A Day in the life of...

With so many meals and snacks served up in a day of a bustling household, I thought I'd give you peak into our food world, on a random day of the week: Thursday.

After a typical egg/toast breakfast and morning baby-feedings, the girls and I make these awesome whole grain cookies (which will now replace our standard chocolate chip cookie. Bonus? Check out the nutritional facts at the end.)

"Nutty for Oats Cookies"

2/3 creamy peanut butter
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs
1 cup rolled oats, ground for 30 seconds in a food processor
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

(Grinding the oats which will become the flour adds so much more flavor and texture to the cookie than ordinary flour.)

Cream the peanut butter, butter, sugar, vanilla, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Beat in the eggs, scraping the bowl once they're incorporated, then the ground oats, old fashioned rolled oats and chocolate chips. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake the cookies, reversing pans midway through (top to bottom, bottom to top), until they're barely set and just beginning to brown around the edges, 11 to 13 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely on the pans.

Nutritional Information per cookie: 7g whole grains, 131 cal, 7g fat, 3g protein, 5g complex carbs, 10g sugar, 1g dietary fiber (my MC says 2), 14mg cholesterol, 64mg sodium, 99mg potassium, 14RE vitamin A, 1mg iron, 11mg calcium, 62mg phosphorous, 7mg caffeine.


(Babies shootin' the breeze in the kitchen while we bake.)

Lunch: Chicken Salad Wraps

Chicken shredded (we use Costco's premium canned chicken--excellent!), mayo, 2 TBSP prepared pesto, 1/2 c. chopped sun dried tomatoes (in oil), Italian seasoning, onion powder, and salt and pepper, to taste.

Then we wrapped a thin layer of the chicken salad in flat bread wraps,

added apple slices and our favorite chips (that's for another post),

and you have a break from the everyday ham, tomato and cheese sandwich.


Lastly, dinner.
One of my favorite fall dinners to bring in the new season: pumpkin soup.

Here is the recipe from the top of my head which is the "doubled" version so you can freeze the rest for a colder wintry day.



Pumpkin Soup

(Serves 8-9)

1 really large onion, chopped (or two large)
4 c. pumpkin puree
1 tsp. curry powder
5 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. butter
1/8 c. olive oil
3 tsp. salt
3 c. heavy cream
1 c. milk

Saute onions in both the butter and oil. (You always want to saute in both butter and oil for optimal flavor.) Once they are translucent, add the curry.

Add the pumpkin and salt and remove from the stove. Puree the mixture in a blender or food processor. Bring back to a stock pot and add the stock until warmed. Finally add the cream and milk until also warmed and serve.

To garnish: a dollop of sour cream and a dash of cinnamon. Children are the most excited about the add-ons in any soup. Let them help serve.


There you have it: happy faces and satisfied tummies. Another day gone and another to create.

Warmth of Home

Fall is a nostalgic season for me. There is something about the stark contrast of chilly, crisp air of being out in nature, to the warm nurturing feeling of returning indoors, where family, comfort, and soothing foods greet you.

That is why the flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove remind us of this time of year; they compliment the fall harvest of apples, pears, squash, and pumpkin. And tastes like the coming holidays, too.


Here is a tasteful, chunky, and thorough squash soup. Thorough because whole cinnamon sticks sweeter the squash while curry powder enlivens the squash.


Hubbard Squash Soup

Prep: 35 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes

3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, sliced (1 cup)
2 tsp. curry powder
5 lb. *Hubbard, butternut, or acorn squash, peeled and cut into 2-in. pieces (11 cups)
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 c. chicken stock or broth
1.5 c. water
1 tsp. salt
3 2-3 inch cinnamon sticks


1. In a pot heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add onion and curry. Cook and stir about 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add squash pieces and garlic. Cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the stock, water, salt, and cinnamon sticks. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 25-30 minutes or until squash is tender.



*A huge Hubbard squash can be difficult to cut up. Wash squash; place in a clean, large heavy plastic cooking bag. Fasten bag closed. Drop bag several times onto a hard surface, such as a cement floor. The squash should break safely into small, more manageable pieces.

(And of course, you have to let your kids make a jack-o-lantern with it first.)




2. Remove and discard cinnamon sticks. Using potato masher, coarsely mash mixture, or cool slightly and transfer in batches to a food processor. Cover and process until nearly smooth. Return all to pot. Heat through. Of course, top with sour cream!

Makes 8-10 servings.



This recipe comes from my 2004 Better Homes and Gardens Annual Cookbook. I love these! Each book is organized month by month with great recipes, but even better, incredible photos. You can find previous years of the annual cookbooks for a couple bucks a piece on ebay.

Chicken Noodle Soup for the Afflicted Soul

So I'm finally over the really long week of my stomach flu. My friend, Christine, saved the mealtime insanity at our house one night by bringing us her chicken noodle soup; probably the best I've ever had.

She's promised to share the recipe only if I promise to keep my family's germs to ourselves.


Christine's "Everything from Scratch" Chicken Noodle Soup

Serves 8-10

6 Chicken Breasts
1 lb of carrots
8 small read potatoes
4-6 cloves of garlic
1/2 a yellow onion
1 stalk of celery
parsley
oregano
salt
garlic salt
pepper
6-8 chicken boullion cubes


I start the long and the yummiest process by using a crock pot, if you don't have one, just cook your chicken on a frying pan, or boil it first for the short process in a big pot.

Put 6 chicken breasts (add first so that they are on the bottom of your crock pot), a whole bag of carrots-1 lb (shread and cut), 4/5 (as many as you like) cloves of garlic minced, half a yellow onion (cut small), 8 small red potatoes cut into quarters (a potato a person), parsley (shake until you think you have enough- I think I had more parsley than oregano), oregano (shake until you think you have enough), and a pinch of rosemary, salt, pepper, garlic salt ( I like to use Lawry's Garlic Salt, but any garlic salt is fine, I did add about 6 cubes of chicken boullion cubes in the crock pot. Cover the chicken, potatoes, and carrots with water.
You can put this in the crock pot as early in the day as you want, the earlier the more tender your chicken, potatoes, and carrots will be. I would give it at least 2 1/2 to 3 hours in the crock pot.

When you are ready to eat dinner pour everything from the crockpot into a big pot on the stove. Tear up the chicken, add more salt, garlic salt, parsley, and oregano until you think you have enough, and put an entire stalk of celery (dice as thick or as thin as you like) into the pot. I like my celery al dente as it adds variety and texture in your soup. If you like everything to be soft put the celery in the crockpot when you add the carrots and potatoes.

You might have to add a cup or 2 more of water so that when you add your noodles there will be enough water for the noodles to absorb. When your water reaches a rolling boil add your noodles, and let cook for 10 minutes, and the soup will be ready to eat after the noodles are done.

Homemade egg Noodles:

2 c. flour
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp. salt
4 T. milk

Mix with a fork to a ball. Roll out. Cut. Drop into boiling soup. Cook 10 min.

Fresh Summer Dinner

The combination of this soup and salad for a summer dinner is excellent.

Curried Zucchini Soup
(from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food: Great Food Fast)

Prep Time : 25 Minutes
Total Time: 40 Minutes

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• Coarse salt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 1/2 pounds zucchini (about 3 medium), sliced 1 inch thick
• 1 baking potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted, for garnish

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and 1 tablespoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and curry powder; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add zucchini, potato, and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. In batches, puree soup in a blender (do not fill more than halfway) until smooth; serve immediately, or let cool, and refrigerate in an airtight container until chilled. Garnish with toasted almonds.

The flavor is fresh with a slight kick from the curry. I serve with a dollop of sour cream/fresh parmesan. Serve with the following salad and you're done!

Tomato and Grilled Bread Salad
(from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food: Great Food Fast)

Total Time: 25 Minutes

Serves 4

• 1/2 pound country bread, cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 large beefsteak tomatoes, cut into 3/4-inch dice (about 4 cups)
• 1 cucumber, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice (about 2 cups)
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil, torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper

1. Heat grill to medium. Brush bread slices on both sides with 2 tablespoons oil. Grill until lightly charred on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Let cool slightly, then cut into large cubes.
2. In a large bowl, toss bread cubes with tomatoes, cucumber, and basil. Drizzle with vinegar and remaining 1/4 cup oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine, and serve.

If you don't have country bread, I always use whatever bread I have. In the photo, I used homemade wheat bread. For both dishes, if you use ripe produce from your garden, even better!