Spinach Blueberry Almond Smoothie

Just a quick entry today to share the versatility of smoothies and including super foods without notice, nothing better than getting all if the vitamins and nutrients from something as healthy as spinach without even knowing it is in there and nothing is lost to a cooking process.

The spinach left over from dinner last night was calling my name for lunch, but instead of a salad, I was inspired to put it into one of my time-honored favorite smoothies.

I also had some picked-over blueberries in the fridge, which is the perfect way to put those to use too.

Into the blender, I added spinach, fresh blueberries, yogurt, almonds and finally some milk, to bring it all together.

Almonds are one of my favorite smoothie wild cards, as I love the texture they offer once chopped up in the blender as well as the protein they bring to the smoothie.  I'll be honest, my biggest concern about smoothies, especially the ones you buy, are empty calories from sugary syrups.

There are just so many options when it comes to smoothies.  A banana would have been great in here as well, frozen blueberries instead of fresh would add a bit more texture, a few ice cubes could also help with that.

Juice is also another option instead of milk, whatever you have on hand.  Maybe I should try some almond milk next time. 

I have a few more smoothie recipes with secret super foods...avocados and cooked sweet potatoes, although the spinach seems to be my go-to ingredient because it is the most user-friendly (aka ready and waiting).

What is your smoothie super secret ingredient?

Cozy Ski Soup

Welcome back from the weekend...hope it was wonderful and I know we are all thrilled that warmer weather is on the way.  

I'm as excited as anyone for the roads to clear and snow to melt, soccer and biking season are right around the corner.  

Although, I just can't pass up this opportunity to share with you the awesome soup recipe that we enjoyed on our annual family ski trip this past weekend. 

Here's my gang on the slopes!

We should really try to put a number before that 'annual', but the number of years escapes us, especially as it evolves...how do you put a number on it? 

I've been skiing since I was 5 or 6, so does that make it the 30th annual ski trip? But, my dad, sisters and brother have been skiing longer than that.  

Our new tradition of staying trail side started when my 20 year old niece was 1, so is it the 19th?

You get the point, we've been doing this for a long time and as traditions go, something change and some things stay the same.  

Same = trail side lodging, different = new condo. 

Same = 3 generations of family, different = less people

Same= soup,  different = Cozy Ski Soup

One of my goals for the near future is to start an album with all pictures of the family ski trip, through the years.  After this many years, the details get all jumbled together.  I'll let you know how that goes. 

Anyway, on to the soup.  

Started by browning 1 lb of Italian sausage, upon completion, set aside on paper towel to drain, wipe out excess any grease from the soup pot, but leave a little behind to sautee the veggies in.  

Chop and toss 1 medium onion, 3 stalks of celery (I included the leafy parts too), a cup of shredded carrots and 1 zucchini into the pan for some preliminary cooking.  Cook until soft. 

Then added the broth, which was primarily Chicken Stock (4 cups), but also used up the 1 cup tomato juice and 2 cups of beef stock that were in the fridge, just begging to be used!

I am always conservative with liquids when starting soup.  More stock/broth/water can always be later or added just prior to serving, but it is much harder to remove. 

Next, I added 1 bag of frozen corn and frozen green beans.  I generally preferred frozen to canned, the texture of the corn and beans holds up much better from frozen than can and I'm a huge texture person. Two can of diced tomatoes would also be added at this point, but since I they were temporarily out of stock in my pantry, I had to wait to add them until just before serving. 

Last ingredient to make this a hearty and cozy soup is 1 lb of pasta. After boiling for about 10 minutes the pasta was cooked and ready to be served.

Since I made this in advance of our ski trip…didn't want to miss time on the slopes having to cook. So, I froze the soup and re-heated it for serving.  That worked out perfectly!

In addition to the diced tomatoes, I also added some more water and bouillon, as it was a little more like goulash than soup.  That is a personal preference to be adjusted accordingly.

The family was thrilled with this new soup, it definitely hit the spot for the occasion.


Cozy Ski Soup

Ingredients
1 lb of Italian sausage
1 medium onion
3 stalks of celery (I included the leafy parts too)
1 cup of shredded carrots
1 zucchini 
8 cups of Chicken Stock (or other broth type ingredients - tomato juice, vegetable or beef stock)
1 bag of frozen corn
1 bag of frozen green beans
2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 lb of small pasta 

Cook the sausage in soup pot. Drain on paper towel. Remove excess grease.
Saute onion, celery and carrots in pan.
Add stock/broth ingredients.
While bringing to a boil, add frozen corn, beans and diced tomatoes.
Finally, boil pasta for 10 minutes.

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Parmesan Encrusted Pork Chops

Hey everyone, we made it through Monday.  Whew...that was a close one!

Nah, just kidding, I spent it at a dinosaur museum with Landon and his 2nd grade class.  So fun to see how your kid really is in school.  I sent Jerry numerous texts to let him know that Landon is really good in school.  I was pleasantly surprised.  He even saved a seat for me at lunch and wanted to sit with me on the bus. Melted my heart!

Was still home in time to fulfill the requested pork chops for dinner, although I had not yet decided on the preparation.

I was feeling particularly homey and traditional and not very adventurous at all, so I decided to go back to my roots, the days in the R&D lab schlepping batters and breadings with some home-style Parmesan Encrusted Pork Chops.

This takes a little longer than the easy shrimp teriyaki, but I promise you it will be worth it.

Let's get started!

The first layer on the meat (or any other substrate) is considered the pre-dust.  Primary purpose is to add some flavor that won't burn/cook off and also to facilitate the adhesion of the next two layers.

In bowl 1, used a half cup of all purpose flour, some seasoned salt and pepper. Probably nearly a tbsp of seasoning salt and more like a half of tsp of the fresh ground pepper.

The 2nd bowl is the batter, in this case, was 3 eggs, lightly beaten with a fork.  Two probably would have been sufficient...I hate throwing excess away.

Finally the breader, in a loaf pan, was a cup of Italian bread crumbs mixed with a cup of grated Parmesan with some lemon zest grated in for good measure.

Once the breadings are ready and waiting, let the coating begin! Use a fork to dredge the chop through the seasoned flour, just a brief coat on each side.  Shake off any lose flour before dipping the floured pork into the egg bowl, covered both sides.

Finally, the chops are ready to be breaded.  The combination of fine bread crumbs and cheese makes it very easy for the breading to stick.

After placing the chop in the breading, I used my hand to scoop some breading on the top of the pork and then pressing down gently with the palm of my hand to make sure there is good coverage before removing it from the breading and shaking off the excess…that will only burn in the oil.

Now that they are breaded, we can move on to the cooking stages.

The first step of the cooking process is to pan fry the chops for a few minutes on each side to set the breading and establish nice texture and color for the finished dish.

 After 3-4 minutes on each side in the melted butter and hot oil, they are placed into a baking pan and finished in the oven at 425 F for about 15 more minutes.

While the chops were finishing, there was some time for sautéing green beans in melted butter and topped with chopped almonds and Kosher sea salt.  Just don't add the almonds too soon or they will scorch.

The sautéed green beans was a nice change for us, so often I (over) cook them in the microwave, this way they actually had some texture left.


This meal was met with rave reviews, all 8 of the chops were devoured by the family in one sitting...so much for leftovers!

Quick 'n' Easy Shrimp Teriyaki

Happy Sunday, hope the weekend treated you well!  We were pretty low key, aside from a basketball tournament today, at least it was on our home court.  The girls played hard, but you can't win 'em all.

I wanted to share with you our meal from Friday night, but have to admit that I'm feeling a little guilty about how ridiculously easy the birthday dinner was.

I decided on the shrimp teriyaki with broccoli and rice for a few reasons...first of all Jerry loves both shrimp and broccoli (obviously!) and secondly, we had everything already on hand, so it didn't require an extra trip to the store.

But, seriously, seems like there should be a minimum prep time for a 'special' meal or something; this was less than 20 minutes.  The minute rice may have been the most time consuming part, since the water had to be boiled first.

With no further ado, super simple yet 'special' dinner....

While waiting for the water to boil, (broth or some added bouillon are good alternatives) started heating some oil to sauté the uncooked shrimp, shell and tail removed.

Cooking shrimp can be a little tricky so that they don't end up like rubber.  They start out gray and translucent but as they cook, they become pink and opaque.  You don't want to over cook them.

Since teriyaki was the flavor profile we were going for, not much seasoning was required for the shrimp.

Once the water was boiling, add the rice according to the directions.  This is pretty fool proof.

When the shrimp was mostly cooked, the broccoli florets were added to the pan, covered and steamed to perfection in just a few quick minutes.

Finally, the teriyaki sauce was added to coat the shrimp and broccoli before being served over rice.

Believe it or not, this could actually be made into an even quicker meal by using cooked shrimp and frozen broccoli.  Nothing beats fresh, steamed broccoli, in my book, but I'd hate to be accused of not sharing all of the options.

Happy Cooking!

Black Bean Chili

Welcome to Friday...let the weekend begin.  But, not without first sharing about a special day this week and a great first-time soup.

Earlier this week when the kids were making their meal requests, Ryker asked for Chili and Alayna asked for Black Bean Soup.  I thought I'd combine them into one simple, delicious and filling meal to be served when we were having friends this week.

I know not all of you find as much joy or have the time for the joy of chopping, so this could definitely be simplified to a quick'n'easy meal as well.  Stick with me.

Since I always keep an array of vegetables on hand, this is the best and easiest way to get them eaten in our house. For example, I'm not sure that celery would be considered a staple of chili, but I figure once it is chopped up and simmered for an hour, most people don't know if it is an onion, zuchini or even give it much thought at all, so in it goes.

I started by throwing one chopped onion, and a tablespoon of minced garlic into two tablespoons of vegetable oil that were heating on the stove.  Then I put in 2# of lean hamburger to brown up.  Two pounds is a lot of beef, but since we were having guests over for dinner, I was going for a bigger batch size to ensure there was enough…(Spoiler alert: there was just enough!)

Once the meat was browned, I threw in the rest of the freshly chopped vegetables; celery, green peppers, zucchini and tomato.  Now, if you want to simplify this recipe, you could skip the fresh veggies and just go with canned or frozen, especially if time is of the essence.

Now, it's time for the seasonings...which I'm notoriously terrible about measuring.  I know I don't like too much cumin, nothing can ruin a dish like cumin can, but I do appreciate what it brings at low levels, so that was probably about a teaspoon, that I pre-eyeball (as opposed to measure) into my hand.

Kids don't like anything too hot, so just about a teaspoon of ground red pepper was added as well, to bring some flavor but not too much heat.  Finally, a tablespoon or two of chili powder.  Of course, you could always use a packet of chili seasoning, but I prefer to concoct my own. The salt and pepper is added to taste, fresh ground black pepper can be pretty potent, so I use that with caution.

From here on out, it is very easy...couple cans of diced tomatoes, couple cans of black beans...tonight, for the first time, I did not drain or rinse the beans (I know, I'm such a rebel).  Once the veggies are all mixed in, I pour in another household staple, tomato juice, to serve as my broth, if you will.

The last addition to this soup is some frozen corn, most soups of mine are rarely complete without those little golden nuggets of texture and sweetness.

This simmered for about an hour and was served with oyster crackers, sour cream and shredded cheese.  Even my favorite brown-eyed 5 year old devoured her bowl faster than the birthday boy (aka a grown man) could.

Speaking of birthday boy, it was my husband's big day yesterday.  I thought I'd give some diabetic baking a try, using Splenda rather sugar.  Apparently the family agreed that the diabetic-friendly chocolate cupcakes wouldn't have been so bad, if the diabetic-friendly cream cheese frosting had been omitted.  Eh, live and learn. However, anyone with low sugar, diabetic-friendly recipes, tips or tricks, feel free to share. I've got lots of room for improvement!

Thankfully Wendy saved the day with some full-force brownies for all to enjoy!  Her and Brian have always saved the day for me...usually when there was a foot of snow in the driveway or when there was a tasty holiday meal being served. Even though we are no longer neighbors, I'm still so thankful we are great friends!

Tonight is the hubby's special birthday meal, you'll have to stay tuned, I can't ruin the surprise now!

Clean-out-your-fridge Pasta sauce with Spaghetti

Not sure how meal planning goes in your house, oh, it doesn't...well, hopefully this give you some guidance.  

Usually on Sunday nights we go around the table and everyone gets a chance to throw out a meal suggestion or request for the following week, then I plan the meals according to what is going on each night (for example tonight is a Crock Pot Chicken and Barley Vegetable Stew from Iowa Girl Eats so there is something ready, warm and nutritious to devour between swim lessons and my early volleyball game). Tomorrow night is swim, 3 parent teacher conferences and piano...not sure I'm going to win the homemade healthy meal battle tomorrow night.  Sometimes you just have to willing to throw up the white flag in surrender. I digress. 

Landon, being the youngest and having the least complex taste buds, asked for spaghetti.  That is completely understandable for an 8 year old boy who would rather just eat hot dogs everyday, but It sure bursts my creative juices bubble...what am I supposed to do with that?!?!?

After mulling it over a bit, I decided it would be a great opportunity to use up some of the leftover ingredients in the fridge from the weekend...now we're talking, since I HATE throwing anything away.  

So, upon a quick glance through my fridge, I decide that the sauce will start with some red bell peppers, pizza sauce, marinara and sausage all left from the pizzas on Saturday night and then might as well throw in the shredded carrots for good measure.  

This just goes to show that you can put just about anything into certain dishes. In fact, Jerry asked me if I used up the open jar of salsa from the fridge, I hadn't, but he's catching on quickly! 

Round out the sauce with one fresh tomato, green peppers, zucchini, onion, garlic, let them cook down a bit before adding the first can of diced tomatoes as well as some Italian seasoning.  The sauce started with just one can of diced tomatoes but a second was added after the initial simmering had taken place and it just wasn't saucy enough.  

Now, I realize that is a lot of veggies but even if we let the kids pick out one that they don't like, they are still getting a decent serving of veggies in the meal.  I throw veggies into every dish I make and sometimes they don't even notice or maybe they have just resorted the fact that the veggies are going to be there and just stop fighting it.

That simmered away until the family was home and ready to partake.  

Now, onto the pasta...I'm not a huge pasta fan...there I said it!  I'd rather save my carbs to accompany cheese, hummus, guacamole or even ketchup, not as a main component of my meal.  But, I insist on the kids eating what I like most of the time, so I can suck it up on occasion and eat their meal of choice. 

Despite having a lifetime supply of pasta that I bought at a club store some time in the last decade, I decided I wanted to go with the healthier whole grain pasta for Jerry and I, at the very least; another attempt to bring some nutrition to the table.  (Now that I think about it, last time I made a similar meal, Jerry and I were served spaghetti squash...not sure he was too thrilled with that).

So, I got two large pots of salt water boiling to make the respective pastas.  (Because of the way the salt bonds to the water molecules, the water has to reach a higher temperature before boiling, helping the pasta to cook faster...in case anyone is interested in any of the scientific principles behind all of this good stuff.)

Before straining the noodles, I used a ladle to reserve about a cup of the pasta water to pour back into the noodles.  As the pasta cools, the starches continue to absorb water, so saving pasta water to add back helps to keep the spaghetti from sticking together too badly.  Once that was absorbed, I tossed with some olive oil before serving.  

As it turns out, the Clean-Out-Your-Fridge Pasta Sauce was a big hit with the family as was the whole grain pasta...I think that will be a new staple in our house as we move towards healthier grains and away from white bread and rice, now we can add pasta to the category as well.  

What are some ways you like to use up ingredients in your fridge?  How about sneak some extra vegetables into your kids meals?  I know there are some pretty clever people out there reading this and I'd love to hear what your thoughts. 

Mmmmm, Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Happy Monday, hope you had a glorious weekend.

Ours was basketball laden, but I'd much rather have the kids active and busy than yelling at each other over Minecraft ("Get out of my house!!!" has been shouted by each of my rascals). Please tell me I'm not the only one.

So, we had some families over on Saturday night to celebrate the conclusion (survival!?!) of another basketball season.

Whenever we have friends over (which I love to do!), I like to serve something convenient, yet homemade...so, many of you know that equals soup in my world.  But, since this was mostly guys/boys, I thought I'd opt for pizza, would hate to scare them off with too many veggies.

Started with some homemade pizza bites (string cheese and pepperoni rolled up in a crescent roll, baked for 10 minutes served with marinara, which the kids usually skip anyway) are generally a quick, no-mess option for the kids to grab while running through the kitchen or taking a break from a big game of horse.

I was also excited to experiment a bit with some pizza recipes while ensuring the the stand-bys are safely within reach for anyone who isn't quite as adventurous.

So, the first pie started with pizza sauce and added minced garlic. Most tomato/pizza/pasta sauces are waaaaaay too sweet for me, so no matter the brand, I always sprinkle in some minced garlic (and maybe even some grated onion) to balance out that sweetness that makes me cringe.

Continued to top with sausage, pepperoni, onions, red peppers and LOTS of cheese. My favorite part of cheese is when it is crispy and brown...me and the Maillard reaction, we are great friends!  It was tasty.

The crowd pleaser was the Buffalo Chicken Pizza.  The sauce should have been bleu cheese dressing...I have no idea how that one got away from me, I was aghast when I realized there wasn't any in the fridge or pantry.  No fear, queen of improvisation, just used ranch instead. Just as tasty and delightful.

Next, the cooked, chopped chicken was tossed in melted butter and hot sauce before being spread on the creamy dressing.  Then, added some chopped onion before layering with cheese.

Here is my lesson-learned through this first try at this...next time, use a little less dressing.  

Ranch, blue cheese, and other dairy based dressings have a tendency to run and spread when heated, unlike tomato based sauces...so, my pizza was noticeably larger in circumference coming out of the oven than going in. 

Still tasted great, but duh...somehow those scientific principles escaped me...perhaps it was whatever was in that coke that my husband served me.

I know we thoroughly enjoyed this tasty combination of guy-friendly foods into one happy marriage of buffalo chicken and pizza, give it a try and tell me how much they loved it!