The Beautiful Life

Meet Edward

Even though he knew he didn’t have long on this earth, he found great comfort in making people laugh with his “pear” impersonation.

Have you played with your food today?

Avocado Mango Salad

Our favorite salad from our favorite cookbook, Rick Bayless’ Mexican Everyday. (And yes, there was a time when we really did eat Mexican every day).

You’ll have to check out his book to get the recipe, but I can tell you that it includes mangoes, avocados and crispy bacon, and is drizzled with a yummy honey-lime dressing. The dressing is worth the price of the book alone. I’m serious!

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

For the last ten years or so, I’ve been on a search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie. I’ve tried every recipe known to man, except one, apparently. This week, my husband (who was on a similar quest) sent me this recipe from the NY Times. We made them Sunday evening after dinner and they were almost perfect. We only used 3.5 oz of chocolate, so I think I’ll double that next time. I also thought they were a little too sweet, so I’d probably use less sugar, but they were really, really good. And big. So I wasn’t tempted to eat more than one, which is also good. And best of all, they were nearly as good the next day. We’ll definitely be making these again!

Make-Do Breadcrumbs

What, two make-do posts in two weeks? I must be on a roll! And this one is actually my own tip.

I needed some breadcrumbs the other day and didn’t have a loaf sitting around. I dug into my freezer praying that something would turn up, and found a frozen bun way in the back. You know, the one that’s leftover from the kid who won’t eat a bun with their hamburger. I pulled out my grater and grated the frozen bun into a bowl. And it made really great, fine breadcrumbs. I’ve since also just broken it apart with my fingers, which is even easier. Kids love to do this kind of stuff, so you can put them to work, too. Any leftover bread with a fine crumb will work. The key is to make sure it’s frozen. After you’ve grated it, you can toast the crumbs in the oven if you like.

Eating out—19th Century Style

There’s nothing like a picnic on the lawn in Spring, especially when it includes some yummy greens and radishes from our first CSA share of the year. Inspired by Anna’s recipe.

Let’s Eat Some Real Food

I’ll admit it, I love to read books about food. I just find food so interesting. I used to be incredibly picky, but thanks to my food-loving husband, now I’ll try just about anything once. In the almost nine years that we have been married, I’ve gone from a “Campbell’s Soup Cookbook” kind of girl to a sometime vegetarian to a raw foodie to a local & natural food proponent.

So when James brought home the book, Real Food, from the library last week, we fought over who got to read it first. We were so excited, because it fit in perfectly with the food lifestyle we were aiming for already. Almost everything you eat is locally grown, without chemicals or engineering. Dairy is raw if possible, eggs are fresh, sugar is a special treat. It’s about getting back to how we used to eat–eating “real foods”, not 20th century, industrially-created fake food. Now that’s something I can get behind!

If you are curious about locally grown food, and what’s really in the stuff you buy at the grocery store, it’s definitely worth reading. It may even change the way you eat!

*Note, there are several references to evolution, so for those of you who are sensitive to that, just skip over those parts.

Breakfast of Champions?

Many mornings for the last 14 months or so, we’ve started our day with this:

Yeah, I know it’s green. But it’s so yummy! The boys actually cry when it’s all gone, and if I go too many days without making it, James asks for it. And it’s full of things that are really good for you, giving your day a great jump start.

Here’s how to shake things up at breakfast (pun intended–sorry, I couldn’t resist):

Green Smoothie

Fill up your blender with the following ingredients:

20 oz. cold water
1 1/2 c. fresh or frozen fruit (we like strawberries & mangoes, but you can also use blueberries, raspberries, overripe pears, peaches, etc.)
2 bananas (the riper, the better)
a couple of handfuls of Spinach
a leaf or two of Kale (optional)
1/4 c. wheat germ (optional)
lemon juice (optional, use if you aren’t using any tropical fruit)
a big squirt of honey (optional, use if your fruit is not in season or completely ripe)

Blend together for about a minute, until everything is really well combined. Serve in a glass with a straw. Straws (and chopsticks) make everything taste better!

Blueberry Multigrain Muffins

These muffins are a not-too-sweet alternative to traditional blueberry muffins.

Blueberry Multigrain Muffins
(adapted from Food Network Kitchens)

1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1-2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (strawberries or dried cranberries are also delicious!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs until pale. Add in honey, milk and oil. Whisk until blended. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, and mix until just incorporated. Distribute evenly over the cups of a lightly greased muffin tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Best served warm, with a bit of butter and some honey drizzled over the top. Makes 12 muffins.

Dinner in 10

This has become a staple in our house, and a favorite of my 5-year-old broccoli lover. Seriously, he LOVES broccoli. I love it because it’s got everything going for it: pretty to look at, yummy to eat, good for our bodies and it cooks up in 10 minutes. Do you know how happy that makes me?

Sun-dried Tomato & Broccoli Pasta

1 1b. whole wheat angel hair pasta
1/2-3/4 c. sun-dried tomatoes, julienned
2 cloves minced garlic
1 head of broccoli, or 1 pkg. frozen broccoli florets
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
crushed red pepper to taste
a bit of basil, fresh or dried
olive oil

Bring salted water to a boil and add pasta, cooking according to package directions, usually 4-6 minutes. While the pasta is cooking, heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add garlic, broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes and red pepper. Saute until broccoli is cooked, about 3-4 minutes. Toss pasta in the skillet with the vegetables, parmesan, basil and a drizzle of olive oil. Best served from a pretty bowl and eaten with chopsticks. I also usually serve a simple salad of spinach leaves tossed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a pinch of salt and some cracked pepper. Yum!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

We’ve been battling the sniffles, so of course a cup of steaming homemade chicken noodle soup was called for.

Recipe:

1 medium onion, minced
3-4 carrots, minced
2-3 stalks of celery, minced
2 c. or so of shredded, roasted chicken
reserved drippings and other fatty goodness from roast chicken
homemade or frozen egg noodles
1 tsp. thyme
salt, to taste

Heat 1 T. of oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots and celery and cook for about five minutes, until soft. Add about 10 c. water and your leftover chicken drippings. Bring to a boil, then throw in your shredded chicken, egg noodles, salt and thyme. Simmer over medium heat for 20-30 minutes, until noodles are tender. Check the seasoning, and add more salt if needed.