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Grains, Soup & Salad, Vegetarian

Couscous salad with radishes, peas and mint

Last week I was so happy to finally get my hands in the dirt.  It felt so good.  I was back in my garden planting, planning and imagining the gorgeous bounty that will soon be right in my own backyard.

The act of gardening is very special for me.  I find that being in my yard with my hands in the earth comforts, grounds and instantly slows me down.

However the real reason I love gardening so much has to do with something much bigger. I’m not sure I was always aware of it at the time, however I see now that my desire to plant and grow is because of its gentle reminder to have faith and hope in things we cannot see.

Planting a tiny seed in the cold dark earth requires more than just water and sun.  It requires us to have patience, to have hope and to have faith.  All of which I could use a little more of.

So as I work in my backyard, with my four children running around and life feeling a little more chaotic then I would like, these seeds remind to be patient.   And for a moment I take in a deep breath of the cold fresh air, and I have faith.

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow” – Audrey Hepburn

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Sweet treats

How to make your own colored sugar

I just recently discovered how easy it is to make your own colored sugar.  It only takes a few minutes and you end up with gorgeous vibrant color that cost a fraction of what you would have spent in the store.  I had no idea how easy it was. Read More

Sweet treats

Homemade Peeps

If you follow along with Grace in the Crumbs on social media, you may have seen my guest post over at Honest to Nod (Land of Nod’s blog).  How cool, right?  I have been obsessed with Land of Nod since becoming a mother, so when someone from their team asked if I’d write a guest post for their blog, I almost peed in my pants.  (No, I mean literally.  I was that surprised.  You want me, to do what?)

So after counting my lucky stars (and hyperventilating a few times), I pulled my pulled myself together and got started working with the kids to come up with a really fun twist on the classic Easter Peep.  You can check out the original post featured on Honest to Nod  here.

Now it probably wont come as any surprise to you that we aren’t huge sugar eaters in our house.  So this was definitely a treat.  I run a pretty tight ship day to day, but when it comes to holidays and special occasions, we go for it.  So my apologies in advance to all of you out there that were expecting a healthy version of the classic Peep.  This is not it.  Instead, this is everything you ever dreamed a Peep could be.  Fluffy and light, ooey and gooey, sticky and sweet.

To make these, I’m following a basic marshmallow recipe, and adapting it by using yellow and pink colored sugar for Easter.  You can easily swap out the colored sugar with powdered sugar, chocolate powder, or even shredded coconut.  There are a lot of ways to play with this recipe and make it work for any occasion.

If you are planning on making these to resemble Peeps, you will need a lot of colored sugar. Rather than buying several smalls jars of “sprinkles”, I just ended up making my own.  It was really easy, hardly cost anything, and I ended up with gorgeous vibrant colors. Here is how you do it.

If you’ve ever thought about making your own marshmallows, this is it.  I promise you it’s easier that you think, and more delicious than you could imagine.  Go ahead, get your fingers sticky and give it a try.

Enjoy!

Recipe:

Homemade Peeps

Serves: 12 "Peeps"
Prep Time :5 minutes
Cook Time :30 minutes
Total Time :35 minutes

Ingredients:

  • • 3 packets of gelatin equivalent to three tablespoons
  • • ¼ cup of cold water
  • • 3 cups of granulated sugar
  • • 1 ½ cups of cold water
  • • 1 tbsp. of vanilla extract
  • • 1 cup of yellow or pink sugar
  • • Cookie cutter of your choice
  • • 1 cup of cornstarch or arrowroot powder for dusting your cookie cutter
  • • Non-stick baking spray
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Instructions:

  • In a small bowl mix gelatin and ¼ cup of cold water. Set aside.
  • In a pot, over medium/low heat, dissolve the granulated sugar with 1 ½ cups of cold water. Once dissolved, add the gelatin. Stir to incorporate
  • Turn the heat up to medium/high and let the sugar/gelatin mixture come to a low boil. (Be careful that the mixture does not boil over. This happens quickly, so you will want to keep an eye on your pot and lower the heat as necessary.)
  • Let the sugar/gelatin mixture gently boil for 10-15 minutes. Set the mixture aside and let it cool slightly.
  • Very carefully, pour the sugar/gelatin mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment. Add vanilla extract.
  • Begin to mix on low speed (work carefully as the sugar mixture will still be very hot), after 30 seconds increase to medium speed, and finally to high speed after an additional 30 seconds.
  • Continue mixing on the highest setting for five minutes, or until the sugar/gelatin mixture has come to a thick glossy white consistency that forms soft peaks. (If your mixture is still a little “runny”, continue to let the mixer run for a few minutes.)
  • Meanwhile, prepare a 9x13 baking dish by spraying all four sides with non-stick baking spray. Then, place a piece of parchment paper inside the pan with the paper extending past the dish. (I like to make sure the “sides” of my parchment paper extend well past my pan to give “handles” that I can use to help release the marshmallow).
  • Cover the entire bottom of the pan (over parchment paper) with a ½ cup of colored sugar
  • Working quickly, pour marshmallow mixture evenly over the colored sugar. Ensure that the marshmallow reaches all four corners. Sprinkle the remaining colored sugar on top of the marshmallow making sure the entire marshmallow is well covered. Fold the edges of the parchment paper over the sprinkled marshmallow and set in your fridge.
  • Allow the marshmallow to set for 8-12 hours or overnight.
  • Once marshmallow has set, remove from the fridge and unfold the parchment paper. Using the parchment paper as handles, lift the marshmallow out of the pan and place on a cutting board.
  • Use cookie cutters to cut out “Peeps” (dipping the cookie cutter into corn starch will help the marshmallow release easier).
  • Dust the freshly cut sides each Peep with colored sugar. Place on a drying rack to finish setting for 30 minutes.
  • Enjoy.

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All the ingredients you’ll need

This is how I like to prep my pan – non-stick spray and parchment paper

heavily coated with sugar on the “bottom” (which will eventually be your top)

Beans, Cauliflower, Main Dish, Vegan, Vegetarian

Cauliflower curry with chickpeas and rice

I love curries.  All curries.  But as a vegetarian, it’s hard to find curry recipes that work with my diet.  So when I first started playing around with this recipe, I knew I found something special.

I had never been a big cauliflower fan until recently, and in this dish I can’t get enough.  It creates a substantial, hearty feel to the dish, while providing a ton of nutrition.

The combination of sweet (from the carrots and currants) and salty (from the cashews), mixed with the warm spices (from the curry and turmeric) to the cool silky texture (from the the coconut milk) of the sauce is addicting.  Each bite has so much flavor packed into it. Read More

Lifestyle

Starting at the beginning

When I first decided to start a blog, I knew nothing about where to begin.  I had never built a website, was not a writer, and had never taken photos of food on anything other than my Iphone.  To say that I had no idea what I was doing, would be an understatement.  I was, and in so many way still are, clueless.

Besides not knowing how to do any of this (which was sort of a big problem), I also had a million other reasons why my “new venture” made no sense.  At the time I started working on this, we had just moved to Connecticut.  I had four little guys that were so dependent on me, and I no longer had the support of family and friends around.  We were on our own trying to get settled. Adding something new to my plate, in one of the busiest times of our lives, made no sense.  And yet, there I was with this little voice inside me that just wouldn’t quiet down.

So I started.  At the beginning.  First with just a pen and a lot of paper.  Little scribbles and notes here and there. Ideas to explore.

(my old “notes” from last summer)

I pushed hard on it for a few months, and then got frustrated by how much work was involved, how time consuming it all was, and how little I knew.  I just wanted to “be there”.  To have moved forward from the starting point, to have made a little progress.  But it felt as if I was only taking baby steps.  One step forward and then two steps back.  It was incredibly frustrating and I can vividly remember it feeling so uncomfortable at the time.  So I walked away from it for a few months.  I felt like a failure.  I had no idea this would be so hard for me.  But it was, so I stopped.

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Soup & Salad

Arugula salad with fennel and pickled red onion

As a busy mom, it’s game changing to have a few dishes in the mix that I can make without even thinking.  There are many days where the hours seem to go by and I’ve barely had a moment to catch my breath, let alone make a healthy lunch for myself (or somehow put real clothes on).  And before I know it, it’s 3:30 and the older kids are rushing home from school.

Salads are an easy choice for me most days.  I have a few combinations that I’ve filed away in the back of my brain that I know always work well together.  Arugula and fennel is one of those staple combinations.  I can promise you, those two will always work well together.  The peppery bitter notes of the fennel are a great balance with the almost sweet anise flavor of the fennel.  It’s a classic combination you don’t have to think about.  It just works.

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Soup & Salad

Quick pickled red onion

I love having a few “go to” recipes that I can make once, store in my fridge, and then use over and over again in different dishes.  For me, pickled red onions are one of those things.  I made them today to go with a salad, but over the next several weeks I’ll be able to enjoy them on tacos, sandwiches, and a slew of other ways.  They only take about 10 minutes to make and have so many uses.

Red onions raw tend to have a sharp, pungent bite to them.  I can’t really say that I love raw onions.  They can be too overpowering at times.  But pickled.  Aghh, be still my beating heart.  Their once sharp bite mellows and they become bright, sweet, subtly tart and oh so beautifully pink.  They are like sweet little jewels, adding the perfect finishing touch to so many dishes.

If you’ve never pickled before, than this is a super easy introduction.  You most likely already have all of the ingredients in your cupboard and you don’t need any special “equipment”.  It’s a great way to introduce yourself to the idea “pickling”

When I make this recipe, I like to have really thin slices of onion, so I use a mandoline.  If you don’t have a mandoline, a really sharp chef’s knife works well too.  Either way, make sure you slice those onions thin.

Enjoy!

Recipe:

Quick pickled red onion

Serves: 1 cup of red onions
Prep Time :5 minutes
Cook Time :10 minutes
Total Time :15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 large red onion cut in half and sliced thinly
  • 1 cup of apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup of white sugar
  • 1 tbsp of salt
  • 1 tbsp of black peppercorns
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Instructions:

  • In a sauce pan, combine vinegars, sugar, salt and black peppercorns. Mix together.
  • Heat over medium/low heat until mixture comes to a simmer and sugar dissolves
  • Turn off heat and add sliced red onions. Stir gently to combine.
  • Allow onions/vinegar mixture to cool and come to room temperature
  • Transfer the entire mixture to a glass container and store in the fridge for up to one month.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

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Soup & Salad

My favorite salad dressing

So I have a little bit of a confession.  I am sort of a salad snob.  I don’t mean to be.  I just really love and appreciate a well made salad, so I tend to be a little picky.

For me a good salad is a combination of a few elements.  Salty and sweet.  Crunchy and creamy.  And above all, has a great dressing.

Not all dressings are created equal.  I tend to find most of the store bought dressings to be filled with too much sugar and sodium.  So years ago I started making my own dressings and have never looked back.  They only take a few ingredients, are easy and quick to make and are so much better than anything you can find on the shelf at your supermarket.  I promise the extra two minutes are worth it.

This particular recipe calls for an egg yolk.  I know that might not appeal to everyone, and that’s ok.  You can easily omit the egg.  You can substitute with dijon mustard (it wont give the same texture as a yolk would, but it does help a little) or just leave it out entirely.

I personally love egg yolks in my dressings.  It creates a texture that is so silky and smooth that you can’t duplicate with anything else.  It also whips up so light and airy when you whisk in the olive oil.  It’s a really luxurious texture.  If you’ve never had an egg yolk in your dressing you are missing out.

I should also note that I love to make this dressing directly in the bowl I’m serving in. There’s no need to dirty a separate bowl.  The larger work surface also allows for more air to be incorporated when you’re whisking.

If you have any leftover dressing, you can store in the fridge, but I like to use it within a day or two (although I usually don’t have any left over….because I may or may not lick the bowl clean).

You can also replace the citrus vinegar with whatever you vinegar you like most.  I love a white balsamic with this or even just straight lemon juice.  Once you get comfortable with the ratios, you can play around with whatever flavor combinations you like.  There are so many to experiment with, just don’t leave out that egg ;).

Enjoy!

Recipe:

Citrus Vinaigrette

Serves: 1 /4 cup of dressing
Prep Time :1 minute
Cook Time :5 minutes
Total Time :6 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 egg yolk
  • sal/pepper
  • 2 Tbsp of citrus vinegar or any other vinegar of your choice
  • 4 Tbsp of good quality olive oil
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Instructions:

  • In the center of a serving bowl. Add the yolk of one egg, sprinkle with salt and pepper
  • Add citrus vinegar and whisk together
  • While whisking, begin to drizzle in the olive oil slowly. The vinegar and oil should begin to emulsify and thicken.
  • Once the olive oil is incorporated, continue to whisk vigorously for 30 seconds, or until the dressing becomes light and airy.
  • You may need to add more vinegar/olive oil depending on how acidic you like your dressing

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

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Breakfast, Drinks, Fruit, Vegan, Vegetarian

Our very berry smoothie

Ok so I’m kind of obsessed with this picture.  I think it’s because it’s such a real picture of what my mornings actually look like – these two always fighting for what I thought was going to be a smoothie for me.  I snapped it quickly, right as they sat down.  What you can’t see (but what I somehow can’t seem to forget!) is the complete chaos going on outside of the frame.  It was a “snow day” in southport, and we were on breakfast #2 for the day (because on snow days my kids act like they have never eaten….ever) and kids were scaling the kitchen walls (literally).   But I digress, back to the smoothie….

So we make smoothies every morning.  It’s one of the only ways two of my kids seems to get any nutrients these days.  What we put in the vita-mix tends to vary daily, but this particular one is my personal favorite.

It starts with ground flax seeds.  If you don’t currently incorporate flax into your diet, this is an easy introduction.  I highly recommend buying only whole organic flax seeds, and only girding them up once you’re ready to use them.  They can go rancid very quickly, so you don’t want to buy pre-ground flax.  I also like to store my flax seeds in the fridge to keep them fresh.

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Chicken, Main Dish

Roasted Chicken with thyme and caramelized lemons

Although I’m a vegetarian, the rest of my family is not.  We’ve had to work to find a balance that works for all of us.

When I cook for my family, knowing where my food comes is always important.  But it’s even more important when it comes to any type of animal products.  How the animals are treated, how sustainable and humane the practice is, and how the product is treated up until distribution are all things that I feel strongly about.

I don’t believe that we can turn a blind eye to how our food makes it to our table.  Luckily as consumers today, we not only have more options to ethical farming practices, but also more information to help us make better decisions.

Besides locals farmer’s markets, or a meat share, my go to option for buying animal products is Whole Foods.  They use a rating system, 1-5, for how sustainably and humanely produced the product is.  5 being the most sustainable and humane.

The good or the bad, is that options for level 4 and 5 are very limited at this time.   Currently I only feel comfortable purchasing meat/poultry that meets the level 4 standard.  It’s what works for us.  This may not work for everyone, and that’s ok too.  What’s important is that you start to pay attention and make conscious choices.  Remember that ever dollar you spend is a vote to either support, or challenge the current food system.

For more information on Whole Foods 5-step Animal Welfare Rating, you can click here.

So, now on to this awesome whole roasted chicken.

I love roasting whole chickens, for so many reasons.  First, it just has better flavor and holds moisture better.  Second, I save the bones and make my own stock.  If you’ve never made your own stock, I’ll share a quick recipe later this week.  All you need is a pot, water, bones from one left over chicken dinner and some veggie scraps and a little time.  It’s super easy, nutritious and better stock than you’ll ever find in a box.   And of course my last reason for loving a whole roasted chicken is just sheer economics.  It’s cheaper.  So for our family, we almost always go with the whole bird.

This is a really easy recipe too.  It’s a one dish meal.  You put some stuff in a ceramic baking dish, set your chicken on top and then forget about it for an hour and a half.  It’s a great Sunday night dinner.  Your whole house will smell yummy and it looks pretty impressive on a table.

Here are a couple of my favorite little tricks for roasting a chicken.

  • Start with a room temperature chicken.  So let it sit our for a few hours before you’re ready to cook.  Makes all the difference.
  • Roast your chicken while it’s sitting on top of something.  Really nest it in there.  Don’t waste those gorgeous juices.  I love potatoes, big thick croutons, root vegetables, anything.
  • Use a short sided ceramic baking dish rather than a traditional roasting pan.  The chicken needs to be “exposed” in order to brown evenly.  Some roasting pans have the bird sitting to low and the sides never brown.
  • Butter and foil are your friend.  Use butter where you need more browning and foil where you need less.  As you check your bird, if there are little spots that need a little extra “goodness”, add a tablespoon of butter.  The milk fat with make a golden crust.  If you’re getting “too pretty too quick”, add a small piece of foil to the area that needs to slow down the browning.
  • Have all of your ingredients prepped and out by your chicken so you can do everything at once and don’t need to wash your hand a million times. I love to use separate little dishes for my salt/pepper/butter.   Collect, collect and collect a little more -then touch your bird.
  • Don’t skip the resting phase.  Meat/poultry will always have some carry over cooking time.  So the temperature will continue to increase even when it’s out of the oven.  Give it some time to finish up it’s magic.  I usually start working on my sides/salads once my bird is out of the oven.  You can’t rush this step, and it’s critical for a tender, juicy bird.

Recipe:

Roasted Chicken with Caramelized Lemons

Prep Time :20 minutes
Cook Time :1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time :1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 3-5 lb whole chicken
  • 2 lemons zested and thinly sliced
  • 1 whole onion quartered
  • 4 cloves of garlic smashed
  • 10 sprigs of thyme
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 3-5 tablespoons of butter
  • Twine
  • 2 lbs of fingerling potatoes
  • salt/pepper to taste
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Instructions:

  • Rinse chicken, pat completely dry, and set aside
  • In a shallow ceramic baking dish, combine fingerling potatoes, one clove of garlic, 1 tbs of thyme, 2 tbs of olive oil, and the slices of one lemon. Toss and set aside
  • To assemble chicken, place onion, garlic clove, and a sprinkle of salt/pepper in the cavity of the chicken.
  • Separately work to combine 2 tablespoons of butter with lemon zest, 1 tbs of thyme, one clove of garlic, salt/pepper. Carefully, work your hand under the skin of the bird and rub the butter mixture on the meat of the breast.
  • Truss the bird with the twine so that it's legs are pulled tightly into the body. Once the bird is stuffed, has been rubbed with butter under the skin, and has been trussed, place the bird on top of the potatoes.
  • Drizzle the bird with olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper over the entire bird. cover with lemon zest, additional garlic, thyme and pads of butter. Arrange a few of the lemon slices on top of the bird.
  • Place in a 425 degree oven. After 30 minutes, reduce the heat to 375. Continue to cook the bird for another bird, or until the internal temperature reaches 165.
  • Check the bird continually throughout cooking process, cover any areas the are becoming too brown with foil.
  • Once the bird has reached 165 degrees, remove from the oven, let rest for 20 minutes.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

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(I just found this picture from 2011 when we were living in our townhouse in Chicago…..six years later and I am STILL making the same chicken dinner!  My poor family.  It’s a good thing it’s that good.  If in six years you’re still making this chicken, then I’d say that this post was worth it!)