"Peace and Quiet"

Peace and Quiet" Did you ever hear your parents say this to you when you were younger??

I did.. "

I would just like a little peace and quiet girls ! " and I thought,,

How stupid. !!!! How boring !

Strange how life turns upside down and inside out as you get older. This is all I have yearned for this past year. My mantra... A little more ,,, you guessed it. "Peace and Quiet "

So as this crazy busy year comes to an end, with the holidays quickly approaching,, and me trying like heck to get to the bottom of "what" the holidays truly mean to me,,, I kept coming back to my mantra,, peace and quiet..

The past two years have been a roller coaster ride of emotions for me,,, And despite it all,,,, I kept coming back and yearning for,,, a little "Peace and Quiet " This mantra kept me coming back to whats obviously so important to me,,,

The holidays are so hurried and stressful... shopping shopping and more shopping. That seems to be all people are wrapped up in these days.. The "obligatory" gift giving,,, From the day before Thanksgiving til now,, I have avoided the TV at all costs because the sound of another "GREAT HOLIDLAY BLOW OUT SALE,,, was enough to make me want to "blow my brains out !

To me,, the meaning of holidays have been lost. To commercialism and material desires... I found myself looking inward to what really matters. ,, Ask yourselves,, What "REALLY "matters to you. I have found the same words resonating in my brain

"Peace and Quiet" "Family and Friends"

So this year, my husband and I took a different approach.. no extravegent gifts were bought.. We gave the gift of time.. Time to those that matter most. We enjoyed some wonderful lovely dinners with some of those that are closest and dearest to us. From Thanksgiving til now. Tomorrow we head out on a road trip to Tulsa to visit my brother and his wonderful family. This is a trip we have been longing for all year... To spend some much needed time with family so dear to us. So as the weeks have wound down,, especially this last one,, I have tried to remind myself to take pleasure in the little moments that bring joy and,,,,,, yep,, you guessed it..

"Peace and Quiet"

My advice,, Forget the stress... Lets face it,,, there is a LOT more peaceful moments in our lives ,,, rather than stressful ones. Its all a matter of how you look at things,, The more time you spend obsessing on the stressful moments,, the more time the peaceful moments get "lost in the shuffle" trust me,, I know this a lot easier said than done,

So this past week imparticular as the year comes to a close,, I have captured a few moments of what has brought me "peace, quiet and joy,,, " and here they are,,, In no particular order,,,



MY CHILDREN,,, need I say more...

Baking cookies,,, the smell of fresh mint infused candy cane cookies,, makes me lucky to have a beautiful kitchen to cook in and a wonderful husband to help me do the dishes afterwards,,,:)

Making home made cranberry dressing,, the sound of the cranberris crackling in the pan makes me awe inspired at how the smallest things can produce such BIG TASTE :)

The perfect way these candycanes lay in the freshly fallen snow in my front yard,,,,

Thw twinkling of the Christmas lights late at night makes me feel fortunate to have a home to lay my head and a home to decorate to my wildest expectations...

Have you ever stopped to "hear" or "See" a snowflake as it falls from the sky,, its TRULY epitomizes the "Sound of Silence" Hence,, "Peace and Quiet "

A "Fall" moment,, I had to throw in that i LOVE

Stop to smell the roses,,, or the leaves,,,, amazing how ONE SIMPLE LEAF can bring such amazement and awe to such a small person,,,, makes me want to be a child again...

So I encourage everyone the next few days of the holidays to take the time to enjoy the silence of a snowflake falling on the ground,, instead of cussing it out for making messy traffic conditions,, Take time to watch your children get messy eating at the dinner table and not obsess about how messy they are making themselves,, take time out to let your child stop and feel the leaf and see its many colors and wonder why its there,, instead of hurrying off to your next "to do"
Take time to indulge in what TRULY matters to you and what TRULY brings you joy and I guarantee,,,, you wont be any happier than the moment you DECIDE to be happy.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS and MERRY CHRISTMAS !

Holy SWEET POTATOES Bat man!!!!!

Ladies and gentlemen,,, I must confess I was shocked and amazed.


My mouth was drooling with delight at this lil culinary "surprise" Who would have thunk,,,

Sweet potatoes, chili powder and cheddar cheese in a corn tortilla combined with a few other yummies could meld together to form such a lovely and simple yet different dish

I must confess,,, I was a little unsure of including sweet potatoes in a quesdilla cheese format,, but I had some leftover sweet potatoes that were going bad and not enough cheese to make a full fledge quesadilla,, so as always,, I consulted my kitchen best friend,,, "Moosewood cooks at Home" and as always,, they did NOT let me down.



I HIGHLY suggest anyone with children try this recipe... As long as your kiddos like mexican fare.
It is packed with tons of nutrients that an otherwise bland and boring cheese quesadilla could not provide.
So open up your minds and give this one a try,, ( sorry for the sloppy pic,, didnt think the dish would be talk worthy so didnt snap a pic til after we had dug in,,,, )


"Sweet Potato Quesadillas" courtesy of Moosewood cooks at home "

1 1/2 cups Finely Chopped onion
2 garlic cloves,, minced or pressed
3 TBSP vegetable oil
4 cups grated peeled sweet potato ( about 3 potatoes )
1/2 tsp oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
generous pinch of cayenne pepper
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Corn tortillas
Sour cream
aute the onions and garlic in the vegetable oil until the oinions are translucent.

• Add the grated sweet potatoes, oregano chili powder cumin and cayenne and cook covered for about 10 minutes.Stirring frequently to prevent sticking
• When the sweet potato is tender, add salt and pper to taste and remove from heat.
• Warm a small frying pan up with a dash of oil
• Place tortilla on center of frying pan,, sprinkle some cheddar cheese on top,, add about one eighth of the sweet potato filling on the tortilla and top addl grated sharp cheddar chesese,.
• Place another corn tortilla on top and let heat on low heat til cheese starts to melt.
• Gently press the tortilla together with a spatula every few seconds.
• Once cheese appears to be meltin, flip tortilla over and brown other side,, Continue til cheese is melted and tortillas are melted together
• Serve with a dollop of sour cream to dip.

"Simple Happy Days "

Have you ever had a day where you just WANT to be happy. You yearn to find the simple things in life that TRULY make you happy.
If your ever wanting to find out where to seek true joy and happiness, you can see that in the eyes of a toddler walking and running through the leaves. A single leaf can bring a smile to her face. A single leaf can bring her happiness and make her mind fill with wonder and awe. Before the time hits when children are taught "learned' behavior and material desires ,,,
true happiness and wonder can be found in the simple things.

Like nature.
What a beautiful gift.

If only we all could run with abandon like children and think with unbridled amazement and awe. I have reached a point in my life where simple things mean SO MUCH MORE than the large material valued items that so many people seek to have. I find this joy and happiness in my children.
Yesterday imparticular I had one of those "Simple happy days" I wished I had my camera with me, as I like to capture these moments in picture,, but sadly I didnt. Hope my words can help eveyrone to envision what I was seeing this day.

Here is what I posted in my daughters journal.

Wathing you experience simple joys really truly make me feel blessed. You make me see life through a new set of eyes. It's like ive been blind all this time and watchng you makes me see how incredible life can be. Makes me stop and think and KNOW what TRULY is important.

It was a sunny breezy beautiful day today. Not a cloud in the sky about74 degrees
The sum was warm and the breeze smelled like "fall" , like grass clippings and drying leaves sprinkled with the fragrance of fall flowers. Falling leaves from the trees as we walked in the shades of yellow, red, green and orange.
We went to Hudson Crossing Park. I love to spend time with you in nature,. I watched you run through the grass, staying a few steps behind you. I watched you and I couldnt help but smile from ear to ear. As you ran , you laughed and giggled,, I think the sound and feel of the leaves rustling under your feet amused you. Every so often you would trip over a tree trunk, topple over, get your hands and knees dirty, you would sit there for a minute, look at the dirt on your hands, you wouldnt cry, you'd simply investigate the dirt on your hands, Turning your hands back and forth, back and forth. Then youd look up at me and say "uh oh" so Id come down and squat beside you,, and reassure you "its ok" just a little dirt and I would show you how to brush it off. Youd brush it off and getback up and keep running.

Every so often a brightly colored leaf would catch your attention. So you would stop and pick it up ,, some of the leaves from the old oak trees, as big as your head , you would hold it out to me and say "wow" ! ! !

On the way back to the car I spotted the biggest tree in the park. A tall stately tree that as far as trees go. could give the Sears Tower a run for its money,, it not only was tall but as it grew higher,, its branches spread wider as it embraced the sky and hovered over us like an upside down wedding dress. Its leaves were bright yellow and small and when the breeze blew they sort of "twinkled" . I said "WOW Lily look,,, she said "Wowo" SUNSHINE ! and blew it a kiss. Yes Lily,, it does look like Sunshine doesnt it ???

aaaahhhh if only adults could find this inner simplicity and happiness... Im working on it..

My mommy can cook your mommy UNDER THE TABLE BABY !

So yes,, Im sooooooooooooo SORRY I have been gone for Faaaaaaaaar too long. Summer has been quite busy for me. I have heard from several people that they looked to my website for new and creative ideas to feed their little ones and I Have to tell you I am SO TOUCHED that people have been inspired in the way they have. That "was" the purpose of my blog,, but I never new it was actually working. So THANKSto everyone who keeps logging on and checking things out. I hope to keep you "inspired"

Over the course of this summer I took on a new adventure that Im quite excited about... selling "Barefoot Books"... I will write a newpost devoted entirely to that,, but now folks,,, back to ou regularly scheduled programming and that is,,,
FOOD FOOD FOOD.... ! ! ! yummy, delicous, flesh free food ! !

YES,, I have continued to take "some" pics and recorded recipes over the past few months, which I will be sharing intermitently over the course of the next few blogs,, but for now.. Let me just share with you three recipes and pics that we enjoyed, and this past week.

FRENCH TOAST BREAD PUDDING ( recipe courtesy of Kiwis Magazine )

10 oz of Briocche or challa bread cut into slices about 1 inch thick

1 vanilla bean

2 cups of milk ( u could use unsweetened soy here as well,, or almond milk )

4 eggs

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp turbinado sugar ( "RAW" sugar )

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.Greas an 8x8 glass baking dish

3. Cut slices of bred into 1 inch cubes and add to bakingdish ( this part is fun for the kids to do,, they can just tear it part with ther hands as opposed to using a knife. )

4. Cut vanilla bean lengthwise and sscrape out seeds. Reserve seeds. ( for those of us less foodies,, a 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract "can" be substituted )

5. Whisk together all remaining ingredients including vamnilla seed in a large bowl EXCEPT the turbinado sugar

6.Pour over bread slices and smash down with a spatula.

7.Sprinkle turbinado sugar on top.

BAKE in oven for about 40 minutes or until ops are puffed and golden brown

This recipe is SO YUMMY and can be varied in SO MANY ways,,, I decided to serve it with mixed frozen berries thawed and warmed a tad and some cottage cheese,,,, although sour cream r greek yogurt would work well to. This dish is quite sweet so this is the reason I complemented it with a dollop of something neutral like cheese or sour crem and also somethng a bit tart,, the berries . this recipe is also great for those "lil " gourmands in your family who want to help with breakfast in bed for dad or mom,,,, its not like pan frying french toast,, its much safer an the kidos usually LOVE the outcome.. atleast mine do :)

Calabacitas Casserole with Polenta ( recipe courtesy of Food Network.com and my AWESOME friend Jenn )

3 Tablesppons Extra Virgin Olive oil

2 cups of frozen corn kernels thawed

4 cloves of garlic smashed and diced

green chile pepper or 2 jalapeno peppers ,, de seeded and chopped

2 small zucchini

1 small medium yellow squash ( I used about 2 cups of diced Butternut squash instead to change up the textures,,, cause to me,, yellow squash and Zuchhini taste the same )

1 large yellow onion chopped

1 14 oz can of stewed tomatoes

2 tsp's dark chili powder ( I also added a couple dashes of Chipotle chili powder to give it a smoky flavor )

1 16 oz tube of prepared polenta ( i made my own home made polenta )

3 scallions chopped

2 tablesppons of hopped cilantro or parsley

2 cups 10 oz of monterey jack cheese shredded

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add EVOO and saute corn, garlic and chiles

( if using butternut squash I sauted these first for about 5- 10 minutes since they have a heavier consistency and will need more cooking time than the rest of the veggies,, THEN I added the corn garlic and chiles and continues on with the recipe as is )

Sautee for 3minutes and then add zucchini , onions andseason with chili pwders and salt and pepper.

Add stewed tomatoes and heat through.

Place vegetable in square baking dish, top with slices of pokenta dn cheese and bake in a 500 degree oven for 5-10 minutes

Garnish with scallions and cilantro or parsley once cooked.

SIDE NOTE: I did the opposite,,, since Im tyring to go dairy free these days,,, I didnt do the "casserole type set up. I actually just sliced the polenta and put it on a plate,,, served the veggies right over it and nixed the whole oven potion,,,, and it was YUMMY !

Lily LOVED it !

Thanks to Jenn for kickin down this recipe,,, I tweaked it and made it my own , minus the cheese and it was SUPER YUMMY !

NOT YO Mammas Green Beans ( recipe courtest of none other than moi" )

One pound of FRESH green beans
3 cloves of garlic

1 TBSP of imitation bacon bits

dash of red pepper flakes

salt and TONF of fresh cracked pepper

EVOO

-Wash green beans and snap off ends

-boil, not steam green beans in water for about 5-8 minutes,,, til hey are tender but not mushy ands till have their bright green color.

-Once boiled blanch in cold water for a few minutes

-In a separate saute pan,, saute Garlic in about 1/4 cup olive oil til starting to brown

-add the bacon bits, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper.

-Pour over green beans and toss and serve..

This recipe would also be good topped with sliveered almonds and or sunflower seeds to add to the nutritinal content and texture of it.

So,,,,, thats it for tonight... Im tired,,,, Hope you all enjoy these recipes and please feel free to comment on if you tried any. IM always eager to hear what people think....

As always,,, Keepin it flesh freee and OH SO HAPPY !

Thursday May 8th

Breakfast:

Corn cakes ( they look burnt but I SWEAR they arent,,, its just the pic )

Fresh diced strawberries

Scrambled eggs with feta cheese

Lunch:

Barley Vegetable Stew with Garbanzo Beans and feta cheese sprinkled on top

Appley Apricot Delight

Polenta

Dinner:

Not worth mentioning,, a plethora of finger foods... Zack had a baseball game so no fancy food fare this evening for the monkey !

Til next time

Mommy's keepin it flesh free for me :)

Recipes

Some yumolicous recipes,,,,

Zucchini and tomato fritatta

2 TBSP Veg oil
1 small onion peeled and chopped
2/3 cup zucchini , thinly sliced
Can of diced tomatoes
4 eggs
1 TBSP milk
2 TBSP parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste


- Heat the oil in a 9 inch non stick frying pan. Add the onion and zucchini, season lightly and cook for about 15 minutes.

-Add the tomatoes and continue to cook for about 3 to 4 minutes
-Beat the eggs with the milk and pepper and pour over the veggies. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the eggs are set underneat ( you DON’T want to over cok and get the eggs CRUSTY ,,,yucky.
-Sprinkle the parm cheese over the Fritatta and cook briefly under the broiler until golden.
-Cut into wedges and serve hot or cold.

Pasta with Cheese and Broccoli/ Corn

¼ lb pasta cartwheels or any past u prefer
1 and ¼ cups broccoli, cut into small florets,
½ cup frozen sweet corn

Cheese Sauce
2 TBSP butter,
¼ cup flour
1 ¼ cups milk
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Topping
2-3 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese
1 ½- 2 TBSP bread crumbs


Cook the pasta in boiling, lightly salted water according to directions on package,

While that is cooking, place the broccoli and corn in a steamer and steam for 4 to 5m inutes, or until tender, cover and keep warm. Set aside. .

To make the sauce, melt the butter in a small pan . Add the flour to make a paste and stir over low heat for about a minute. Gradually whisk in the milk, bring slowly to a boil and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the cheddar cheese until melted and season as desired.

Stir the vegetables into the sauce, then mix in the pasta. Pour the mixture intoa greased gratin dish and sprinkle with parm cheese and bread crumbs. Bake in the preheated 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes

Bananas with Maple Syrup

1 small banana peeled and sliced
1 TBSP Maple Syrup
Dash of cinnamon
Pat o butter


Melt butter in small sauce pan,
Add the Banana and cook, stirring occasionally for about one minute.
Add the Maple Syrup and Cinnamon and cook for another minute or so

Serve with fresh whipped cream or with raisin toast or on pancakes…

Bannanas from Heaven

Alright,, I have no pics today. My son took my camera to springfield for his 8th grade class trip,, however, I MUST MUST MUST share with u the lil ounce of divinity I experienced today,
'Bannas in Maple syrup." ( courtesy of Annabel Karmels simple meals )
Slice a small bannana up and sautee lightly for about 5 minutes in a frying pan with a small pat o' butter.
Add about a TBSP of PURE REAL maple syrup and a dash of cinnamon... sautee for another minute or two.

I then whipped up some fresh whipped cream and added on top,,, however, you can be creative,, put this on toast,,, in pie,,, I may try to whip the cream with the bannas next time,, refrigerate it and eat it in a pie shell next time around.... However,,,, even if you just eat it plain,, it is DIVINE, YUMMY SUPER SUPER DEEEEEELICOUS and OH SO FINE! ! !

Yes, upon first glance this sounds kinda like,,, whatever,,,,
HOWEVER,,,, it has to be once of the easiest things I have ever whipped up and I can honestly say it WILL be a staple on the lil monkeys plate for many years to come... along with mommy munching alongside

Keep it flesh free and OH SO HAPEEEEEEEE your colon will be :)

A yummy day for Lily ~

Breakfast :

Whole Grain Oatmeal with Flax Seed Meal, Soy Milk, a dash of brown sugar and fresh blueberries.

Apple Orange Breakfast with fresh whipped cream. ( recipe courtesy of Organic Baby meals, by Lizzie Vann )



Lunch: The closest thing to divinity I have experienced in a while :)

Tomato Zucchini Fritatta, ( recipe courtesy of First Meals by Annabel Karmel )

Home Made Polenta, ( recipe courtesy of Moosewood Cooks at home ) with Trader Joes, vodka sauce.

Dinner: Not worth mentioning, Loads of leftovers,, big brother had a baseball game and we ate on the run.

The Apple Orange Breakfast is really yummy and super easy to make. Its a atake off of a swedish dish,, its apples simmered in Orange juice , fresh oats , golden raisins and yogurt. All the major food groups represented in a simple delectable dish. Topped with some cinnamon.

Til next time,, keep it flesh free !!!!

Today was a rather colorful and fun day of eating for the Lil Plum and I.. Hope you enjoy as much as we did !

Breakfast:

Corn Cake with Cream Cheese and Blueberry Jam

Diced Frozen Organic Peaches simmered in some white grape juice and agave syrup

Quinoa, with a splash of soymilk and cinnamon

2 servings of grain- Corn cakes and Quinoa

3 servings of protein- Quinoa, Corn cakes, Soymilk and Cream cheese.

2 servings of fruit- Peaches and Blueberry jam

The corn cakes are made with Plain Yogurt, so not only are they are a source of grain, they are also a protein source. Yes I know this meal was a lil protein heavy.

Lunch :

Ditalini pasta, tossed with fresh tomato cacciatore sauce

Garlic Nan and hummus dip with cubed cucumbers.

Sauce is SUPER simple to whip up. Simmer for about fifteen minutes a large can of diced tomatoes, jar of drained marinated artichoke hearts, jar of drained roasted red pepper, Fresh garlic, Olive Oil, and a TBSP of Mild Giardinere ) Add cubed tofu and garbanzo beans at the end. Top with parmesan cheese.

2 servings of grain- Pasta and Nan
2 servings of protein- Tofu, Garbanzo Beans, Hummus and parmesan cheese.

2 servings of fruit/veggie Cacciatore Sauce and cucumbers

Dinner :

Home made macaroni and cheese with whole wheat bread crumbs, broccoli and corn.

Diced Peaches.

1 serving of grain- Macaroni

1 servings of protein- Cheese.
2 servings of fruit/veggie - Broccoli corn and peaches

Lil monkey wasnt too fond of the diced cucumbers,, perhaps its the texture. She LOVED the garlic nan with hummus and also LOVED the ditalini pasta.

I made an attempt at a Coconut amaranth pudding for dessert, however, it did not turn out

So unfortunately I do not have photos to share of that culinary disaster.. Still looking for recipe ideas for whipping up amaranth that are somewhat simple.

Til next time.
PLEASE keep it flesh free. !

OK. so,,, I realize I have been gone for a while,,, so ,, in no particular order,, I am posting some various pics of meals, breakfast , lunch and dinners,. You know,,, just to get you caught up and just so you know,,, I havent been slackin in the feedin my plum healthy bites,,, I have just been slackin in posting the outcomes... Hope ya'll enjoy and find some inspiration somewhere amongst my madness......
Blueberry Pancakes topped with Cream Cheese and Blueberry Jam.
Fresh sliced strawberries and cottage cheese.

Not too interesting lunch. Barley simmered in veggie broth and combined with some edamame, sliced strawberries, yet again, and some pureed Sweet Potatoes.

Lima Bean Gratin, ( recipe courtesy of Organic Family Meals by Lizzie Vann) and "O" pasta,,,, LOVE LOVE the Lima bean gratin,,, has every major food group represented in one dish,,, Lima Beans, cheddar cheese, red peppers, bread crumbs, tomatoes,,, etc. etc... however,gives lil plum gas,,, so ,,, it's ano go at dinner. Unless I want to be up all night with her. Perhaps next time it will be a lunch favorite :)

Breakfast: Corn Cakes, Slice Strawberries and cottage cheese.
Dinner: Sliced sourdough bread,,, a lil monkey favorite. Steamed broccoli, Vegan Split Pea Soup and Home Made applesauce...

Well,, there you have it,,, these are some of the more interesting meals that I prepared over the course of my hiatus,,, not too exciting,,, perhaps thats why I havent blogged....

Til next time,,,, keepin it flesh free is the only way to be

( yeah I know,, I'm gettin a little cheezy ) Dont ya love cheese though ???:) Muwah !

Sweets for my sweets

Yep,,, I m back and of course what better way to reel you back in with some lovely photos of some delectable sweets. The top photo is a pic of a AWESOME German apple oven pancake that I made for my first monkey, Zack and his BF jake. ,,, YU MMY !!

The bottom photo is a pic of a WONDERFUL black bean brownie recipe my lovely friend Anne kicked down to me.. With some extra creamy french vanilla ice cream

Yes that's right,, you read it right. BLACK BEAN BROWNIES,,,,, the BOMB !

However, I wouldnt recommend this recipe for those that are not caffeine tolerant. My poor lil plum was hyper for a WEEK before I figured out why... One of the ingredients in the brownie is coffee.... not that I fed this to her. But Im still nursing her and apparently she got an extra double dosage of the caffeine.

Well,,, I believe I have some blogging catching up to do,,, I have much to show and tell..

Whole Wheat- Swedish Pancakes,, um,, no go

So,,, I made an attempt at a "healthy" swedish pancake.. These are mine and my lovely DS's zack, absolutely favorite breakfast food,,, however,, I wouldnt recommend attempting a whole what swedish pancake. NOT the best. Edible,, but not a re make... Lil Plum liked them,,, but of course,,, she doesnt know any better.

Anyway,,,, here it tis,,,, la menu

Breakfast
Whole Wheat Swedish Pancakes topped with fresh strawberries and vanilla yogurt
Cottage cheese

Lunch
Honey Mustard green beans
Broccoli Cheddar Potatoes
Sliced Frozen Pineapple

Dinner
Lentils with carrots, celery and roasted red peppers
Pureed Butternut Squash
Shredded Pink Lady Apple

Pics from weekend meals

Here are pics of the dinner I cooked for the DH on Saturday. I know,, this blog is about what Im feedin my lil monkey,, but,, she ended up eating half of this meal so I figured I would share . The first pic is of the Salmon with Caper Beurre Blanc and Honey Mustard Green Beans and and Chimichurri Rice and dessert, Greek yogurt, topped with Black Rasberries.

Last of the Weekend Recipes

Alrighty,,, so,, this weekend was a lil more colorful than I thought on the menu palette. Pics to be posted on Monday, however, here is a sampling of what I whipped up this weekend.
First off is Vegan split pea soup. BY FAR one of my favorite things to make. I have made this recipe over and over again,,, I would say atleast five times, which for me.. Is a lot. For someone who likes to experiment and try new recipes every week,,, I'm always trying new things and every once in a while I come up with a few that I just yearn to make and make over and over again..

This is one of them. My lil Plum LOVES this stuff. Sadly,, her lil tummy doesnt like it as much so we cant overdo it on this recipe. Once a week...good to go.... two days in a row. A no go.

Here is a link ,, tryit ! u WILL love it. I promise

VEGAN SPLIT PEA SOUP

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Vegan-Split-Pea-Soup-I/Detail.aspx

Next recipe is a dish I whipped up for my lovely DH Chuck ,,, however,,, lil Plum was standing by watching as we ate it,, and desprately yearning to try a few bites. Much to my shagrin,, she LOVED it. Who would've thunk,, a lil one year old would be fond of.......

Salmon Fillets with Quick Caper Beurre Blanc,,,,

( this recipe courtesy of Delicous living magazine,, jan/feb 2008 edition )

2 TBSP olive oil, divided

2 6 oz Salmon fillets.

1 small shallot, finely chopped ( about 2 TBSP)

2 TBSP capers, drained

Juice ( 2 to 3 TBSP ) and zest of one lemon

3 TBS unsalted butter

2 sprigs of fresh dill, finely chopped

Heat 1 TBSP oil in skillet over medium heat.

Season Salmon sfllets with salt and pepper on both sides

Cook in oil 5 minutes on each side, or until browned and flaky

Transfer to plate

Wipe out pan and heat remaining oil, over medium heat.

Add shallot and capers and cook 2 minutes or until shallots are soft and capers are crisp.

Stir in lemon juice and simmer 1 minute or until lemon juice reduces slightly.
Remove from heat, and whisk in butter, 1 TBSP at a time. until just incorporated,.

Stir in lemon zest and dill..

Place salmon on serving plates and spoon sauce over each fillet.

VoILA '
YUMM YUMM !!

by farrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr the BEST fish I have ever put in my mouth and also the EASIEST and quickest dish ever.

Try it,,, u wont be disappointed. Warning though,,, this dish is VERY lemony,, which I happen to LOVE. Anything lemon and you have me wanting more. But,,, some people arent as big of lemon fans,,, if you arent... u may want to steer clear of this recipe. Its a tad tart,,, but oh oh oh so tasty...and super rich. MAKE SURE u get fresh fillets,,, no frozen fillets up in here. !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Try to get wild caught if at all possible, especially if you are cooking for lil ones. As the farm raised contain MUCH more mercury. Lil ones bodies absorb chemicals at a much higher rate than we do....

Until next time,

Where the magic happens- recipes cont'd.

Alright, so I have decided since the majority of my weekends are spent eating out and running errands,,, Lilys bites arent quite as interesting and usually consist of leftovers so I have decided to take this time to include recipes of note from the prior week on my weekend blogs.
HA ! and just when you thought you would miss me,,,,, ppppshawwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Caluitato Mash
Courtesy of Kiwi Magazine, april/May issue 2008.

v 4 Potatoes
v 1 small head of Caluiflower
v 3 TBSP of butter ( I use earth balance )
v Shredded Cheddar Cheese ,, optional
v Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil
v Peel and slice potatoes. Place into pot of water
v Remove stems and leaves from cauliflower and cut head into florets, Add florets to water
v Boil the potatoes and cauliflower until extremely soft, about 25 minutes
v Drain vegetables and place them back into pot.
v Using a potato masher, mash vegetables until smooth.
v While vegetables are hot, add butter ( I also added about a tablespoon of sour scream here too)
v Add salt and pepper to taste and top with shredded cheddar cheese

This is a GREAT way to add TWO servings of veggies into your lil ones meal,, and for the older ones, cauliflower, which most teenagers and older kids are not big fans of,, you can hardly tell its even in there. My teenager ate it, no prob, no questions asked.


Green Beans with Honey Mustard Sauce
Courtesy of Kiwi Magazine, april/May issue 2008.

v 1 lb green beans
v 1 TBSP olive oil
v 1 TBSP of honey
v 1 TBSP mustard ( I used a combo of reg. mustard and Dijon mustard )
v Boil a large pot o ' water
v While water is boiling trim ends of green beans .Remove stems and leaves from cauliflower and cut head into florets, Add florets to water
v Boil beans for 5 to 7 minutes until tender but still a bit crisp. Drain well and place back in pot.
v While beans are still hot, immediately add olive oil, honey and mustard.
v Add salt and pepper to taste.
v Toss well and serves

This sounds like it wont be too tasty but I urge you to try it. It’s a SUPER easy way to sweeten up bland green beans and as we all know,, most kiddos don’t like green beams so hopefully this will get them comin back for more. !!!!!!

Weekend Recipes

Alright, so I have decided since the majority of my weekends are spent eating out and running errands,,, Lilys bites arent quite as interesting and usually consist of leftovers so I have decided to take this time to include recipes of note from the prior week on my weekend blogs.

HA ! and just when you thought you would miss me,,,,, ppppshawwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Six Minute Chocolate Cake
(Recipe from Moosewood cooks at home cookbook )

1 ½ cups unleached white flour ( i prefer to use wheat flour)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1, 1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
½ cup vegetable oil( I use canola)
1 cup cold water or brewed coffee
2 teasoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons vinegar

To make the cake preheat oven to 375 %
Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda , salt and sugar in to an ungreased 8 inch square or a 9 inch round baking pan.

In a 2 cup measuring cup measure and mix together the oil, water or coffee and vanilla..

Pour the liquid ingredients into the baking pan and mix the batter with a small fork or whisk.. When the batter is smooth, add the vinegar and stir quickly.

There will be pale swirls in the batter where the abking soda and vinegar are reacting. Stir just until the vinegar is evenly distributed throught the baterr. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Set the cake aside to cool

The cookbook calls to make a glaze for the top of the cake,, I just topped it off with some powdered sugar. This cake happens to be the EASIEST cake I have ever ever baked. MUCH easier even than a boxed cake. No dairy, no mixing bowls needed and more than likely, you have everything in your pantry to whip it up in a jiffy. Perfect after school snack for the lil ones, as a treat.
ENJOY and of course keep it FLESH FREE.!!!!!

Mommy,,, what's Quinoa ???

Breakfast:
Scrambled Eggs
Pureed Strawberries thickened with rice cereal
Slice of Banana Wheat Bread
Earths Best Banna Peach apple Juice

1 protein serving - eggs
2-3 fruit/veggie servings- pureed strawberries , bananas and juice
1 serving of grains- Bread and rice cereal

Lunch :
Italian Style Lentils - Recipe to follow
Cornbread muffin
Shredded Apples topped with cinnamon
Earths Best apple Peach Banna Juice

1 protein serving- lentils
2 grain servings- lentils and cornbread
2 fruit/veggie servings- shredded apples and various veggies in the lentil dish

Dinner :
Peruvian Quinoa Stew, ( courtesy of Moosewood Cooks at Home Cookbook , the BEST cookbook I have laid my hands on.)
More Corn Bread
Pan simmered bannas, pineapples and peaches.
Glass of Milk

2 protein servings- milk and quinoa
2 grains ervings- quinoa and cornbread
2- fruit/veggie servings- fruit and various veggies in quinoa stew

Alright, so here goes ,,,, what is ????? Quinoa.

Quinoa (pronounced /ˈkinwɑ/ KEEN-wah or /ˈkinoʊə/ KEE-no-uh, Spanish quinua, quínoa, or quinoa) is a species of goosefoot (Chenopodium) grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds
In contemporary times this crop has come to be highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%). Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essentil amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete food. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phsphorus and is high in magnesium and iron.

Many of you may already know the beauty of this lil grain, but for those of you who dont,, please read on,, my lil Lily is a HUGE fan of this stuff. As you know, children , especially toddlers who are first being introduced to new tastes and textures of foods, are extremely sensitive to texture. The texture of Quinoa, when prepared correctly is extremely pleasing to the lil sprouts new tastebuds. It has somewhat of a distinct "nutty" taste to it,,, and is aa cross in texture between rice and couscous. Kinda like pastina,, but more flavorful.

For those of you who are inquiring,,, Iam working on a format to include recipes for the culinary delights I have posted thus far,,, I hope to have them up soon.

Til then,,, Keep it flesh free and oh so happy !

Well,,, it started off good

Breakfast: A slice of Whole Wheat Banna Bread - recipe to follow

( thats edible rose petals prinkled atop ,, no,,, Lily didnt eat those,,, that was just for effect :)

Bowl of her fav... cottage cheese

Bowl of Vanilla Yogurt with some pureed strawberries mixed in and a dash of "Raw Agave Syrup" for a tad sweetness , Graham crackers dipped in and dried fruit, apricots, pienapple sprinkled atop

(Agave syrup can be found in the baking aisle by the sugars, most grocery stores carry it now,, it is an ideal sweetener for diabetics and those looking to avoid fast moving sugars,,, it has a low glycemic index and does not elevate sugars as rapidly as regular sugar does.. it does however have a lot of calories,, so use sparingly. It is much sweeter than regular sugar,, but mighty tasty and definately not a chemical disaster like sweet and low,, ie: Saccharin,, . Story of sweet and low another day,,, another blog. Just STAY AWAY i tell you. STAY AWAY ! ! Opt for the natural plant based sweeteners... )

2 protein servings - cottage cheese and yogurt
2 1/2 fruit/veggie servings - REAL banannas in the bannana bread and REAL strawberries pureed in the yogurt Dried fruit atop the yogurt.
1 1/2 grain servings- the bread itself,,, whole what flour of course and the graham crackers.


Lunch:

Tofu cubes and a couple spoonfuls of rice.

Quick and easy,, nothing worth detailing too much, Lily plum had a weird nap schedule and didnt really eat a full lunch,, and had an early dinner

Dinner:

Broccoli Cheddar Quiche from Trader Joes
Earths Best Organic Cheddar Crackers
Earths Best Straberry and Peanut butter ceral /granola bars

ALRIGHT,,, see so there you have it ! I fed my daughter a BOXED, pre packaged frozen meal... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!one of which I am not proud of..
But,,, we all have our moments of weakness and I had one of those days where I wasnt feeling too inspired and really TIRED.... Pat on my back that atleast it was all natural, no preservatives, dyes, added sodium or pesticides will you find in those lovely boxes. I Especially love the quiche myself. It comes in the frozen section at TJ's,,, a quick and easy 3 minute microwave meal that I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE,,, admiteddly mommy had a few nibbles of that herself :) And,,, all the food groups were still represented in accordance to necessity,,,

2 Protein servings - eggs in the quiche and cheese in the crackers and peanut butter in the cereal bars,
3 grains servings- cereal bar, pie shell in the quiche and crackers
2 fruit veggie servings- Broccoli in the quiche and Strawberries in the cereal bars.

Ideally you should NOT have this many grains in one meal. Especialy for the lil ones,, grains tend to fill them up faster and therefore they do not get the highly caloric content that their lil growing sprite bodies need from fats and proteins,, however,,, this is the price you pay when you eat out of a box :)

Til next time,,
Keep it flesh free for me :)

Off Topic- not LIly Menu Related

WARNING !!!!!!
Vegetarian on her soapbox... :)

Alright so,,, this evening,, my beautiful son and hubby decided they wanted to go to Famous Dave's BBQ for dinner. While in the past I have declined to tag along, for fear of leaving very hungry and very disgusted with the flesh fest,, however, since my wonderful friend Jen decided to fill me in on a lil tid bit about their tasty cat fish fingers,, I decided to be a brave one and wing it.
uuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmm that was uhhhhhh,, a ,,,,,," mistake" While the catfish fingers were mighty tasty ( props to Jen ) not a reason to keep me "coming back for more" I can always order them from the take out. Without going on a long banter about all the disturbing things I witnessed , lI decided to just highlight two of which caught my attention the most and I thought were kinda entertaining. ( I wish I had my camera and I truly would have taken pics )

1. The servers proudly fashioned shirts that stated someting along the lines of,, ( sorry dont remember the exact wording ) " Eat like your at the top of the food chain" ( what the f ??? )
2. There was a large BRIGHT PINK NEON lighted sign ( think old beer bar/ Old Style sign ) on the wall flashing repeatedly ,,stating the following lovely suggestion
"eat" "Meat" back and forth
Eat
Meat
Eat
Meat
Eat
MEat
You get the picture. Um,,, yah..

While,, I can appreciate that everyone has their own and unique culinary tastes and mine dont always agree with the majority,,, I never force feed my fondness of tofu or quinoa on anyone in this way. It was a quite disturbing but moreso just entertaining experience and one of which I felt I had to share
Chuck, Zack
I wont be returning. Sorry guys,,, you will be going it alone the next time out,, or take out is always an option..

Although,, visions of walking in with my PETA piggie shirt that says "love me, dont eat me" and Lily sporting her I am not a nugget Chickadee t shirt,, all the while toting my lovely I am not a nugget canvas bag has been tempting me with thoughts of a return visit,,, you know,, just to make a statement and be a trouble maker. You know how I love to be different.. If I do,, I will be sure to post about it for all to see.

( sorry to Famous Daves,, I mean no harm )

Now we return to our previously scheduled programming already in session.

Lil Plum ate like a horse today ! She had her first glass of "cows" milk. Of course I tried Soy Milk first, for the past few weeks, but it gives lil Plum some ummmm " digestive issues" ,,, since this is a food blog,, I will just leave it at that. :) So,,, against my better judgement, were giving her cows milk. I hate to admit this, but ,,,, She LOVED it. anyway,, here is the menu for today

Breakfast- Malt O meal, made with Soy Milk
Scrambled Eggs
Sliced Papaya

1 grains serving - Malt o meal
2 protein servings, soy milk and Scrambled eggs
1 fruit /veggie serving- Sliced Papaya


Lunch: Tofu cubes
Pureed Peas and Corn
Angelhair pasta with Parmesan cheese
Diced Peaches

1 grains serving - pasta
1 protein serving - Tofu cubes
2 fruit/veggie servings- pureed peas and corn and diced peaches


Dinner ;
Glass of "cows" milk ( icky,, mommy is SOOOOOOOO not a fan of cows milk,, but atleast its organic )
Brown rice
Diced Steamed Carrots
Shredded Organic Pink Lady apples with cinnamon and "agave" syrup
Veegtable fried Rice with Soy Ginger marinated tofu, ( recipe courtesy of Moosewood Cooks at Home ) http://www.amazon.com/Moosewood-Restaurant-Cooks-Home-Recipes/dp/0671679929

1 serving of grains - Brown rice
3 servings of frutis/veggies, - Vegetable fried rice and Diced carrots and shredded organic apples.
1 serving of Protein- Marinated Tofu

I cannot say enough good things about this " Moosewood Cooks at Home" cookbook. It is by far the best cook book I have ever used. While I have a lot of cookbooks that I use and love, this one is so SO SO versatile and super easy for us moms who dont have a lot of time on our hands.. You can use it and not even realize its a vegetarian cookbook,,, The Beautiful, yummy delicous Chocolate cake is also courtesy of this cook book. Its called 6 minuted chocolate cake. No mixing bowls even required, you sift all your dry ingredients in the pan you cook it in,, add the wet ingredients,, stir with a fork and bake. and VOILA,,, a very good, tasty and moist chocolate cake. Top it off with some powdered sugar and you have yourself a yummy moist delivous cake that your family will love. Zack loved it and went back for seconds.... oddly enough. Even after he knew it was vegan.

Well,,, Im off to bed.
As always, flesh free and ha ha peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee :)

Well,, my lovely Olympus took a crapper yesterday,,( perhaps its because I dropped it in a cup of tea:) ) I only have one new food pic for you,, however, here is the lil plums menu for 4/7/08 . Hope to have the cam. up and running soon.

Breakfast :

Blueberry Flax seed soy mil pancakes spread with cream cheese

Dried fruit ( apricots, pineapple and mango ) Unsulphured and unsweetened please :)

Cottage Cheese

1 serving of grains ( pancakes )

1 1/2 servings of protein ( cottage cheese and cream cheese

2 servings of fruit/veggie group ( dried fruit and blueberries )

Lunch :

Tofu Cubes

Coconut Basmati Rice

Pureed Butternut Squash.

Blueberry/Banana/ Straberry smooothie

1 serving of grains( rice )

1 serving of protein ( tofu)

2 servings of fruit/veggie group ( smoothie, also some dried apricots in the rice )

Mid Afternoon Snack

Handful of Earths Best Organic Whole Grain Sesame Street Cheddar Crackers,

Some Gerber Bannan Puffs
Earths Best - Peach Banna Pear Juice box

Dinner

Angel Hair pasta tossed with Smart Balance and parmesan cheese,,, a Lily Plum FAVORITE

Appley Apricot Delight

1 serving of grains ( Pasta )

1 serving of fruit veggie group ( Appley Apricot Delight )

a mere smidge of protein ( parmesan cheese in the pasta )

Recipes/ cookbook links

Pancakes-
PLEASE dont be intimidated by these lil beaut's. SUPER easy to make. Just basically
Follow the direction on any boxed pancake mix,,, NOT the healthiest alternative as most boxed pancakes do have hyrdogenated oil in them,, which is a big no no,, but,, I have some Bisquick I need to use up. So what the heck... Alternativally you can make them from scratch if time permits.
Anyway,,, Mix up the boxed pancakes mixture,, then add 2 TBSP of ground Flaxseed Meal,
as many frozen blueberries as you wish and I used Soy Milk instead of cows milk, however, feel free to use whatever milk you choose.

TIME SAVE TIP OF THE DAY ; In regards to time, what I like to do is mix up a big batch of all the dry ingredients of the pancake batter in advance and put it in containers in my pantry for future use. That way,, you still have the fresh, home made pancake mix in advance and all you have to do is add the wet ingredients when you are ready to mix it up.

HEALTHY TIP OF THE DAY
Standard popular pancake syrup that you normally see ie: Mrs Butterworth, Aunt Jemima,, if you look on the ingredients list,,, it in fact,, isnt even really Maple Syrup,,, its High Fructose Corn Syrup,, which is a huge artery clogging, blood glugging mess,,, if thinking on the healthy side, you want to try and get "real Grad "A" or "B" Maple syrup,, yes, yes, yes,,, it IS a tad more expensive,,, but so worth the extra mula... especially for your lil kiddies. So kick that extra Mocha Frappucino, or manicure to the curb this week and buy your lil ones some REAL maple syrup... :)

I digress.

Well,,, off to make some more lovely yummies for my lil Monkey
Til next time
We keep it flesh free ,,,,weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
Deb

Top TEN reasons to go organic

A few years back, when thinking about my family's health and the scariness of all the chemicals we were ingesting, I, like a lot of moms, wanted to do whats best for my family, however, buying organic isn't always the cheapest option available. This is when I came across this article., which Ikeep on my fridge door as a constant reminder,, While I try to buy organically whenever possible, the following produce items I ALWAYS buy organically, in addition to dairy, which I REFUSE to buy unless its organic. Oh,,yeah,,, um,,,, thats another box of worms I dont care to open right now and nor do I care to get on my Vegetarian soapbox today,, so I will leave that topic of conversation alone for another day :) Anyway, I digress

Well, as promised here is the top TEN vegetables and fruits that contain the highest levels of pesticide residues when grown conventionally.
( according to the Environmental Working Group, www.foodnews.org) The numbers represent the test scores ( 100 being the most polluted )
1. Peaches (100)
2. Apples ( 89)
3. Sweet Bell Peppers ( 86)
4. Celery (85)
5. Nectarines( 84)
6. Strawberries( 82)
7. Cherries( 75)
8. Pears( 65)
9. Grapes- Imported( 65)
10. Spinach (60)

Keepin it flesh free,
Deb

Article referenced, WELLNESS watch- Energy Times, July /August 2007

4/4/08- Lily LOVES tofu

Alrightyyyyy then,,, , so,, breakfast today was very UN inspiring. Even after coffee Mommy's brain was much like being in a jar of Crisco,,, glug. But, I think I redeemed myself with lunch and dinner.

Breakfast: Cotagge cheese

Plain Barley

Applesauce

Lunch : Fresh peas

Brocolli Cheddar mashed potatoes. ( this is very simple,,, I just peel and dice up a few potatos, chop up some broccoli,,, sautee both in a covered frying pan in sme EVOO til the potatoes are soft,, I dont add the Brocc til about half way through,,, otherwise it will get overcooked. Then I mash it all together with a pat of Earth Balance, Smart Balance or butter and a dollop of sour cream,, top it off with some shredded cheddar cheese. Voila ' ! Brocolli Cheddar taters. I always make a big batch and freeze individual servings for later

Vegan meatloaf (Courtesy of Whole Foods, new "Vegan " deli bar... Yummy. Mommy likes. Lil Monkey wasnt too thrilled with the meatloaf... I think it was too tough for her.. Allh the joys of eating fake meatlof made out of Wheat Gluten. sounds gross, but it was actually VERY tastymmm just kinda tough

Lentils with Sweet Potatoes and Rhubarb,, ( Also courtesy of Whole Food Vegan deli bar. ) Ima HUGE fan of this dish. The lentils provide protein and the sweet potatoes provide sweetness ,, and flavonoids and potassium too of course.

For Dessert Lil Plum had an Organic Lollipop from Trader Joes. This is a new find of mine and its SUPER exciting. They are all natural organic lollipops,, of course there is sugar in them but its pure cane organic sugar,,, not High Fructose Corn Syrup . ALSO and this is the mother of goodness,,, there is not artificial colorings in them. They are colored using all natural fruit and vegetable dyes,, like beet juice etc... No Red Dye # 5 bad bad bad dye,,,,,, They come in several flavors, Orange, Watermelon, Pomegranate and lemon

Dinner:

Leftover Coconut Basmati Rice with apricots.

Pureed Peas and Roasted Corn

Cubed Plain raw TOFU ( yay,, Lilys fav)

Check out our new ECO friendly Kelan Kanteen people,,,, Plastic and PVC FREEE yay ! !!
now,, for DESSERT I am especially proud of my creation,,, I pureed blueberries and peaches ( frozen organic of course ) in the magic bullet. I then mixed it in with some plain Vanilla Yogurt and topped it off with some Graham Sticks. Lil Plum was a big fa of this creation.

Well Im off for the weekend. Weekend mostly take out food,,, nothin worth writing about. If there is,,, I will be sure to post.... Remember,,, Keep it Flesh free is the way to be ! ! !