Yum, let’s get back in the cooking groove. This was super easy and the kiddo was able to help out.

Honeybun Cake Recipe

Kid approved! They never fail me in the sweets department!

So Noah wanted to mash bananas (thanks Sid the Science Kid). So I considered what ingredients were in stock, unfortunately our bread pan has disappeared. Muffins it twas.

The child was indeed a fabulous banana musher. It was a good activity to work on while I did all the other parts.

Very delicious muffins! And a good way to use my whole wheat flour.

Enjoy!

(Check out It’s A Blog Party Delicious Dishes.)

We came across a fun snack today. I’m a snackaholic, among other things. I don’t always go for the good for me variety, but this one made the child happy even because it had a fun name: Crunch Cactus Snack. Which has now become the Happy Little Forest Snack.

The original recipe should have been made with graham crackers, green pepper, broccoli, and peanut butter.

Here’s ours:

Happy Little Forest Snack

*Our impromtu kosher version uses matzo, because we didn’t have graham crackers. This is an easy to adapt recipe.

Ingredients:

*2 graham crackers

*green pepper (or carrot or a veggie of your choice)

*2 small pieces of broccoli

*peanut butter

*chopped nuts for terrain texture

Directions:

Spread peanut butter on one cracker. Cut oval pieces of bell pepper and cut a flat edge across the bottom. (We cut a flat edge on the carrots). Cut the stems off two pieces of broccoli. Stick the vegetables in the peanut butter to look like a happy little forest scene. Optional: Crush the second graham cracker and sprinkle crumbs over the peanut butter to give it a dirt effect. Or use chopped nuts to give it a similar effect.

Viola!

Happy Kid! He’s happy he has a cute little snack and actually believes he is eating a forest. I’m happy he’s eating veggies.

I’ve been trying to be thrifty. That means trying to make homemade when humanly possible. I wanted to make brownies with ingredients we had in our pantry, but that did not require chocolate chips. We didn’t have those. I found Snowdrop Brownies on Epicurious. (I love my Epicurious iPhone app!) I’ve altered it a bit to work with what I had, and it is super easy.

Snowdrop Brownies
* 2/3 cup all purpose flour
* 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 2 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Note: You can add 1/2 a cup of chopped pecans and 1/2 cup chocolate chips for some more delicious flavors.

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8×8x2 inch glass baking dish with Pam (you can also butter the baking dish). Sift first 4 ingredients into a small bowl. Beat sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a medium bowl. Mix in dry ingredients. Mix in chips. Spread batter into prepared dish.

Bake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs still attached, about 25 minutes. Cool completely. Cut into 2-inch squares.

again, again, and again I try to keep on documenting our lives! But after being on the computer the past two years for my graduate program, I have been on a break with my computer. So yes, I graduated! And now, I’m full time mom without the school looming overhead. It’s been an interesting transition, trying to figure out what to do with myself in the evenings. Night time used to be my study time. Now it’s my trashy TV time. (cough..cough..Bachlorette…Khloe and Kim…cough cough).

I’m not sure where to begin. So I’ll start in my happy place, foodland. Some yummies I’ve made in the past few days

—>Silky Chocolate Pudding

Kyle and I agree it is WAY better than boxed pudding . I don’t think I’ve had homemade pudding before. It is sooo easy!

—>Parmesan Popovers

No pictures, but they were delicious. It was a Cooking Light recipe, but I had two so I don’t know how light that was. The kids didn’t want theirs, so I felt it was my duty to save them. Those poor little popovers all alone in this world!

Other than those cooking adventures we made paper airplanes today, drew on the windows with markers, did some cutting activities, danced — for about 5% of the day. The other 90% consisted of:

“Stop touching him. Stop pushing him. Don’t pull hair. Don’t poke eyes.” And on and on, you get the drift.

So that’s where I am today. Done with school – yay! Trying to figure out ways to fill these long summer days that don’t involve becoming a dripping, sweaty, hot mess. Finding ways to make good, mostly healthy food, and seeking recipes with lots of veggies. Seriously, even though I just mentioned two veggie-less recipes.

I do want to do more crafts. I’m already thinking about my holiday gift list. I think I need to start now if I actually want to give handmade gifts this year. Planning! Planning ! Planning!

Here’s one completed sewing project – a kid’s robe. Noah helped by pushing the pedal and I guided the fabric. I have a few other sewing projects I need to get crackin’ on. I’m also taking a crochet class this weekend, which I’m looking forward to – Crochet 101.

Noah and I made him a robe.

Time to get back and stay back for a while! And figure out what the heck I want to focus on – crafts, food, books…and any of my nine hundred other hobbies and activities.

Just a typical summer day!

(If you want to play, check out Mrs. 4444’s site.)

1. Memorable food this week:

-broccoli mashed potatoes. mash the broccoli into the potatoes. Easy and good.
-French onion dip sandwiches with carrot and broccoli coleslaw. I loved the coleslaw because it wasn’t made with mayo. I’m a mayo hater. It was instead made with olive oil and lemon. Mmm-mmm. The sandwiches were also pretty awesome. I felt like I was eating at a greasy spoon – my own!
-Carmel Coconut Fudge Brownies. While the recipes was docked some stars by others for the tough caarmel, I’m not sure what they were expecting. I’ve never met an unsticky caarmel. These brownies were fudge-y, caramel, and coconut deliciousness. I will definitely make them again.

Caramel Coconut Fudge Brownies

2. I’m running the Houston Half Marathon Sunday morning. Hoping I cross the finish line running. My leg has been bothering me because I over did it at boot-camp last week. I’ve been trying to take it easy on the leg. I also didn’t do the best at training for this marathon. Here’s to the finish line for my 2nd half marathon!

3. I am Wendy this week. Wendy from Bob the Builder that is. And I am sick of the Bob the Builder song, but it keeps Noah happy. I guess I will just continue to randomly sing Bob the Builder. Although every now and then I sing Habib the Builder. I don’t know why, maybe to add a multicultural bent to it.

4. School starts for me next week, and I will be working for free in school libraries. It’s part of my master’s program, lucky me! I haven’t worked for almost 2 years now, I’m hoping getting on a schedule will be a good transition, and it’s only for two months. Keep telling myself I can do it!!!! And then I step into a middle school and remember why I left. Ack!!!

5. Looking forward to Jamaica!!!! Going there for a wedding soon!!! So excited!!!!!!!!!! Off to go purchase our tickets. (And I’m also timing myself on the computer so that I get off and do some practical stuff like clean out the dishwasher. I’ve been slacking this morning.)

6. Sucked into American Idol. How do I let this happen???

Peace!

As I sit here, eating my tiny cup o’ Ben and Jerry’s Cookie Dough ice cream and reminisce on dinner, I have to say it was just alright. Rather uninspiring sadly. It could be a reflection of my day. I spent 2 hours too long at the doctor’s office for Eli’s well baby visit. And he officially knows what the doctor’s office is and sensed his impending doom as we waited in the cubby hole. I hate the doctor’s office as much as he does now.

We also had playgroup. Dinner seemed to come together awfully quickly. Little did I know that the chicken was slightly cold, er, maybe even frozen in some spots.

Prep

Head O' Garlic

(I’m feeling rather Irish-y today, must be something in the air.) I prepped the garlic in the morning. Luckily, it was just a smash and de-skin job. I was expecting more garlic flavor from the head of garlic, it was sort of there, lackluster garlic flavor.

Tweedle Yum decided to spill his juice all over his tray. He ate some of the dinner. The other Tweedle spit out his garlic (sorry no photos) and proceeded to have a discussion about how his food tasted “Funny” not “funny ha-ha,” but “funny for kids to eat.” Which I’m still not sure is a compliment or a critique.

It’s a recipe bust and probably won’t use this one again. It was alright.

Here’s the recipe if you want to give it a go:

Roasted Garlic Chicken.

(I added potatoes, carrots, and cauliflower, another low point in my dinner escapades but I’d rather just let it go away.)

Now back to my Ben and Jerry’s….mmm….

As you ramble through life, whatever be your goal;
Keep your eye upon the doughnut, and not upon the hole.

The Prep

I was able to prep the cheese, portion out the pasta, and cut and clean the cauliflower. So much easier to work with non-meat ingredients. I’m hyper paranoid about meat and spreading some disease.

The Process

Not even 1 second after I took out a bowl, Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle Yum started wanting to go through the cabinets right under might feet.

"Your turn or my turn to start the chaos?"

Cursing Point

Why must water take so long to boil, and why do I know no tricks to speed up the process? Start with hot water maybe?

Boil baby, boil!

Favorite Part

Watching the cheese melt in the broiler inferno! Bubble, bubble, toil and CHEESE!

Is there a Future?

I’d say a definite yes! It was delicious, and I loved the melted muenster on top. It took me back to when I first had melted muenster in a quesadilla. This recipe also reminded me of Sneaky Chef or one the cookbooks that sneak in the veggies. The cheese sauce has cauliflower in it and it’s hidden in all the cheesy goodness.

I was a little unsure about how long to cook the cheese sauce as there are no directions for how to do that. Waiting patiently and not jumping the gun, I was able to discern a visible change from not thick and creamy to thick and cream. It took about 4-5 minutes or so.

I’d like to see if this dish could be prepped on the weekend and frozen for reheat later in the week (month?).

Kid Test

Tweedle Yum approves. Tweedle Dee was more interested in the boxed corn bread muffins.

Tweedle Yum approves!

The Recipe

Three Cheese Macaroni

(Food Network magazine Oct 2009)

Ingredients

* 1 large egg
* 1 12-ounce can evaporated whole milk
* Pinch of cayenne pepper
* Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 1/3 cups grated muenster cheese (4 ounces), plus 4 deli-thin slices (1 ounce)
* 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
* 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
* 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into small florets (4 cups)
* 4 cups medium pasta shells (9 ounces)

Directions

Whisk the egg, evaporated milk, cayenne, nutmeg, and salt and black pepper to taste in a bowl. Toss the grated cheeses in a separate bowl.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and cook until almost falling apart, about 7 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Add the pasta to the same water and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Preheat the broiler.

Combine the egg mixture and the grated cheeses in the empty pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the cheeses melt and the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and add the cauliflower. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth and light (you can also use a regular blender). Stir in some of the reserved pasta water until creamy.

Toss the pasta in the sauce; season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a shallow casserole dish and top with muenster slices. Broil until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

This was almost dubbed a dinner catastrophe, with the kids deciding to roll around right under my feet at the oven. Noah constantly picking on Eli, Eli constantly in every cabinet going for all the glass items. (Yay, we need to close those cabinets.) I also had some struggles with the ingredients, such as not knowing how to skin the salmon. But it ended up turning our pretty tasty, some how in the chaos, I seasoned the protein in a satisfactory manner.

I was attracted to the recipe because of the interesting flavor combination, honey, cinnamon, lemon, and salmon. I also like using a new veggie to me: chard. It’s green is vibrant.

Chard leaf.

I had prepped all the veggies while the little one was at daycare and Noah was busy with Bob the Builder. I thought I was ready to throw it all together.

Prepped veggies.

Enlightening moment: My biggest struggle was that the fish wasn’t prepped the way it should have been. I now know I should learn how to skin a piece of fish.

In the end, it comes down to the kid test. Noah was wanting to eat his salmon yesterday, so he was happy to finally get a piece of fish. He even wanted the skin on, so I didn’t bother taking the skin off his. He liked it.

Eating a light lunch makes anything for dinner taste great!

Salmon with Lentils

(Food Network Magazine Oct 2009)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 2 leeks, white and light-green parts only, halved lengthwise and chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 pound (1 1/4 cups) French brown or green lentils
• 1 bunch Swiss chard
• 3 6-ounce center-cut skinless salmon fillets
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Juice of 1 lemon

Directions

1. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and carrots and cook until tender, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Increase the heat to high; add 4 cups water, the cinnamon stick and lentils. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-high, cover and simmer until tender, 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, remove the Swiss chard stems; reserve 3 leaves and chop the rest. Place the whole leaves over the lentils, cover and wilt, 1 minute. Remove the chard and cover the lentils. Season the salmon with salt and pepper and wrap a wilted chard leaf around each fillet.

3. Stir the honey and lemon juice into the remaining lentils and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped chard. Place the wrapped salmon on top of the lentils, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until the fish is just cooked through, 6 minutes.

Remove the salmon and cut into pieces. (If the lentils are dry, add a splash of water.) Divide lentils among bowls and top with salmon.

Chicken Tikka Masala

I’m going to start making a habit of finding at least one recipe for Kyle to make on the weekends. He’s such a great cook! This weekend he made Chicken Tikka Masala from Cook’s Illustrated Sept/Nov 2007 issue. I admire and drool over the recipes in Cook’s, I don’t often take on the challenge and try out the recipes inside. We have a subscription more for Kyle because the magazine gets pretty technical about cooking methods and can go into the science-y side. (Zzzzzz j/k)

It was a hit with the kids and should be added into the rotation or at least make cooking hits of 2010.

I learned about Chicken Tikka by going with the brother-in-laws to Masala Wok which makes a fast food chicken tikka. We were so excited when we got a home recipe to make. The article posing the question ” Why is it so rarely made at home?” I know I get intimidated by Indian recipes because I tend to think they require a lot of time and attention. I’d actually like to know if an easy Indian cookbook exists.

Now that the holiday rush is over, I’m looking forward to cooksxporations in the kitchen! I want to find a Naan recipe to try out.

Naan-y Naan-y boo boo

Big bite.