Today's Savings

To illustrate how I love Aldi, and how much it's saved us on the increasing cost of groceries, here is a look at my receipt today. If you shop regularly, than you know the average cost of these items at a typical grocery store. This is without having to worry about coupons or special sales, which I find to be a headache. The Aldi brand cereal and other foods are just as good, if not better, than their brand-name counterparts.




Organic soymilk: 2.19
Organic Almond Milk: 2.79
Aldi Honey Brunches of Oats: 1.79
Aldi Shredded Mini Wheat: 1.99
Aldi round "Ritz" crackers: 1.79
Feta cheese: 1.79
Bag of lentils: 0.79
Bag of brown rice: 0.99
2 pre-made pizza crusts with sauce: 2.99
Block of cheddar cheese: 1.79
Pure Vanilla Extract: 1.99
Spices: 0.99 each
Olive Oil: 2.99
White flour: 1.99
Mushrooms: 0.79
Almond butter: 4.99
Box of instant couscous: 1.29
Bag of 10 organic Gala apples: 4.99
Carton of organic grape tomatoes: 1.99
Bag of 5 sweet onions: 1.99
Bag of 8-10 russet potatoes: 2.99
Avocado: 0.49
Strawberries: 1.69
Can of green beans: 0.49
Can of organic pinto beans: 0.69
Can of Aldi "Rotel": 0.49
Cucumber: 0.49
Can of wild Alaskan salmon: 2.39
Aldi tortilla chips: 1.19
Hormone-free gallon of milk: 3.19
Medium bag of peanut M&Ms (yum): 2.35

The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake Ever

Literally. That's what the name of this recipe is. I've tried many vegan baking recipes, and most are a poor counterpart to their egg and dairy version. Once I found this beautiful recipe, I knew it would be our staple birthday cake recipe. The best part is that it's super easy. It doesn't require any beating, and it uses only common ingredients.


Cake:
1 1/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened coca powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp distilled white vinegar


Chocolate Glaze:
1/2 cup sugar
4 tsp dairy-free margarine
2 T soy milk
2 T unsweetened coca powder
2 tsp vanilla


Cake:
Preheat oven to 350. Mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt with a fork, making sure it is really well blended.


Mix together water, vanilla, oil, and vinegar, really well blended and then add to dry ingredients.


Pour into baking pan or sheet (8x8) and bake for ~30 minutes. Cool completely. Makes one small cake, good for a family of 4-5 (double if you want a regular size cake). We like to use a bundt pan because it's pretty.
For cupcakes, bake for ~20 minutes. Makes 1 dozen.


Chocolate Glaze:
Mix ingredients together well and pour over cake.

Happy 31st Birthday to me!

What's For Dinner: Shrimp pasta

This is one of my go-to meals to bring when people have new babies (or when we have last minute dinner guests) because it's super easy, quick, simple.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 pound of medium shrimp
3 T fresh lemon juice
1 pound of bowtie pasta
4 oz feta cheese
Green onions, chopped
Not shown: garlic and small package of pine nuts


Cook the entire box of pasta until tender. While its cooking, peel and sauté the shrimp with some olive oil and garlic until pink (thaw the shrimp the night before by putting it in the fridge. If you forget it only takes 10 minutes or so under cold running water).

 

Mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper in a small bowl. In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta and shrimp. Mix in the olive oil mixture. Stir in the green onions, pine nuts, and feta cheese. We eat it warm but it tastes fine cold, too. Serves 6.

Meal planning take two plus an awesome app

A few years ago I wrote about our method for meal planning. It was a good enough method but still involved picking out which meals to make each week and compiling a grocery list. With our family’s allergies I was having a hard time meal planning each week; it was something I looked forward to as much as the Sunday before a miserable workday.

 

I decided that the only way I could make cooking the slightest bit pleasant was to eliminate the planning part. So I slowly compiled a six week meal plan. Basically I have different meals planned for six weeks straight along with their coordinating grocery lists. As I find new recipes that I like I plan on expanding it even further so that I have up to eight weeks of meals, almost all different from each other (I get bored easily).

 

I go shopping with the girls once a week on Friday mornings. First we go to Aldi to get whatever they have in stock that we need (love that place- can’t beat a 3.19 gallon of hormone-free milk) and then get everything else at Kroger before heading home.

 

I have a spreadsheet on my computer and fridge with each day of the week’s meals. I also have a document on my computer with each week’s grocery list. That way, I don’t have to make one each week. I print it out and add any staples on the bottom. NO BRAINER. NO THINKING. All I have to do is check the fridge to see what is for dinner and I have everything right there in my fridge. Only shop once a week. Not bad. It is also nice because if you have a regular scheduled weekly event or work schedule, you can make your meal plan with that in mind.

 

In my typical OCD fashion, I went a step further and color-coordinated my grocery lists. Every Monday is ‘green’ and every Tuesday ‘red’, etc. on my spreadsheet. The ingredients for that meal are then listed in the same color on the grocery list. It makes for a colorful grocery list, but it has a major purpose. If we have something out of the ordinary planned one night like a dinner out or guests coming, I don’t have to go through the list and figure out what ingredients to cross out. I cross out all the ‘green’ ingredients or all the ‘red’ ingredients. Easy peasy. And yes, slightly OCD. Embrace it.

 

There are a few tricks to making it work. If you really want to shop only once a week, you must make sure all your fresh produce and meat is used towards the beginning of the week while your frozen veggies and meals that don’t spoil as quickly are used towards the end of the week. It’s not easy; sometimes a thing or too will go bad. Make sure you check the expiration dates when you buy. If this doesn’t work for you, you can also make a second run to the store mid-week to get more produce and meat.

 

As for repeats, we only have a few on there. These are inexpensive meals that we like (spaghetti and nachos are eaten every 3 weeks or so). As for new meals, I don’t particularly like to try new recipes but I think it’s good to do now and then, so one meal every six weeks is listed as “New Recipe”.  Like I said, as I find more recipes that we enjoy we will continue to expand the meals beyond six weeks.

 

There are some meal planning websites that do this kind of thing for you. However, they don’t work with allergies. Secondly, I don’t like all the meals on their list (not a fish eater though I do try to give the girls canned salmon every week for that DHA stuff ;).  They also cost a little bit of money. Either way, they don’t work for us. This takes some legwork up front but it works super well for our family. As you can see below we try to eat inexpensive meals; lots of beans, vegetables, and light on the meat when possible.

 

Here is our current 6-week meal plan. It is constantly changing as our preferences change or as we find new foods we like. Since I go shopping at Friday, the meal plan starts on Saturday because that is the day of the week where I need to use the freshest foods. You would start your meal plan on whatever night (or following night) you go shopping. I plan the grilled foods for the weekend when I know Ben will have time to grill. The fish sticks and CN (chicken nuggets) and other alternate meals for Anna are because she can’t eat what we have that night. Apart from our church’s small group which eats a weekly dinner at our home, we eat meals that Anna can eat except on Fridays. Fridays are when Ben and I eat our favorite food and give Anna something different.

 

Here is an example of a grocery list. This is week one’s grocery list. Each color is coordinated with the spreadsheet. I have them listed in the order you would find in Kroger (deli, produce, processed foods, meat, dairy, frozen foods, natural/health foods). I have a “circle if needed” on the bottom to make sure I don’t run out of our staples I need that week.
 

 

 

There you have it. Yes it takes a lot of legwork up front. But delayed gratification is definitely worth it when you never have to meal plan again!

Lastly, check out the amazing app called Fooducate. If you want to eat healthy but have no interest in finding out exactly what ingredients are bad for you (besides the obvious) then get this app. You scan the food’s barcode and it immediately labels the with a score of A through F. What could be easier? If the food isn’t up to your standards, it even gives you alternative brands that scored the highest. This app has seriously changed the way we eat. I don’t have to time to figure out what foods to buy on my own, but I do have time to scan a barcode and see its score. We try to avoid artificial flavors and colors, hydrogenated oils, unhealthy oils and tons of added sugar. Of course our budget doesn’t always allow for that but we do the best we can.

 

Fooducate automatically determines whether your food has a lot of sugar in it for its type of product. It isn’t always easy to tell on your own because lots of foods have natural sugar that is reflected in the sugar content. If you have nutrition or diet goals, you can include them in your food-searching, as well.

 

If you purchase the Plus app for $10 (lifetime subscription), it will also tell you if the food is GMO. Awesome feature. They have an allergy Plus app as well, but I’m so used to checking for allergens that I don’t need an app to do it for me. I probably wouldn’t trust it anyway!

 

Happy eating!

(I posted twice today so check below to see Anna's new leg!)

Easy. homemade.

When we first found out about Anna's garlic allergy I was pretty horrified. I knew that I would have to start making a lot of basic foods from scratch. From sauces to condiments to spice mixes to broths, very few convenience foods or shortcuts are garlic-free.

I hate to cook.

I became accustomed to creating many foods from scratch out of necessity. Italian seasoning, spaghetti sauce, chicken broth, salad dressing, and hummus. Convenience foods like frozen fish sticks and chicken nuggets. Even foods you wouldn't usually think of having garlic in them, like refried beans, I had to make from the bottom up. Other foods I had to work without because there wasn't a good homemade option that would work for us (ketchup, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, to name a few).

Now that she is a little older, Anna has been able to handle small amounts of garlic in her diet as her winter clothing protects her skin from breaking out and turning into sores. I thought I would be really excited to go out and buy all these foods I've been missing out on, and I was ... but then I wasn't. I found that many of the alternatives were quite unhealthy and bland. I decided it was just as easy to continue to make some of them from scratch. Here are some of the yummy ones I keep going back to. These are the foods whose alternative store-bought versions are often loaded with extra sugar and hydrogenated oil and are significantly more expensive. These are super easy and quick even for someone to hates to cook.

Here are some of my favorites:

Salad Dressing: I can't believe I've spent so much time buying unhealthy bottles full of junk when the simple, homemade stuff is so much better. I discovered from a friend that half and half oil and balsamic vinegar was as good (and a whole lot healthier) than the salad dressings I was using. I purchased a handy salad dressing pourer that has measurements on the outside and allows you to shake and pour it (see product here. You can get a small version at Bed Bath and Beyond for $7 with a coupon).

Spaghetti sauce: Make your own without sugar and a whole lot cheaper. I make a huge batch and freeze them in individual containers. I use 3 28oz cans of plain crushed tomatoes. Mix in some olive oil and lots of spices: 2T each of oregano, basil, parsley, and some thyme and salt and pepper. Try mixing in shredded carrots, grated zucchini, or the crumbled tips of broccoli to give it an extra nutritional oomph.

Chicken broth: Cooking a whole chicken in the crockpot and simmering, saving, and freezing the broth is a much healthier, sodium-conscious alternative to cans of (expensive) chicken broth. Oh, and it tastes soo much better. You can especially notice a difference in soups.

Hummus: this is so easy to make. You only need four ingredients: chickpeas (1 can), tahini paste (1.5 T), lemon juice (3T) and olive oil (2T). The trick is to run all the ingredients except the chickpeas through the food processor until smooth, and then process in the chickpeas. No garlic, additives, and no spending $4 on a container of hummus. You can add anything you want to it- roasted red peppers, garlic (if that floats your boat), spices, etc.

Refried beans: We eat a lot of beans but the only kind Anna isn't allergic to are pinto and kidney beans. Refried beans always contain garlic in them, so we had to make our own. We puree a can of pinto beans with a little bit of water until smooth. Easy and yummy. Great texture. Once I saw how unhealthy true refried beans at the store were, I was willing to take that extra step to make my own. They are great for making nachos, quesadillas, or burritos. We usually opt for beans over beef for our protein in Mexican food.


Chicken nuggets and fish sticks: It's a bit more work than the above foods, but you cut into strips or chunks your tilapia or chicken, roll them in mayonnaise with a little bit of lemon juice, and then roll them in breadcrumbs. Cook in the oven at 400 until crispy, let cool, and divide into freezer bags. I put one kids size meal in one sandwich bag and then load those all up into big freezer bags. I take out one serving size and pop them into the toaster oven for 10 minutes to warm up.

Yummy spaghetti sauce

I tried my hand at homemade pasta sauce this week since I couldn't find any store brands without garlic in them. I sort of combined two different recipes from friends, and it turned out sooo yummy. Anna and I were lapping it off the spoon on the stove while it cooked! It makes about 14 cups so plenty to freeze (you can half it as well). Delicious, easy, cheap, and healthy!

Marinara Sauce

8 T olive oil
4 28oz cans of crushed tomatoes in heavy puree (the plain stuff)
2 onions, diced or 2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp thyme
2 tsp parsley
2 tsp basil
2 T sugar (optional)
4 cloves of garlic (except for Anna :)

In a big pot heat the oil and lightly cook the garlic and onions for a minute or so (if you are using garlic :). Then basically just add all the other ingredients and simmer on low for 2 hours. I added a pound of cooked ground Italian sausage to this one, but I almost liked it better without it. Next time I am going to add 3-4 grated zuchini to get some more veggies in there (Anna won't eat chunks in sauce, lol).

Happy Valentines Day



                                                         From our little Lovebug!





It's hard to believe this is the fourth Valentines Day I've spent with Ben! We're not holiday-haters, but we also don't spend a bunch of money on days like today. Our tradition has been eating chocolate fondue, watching Little Women, and exchanging cards. Chocolate fondue is easier than you would think. You basically melt a bag of dark chocolate chips with a cup of heavy cream and a few drops of vanilla. The fruit I have here is a surprisingly small amount: 1 banana, 2 kiwis, 1 tangerine, 1 individual piece of pound cake, and half a strawberry carton. It's more than enough for the two of us. Other yummy toppings are pineapple, pretzals, and vanilla wafer cookies.

                      Happy Valentines Day! May you share with the ones you love...















What's For Dinner: Asian Food

Here are a few Asian dishes that I like to make. Both are fairly simple. The first is super easy and if you have cooking staples and the basics for Asian food in your pantry (soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, rice) it only requires 3 additional ingredients.

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Pineapple

20 oz. can of pineapple chunks packed in 100% pineapple juice

Boneless skinless chicken breast ~2 cups (I use the extra thin ones because they are easier to cook)

3 scallions

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

2 T vegetable oil

2 green peppers

Prep: Slice the scallions thinly across - white and green sections. Largely dice the green peppers (I cut them into 1-inch square chunks). Drain the pineapple, reserving the pineapple juice. Cut chicken into ~1 inch strips and cook in a skillet over medium-high in a few teaspoons of olive oil. It only takes a few minutes to cook the chicken. To avoid over-cooking, I time how long it takes for the bottom to cook halfway through, then I flip over and set a timer for the same amount of time. You might have another method that works for you.

1. Start cooking white rice (I make 2 cups dry in a rice cooker).

2. Make the sauce: combine pineapple juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Stir in flour and cook until sauce thickens (continue to stir constantly or sugar will burn). Trick is to make sure the sauce goes from liquid to a more viscous texture. Remove from heat; cover.

3.Heat oil in a skillet or wok over high heat. Add bell pepper and scallions. Stir fry until veggies are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Lower heat to medium. Stir in pineapple, chicken, and sauce; heat through. Serve immediately with rice.

Pork Lo Mein

This dish tastes fresh and in my opinion, lovely, but if you are used to the stronger flavors of Asian restaurant food then it might be too bland for you. In that case, I recommend adding a stir fry sauce, found in the Asian cooking section of most grocery stores.

3/4 lb lo mein noodles or spaghetti (about half a package)

4 tsp vegetable oil

9 garlic cloves, minced

2 T fresh ginger (buy a 3 inch piece, peel it and mince it)

1/2 lb cremini or button mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
6 ounces snow peas, trimmed and sliced thinly lengthwise

2 T soy sauce

1 T sesame oil (another Asian cooking staple)
3/4 lb pork tenderloin

1. Cut pork in one inch strips and cook in oil (flipping halfway) over medium high heat for ~4 minutes (it's easy to overcook pork, so again I recommend using the method mentioned above since cook times can vary depending on utensils).

2. Cook noodles according to package; drain.

3. In  a large skillet or wok, heat 3 tsp vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant and golden, about 1 minute. Add 1 tsp vegetable oil and mushrooms and cook, stirring constantly, until beginning to soften, 4 minutes. Add pepper and cook until crisp-tender, 4 minutes. Add snow peas and cook until crisp and bright green, 3 minutes. Add noodles, pork, and soy sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until noodles are coated and pork is warm through, 2 minutes. Drizzle with sesame oil before serving.

Menu Planning

I thought I would share how I do menu planning in our home because it really makes life easier. I hate to grocery shop so the thought of stopping multiple times at a grocery store throughout a week is enough to make me shudder. I've found that menu planning is not that hard and it has a lot of other perks as well:

• It gives you more TIME. I only have to plan once a week for 30 minutes or so, go shopping once, and then I don't have to think about it until the next week.
• Variety. I don't enjoy eating the same meal for 3 days in a row.
• It saves money. You can plan your meals around sale items. And you only buy what you need. Our fridge looks empty most of the time- but it has everything we need for 6-7 dinners. Ben has gotten in the habit of asking "do you need this one half of tomato or can I eat it?" because if it's in the fridge, chances are I'm planning on using it for a meal.
• It's healthy. When you plan ahead, you can plan well balanced meals and don't have to rely on eating out or eating processed food. It's also easier to control your cravings in the grocery store than it is at home. If you don't buy it, you can't eat it.

Here's the method I've found works best for us.

Step 1. I sit down every Saturday. First I look at the weekly ads online at our grocery store and make a mental note of what meat and produce is on sale (chances are if it's on sale it's also seasonal which means it will taste better- bonus).

I'm not very creative, so instead of racking my brain or flipping through endless recipes, I streamline this process by using a spreadsheet. I made a simple table in Microsoft Word with columns like Chicken, Beef, Vegetarian, Pork, Soups, Side Dishes, Other, and Dessert. Every time I make a recipe that we like, I add it to the appropriate column. Then all I have to do is scan the table and see what looks good. Is pork on sale? I look down my pork list. Do I want something vegetarian? Do I feel like making a soup? Easy peazy.

Bonuses to this method: it helps you create a well balanced menu because you are fully aware what the main category of meat/produce is that you are working with, it keeps variety because you don't have to rely on your memory and end up eating the same 7 meals over and over, and since you only list recipes that you want to eat again, you know everything on that spreadsheet is food worth cooking!

Sometimes I ask Ben what he feels like having this week. He'll come look at the spreadsheet and pick a few things out. I also have a list of new recipes that I pick a few recipes to try. If it turns out well, we add it to the spreadsheet.

Here's a rough picture of half of my spreadsheet (you can tell what we like to eat because my vegetarian list is about three times as long as my beef list):

Tips for planning:

• I type my meal plan in the space above the spreadsheet (main dish, a veggie, and occasionally another side). That way, I can easily move meals around if something changes (like when I get home late and don't have time to make what's on the meal for Tuesday but I do have time for Wednesday's meal). I try to plan a mixture of quick meals and longer meals.

• I typically plan meals that feed four. That way, I immediately box up the leftovers in two containers and lunch is ready. We rarely buy lunch food.

• Think ahead about your schedule. On the night before our small group, I'll make a meal that feeds double so Ben can have it for dinner while I'm at group. If you get home from work late on Thursdays, plan the throw-it-in-the-oven meal for that night.

• Since you are buying all your food a week in advance, you have to think expiration dates. I plan a lot of the meat dishes or dishes with fresh veggies early in the week. Towards the end of the week, I go for items that won't spoil (beans, lentils, pasta) and I usually use frozen veggies for the last few days since our area's produce doesn't last long. Grilled cheese and tomato soup is an easy go-to Sunday meal. If I ever make a meal with mushrooms it is always on a Monday- our mushrooms spoil unless we eat them within a day or so.

• Use ingredients for multiple dishes to save money. If I'm making homemade pizza one night, I will plan something else at the end of the week, like calzones or baked ravioli, so I can use the rest of the spaghetti sauce and it doesn't go to waste. If a recipe calls for bacon, I will usually make at least two dishes that require bacon because we don't buy it often.

 

Step 2. Make a grocery list. Glance over each recipe you are making and jot down the items that you need to buy. We keep a list on the fridge for random items that we run out of so I just add the items to this list. Easy.

Step 3. Go shopping. I make a note to see how fresh the vegetables are and the expiration dates on the meat. That way, I can switch around a couple of meals if I think the meat needs to be eaten early in the week but the veggies will last for 4 days (do this as soon as you get home while it's on your mind or you will forget and find rotten food in your fridge!)

That's it! You don't have to think about dinner for the rest of the week and you know everything you need is in your kitchen.

Yet another recipe

Here is another one of our staple recipes- I love meals that use all fresh ingredients and are not meat-heavy. This one is from a friend from our old church community at the Well.

It's easy and works well for visitors because it's surprisingly filling and the lentils can easily feed a lot of people (we half the recipe if it's just the two of us so we're not eating it for a week). You can get as many toppings as you want and serve it make-your-own-salad style.

(serves 8)
Lentil Salad
2 cups dried lentils
2 cups brown rice
1 chopped onion
1 T soy sauce
1 tsp marjarom
1/8 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
6 cups water
2 tsp salt
lettuce and tortilla chips (for serving the lentils on)

Fresh Dressing:
3 T honey
3 T vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tsp soy sauce
1 T sesame seeds
1/2 tsp dry mustard

Chopped Toppings (use as many you want - I recommend using all of them):
cucumber
tomato
onion
avocado
shredded cheese

Combine first 9 ingredients in a 9x13 pan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for one and a half hours. Make your own salad by layering tortilla chips as the base, followed by some lettuce, and top with the warm lentils. Add the chopped toppings and dressing to finish. We serve the toppings and dressing in little containers so people can take as much as they want.

What's For Dinner

White-bean-stuffed portobellos with lemon and garlic green beans- a new recipe that Ben and I considered a hit. First, I love that it uses portobello caps in place of a meat as the main course. I don't really enjoy cooking meat (and am not too skilled at it), so this was a great non-meat dish. I was waiting for portobellos to be on sale and hit the jackpot this week. I purchased two packs of 2 mushroom caps for 1.79 each. Recipe came from my favorite, Everyday Food magazine!

Ingredients:

4 large portobello mushrooms, stems discarded
1 tsp grated lemon zest, plus 2 T and 1 tsp lemon juice
3 T olive oil

coarse salt and ground pepper

2 minced garlic cloves
2 cans of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 thick slices of crusty bread, crusts removed
2 ounces feta cheese (about half a container)
half a pack of baby spinach
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (I used ground thyme and just thirded the amount)

1. Preheat oven to 400. Place mushrooms, stems side down, on a rimmed baking dish. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 T each lemon juice and olive oil. Brush mushrooms with mixture; season with salt and pepper. Roast mushrooms until tender and beginning to release their juices (about 15 minutes). Flip mushrooms and drain juices. Increase oven to 450.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat 1 tsp oil over medium-high. Add half the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add beans, 1 tsp thyme and 1/4 c. water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is almost evaported, about 3 minutes.

3. In a blender or food processor, pulse bread until coarse crumbs form. Add 1 tsp oil and 1 tsp thyme; pulse to combine. Top each mushroom with bean mixtures divided between them. Divide breadcrumbs and feta cheese and top bean mixture. Return to oven and bake until breadcrumbs are golden brown, 5 minutes.

4. In a large skillet, heat 1 tsp oil over medium-high. Add remaining garlic and cook, 30 seconds. Gradually add the spinach and toss until wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Add lemon zest and 1 tsp lemon juice and toss to combine. Serve spinach alongside mushrooms.

Voila!

And of course, here's Ben entertaining the Anna Bean while I cook. Note the dog bite scar on his right forearm. You can read about that lovely incident here.

And lunch tomorrow...

My Latest Homemade Addiction

Crepes with Nutella and bananas. 'Nuff said.

Ode to Veggies

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

For the last several years I have had a love for veggies. Fresh veggies of all kinds. I love them all- zucchini, broccoli, onions, mushrooms, potatoes, squash, green beans, green peas, Lima beans, black beans, any beans, carrots, peppers, garlic, tomatoes, spinach (fresh, not cooked), salad, asparagus, cucumber, corn.

I love it all. Steamed, sauteed, baked, or broiled. I would be happy with a meat free diet. I had to consciously refrain from eating the entire zucchini last night during dinner so that Ben could have his share. I never have veggies for lunch leftovers because I always finish them that night. Seconds, always. Thirds, usually. Post-dinner clean-up I can usually be found bent over the veggie pot eating any left morsels while Ben comments, "I guess we won't have any veggies for lunch tomorrow".

I don't know why I love veggies so much. You would think that because of my sugar addiction I would prefer fruit. Fruit is pretty, smells good, and is sugary. But for some reason, I've never really craved fruit like I crave veggies. I will certainly eat berries, oranges, apples, and bananas when offered, but I don't typically crave them the way I crave veggies. Not sure why that is.

My biggest challenge is that, because the produce here is not all that great, when I buy veggies for the week some of them go bad before I finish the week's meals. It's quite a disappointment when I go to grab the green beans from the fridge to cook for Saturday's dinner and I have to throw them out. Yes, I could use frozen veggies (which I end up doing in situations like this)... but it's not quite the same.

All I can say is that I'm glad my addiction is for veggies instead of fried food or hamburgers. I guess one can never eat too many veggies.

In honor of veggies, here is my favorite way to cook each one, though there are so many lovely options. I usually prefer cooked, not raw, veggies but NOT the southern-style mushy versions. Usually I like them pliable but still with a little crunch. Thank you to all my veggie teachers along the way, including trial-and-error :)

Green beans- baked or sauteed with a lot of fresh garlic, some olive oil, juice from two lemons, and some salt and pepper.
Spinach- in salad with sliced red onions, cucumber, sun dried tomatoes, and feta cheese.
Broccoli- microwaved in a covered pot with homemade vinaigrette dressing (gives that steamed effect without the hassle).
Zucchini- quartered and sliced lengthwise, brushed with olive oil, topped with a little Parmesan cheese, and paprika. Broiled in the oven until brown- yum! Also good sauteed in half moons with onions. So many ways to cook this one!
Asparagus- broiled with olive oil and Parmesan cheese, a little lemon juice.
Potatoes- how many ways! I love boiled and smashed red potatoes with onions, butter, and salt, quartered red potatoes baked with rosemary, balsamic vinegar, and Italian seasoning, and baked potatoes with chives and sour cream ... oh there are too many ways to describe how much I love this vegetable.
Bell Peppers- sliced and sauteed with onions with a little soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce makes a delicious stir fry. Also good chopped up in salad.
Tomatoes- thickly sliced and topped with Italian style bread crumbs mixed with Parmesan cheese and drizzled with olive oil., then broiled in the oven until brown (Au gratin). Tomatoes are the only veggie I'm not crazy about, unless they're sun-dried.
Squash- sliced and sauteed with chopped sweet onion, garlic, a little brown sugar, pepper, and nutmeg (yum!)
Onions- a joy of my life. I LOVE onions. In anything! And on their own! I think red onions are the best for salad, sweet onions for sauteing. Grilled onions are good on just about anything, especially meals that can typically be boring like grilled cheese sandwiches.
Beans/Legumes/peas- not really anything special to do with these. Black bean cakes are a-mazing though!
Corn- on the cob with butter
Cucumber- on top of toasted french bread pieces with feta cheese. Or in salad.
Mushrooms- sauteed with onions or used as sandwich toppers.

And that's all that's really on my mind right now...

Dinner

Lime-roasted chicken tostadas with green bean and potato salad..... yum!