One Week to Go...

Monday: Soup and Grill Cheese Sandwiches
Tuesday: Salmon, Coconut Rice, Brussel Sprouts and Salad
Wednesday: Stuffed Potatoes, Salad and Baked Mushrooms
Thursday: Chana Masala with Pompadoms and Tomatoes and Cucumbers
Friday: Pad Thai
Saturday: Pizza

Soup and Grill Cheese Sandwiches
I came downstairs from getting dressed today to find the girls removing the ornaments from the tree and putting them in their stockings - which wouldn't have been a big deal except that the stockings are hung from heavy holders and one of them fell and just missed hitting them. We've had the conversation a few times about not touching the stockings because of this fact, and I was a little frazzled about the whole thing. I went into the other room and Hannah asked to hang the ornaments that her and Harper had made on the tree, I answered, "No, don't touch the tree, not until I come out." Now, I will fully admit that I was still coming off the stocking scenario and my answer was curter and bossier then it needed to be. I came out and it was time for lunch and I asked the girls to put away some of the toys, Hannah looked right at me and said, "Sure, but we would like to talk to you after we put the toys away." Once we all convened on the couch she looked at Harper, "O.K, Harper you wanted to start." Harper looked me straight in the eyes and said, "You were being wude to us." Hannah then continued, "Good job Harper, Mama you hurt our feelings the way you talked to us about hanging our new ornaments." Seriously? Seriously. How is it that my children are more mature than me? I was so proud of them, and of course told them so, after being sure that my apology was accepted.

Recipe
Skating always makes me so cold...I should rephrase, watching skating always makes me so cold. There were two different tomato based soups in the freezer that had been haunting me and so I combined them and made grill cheese sandwiches to go with them -yum!

Salmon, Coconut Rice and Roasted Cabbage
There is nothing better then having the whole family cuddled in our bed together reading stories and singing Christmas carols - nothing, I love it (Dave even joined in on the caroling)

Recipe
I wanted to have roasted brussel sprouts, but there weren't any at the grocery store. I then decided to roast green cabbage, but I would have had to backtrack to the other side of the produce department and so I got some red cabbage (odd, you'd think that the red and green cabbage would be together but lucky for me and my lazy shopping they weren't).

I chopped up the small head of cabbage, drizzled it with olive oil and salt and roasted it in the oven at 400F for 30 -40 minutes. It started to brown and crisp up on some of the ends and that's when I knew it was done. The first bite was good, the next better and then I became strangely and pleasantly addicted to it.

I just drizzled the salmon with olive oil and baked it in the oven at 450F for 8 minutes (time depending on thickness).

I had about a cup of coconut milk left from the other night and mixed it with a cup of water and two cups of brown basmati rice, cooking it according to package directions.

Stuffed Potatoes, Salad and Baked Mushrooms
I've only got one more thing left to bake (sugar cookies for the kids to decorate). We baked all day today and then I tried to fit in all in the freezer and realized how much there was. Oh dear, who's going to eat all this baking? I only let the kids eat so much and I already had to put on a sweater dress and leggings to go out for drinks tonight because I couldn't bare the thought of putting my jeans on. Seriously, I didn't even want to look at them because I know, that they know, and it's really rather humiliating. I think, I may need to send some to work with Dave.

Recipe
Stuffed potatoes are great for using up leftovers (like salmon) or just fun for the kids because they get to build their own. We also tried these baked mushrooms from Angie's Recipes which were really easy and quite yummy.

4 baking potatoes

Preheat oven to 375F. Wash and dry potatoes and lightly rub with oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Bake on the rack with a cookie sheet on the rack underneath for about an hour or more depending on the size of your potatoes. Cut them open and serve with a variety of toppings, we had the following tonight:

Grated cheese
Steamed Broccoli
Salmon
Sundried  tomatoes
Sour Cream
Baked Mushrooms

Baked Mushrooms:
1 lemon
1 Tbsp Fresh rosemary, chopped
2 Tbsp Olive oil
300 g White mushrooms, sliced
20 g Parmesan, grated
Salt and freshly mulled black pepper

Rinse lemon under running hot water. Dry and finely grate the zest. Squeeze out the juice for later use. Combine the chopped rosemary, lemon zest, and olive oil in a bowl.

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Clean and thinly slice the mushrooms. Place the sliced mushrooms in a baking pan. Drizzle half of the oil mixture over and season with salt and freshly mulled black pepper.

Bake in the hot oven for 10 minutes. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan over the mushrooms and continue to bake 5 more minutes until the cheese has turned lightly browned. Remove and drizzle the rest of oil mixture and some lemon juice over.

We also had a tossed salad to round out this meal.

Chana Masala with Pompadoms and Cucumbers
I find it so fun and interesting when you are a part of learning with your kids, when you can actually hear their minds clicking everything into place. Hannah has been able to count to 39 for the past little while, but it seems no matter how many times she tried she just couldn't remember the number 40. Today in the car on the way to swimming it all seemed to click together as she made the association between 4 and 40, 5 and 50 etc, she was able to count all the way to 100 pretty much on her own. I was so proud of her!

Recipe
This recipe can be found here, we love it and eat it often. My sister is a pompadom fan (over naan) and so I thought we'd try them, Dave and the kids had never had them. They're really easy (especially since I bought them), you just pop them in the microwave and watch them puff up. They were good and easy, I am still a naan bread fan over them though - but they were great for a change.

Pad Thai
Well, Harper has been driving Hannah slightly nuts because she repeats everything, everything that Hannah says. She'll say it to Hannah or come running in the other room and say it to us. Sometimes Hannah kind of relishes in this, I think it makes her feel loved by Harper. Other times, it drives her crazy - there's no in between (which I kind of get, I'm kind of like that). Lately Harper has been saying, "Hannah repeats everything I say." This is particularly maddening to Hannah and I'm not super good at covering up my laughter...poor kid!

Recipe
This recipe was from the Canadian Living site and I'm already thinking about having the leftovers for lunch. Dave found it to have too much fish sauce (I didn't even notice it) but, they recommend a few changes to make it vegan - by omitting the shrimp and egg, and using soy sauce instead of fish sauce - so I may try using half soy half fish sauce next time. Don't be scared off by the long ingredient list it was relatively simple to make.

6 oz rice stick noodles
1/3 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tsp Asian chili paste or hot pepper sauce

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

6 cloves garlic, pressed

4 shallots, sliced

1 red pepper, sliced

1 green pepper, sliced

12 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 egg, lightly beaten

4 oz medium tofu, cubed

2 cups bean sprouts

6 green onions, sliced

1/2 cup fresh coriander

1/2 cup roasted peanuts

Coriander sprigs and lime wedges

In large bowl, soak noodles in warm water until flexible, about 15 minutes; drain and place in large dry bowl. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix together chili sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, 1/2 cup water and chili paste; set aside.

In wok, heat 1 tbsp of the oil over medium-high heat; stir-fry garlic, shallots and green and red peppers until softened, about 4 minutes. Add to noodles.

Add remaining oil to wok; stir-fry shrimp until pink, about 2 minutes. Add fish sauce mixture and bring to boil; reduce heat to medium. Stir in egg; cook, stirring, until sauce is thickened, about 1 minute.

Add noodle mixture, tofu, bean sprouts, green onions and chopped coriander; toss and stir-fry until noodles are tender, about 3 minutes. Garnish with peanuts, coriander sprigs and lime wedges.

Pizza
Thursday we received a Christmas parcel from Dave's parents. Dave's mom is a very talented sewer and this year she made us all our Christmas PJs! She also sent the girls a couple books (and an apron and a beautifully knit scarf for me - talent - I'm telling you!). One of the books that she sent was a this cute little cookbook for Hannah.

It's really cute because it has simple recipes that kids can actually make and then a place to write and talk about the experience, sprinkled with little stories, poems and advice here and there. This morning Hannah made her first thing, a smoothie. She did the whole thing herself except for the peeling of the pear, which I did with a sharp knife. Isn't she the cutest (why didn't we use her apron?!)?

Enjoying their smoothies in their adorable Christmas nighties.

When I was a kid every Christmas my mom would make sugar cookies in all different Christmas shapes, my cousin would come over and we'd all (my parents included) sit around the kitchen table and decorate cookies with different coloured icing and sprinkles. I loved it, it was one of my favorite things to do. My cousin and I have since continued the tradition and every year we get together with our kids and decorate cookies. The girls woke up asking about it and this afternoon my cousin headed over with her excited brood and we all sat down and decorated cookies. There were five sticky, slightly hyper kids left at the end and a lot of beautiful cookies - even some double and triple decker ones!

The artists (you may recognize some of them from "swims in puddle")...



The art...

Sunday...

Today is going to be a crazy, busy, wonderful day with a touch of shopping, a very cool 4 year old's birthday party and a gathering of beautiful souls. So I'm going to post this now, because I'm quite certain that when I end my day later I will be collapsing into bed full of gratefulness.

Seeing as though next Sunday is Christmas I'm not sure if I'll be posting. I wish you all  Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays. I'm really just hoping you are able to stop, take a breath, look around at all the beauty and love in the people that surround you.

xoxo

Some New Recipes and Lots of Festivities.

Monday: Italian Cheese and Bread Soup with Greek Salad
Tuesday: Spanish White Beans with Spinach and Squash and Red Pepper Pilaf
Wednesday: Coconut Fish with Peas, Corn and Roasted Squash and Potatoes
Thursday: Quinoa Cakes with Poached Eggs and Fruit
Friday: Date night
Saturday: Veggie Curry
Sunday: Scallops with Snow Peas and Carrots, Rice, Broccoli and Roasted Pepper and Corn Salad with Lemon Moose and Raspberries

Italian Cheese and Bread Soup with Greek Salad
Hannah has started singing Christmas carols at the top of her lungs around the house. She doesn't know all the words and just makes up syllables and sounds to fill in the spaces...she is so my child. She has also started making up expressions like, I'll be as quiet as a bee...she is so Dave's child. At  least we know that she is a mix of our idiosyncrasies...hopefully for her sake she doesn't get all of them.

Recipe
We had very little in the way of groceries tonight and I was freezing. I had forgotten about this soup from Moosewood Simple Suppers (we use to have it for lunch a lot), it was perfect for the cold day and chill from sitting in the area to watch Hannah skate.

1 Tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1 quart veggie broth
4 ounces cheese, they recommend Fontina, Gruyere or Cheddar - I use whatever I had tonight it was Mozzarella
4 slices whole wheat bread, toasted
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (I used freeze dried and it was good too, I've also omitted it and it's still good)

In a soup pot, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until just golden, not brown. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, grate cheese (about 2 cups).

When you're ready to serve the soup, toast the bread. Break each slice of toast into bite-size pieces and place in individual soup bowls. Cover with about 1/2 cup cheese. Sprinkle with basil and ladle a cup of hot broth over the bread and cheese in each bowl and serve at once. Add pepper if you like.

Spanish White Beans with Spinach and Red Pepper Pilaf
Hannah has been prepping for the Christmas concert, today she announced (very excited and surprised), "Today my teacher told us that the morning class found a way to hold their instruments without making any noise!" I responded, "Oh, what about the afternoon class, do they know how to hold their instruments without making any noise?" Hannah, shaking her head and a little glum, "Not, everybody."

Recipe
Both of these recipes are from Epicurious. They were very good, I would make a few minor adjustments next time, which I noted below.

Beans:

1 large onion, coarsely chopped (2 cups)
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
6 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika (pimentón dulce)
2 (19-ounces cans) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup water (I would use 1/2 cup next time)
2 (10-ounces) bags spinach, tough stems removed

Cook onion and sun-dried tomatoes in 1/4 cup oil with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a 5- to 6-qt pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and paprika and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Stir in beans, water, spinach, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with pepper and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoon oil (I didn't do this).

Pilaf

I was excited about this recipe because I had bay leaves from a market in Portugal that one of my parent's friends gave me - and I wanted to use them.

3/4 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces (2 cups)
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 cup)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onion
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I would try with 3 Tbsp next time - it was a little oily)
1 cup long-grain white rice (I used brown basmati)
2 cups water
1/4 cup raw green (hulled) pumpkin seeds, toasted (oddly, I couldn't find the ones I bought, so I omitted this and it was still good)

Cook squash, bell pepper, onion, and bay leaf in oil with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add rice and stir until well coated, then add water and bring to a vigorous boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, tightly covered with lid, until vegetables and rice are tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with seeds.

Coconut Fish with Peas, Corn and Roasted Squash and Potatoes
I had one tired little one today. After taking Hannah to the bus stop Harper and I went to the store to get Hannah some shoes and then we had to return home quickly as Harper needed a diaper change and I had nothing with me. On the way home she fell asleep. When we got home, I took off her entire snowsuit, her pants, changed her diaper, put her pants back on and then moved her from the floor to the couch - she never stirred.  She slept for an hour and a half (in which time I accomplished nothing). I was worried that she wouldn't go to bed at night, but she even fell asleep on her own!


Recipe
This recipe is from about.com and I loved it. I really loved the topping and think it would be delicious on shrimp as well, but I also think that the marinade would stand well on it's own. I baked the fish instead of frying it and it turned out delicious. We had sole fillets in the freezer and it was fine, but would be really good with a meatier fish as suggested.

2-3 white-fleshed fillets of fish (halibut, snapper, cod, talapia, etc...)

2-3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

fresh coriander or basil + lime wedges for garnish

Marinade:

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. coconut milk

1+1/2 Tbsp. fish sauce

1/2 tsp. dried crushed chili (from the spice aisle)

1/4 tsp. ground coriander

Topping:

1/2 cup dry shredded coconut, unsweetened

1 fresh red chili, minced, or 1/2 tsp. dried crushed chili (add more or less to taste)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 spring (green) onion, chopped fine

1 tsp. grated galangal OR ginger

1 tsp. grated lime zest

1/4 tsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. lime juice

1 Tbsp. fish sauce

Place fish in a flat dish. Stir marinade ingredients together and pour over fish. Turn fillets in the marinade several times, then leave in the refrigerator to marinate while you prepare other ingredients.

Place shredded coconut in a dry frying pan over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally until coconut turns light golden-brown. Tip 3/4 of coconut into a small mixing bowl. Place remaining in another bowl for serving later.

Add all other 'Topping' ingredients to the bowl of toasted coconut. Gently toss to mix everything together. Taste-test the mixture for salt and spice, adding more fish sauce if not salty enough, or more chili if you prefer it spicier. Set aside.

Bake at 400F on a parchment lined cookie sheet for a couple minutes a side (depending on fish thickness).

Place fillets on individual plates. Top with a layer of the coconut-chili-lime mixture, then add another layer of the reserved toasted coconut. Sprinkle over some fresh coriander or basil and garnish with a lime wedge (squeeze over before eating).

This would be great with a salad and rice but, we had other things to use up, so I tossed butternut squash and carrots together with a little olive oil and maple syrup and baked them for 30 minutes. We also had steamed corn and peas.

Quinoa Cakes with Poached Eggs and Fruit
Christmas concert day! Hannah was so excited today and it end up being quite the day - I'm exhausted. I went to the concert this afternoon with my parents and Harper, so Harper could see it...this was not the best decision. Harper couldn't find Hannah on stage and it was a very long hour and a half of trying to keep her quiet and distracted, she did very well for a two year old.

Hannah and I then had some miscommunication and she thought I was picking her up and was very sad to get on the bus (her teacher called to be sure she got home alright) which I almost missed at the other end, producing more tears. I thought I had plenty of time and turned the corner to see the bus at the end of the street and had to run down the street like a crazy lady waving my arms, screaming "I'm here!" while dragging a two year old behind me, luckily the bus waited and a tearful, worried Hannah collapsed in my arms...mother of the year, I know.

The big night, Hannah got all dressed up in her Christmas outfit and Dave and I maneuvered among all the parents to find seats in the gym. Hannah was the third song and we watched her very carefully walk across the stage to the top bench (she was a little concerned that she may fall off) and get her instrument from her teacher, which she held very quietly. She had paper reindeer antlers made with her hand prints on her head and kind of looked like a deer caught in headlights with the bright lights of the stage. I could see her scanning the audience and I think that I may have stretched my neck two inches trying to make myself visible, she saw us and we waved and so did she. She looked so little up on that stage (along with all the other kids), she sang her entire song it, was all very cute. It was nine o'clock when we got home with a very tired little girl, Hannah took off her dress and hugged it (she really loves it and has been waiting to wear it) and went up to bed.

Recipe
This is from Annie's Eats and was good, I'll make them again.

2 cups cooked quinoa, at room temperature

2 large eggs, beaten
½ tsp. coarse salt
1/3 cup minced fresh chives, plus more for garnish
2 large shallots, finely chopped
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup whole grain bread crumbs, plus more if needed

For serving:
Shaved Parmesan
6 poached eggs (one for each patty)
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a medium bowl, combine the quinoa, eggs, salt, chives, shallots, Parmesan, and garlic.  Stir to blend. Mix in the bread crumbs and stir gently until evenly incorporated.  Form the mixture into six evenly sized patties, about 3-4 inches in diameter.

Spray a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes a side (until golden brown).

Poach your eggs.

Top each patty with a bit of shaved Parmesan, a poached egg, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. We had these with fruit salad.

Date Night
Last Sunday my parents invited the girls to sleep over tonight and they have been talking about it all week. They were both up around six this morning and were packed by seven (they packed before even checking their calendars - which I remembered to fill...does that make up for almost leaving my kid on the bus? No? I'll keep trying). I was at the bus ten minutes early today, after a rousing game of I spy with Harper in which every time I guessed something she would say, "Tat is pink, but not what I spyiiiiing." Hannah got off the bus, ran and hugged me and asked, "When can we go to Grandma and Pepere's?" I let her know that my mom had said they could come whenever they like, she decided that we should go home, test the cookies we baked this morning and then go...plus, she wouldn't have to hang up her stuff because would be going right back out, to save time - she's always thinking.

Recipe
Dave brought home wine and sushi from Blufish and there's a hockey game on. It may not be exciting but, if he builds a fire (or lights one of those one shot deal logs you can get) it'll actually be the perfect winter date! That's just kinda how we roll.

Veggie Curry

We headed out to get our tree and go for a sleigh ride. It was a beautiful day and we went to one of the green houses. They also had a Santa there. I have to tell you that it wasn't a very good Santa, his beard and mustache was kind of askew and his outfit was not quite the right red, I didn't really want Hannah to sit on his lap because we've avoided the whole "Santa has helpers" questions and I really didn't want to have these arise right before Christmas. Harper didn't want to sit on his lap, she knew something was not quite right. Hannah really wanted to sit on his lap, what could I do? She goes over to him, and he asks her what she wants for Christmas, she just stared blankly at him in disbelief and said, "I already told you." Luckily, Santa responded with some children change their mind. Funnily enough the outfit didn't even phase her.

Recipe
This recipe is also from Epicurious and was nice and hearty, it needed at least an hour for simmering and I have a feeling that it'll be even better after sitting over night. I chose this recipe specifically because a friend of my parents made some garam masala and gave some to me, it smelled so yummy I wanted to use it right away.

1 large onion, cut into 1-inch chunks (about 2 cups)

3 large garlic cloves, peeled

1 (2-inch-long 1-inch-diameter) piece peeled fresh ginger (about 2 ounces)

3 tablespoons sunflower oil

1 tablespoon garam masala

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 serrano chile, seeded, chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 cups vegetable broth

2 teaspoons (packed) golden brown sugar

2 kaffir lime leaves*

2 whole green cardamom pods

1 pound red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes

12 ounces russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 1/4 cups finely grated peeled fresh coconut (about 4 ounces; grated in processor)

2 large carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch rounds

2 tomatoes, cored, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 ounces baby spinach leaves (optional)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

* Leaves of the kaffir lime tree; sold frozen or sometimes fresh at Asian markets. If unavailable, substitute 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon grated lime peel for each lime leaf.

Puree first 7 ingredients in processor until paste forms. Cook in large pot over medium heat until aromatic, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste. Cook until mixture starts to darken and brown, stirring often, about 5 minutes longer.

Add broth, brown sugar, lime leaves, and cardamom. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring often and scraping up browned bits. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Bring to simmer before continuing.

Add sweet potatoes, russet potatoes, coconut, carrots, tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to mixture in pot. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Add spinach, if desired, and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Discard lime leaves and cardamom. Transfer curry to bowl; garnish with cilantro and serve.

Scallops with Snow Peas and Carrots, Rice, Broccoli and Roasted Pepper and Corn Salad with Lemon Moose and Raspberries
We had a very busy day today. Dave had read about this Bethlehem Live in the paper and suggested we take the kids this weekend. We were already kind of busy but it was the last weekend that it was on and so we decided to try and sneak it in. All we knew was that it would take about twenty minutes to go through, it was live actors and it was indoors, honestly I wasn't expecting much and I was hoping there'd at least be some hay. When we arrived, we were ushered into a couple of rooms where we waited our turn with a group of about 25 people while we waited we were entertained by a very comical shepherd that kind of reminded me of the character from Fiddler on the Roof. We were then ushered by another shepherd down a long hallway, dimly lit with Christmas trees and smoky, at the end there was a door and a roman guard who loudly banged his staff and I though, "I think this is actually going to be good." I have to tell you, it was really, really good, we walked through Bethlehem, getting a feel for what it may have been like and ended of course visiting Mary, Joseph and Jesus in the manger (and Molly the donkey - this was Harper's favorite part). I wish we had gone last weekend so I could encourage more people to go check it out. Hopefully next year! When we got to the end, Hannah said to me, "I can't believe that Jesus is not in heaven today!" Seriously, no wonder that Santa didn't phase her. She was really impressed and mesmerised by the whole thing!

We then headed out to MTYP to see Winni the Pooh, for which my parents had gotten us tickets. It too was so well done and the kids loved it. We all headed into the hundred acre woods together and sat right in the middle. Our children slowly got further and further away from us as they followed the action, and I loved that you could still hear Harper singing Tum Tiddly Tum long after the song was over.

To end the evening we had a delicious meal and great visit at my aunt's house, who is heading out to spend Christmas with her girls in LA at the end of the week.

I hope you have a wonderfully festive week and the sun shines down on you.

It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas…

Monday: Leftover Stew
Tuesday: Swiss Chard, Chickpea and Tamarind Stew
Wednesday: Artichoke and Mushroom Fettuccine
Thursday: Breakfast Quesadilla
Friday: Sun Burgers with Oven Fries and Stir Fried Bok Choy
Saturday: Hot and Sour Soup
Sunday: Breaded Pickerel, Roasted Potatoes, Sauteed Veggies, Greek Salad and Ice Cream with Berries and Brownies

Leftover Stew
Well, it's almost time to get the Christmas decorations out and I'm staring at the pumpkins that somehow got brought to the backyard and are slowly melting into a gross goo on the table back there. If you're wondering what kind of people we are, this pretty much sums it up. How is it that we keep talking about how gross it is and yet neither one of us has ventured out back to collect them and put them in the garbage? Seriously. Today's the day. We are no longer going to be those people who let produce rot and freeze on their outside table, I'm going to bring them in...well, not right now...but, before I go to bed for sure.

Recipe
That stew and dumplings that I made Saturday well, it made a lot. We've had it for lunch twice, dinner tonight and I popped the rest in the freezer for an other meal. I think I'll half the recipe next time.

Swiss Chard, Chickpea and Tamarind Stew

We put up one of the Christmas trees today. We got an artificial tree from my cousin and put it up in the living room (we're still going to get a real tree for the family room - two trees I'm so happy!). I was really impressed with the girls and their decorating. They put almost all the balls on the tree and they're pretty well spaced out. So I turned on the tree in the window and the lights on the house, it's nice and Christmasy. I came down and the lights were turned off, I immediately blamed Dave, because it's not December 1st yet and he's a bit of a stickler but it was Hannah. When I asked her why she turned out the lights she looks at me rolled her eyes and said, "Mooooooooom, you can't turn on the Christmas lights before we start our calendars (advent), it's like too early." Seriously. Sometimes she's five going on fourteen.

Recipe
The down side of this recipe is that it looks just like the stew that we've been eating for four days, but the swiss chard was going to go bad so I had to make it today. The up side was that it tasted nothing like the other stew and was very delicious. The recipe is slightly adapted from Eats Well With Others.

1 lb swiss chard, chopped
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp caraway seeds
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp tomato paste
14 oz canned chopped plum tomatoes, with their juices
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 can chickpeas
1 1/2 tsp coriander
3 tbsp tamarind paste
salt and black pepper
cilantro
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water

Saute onion and caraway seeds in olive oil on medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until the onion is soft and golden. Add the tomato paste and stir as you cook it for about a minute. Add the canned tomatoes, water, sugar, chickpeas, ground coriander, chard and some salt and pepper. Add the tamarind. Bring to a boil, then cover with a lid and leave to simmer for about 30 minutes. When ready, the dish should have the consistency of a thick soup. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

While the stew is cooking cook the quinoa according to package directions. When ready to serve, spoon the quinoa into a soup bowl, creating a crater in the center and ladle the soup over. Finish with cilantro.

Artichoke and Mushroom Fettuccine
Harper and I ventured off to the fabric store today where I intended to buy a swath of material to use as a tree skirt.We were both swept away in the excitement of it all. Harper by hiding in between the closely positioned tables taking my breath away as I thought I lost her once, and the constant sway and state of instability this was causing to the rolls of fabric placed upon these tables. The women working there kept alternating between looking at her with adoring eyes (because she is pretty cute) and shooting daggers at us with their eyes at the potential for disaster that was happening (I'm pretty sure the daggers were meant for me and what they may have deemed a lack of supervision). I kept talking out loud (pretending to talk to Harper, but really talking to myself) and jumping from table to table trying to decide on a theme of fabric, playful and cute or woodsy and crafty or elegant...yeah, I'm not really elegant. Playful and cute it is. So I came home with three different kinds of fabric and a membership to Fabricland. This is what I've done with them. I realize that for some this is not much, but for me the fact that I actually did anything at all with the fabric is pretty amazing.

Recipe
This is a little bit of a lightened up version of fettuccine as I used milk and not cream, but I would not recommend eating it and then going for a run - it was not a good feeling.

6 cups mushrooms, sliced
2 cans of artichoke hearts, in water - chopped
Glugg of olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, crushed
Splash of wine
1 Tbsp margarine
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 cups milk
Dash nutmeg
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
1 package whole wheat fettuccine
Parsley

In a pan heat olive oil and saute garlic for a minute, add mushrooms and cook until starting to soften. Add artichokes and wine and cook until slightly browned, set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook fettuccine according to package directions.

Heat margarine and add flour making a roe. Add milk and whisk until there are no lumps continue to cook until mixture thickens, stir in nutmeg. Remove from heat and add Parmesan. Stir in the mushrooms and artichokes. Add the pasta in and mix until noodles are coated, served topped with a little parsley.

Breakfast Quesadilla
Today was a very interesting day for me, because I worked. I sometimes (rarely) substitute teach. My mom watched the girls for most if the day. What was so very different for me was that my mom had an appointment and so Dave came home in the afternoon. When I got home he was heading out to get Hannah from the bus stop and then he rushed around and took the girls to swimming while I went for a run. It felt like a little bit of role reversal and was kind of a nice change. It felt very odd to have a day not centered around caring for my own children...it was nice, but I was very happy to be snuggled in bed with the girls reading Christmas books and am looking forward to the morning together tomorrow.

Recipe
This recipe is from Marcus Samuelson's blog. I slightly altered it for what I had in the house and of course I omitted the sausage.

8 8-inch flour tortillas

6 eggs

1 cup Mozzarella cheese, grated
1 red onion, chopped
3 plum tomato, chopped
1 cup black beans, rinsed
1 avocado, sliced
Splash of milk
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Sour Cream
Salad Verde

Preheat oven to 450F and line two baking sheets with parchment, and spray. Alternatively you can cook the quesadillas in a pan, I like to use the oven because then they're ready at the same time.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium-sized skillet. Saute onions until slightly soft then add tomatoes, beans and salt and pepper. Cook until onions and soft. Remove from heat and set aside.

Crack the eggs in a bowl and add milk. Whisk until eggs are well-beaten. Pour the mixture into the hot skillet and stir continuously until the eggs are cooked to your liking.

Spread the eggs on top of one of the tortillas. Top with the bean mixture, sliced avocado and shredded cheese. Cover with the second tortilla. Place them on the baking sheet and spay the tops, bake in the oven until browned on both sides and cheese is melted. This will take about 8 to 10 minutes a side (watch closely), flip halfway through (I use two spatulas to keep them from falling apart). Cut in quarters and serve with salsa and sour cream.

Sun Burgers with Oven Fries and Stir Fried Bok Choy
Dave's mom made the girls each these beautiful wall hanging advent calendars, and so filling them has become one of our holiday traditions. Now, I'm a little bit of a stickler with giving the girls candy and chocolate (especially around a time when there are going to be so many treats), and we also didn't want to fill them with toys, instead a friend of mine told me they filled theirs with activities and I thought this was a lovely idea. So every year I fill each pocket with a little Christmas activity ranging from All reading Christmas stories in Mommy and Daddy's bed to Make a Christmas Craft or Bake a Christmas Treat, they range from big to small and usually include things we would already be doing like Christmas baking. Sounds like such a nice, easy tradition...the reality is it consists of me waking up at three in the morning thinking, "Crap, I forgot to fill the calendar...what are we going to do tomorrow?" Half the time I forgot last year and so did Hannah so really no harm no foul and those calendar's are still just as beautiful hanging on the wall empty. This year, there's been two mornings and I'm one for two. This morning I was up first, remembered my three a.m. wake up, and so I immediately wrote something out and as I was coming out of my room to fill the calendars (actually feeling rather proud that I'd remembered at all) there was a very sad little five year old standing on the landing with tears in her eyes and empty hands because there was nothing in her calendar. Clearly this year, I'm going to have to be organized or else face that little face every morning. Tonight I have cut out different Christmas shapes with all kinds of ideas written on them, hopefully I remember to put them in their calendars...

Recipe
I made the sun burgers from this post here. It makes about ten and so could probably be halved if you're not looking for leftovers.

We also had roasted potatoes and stir fried bok choy.

For the bok choy.
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
4 Baby bok choy, leaves removed and washed

Saute all ingredients, except bok choy, in a sauce pan until fragrant and sugar dissolves, add the bok choy and saute until tender.

Hot and Sour Soup
I remembered to fill the calendar last night, today's activity? Visit Santa. Hannah went straight to her calendar as soon as she woke up (I'm feeling the pressure) and so they bounced off the walls from six this morning until when we left around ten. We waited in line and tried to keep the girls from pulling up all the "snow" (cotton) from around Santa's village. When they finally got up to sit on Santa's knee the computer to take the picture had to be restarted and so they got to have a nice little visit with him. Well, Hannah had a nice visit, Harper (as you can tell by her picture) was kind of star struck the entire time. Harper did manage to tell Santa that she wanted a Lallaloopsy doll for Christmas, we were on the edge of our seats wondering what Hannah was going to ask for because she had been going back and forth between two things, she picked the one we didn't have and so, guess what I spent the rest of the day doing. That's right, trying to track down a gift that was sold out everywhere. Sigh, I never really thought I'd be one of those parents desperate to find a certain toy but, five hours and a quarter tank of gas later I found it and managed to get from Regent to Polo Park without having to backtrack back to Southdale which is kind of big for me.

Recipe
I had picked this soup from Verses from my Kitchen and Dave made it while I was out shopping. It was a really lovely meal to come home to; warm, light and tasty (it's also great for colds - with garlic, ginger and a little heat).

1 Tbsp peanut oil
Small piece of ginger, grated

900ml veggie stock
200 grams large rice noodles
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
2 Tbsp fish sauce
Pinch sugar
1 thick red hot chilli pepper, deseeded and sliced
2 Cloves garlic, pressed
10 Tiger shrimp
2 Green onions, thinly sliced
1 Lime, juiced
Small handful of cilantro leaves


Add the oil to a large sauce pan and add in the ginger over high heat. Fry for a few seconds and then pour in the veggies stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 10 minutes.

While the stock heats up, cook the rice noodles according to package directions.

Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, hot chili and garlic to the stock and reduce heat, simmering for 5 minutes. Add in the shrimp and continue to simmer for a further 5 minutes, until the shrimp is cooked. Add the lime juice, sugar, green onions and cilantro to the saucepan. Season to taste.

Run the noodles under hot water to prevent sticking and divide among the two bowls. Divide up the shrimp among the bowls and then pour over the stock.

Breaded Pickerel, Roasted Potatoes, Sauteed Veggies, Greek Salad and Ice Cream with Berries and Brownies
Busy Sunday around here for us. It was snowing lovely big, snowflakes all day and I admired it longingly as I pushed my children out the door to go play in it. Dave cut the trim for the front door and I am on my way downstairs to paint it after I've posted this. I'm very excited, it's been a year since I've been staring at the yellow spray insulation and can't wait to be looking at lovely trim. I'll post a picture next week, you may not really care to see it but I'm just so excited that I'm going to have to share.

I hope you've had a great weekend and the sun shines down on you this week!

Playing in the Snow

Monday: Black Bean Soup with Salad
Tuesday: Stir Fry with Cashews and Almonds
Wednesday: Baked Sole with Roasted Potatoes, Asparagus, Salad and Biscuits
Thursday: Pasta with Edamame Beans
Friday: Pizza and Greek Salad
Saturday: Minestrone with Parmesan Dumplings
Sunday: Veggie Lasagna, Salad and Mini Apple Pies with Ice Cream and Strawberries

The girls made this guy all on their own today!

Black Bean Soup with Salad
Oh, Harper.

This morning she climbs into bed with us at 4:00 (or some ridiculous hour) turns to me and asks,"Mama, how long until Easter?" I answer, "Six months, go to sleep." and she does actually go to sleep! When she got up with Dave and Hannah a little later she exclaimed in a super excited voice, "The Easter Bunny's going to be here in only six months!"

We also watched my cousin's little girl today for a couple hours, she's the same age as Harper. So Hannah and I told her all morning that we're going to watch Alexa this afternoon and she can play with her and share her toys, Harper was very excited. Then at lunch she was especially quiet and she looked up at me with a sad little face and asked, "Mama, are you gonna be here when I watch Alexa?" You could see the relief all over her body when I explained that I would be watching Alexa and she would just be playing with her.

Recipe
We've been having this black bean soup for years, my mom started making it a long time ago and I love it. It's easy and everyone likes it. The recipe is from The Best of Bridge, That's Trump.

2 cups dried black beans (I just use 2 19oz cans, drained and rinsed)
2 onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 Jalapeno, chopped
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp fennel seeds
6 cups veggies stock
28 oz can tomatoes
4 tsp fresh lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Garnish: sour cream cilantro or lime slice

In a large pot cover the beans with 6 cups of water - bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 1 hour. Drain, rinse and drain again (skip this whole step if you're using canned and just start with the onions).

Saute onions, garlic and celery in olive oil until softened. Stir in chili, hot sauce, jalapeno, oregano, cumin and fennel. Cook for 1 minute. Add beans and stock. Simmer for 11/2 hours, until beans are tender. Add tomatoes and lime juice and simmer for 10 minutes. Puree soup in batches - return to pot and heat. Serve with your choice of garnish. If soup is too thick add more stock.

We had this with a salad of lettuce, leftover bruschetta, cucumber, cut up leftover baguette toasts and avocado drizzled with olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Stir Fry with Cashews and Almonds
You know, you decide one day to have a baby and then they grow into these little people...and then big people (but let's not think about that) and you go along day to day. Sometimes you think about how wonderful they are, lots of time you're trying to sort through their clothes that they keep growing out of, get them to their activities, feed them, have enough play time with them, cuddle them, love them, ask them stop doing xyz, help them do abc, and try and remember when the last time they had a bath was (come on, we all forget...right?) and then you're reminded again. Today we had parent teacher conferences, and I was reminded again how between all that stuff, she, this little person we made, is growing into this wonderfully kind, funny, thoughtful, smart little girl. As we sat listening to her teacher talk about how wonderful she is and listened to her shyly recite poems and counting in french I was so proud of her and so, I wanted to gush!

Recipe
The stir fry sauce isn't anything to write home about, it was very tasty but it was mostly store bought. I always feel bad using pre-made sauce because I know the salt and additives are bad for us but we were in a rush tonight and it made it easy.

2 cups bean sprouts

1 Onion, chopped

2 Celery sticks, chopped
1 cup baby carrots, quartered
4 Baby bok choy, chopped
1 Bunch of broccoli
1 Yellow pepper cut in strips
1 1/2 cups of almonds and cashews
2 Cloves garlic, pressed
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce
4 Tbsp Hoisin sauce

Baked Sole with Roasted Potatoes, Asparagus, Salad and Biscuits
This is what I woke up to...

Harper: "I telling on you, Hannah."
Hannah: (in a condescending voice) "Harrrrper, come back here."
Harper: (sing songy) "Noooo, I'mmmmm going to tell on youuuuu."
Hannah: (same condescending voice) "No, you're not going to tell on me, you're going to come back here."
Harper: (sing song) "I'm going up the tairsss (stairs)"
Hannah: "Then, I'm coming to make sure the real story is told."

Meanwhile, Dave and are listening to this trying to stop ourselves from laughing, both girls climb into bed, cuddle up and say nothing.

Recipe
The girls wanted to make biscuits so we made these ones from Handle the Heart.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 425F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix in rosemary. Add milk and olive oil and mix until just combined. Don't over-mix.

Drop golf ball-sized rounds of dough on prepared baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until cooked through and golden brown.

I tossed a mixture of baby potatoes and sweet potatoes with a little olive oil and then roasted them in the 425F oven for about 40 minutes, turning once or twice.

The fish was dredged through a bowl with a milk Dijon mixture (ratio depending on your taste, I like lots of Dijon) and then pressed into Panko crumbs and baked in the oven, 425F, until done (five to ten minutes depending on thickness of fish).

Because of the lack of space in the oven, I steamed the asparagus. I tossed together, lettuce, apple, raisins, toasted walnuts and almonds and then drizzled it all with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup.

Pasta with Edamame Beans

The girls got hold of the camara last night and this is what they did. They had all their dolls lined up on the stairs and I could hear Hannah saying, "O.K. now that we've had a family picture, let's take a picture of each family member on their own." This occupied them for quite some time and filled up the camara with a number of...well, honestly kind of creepy photos. Except for the ones that Haper took which are mostly of her finger.

Recipe
I'm a little dissapointed because the picture for this pasta just looks, so so, but it was really good.

1 small red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
4 ripe tomatoes
1 1/2 cups edamame beans
1 pkg brown rice spaghetti
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a really good glugg of olive oil over medium heat and saute onion for five minutes, add balsamic and continue to saute until soft. Add garlic and saute a couple more minutes then add the tomatoes and saute until nice and saucy - if it seems too dry add a few Tbsp of veggie broth and then balance with an other drizzle of balsamic. Let this get nice and saucy and then add the edamama beans and cook a few minutes unitl they're warm. Season to taste.

Meanwhile in a large pot bring water to boil, add the brown rice pasta and cook according to package directions. It is really easy to over cook brown rice pasta so error on the al dente side, I usually cook for about 7 or 8 minutes, testing often from minute 6. Rince with cold water as soon as you've strained it to stop the cooking process.

Put the pasta back in the pot and pour the sauce over, stir on the warm element for a minute to reheat and serve immediately.

Pizza and Greek Salad
Before Hannah started school I use to have friends that were stay at home moms and they'd always be so happy when their child had the day off school. They would say how it made life so much easier and honestly, I didn't get it. I would think, "Really? You're a much better person than me, because I think I would find it more difficult to have my kids home then at school." Perhaps I shouldn't have admitted that, but it's true. The difference though is that I had both my kids home all the time and so any break was welcome. Hannah didn't have school today and the day was so relaxed. There were no deadlines, we didn't need to rush out of the house so we could get to the bus stop. All we had to do, we did at our own pace, stopping and reading stories or playing a little hide and seek on the way - it was lovely.

Recipe
Well, it really was a layed back day and I just bought pizza shells and topped them with pizza sauce, grilled zuchini, sundried tomatoes, olives and mozzarella cheese. We had a wonderful greek salad with it.

Minestrone Stew with Parmesan Dumplings
I was the parent carrying a screaming six year old out of Canadian Tire today. It wasn't pretty, people stared (it was really busy in there) but yes that was me. Were you staring because you were judging me, my kid or simply feeling bad for both of us who were clearly having a bad day? The thing is people stare, or they obviously don't, because kids scream and throw fits when they're mad and sometimes, it gets out of control and you have to let it happen or in this case, carry them out. This happens rarely for us and really rarely with Hannah but it happens...I always kind of rather that it happen at a store that's not in our neighborhood because then as you drive home you can kind of try to regain your dignity and there's less chance that someone you know saw you. But, really, I try not to feel embarassed or ashamed, these things happen. Amazingly after finally getting in the car and driving about two seconds in silence, she was back to her old self as if nothing had happend. We did of course talk about it when we arrived home (because, quite frankly I needed the whole ride to cool off from the incident) and went on to have a pretty lovely day of pretending to put up Chrsitmas lights but abandoning it to play in the snow, reading, Dave and I reading our own books while the girl's played on their own, making this perfect comforting stew and dumplings and watching the hockey game.

Recipe
Dave claims that I've made dumplings once before, but I don't remember ever making them. It's a revelation, so easy, biscuits in a pot but warm and gooey. This was declared a winter winner by all tonight. I slightly altered the stew recipe from nofaceplate and she does also have a recipe there for vegan dumplings which I was going to try but I had run out of nutritional yeast and then came downstairs to see Dave finishing the almonds which I also needed and so I found a recipe at Dunkin Cooking the Semi-Homemade Way for dumplings that I did have the ingredients too. I thought the fact that it was a minestrone stew and not soup was stretching it a little but it is a stew, very hardy and filling.

Minestrone Stew

1 28 oz can chopped/diced tomatoes
2 small cans tomato paste
2 zucchini, chopped
1 large red onion, chopped
10 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp freshly minced parsley
1 Tbsp oregano
1 large bunch kale, sliced to ribbons
6-8 baby carrots, chopped
2 large ribs celery, chopped
1/2 cup good quality olive oil
1/2 cup bitey red wine
2 cans cannelini beans, well drained and rinsed
1 can garbanzo beans, well drained and rinsed
1 red pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp + more sea salt, to taste
10 cups water

In a large soup pot (I needed to use two large soup pots in order to have enough room to cook the dumplings), add your olive oil. Over medium high heat, saute your garlic, onion, peppers, carrots and celery for 5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add zucchini - cook another 3 minutes. Add kale, stir, cook one minute more. Add your wine and turn heat to high for 2 minutes, until it has reduced a bit, then add water, tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, herbs, pepper and salt, stir well, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Taste. You'll probably need to add a little salt at this point - but it's totally up to you. Now, add your dumplings and cook for 12 to 15 minutes on simmer. Be sure not to lift the lid, as the steam's cooking the dumplings.

Dumplings

1 1/2 cup flour
2 Tbsp parsley
2 Tbsp green onion, chopped
2 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Dash nutmeg
2/3 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp oil

In a bowl beat the egg, add the milk and oil and beat together. Add the dry ingredients, parsley and green onions and mix until combined. Once mixed, wet your hands and pinch out dough (about the size of a Tbsp) and drop them carefully in the simmering soup. Once their all in put the lid on and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes.

Veggie Lasagna, Salad and Mini Apple Pies with Ice Cream and Strawberries

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. Today had a little bit of everything; playing, a few chores, a lovely visit with my cousin with a great cup of tea, a new Christmas tree to put up this week, some baking...well, actually just eating (Dave and the girls did the baking), some football with a delicious dinner and great company. I am ending the day full, tired and ready for the week. I hope your Sunday was good too.

Have a great week, I hope the sun shines down on you.