blender pancakes

A friend mentioned blender pancakes to me a while ago and I finally gave it a try for dinner last night. I will never make another pancake recipe (unless it's pumpkin pancakes or apple cinnamon pancakes!) and this is why;

Taste. The blender pancake has a very nutty, natural taste while still being light and fluffy. Michael repeatedly commented on how good the pancakes were and the kids ate several each. Gemma, alone, had three!

Ease. It's even easier to make than pancake mix, you just toss everything in the blender then pour it onto the griddle.

Nutrition. While the recipe calls for a small amount of sweetener (sugar or honey or agave syrup) and oil, there are no preservatives or unpronounceable ingredients and the freshly ground whole wheat is so good for you.


bender pancakes
1 cup milk
1 cup wheat kernels, whole & uncooked (I used hard red wheat)
2 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons honey or sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Put milk and wheat kernels in blender. Blend on highest speed for 4 or 5 minutes or until batter is smooth. Add eggs, oil, baking powder, salt, honey or sugar, vanilla and lemon juice to the batter. Blend on low. Pour batter straight from the blender (less to wash later!) onto a hot griddle. Cook; flipping pancakes when bubbles pop and create holes.

recipe lightly adapted from everyday food storage.net

quick quiche recipe

After a long hot and humid summer where I avoided turning on the oven today's gray drizzly day made me want to cook a proper dinner.

I settled on a quiche with roasted Parmesan potatoes and asparagus. Liam literally had to choke down the food while plugging his nose (and that was only accomplished with a promise of five peanut m&m's if he ate it all) but everybody else loved it.

This quiche doesn't have a crust. I love quiche with crust (it's super yummy!) but omitting the crust saves on calories and time while still being delicious! The recipe is very flexible. You can add whatever vegetable/meat combination strikes your fancy.

quick quiche
4 oz light cream cheese, softened
8 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cooked bacon
1 cup frozen broccoli, chopped (thawed and squeeze out excess moisture)*
10 oz frozen spinach, chopped (thawed and squeeze out excess moisture)*
5 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups cheese of your choice (I like cheddar or swiss)

blend cream cheese, eggs and milk together well (there will still be some chunks of cream cheese) stir in remaining ingredients. pout into two greased quiche or pie pans. bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

*I usually use fresh broccoli and spinach. precook, squeeze out moisture and chop.

I used this recipe from Real Simple for the roasted potatoes. I have been making it since the recipe first appeared in Real Simple in 2006. It's one of my favorites. The asparagus was simply tossed with a little olive oil and salt and pepper and roasted in the oven for 20 minutes.

fruit and barley salad

I love, love, love this recipe! It is so yummy and healthy. I got it from my friend Meredith's vegetarian cooking blog, VegetriaNation. As usual, I have tweaked it a bit for my tastes. I also scaled down the recipe because the original recipe made a TON which is good for a crowd but not so good since my kids refuse to eat it. That's okay, more for me!

fruit and barley salad

3/4 cups pearl barley
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lime juice, fresh or bottled (I use whatever I happen have on hand)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 medium peach or nectarine, cut into ½ -inch pieces
2 small tomatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Heat 1 1/2 cups water to boiling over high heat. Add barley and 1/2 teaspoon salt; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 35-45 minutes or until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed (barley will have a creamy consistency).

In large bowl mix lime juice, olive oil, sugar, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoons salt.

Rinse barley with running cold water; drain well. Add barley, peaches, tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro to lime dressing; stir gently to coat. Makes 4-6 servings.

i can!

I have always wanted to can but have been too intimated by the process and all the equipment needed.


Last week a very generous friend offered me a bunch of pickling cucumbers from her parents enormous garden and the use of her family's canning equipment. I figured I would never get a better opportunity than that!


I followed a simple recipe but added a couple of red pepper flakes and black peppercorns to each jar. I ended up with 11 quarts of pickles.


The same generous friend gave me several pounds of blackberries to make blackberry jam.


I followed the recipe she gave me but strained the seeds cause I hate getting seeds stuck in my teeth! So I guess that makes it blackberry jelly.


The jelly was SO good on biscuits the next day!


I had so much fun canning. It wasn't hard at all. I shouldn't have been scared of it. Someday when I don't have a forest for a backyard I will be able to have a garden and I will can all that we reap. Can't wait!

Thanks Nellie for being so thoughtful and generous!

spinach and mushroom lasagna

Michael requested this dinner for Father's Day and I am glad he did! It had been a while since I had made it and it's one of my favorites. I modified a lasagna recipe from allrecipes.com to my tastes, basically increasing the mushrooms, quadrupling the spinach (I super-duper love spinach!), decreasing the amount of cheese and substituting no boil noodles. I seriously love no boil noodles, they make making lasagna a breeze!


spinach lasagna
12 no boil lasagna noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped baby bella mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
10 ounces (8-9 packed cups) fresh spinach
3 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 egg
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 cups tomato pasta sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook mushrooms, onions, and garlic in olive oil until onions are tender. Drain excess liquid and cool. Boil spinach for 5 minutes. Drain, then squeeze out excess liquid. Chop spinach.
4. Combine ricotta cheese, Romano cheese, spinach, salt, oregano, basil, pepper, and egg in a bowl. Add cooled mushroom mixture. Blend together. Spread 1 cup sauce on bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Lay four lasagna noodles on top of sauce. Spread one third of the cheese/spinach mixture over noodles. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese on top. Spread 1 cup spaghetti sauce over cheese. Repeat layering 2 times. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese and the parmesan cheese.
5. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour. Cool 30+ minutes before serving.

week of quinoa: the wrap up

I had to end the week of quinoa a little earlier than planned. The quinoa was making everyone a little gassy. Which, actually, isn't a problem all that much. We eat a lot of beans and broccoli and other gassy legumes & vegetables. The problem is that I am breast feeding and the gassiness was starting to affect Gemma. I am sad since I loved everything I had made so far and still had many recipes that I wanted to try. I will wait and try again in a few months. In the meantime, here are all the recipes I had on my list to make- there is way more than a weeks worth! Some are from you, dear readers, a few are from my mom and others I found online.

oven chimichangas (use quinoa in place of the brown rice)
chicken with quinoa and veggies
zucchini with quinoa stuffing
quiona stuffed peppers
sweet potato and lentil packets (serve with quinoa)
creamy quinoa primavera
italian broccoli and quinoa pilaf
quinoa pudding
walnut rosemary quinoa
quinoa with apricots and pecans
toasted quinoa salad with scallops and snow peas (I would substitute shrimp for the scallops)
warm quinoa salad with toasted almonds

So, go cook and eat some delicious and healthy quinoa! If there is a recipe that you particularly enjoy please let me know.

week of quinoa: turkey and quinoa meatloaf

turkey and quinoa meatloaf
1/4 cup quinoa

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 large clove garlic, chopped

1 (10 ounce) package ground turkey
1 (10 ounce) package ground pork

1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon water

Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute; remove from heat to cool.

Stir the turkey, pork, cooked quinoa, onions, tomato paste, barbecue, hot sauce, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. The mixture will be very moist. Shape into a loaf on a foil lined baking sheet. Combine the brown sugar, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire, and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Rub the paste over the top of the meatloaf.

Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 50 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Let the meatloaf cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

I am not usually a meatloaf fan... even the name, meat loaf, grosses me out but I wanted to try a quinoa recipe that was completely different than the last two. It was definitely different and I really really liked it. The meatloaf had great flavor and texture. Michael, who is also not a meatloaf lover, pronounced it "phenomenal" but is was a HUGE fail with the kids. They all hated it. I think Liam ate a couple of bites but the other two ate none.

I found the recipe here and made just a few modifications.

week of quinoa: quinoa and black beans

You guys are the best! I can't wait to try all these great recipes you've suggested!

quinoa and black beans

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cloves minced garlic

3/4 cup uncooked quinoa

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon ground cumin

dash of cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 avocado, peeled, seeded and diced

1 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 small chicken breasts, grilled and diced. I seasoned the chicken with a little garlic powder, cumin and S&P.

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned add quinoa and brown slightly. Add broth and seasonings. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Stir in the tomatoes, avocado, black beans, chicken and cilantro.

My husband and I loved this recipe! It was filling without being heavy and it tasted great. It actually reminded us of eating a burrito bowl from Chipotle. The kids weren't excited about it but once they had picked out the ingredients they refuse to eat (tomato and avocado for Liam, black beans and tomatoes for Sutton) they ate everything on their plates.

This is a one pot meal, which I love. It was also quick to make. I served it as the main dish so there wasn't much leftover. Next time I will double it so the husband and I can eat it for lunch the day after.

I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com (but is really similar to recipes Erin Jackson and Courtnay mentioned in the comments section of the quinoa post) but I made a few changes. Mainly adding tomatoes, avocado and chicken. With the beans and the quinoa the chicken is not needed to make a full meal but like the quinoa and orzo from yesterday I was trying to ease the kids into this new food. Next time I think I will leave the chicken out to make a vegetarian meal.

week of quinoa: speckled quinoa and orzo

speckled quinoa and orzo
1/3 cup olive oil
3/4 cup quinoa
1 1/4 cups orzo
2 small cloves garlic, minced
10 sun-dried tomatoes, packed in olive oil finely chopped
3 cups chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and cut into fine dice
1/4 cup chiffonade of basil

Heat olive oil in a medium size saucepan. Add quinoa and orzo and cook, stirring constantly, until quinoa turns golden, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and continue to saute for 20 seconds until you smell their aroma. Add chicken broth, bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 12 minutes or until barely done. There should be a little liquid that has been absorbed by the grains and pasta and which will help the cheese turn creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper, stir in basil and remove from heat.

I purposely chose this recipe for our first time eating quinoa. I thought having the little pieces of pasta would help hide the quinoa since I didn't know how the kids would react to it. When I saw the finished dish, I honestly expected the kids to refuse to eat it but they surprised me and happily ate all that was on their plate. We ate this as a side dish (I served it with grilled chicken and peas) so there was lots left over and I look forward to eating it as lunch tomorrow.

Recipe found here.

spinach and artichoke savory bread pudding

Last Saturday I bought a bag of ciabatta rolls from Costco. Sadly, they were totally stale and hard- horrible for sandwiches which had been my purpose in buying the rolls. I knew I could return them and get my money back but it seemed like a waste because I knew they would just throw them away. I did a little googling and decided to make this savory bread pudding since I had all the ingredients on hand.


When I told Michael what we were having for dinner he actually said "Ewww". First time in 11 years the man has ewww-ed anything I made (well before actually tasting it anyway!). He also said "Don't tell the children the name of this dinner or they will never eat it". I didn't really hold much hope that they would eat it no matter what I called it since it has spinach and artichokes- two things they won't touch!

It was so yummy. Sort of like a fancy stuffing. Everyone ate it and even more miraculously everyone liked it! Granted the kids picked out most of the spinach but they didn't get it all. Which means they got some actual nutrients. Score!

I made a couple of adjustments:
1. I halved the recipe and still had leftovers (most of which I just ate for lunch). I imagine the full recipe makes a TON.
2. I didn't use brie. I used some other fancy cheese that I paid too much for (anyone else notice the price of diary skyrocketing lately?) but I think pretty much any cheese would be good.
3. I used half and half in place of the heavy cream.

apple cinnamon pancakes

The last week's weather has been amazing! In the mornings the temperature is in the high 60's or low 70's and the humidity has been lower too. I open the windows every morning and relish in the beginnings of Fall.

This morning I was craving pumpkin pancakes. If you have read my blog for awhile you will already know about my pumpkin obsession that my family politely puts up with. Alas, when I went to the pantry I realized that I had no canned pumpkin. Time to improvise! Inspired by our plans to go apple picking next Saturday I thought, "apple cinnamon pancakes". I used Bisquick so they were super easy and quick.

apple cinnamon pancakes

2 cups Bisquick mix
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs
1 cup apple sauce (I used Mott's Natural with no sugar added)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp lemon juice

Combine dry ingredients. Add all other ingredients, stirring until moistened. Don't over mix. Using a 1/4 cup measurement pour onto hot griddle and cook until brown on both sides. Serve with maple syrup.

The kids gobbled them up and were extravagant with their praise. They deemed them The Best Pancakes Ever. Can't beat that!

party recipes

Over the weekend I co-hosted a going away party for my friend Meredith. I am so sad to see her go but she has moved to Denver, a city I would love to live in, so I am kinda jealous!

There was so much good food! Everyone brought something yummy to share. Here are the two things I prepared:

TOMATO CUPS
three cans of flaky biscuits
5 diced roma tomatoes or 2 cans petite diced tomatoes
4-5 green onions, chopped
6 oz. swiss cheese, grated
3/4 cup mayo
fresh basil (I used about 10-15 leaves), chopped
1/2 cup bacon bits (optional: our guest of honor is vegetarian so I left these out and the tomato cups were still delish!)
French Fried Onions

-Peel the biscuits apart (usually 3 layers per biscuit) and place in greased mini muffin tins.
-Blend all other ingredients except the French Fried Onions.
-Fill biscuits and top with the French Fried Onions.
-Bake at 375 for about 12 minutes.
-Serve warm or at room temp.

Yields: about 50 cups

This next recipe is one that everyone always loves! It was given to me by another good friend that has moved away. Why must all my favorite people leave North Carolina??

BUTTERMILK BITES
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup buttermilk (I have used lowfat buttermilk and also buttermilk powder in this recipe, both produced great results)
2 eggs
2 tbsp flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
60 phyllo cups (four boxes)
whipped cream
fresh raspberries (or your favorite berry)

-Blend butter, buttermilk, eggs, flour, sugar and vanilla in blender until smooth.
-Please frozen shells on a cookie sheet and fill almost full with blended mixture.
-Bake about 12 minutes at 350 degrees until puffed and golden.
-Cool and chill.
-Top with whipped cream and berry just before serving.

granola

I love homemade granola! I eat it for breakfast, a mid-day snack or even a late night snack (it's got to be better than ice cream or cookies, right?).

In the fall I have made pumpkin spice granola and it's delicious but for the rest of the year I prefer this granola recipe. It is so yummy. It is packed with healthy things: oats, wheat germ, whole wheat flour (freshly ground with my fancy wheat grinder!), almonds and pecans. It is sweetened only with honey. I like to eat mine with dried cranberries and milk. The recipe makes a ton- I actually have to stir it together in a giant stock pot because I don't have a bowl large enough- but it is so good that we ate the last batch in less than two weeks!

Do you have a favorite granola recipe? Do share!

McDonalds has nothin' on me

This is quickly becoming our Saturday morning breakfast of choice. I use this biscuit recipe. Best ever biscuit recipe I swear and it's so easy! We like Morningstar Farms veggie sausage patties (they are so yummy and so much healthier for you) and I cook up an omelet (My favorite part is flipping the omelet in the pan. Makes me feel like a rock star in the kitchen!) and cut it onto circles with the biscuit cutter.

snow and popovers

We got hit with more snow! Not any thing like the rest of the East Coast but about 4". It is beautiful, soft fluffy snow. Perfect for making snowballs and a snowman.

I have wanted a popover pan for about two years. They don't cost very much, around $20, but I have something against spending good money on a item that has only one purpose. I like items (and people) that are multi-taskers. On Tuesday I found a brand new popover pan in the original packaging for $1.50 at the thrift store. I just couldn't pass it up for that price.


I love popovers! They are simple to make and call for only basic ingredients- milk, flour, eggs and salt. I made these this morning and served them with strawberry butter. Yum!

UPDATE: I was feeling lazy and didn't want to type out the recipe. Still don't! This one at the Food Network is pretty much identical to the one I used (it came with the pan).

For the strawberry butter, I tossed a stick of butter (room temp), 1/4 cup strawberry preserves and 2T powdered sugar into my kitchenaide and whipped the heck out of it. I really want to try it with raspberry or blackberry preserves.

Oh and, HAPPY VALENTINES DAY tomorrow!

minestrone soup: a perfect snowy day lunch

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Was it just a couple of weeks ago that I blogged about spring like weather? Well, as expected, it was short lived. It snowed here on Saturday. We had lots of fun playing in the snow (for about ten minutes and then I was done). When it is cold all I want to eat is soup. Using what I had on hand I made this recipe up and it was DELICIOUS and easy!


erin's minestrone soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small to medium onion, diced
4 carrots, cut into half moon shapes
2 zucchini, diced
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed (puree half the beans before adding to the soup, this is a great way to thicken the soup. it is cheap, easy and healthy)
2 14 ounce cans diced tomatoes, not drained
4 cups water
1/2 cup tiny pasta (orzo, acini di pepe or similar)
1-2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
parmesan cheese for garnishing

1. saute garlic and onion and butter and oil, 2 minutes. add zucchini and carrotts. continue to saute until vegetable are just starting to get tender about 10 minutes.
2. add seasonings, tomatoes, beans, water and pasta. bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

serve, topped with parmesan cheese.

I made this bread recipe to go along with the soup. It was easy, quick and yummy!

***The book, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was a gift from a dear friend. It is a fantastic book, I highly recommend it.

italian creme cake

This is a recipe from my Grandmothers collection of recipes. It's delicious! Make it, you won't be disappointed (even you coconut haters).

cake
1 stick butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
5 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups coconut
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

1. Beat butter, vegetable oil and sugar until smooth.
2. Separate egg yolks and whites
3. Add egg yolks to butter, oil, sugar mix and beat well
4. Add soda to the flour
5. Add vanilla to buttermilk
6. Add flour/soda mix alternately with the buttermilk/vanilla mix
7. Add the coconut and nuts.
8. Beat the egg whites until stiff (forming soft peaks)
9. Fold egg whites into the batter.

Bake for 25 - 30 minutes @ 350° in three 8" round cake pans

frosting
8 oz. low fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick butter
1 lb powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 - 1/2 cup coconut
1/4 - 1/2 cup nuts (pecans or walnuts)

Whip cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Frost cake and sprinkle with coconut and nuts.

**UPDATE 1/19/10: I made this cake again for my husband's birthday. This time I used half whole wheat flour and halved the vegetable oil with applesauce. The cake was just as delicious as the first time. Not completely guilt free but a little closer.

peppermint bark

2 14 ounce bags of white candy melts
2 cups rice crispy cereal
12 candy canes, crushed

Line a 12x17 pan with foil and spray with cooking oil. Melt the candy melts according to the package directions. Stir in cereal and the candy cane powder and tiny pieces. Spread into prepared pan (it's okay if it doesn't spread all the way to the edges). Sprinkle candy cane pieces on top and gently press down into candy. Let sit until set, 30 minutes or so.

luscious fudge

I have been making this fudge recipe every Christmas since 2002. This year I thought I would branch out a little and try something new. Bad idea! I tried a recipe called Golden Fudge and hated it.

Luscious Fudge
12 ounces milk chocolate bars, bar, broken in pieces
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
7-ounce jar marshmallow creme
12-ounce can evaporated milk
4 1/2 cups sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups chopped walnuts

Combine milk chocolate bar pieces, chocolate chips, and marshmallow creme in large mixing bowl. In heavy saucepan, mix evaporated milk, sugar, and salt. Bring to a roiling boil over medium heat and boil for six minutes. Pour over chocolate mixture. Beat vigorously with wooden spoon till creamy. Add vanilla and chopped walnuts. Mix well. Pour into buttered 9x13-inch pan (I used a 12x17 jelly roll pan). Let stand two hours, then cut into squares. Makes 5 pounds candy or approximately 100 1-inch squares.

recipe from "Christmas Recipes from the Lion House"

peppermint marshmallows

I had never made homemade marshmallows before but it is something I have wanted to try for a while. They are surprisingly easy to make and come out so soft and fluffy!

I used a basic vanilla marshmallow recipe found here. To make them peppermint-y I added finely crushed candy canes to the syrup and swirled red food coloring on top for looks.