Halloween over the years

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2015

Fall Adventures

Last weekend we had to drive out to Palm Desert and back in the same day.  We decided to break up the trip with a detour to Oak Glen to do some apple picking.  Unfortunately when we got there, we found out that due to the drought and low crop yield, apple picking (especially the U-Pick) was over for the season.  After being pretty disappointed, the girls got to taste some different varieties of apples, sample cider, watch the cider press, and at least get out of the car for a little while.

At $15/bag, it wasn't exactly farmer's market prices, but we did buy some apples to make Dad a belated birthday apple pie.  In the past, we've gone to Los Rios Rancho and Riley's Farm, but this trip we stopped at Snow-Line which had some yummy smelling BBQ, hard and regular cider, wine tasting, antiques for sale, and apples galore.

We also went pumpkin picking (well, picking out, not picking from the vine) at Cal Poly Pomona's pumpkin patch.  We didn't go to the pumpkin weekend which is usually super crowded but they still had lots of pumpkins left ($5/apiece for any size) and it was fun to watch the girls decide which pumpkin was "perfect" in their eyes.

Back at home, we celebrated the arrival of slightly cooler weather with making some soup.  I know I've had many versions of broccoli soup and green soup in the past, but this was a riff on a popular family recipe - roasted broccoli.  If you don't make this for your family, try it tonight - just do the roasting step of the broccoli and serve with parmesan cheese (or you can leave it off).  I added more lemon juice than the recipe calls for and wished I hadn't, so try a little at a time.  But, I liked the overall result and it's pretty clean eating.  It reminded me more of the asparagus soup I make than other creamy broccoli soup recipes I've tried and I'm sure we'll be making it again!

Roasted Broccoli Soup (serves 4)

Two large heads broccoli

1 head of garlic

1/2 onion, diced

4 c. vegetable broth

1 tsp. fresh thyme

1 T lemon juice

grated parmesan

olive oil

salt and pepper

Slice just the top of the head of garlic off (leaving the cloves still tucked inside).  Drizzle the top with olive oil and wrap in a piece of foil to make a packet.  Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Separate the broccoli into florets and place in a large bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Spread into a single layer on a large rimmed cookie sheet and add to the oven after the first 20 minutes with the garlic.  Cook another 20 minutes (the broccoli will take 20 and the garlic will take 40).

When the garlic and broccoli are done roasting, put the broccoli into a pot on the stove and add the onion, broth, and thyme.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the broccoli is really soft.  Add the cooled roasted garlic cloves to the soup.  Blend in batches in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth.  Taste and add salt and pepper and the lemon juice.  Serve with grated parmesan on top.

Greek Summer Pasta

I can't believe I'm writing this, but with temperatures still regularly in the 100s, it's been almost too hot to cook.  I made a batch of pumpkin muffins last week, and some banana bread over the weekend but in the evening, I am hot and tired and turn to some of my summer supper tricks.  This can be served warm or cold and it's delicious!

Greek Pasta Salad (2 servings)

1/2 lb bowtie pasta
1/4 c. toasted pine nuts
1/2 c. chopped kalamata olives
1/2 c. crumbled feta
1.5 cups cooked chicken
3 cups chopped fresh baby spinach

Greek Vinaigrette
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 c. olive oil
1 tsp dried basil (or 1 T chopped fresh)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano (or 1 tsp. chopped fresh)
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
3 T lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste


Make vinaigrette by combining all ingredients and whisking in a bowl or shaking up in a glass jar.

Cook bow tie pasta according to package instructions.  Toss with the rest of the ingredients.  Add Greek vinaigrette until it looks moist enough.  Serve with more vinaigrette on the side.  The vinaigrette will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.

What's for breakfast?

In summer, I really slack off and let the girls eat cold cereal most mornings for breakfast.  Now that they're back in school, I try to change it up and usually make eggs once a week, pancakes once a week, and have homemade granola as another option besides cereal.  I also buy healthier cereal than what I let them get away with during the summer.

That being said, this #3 has a mind of her own.  She's obsessed with Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal.  She wants a small bowl of it every morning . . . but then usually proceeds to eat a second breakfast of whatever her sisters are having.  I found a healthier version with less sugar at Sprouts (it looks similar - squares covered in cinnamon sugar - so she's okay with the substitution).

I recently tried to change up my own breakfast routine of coffee and a greek yogurt by making a hot quinoa dish and by trying to drink a green juice before having my coffee in the mornings.  I do feel a lot better with something healthier in my stomach but it takes a little extra effort.

I made the quinoa dish when I was taking a break from sugar for awhile but I'll let you in on a little secret - it's way, way better with a tablespoon of brown sugar or a swirl of maple syrup!

Hot Breakfast Quinoa (2 servings)
from Cooking Light 6/13

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
3/4 cup light coconut milk
2 T water
1 T brown sugar (optional)
1/4 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup raspberries (or other berries)

Combine quinoa, coconut milk, water, and brown sugar in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed and quinoa is cooked.

Toast the coconut in the oven or on the stovetop until slightly brown.  Top the quinoa with the coconut and raspberries (or any other fruit / nuts etc. of your choosing).  Eat warm.

Ice cream cake

Right now I'm not able to work out and it's starting to drive me crazy.  A big part of the way that I manage stress in my life is by exercising regularly and a big part of the way I manage my weight is also by exercising.  Now, after 3 sedentary weeks, I want to eat ALL THE FOOD that we have.  Just sit on the couch and eat it.  So, today, instead of eating the food and watching the television, I'm sitting outside watching some random people play tennis and looking at pictures of food.  I was remembering how amazing this dessert was when I made it for a fun, summer pool party we had this summer.  It's still about 90 degrees here in So Cal so it would still be fun to make this if you have any weekend plans with a bunch of people.

This is a fake ice cream cake - you layer ice cream sandwiches instead of baking any cake.  It was really, really good.  Desserts in 9x13 pans are funny - sometimes it seems like it won't stretch far enough and other times, you end up with a ton leftover.  I fed 10 adults and 8 kids with this recipe and had about 1 large piece leftover.  It's pretty rich and it will feed a lot of friends!  You can substitute the peanut butter chips with actual peanuts or other chopped up candy (peanut butter cups? snickers? the possibilities are endless).  

Photo credits:  Big

Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

1 (16oz) can of chocolate syrup (the Hersheys kind - not hot fudge)

3/4 cup peanut butter (the smooth kind)

19 ice cream sandwiches (regular size)

1 (12oz) container of Cool Whip

1 cup peanut butter chips (or other nuts or candy)

Heat the chocolate syrup in the microwave or on the stove until it's hot but don't boil.  Stir peanut butter into hot chocolate until smooth.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

Line the bottom of a 9x13 pan with a layer of ice cream sandwiches.  Spread half of the whipped topping over them.

Spoon half the the chocolate mixture over that.  Top with half of the peanut butter chips.  Repeat layers.  Freeze until firm, at least one hour.  Cut into squares to serve.

Baking with Little

I had the strongest sense of deja vu the other morning when it was me and Little at home while sisters were in school and she asked me to "make." It reminded me of when Middle would do the same thing after Big started school.  There's something about being the only one at home - the only one who gets to dump, mix, and taste without having to take turns - that makes baking sound like extra fun.  Of course, she wanted to do it right away.  I hadn't been planning on it and had no softened butter so I played around with my usual oatmeal chocolate chip recipe to substitute vegetable oil.

The results weren't bad - not quite as soft and chewy but still really yummy.  And, my house smelled amazing all morning!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (made 4 dozen)

2 1/4 cups old fashioned oats

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup canola oil or melted coconut oil

2 large eggs

4 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

3/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with silpat mats or parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, dump in everything except the chocolate chips and cranberries.  Beat until the dough is moist and the ingredients are combined.  The dough might be a little crumbly.  If it's too dry, add a little more oil, a tablespoon at a time.

Either using your hands or a small scoop, form balls about a tablespoon in size and place on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Taco seasoning

With soccer and school underway, I've been serving a steady rotation of some family favorites - tacos, grilled salmon, and spaghetti are three of those easy meals that everybody around here loves.  With all the tacos lately, it was time to make a new batch of taco seasoning.

I originally posted a link to this on one of my rants about hidden msg in food but I thought I'd share the whole recipe.  You can tweak it for your family's tastes.  I don't find it to be spicy (even with the red pepper flakes) but feel free to add a little less or more of a particular ingredient.  I was out of garlic powder and left it out this time.  This amount usually lasts me a few months and I sprinkle it over ground turkey or beef for tacos but it's also come in handy for enchilada casseroles and other dishes.  It's way cheaper than buying packets of taco seasoning and I think it tastes better too!

Taco Seasoning (from foodrenegade.com)
Makes about 1 cup

1/4 c. + 1 T chili powder
1 1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 1/4 tsp onion powder
1 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/4 tsp dried oregano
2 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
2 T + 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 T + 2 tsp sea salt
1 T + 2 tsp ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients together, place in a glass jar and store with your spices.