my hours weren't quite as intense. Then the Disney trip came up (5 days, I can HARDLY stand it!) and I just decided I would rather keep the money.

However, there was ONE MORE consideration: the cleaning arsenal. Bleach, Mr. Clean, Tilex...basically one big pool of chemicals. I don't mean to sound elitist; in my day I certainly used disinfectant with the best of them. It's just that, since I had my children, I've been much more observant about what (exactly) I bring into my home.

I was raised by hippies. I mean, really. Picture your vision of a 1960's hippie, and that was pretty much my parent's lives. Consequently, I lived a pretty natural life. My mom canned, made things from scratch, raised her own chickens...yadda yadda. They protested various issues, vehemently avoided anything pesticide related, and believed that living simply was what God intended.

It's no surprise that I'm coloring my own world with a little 1960's flare.

A while ago, I discovered a book that detailed how to clean your home with less crap. A germ-a-phobe, I was hesitant. However, then I decided that the chemicals were actually more frightening than the germs. I highly recommend this book in it's entirety - it is an AMAZING reference for how to live simply. However, in the short term, let me share a few things.

Hollee's NEW cleaning arsenal:

1 spray bottle of straight vinegar with Lavender oil: Vinegar is an amazing cleaning tool. It dissolves dirt, grime, and grease as well as anything out there. It's also gentle enough to use on wood, like my dining room table and anything else susceptible to my children's sticky fingers. Lavender adds a pleasant scent and acts as a natural disinfectant. The vinegar scent neutralizes when it dries.

Borax/washing soda/water/castile soap/Tea Tree Oil/Lavender Oil: I put in a bottle that I can pour onto a surface and scrub with. The spray bottle doesn't fly - the borax clogs it up. I leave out the washing soda when I don't have it on hand, and it works just fine. The bottle I made tonight was around 1/4 cup borax, 1/4 cup castile soap, 12 or so drops of oil (total), and the rest of the 64 oz bottle of HOT water. I will grow the mixture for a bucket when I'm REALLY getting down to some cleaning. Works great on my floor when it needs a good scrub, but I will use a water washcloth to rise off excess.

20 drops of Tea Tree Oil and 32 ounces of water: Good anti-mildew mister for whatever. Works like magic. It doesn't kill the mildew, but it will keep it from growing.

Lemon Juice: Amazing anti-tarnish (restoring a silver jewelry box as we speak) and microwave cleaner. Just submerge metal in lemon juice and let sit over night. Buff clean and dry. For microwave, put 1/2 cup and cook for 3-5 minutes. Wipe down microwave immediately when finished (I just use a dry rag).

Baking soda: Great little scrubber. I use with vinegar to clean tubs, showers, and even the toilet.

Borax: In addition to above, I use in laundry as a booster to whites and lights. Just do load on warm and follow directions on the box.

Product recommendations: "Oils" listed are essential oils - important in getting the antibacterial properties. Where "castile soap" is listed, I use Doctor Bronner's mild baby soap. Incidentally, I use his peppermint soap as my personal soap, in full strength. Store bought products in my home include Seventh Generations: hand washing dish soap, softener, and laundry detergent. I also use my grocer's generic non-chlorine bleach (oxyclean).

I'm not perfect, I still use Cascade dish soap (I've not yet found anything comparable) and a carpet stain cleaner that will probably make me grow a third arm. However, the bulk of my "daily" cleaning supplies are earthling friendly...which makes me feel good about cleaning.

If you want even MORE ideas about the green life, go ahead and check out this Internet forum. Great ideas about all things earth friendly.

Wouldn't you know, with all this cleaning, I got antsy to cook SOMETHING. I found some chocolate chips that were aging, and made some cookies. I thought they were okay, but the husband loved them. That's probably for the best, as I won't feel the need to eat them now!

The worst thing to hit a food blogger...

A stomach bug!

I must apologize, dear readers, for neglecting you an entire week. Alas, life got BUSY and then I got SICK...and well...here we sit. Consequently, I have precious few tidbits to give you. However, I will try to scramble a couple of things together.

#1 - Right before the icky hit, I discovered a wonderful new mushroom dish. While vacationing in Minneapolis, MN, we once hit dinner at a great restaurant called Manny's. It is NOT a vegetarian's delight. In fact, it is quite the opposite. The husband and I suffered through, though. We're vegetarians from the health and political perspective, not moral, so cheating every now and again is allowed. I think ball and chain felt it was a good cheat, indeed. One of the family-style "side" dishes was a stewed mushroom that was phenomenal. I wanted to dive in and bathe in it. And, I was eating LIVE MAINE LOBSTER (well, it was dead when I ate it, clearly). So...for me to be impressed by mushrooms. Well...you get the idea!

Speed forward to this last week, when mushrooms went on sale. I found recipes, all the while actually forgetting about the heavenly mushrooms in Minnesota, until I whipped up these. Oh my goodness, they are SO close. I made them with whole baby portobello mushroom caps. Heaven. I served them over rice, but I really think they needed a good cous-cous, polenta, or maybe even a pasta. White rice just didn't meet the flavor and substance of the shrooms head on like I wanted.

#2 - I am spring cleaning and I simply MUST sing the praises of a grand household cleaner that ALL of you should have in your pantry right now: vinegar. Just plain 'ole white distilled. I keep it in a spray bottle, with a hefty amount of lavender oil (lavender is a natural anti-bacterial substance). I'd say about 15 drops or so. Vinegar dissolves oil and grime well. Trust me, with two little ones - I give it a WORK OUT. It also can double as a wonderful window and mirror cleaner - with no streaks. I used it on my TV, my kid's toys, everywhere! Once it's dry, the vinegar smell goes away, leaving the faint hint of lavender. Plus, I'm cleaning all the areas of the house with a kid-friendly substance that they can DRINK and will never be hurt. Really, it's a household miracle as far as I am concerned.

It's just one of the suggestions from a book I recommended ages ago. Seriously, give it a whirl. I adore that I spent a solid hour cleaning without any damage to my hands. AND, my house is a clean as it would have been with harsh chemicals. Cleaner even - that other junk always leaves some sort of residue somewhere. The vinegar does not!

Tomorrow I am making tomato soup. In double, triple, batches. I will post about that this weekend, tomorrow even. It's a date!