A Graduation?

Weekly Menu
Monday: Leftover Pizza
Tuesday: Spaghettini with Roasted Tomato and Almond Pesto
Wednesday: Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Frittata with Fruit and Dilled Potatoes
Thursday: Lentil Salad with Spinach, Pecans and Cheddar, Pita Chips and Pears
Friday: Grilled Shrimp with Bruschetta and Arugula Salad
Saturday: Dinner with the Girls, Pizza - but if you're tired of that may I recommend Falafel*
Sunday: Vegetarian Cassoulet

*I didn't include these in the grocery list

Weekly Pantry List
Fresh garlic (one whole bulb, plus), olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes, milk (1 cup), horseradish, dill, bay leaf, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, raisins, ground cloves

Weekly Grocery List
Goat Cheese (4 oz)
Parmesan cheese
1/4 lb old white cheddar
Large shrimp
eggs (8)
1 zucchini
Wild mushroom mix (4 oz)
3 medium leeks
3 celery ribs
1 shallot
Green onion
1 small onion
Tomatoes (2 3/4 lb) + 4
Fruit (to go with frittata)
Arugula
1 pear
Fresh oregano
Fresh basil
4 thyme sprigs
2 parsley sprigs
5 carrot
1 1/2 lbs spinach
2 multi grain baguette
Raw Almonds (5 Tbsp)
2/3 cup pecans
1 lb lentils
3 (19-ounce) cans cannellini or Great Northern beans
Spaghettini

Leftover Pizza
Dave definitely has more patience with the kids for finicky things, such as teaching Hannah how to fish (and shopping for winter boots, I don't do anything well if I have to be indoors wearing or lugging my winter coat around). He's been taking Hannah fishing at the lake for a few years now, either in my uncle's little fishing boat or off the dock. This weekend they were fishing off the dock after supper, each on their own section, Hannah holding her own rod and casting all by herself. She would repeat the instructions to herself out loud, "lean back, push the button and then throw forward..." A boat full of people came by and said, "Nice caste!" Dave had to explain to her what the word caste meant and then she changed her instructions to herself, "lean back, press the button and caste..." My mom snapped this beautiful photo of her and I just had to share it.

Recipe
I know this is a bit of deja vu from last week but there was all that leftover pizza in the freezer haunting me as I thought of the little ice crystals sneaking in giving it freezer burn...I know it may be a little bit of a sickness. I'm also oh, so very lazy on days when we drive in from the lake. I'm not sure why but I just can't seem to snap out of a funk.

Spagehttini with Roasted Tomato and Almond Pesto
We went to a 65th wedding anniversary party tonight. It was for a couple that I have come to call Grandma and Grandpa Tait, they are my uncle's parents and not technically my grandparents but, really what's a technicality? Over the years I have loved them and felt loved by them. Sixty Five years is really an amazing amount of time. It really made me think about how much we grow and fall in love after we've actually gotten married. I think that once we got married I kind of thought, that's it, we found each other, clearly I was very naive. Even though we were promising a lifetime together I never really thought it through (well, I thought it through, I didn't enter my marriage on a whim or anything), more accurately realized how big that could be. As four generations gathered to toast them, from their youngest great grandchild of nine months to one of their lifelong friends who will be ninety this year, the enormity of it was revealed. So here's to them and their sixty five years, I hope that one day Dave and I are surrounded by a similar crowd on our 65th!

Recipe
This recipe is from epicurious and was really easy and tasty. The only thing about it is you have to have at least an hour to roast the tomatoes, but the pesto can be made a day ahead, probably would be really good to have some extra time for the flavors to meld.

2 2/4 lbs tomatoes, cored, halved, seeded
7 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano, divided
2 unpeeled large garlic cloves (I would actually change this to 4 or 5)
5 Tbsp whole raw almonds, divided
1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
300g perciatelli, spaghettini or linguine, whole wheat
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a large bowl toss together the tomato halves with 2 Tbsp of the olive oil and 1 1/2 Tbsp of the fresh oregano. Place on a parchment lined, rimmed cookie sheet cut side down along with the unpeeled garlic, drizzle any remaining juices from the bowl and roast until garlic is tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove garlic from oven and flip tomatoes so they are cut side up and roast for another 30 minutes, until they begin to brown a little. At the same time arrange almonds on a pan and toast for about 10 minutes, check often so as not to burn. Once the almonds are toasted remove from oven and let cool.

Peel garlic and place in a food processor along with 4 Tbsp almonds, 2/3 of the tomatoes and the red pepper flakes and pulse to course puree. With the processor running on low add the remaining 5 Tbsp of olive oil until mixed in, season with salt and pepper to taste. Pesto can now be put in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.

While pasta is cooking chop the remaining tomatoes, almonds and oregano. On serving platter mix together the pesto and tomatoes with 1/2 cup of pasta water and then toss in the pasta (add more of the pasta water if needed), top with chopped almonds, oregano and a little grated Parmesan cheese.

Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Frittata with Fruit and Dilled Potatoes

Seriously, it was one of those days where half way through you want to crawl back into bed and sleep until the next. It started with a bad phone call, to being late for a dentist appointment to doing a bunch of stuff I didn't much feel like doing. I really wished I could just go and hide for the rest of it because I wasn't even any fun to be around. Tonight while I was making supper I could hear the girls running around upstairs back and forth between their rooms but other than that they were completely quiet, very unlike my children. You know when you know you should go up and check on therm but you're almost scared? I was scared, more scared that they would be doing something not too bad but that I would flip out because of my sour mood so I waited. They came down part way through to check on me and steal a few pieces of pineapple and went right back up. As I'm waiting for dinner to cook I can hear them whispering back and forth (Hannah whispering something and Harper repeating it word for word). Hannah's whispering (not very quietly), "Now let's go clean your room and it'll be a great big surprise for Mama!" So I sat in my kitchen and bawled my face off because, I'm a little crazy, but mostly because I have the greatest kids in the whole world!

Recipe
This recipe is from a spicy perspective it was very good and easy. I might use a little less goat cheese next time but it was good as is, it just seemed that you could get away with less if you wanted (I didn't use the truffle oil).

8 eggs

½ cup milk

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

4 oz. sliced wild mushrooms, sliced (crimini, oyster, shitake…)

1 large shallot, quartered and sliced

1 small clove garlic, minced

6-8 drops of truffle oil (optional)

¾ chopped zucchini

4 oz. soft goat cheese

¼ cup chopped green onions

Salt and Pepper

Oil

Preheat oven to 350F. Preheat a skillet to medium-high.

Add 1 Tbsp oil to the hot skillet, then add shallot. Sauté for 2 minutes. Then add the garlic and toss.

Add the sliced mushrooms. Carefully add the truffle oil, if desired. Sauté the mushrooms for 5-10 minutes, until deep brown, to render out the moisture. Finally, add the zucchini to the skillet and sauté another 2-3 minutes. *Truffle oil is potent—use it sparingly. Transfer the veggies to a plate and wipe the skillet with a paper towel.

Put the skillet back over high heat with 2 Tbsp oil. Mix eggs and milk with ½ tsp salt and fresh pepper. Whisk until frothy.

Briskly swirl the skillet around as you pour the egg mixture in—this creates a crust on the outer edge. Then add the mushroom and zucchini mixture back to the skillet and crumble the goat cheese over the top.

Remove from heat and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Slide out of pan onto a cutting board and cut into wedges. Be careful not to grab the hot handle of the pan to take it out of the oven, I know who would do such a thing? Me...twice actually.

We just had some potatoes and pineapple with it. I was going to make a fruit salad or fruit platter but it was actually just one those days that I chopped up a little pineapple and put it in the middle of the table and said help yourself.

For the potatoes I just washed and halved little potatoes, boiled them and then tossed them with horseradish, buttermilk, salt and pepper and lots of dill.

Lentil Salad with Spinach, Pecans and Cheddar, Pita Chips and Pears

Today was Hannah's last day of school...her graduation. I know that it seems so silly for four year olds to have a graduation, it seems that they put a cap and gown on kids for almost

any reason these days and this is precisely what I was thinking until I saw this. Who can resist that super cute, proud little one? There was a whole room full of them! The audience was packed with parents as the little ones filed in two by two holding hands and stopping to put their flowers in the vase. They all sat in little chairs and stood to recite poems and songs they learned during the year as well as the alphabet and words to go with each letter (my arms were shaking from videoing). They then each received their little diploma, not pausing for pictures but hurrying back to their seats. Hannah barely looked at me the whole time concentrating instead on her teacher and the words that were escaping her lips to join the chorus of little voices. What really got me was at snack time after, Dave left to go to work and Hannah, Harper and I proceeded to the next room to partake in the little party. Hannah did not sit with Harper and I, instead choosing to sit with her friends from school. This was nice...for her, I guess. It was really the first time that she chose friends over me, I know seriously get over it - but it was so strange. Usually, even though she is with her friends she stills hangs off me and wants to be near me but now...the process of changing into a "school kid" has already begun.

Recipe

I'm including this recipe because it's what we ate but I have to say it was very disappointing. The most disappointing thing about it is that all the flavours sounded like it would go together so well but I found it so bland. I think that if there was a better dressing that would help but if you're not looking to experiment I would make lentil stew instead found here.

The recipe is from quick from scratch soups and salads and I have never been disappointed from this book before, perhaps it was me.

1 lb lentils
1 small onion, halved
1 carrot, halved
1 clove garlic
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
4 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 lbs spinach, stems removed, leaves washed well
1/4 lb aged white cheddar cheese

In a medium pot, combine the lentils. onion, carrot, garlic, bay leaf, and enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered. until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain; discard the onion , carrot, garlic, and bay leaf.

In a large glass or stainless-steel bowl, whisk together 2 Tbsp of vinegar, 1/2 tsp of the salt and 1/4 tsp of the pepper. Add the oil slowly, whisking.

Shred half the spinach and put in a large glass or stainless-steel bowl. Add the hot lentils and toss with half the dressing, the remaining 2 Tbsp vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Toss the mixture gently until the spinach wilts.

Toss the remaining spinach into the remaining dressing and put on plates. Top with the lentil mixture and the toasted pecans. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the cheese over the top.

Grilled Shrimp with Bruschetta and Arugula Salad
It was a time warp day today, but in a good way. Dave's away for boy's weekend, golfing at the cottage. Since he'd worked a lot last week he took today off to spend with the girls before he went. So it was one of those odd days where you think it's Saturday and then wonder why it's not busier out and then remember with delight that it's Friday. We both did a little shopping on our own this morning, it was another rainy day so the girls played inside and somehow I looked down at 1:30 and they were both still in their jammies, I'm not sure how that happened. It was just such a relaxed day, even when we discovered a nail in the tire it all came in stride today. My mom came for dinner and we sat and visited while the girls curled up on the couch together and watched a little T.V. It's now late and I have stayed up way too late, I always do when Dave's away it's really dumb because there's no question about who's going to getting up with the girls in the morning.

Recipe
There's really no recipe for this meal but here's what I did:

I mixed olive oil, maybe 1/3 cup, with two cloves of pressed garlic, strung the shrimp on skewers, brushed them with the oil and BBQ them.

Preheat oven to 350F, wrap a bulb off garlic in tin foil with a little drizzle of olive oil and bake until soft, 30 to 40 minutes). I sliced a baguette, sprayed it with olive oil and broiled them on both sides until toasted (I would have BBQed them but didn't want to have to stand out there and watch them in the rain).

Set out the baguette and garlic with slices of tomato and fresh basil.

For the salad I tossed together wasabi arugula (I had no idea but it's actually got a kick to it) with some old cheddar, pear, raisins, toasted pecans and drizzled it all with maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and a little salt and pepper.

Pita Pizzas or Falafel

I feel like this week has been kind of a Hannah show and I haven't written much about Harper. It's not that there isn't much going on with Harper it's just that really to truly capture her these days you need to be able to hear her. She repeats everything Hannah repeats, word for word, in her little husky voice - whether it applies to her or not. It is amazing to watch the development of a second child compared to the first. Harper is so much more independent than Hannah was at the same age. I suppose this just happens with the second child because suddenly there are two that are the center of your world instead of one, so your focus is divided. Not that she fades into the background in anyway. One of her favorite things lately is to tickle, no matter what she's doing she'll stop and say, "I have question for you mama...tickle, tickle, tickle!" while she laughs and well...tries to scratch your eyes out. She is also very polite...well, at least she uses polite words, she will stand at the bathroom door while someone is in there and scream, "Pease my come in!" over and over again until you open the door. She will also gently kiss any booboo you may have and ask, "You O.K, mama?" and her latest new one is she holds out her hand to me and says, "C'mon mama" and seriously, I can't resist it, that kid could lead me anywhere.

Recipe
I was planning on making falafel, found here, but then through a series of facebook messages ended up at my mom's with all my grandma, aunts and cousins and we all brought a little something and made pizzas. They were delicious and one of the things that I have been omitting from ours is banana peppers - it just made the pizza so good.

Vegetarian Cassoulet
Some days are just slow and lazy...today was one of those days. I felt bad because Dave walked in the door and I almost kissed the ground and immediately announced that I was going to need a nap, like it was the hardest thing in the world to take care of my children for the weekend on my own. It wasn't, but we had a really hard night last night and I was exhausted. Hannah is catching a cold, and it wasn't that evident during the day but at night she was coughing and wheezing so much that if I wasn't up with her I was only ever on the edge of sleep trying to listen out for her. She coughed from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. and then she finally fell asleep around 4 or 4:30 and then Harper woke up around 5:00, needless to say we had a lazy morning of watching movies. I slept for a solid two hours and woke up to the sound of Dave and the girls playing and laughing in the yard, what a wonderful way to wake up.

Recipe
My mom made this cassoulet for dinner tonight and it was delicious, it was perfect for a dreary day. This recipe is from http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/241753.

3 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only)
4 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch-wide pieces
3 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch-wide pieces
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
4 thyme sprigs
2 parsley sprigs
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3 (19-ounce) cans cannellini or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 quart water

For garlic crumbs:
4 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs from a baguette
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Make cassoulet:
Halve leeks lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces, then wash well and pat dry.

Cook leeks, carrots, celery, and garlic in oil with herb sprigs, bay leaf, cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 15 minutes. Stir in beans, then water, and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender but not falling apart, about 30 minutes.

Make garlic crumbs while cassoulet simmers:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Toss bread crumbs with oil, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a bowl until well coated. Spread in a baking pan and toast in oven, stirring once halfway through, until crisp and golden, 12 to 15 minutes.

Cool crumbs in pan, then return to bowl and stir in parsley.

Finish cassoulet:
Discard herb sprigs and bay leaf. Mash some of beans in pot with a potato masher or back of a spoon to thicken broth. Season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, sprinkle with garlic crumbs

I hope the sun shines down on you this week!

A Rainy Long Weekend

I was trying to get this up yesterday morning before we headed out to the lake, but am simply not that organized. We did have a great time at the lake despite the fact that when we were two minutes away Harper started crying that she wanted to go home. We had a birthday party for my Grandma and there were nine out of her fourteen great grandchildren running around playing together, it was so fun. It's amazing how such a wonderful, large, loving family started with just two people!

Weekly Menu
Monday: Leftover Pizza
Tuesday: Rice Bowls
Wednesday: Salad Rolls
Thursday: Dhal, Naan and Raw Veggies
Friday: Ranchos Heuvros with Tortilla Chips and Salad
Saturday: Portobello Burgers with Corn on the Cob
Sunday: Halibut, Mango Salsa, Orzo and Aparagus

Weekly Pantry List
Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, nutritional yeast, soya sauce, yeast, flour, sugar, egg (1), tumeric, vegetable oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fresh garlic, ground coriander, sesame oil, Hoisin sauce, sunflower seeds, almond slivers, mayonnaise, oregano, red wine vinegar

Grocery List
Halibut
olives
cheddar cheese (or Imperial)
Provolone Cheese (large round slices)
Eggs
Plain yogurt
Zucchini
Tofu, extra firm
1 onion
1 red onion
Romain lettuce
Asparagus
Carrots
Peppers ( red, orange and yellow)
Avocado
5 tomatoes
2 cucumber
Pea pods
2 green chilies
3 limes
Corn on Cob
Portobello mushrooms
Wild mushroom mix (or regular for bowl)
Fresh mint
Fresh basil
Cilantro
Fresh ginger
Whole wheat buns
Pesto
Edamame beans
Salsa
Tortilla chips
Rice wraps
Bean thread noodle
14 oz canned tomatoes
1 cup of dry red lentils


Leftover Pizza
I have to say being a stay at home mom when the weather is this nice is a pretty good gig. The girls ran around today squealing with delight while chasing bubbles. I watched as I waged war on the dandelions that cover our front yard. Every year it's the same, they grow and I feel pressure from my neighbors (let's be clear not actually from them, it's all from me, I feel bad when my dandelion seeds float over to their manicured lawns) to get rid of them. If only we could all unite and decide that they are beautiful and the more the merrier or if the province would ban using chemicals (like many other provinces) we'd all be in the same boat, I too could chase bubbles! But instead, they work hard to infest my lawn and I become strangely obsessed and addicted to plucking them out...well for now. Soon I will wave my white flag and run with the girls as the dandelions multiply exponentially!

Recipe
There's no recipe, we had so much pizza leftover that there was simply no choice but to eat it again. I also froze two full pizzas, they're already haunting me.

The Bowl
Life really is different for the older child. I had to miss Hannah's soccer game tonight and I think that this may have been the first time that I've had to miss one of her games or lessons. Dave has missed the odd thing here and there because he's had to work late but for the most part we both attend everything. I understand that once Harper gets older and also has activities there will probably be a divide and concur agenda but for now we are able to all attend. Dave worked late last night and Harper was already losing it by five so I called my parents and asked them to come and take Hannah to soccer. I was a little concerned that Hannah would be disappointed that I wasn't coming to watch and asked her if she would be alright with me staying home with Harper her response was, "Yeah, like I'll be playing soccer." Alright, so not only does she not need me there but she talks like a thirteen year old!

Recipe
In the Appetite for Reduction cookbook she has a small chapter on bowls. She stipulates that a bowl is made up of four main components and the rest is up to you. The four main components are a grain, a veg (usually steamed), a protein and a sauce and these all must be combined in a bowl, of course, to make it an easy casual meal. She has many suggestions as to what you could throw together to make up your bowl and some different sauce recipes to go with them, check them out if you're interested. I just put together some of our leftovers with one of my new favorite sauces.

Basmati Rice
Yellow pepper, green pepper, red  pepper, chopped
Wild mushroom mix, sauteed
Edamame beans
Zucchini, (steamed)
sunflower seeds and almond slivers, toasted

There's no real amount for each ingredient, it's just as much as you need depending on the number of bowls you're making. I left the peppers raw because I like the added crunch.

The sauce is one that I got from my cousin and posted in an earlier week. We had a lot left and you could probably half this if you don't want any left but it is also a yummy salad dressing so a little extra probably won't go to waste.

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup soya sauce (Bragg's is best)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast (health food section of grocery store, health food stores or bulk food stores)
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 cup olive oil

Put all the ingredients, except for the oil, in the blender and add the oil as it is mixing.

Once everything is ready load it into a bowl and pour your desired amount of sauce over top. Hannah declared this was a nine.

Salad Rolls
I need to brush up on my wormology. This is how the afternoon passed today. I sweated my butt off digging up sod at the back of the yard to make a veggie patch while Hannah sat on the edge and picked up worms, played with them while asking me a million questions about worms, each series of questions ending with, "and then they grow up and be snakes?" I realized that I know nothing about worms, except that they don't grow up and to be snakes. I answered every question through gritted teeth as I lifted sod (that stuff is super heavy), carried it to another part of the yard and wondered why is it that I know so little about worms, and why does that surprise me?

So here are some facts you may not have known (if you believe wiki answers) they do not have eyes but have cells that are sensitive to light on their outer skin that detect light and changes in light intensity, they are more sensitive to the chemical and temperature in the environment. They do actually have tiny mouths and will take extremely small bites of things like bacteria, fungi and pretty much anything they come across. If you cut a worm in half it will die, it does not become two worms but they can regrow their tail. My question is how do you know which end is the tail end? I suppose I don't really need to know, I don't plan on cutting a worm's tail off, it does seem a little cruel.

Recipe
Salad rolls are a little like pizza in the summer we tend to eat them often, mostly because Hannah loves them, their simple and there's almost no cooking involved. The recipe for salad rolls can be found here.

Dhal, Naan and Raw Veggies
Something about getting ready to go out in a quiet, empty house that is so strange and yet so decadent. Dave took the kids to soccer tonight (suddenly it's easy to miss here and there) and I went to the movie Bridesmaids (which by the way I cannot say was classy, but I laughed until I cried). I ran around getting the kids fed and ready, Dave ran in from work to change and take them to the game, it was a whirlwind of activity and then it was quiet. You never really appreciate a quiet house until you don't have one. There's a difference between every else asleep quiet (which is good too) and no one else home quiet (which is better). It was only half an hour but I soaked up every minute of it.

Recipe
Clearly I'm in love with homemade naan bread, this dhal recipe will make another appearance as well. It's from maameemoomoo and 1/2 a food blog and it's simple, cheap and delicious.

1 cup split red lentils, rinsed

2 green chilies, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cups water
14 oz canned tomatoes, drained and chopped
4 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 tsp ground coriander

Put the lentils in a saucepan. Add the chilies, turmeric, onion and water and bring to boil. Partly cover the pan and simmer, without stirring for 30-35 minutes or until the lentils are soft. Stir in tomatoes.

Heat the vegetable oil in a small pan. Add the rest of the ingredients and fry over moderate heat for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add to the lentils and cook, stirring until thick. Season.

We just had some naan with it and some nice crunchy raw veggies.

Huevos Rancheros, Tortillas and Salad

We've had 3 yards of dirt sitting on our lawn since Monday. The plan was to spread it on the lawn, seed and fill up the front garden and back veggie patch. The girls have been playing on the skirts of it and digging in it a little all week but today they went all in, and by all in I mean literally. It's suppose to rain over the next couple days so we decided that today was the day to spread the dirt. I spent the whole day plucking dandelions to get the yard ready to seed. Since it was the last day of the dirt pile I really just let the kids go to town, Harper looked like a brunette who bleached her hair because her head was so black under her blond wisps of hair and Hannah's feet looked like they would never some clean. People passing by seemed to have expressions of equal glee and horror watching my kids literally burying themselves in the dirt. At the end of the day the dirt was spread and moved, the girls had been scrubbed, Dave and I were showered and changed. We ate a very late dinner in our comfies as a calm rested over the house from a day of hard work and hard playing. We finished with a little treat that Dave brought home from Cakeology, put the kids to bed and finished the day with a nice cold beer. It was actually the perfect day.

 

Recipe

This is really simple to throw together and usually a pleaser, especially since we often have ours with tortillas chips but, it would be great with a Mexican style rice.

1-2 cups of salsa
eggs
cheese, grated (cheddar is best or this time I used a McLaren's Imperial and it was even better)
Tortilla chips

Heat salsa in a skillet when it starts to bubble make a little well with a spoon and crack your egg in it. Poach egg for three minutes and then sprinkle with cheese put the lid back on and poach for another couple of minutes (until the cheese melts, the yoke is soft but the white not runny).

Serve with tortilla chips on the side and I just put the following together for a salad.

1/4 red pepper, chopped1/4 yellow pepper, chopped
1/4 orange pepper , chopped
Corn of one cob, raw
Tomato, chopped
Avocado, chopped
3 Romain leaves, torn
1/2 lime, the juice
3 times the amount of olive oil
salt and pepper


Portobello Mushroom Burgers and Corn on the Cob
It's dreary and rainy today, normally this would make me sad but it's raining on the grass seed, yay! We decided to go do some shopping as a family to get some summer clothes. There were lots of families out pushing strollers and stopping to let their kids play in the indoor play zone at the center of the mall. We were not quite so put together. We spent the time chasing Harper trying to stop her from pulling everything off the shelves like a little tornado. I was sweating, frazzled and bribing my children with Cheerios to sit on a bench just for a moment while Dave tried something on. We then dragged them past the play area as I exclaimed (a little too loudly), "No, you can't play in there it's full of germs." The thing is, in hind site it seemed like a crazy trip to the mall but while it was happening it seemed completely and totally normal...and it was, for us.

Recipe
These are quick to throw together and can be done solely using the BBQ (not great for a rain day but perfect for any other day).

4 Portobello mushroom caps
4 Wholewheat buns
4 large slices of provolone cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup pesto
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced (raw or caramelized)
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil

4 cobs of corn

Heat BBQ. Drizzle mushroom caps with olive oil and vinegar. Trim the husks of the corn so that there are no strings hanging out and place on BBQ with mushroom caps. Turn the corn a quarter turn every 5 minutes and flip the mushrooms halfway through, about 7-10 minutes a side depending on thickness, melting the cheese on them towards the end.

Mix together pesto and mayonnaise adding more of either to your taste.

Slice buns, spray with olive oil and toast on the BBQ.

When all is ready pile the mushroom, tomato, onion and pesto on the bun and enjoy!

Grilled Halibut with Mango Salsa, Greek Orzo, Asparagus with Birthday Cake
It's Sunday morning of the long weekend and we're heading out to the lake today for the night. I'm hoping to get this up before we go but it is starting to get late. We haven't been out yet and normally go out on Friday nights when we go but, we actually let our yard take priority this year, which is really not like us at all. The girls are very excited to go and Hannah had packed both their bags by seven this morning. I suppose at some point before we pack up and head out I should check and see just what she packed but part of me just wants to let it go.

Recipe
We're going to have a very simple supper tonight I'll drizzle the fish with a little lime and olive oil and make the mango salsa from here. The orzo recipe is as follows:

2 zucchini, grilled and cut in chunks
1/2 red, yellow and orange peppers, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup feta
1/2 cup olives
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes (leftovers)
2 cup orzo, cooked
olive oil
red wine vinegar
oregano

Toss all ingredients together and then drizzle with oil and vinegar and sprinkle with oregano.

Have a great week and I hope the sun shines down on you!





Bright Spot at the End of the Week!

Monday: Salmon Dill Pasta*
Tuesday: Southwestern Roasted Veggie Soup*
Wednesday: 40 Clove Broccoli and Chickpeas
Thursday: Indian Red Beans over Coconut Rice with Curry Cauliflower
Friday: Veggie Burgers and Cucumbers
Saturday: Shrimp Fajitas
Sunday: Harper's Birthday - Pizza, Broccoli, Salad with Cake and Ice Cream

*As these are mostly made from leftovers from Sunday dinner I did not include them on the grocery or pantry list.

Weekly Pantry List
Olive oil, fresh garlic, thyme, allspice, curry, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dill, chili, oregano, baking soda, flour, yeast, mayonnaise, salsa

Weekly Grocery List
Mozzarella cheese
Feta Cheese
Romano Cheese
Provolone Cheese
Marble Cheese
Olives
Sour cream
Mix of wild mushrooms
4 tomatoes
2 avocados
4 limes
2 red pepper
2 green pepper
3 onions
2 onions
1 red onion
2 bunches broccoli
Cauliflower
1 lemon
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup sesame seeds
1 1/2 cup TVP granules
1 package of fajita seasoning, low sodium
MASA flour or corn tortillas
Thin bagels
Basmati Rice
1 can coconut milk (400 ml)
28 oz can of diced tomatoes
28 oz can of red beans
1 can chickpeas
Sun dried tomatoes
Roasted Red Peppers
Veggie Stock (need 1 cup)

These are toppings for the pizza that we had on Sunday

Salmon Dill Pasta
I'm not sure why or how but sometimes I forget that kids minds are going a mile a minute just like mine. When we're sitting at the table together in the morning and it's quiet (this doesn't actually happen all that often) I get lost in my own thoughts and forget that they do too. That is until I hear Harper start the think out loud. Lately she's been practising her body parts and she'll half mumble half talk while pointing to each part, "Tis my chin, tis my nose, tis my eye...two eyes, tis my head...." Hannah's thoughts are a little more complex and usually wake me from mine with questions or statements. This morning she says to me, "I guess it's much easier to take care of kids than a dog!" (where does she come up with this stuff?) I replied, "Well, I think that there's more responsibility involved when you take care a kids opposed to a dog." She took this in, thought about it for a few minutes and then said, "I guess you're right, because you have to take your kids on vacation with you, but you don't have take a dog!" There you have it, the difference between raising a dog and raising a child, she cracks me up!

Recipe
So we had a lot of leftovers from Mother's Day dinner. to use up some of them today I made a pasta. It was exactly what I was wanting, creamy and dilly!

1/2 a very large fillet of cooked salmon, flaked
1/2 recipe of fennel bake
1 cup of dill sauce
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbsp dill
juice of 1 lemon
375g package of whole wheat spaghettini, cooked
Salt and pepper to season

Once the pasta was cooked I put it back in the pot and added all the other ingredients, stirring constantly so that it didn't stick, seasoned with salt and pepper and served.

Southwestern Roasted Veggie Soup
I find it so interesting to watch Hannah interact with other kids and adults when she's on her own. Tonight at soccer I was watching her with her teammates and her coach when she was on the sidelines. She seems to observe more and is a little more cautious about jumping right in there. Her coach came over to the tarp where they were waiting their turn and asked who wanted to go in next and all the kids jumped up and yelled, "Me!" or ran onto the field whereas Hannah sat up real tall on her knees and beamed with that bright open face waiting to be picked. She wasn't picked, there was no chance because all the kids had run onto the field, luckily they were short one player and so the coach told her to go on. She leaped (I seriously mean leaped) onto the field!

It breaks my heart a little, not that she's a little shy or cautious, that she's growing up and going at it alone in those little ways ( I mean little of course, she's five). But she acts differently around others than she does her family, as many of us do, but I won't see that side of her. Up until now our worlds have revolved around each other and suddenly there's going to be this whole new, very large part of her life that I'll only be privy to in small glimpses. It's both exciting and terrifying. I had a dream the other night that I was with her on the 12th floor of an apartment building and she went out to the balcony, climbed up on the railing and jumped down! I watched her fall in slow motion, tears in my eyes, my heart in my throat, her whole life passing before my eyes (every little detail) and then she landed and was fine. In the dream I ran down and was telling someone about it and when we reached her they said, "Wow, you're like a super hero!" I couldn't believe it, I was so angry at this person for encouraging her to take a risk like that again. I can't seem to stop seeing her fall and land over and over again in my head but, I get the message.

Recipe
I still had some roasted veggies left to use up and since it is very glum today I used it in a soup. We had a few left over tortillas chips to use instead of crackers and it added a little saltiness - yum!

olive oil

1 large white onion, chopped
2 tsp of cumin
4 cups of roasted veggies (mixture of peppers, mushrooms, onions, zucchini and corn)
4 cups of veggie stock
1 15oz can of tomatoes
1 15 oz can of lentils, drained and rinsed
Salsa
Cheddar cheese, grated
Sour cream
Tortilla chips

In a large soup pot heat a glugg of oil and saute the onions and cumin until soft. Add the veggies, stock and tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Using a food processor or hand blender whirl it all up together. Return soup to pot and add lentils, cook until heated through. Serve topped with salsa. cheddar cheese, sour cream and some crushed up tortilla chips.

40 Clove Broccoli and Chickpeas

It's so glum this week. I wish the weather didn't affect me so much. When it's this glum for so long all I want to do is lay around and sleep and read. Funny, this is not what my kids want to do. Hannah got it in her head that she wanted to make a float this week, a castle float. It took us three days to get all the supplies and paint everything and let it dry and finally put it together today. The girls ran up to get princess dresses on so they could have a parade with their float. This lasted about five minutes and then they went back to playing their usual 'surprise party' game (where they drag out every toy in the house and lay out in the livingroom - it's my favorite game).

Recipe
This is another recipe from Appetite for Reduction. It's not really pretty or actually have 40 cloves but it has a great flavour and is a quick and easy weekday meal. We had this with a salad and some toast (mostly because we had all these bits of bread to use up) it would also go well with a rice or couscous dish.

1 lb broccoli, cut into large spears, stems peeled and chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
10 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

1 can chickpeas
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp lemon zest
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 cup veggie stock

Preheat oven to 400F.

Place the broccoli, garlic, and chickpeas in a 9 by 13 inch baking pan. Drizzle them with oil, spray with a little nonstick cooking spray, and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, lemon zest and oregano. Once again, toss to coat. Spray a bit more for good measure, then pop in the oven.

Bake for about 30 minutes, flipping once. Remove from the oven, flip again, and add the veggie broth. Use a spatula to scrape up any crisp bits of flavor from the bottom on the pan. Return the pan to the oven for another 15 minutes, or until the garlic cloves are nice and tender and the broccoli is browned in some places.

Indian Red Beans over Coconut Rice with Curry Cauliflower
It is so cold today and of course it's soccer night. You never really know how long an hour can be until you are standing on the sidelines watching your child play soccer freezing your butt off! I watched one of the families come and they had on winter jackets, blankets to wrap around their legs and hot coffee, brilliant. We had on our spring jackets with sweaters and tuques. Dave had to work late and came with about twenty or thirty minutes left just in a suit. I have to admit he's a better parent than I am, because it was so cold I'm quite certain I would have dragged my feet in that meeting and not quite made it. Although, I have to tell you Hannah is a lot of fun to watch. Her legs seem so long when she's out there half prancing, half jumping and running full speed. A friend of mine always compares her long legged, slim child to a grasshopper and I think that it is the perfect comparison!

Recipe
This would have been a great meal to have after soccer to warm up the insides. I love this meal, I think that I could eat all of the coconut rice on my own and had a hard time convincing the girls we needed to save some for Dave. The recipe is from Moosewood Simple Suppers and is really so simple and delicious.

Cook the coconut rice
1 1/2 cup basmati rice
1 can coconut milk (400 ml)
1/4 cup water

Put all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

1 1/2 cups diced onions
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp allspice
28 ounce can of diced tomatoes
28 ounce can of red beans, rinsed and drained

While the rice is cooking, in a saucepan on medium heat, saute the onion in the oil for 3 or 4 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, sprinkle lightly with salt, cover and cook stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the thyme, allspice, tomatoes and beans, cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve over rice with a little cilantro sprinkled on top.

We also had curry cauliflower, because seriously, why would you ever eat it just steamed again?It's so easy and yummy and you can find how from this post.

Veggie Burgers and Cucumbers
So Harper has started saying, "I wuve YOU!" It melts my heart everytime. It's like, I never wanted to coach her to say it, like it wouldn't mean the same thing (I do realize that this is ridiculous) I just wanted her to be able to say it back to me when I said it, and then she did. Her little face lit up and she said, with great emphasis on the you, "I wuve YOU!" and my heart grew like the Grinch's and then melted to goo. I immediately started saying it over and over just to hear her little scratchy voice say it back and make me feel like the most loved mom on earth! Then, today there was a bowl of onions in the fridge that I brought out for the burgers and Harper got up on her stool, wrapped the bowl of onions in her arms and exclaimed, "I WUVE YOU!" and then looked up at me very serious and said, "I wuve this." "the onion? Harper? you love the onions?" "Yes, I WUVE this!"

Recipe
So I've had this recipe in my recipe book for a few years now and have avoided it because it calls for TVP and I've never used it before. I have no idea where it came from but I didn't make it up. There is this restaurant called The Underground here that makes a Veggie Burger called the Sun Burger, it is so good. This recipe is suppose to be similar to that one and we all really liked it - the dill sauce is so good. If you can get TVP granules that would  be best, but if you can only find the slices or chucks grind them to little granules (not powder) first. It's ridiculous that I've been avoiding this recipe because all you do is add water and I think they may be the cheapest thing you can buy.

1 1/2 cups TVP (textured vegetable protein)
1 1/4 cups boiling water

1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup sesame seeds
3/4 cup marble cheese, grated
4-5 Tbsp finely diced and sauteed green pepper
1/4 cup oil (I used olive)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup flour
Salt and pepper
Warm Water

Lime dill sauce:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
Juice of one lime
Dill, lots and lots of dill

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it lightly with olive oil or non stick spray.

Mix TVP with boiling water in a bowl and let hydrate for five to ten minutes. Mix in remaining ingredients, gradually adding warm water at the end until the mixture is sticky enough to form solid patties (I added about a cup, my mixture was super sloppy but cooked up really nice). Scoop mixture onto the baking sheet with a 1/2 cup measure and press down to form into patties. Bake for 13 minutes and then flip and cook for another 13 minutes. Trust me you're going to look at this mixture and think for sure it's too runny and won't work, but it will.

For the sauce mix all ingredients together, taste and adjust if needed.

When burgers are ready I used those new thin bagels, toasted them and then topped the burger with tomato, cheese, red onion and sauce (seriously don't skip the sauce).

Shrimp Fajitas
Every conversation is an adventure! Today we're driving home from the store and talking about Harper's birthday which is tomorrow. This has been a very hot topic with Hannah lately, we've driven by both old houses, the one where Hannah was born and the one where Harper was born, and we've talked about both birth stories. She seems to be fascinated and has a few fragments of memory from when Harper was born so we've been filling in all the gaps. The conversation today started when she said, "So Harper was born on a Sunday?" This opened a whole conversation about how the calendar works and how we go by the date not the weekday. This actually took a long time to explain and we went back and forth with questions until Hannah's final question or I should say statement, "Some families all die together you know, like all at the same time." ....ahhh....yyyyyes....I guess that can happen sometimes (?????, where did this come from? I thought we were having an easy conversation about the calendar).  You just never know where the conversation may take you with a five year old.

Recipe

Masa flour (make as per directions) or corn tortillas
Fajita seasoning, low sodium
2 red pepper, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 large white onion, sliced
Shrimp (depending how many people you have)
1 lime
chili spice
Sour cream
Salsa
Guacamole

Make your corn tortillas and keep warm in the oven.

Saute onions in a little olive oil until slightly soft and then add the peppers. Sprinkle over half the package of seasoning and add 1/2 cup of water and continue to saute over low heat until saucy (not watery) and veggies are tender.

Toss the shrimp with a little olive oil, juice of a lime and sprinkling of chile spice and then grill or saute until cooked through.

Top a warm tortilla with veggies, shrimp, sour cream, salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

Pizza, Broccoli, Caesar Salad and Birthday Cake

Two years ago we were blessed with our second little girl. Seriously, the first two years of life are amazing. We grow and develop the fastest in those first two years. It's really incredible to think that two short years ago there was a little baby in my arms, sleeping and nursing, not even really crying yet, her skin all wrinkly and new, her personality waiting to slowly reveal itself as we fell deeper in love. To the amazing little girls she is today, who put on her new dress this afternoon and declared, "I'm ready for my pwarty!" How did she get so big so fast? Although, when she fell asleep in my arms tonight, with a little bit of birthday cake smeared on her cheek and a death grip around her new Max and Ruby dolls, she didn't seem so big.

For dinner we had pizza topped with feta, provolone, mozzarella and Romano cheese, olives, sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, wild mushrooms and onions with Caesar salad and birthday cake and ice cream for dessert. Harper wanted (or more Hannah wanted and convinced Harper) a Max and Ruby cake and so I made the best Max I could make. The cake recipe is from Catherine Newman's blog and it was a buttermilk cake.

 

Have a great week, may the sun shine down on you!

Happy Mother's Day

Weekly Menu
Monday: Taco Salad
Tuesday: Egg and Ratatouille Sandwiches
Wednesday: Hearty Lentil and Kale Pasta
Thursday: Chickpea Piccata over Mashed Potatoes
Friday: We're going out to celebrate our anniversary, the kids are having pancakes
Saturday: Pizza
Sunday: BBQ Salmon, Rosemary Caper Potatoes, Roasted Veggies, Fennel Bake, Spring Salad

Weekly Pantry List
Olive oil, fresh garlic, thyme, bread crumbs (2 Tbsp), white wine (about 1/3 cup), Montreal Steak Spice, mayonnaise, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, slivered almonds, sunflower seeds, pecans

Weekly Grocery List
Sour cream
Yogurt
Eggs
Cheddar cheese
Cranberry Goat Cheese
Romano cheese
Parmesan cheese
Feta cheese
Olives
Salmon fillet
Arugula (8 cups) or 4 of another lettuce for taco salad
Pea pods
2 russet potatoes (1 1/2 lbs)
1 1/2 lbs of baby potatoes (all different colors if you can find them)
cauliflower (need 1/2 head)
4 cups arugula
Mixed baby greens
1 lemon
1 lime
5 cobs of corn
Cucumber
Kale
Strawberries
1 avocado
4 tomatoes
2 zucchini
3 shallots (enough for about a cup)
3 onions
1 eggplant
2 red, green or yellow peppers
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 orange pepper
1 bunch asparagus
3 cups mushrooms
Fresh basil
Fresh thyme
Fresh dill
Fresh rosemary
Fresh Italian Parsley
Sundried tomatoes
1 jar capers
Lentils (canned or dried - you need 1 1/2 cups)
Veggie stock
1 can chickpeas (19 oz)
1 can black beans
Tortillas chips
Whole wheat penne
Salsa
English muffins

Taco Salad
It's election day...I'm not going to talk about it though, although I did explain to Hannah the reason we vote and why it is so important to participate (I've since seen the percentage of Canadians that voted and perhaps should have had this conversation with half of Canada).

I was amazed today by the girls when they asked me if they could draw some pictures. I got out the crayons, markers and some paper for them to draw on and went upstairs to put away the laundry. When I came back down a few minutes later both girls were completely content sitting at the table, neither one of them had drawn a thing. Hannah had named all the markers, for example the green marker was greeny and so on, and was playing with them like they were dolls. Harper was holding a crayon about an inch away from her face peeling every bit of paper off of it, there was a pile of crayon paper peelings around her and a stack of freshly peeled crayons beside her. They both continued to "draw" for the next 25 minutes never actually producing one drawing, they're so funny.

Recipe
Taco salad is one of my favorite ways to use up leftovers. Although I did go out and buy tortilla chips. the following is what I had to use up, really almost anything goes.

2 cobs of corn, cooked (mine were already cooked but they are really sweet and tasty raw), kernels cut off cob
handful of pea pods, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped

Black beans, I had half a can but a full one would work too

1/3 of a cucumber

1 avocado, chopped

juice of 1 lime

4 cups of arugula

1 cup of grated cheddar cheese

tortilla chips
salsa
sour cream
(if you have cilantro add that too)

I mix all of the ingredients in a bowl except for the chips, salsa, sour cream and arugula. Place some arugula at the bottom of each bowl, add the salad and crush some chips over top (my kids love to crush their own), top with salsa and sour cream (or use ranch dressing if you have) and mix all together.

Egg and Ratatouille Sandwiches
Possession or ownership is a funny thing with Harper. It doesn't really matter what it is, as long as it belongs to her she's happy. If it doesn't belong to her then she needs to know who it belongs to and will wander around the house saying, "that Hannah's? that Mama's? that Daddy's?" It's very confusing to her when it doesn't actually belong to anybody in particular. For the past few days she has had a little cut on her foot (I'm pretty sure it's because I can't get her to keep her shoes on outside) and she sits on the floor, takes off her socks and shoes and points to it exclaiming with delight, "That MY booboo!" This morning when she went to check in with her booboo and it had healed, she was completely distraught as if she had lost a prized possession. No matter what I said there was no consoling her, luckily I found another booboo on her knee and was able to convince her that it had moved, this she found acceptable!

Recipe
The recipe for the roasted ratatouille comes from Moosewood: Simple Suppers. It's easy, delicious and very versatile. You could eat it as is, over rice, risotto, pasta or in an omelet or sandwich. I always hope for leftovers because it's so yummy, today I used it to dress up an egg sandwich.

English muffins
Eggs
Parmesan cheese (sliced with a veggie peeler)
Roasted ratatouille

Ratatouille
1 zucchini
3 onions
1 eggplant
2 red, green or yellow peppers
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped

Preheat oven to 450F.

Cut all the veggies into 1 inch chunks and place in a roasting pan with garlic and toss all with olive oil.  Spread them out in the pan and roast for about 40 minutes, stirring after 15.

Once it's done take it out of the the oven and mix in the fresh basil.

* If you don't have all the veggies don't worry, I often make this with just what I have laying around the garlic and the fresh basil are really key here.

Spray a pan and fry your eggs. Meanwhile, cut your English muffins and lay them on a cookie sheet brush them lightly with olive oil and put them under the broiler until they are very lightly toasted.

Once eggs are cooked layer the bottom of the Englishe muffin with Parmesan cheese, ratatouille, egg and then the top. We just had these on their own but a nice light green salad would go nicely.

Hearty Lentil and Kale Pasta
I'm a control freak. I can admit it, I feel safest when I'm in control. I have heard that there is no such thing as control, that it is an illusion, so let me change that statement to I feel better when I have the illusion of being in control. I even planned the Mother's Day Dinner Menu, and it's not because if I didn't we would have ended up having hot dogs, my husband is fully capable of planning and executing a nice meal, I'm a control freak especially in the kitchen. One of my biggest fears/challenges is that I won't be able to relinquish control enough to let my children learn for themselves. Today I found myself biting my tongue while Hannah poured her cereal and milk (little cereal lots of milk), put her toys away in different spots than they usually go and put her shirts in her pants drawer. I am determined to beat this though because, Hannah makes her own breakfast, puts her toys and laundry away - that's worth the tongue biting...oh, and I don't want to screw them up!

Recipe
This recipe is from The Wind Attack, the only thing I really changed was 1/4 fresh basil for 2 tsp dried (I don't like dried basil) and we all really liked it. I have to admit that Dave worked a little late and I prepped everything and then gave the girls a bath and it was all very busy and confusing with little girls doing nudy runs all over the place and after we finished eating (all of us clothed) I realized that I forgot the lentils! It was still good but I'm sure the lentils would have bulked it up nicely (and added some good protein). I hope you like it because I have promised that it will make more appearances on the menu.

Picture it with lentils!

10 pitted Green Olives, minced

1/2 cup Oil-Packed Sun Dried Tomatoes, 1/4″ sliced

1/3 cup minced fresh Parsley

1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1/2 cup chopped Feta Cheese

5 cloves Garlic, minced

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan Cheese

1/4 cup fresh basil

Fresh ground Pepper

1 1/2 cups cooked French Lentils

4 Cups Kale, chopped

1/2 lb Whole Wheat Penne Pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, prep all of your ingredients.

When water is at a rapid boil, add the pasta. Cook until slightly firmer than desired, about 8 minutes. Add the Kale, stir and cook for about 2 additional minutes.

Turn off stove burner and drain the pasta save for a few tablespoons of the pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot. Add all the remaining ingredients. Stir until everything is evenly incorporated. Plate the pasta.

Chickpea Picatta over Caulipots
Tuesday and Thursday nights have become soccor nights for the next couple of months. Hannah is on the Cheetahs, they have yellow jerseys and a love for running. There's something so wonderful about watching a group of five year olds running their hearts out (most of them) up and down the field trying to score. Hannah got a chance to play goalie this game and even stopped a goal (and avoided getting kicked in the process, which is very good). She just has that look of sheer happiness when she plays and talks about playing which I love to see. She also sleeps really well the nights after she's played and then eats a huge breakfast the next morning - I have to say I love that too. What is it that makes me so happy to see her eat?  Maybe because she's just a little ganglia thing, she's already a good eater, but something about watching her eat cereal and eggs and fruit in the morning makes me feel like I'm taking good care of her.

Recipe
Dave borrowed a cookbook from the library for me on my ereader called Appetite for Reduction. I don't think that I can have my cookbooks on ereader, for them I need the book and the glossy pictures but, it's nice to be able to try them out first before going out and buying it. I think that this one may be a keeper, I'll have to try a few more recipes before I make the final call. We all loved this, I believe they describe it as luscious in the book and I have to say, along with the word comfort, that best describes it.

Caulipots
2 russet potatoes (about 11/2 lbs) cut in 1 inch chunks
1/2 head cauliflower (about  lb) cut in florets
1 Tbs olive oil
2 - 4 Tbs veggie broth
1/2 tsp salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with at least 4 inches of water (enough so you can later add the cauliflower) and boil. Once boiling add the cauliflower and simmer for 15 minutes or until both are tender. Drain and mash adding olive oil and 2 Tbsp of the veggie broth (add more if needed), salt and pepper.

Chickpea Picatta
1 tsp olive oil
1 scant cup shallots, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp bread crumbs
2 cups veggie stock
1/3 cup white wine
freshly ground black pepper
1 19 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup capers with a little brine
3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 cups arugula

Preheat a large, heavy- bottomed pan over medium heat. Saute the shallots and garlic for about 5 minutes, until golden. Add the bread crumbs and toast them by stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. They should turn a few shades darker.

Add the vegetable broth, wine, salt, pepper, and thyme. Turn up the heat, bring the mixture to a rolling boil, and let the sauce reduce by half; it should take about 7 minutes.

Add the chickpeas and capers and let heat through, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and turn off the heat.

If you're serving the piccata with mashed potatoes, place the arugula in a wide bowl. Place the mashed potatoes on top of the arugula and ladle the piccata over the potatoes. The arugula will wilt and it will be lovely.

Out for dinner - the kids are having pancakes
I think that if there is an agency that takes pet fish away from neglectful owners they need to come and knock on my door. We have a fish that we bought Hannah for her 4th birthday and is surprisingly still alive. Hannah named her Babyfish and has since decided that Babyfish is her nickname and her real name is Chrysanthemum. She use to live in Hannah's old room but in this house she has found a home on the mantle. I'm not sure how she ended up there, I think I put her there on moving day with the intention of finding her a permanent home and never went back...almost entirely. She's too high for Hannah to feed her and so has become Dave and my responsibility...this is not good. Apparently asking us to care for one more thing other than our children is too much. We barely remember to feed her or clean her tank. We'll often talk about how we feel bad for her but still forget to feed her that day. We've also had this discussion about how she doesn't look so good and maybe we need to move her somewhere where she'll be in direct sun light (I know, she doesn't look so good because she's hungry). So, today I decided to clean her tank, change her rocks and put her on the dinning room table while the kids and I were outside (yes, I still forgot to feed her). So after an afternoon in the yard I came whirling in to make the kids dinner and get ready to go out and completely forgot that I had put her on the dinning room table (I know you see it coming don't you? I should have). I'm in the kitchen and Harper's wondered off (oh, yes) and I can hear banging and splashing and a little raspy voice saying, "Hi, ishy!" Oh, no, no, no! Harper's laying on the dinning room table pulling up the center piece part (long plant stuck to big square rocky thing on the bottom) and smashing it down...poor Babyfish! He's darting this way and that way in his little small tank, which is even smaller because I put too many new rocks in it, trying to avoid the rock of doom that Harper is lifting and dropping. He survived. I moved him back, and yes I forgot to feed him...luckily Dave remembered later.

Pizza

I don't have a lot to talk about today. It was a weird day with some early morning shopping, being banned from the house as Dave and the girls worked on something for tomorrow. We were in the yard a bit but the weather wavered between sunshine and showers all day. I did have this wonderful moment today though when I came upstairs after running. I came upstairs and entered the kitchen as if invisible, no one looked up as I sat down at the kitchen table and watched my brood on the couch. Dave was in the middle reading a story, changing the words and having the girls fill in the blanks as he read. Each girl was cuddled up beside him intently listening and laughing. I'm so lucky!

We had pizza tonight and topped it with some leftover sun dried tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts, caramelized onions and feta cheese. It was delicious!

BBQ Salmon, Rosemary Caper Potatoes, Roasted Veggies, Fennel Bake, Spring Salad

Today Hannah made the connection that I have only had as many Mother's Days as she has been alive, I think I may have actually seen the light bulb go off above her head when she got it. It reminded me of something I got about a year or two after Hannah was born. I remember when I thought about how much I loved Hannah, I mean really there's just no measure for how much we love our children, and it dawned on me that my mom loved me that much. It was so strange to have never really fully grasped what that love was, eventhough I had lived feeling it my whole entire life. It's humbling, really. Thank you mom, I am truly grateful for you and I love you!

Recipe

Salmon Fillet drizzled with olive oil and BBQed (took about 10 minutes)

For a sauce for the fish I mixed together the following.

1 cup of mayonnaise

1 cup of plain yogurt

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup fresh dill

Roasted Baby Potatoes with Rosemary and Capers from epicurious.

3 pounds assorted baby potatoes (such as red-skinned, White Rose, and baby purple), halved

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 sprigs fresh rosemary, each broken into 4 pieces

3 large garlic cloves, halved

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

3 tablespoons drained capers

Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange potatoes in single layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with rosemary pieces, garlic, and salt; toss to coat. Roast until potatoes are tender, stirring every 15 minutes, about 45 minutes total. Mix in capers. Roast until flavors blend, about 5 minutes longer. Season with pepper.

Fennel Bake which you can find in this post.

Roasted Veggies

1 zucchini, cut in half and then sliced on the diagonal into 1 inch pieces

3 cups mushrooms, quartered

2 white onions, cut into thick chunks

1 red pepper, cut into inch strips

1 yellow pepper, cut into inch strips

1 orange pepper, cut into inch strips

1 bunch asparagus, cut into thirds

3 cobs of corn cut into 4

olive oil

Montreal Steak Spice

Toss all the veggies with a good glugg of olive oil and season with Montreal Steak Spice. Place in a grilling basket and grill on the BBQ for about 40 minutes, stirring regularly.

Strawberry Salad

Pecans, toasted

Slivered almonds, toasted

Sunflower seeds, toasted

Cranberry goat cheese, crumbled

Strawberries, washed and sliced

Mix baby greens

Toss together and then drizzle with a little maple syrup, a little cider vinegar, olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper and toss.

We had some lovely bread with the meal and a supper yummy cake. I didn't make the cake so I don't have the recipe but, it was chocolate cake with caramel sauce on top, then whipping cream on top of that and then the whole thing was sprinkled with skor bar pieces, yep there was nothing bad about that.

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