One of the two kids has a birthday.

I am one of those lucky people who has exactly one boy and one girl. It is SO MUCH FUN to have one of each - as I get to experience the joys of raising both genders.

One of their most favorite things to do is pour through my cupcake cookbook: Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. The bright pictures and mouth watering cupcakes are better than any Dr. Suess book we have. About a month ago, they had managed to find the book (again) and go through the pictures one-by-one. Knowing that little bit boy's birthday was coming, little bit girl told me that her brother wanted the "cookie cupcakes" for his birthday. What a nice older sister she is.

Sure enough, little bit boy agreed. However, he ALSO told me he wanted BLUE cupcakes. So, I settled on two batches: "cookie" cupcakes for the family and "blue" cupcakes for the kids where he plays during the day. Thankfully, with the most diverse and complete cupcake cookbook ever - I was covered!

All recipes from Vegan Cupcakes Take over The World.

Basic Vegan Fluffy Buttercream
You'll use this for both recipes

1/2 cup nonhydrogenated shortening
1/2 cup nonhydrogenated margarine
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons extract (usually vanilla - but GO WILD!)
1/4 cup plain soy milk or soy creamer

1. Cream butter and shortening together.

2. Add in a cup of flower, beat steadily by hand - or even better with hand or stand mixer.

3. Add in the extract, beat well.

4. Add in the rest of the sugar, slowly, mix well.

5. Add in the soy milk or creamer, and beat until smooth and fluffy.

Golden Vanilla Cupcakes
For little bit boy's "blue" cupcakes

1 cup of soy milk

1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar

1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons of cornstarch

3/4 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/3 cup of canola oil

3/4 cups of granulated sugar

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon of almond extract

1. Mix soy milk and vinegar, set aside for curdling (basically, you're making butter milk)

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake tin with liners

3. Mix liquid ingredients and sugar together.

4. Place dry ingredients in sifter and sift into wet ingredients. Mix until just barely incorporated and no large clumps remain.

5. Divide into cupcake tin evenly, bake immediately for 20 - 22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

6. Cool completely and top with butter cream. For "blue" I used cake decorator's coloring, but you can use food coloring or natural dyes (blueberry). I've made "pink" cupcakes using strawberries. I bought the Wall-E decorations at Target.


Chocolate Cookie Cupcakes

1 cup of soy milk

1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup of granulated sugar

1/3 cup of canola oil

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon of almond extract

1 cup of all-purpose flour

1/3 cup of cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 cup coarsly chopped chocolate sandwich cookies (like Newman-Os)

1. Whisk soy milk and vinegar together, set aside (again, buttermilk)

2. Preheat oven to 350 and line the cupcake pan.

3. Add sugar, oil, and extract to milk mixture and whisk until foamy.

4. Sift cocoa powder, soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir into batter in two batches.

5. Fold in chopped cookies, pour into cupcake liners evenly, and bake for 20-25 minutes. Toothpick should come out clean.

6. After cooling completely, frost with the vegan butter cream frosting mixed with another 1/2 cup to one cup of crushed cookies (depending on taste). These sort of go on like clouds, so you can't expect even perfection. Top with 1/2 of a cookie for garnish.

Pumpkin Pie Haters Anonymous.

I have a shocking secret - I really don't like pumpkin pie.

Really, I don't love anything pumpkin or squash related. Not by itself, not in a soup, not sweet, not savory....just NOT.

I was really quite content to leave Pumpkin Pie off my holiday table, until I tried I grocery store creation. You know, one of those things where they give you the recipe in their weekly flier? Now, let me explain that this is NOT my typical all-natural recipe. Amongst my list of "not usually consumed" are Cool Whip and anything Jell-O. In the future, I think I will be trying to modify this with more natural ingredients.

But, for the short-term, this was an enjoyable and easy treat! For this no-bake recipe, I first baked the crust in the oven, hot and waiting for the apple pie. When finished, I removed it, and then stuck the just - finished apple pie in the oven. The timing was perfect, and I was able to wrap up the "custard" in just a few minutes. A very low-stress pie for the holidays.
Turtle Pumpkin Pie - Adapted from Publix Grocery Apron's recipe line

1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons Caramel Ice Cream Popping, divided.
1/2 pie crust recipe, (or use a simple graham cracker crust - you can buy these already made).
2 oz chopped pecans
1 cup reduced-fat milk
2 3.4-0z boxes of Jell-O vanilla flavor instant pudding and pie filling
1 cup canned pumpkin (can substitute 1 15.5 oz can cut sweet potatoes, drained and mashed)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 ounces cool whip.

Prepare the pie crust. If using a pastry crust, go ahead and place in pie pan. Then bake at 400 or so until it just begins to turn golden. Since you're not baking the pie, you must bake the crust!

Spread 1/4 cup of the caramel onto the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle the pecan pieces.

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, Jell-O pudding, pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well blended. Stir in one 1 and 1/2 cups of the Cool Whip into the pie. Chill for at least one hour (longer won't hurt it).

When chilled, top with remaining cool whip and drizzle remaining caramel. Sprinkle with pecans if desired.

The. Best. Apple. Pie. EVER.

I remember the first time I made pie.

It sucked.

It was middle school. You know how nearly all middle school students are impatient and crazy? Well, I was no different. In fact, I'm fairly certain that God gave me the heart to teach to punish me for my youthful nuttiness.

Well, maybe not. But I certainly feel bad for my former teachers.

All I know was that I tried my best to chill and craft the perfect crust, fill it with the perfect pie filling...and...it sucked. The pie crust may as well been bricks. I don't even remember the filling. And this is with the undiscriminating tastes of a 13 year old. So, I can only imagine what I would think of it now.

Anyhow, since that first attempt, I have been scared of pies. Convinced I was somehow genetically incapable, I avoided them. I purchased store-bought ones and thought I would never be brave enough to try again. But then, last Thanksgiving, I was. I got it in my head I was going to make home-made apple pie. I scoured the Internet for "just" the recipe - and searched for a "simple" yet tasty pie crust. I put a lot of time and effort into this pie - and for the creation, you know what I got?

"WOW, this pie is REALLY GOOD!"

Honest, but surprised, acclaim. I'm not sure if it was good or bad. But, whatever, it worked.

So, over the last year I have perfected the recipe, and it now owns a place in my recipe hall of fame. Not sure who Grandma Ople is - but she rocks my Thanksgiving table EVERY YEAR.

Here's how to make it...

"Grandma Ople's Apple Pie" (from based from recipe found at allrecipes.com)

Double pie crust
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
sprinkling of cinnamon
3 heaping tablespoons of flour
5-8 peeled, cored, and sliced granny smith apples.

Make the pie crust, chill four 4 hours or longer (as directed).

Once crust is done chilling, leave it in the fridge, and start by preparing the apples. You want the slices to be fairly thin (1/4 inch). If you like chunkier pies (with firm pieces) - then you might want to leave them a bit thicker. I like apples just shy off applesauce. They still hold their shape, but they mush easily in the mouth. I detest crunch apples in a pie.

In a large bowl, toss the apples with some cinnamon. Set aside while you prepare the pie pan with the bottom crust. Fill the top with apples so it is slightly mounded. Pack it down to get lots of apples in. Lattice the crust - a must for the next step!

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter (sometimes, I put the stove top on REAL LOW so this happens while I'm doing everything else. Then I crank it up to do the next steps). Mix in the flour to make a paste. Three level tablespoons leaves the pie too runny, you need the extra flour from the rounded tablespoons. After the flour and butter is well incorporated (use a whisk), mix in water and sugars. Whisk well, wait for boil, and then reduce temp and simmer for 5 minutes.

Pour the mixture over the pie, slowly, so that all the good stuff gets into the pie lattice holes. Place on a jelly roll sheet (or something else with a lip) covered with aluminum foil (the pie will likely boil over). Bake in a preheated, 425 degree, oven for 15 minutes. Then bake for 45 at 350 degrees (reduce the temp, but don't remove the pie). When the top crust gets all golden and pretty, and the apples don't give at all to a butter knife, you're good.

Let the pie sit for a while, to let the flour really work with the liquid. Pie is sort of like meat in the sense that if you cut it too soon, the good juices will run all over the place. Better to let the liquid turn to a thick jelly-like consistency to allow for pretty cutting.

Serve however you like apple pie: with ice cream, whipped cream, caramel, or all by itself. My favorite is a secret day-after-Thanksgiving breakfast treat.

A Vegan Alternative to Sloppy Joes.

I recently purchased the cookbook Veganomicon, and finally got around to trying one of the recipes - Snobby Joes. It is a vegan take on the beef favorite. I have to admit. It was excellent. Instead of using a "fake meat" - you create the substance with lentils. It is a fairly quick meal and reheats well. It's also VERY pantry friendly, as the only fresh veggies are onions and green peppers.

Lentil Sloppy Joes - Inspired from the very wonderful cookbook Veganomicon.

1 cup uncooked lentils
4 cups of water
1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you like heat)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 small can of tomato paste
1/2 regular can tomato sauce.
2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
bread from French bread, toasted if made the day prior.

(1) Boil the water and add the lentils. Cook until soft, 20 minutes or so.

(2) Use a bit of oil and cook onions and peppers until they start to soften. Also cook garlic if using fresh.

(3) When vegetables start to soften, add oregano, salt, garlic if using powdered, and cayenne pepper. Stir for just a moment, then add the sauce and paste. Let simmer on low for 10 minutes.

(4) Add the cooked and drained lentils. Let simmer on low for 10 or so.

(5) Add the syrup and mustard, let heat through.

(6) Slice bread in chunks, and then through the middle to get the bread like the picture.

Tastes even better the next day!

Seitan Ribs, from the Fat Free Vegan

Yesterday, I wrote about a few new blogs. One of them was the fat free vegan, and that is the same blog that I got this recipe from.

As I said before, my husband is a meat substitute phobe. He raises an eyebrow at anything that is supposed to mimic meat. We've found a few good substitutes, but the default is always that he won't like it.

I had read bits and pieces about Seitan, and I was starting to feel pretty positive about it. Seitan is made from vital wheat gluten, which is the "binder" in breads. In fact, vital wheat gluten is something many bakers keep on hand for their baked goods. On one of the Weight Watcher boards, I followed a link for "ribz" and ended up at the Fat Free Vegan. She was writing about her Fourth of July feast, which included Seitan Riblets.

Let me start by saying that they really are quite tasty - and the husband did enjoy them! Let me give you a few tips that weren't clearly spelled out at the Fat Free Vegan's site:

(1) DO NO clean up vital wheat gluten with water. You know that rubber-cement like stuff on the back of tags taken off of magazines? That's sort of what VWG is like when wet. Dust it off, and just wipe off the residue. Oh...and be careful with your sink - I'm still trying to clean the sludge out.

(2) The instructions say "knead," but this doesn't mean "knead" like you would a loaf of bread. You can't stretch it out and pull it apart like you can bread dough. Instead, you want to keep the ball of Seitan together, just pressing down, then cupping the very spongy dough back together. Don't flatten and lop over like bread - Seitan doesn't worth that way.

(3) When you spread the Seitan into the pan, it takes some serious effort. I had to work the dough vigorously for quite some time to get it spread out in the pan. Don't give up - it will come together eventually.

Other than that, Seitan is amazingly simple and something we will be trying again! The whole pan is 20 points, so if you divide it into 4, that's 5 points a serving. It's a nice "go to" meal, as Vital Wheat Gluten is a shelf-stable ingredient that can be kept on hand for a substantive meal.

Bread and butter, baby.

So, I've been making some progress on my summer cooking goals.

It turns out that Panna Cotta is milk jello. I used a recipe from the joy of baking website, and my husband loved it. I accidentally ran out of vanilla (ooops), and had to substitute coconut extract. The result was excellent regardless, as the flavor did not change the velvety texture. However, the flavor was remarkably similar to Haupia (pronounced How-pee-ah), which is a Hawaiian Coconut custard. So, while it was good, it was sort of a "familar" flavor. Which made it nothing to write home about, at least for me. Oh well, my husband was happy.

I've also managed a couple of bread recipes. The kids seemed happy enough with the latest Oatmeal Bread attempt. What I don't love about it is the size. We'll be ordering some larger loaf pans from Amazon soon. Other than that - the kids seem to love it. It's about the first thing I've made homemade that they've eaten up happily! It IS a wonderful little bread. Out of the recipe you get two loaves. When finished, it's delicately sweet. Definitely a bread that you could just eat - no butter. Just straight.

I've found an AMAZING French Bread recipe. Given to me by the creative Mommy I've mentioned THREE times now on this blog, it's fast an easy.

2.5 cups warm water
2 TABLESPOONS of yeast (a lot, I know, but that's what makes it so fast)
2 TABLESPOONS of sugar
2 teaspoons of salt
5.5 cups of flour.

Just stir together and let sit for 15 minutes. Then, with heavily floured hands (this is a very sticky dough) cut and divide in half. Lay out in two "logs" on a large cookie sheet and let rise for another 15. Then bake at 450 for 15.

This makes a flatter "Artisan" like bread. Leftovers are great for garlic and cheese bread. Today I piled it high with leftover bruschetta, sprinkled some fresh mozzarella over the top, and nuked it. Wonderful! I also plan on making panini sandwiches with it this summer. I have this idea for pesto, mozzarella, and maybe some mushrooms? Yum.

Finally, for Father's Day, I did try the balsamic reduction. I was disappointed. This will be harder than I thought. First of all, heating and boiling vinegar is pretty rough on the lungs. Secondly, it takes a while to get the reduction reduced, it's touchy and difficult to get it "just right," and to adjust the spices you pretty much have to make entirely different batches for trial and error. Jeff liked it, but it wasn't quite as good as I remember. I might have to get back to that restaurant to sample it again.

Anyhow, I'm feeling pretty confident about some of my bread recipes. The French bread is a new family favorite. Now it's just a matter of finding a good sandwich recipe. The Oatmeal Bread is great, but what about for grilled cheese?

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.

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!

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!

Good Day, Sunshine.

I've had the most fantastic weekend. It was perfect,wonderful, happy, and joyous.

What did I do?

Well, I stayed home, of course!

My life is really hectic. I work early (7 AM), and leave work at any point between 3-4:30. Then I pick up the kids and do the Mommy thing until about 10 PM. I'm not saying this to gain sympathy - I know I'm right in the thick of it with all the other Moms out there. I'm more trying to get the proverbial "amen, sista!" My day is almost more hectic when I get home. As soon as we walk in the door we wash our hands (who knows what kid came to school with which virus that day), get milk, then dinner, then I start dinner for the ball and chain. Oops, someone spilled their applesauce. Oh wait, no you cant have any fruit snacks until you finish those chicken nuggets. Then Daddy walks in the door and it's like I don't exist, until they realize they're hungry again. Then it's playtime, an apple, playtime, an orange, more playtime, clean time, more apples? Nope. Too late. Then baths, books, bedtime, lunches, laundry, cleanup, and a "do I know you?" to my husband.

So, a weekend like this, where I went no where (except for Lowe's), got some sun (tan lines to prove it, my dermatologist would NOT approve), and watched the kids play in their new kiddie pool, seems like a trip to the Bahamas. Well, maybe that's an exaggeration, but it's close.

Now, we did do some productive things. I finally got around to planting my herb garden (two kinds of basil, dill, chives, and mint). I got caught up on laundry (we took a weekend away recently and I haven't been caught up since!) And, I did some cooking.

On Friday I made these, which is yet another wonderful thing to do with rice. Excellent, excellent, and totally modifiable. I ended up adding some lime juice and cayenne pepper. Made some fresh guacamole to go on top, along with some Newman's Own salsa, the husband was a happy camper. I also ended up making this rice dish, which is now 48 hours old (in the fridge) and tastes better each day.

Saturday I made these cookies, which will forever be called the cookies that I will never make again. Oh, don't get me wrong, they were excellent. I just can't have them in the house ever again. The frosting was screaming to be used on scones. I will have to remember it for that. I'm thinking a nice cranberry walnut scone (or muffin) with the orange frosting/glaze.

Today, I made pizza on the grill and pasta salad. Usually, I like to make a good leftover dinner on Sunday. However, the nice weather just screamed for our grill, so I gave in. We still have some rice pilaf but we needed something else for lunches. So, I made my pasta salad.

Practically Fat free Pasta Salad:

(1) Boil 1 lb of pasta (as instructions dictate). I like tri-colored rotini, but monotone and bow ties will do fine. I don't care for macaroni or ziti-like pasta for this, it doesn't grab the dressing as well. Drain in colander, rinse with cold water, and place in large bowl. Add 1/8 cup olive oil.

(2) Chop and add your vegetables. Now, this is where YOU can get creative. In today's bowl, I added:

• 2 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped.
• 1 large cucumber, seeded and chopped
• 1 small red onion, finely diced
• 1 large green pepper, seeded, and finely diced
• 1 1/2 dill pickles chopped
• 1 can large black olives, cut in half

YOU can add whatever you like and have on hand. Some ideas include carrots, celery, baby corn, corn kernels, feta cheese, Parmesan cheese, artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, black beans, kidney beans, ham, turkey, shrimp, the sky is the limit! I just wouldn't add chickpeas as they tend to get dried out and not good. I also would caution the tomatoes and cucumbers - do NOT add without seeding first. Those "innards" of the cucumbers and tomatoes just bleed water into the salad. This will make it uneatable in the coming days.

(3) when all has been incorporated, add 1/4 cup water and two packets of zesty Italian dressing mix. Toss together, and add red wine vinegar to taste. If you want to add to the flavors, consider Brags Amino Acids, Chipotle Tabasco sauce, salt, pepper, garlic, and cilantro.

This makes a LARGE bowl of pasta salad that you can eat off for days. It is low in fat, diet friendly, and a great way to use up unused vegetables.

Now I must go back out and enjoy the last few minutes of my weekend. If your weekend was even half as wonderful as mine, you are lucky indeed. Hug your family, they're what you do this for.

I don't wanna...

Plan my menu for the week, that is.

Here's what I do every week:

On Thursday or later (that's when the ad comes out) - I go ahead an surf through the sales at the store. I take note of anything in my fridge, and I come up with recipes that will best utilize both lists. For example, at my store they have some eggplant, peppers, squash, tomatoes, pears, and corn on sale. In my fridge, I currently have a bunch of rice left over due to a planning error on my part. Too bad I already made fried rice this week.

I have a few recipes: sweet and sour kidney beans, beans and rice burritos, and a peach rice dessert that I am planning to try out. As always, I will share with my review and relevant changes. I think that will use up all my rice. If not, I've got some leftover black eyed peas in the freezer that I am sure the husband wouldn't mind me defrosting. I think I'll be out with a friend on Saturday night - so the ball and chain will definitely be on his own.

I also plan on cooking up some vegetables for puree for the freezer. Always like to keep some of that around, and I am running LOW.

As far as the recipe for tonight, Cashew Asparagus Rice Pilaf was excellent. Definitely a "will make again." However, next time I will reduce the fat in half, change from butter to EVOO, and replace the the cashews with cooked garbanzo beans. I also, very last minute, added about 6 or 7 shakes of Cayenne pepper for heat. Nice flavor (note that I also made a double batch).

We've got some family plans, so I don't have anything major planned in the way of cooking this weekend. Should be quiet! Hope yours is too!

This stuff is bananas...

B-a-n-a-n-a-s!

Did you know that I am a HORRIFIC speller? Like, the WORST? It's a common joke with my math students when someone asks me to spell a word - they immediately say "she teaches MATH, not ENGLISH."

So sad, so true.

Anyway, I say this because the Gwen Stafani song spells bananas. While spelling is not my forte, I can memorize lyrics to any song. So, there you go.

Where was Gwen in the 2nd grade?

Anyhow, speaking of bananas - I kind of lost mine last night. I'm on this mission to want not, waste not. Well, wouldn't you know this weekend I bought 6 bananas to use in my tropical muffins? Wouldn't you know I nailed them on the first batch? This meant I had many, MANY bananas to go.

So, I went to my food bible and went to work.

Recipe one - Banana Chocolate Chip Dessert.

I had high hopes for this one. I mean, come on, bananas and chocolate? Yum! The problem was that I was expecting a cookie, and got more of a brownie. It's almost like the chocolate and the bananas sort of canceled each other out into nothing? Not terrible, but not worth the calories, in my mind. If you do want to try them out, don't be surprised when the batter sort of comes out runny. I also had to cook mine for an extra 10 minutes.

Recipe two - Banana Bars.

What attracted me to this one was the banana frosting. Again, not bad - but I found it to be too sweet. The frosting was so strong, that it overpowered the cake. I might as well just eaten the frosting. I guess that's not so bad!

Recipe three - Bailey's Banana Colada.

Do you like Pina Colada, and getting caught in the rain? Well, I don't like either. So sue me. I'm not sure what possessed me to try this. Probably the Baileys (who doesn't love Bailey's) and the bananas that I was on a mission to use up. It was okay. I'll never make them again.

The verdict? I should have made banana bread and eaten it warm with butter.

Darn.

As a final piece of spelling trivia - did you know that http://www.allrecipies.com/ and http://www.allrecipes.com/ will get you to the same lovely site? It seems I'm not the only chef with an ineptitude in spelling.

Certainly not cool enough to blog..

There's a blog out there called that. I'm pretty sure it's a "mommy blog" and it's sort of how I feel lately. Friday marked the start of my spring break, and the week prior was...interesting...to say the least. My kids were off-the-wall crazy (students, not biological) and I found myself relaxing every night. My husband was a complete rockstar and assisted in my relaxation with foot and back rubs. Ladies...aren't you jealous! I should have been blogging, as it would be nice to get some readership (and the best way to do that is blog daily). However, my feet and family needed the break!

I've tried some EXCELLENT new recipes lately.

Hungarian Lecso: This was an unexpected tasty delight! It's basically a chunk spaghetti sauce, with peppers, and eggs. The eggs sort of turn into a meat substitute, as they form into chunks in the sauce. You put this over rye bread, and I know it sounds positively disgusting. It's actually very, very good. If you're not afraid of a little meat, go ahead and cook it up with the onions and peppers and leave out the eggs.

Zucchini Patties: These were kind of fun in a nerdy/chemistry sort of way. When you make the very simple "batter" - you think there's so way that these will become patty-like. You want to keep them small so they don't fall apart, and use a swift motion in getting under the patty with your spatula. I ended up using our griddle, and they came out perfect. Serve with a little ketchup (as I did) or try some BBQ sauce. Could also work with a spicy horseraddish sauce a la Outback "Blooming Onion."

So, after I made these patties I had 2 large zucchinis left over. I found this pretty darn good brownie recipe. These are not the best brownies I've ever had, but they're very good, sort of healthy, and a great use for something that may have (otherwise) gone to waste! I made a double batch, cooked them for about 40 minutes in a 15 by 11 pan. I doubled the frosting too. I am not an experienced vegan cook, but I would be interested in a chocolate vegan frosting - as the brownies themselves are totally vegan. I almost feel bad putting dairy on top of them; seems like such a waste of perfectly good potential. They passed the husband and kid test, and the zucchini is undetectable. A major word to the wise, however. Once you get everything together (except for the zucchini), you will swear that it will never work. To the point that I had to come back online and check to make sure I was a-OK and didn't screw something up. I almost started over, but I trusted the 4.5 star recipe and kept going. I discovered that once you add the zucchini, things come together really well. I went ahead and took off the rings to mix it with my hands. I was able to squish some of the moisture from the zucchini into the brownies. It assisted in the combination.

I tried this bean recipe that I ended up morphing for my own use. Basically, take some black beans, corn, onions, and peppers, sun dried tomatoes, cumin, salt, and pepper to taste. A little Cayenne pepper for heat, and cook it all up in a fry pan starting with the onions and peppers. Follow with the beans, corn, tomatoes, and spices. Then transfer to casserole dish, put some cheese over the top, and bake until melted. This is great with chips or rice. I can't find the original recipe, but it was some kind of contest for Bush's beans. You can completely change the proportions depending on what you like/want out of the meal. Add more vegetables for a lighter meal or snack, more beans if you're looking for some substance.

Finally, I found some green tomatoes at the local grocer and decided to give Fried Green Tomatoes a whirl. They turned out great, although I did alter the recipe a bit. For one, instead of milk I used some leftover buttermilk. I also changed the 1/2 cup each breadcrumbs and cornmeal to 1/3 cup each and added 1/3 cup wheat germ. I just love the way wheat germ fries up: nutty, crispy, and brown. Great little kick of flavor. A little added whole grain never hurt anyone either. Make sure you keep your temp low. After I brought the oil to a good temp, I put my burner on low. Those breadcrumbs will burn in a hurry before your tomato is good and cooked. If you're not a southerner, and don't know what green tomatoes are all about, think a lemon-like flavor with a very firm tomato texture (green tomatoes are simply under ripe ones).

I also tried a weird recipe, screwed it up, and audibled onto something (I think). Sort of an eggplant parm meets lasagna meets stuffed portabello mushrooms. We'll see if I can't perfect it to share.

I have all the ingredients to create/perfect my tropical crunch muffins. Look for them soon!

Oink, Oink (save the pigs)

My very Midwestern husband and I decided to dabble in vegetarianism shortly after the Christmas Holiday. His "bad" cholesterol was steadily rising, and his triglycerides were through the roof. Needing to bring these numbers down (um, hello, not about to be a single mom to two if I can avoid it), I suggested trying our hand at no meat. We had been doing the moderation thing for some time (little to no red meat, avoiding meat some nights of the week), but it just wasn't working like we needed to. So, I looked a few things up online, discovered some research supporting vegetarianism, and presented it to my husband. I asked him to give me a month, he obliged. Unhappily.

Although it was feared to be a painful transition, it turns out that it's not that hard to give up meat. I got really good at cooking up beans: black, red, pinto, and even black eyed peas. We realized that (in most things) we didn't miss the meat. In fact, we recently went to a favorite Japanese Steak House - the kind where they cook your meal in front of you. We ordered the vegetable dinner and found ourselves barely able to complete the meal. On our way out I asked "how did we ever finish all that food!?" Neither of us knew.

After a month, we both felt better. We had more energy, and found our digestive tracks working a bit cleaner. We went to a church function, ate pot roast, and it felt so heavy in our stomachs. If all that wasn't enough, we have the chemistry to prove this lifestyle is better for us. J's triglycerides went down by some 50 points, his "bad cholesterol" is down to normal, and his overall cholesterol is down to 159 (from 180). No meds, no increased exercise. All we did was cut out the meat.

The only problem in this whole plan is that I now have to "reinvent" holidays. We have created some yummy traditions here. This includes ham on Easter, and it's one of my husbands most favorite meals.

For Easter this year, I combed the web for a suitable alternative. Of course, it occurred to me that I could still make eggs (we eat animal products - just no meat). What's more Easter than eggs? So, I found a quiche recipe, cheesy potatoes, and a spring salad. I then planned on carrot cake for dessert, and deviled eggs for a tasty after-church snack (I only had...oh...two dozen brightly colored hard boiled eggs to find a use for).

The quiche recipe wasn't all that great. I'd never made a quiche before, so this was a first. I don't think I cared for it all that much. It was had too many flavors competing for the same palate. I think the pesto and goat cheese would have been plenty. Or the pesto and tomatoes. Or the goat cheese and tomatoes. Not all three. I also wanted something meaty - like mushrooms - to balance all the flavor. I will say that my crust turned out amazing. Light and flaky. At some point, I will give my pie 101 course, and I will detail the ins and outs of a fantastic crust. In the mean time, I have to go against the perfect 5 start rating at all recipes and say this will not be a return show for us. At least not in it's current form.

The potatoes were "eh" as well. I love a good cheesy potato, and this just didn't do it for me. It was done before the potatoes were, and when I eat potatoes I like them really cooked. I like more creamy, less oily, and got the opposite. It also needed a lot of salt to be tasty enough. The salty flavor just didn't add the depth that I wanted from that heavy of a dish.

The salad was really good. Who would have thought that a dressing from ketchup would have been so tasty? We left out the bacon bits and croutons. Not only is it healthier that way, but I think there are more than enough flavors to make that salad without those two additives.

Finally, the carrot cupcakes. These were really good - full of good ingredients and tasty morsels. You mix the dry ingredients, wet ingredients + sugar, and all the additives (pineapple, walnuts, carrots, raisins, and coconut) in separate bowls. The bowl with additives was as large as the other bowls. It was all "guts" and I feared they would be too much for the batter. I was wrong. I topped with a very basic cream cheese frosting: stick of butter, 8 oz brick of cream cheese, cream with mixer. Add 4 cups confectioner's sugar and one teaspoon of vanilla, blend with mixer until creamy. I added frosting to a piping bag and swirled it on the top of each cupcake. Tasty AND beautiful! When I make them for guests in the future, I will need to add some sort of garnish. A beautiful orange twirl of carrot anchored in the frosting would be perfect.

So, I think it will be "back" to the drawing board next year. On the plus side the egg salad sandwiches have been OH so tasty. I also have a last minute tip for using all those hard boiled eggs: to add zip to your potato salad, egg salad, or deviled eggs: Tabasco sauce. It really gave a nice "punch" to the flavors that I wasn't expecting.

The best laid plans....

So, last night, about 5:15 I started to feel weird. Shaky, tired, just off. Earlier in the day, I'd noticed a wheeze, but blew it off as nasty yellow pollen. My husband's ears have been so bad he hasn't been able to fly. However, as I started to feel so awful, I realized this was NO allergy.

So, instead of heading to the grocery store, I sacked myself out on the couch and watched the latest episode of Lipstick Jungle and Big Shots (TIVOed from AGES ago). My temp was slightly elevated, but not too bad. At bedtime I took my shot of NyQuil and passed out into never never land. At about 3 or 4 AM I started to get really cold, and at 7 AM my husband points out that I am now "radiating heat." Two Motrin and two more hours of sleep, and I am feeling good enough to make a smaller run at the grocery store for the necessities.

Alas, my grand plans of Strawberry Jam and Eggplant galore are dashed. C'est la Vie. No, C'est la FLU.

So, this weekend I get to go through my magazines, think up plans for NEXT week, and do a few more lazy-woman jobs.

I do want to say how HAPPY I am that I froze all those meals! I so don't want to stand for hours, so instead I whipped out a bowl of frozen chili and spicy black beans. A little rice, and we'll be good to go! I might even have J try to whip up some Chipotle Basmati rice to go with the beans. I found it on an Internet forum that I frequent. VERY tasty!

1tsp Vegetable oil or butter
2 tsp fresh cilantro
2/3 cup white basmati rice
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1 lime
In a 2 quart heavy saucepan heat oil or butter over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Add rice and lime juice, stir for 1 minute. Add water and salt, bring to a full rolling boil. At boiling, cover, turn down and simmer over low heat until rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 25 minutes.

I have successfully doubled the recipe, but when I tried to quadruple it, I burnt the bottom of the rice. I also usually end up adding a little bit of water towards the end, as I find the water dissipates before the rice is cooked.

Very good with some spicy black beans. Orangette (gosh, I just LOVE her) has a great "in a hurry" version. I will save my full batch for another day!