Category Archives: Food – Yes it is a category

Jan21

pasta fagoli soup

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pasta fagoli soup

This is a winter staple at our house.  It is healthy, hearty, comforting, and the perfect winter dinner. The boys eat and eat and eat…  it’s a good thing that it makes a lot!  It goes great with beer bread and nice glass of red of wine in front of a fire.  I have made this several times, making a few variations until I got it to where the kids love it…  so, here is the recipe!

Pasta Fagoli Soup

  • 1 lb. of ground turkey
  • 3 stalks of celery
  • 2 large carrots
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 T. butter
  • 1/2 medium to large red onion
  • 1 can of cannelloni beans
  • 1 can of petite diced tomatoes
  • 1 box of ditalini pasta noodles
  • 1, 32 oz container of low sodium chicken broth
  • 1, 46 oz bottle of tomato juice
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • red pepper flakes
  • Italian seasoning

Heat up a large stock pot.  Pour about 2 T of olive oil into the pan.  Add ground turkey, seasoned with salt and pepper.  Brown.

Add in diced up celery, carrot, and onion, along with clove of minced garlic, a dash or two of red pepper flake, a bit more salt and pepper, butter, and about 1 t. of Italian seasoning.  Cook veggies making sure that they stay firm, but not crunchy.

Add in tomato juice, chicken stock, tomatoes, and beans.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  About 10 minutes before serving, add in about 1/3-1/2 box of ditalini pasta noodles.  Cook until al dente.  Remove soup from heat and serve.

To finish, put a bit of fresh ground pepper on top and a bit of fresh grated parmesan cheese for an extra layer of flavor.

Now, just grab a spoon, a comfy chair, and enjoy.

Jan20

breakfast for dinner

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breakfast for dinner

Have you had those days where nothing “dinnery” sounds good for dinner, but a waffle and bacon sounds fantastic?  That’s how it was at our house tonight.  We had scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon, sausage, and waffles.  And everyone was stuffed and happy when we were all done.  So stuffed, in fact,  that it has been a bit of a low-energy evening.  With 4 inches of snow coming in today, however, I think that’s ok…

 So here is a shot of the waffles we had – made from the Ultimate Breakfast Mix.  And you know what that means… another recipe!!!

 

Ultimate Waffles – makes 8-10 waffles depending on waffle iron size

Preheat your waffle iron.

Mix everything together and let the mix sit for about 5-10 minutes.  If it feels too runny, make a test waffle.  If it was too squishy, then add in about 1/4 cup of mix. 

Cook your waffles.  Smother in syrup or top with whipped cream and strawberries… or mix in some chocolate chips, top with PB and banana for a Fat Elvis waffle…  or… well, you get the idea!

There is nothing wrong with waffles for dinner.  Nothing at all!

 

 

 

Jan10

comfort

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comfort

There are times in life when a simple smell, sight, or sound can instantly propel us to another place or time.  It can make us laugh, cry, remember, and feel a variety of emotions.  It is amazing what our bodies use to store this information and how in the middle of a car ride or walking through a book store we can be pulled to a moment in time so vividly.

There are other things that are more frequent and less dramatic, but still harbour the same results.  A routine that we have that started when we were a child.  A food we eat whenever we are sick, no matter how old we are.  A movie we watch whenever we are sad because it always ALWAYS makes us feel better.  These are moments of comfort and happiness.  These are little moments that are so small that another person might just brush them off, but to us they are magical in nature and can remind us of what makes us happy, satisfied, grounded, and at peace.

Last night I had a realization about comfort.  I realized that I have a vice that turns itself on after a stressful day with the kids or a long day at the office…  it stems back to being a child.  My mother did it.  Her mother did it.  Now I do it.

I pop popcorn.

I know that sounds weird. And, let me be specific.  I POP it.  I don’t throw a bag of microwave popcorn in.  I pop it with a popcorn popper.  Granted, my latest find allows me to get the same results as an air popper without oil in the microwave, but it is the same sound, smell, and rush or exhilaration that I have always gotten in the past.  I pop my popcorn.  I melt real butter.  I pour on the butter, mix it up with a bit of salt, and I eat.

It dawned on me last night that my mom and dad used to pop popcorn a lot after we would go to bed.  As I got older (about 7 or 8 ) I somehow became aware of this.  They would tuck me in to bed, kiss me goodnight, and send me off to slumber.  I would wait 2 minutes, then sit by my door and wait for the sound of the popcorn popper to start.  Once I was sure the popcorn was sufficiently popped and properly buttered, I would head downstairs.  90% of the time, I would grab my own little bowl (it was stainless steel – there’s was a big pale yellow one from tupperware) and I would sit and eat my popcorn.  They would then send me back to bed, where I would happily go to sleep with a bit of warm buttery goodness happily in my tummy.

My mom tells stories of how my grandmother used to pop popcorn and not finish it, leaving it in the oven.  There was often popcorn in grandma’s oven and we would go peak and grab a snack when we went to visit.  I remember sitting on her living room floor with a metal lunch tray, a PB&J and popcorn from the oven, watching her “stories” with her when I would spend a night during the summer. 

There is just something about popcorn that brings together fond memories of my family, happiness, and comfort all by pouring these tiny yellow kernels into a machine that heats them, pops them, and makes them edible.  It is somewhat baffling and wonderful and amazing and odd all at the same time. 

So, tonight, after I spend several hours trying to clean up the mess that is my craft room, I will once again pop some happy goodness, coat it in butter, sit on the couch, and spend the last few minutes before bed in comfort…

 

 

Jan9

slow cooker steak tacos

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slow cooker steak tacos

I don’t know about you, but for me, cooking while working full time can sometimes be less than easy to do.  I LOVE to cook, but by the time you get home from work, get backpacks emptied, say hi to your loved ones, and get the “stuff” taken care of, it can be getting late to start a meal.  That is why I have started to experiment more and more with my slow cooker.  It has been a great kitchen based adventure and has started to be a great way to have a good meal when we get home after a long day, without a lot of work to get it together.

For some reason, however, I often think people associate the slow cooker with old school roasts and potatoes, where everything comeout some odd shade of brown, tasteless, and mushy.  After lots of experimenting, trial and error (including burning an entire BBQ pork roast beyond recognition – left it on high for 9 hours… oops!), and note taking, I have started to find my groove when it comes to slow cooker cooking. 

This taco recipe is one that is easy and full of flavor.  Like so many things (chili, spaghetti sauce, and more) this was great the first day, but even better warmed up the next day for leftovers.  It is kind of a pantry raider, too, using a can of this and a jar of that.  You could uses all fresh ingredients if you want or home-canned as well.  I didn’t have that, so it was a pantry moment here.

Slow Cooker Steak Tacos

  • 4 center cut strip steaks (I used the pre-portioned kind you get frozen from those home delivery companies)
  • 1, 16 ounce ounce jar of Salsa verde
  • 1 can of organic petite diced tomatoes
  • 1 can of organic black beans
  • 1 can organic yellow corn (or half a bag of frozen)
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 T cumin
  • 1 t red peppper flake
  • 1 t hot sauce

Set your slow cooker to low if you are cooking all day while at work.  If you are starting at lunch time for dinner, set to high and watch.

Place you steaks in the bottom of the slow cooker – season with salt and pepper.

Begin adding other ingredients.

Add in your jar of salsa verde.  Then add in your corn, beans, and tomatoes.  I rinsed each can with about half a can of water that I added in as well, making sure to get all of the little bits from each can and adding a bit more liquid at the same time.  This totalled about a can and a half of water being added.

Add a bit more salt and pepper to taste, as well as cumin, red pepper flake, and hot sauce.  Stir it all and put the lid on.

Let the slow cooker work it’s magic.

When you are ready to serve, grab your tortillas, cheese, sour cream, and any other taco toppings you might want like lettuce, more salsa verde, or tomatoes.

Carefully use a fork to shred the meat in the slow cooker – it is going to fall apart as soon as you try to pull it out, so shredding in the cooker itself seems to work best.

Mix the meat with the rest of the slow cooker goodness.  Using a slotted spoon to drain some of the excess liquid, begin building your tacos.

Grad some chips and guac, a cold drink, and your taco…  now that’s a quick and tasty dinner for your family that can be ready as soon as you walk in the door!

Happy Eating!

 

 

 

 

 

Jan5

fat elvis pancakes… oh yeah, we are going there…

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fat elvis pancakes… oh yeah, we are going there…

I don’t know why they are this way, but my children truly believe that anything with chocolate, peanut butter, and bananas make for something that should be called “Fat Elvis.”  They had Fat Elvis pie once and it just kind of stuck to anything that includes this combo.  So, we now affectionately make Fat Elvis pancakes at our house at least once a month, if not more.  This usually occurs on Sundays when I have the most time to make breakfast.  Not that it is hard or time consuming – far from it – but that is just when we normally have these.

This was the first meal we had in 2012 – these and bacon.  Seriously.  I know.  Not super healthy, but, come on…  how can you not start the New Year with bacon and yummy pancake sammiches???

So, for that lazy weekend breakfast or for a fun mid-week change of pace – I give you Fat Elvis Pancakes.

Steph’s Fat Elvis Pancakes

  • 2 Cups of the Ultimate Breakfast Mix
  • 2 Cups of milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 T of canola oil
  • 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips
  • 3 or 4 bananas
  • peanut butter – I like crunchy, but it is up to you!

Mix together the first 5 ingredients and cook up your chocolate chip pancakes (makes 12-16 depending on what size you make them.)

Take 2 pancakes.  Put a thin layer of peanut butter on both.  Add slices of bananas to one side and then top with the other pancake.

Take a big bite, sit back, and enjoy.  You can eat with a fork or just like a little breakfast sandwich. 

It is actually a decent road food, so if you are heading off on a road trip, this does pretty well in the car if you have to dash. Just cook ‘em up and go!

Happy eating, and, you’re welcome.  (Trust me, one bite and you WILL want to thank me.  No need.  We’re cool.)

Jan4

the ultimate breakfast (pancakes/waffles/crepes and more) mix

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the ultimate breakfast (pancakes/waffles/crepes and more) mix

I love recipes that help me to create something from scratch and healthier for my kids than a boxed version.  I love them even more when they are versatile and easy to do!

I have been testing out and changing, redoing and testing some more, several versions of this recipe until I think that I finally got it where I want it to be.  This is just like your pre-bought boxed stuff, only you make it yourself, store it on your counter in a jar, and then use it to create your ultimate breakfast.

Steph’s Ultimate Breakfast Mix

  • 6 cups of whole wheat flour
  • 2 cups white all purpose flour
  • 6 T of sugar
  • 6 T of baking powder
  • 6 t of baking soda
  • 2 t of salt

Put it all in a big bowl or large jar, mix well, then store. 

Now, you can go with all whole wheat flour and go with 8 C and no all purpose or any combination the other direction.  I like this one because the little bit of white helps to lighten up the sometimes gritty texture of whole wheat flour and my kids seem to like this one the best – go ahead, however, and play around until you get it the way you like it best!

Grab one of the recipes that goes with it and you are all set…  first up – basic pancakes!

Steph’s Basic Pancake

(makes 12-16 depending on how big you like your pancakes)

  • 2 cups of Steph’s Ultimate Breakfast Mix
  • 2 Cups of milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 T of canola oil (can use veg oil or melted butter, but I prefer canola oil)

Mix and cook your pancakes.  Seriously.  That is all.

Happy Breakfasting!

 

 

Dec20

delish steak sammiches

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delish steak sammiches

  

Matt is a total steak guy and Owen has started to become one – he likes to walk around saying, “I’m a CARNIVORE, mom!”

With this in mind, I decided to take a couple of steaks that I found in the freezer and made us a nice hearty dinner for 4 of steak sandwiches.

This is simple, quick, crispy, and just a harmonious tasty delight of flavor layers, just what we needed on a cold weekend day.  It is marinated steak, with a special sauce to add another layer of flavor depth, and sauteed onions and provolone cheese, all finished under the broiler.  One bite and you will be hooked!

Steak Sammich (marinade and sauce ingredients)

  • 2 steaks – marinated (see recipe below)
  • one onion – sliced
  • provolone cheese
  • 4 hoagie rolls
  • soy sauce
  • garlic powder
  • steak seasoning
  • black pepper and sea salt
  • red pepper flake
  • olive oil
  • white wine vinegar
  • butter
  • mayo
  • Dijon mustard

 

Steak Sammich Steak Marinade

Put your steak into a dish or plastic zipper bag. 

Add about 1 T each of steak seasoning, garlic powder, and white wine vinegar.  Add some salt and pepper to taste, as well as a few shakes of your red pepper flake.  Pour in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of olive oil.  Mix together and let sit for about an hour.  Remove from fridge 15 minutes prior to cooking.  This allows the meat to come to or get close to room temperature, which makes for a juicier, more tender steak than if you go straight from fridge to grill pan.

Steak Sammich Special Sauce

  • 1/2 cup good mayo
  • 1 T. good Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 T. steak seasoning
  • 1/2 T. of olive oil
  • few shakes each of red pepper flake, salt and pepper

Mix good and let sit for an hour.  If you do it when you marinate the steaks, it will be just perfect when the sammiches are ready!

Steak Sammich Making

Grill the steaks to medium-rare/medium.  Remove from heat and let rest without slicing for about 10 minutes.  This lets the juices stay in the steak and redistribute, rather than running out all over the place if you cut it immediately.

Cut your hoagie rolls in half.

Saute your onions in butter (about 1 T), salt and pepper to taste.

Turn on your broiler.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Put your hoagie rolls, insides facing up, onto the sheet.

Place your onions on the top side of the bun. 

Cut the steak and add that to the bottom side of the bun.  Add provolone cheese.

Put under the broiler and cook until cheese is melting and starting to bubble and bread is toasty, but not burnt.  3-5 minutes.

Remove and layer on the special sauce, close, and then cut in half!

Grab the toasty, yummy, gooey sammich and take a bite.

Dinner is served.

 

 

 

Dec19

caramel corn

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caramel corn

I realize that this is not your typical holiday treat. For some reason, however, I have added it to my holiday baking list and I seem to make more and more each year.  It is easy to make and is super tasty. 

Oh, and if you want to, you can add in some cashews or peanuts the last 5 minutes and make it just a bit more special than it already is!

Steph’s Caramel Corn

  • 1 serving of air popped popcorn (typically about 1/2 cup unpopped)
  • 3/4 C brown sugar
  • 6 T butter
  • 3 T corn syrup
  • 1/4 t. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda

 

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.

Boil sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt for about 4-5 minutes. You want to stir pretty often. Watch the color…  I like “lighter” caramel, so I might pull mine off before 5 minutes if it is getting too dark.  It can quickly burn, too, so keep a close eye on it.

Remove from heat.  Mix in baking soda and vanilla extract.

Add about 1/4 of the popcorn to the bowl with the caramel mixture.  Stir together.

Pour mixture over remaining popcorn in a roasting pan.  Stir as well as possible.

Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 7-10 minutes.  Add nuts in last 5 minutes if you would like to include them.

Remove from oven and cool at room temperature.

Kick back. Relax. Eat. Enjoy.

 

Dec16

my mom’s microwave fudge

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my mom’s microwave fudge

Yes.  I said microwave!!!  I have tried sooooo many fudge recipes that have been total failures – this one, however, works for me every time!  It is quick, simple, and yummy.  Enjoy!

Mom’s Microwave Fudge

  • 3 C Sugar
  • 3/4 C butter
  • 2/3 C evaporated milk
  • 1 – 12oz package of semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 – 7 oz jar of marshmallow fluff
  • 1 t. vanilla extract

Microwave butter on high until melted. (about 45sec. – 1 minute depending on microwave)

Add sugar and evaporated milk.  Mix well.

Microwave on high for 3 minutes – stir. 

Microwave an additional 2 – 2 1/2 minutes or until boiling.

Stir in chocolate chips until melted. 

Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan. Cool at room temperature.

Cut. Eat. Share. Repeat.

Dec15

dinner – spicy peanut and chicken pasta dish

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dinner – spicy peanut and chicken pasta dish

Ok.  I think that I originally read a version of this recipe in a cookbook once, but started making it so often and changing it here and there so I am not sure if I am stealing it, building on it, or just eating it and enjoying it… I just thought you might enjoy it, too.  If you prep the chicken and veggies ahead of time, this should take you no more than 20 minutes to make after work.

It is a family favorite, so I thought I would share it with all of you.

Spicy Peanut and Chicken Pasta

  • 1 lb. angel hair pasta (whole wheat if you can find it)
  • 4  boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 C chunky peanut butter
  • 1 C Spanish peanuts
  • 1 C chopped onions
  • 1 C chopped carrots
  • 1 C chopped celery
  • canola oil
  • salt and pepper
  • hot sauce
  • red pepper flake
  • soy sauce
  • honey
  • rice wine vinegar
  • garlic powder

Marinate the chicken overnight in some canola oil, s & p, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and red pepper flake marinade.  You don’t need to make a ton, just enough to really give the chicken a bit of flavor.

Remove chicken when ready to cook – dice into bite sized pieces.

Pre-heat a non-stick skillet to stir fry the chicken.  Add canola oil and cook chicken through on high heat.

Boil your water, add salt, and cook pasta while making the rest of the sauce.

Once your chicken is cooked, add in your veggie mix (1 C each of onion, carrot, and celery).  Add salt and pepper, red pepper flake, about a tsp of garlic powder.  Once cooked down, about 3-4 minutes, add in 1 soy sauce (about 2 T.), honey (about 1 T.), 1 tsp. of garlic powder, several shakes of hot sauce (you know the drill, the more you add, the hotter it gets).  Taste – if you want to add more of something, go for it.  This is a recipe I often eyeball and cook and taste as I go.  Cook and stir, reducing heat to medium. 

If you sauce is too thick, add a bit of the pasta water to help thin it out and flavor it.

Add in your Spanish peanuts.

Drain pasta and toss all together in a bowl.

Eat. Eat. Eat. Enjoy.