tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58501743844602680012024-02-20T06:46:08.813-08:00Mommy Boler's KitchenReal-life cooking in a small (and often messy) kitchen.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01344222359974325477noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850174384460268001.post-19801318238591864292013-01-17T20:49:00.000-08:002013-01-17T20:49:34.672-08:00Crock Pot Chicken & Sweet Potatoes and Practicing Good Posture(*Disclaimer: I wrote this post over a week ago and never got around to posting it. Good news is that I have tried many other new things since writing this and hopefully I will get around to writing about those as well!)<br />
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So far 2013 is off to a good start. Last week I tried a new meal in my crock pot. I have a very large crock pot that seems to cook at a very high temperature even when set on low. Actually, there seems to be no difference between the low and high setting. It has been hard to find recipes that are 1) healthy 2) don't burn in my crock pot and 3) I actually enjoy! This one is a keeper!<br />
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<b>Crock Pot Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew</b></div>
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2 sweet potatoes peeled and cut into large chunks</div>
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(you can also do 1 sweet potato and 1 large russet potato... that what I did in these pictures)</div>
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1 sweet onion chopped</div>
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2 carrots washed and cut into 2 inch chunks</div>
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At least 1 large chicken breast</div>
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I am sure there are many other things you could add... </div>
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Put all the ingredients in the crockpot. Then mix 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp curry powder, and 1 tsp garlic powder into one cup of water. Pour this mixture over the top of everything. Cook on high for 4 hours. I lifted the chicken out and cut it into chunks but it could also be shredded.<br />
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I loved the sweet potatoes. Everything was perfectly cooked... not to mushy and not too firm. </div>
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In my fight against Occipital Neuralgia one of the many things I have been trying to do is hold my head properly. Like a lot of us I jut my chin forward and carry my shoulders up and forward. This actually shortens the back of my neck and applies pressure at the base of my skull and possibly aggravates the occipital nerves. All through out the day I am trying to remember to bring my chin down and back and to lift through the crown of my head. I catch myself the most in the car. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFx0iyL3KW8HZAUoqpYFfXa-AKnHlI2kVcpjZdIwVd07uagNsnjeItYgfG7kE2_zE5eUzNjaxEPY5LUsX-pL93ejiK7TM2vhXjKdVmxSSaLEZbZ7kEpzVrSSmhx7CVRjGP-0s0WC43i4k/s1600/neck-alignment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFx0iyL3KW8HZAUoqpYFfXa-AKnHlI2kVcpjZdIwVd07uagNsnjeItYgfG7kE2_zE5eUzNjaxEPY5LUsX-pL93ejiK7TM2vhXjKdVmxSSaLEZbZ7kEpzVrSSmhx7CVRjGP-0s0WC43i4k/s320/neck-alignment.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.pilatestonic.com/2012/9-exercises-everyone-should-be-doing-part-3/">http://www.pilatestonic.com/2012/9-exercises-everyone-should-be-doing-part-3/</a></span></td></tr>
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I am also trying to stay aware of this during spin class. Lifting my chest up (from the front and not the back as I often do), aligning my neck and head and dropping my shoulder blades down and in. It relieves the pressure at the back of my head and helps me to breathe properly when my heart rate rises.</div>
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What do you do through out the day to try and have good posture?</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01344222359974325477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850174384460268001.post-12866354655169329832013-01-01T11:37:00.001-08:002013-01-01T11:37:47.063-08:00New Year's Day Smoothie (Dairy and Gluten Free)Happy New Year's!!<br />
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I have never been one to get excited about New Year's but this year feels different. I am happy to be starting a new year with a tremendous sense of gratitude and filled with hope for the year to come.<br />
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I know everyone has their favorite smoothie recipes and there are hundreds on the Internet but I figured I would share mine as well. It is dairy and gluten free. I have always struggled to eat lunch and I definitely do not eat enough fruits and vegetables so making a smoothie for lunch seems like a good solution! This recipe makes enough for me with a small bit leftover for my daughter. (Along with the smoothie, I try to eat some meat or humus and these delicious <a href="http://www.enjoylifefoods.com/plentils/" target="_blank">lentil chips</a> for a more substantial lunch)<br />
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<b>Mommy Boler's Dairy and Gluten Free Smoothie</b></div>
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1 cup apple juice<br />
Splash of coconut creamer<br />
1/4-1/2 cup of blueberries (fresh or frozen... I sometimes do half and half)<br />
4-6 frozen peach slices<br />
3-6 fresh strawberries (Optional... I use them if I have them)<br />
1 banana sliced<br />
1-2 cups spinach<br />
1 tablespoon coconut oil<br />
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I usually put the juice, creamer and banana in first. Then the rest of the fruit and the spinach on top. Typically, I fill the rest of the blender with spinach. Today I measured and it was almost 2 cups worth.<br />
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I have an old blender but it seems to do the job well. I start on low and work my way up through the speeds. <br />
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I would like to add more protein to the smoothie but gluten free, dairy free protein powders are expensive!! I am thinking about experimenting with pasteurized raw egg whites. Brenda at <a href="http://www.sugarfreemom.com/?s=raw+egg+whites&submit=Search" target="_blank">www.sugarfreemom.com</a> swears by the raw egg whites and I am working up the courage to try them!<br />
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I also plan on trying some <a href="http://www.theyummylife.com/Oatmeal_Smoothies" target="_blank">make ahead oatmeal smoothies</a> with Monica's recipes at <a href="http://www.theyummylife.com/">www.theyummylife.com</a>. My husband loves the smoothies and keeps asking if we can save them for later or if he can take them with him to drink right after his workout. These make ahead smoothies seem like a great option. I will let you know how they turn out!<br />
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What is your favorite smoothie recipe? Do you add extra protein?<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01344222359974325477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850174384460268001.post-79083670568807626592012-12-30T10:44:00.001-08:002012-12-30T10:44:24.973-08:00Year in Review and a Hopeful Look ForwardWhen I started this little blog I only intended to share recipes and meals being cooked in my kitchen. Over the past nine months I have enjoyed discovering other similar blogs and what I have appreciated most is the combination of delicious recipes and personal stories.<br />
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I am going to branch out and follow the lead of some of my favorite blogs with a reflection of the past year and list some of my intentions for 2013.<br />
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A year ago I was in chronic pain and feeling hopeless. There were so many blessings in my life (my husband, my daughter, we had recently moved closer to family etc.) but I had been in chronic pain for a year and was paralyzed with fear about what might be wrong with me. <br />
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It started as a sharp, stabbing headache at the back of head but quickly developed into a daily headache that wrapped around my entire head and spread across my face. I woke up with it and fell asleep (or tried to sleep) with it. I woke up every hour or so through the night and continued the cycle the next day. The pain caused me to feel anxious and worried most of the time and I felt unable to enjoy the obvious blessings in my life.<br />
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Last January I finally saw an ENT (for months the headache had been diagnosed as "allergies" but allergy treatments had no affect) who referred me to a neurologist. After a battery of tests she diagnosed me with occipital neuralgia and prescribed me Lyrica. The good news was that the Lyrica gave me some relief from the headache. It was finally manageable. I could sleep through the night. The headache decreased from a level 10 to a 2-3. If I missed a dose it flared up again but for the most part the Lyrica masked the pain. <br />
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The bad news was that I could not try to conceive another child while on Lyrica. This immediately led me to pursue any other possible treatments. Not much is known about occipital neuralgia. My best understanding is that the occipital nerves, which originate at the back of the head and wrap around the front, become aggravated by muscle spasm, swelling, lesions or tumors. Tests had ruled out lesions or tumors so that left spasm and swelling which in my case may be triggered by stress and scoliosis. I sought help from a wonderful group of practitioners at a wellness clinic which provides chiropractic care along with massage, nutritional counseling and physical therapy. <br />
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Through dietary changes (mostly cutting out caffeine and sugar), vitamin supplements (extra vitamin D and B12 complex), chiropractic care, massage therapy and exercise (I now attend Pilate's and spin classes regularly) I have managed to cut back to half of the amount of Lyrica I started on but have not been able to come off entirely.<br />
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The other benefits I have received from all these treatments have been AMAZING!! I sleep better, have more energy, feel emotionally better and my posture is greatly improving. All of this also led me to address a lifetime of intestinal troubles. This meant another round of tests which thankfully all came back negative but gave me no real answers. With out a specific diagnosis I have cut gluten and dairy from my diet and have never had such a regular digestive system! <br />
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At the beginning of this month I tried a series of Botox injections to help the headaches. The theory is that the Botox relaxes (or paralyzes) the muscles around the nerve endings which will reduce the aggravation and hopefully eliminate the headache. Apparently it has been a very successful treatment for migraines. Unfortunately, it did not work for me and I actually feel like it made the frontal headache worse. <br />
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Even though I still have a daily headache, I am feeling very hopeful about 2013. A year ago I was afraid and not very hopeful. Today I am grateful for my journey with chronic pain, all that it has taught me and the positive changes it has caused me to make in my life.<br />
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I have never been one to make New Year's resolutions but several blogging friends have been listing their intentions for 2013 and have inspired me to do so as well.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>My Intentions for 2013</b></span></div>
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<ol>
<li><i>To remain dairy, gluten, refined sugar and caffeine free</i></li>
<li><i>To attend Pilate's class at least once a week and be able to do a roll-up with out assistance</i></li>
<li><i>To attend spin class once a week and increase my resistance and sprint speed </i></li>
<li><i>To incorporate more high-protein vegetarian meals into our routine by trying at least one new recipe a month</i></li>
<li><i>To continue to seek alternative treatments for occipital neuralgia and stop taking Lyrica</i></li>
<li><i>To blog at least once a week about new (or new to me) recipes and treatment of my chronic pain</i></li>
<li><i>To take time each week to read or watch something inspirational (I would love to say once a day... but I want my intentions to be realistic and attainable!)</i></li>
</ol>
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I am feeling very hopeful as I look forward to 2013! What a difference a year can make.<br />
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Do you live with chronic pain? What natural treatments have you found helpful? What do you do to stay positive?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01344222359974325477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850174384460268001.post-56506943310662427312012-11-05T19:15:00.002-08:002012-11-05T19:15:59.322-08:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Fun in the kitchen... even when the recipe flops!</b></span></div>
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So I had grand plans for baking tonight. We were going to make yummy muffins, make a huge mess and have a fun in the kitchen. We accomplished two out of three goals. We had a blast and made a HUGE mess but the muffins were a complete flop. Even after almost an hour in the oven they were still soupy. Not quite sure what I did wrong... however I thought I would still share photos of how my daughter helped me every step of the way.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfCLA3QM8OyBaBQRcHRJBXOVXEuDQvRozqSG3YQIyogmqOzv7VadUO4jv_cWg3METdCmuNGtTMpFSYu1isNysc51JFkv7oyhjxZw5x03tOIQ3-H5CfvsmDYwt3_uagyM8ecLf-tPljtg/s1600/Using+the+processor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfCLA3QM8OyBaBQRcHRJBXOVXEuDQvRozqSG3YQIyogmqOzv7VadUO4jv_cWg3METdCmuNGtTMpFSYu1isNysc51JFkv7oyhjxZw5x03tOIQ3-H5CfvsmDYwt3_uagyM8ecLf-tPljtg/s320/Using+the+processor.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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First we needed chopped apples and I am so excited about my new food processor that I decided to use it to chop the apples. (this may be were the recipe went awry because they turned out more like apple puree..) My daughter is fascinated by the food processor. After <i>making sure it is unplugged</i> I let her put the apples in the bowl (what toddler doesn't love transferring objects from one place to another?) Since the machine isn't too loud she also loves pressing the button and watching everything whirl around!</div>
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Then we measured out all the dry ingredients and put them in a bowl. She likes to know about all the ingredients and must touch each of them before dumping them in the bowl!</div>
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She tells me that hand mixing is the best technique and the messiest!</div>
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Then we dumped in all the wet ingredients. This is the maple syrup going in. Somehow she managed to keep it all in the bowl!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJOuK5cW-_zHS-gW3h8U8QdHZgjLKZkTSJ4rfefAiS0DnNvnn2El6-wgG4GlOg9KVnFLBmNfi0RnAQN7LDWPPQaDObLq6m9S-AuW1xFZXIAAxWp8Jp7N4Hp8wm06sKh0WcG4Hw7eoqlp8/s1600/IMG_7693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJOuK5cW-_zHS-gW3h8U8QdHZgjLKZkTSJ4rfefAiS0DnNvnn2El6-wgG4GlOg9KVnFLBmNfi0RnAQN7LDWPPQaDObLq6m9S-AuW1xFZXIAAxWp8Jp7N4Hp8wm06sKh0WcG4Hw7eoqlp8/s200/IMG_7693.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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The whisk seems to be the easiest tool for her to use when mixing wet ingredients. The spoon is still a little too hard to get around and usually ends up flinging batter around instead of mixing. She of course wanted to use the spoon...</div>
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Next time I may let her use a small measuring cup to help me fill the muffin tins. </div>
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These smelled so good but unfortunately they just didn't bake well. We had a great time making them and left me with a sink full of dishes!</div>
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What is your favorite thing to make with your little one?</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01344222359974325477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850174384460268001.post-44816868750031754722012-11-04T18:22:00.002-08:002012-11-04T18:22:26.672-08:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Curried Coconut Carrot Sweet Potato Soup</span></div>
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Last week I mentioned I was going to try two new recipes for lunch. I didn't get around to trying the soup until today... and it was well worth the wait. Can't wait to have it for lunch again tomorrow!!</div>
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I was inspired by this delicious and simple <a href="http://nutritionfor.us/2012/07/light-ginger-carrot-soup-recipe/" target="_blank">ginger carrot soup</a> but I didn't have ginger or a shallot so I had to improvise. I did have a package of frozen sweet potato I wanted to use and so here is what I came up with...</div>
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Ingredients</div>
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1 bunch carrots (I had about 8-10 medium carrots)</div>
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1 bag frozen sweet potato (or maybe 1 large diced sweet potato)</div>
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4 teaspoons sesame oil</div>
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2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)</div>
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1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder</div>
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1/2 cup Coconut Creamer (unsweetened)</div>
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Salt and pepper to taste</div>
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First dice the carrots and sauté in the sesame oil in a large pot. When the carrots begin to soften (about 5-10 minutes) add the frozen sweet potato and sauté for another 5 minutes. </div>
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Once all is warmed through and softened add two cups of broth and the curry powder. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Then add coconut creamer and simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Finally transfer mixture to a food processor (you may need to do this in several batches) and pulse until you have a rich, thick creamy soup! Serve warm and season with salt and pepper. Mine came out quite thick but I like soup that way. You could always add more broth to make it thinner.</div>
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What's your favorite soup to make with a food processor??</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01344222359974325477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850174384460268001.post-72691420569334628012012-10-28T19:10:00.000-07:002012-10-28T19:10:27.289-07:00<span style="font-size: large;">Toddler in the Kitchen!! (and this week's dinner plan)</span><div>
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My daughter has been spending A LOT of time in the kitchen wanting to "help" mommy. As soon as I start rummaging around in the kitchen she flashes a big grin, grabs her little blue chair and excitedly rushes into the kitchen. It is very hard to say no... even if there really isn't anything for her to do. So I have started to get creative about coming up with tasks for her. They may add a few minutes to the prep time for a meal but these are precious moments we get to spend together and I hope the beginning of a life-time joy of cooking for my daughter.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKhzA-OC_h9xRptk37BYtCqPILowc2IrkEqYa3ttM7_-RneyXMYyg2tXui4ZUJhOM2qJ-VDdP00tv5vmzA-zsluseF9AAE2_vIXkrr-inR6AnrK7eY_rDf1y0sL-xTn5KZq4GW5Bbq-YM/s1600/Toddlerinthekitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKhzA-OC_h9xRptk37BYtCqPILowc2IrkEqYa3ttM7_-RneyXMYyg2tXui4ZUJhOM2qJ-VDdP00tv5vmzA-zsluseF9AAE2_vIXkrr-inR6AnrK7eY_rDf1y0sL-xTn5KZq4GW5Bbq-YM/s320/Toddlerinthekitchen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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She loves to watch me chop things. She takes the rules with kitchen tools very seriously. Knives are grown up tools and she is very good at keeping her distance from the board. When I've finished she loves to put the pieces in the pot or if I'm putting them in a hot pan I have her put them in a small bowl and then I transfer them. "Here you go Mommy... I helped!"</div>
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She also loves to pour water. Even though it is easier to put water directly from the tap into the pot I will use a measuring cup and have her pour the water in. The best part is if a little spills. "Whoopsie Daisy Mommy! We need to clean up!"</div>
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I've also been trying to do more recipes that she can help with. Lately one of our favorite things to make are the <a href="http://www.mommyrunfast.com/9-healthy-cookie-dough-balls/" target="_blank">cookie dough balls</a> from our friend Laura a <a href="http://www.mommyrunfast.com/" target="_blank">mommy run fast</a>. We really like the chocolate coconut ones. This week we will be making halloween treats for her friends at school. I will be sure to post pictures of that!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrBVBddFw3xdq46hawnb1kTuv2pikrFWlROXljPnUhtyfKg7GmZT183koXNNcKoZ3vkKt-mk7XSIMteWTjHpCSw7sZr-K46bEzQoVJM8ogy2mJFQNcZNmJhjF_IQEVSXcgLfBtHYH5Bo/s1600/ChocCocoBallsCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrBVBddFw3xdq46hawnb1kTuv2pikrFWlROXljPnUhtyfKg7GmZT183koXNNcKoZ3vkKt-mk7XSIMteWTjHpCSw7sZr-K46bEzQoVJM8ogy2mJFQNcZNmJhjF_IQEVSXcgLfBtHYH5Bo/s320/ChocCocoBallsCollage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is the last week of the October menu planning challenge. While I have had a hard time finding the motivation on Sunday's to plan (maybe I should plan on another day!) I have appreciated seeing all the other plans and enjoyed pushing myself to try new recipes each week. This week I am giving myself an additional challenge. I am going to try to make two new recipes for lunches. I have a hard time taking time to eat a good lunch so this week I will try to make this delicious <a href="http://nutritionfor.us/2012/09/spaghetti-squash-jalapeno-casserole-recipe/" target="_blank">spaghetti squash and jalepeno casserole</a> (with non-dairy substitutes) and with my new food processor I will try this <a href="http://nutritionfor.us/2012/07/light-ginger-carrot-soup-recipe/" target="_blank">ginger carrot soup</a>! I will try to post updates about these recipes.</div>
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Here is this week's dinner plan. </div>
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<b>Monday</b>: <a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/02/crock-pot-santa-fe-chicken-425-pts.html" target="_blank">Crock pot Santa Fe Chicken</a></div>
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<b>Tuesday</b>: Left overs</div>
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<b>Wednesday</b>: Dinner at a Halloween Party!</div>
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<b>Thursday</b>: Pork chops with rolls and green beans</div>
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<b>Friday</b>: <a href="http://onceamonthmom.com/crockpot-mongolian-beef/" target="_blank">Crock pot mongolian beef</a></div>
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<b>Saturday</b>: Left overs</div>
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<b>Sunday</b>: <a href="http://mommybolerskitchen.blogspot.com/2012/04/pork-roast-sunday-dinner-with-boler.html" target="_blank">Pork roast</a></div>
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Thank you to <a href="http://www.mommyrunfast.com/" target="_blank">Laura</a> and <a href="http://jillconyers.com/" target="_blank">Jill</a> for this great month long challenge! It has introduced me to many new blogs and helped me discover some new delicious recipes!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01344222359974325477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850174384460268001.post-89805026592712899462012-10-22T12:10:00.001-07:002012-10-22T12:10:18.447-07:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Menu Planning Week 4 - Searching for Inspiration</span></b></div>
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Before I get to this week's meal plan I have to say that last week's birthday celebration was epic! My daughter and I had a blast baking a green cake for daddy's birthday. I promised photos so here they are. You can't really tell but the inside of the cake was green too!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIhtY2FmdYpDSgrdGdmJIUsYCe-AorgnfxGUqufl0pzS_8qBhbF9FWkiWyQlg5uIxgIe5Di8ROfGMznHd2giA7CmqYpvh1MZfrRdEDKzBap5TCEN2w9Sq2tA0fpbib8P4oHIK0ZED1dE/s1600/BirthdayCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIhtY2FmdYpDSgrdGdmJIUsYCe-AorgnfxGUqufl0pzS_8qBhbF9FWkiWyQlg5uIxgIe5Di8ROfGMznHd2giA7CmqYpvh1MZfrRdEDKzBap5TCEN2w9Sq2tA0fpbib8P4oHIK0ZED1dE/s320/BirthdayCollage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then my husband and I got to go away for a night. We went to the movies, slept in, went shopping... it was a blast and much needed! We came home to a very happy girl who had a great time with her Nanny (my mother-in-law) and then we were off to a cousin's first birthday party! I ended up not cooking all weekend and actually loved the break.</div>
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When I sat down to menu plan yesterday I felt like I had "menu-planning" block. Even after looking at all the amazing link ups I still couldn't think of a single thing I wanted to make! Does this ever happen to you??</div>
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After spending too much time searching the Internet and looking through recipe books I came up with a plan and did the grocery shopping for the week. Of course today I woke up full of inspiration so next week's plan will be easier!!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mommyrunfast.com/whats-for-dinner/" target="_blank">link up here</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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<b>Monday</b> - <a href="http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.ca/2011/04/creamy-penne-pasta-bake-with-zucchini.html" target="_blank">creamy penne pasta bake with zucchini</a><div>
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<b>Tuesday</b> - leftovers (or pork chops)</div>
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<b>Wednesday</b> - <a href="http://mommybolerskitchen.blogspot.com/2012/04/spaghetti-night-mommy-bolers-bolognese.html" target="_blank">Pasta Bolognese</a> (double batch so I can take a meal to a friend)</div>
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<b>Thursday</b> - pork chops</div>
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<b>Friday</b> - <a href="http://www.realsimple.com/m/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/chicken-tikka-masala-recipe-00100000072578/" target="_blank">Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala</a> (with non-dairy substitutes)</div>
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<b>Saturday</b> - leftovers</div>
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<b>Sunday</b> - <a href="http://mommybolerskitchen.blogspot.com/2012/04/pork-roast-sunday-dinner-with-boler.html" target="_blank">Pork Roast</a></div>
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That is the plan. Several new recipes I am excited to try out.</div>
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Also, I received a food processor for my birthday. I am so excited but can't decide what to make first!! </div>
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What is your favorite thing to make with a food processor??</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01344222359974325477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850174384460268001.post-84237490809013341692012-10-14T11:50:00.000-07:002012-10-14T11:50:12.969-07:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Meal Planning Challenge Week 3 - Birthday Week!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mommyrunfast.com/whats-for-dinner/" target="_blank">Link Up!!</a></td></tr>
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My husband's birthday is two days before mine which always makes for a fun week of celebrations. We usually celebrate on the 19th which we call the "inter-birthday". This year we get to have a special night away thanks to my Mother-in-law. I am looking forward to dinner, a movie (haven't seen one in the theatre in three years) and SLEEPING IN!!</div>
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This year we will also do a little celebrating on Thursday because my daughter has to make daddy a cake. We can no longer have a birthday in this household without having cake and candles. I will be sure to post pictures of her cake making adventures but be forewarned... it will not be healthy :) </div>
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Here is this week's dinner plan:</div>
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<b>Tonight</b>: Dinner with family</div>
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<b>Monday</b>: Chicken, garlic, basil pasta with broccolini (We are in a rut of doing this every Monday, but my daughter loves it and she takes it to school for lunch the next day)</div>
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<b>Tuesday</b>: Leftovers (either from Monday night or I have extra Santa Fe Chicken that I froze)</div>
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<b>Wednesday</b>: Pork chops, rolls and green beans</div>
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<b>Thursday</b> (Daddy's Birthday): Carne Asada (I splurged and picked up a delicious marinated flank steak from the grocery store), rice, beans and tortillas</div>
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<b>Friday</b>: DATE NIGHT!!!!</div>
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<b>Saturday</b>: Dinner at a birthday party </div>
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<b>Sunday</b>: Spaghetti bolognese and salad</div>
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While I still have to motivate myself to meal plan (thanks to <a href="http://www.mommyrunfast.com/" target="_blank">Laura</a> and <a href="http://jillconyers.com/2012/10/week-3-whats-for-dinner-menu-planning/" target="_blank">Jill</a> for this <a href="http://www.mommyrunfast.com/whats-for-dinner/" target="_blank">challenge</a>!) I do find that it makes shopping much easier and the week goes smoothly when I don't have to worry if I have everything I need to make dinner. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01344222359974325477noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850174384460268001.post-33991100216255432532012-10-10T11:40:00.000-07:002012-10-10T11:40:15.249-07:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Carne Asada... That is what's for dinner!</span></div>
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I chose one new recipe for this week's menu planning challenge. I used a recipe for <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/carne_asada_tacos.html" target="_blank">Carne Asada</a> from www.eatingwell.com. I followed their directions for preparing the beef and marinated it over night.</div>
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It was really easy to prepare this meal. I decided to buy some pico-de-gallo from the store rather than make the salsa listed in the recipe. We got home from the park, I heated up the broiler pan and started making rice. Once the pan was hot I placed the meat in the oven and started to heat up the beans. </div>
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I am notorious for overcooking meat and did it again last night!! I followed the recipe and cooked it for 4 minutes on each side. When I checked the meat it looked almost raw in the middle, so I did another 3 minutes. Then it looked a little better but I still cooked it for 3 more minutes. I probably did not need that last 3 minutes. I know that the meat continues to cook after you take it out of the oven and leave it sitting but I just never trust it. Next time I might try 5 minutes per side and not give into the temptation to cook it more.</div>
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Served with rice, beans, pico, avocado and fresh tortillas it made for a delicious dinner. The meat was tender but not as flavorful as I would have liked. Maybe next time I will up the spices in the marinade.</div>
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What is you favorite quick and easy Carne Asada recipe?</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01344222359974325477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850174384460268001.post-77679432963629304442012-10-07T18:23:00.000-07:002012-10-07T18:23:11.958-07:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Menu Planning Challenge - Week Two!</span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mommyrunfast.com/whats-for-dinner/" target="_blank">sign up here</a><br /></td></tr>
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Last week's menu plan went very well. I tried two new recipes. The herb crusted pork chops were so-so but the <a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/02/crock-pot-santa-fe-chicken-425-pts.html" target="_blank">Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken</a> was a huge success!!<br />
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My daughter loved helping putting the ingredients in the crock pot (even Elmo helped) and my husband was excited to eat leftovers for lunch the next day. I followed the recipe from Gina at <a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/02/crock-pot-santa-fe-chicken-425-pts.html" target="_blank">www.skinnytaste.com</a>. I substituted two cups of water for the chicken broth and it was a little watery so this week I will cut back on the liquid.<br />
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Here is this week's plan. I was feeling a little less inspired this afternoon so I only plan on trying one new recipe this week.<br />
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<b>Monday: <a href="http://mommybolerskitchen.blogspot.com/2012/10/basil-and-garlic-pasta-with-chicken-and.html" target="_blank">Basil, garlic and chicken pasta</a> </b>with salad<br />
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<b>Tuesday: <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/carne_asada_tacos.html" target="_blank">Carne asada tacos</a> </b>with rice and beans (New recipe!)<br />
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<b>Wednesday:</b> <a href="http://mommybolerskitchen.blogspot.com/2012/04/spaghetti-night-mommy-bolers-bolognese.html" target="_blank">Spaghetti bolognese</a> with green beans<br />
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<b>Thursday: </b>Leftovers<br />
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<b>Friday: <a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/02/crock-pot-santa-fe-chicken-425-pts.html" target="_blank">Crock pot Santa Fe chicken</a> </b>with rice and beans<br />
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<b>Saturday: </b>dinner out??<br />
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I can't finish this entry with out mentioning the amazing, delicious sweet treat I made this week. My friend Laura at <a href="http://www.mommyrunfast.com/" target="_blank">www.mommyrunfast.com</a> has some amazing no-bake snack ball recipes. I combined her <a href="http://www.mommyrunfast.com/five-for-friday/" target="_blank">no bake peanut butter balls</a> and <a href="http://www.mommyrunfast.com/my-favorite-summer-salad-and-celebrating-8-years/" target="_blank">coconut brownie bites</a> recipes to make a delicious chocolate, coconut oat ball. I used almond butter instead of peanut butter and used maple syrup instead of honey. They are SO delicious. I gave up refined sugar NINE months ago and this is the first refined sugar free treat I have made that actually satisfies my sweet tooth!!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01344222359974325477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850174384460268001.post-85935403806533067642012-10-04T11:08:00.000-07:002012-10-04T11:08:10.987-07:00Basil and garlic pasta with chicken and a side of broccolini<br />
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Lately my two year old has been spending a lot of time with me in kitchen. She likes to pull up her little blue chair and "help" me make dinner. Sometimes I have to get creative about tasks I give her but she really loves it. However, this meal requires hot oil in multiple pans so I really prefer her to be out of the kitchen. Tonight she happily watched a 30 minutes TV show while I cooked dinner!<br />
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This meal can be a little bit of a juggling act, but it really can all be prepared and cooked in thirty minutes.<br />
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Here is what you need:<br />
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Chicken breast (I buy one boneless breast at the meat counter and ask them to dice it for me)<br />
Pasta of your choice<br />
3-5 gloves of garlic<br />
Bunch of basil<br />
Olive oil<br />
Bunch of broccolini (just discovered this in the store... and prepared it using <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/garlicky-broccolini-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">Rachel Ray's</a> recipe)<br />
Garlic salt and pepper<br />
Optional: Other seasoning for your chicken such as cumin and other add ins such as zucchini, tomatoes etc.<br />
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First put the pot on for the pasta and place 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet on med-high.<br />
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Place the chicken in the large frying pan and season with garlic salt, pepper and anything else you would like! (this week I added cumin which was delicious) Cook about 5-7 minutes. I like to have small pieces of chicken so I often use a metal spatula to cut the pieces after they have been in the pan for a few minutes. I will do anything to avoid cutting raw chicken on a cutting board!<br />
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While the chicken cooks quickly wash the broccolini and cut just the ends off. The stalks should be between 3-5 inches long. Place in a small/medium frying pan, cover with water, bring to a boil, cover with a lid and let simmer for 6-8 minutes until it is bright green and tender.<br />
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When the chicken is cooked all the way through remove from the pan (leaving the oil in the pan) and set aside. Turn the heat way down under the oil and let it cool while you mince the garlic. It usually works best to mince it finely with a knife, but if you are in a hurry (like I was tonight... the TV show wasn't keeping my daughter's attention!) you can use a garlic press. <br />
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When the oil has cooled down put 3/4 of the minced garlic in the large pan. (The rest of the garlic is for the broccolini.) Rinse basil and cut the leaves into small pieces. Add to the large pan and simmer with the garlic for a few minutes.<br />
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When the broccolini is bright green and tender drain and set aside. In the same small pan add a small amount of olive oil and return to med-low heat. When the oil is warm add the rest of the garlic. Let the garlic simmer until it begins to brown and then return the broccolini to the pan. Turn the broccolini over and over to coat with the oil/garlic mix and then let cook for a few more minutes. When it is tender and covered with yummy garlic and olive oil it is finished!<br />
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Hopefully the pasta is done cooking by now. Drain and place in a large bowl. Mix in the chicken and olive oil/garlic/basil mixture. <br />
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Its a juggling act but my family does enjoy this delicious meal. My daughter also likes having the leftovers in her lunch.<br />
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What's your favorite quick pasta dinner?<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01344222359974325477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850174384460268001.post-60127673400549035782012-09-30T09:22:00.001-07:002012-09-30T09:23:56.824-07:00<br />
Menu Planning Challenge accepted!<br />
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It is time to give some long overdue attention to my little blog. I have been cooking up a storm in my kitchen but not taking the time to document any of it. I am sure many others in the blogging world can relate!<br />
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My friend Laura at <a href="http://www.mommyrunfast.com/" target="_blank">mommyrunfast.com</a> has teamed up with her friend <a href="http://jillconyers.com/" target="_blank">Jill</a> to organize a <a href="http://www.mommyrunfast.com/menu-planning-link-up-challenge/" target="_blank">menu planning</a> challenge for the month of October. This inspired me to re-commit to my blog and try to change up my weekly meals. I am going to try two new recipes this week!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mommyrunfast.com/whats-for-dinner-menu-planning-link-up/" target="_blank">Link Up Here</a></td></tr>
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Here is my plan for the week. I hope I can stick to it!<br />
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<b>Sunday</b>: Dinner at a friend's house</div>
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<b>Monday</b>: Chicken, basil pasta with a side of garlic broccolini</div>
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<b>Tuesday</b>: Herb-crusted pork chops (new recipe!), rice and peas</div>
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<b>Wednesday</b>: Spaghetti bolognese with green beans</div>
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<b>Thursday</b>: Leftovers</div>
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<b>Friday</b>: Santa Fe crockpot chicken (new recipe!)</div>
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<b>Saturday</b>: Roast pork tenderloin, roast potatoes and green beans</div>
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While this is a blog about cooking for my family, I would like to add that we joined our local YMCA this week. I have spent the last nine months trying to prepare more health-conscious meals so it only makes sense that the next step would be to try and be healthier outside of the kitchen! I really love the feeling of community at the Y and appreciate that our daughter can also be included on our quest to become healthier.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01344222359974325477noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850174384460268001.post-36196141361554580552012-05-02T18:33:00.000-07:002012-05-02T18:33:28.094-07:00Chocolate Chip Cookies - Gluten Free and almost Dairy Free/Sugar FreeThese simple chocolate chip cookies are mommy's little treat. My husband and daughter won't touch them, but that just means there are more for me! The only sugar and dairy in this recipe are in the chocolate chips. You can use <a href="http://www.enjoylifefoods.com/chocolate-for-baking/mini-chips/" target="_blank">dairy free/sugar free chocolate chips</a>, to make them completely free but I didn't have that kind in my cupboard tonight.<br />
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These aren't gooey, chewy chocolate chips cookies. They are more like shortbread cookies with chocolate chips. But after three attempts at tweaking recipes this is the most moist batch I have made. <br />
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Tonight I made these after my daughter went to bed. It took about 40 minutes from start to warm cookies out of the oven.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
2 cups Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour<br />
1/2 teaspoon Xanthan Gum<br />
1 teaspoon stevia powder<br />
3/4 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1 cup (16 tbsps) softened butter substitute (I used Shedd's Willow Run Soy-Bean Margarine)<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 cup chocolate chips<br />
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Heat the oven to 350 degrees.<br />
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First sift the flour, xanthan gum, and baking powder into a small/medium bowl. Set aside.<br />
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(If you don't have a sieve like this one you can also use a strainer and a spoon to achieve the same result.)<br />
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Next, in a medium/large sized bowl mix the butter substitute, eggs and stevia with a mixer. <br />
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Because I use butter substitute the batter doesn't become completely smooth but remains slightly lumpy.<br />
<a href="http://dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/techniquessubstitutions/a/buttersubstitut.htm" target="_blank">Click here for a great list of butter substitutes.</a><br />
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Next add large spoonfuls of the flour mixture into the bowl while continuing to mix with the mixer. The batter will become quite thick and dough like. Once thoroughly mixed, use a large spoon to stir in the chocolate chips.<br />
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Use a teaspoon to spoon the dough onto greased or lined cookie sheets. You will want to flatten to dough out because these cookies don't spread much while baking. You can also put them quite close together since they won't spread like a traditional cookie.<br />
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Bake for 15-20 minutes depending on the heat of your oven. I baked mine for 10 minutes, checked them and then baked for an additional 5 minutes. They won't change color or shape much so it can be hard to tell when they are done but I press gently on the top to check to see if they are cooked through.<br />
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These aren't the most beautiful cookies however they certainly satisfy my need for a sweet treat! They are best when warm.<br />
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I am pretty new to the world of gluten-free/sugar-free/dairy-free baking. If you have a yummy recipe you would like to share please leave me a comment... I would love to try some new things!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01344222359974325477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850174384460268001.post-16323880952694756972012-04-26T15:37:00.000-07:002012-04-26T15:37:00.013-07:00Oatmeal Spice Cookies - Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Refined Sugar FreeMy daughter has been asking every day to cook something, so this afternoon I decided to try an oatmeal cookie recipe. I have been looking for gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free recipes that are <i>simple </i> and <i>delicious. </i>I think I may have finally found one!!<br />
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I adapted this recipe from the soft oatmeal raisin cookie recipe posted on <a href="http://www.momshealthyeats.com/soft-oatmeal-raisin-cookies-recipe/" target="_blank">Mom's Healthy Eats</a>. <br />
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First we gathered all the ingredients:<br />
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<b>Dry Ingredients:</b><br />
1 Cup Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour<br />
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum<br />
1 Cup Bob's Gluten Free Oats<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt (next time I might use 1/4)<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger<br />
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg<br />
3/4 cup granulated organic coconut palm sugar<br />
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<b>Wet Ingredients</b><br />
1/2 cup coconut oil<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1 large egg<br />
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Next, combine all the dry ingredients, except for the palm sugar, in a large bowl. Use a whisk or a spoon to mix well. </div>
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Then melt the coconut oil in a small pan over very low heat. I like to melt it about half-way, remove from the heat and then stir until completely melted. This keeps it from getting too hot. Then stir in one large egg and 3/4 cup palm sugar. I did all this while my daughter happily played with the dry mix and made a wonderful mess on our table.<br />
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Next, mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. We made the mistake of starting with the whisk, but the batter was way to thick for a whisk so we switched to the wooden spoon. The only other tricky part was keeping my daughter's hands out of the mix since it now contained raw egg.<br />
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When mixed thoroughly it looks a bit like bread dough.<br />
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Spoon heaping tablespoons onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake in the oven at 325-350 for 6-10 minutes. I am learning that temperatures and time really vary from oven to oven. I baked these at 350 for 7 minutes and they were a little too crispy on the bottom so next time I will try 325.<br />
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At first my daughter was not at all sure about these...<br />
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But then she took a big bite and the cookie was gone within minutes!<br />
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I liked this recipe because it was simple and didn't have a million ingredients. Next time I might cut the salt in half and add a little stevia to sweeten them.<br />
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Do you have a favorite sugar-free, healthy treat? If so, please leave me a comment and share your recipes!<br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01344222359974325477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850174384460268001.post-30927829103715721272012-04-23T11:38:00.001-07:002012-04-23T11:38:13.475-07:00Pork Roast - Sunday Dinner With the Boler FamilyMy side of the family is British and as long as I can remember my mom has cooked the best roasts I have ever tasted. She perfectly cooks the meat, potatoes, vegetables and gravy. I think she may have a secret ingredient because mine never quite taste like hers, but they are always a hit in our house. We have started a tradition of cooking a roast on Sundays and inviting people over for dinner. There is always more than enough food and it is wonderful to come together with family and friends over a hot, home-cooked meal. <br />
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Here is what you need for a Pork Roast dinner:<br />
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One pork tenderloin<br />
A vegetable (I usually do green beans)<br />
Potatoes (1-2 per person depending the size of the potato)<br />
Olive Oil<br />
Salt<br />
Garlic Salt<br />
Pepper<br />
Majarom (optional)<br />
<a href="http://www.britishdelights.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=S39" target="_blank">Bisto Gravy Powder </a> (The powder not the granules)<br />
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This meal usually takes me about an hour and a half from start to finish. Once the roast is in the oven you will be free to do other things while it cooks.<br />
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First, turn the oven on to 350 degree. Next, peel the potatoes. (This is my least favorite part!) Then cut them into fourths if they are small and eighths if they are medium/large potatoes.<br />
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Put them in a large pot, cover them with water, add a dash of salt and bring to a boil. Let boil for 5-10 minutes until the edges begin to soften. Then drain, put in a large bowl and toss with enough olive oil to coat the potatoes.<br />
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Next place the pork tenderloin in the center of a baking pan. Rub with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and marjoram. Then place the potatoes around the pork and spring garlic salt over everything. You can also add a little more olive oil if you would like.<br />
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Cook for 20-25 minutes. Then remove pan from the oven and baste the pork and potatoes with the oil. I do this by tilting the pan to allow the oil to run into a corner and then using a large spoon to spoon the oil back over the top of the meat and potatoes.<br />
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You will want to cook for another 20-30 minutes depending on how big the piece of meat is. If you want your potatoes to be extra crispy you can turn up the heat a little. <br />
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I am not great at getting everything ready at the same time but I get it pretty close. After I have basted the roast I get the beans ready and put them on to boil. Usually by the time they are done the meat is done as well.<br />
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Before you pull the meat out you will want to prepare the Bisto powder. You can follow the directions on the package or use my method. I take one cup of cold water and mix in a heaping serving spoon of Bisto powder.<br />
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Next pull the meat out. (Check to make sure the pork is cooked all the way through.) Spoon the potatoes into a serving bowl and cover with tinfoil to keep warm. Then remove the meat and put it on a cutting board or plate to be sliced.<br />
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Remove any large leftover chunks of potato or fat but leave most of the drippings. Place the pan on a burner set on low and slowly mix in the bisto powder and water mix. (If you haven't already drained the beans do so now and add a little of the water to the gravy pan.)<br />
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<i><b>It is very important to stir well and frequently so it doesn't get clumpy. </b></i>At this point I begin the dance of stirring gravy, cutting meat, and getting everyone ready for dinner. <br />
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After a few minutes the gravy should thicken. If it doesn't then you can add a little more Bisto. (Be sure it mix it with a little water before adding it to the pan so you don't get clumps.) It shouldn't be as thick and an American white gravy but it will thicken enough so that is pours slowly off the spoon.<br />
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Pour the gravy out the pan and into a gravy boat or a measuring cup if you don't have one. Put everything on the table, remove the tinfoil and dinner is ready!<br />
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I love the simplicity and deliciousness of this meal. Do you have a favorite traditional family meal? If so, leave me a comment and let me know about it!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01344222359974325477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850174384460268001.post-39100649438000160172012-04-18T18:28:00.000-07:002012-04-18T18:28:34.332-07:00Yummy Granola - Enlisting the help of a toddlerToday I decided to make something with my daughter. She loves to cook, stirs better then anyone I know... and she even has a chef outfit.<br />
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Cooking with little kids can be overwhelming but it is such a blast. Be ready for some extra-work, a mess and lots of giggles.<br />
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First the recipe. It is really simple:<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
4 cups rolled oats (I used Gluten-Free Oats)<br />
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds<br />
1/2 cup chopped almonds<br />
1/4 cup sunflower seeds<br />
1-2 tbsp coconut flake<br />
1-2 tbsp milled flax seed<br />
1/2 cup coconut oil<br />
1/3 cup honey<br />
1/3 cup almond butter (or any type of nut butter)<br />
(You could add, take away or make substitutions)<br />
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Directions:<br />
Heat oven to 250 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients. Mix in coconut oil (heated to a liquid). Mix in honey. Mix in almond butter. Place in a greased baking pan. Cook for 30-40 minutes. BE SURE to stir every 10 minutes until granola is golden brown and the most of the granola is no longer sticking to the bottom of the pan (the gooey honey is gone).<br />
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Here is how I made it today.<br />
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Before cooking with my daughter I make sure I have all my ingredients and tools out and ready on the dining table.<br />
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I let her help me dump all the dry ingredients in a big bowl and then let her loose with the spoon. She has many mixing styles...<br />
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The traditional stir:<br />
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Using her hands to put the ingredients on the spoon before stirring:<br />
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And using the measuring cups:<br />
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Once it is mixed you should always smell it:<br />
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And of course lick some of the spoons!<br />
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Luckily this time most of the granola stayed in the bowl! 40 minutes later it was done and my house was put back in order... until she decided to pull everything off her toy shelf and proudly exclaim "I made a mess!"<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01344222359974325477noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850174384460268001.post-22494280441433524072012-04-16T19:45:00.002-07:002012-04-16T19:45:53.728-07:00Rainy Day - A Shepard's Pie UpdateIt was a rainy, stormy day and I forgot all about dinner until about 11:30 this morning. The freezer was pretty empty since I do my shopping on Monday evenings but I had some frozen ground lamb. I decided to make shepard's pie again since I knew we wouldn't be going anywhere for the rest of the day.<br />
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I decided to try some new things this time. Because I knew it would be a long afternoon, I left the frying pan on low heat the entire time, even after I added the meat. It took a lot longer for everything to cook (about an hour) however it freed me up to play with my daughter. When I cook things that low I don't have to worry about them burning.<br />
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This time I added fresh garlic (3 cloves pushed through a garlic press) and thinly sliced carrots. I also decided to be bold and daring and add grated zucchini. (Shhhh... don't tell my husband. I don't think he noticed!) I put the grater right on top of the frying pan.<br />
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Because I cooked everything so slowly, in-between chopping each item I was able to play with my daughter and get some laundry done. She is going through a no-clothes phase. Either she wants to wear only her diaper, her pajamas or she insists on picking her own clothes out. We are fine with her picking her own clothes out as long as its weather appropriate. (I solved this problem by putting all winter clothes out of sight.) After nap this afternoon she insisted on staying in her pajamas. No amount of convincing or bribery on my part could get her out them. <br />
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I've also stopped folding her laundry while she is awake because she will see something in the clean clothes pile she wants to wear and insist on taking off perfectly clean clothes to change into new clothes. Today I decided to use this dilemma to my advantage. Within a minute of beginning to fold her laundry she happily changed out of her PJs and into a dress. I folded laundry and got her out of her PJS! These days it is the seemingly small accomplishments like this that I take great joy in.<br />
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I finished cooking everything just as I described in my prior <a href="http://mommybolerskitchen.blogspot.com/2012/04/shepards-pie-midday-cooking-adventure.html" target="_blank">shepard's pie</a> entry (follow the link for the full recipe) except instead of adding peas I served them as a side dish. Along the way I even worked up a sweat during an impromptu dance party.<br />
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By 5:30 everything was ready. Unfortunately, my husband had to stay late at work and my daughter refused to sit up for dinner (it was just one of those evenings) but I sat down and enjoyed every bite of this rainy day comfort food.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01344222359974325477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850174384460268001.post-44749574911281129882012-04-14T19:04:00.000-07:002012-04-14T20:31:22.543-07:00Spaghetti Night - Mommy Boler's Bolognese SauceWe have spaghetti at least once a week. It is currently my daughter's favorite meal and I grew up on this recipe. Since it is Saturday I thought I might be able to cook this undisturbed during some daddy-daughter play time, but once again I was reminded that life with a toddler rarely goes as planned. <br />
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This recipe is simple, but it takes a little time and some patience. This recipe also allows for many distractions which proved helpful this evening.<br />
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I started around 4:00 by finely chopping a small sweet onion. I then put it in a large frying pan with two to three tablespoons of olive oil and turned the heat on low. (By sautéing them on a very low heat you don't have to keep a very careful eye on them.)<br />
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Next I began to chop two large carrots. I like to slice them in circles so my daughter can pick them out of the sauce with her little fingers.<br />
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Halfway through the slicing of the carrot I was summoned to referee an impromptu tooth-brushing session. It was Daddy-Who-Wants-To-Brush versus Daughter-Who-Only-Wants-To-Suck-The-Water-Off-The-Toothbrush. Unfortunately for Daddy, it was clear who the winner of this one was going to be. I left my daughter happily playing with the water in the sink to return to the kitchen and finish cutting the carrots. Then I sliced three stalks of celery and put everything in to the frying pan. <br />
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By this time my daughter had moved on from brushing teeth to blowing bubbles. She insisted that mommy had to blow the bubbles so I left my husband in charge of stirring the pan every five minutes. After about 15 minutes of enthusiastic bubble blowing she was ready to move on to something else and I was able to return to the kitchen. The celery and onions were clear and the carrots had began to soften so it was time to add the meat. <br />
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Most recipes call for you to remove the vegetables before adding the meat and then returning them after the meat has been browned, but for simplicity and to cut down on dishes I just put the meat on top. I break about one pound of defrosted ground beef into two inch chunks and turn the heat up, but only to medium. It takes longer to brown the meat but the lower the temperature the less tough the meat will be. I mix and stir the meat every couple of minutes until it is cooked through. The meat breaks apart during this process but leaves big enough chunks to spear with a fork or pick up with little fingers.<br />
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Then I use a large spoon to drain the fat. You can also use a baster to do this. Once the fat is drained I add one small can of tomato paste, 1 and 1/4 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to the frying pan. I stir well, bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. At this point you could also add any other seasonings you would like. My mom includes a bouillon cube (which I eliminated because I am gluten-free) and some oregano (which I eliminated because I don't like it). You could also add fresh tomatoes, canned diced tomatoes, bay leaves etc.<br />
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The key to this recipe is to let this simmer for a while. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't get dried out. If the water gets all absorbed add some more. I think professional chef's call this "reducing". I call it haphazard, play-it-by-ear simmering. Sometimes I add extra water once and sometimes I add it three of four times depending on how long I want to leave it simmering. The sauce is ready once the water is mostly absorbed and the carrots are soft. If you make this in the middle of the day you can just turn off the heat, put a lid on it and save it until dinnertime.<br />
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This evening while it was simmering I got to pretend I was at the beach with my big hat and flip flops and then had a pretend snowball fight. I love the imagination of a toddler!<br />
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About twenty minutes before dinner I began to prepare the spaghetti according to the directions on the package. Tonight I cooked regular spaghetti and quinoa spaghetti. (I like to use <a href="http://www.vitacost.com/ancient-harvest-gluten-free-spaghetti?csrc=GPF-PA-089125250002&ci_sku=089125250002&ci_gpa=pla&ci_kw=%7Bkeyword%7D">Ancient Harvest Quinoa Spaghetti</a>) I haven't sold my husband on the quinoa pasta... yet.<br />
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Finally, I drained the pasta and served it with several large spoonfuls of sauce. Tonight I was feeling lazy so we just ate spaghetti... I didn't feel too guilty since it includes meat and vegetables! You can also serve this with salad or any other vegetable. When I was growing up my mom often served it with carrot sticks.<br />
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We love this meal. It is warm, nutritious and comforting. I also usually have enough sauce left over for the next day or to freeze. But the best part is that my daughter asks for it for dinner... and lunch... and snack!<br />
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<b>Here is the full recipe:</b></div>
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Bolognese Sauce</div>
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<i>Ingredients:</i></div>
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Approximately 1 pound ground beef</div>
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1-2 tablespoons olive oil</div>
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1 small sweet onion</div>
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2-3 carrots</div>
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3-4 celery stalks</div>
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1 can tomato paste</div>
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garlic salt</div>
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pepper</div>
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Water</div>
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Optional: Diced tomatoes, Chicken or Beef Bouillon for flavoring, Oregano etc.</div>
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<i>Directions:</i></div>
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Finely chop onion, celery and carrot. Saute in a large frying pan with olive oil. Remove from pan and set aside. Brown meat. Drain fat. Return onion, celery and carrot to the pan. Add tomato paste, water, garlic salt, pepper and any other desired seasoning to the pan. Mix well, bring to a boil and leave to simmer until all water is absorbed. Add more water and repeat if the carrots are not yet soft. Sauce is done when most of the water is absorbed and the carrots are soft. </div>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01344222359974325477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850174384460268001.post-27317476100854985922012-04-13T08:00:00.003-07:002012-04-14T20:27:52.469-07:00Tarragon Chicken - Mommy Boler's Crock-Pot VersionI've spent the last few months trying to find healthy recipes for the crock-pot that the three of us will eat. I need it to be gluten-free, dairy-free, preservative-free, sugar-free etc. My husband just wants it to taste good and doesn't want to know how healthy it is. And my daughter, well she is two... who knows why she likes certain things and not others!<br />
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This is the only crock-pot recipe that I've cooked more than once and it has quickly become a weekly meal. It makes enough chicken to leave leftovers for lunch or the next night's dinner. The chicken just falls apart as you take it out of the crock-pot and melts in your mouth.<br />
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You could serve this with mashed potatoes, rice, or quinoa along with any kind of vegetable. I like to serve it with mashed potatoes and asparagus.<br />
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One great thing about this recipe is that I don't have to plan the night before. I don't think about dinner until the morning and I am always forgetting to defrost meat. This recipe can cook on low in four hours so I take the boneless chicken breasts out of the freezer first thing in the morning and let the package sit in warm water in the sink to speed up the defrosting process. By the time my daughter is eating lunch it is usually defrosted enough. <br />
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Today my daughter was really into eating her lunch which made cooking this a little easier. I prepped the mashed potatoes first. These could be cooked in the evening as well but I jumped on the opportunity to make them while she was enjoying her lunch. (See my <a href="http://mommybolerskitchen.blogspot.com/2012/04/shepards-pie-midday-cooking-adventure.html">Shepard's pie post</a> for my dairy-free mashed potatoes.)<br />
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Then I chopped a medium sized shallot and sautéed it on low heat with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the shallot was clear I placed the chicken breasts in the pan and browned them on each side, about 2 minutes per side.<br />
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While the meat was browning I put 4 cups of water, 1 tablespoon tarragon, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1/4 teaspoon ginger and 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt in the crock-pot. Once the chicken was browned on each side I transferred them from the frying pan into the crock-pot and set it on low. Most crock-pot low settings are 6-8 hrs but this will be done in as little as four. If you cook it on high the meat may be tough and chewy. I am sure this recipe would also work on low over night.<br />
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About 15 minutes before dinner I washed and cut the asparagus and put it on to boil. (Steaming would be work too) While it was cooking I took all the chicken breasts out and put them on a cutting board. Using two forks I pulled all the meat apart. Then to keep the chicken moist I spooned some of the liquid from the crock-pot onto the meat.<br />
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I love the aroma of this recipe. My apartment fills with the delicious smells of comfort food. My daughter likes it, my husband likes it and I like it... that is success.</div>
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<span id="goog_1008832422"></span><span id="goog_1008832423"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01344222359974325477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850174384460268001.post-49958817990335924162012-04-11T19:20:00.002-07:002012-04-14T20:32:16.270-07:00Pork Chops - Dinner in 30 minutesI've had several friends ask me how to cook a meal so everything is ready at the same time. The simple answer is: practice. And then there is the realization that's it's never really all ready at the same time. You just get it as close as you can. <br />
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Tonight I made an old standby: pork chops, rice and broccoli.<br />
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I started at 4:45 with the rice. 1 3/4 cups water in a pot with chicken bouillon. Once the water boiled I added 1 cup basmati rice and reduced to a simmer.<br />
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While the rice began to simmer I chopped the broccoli and put it in a small pot with an inch or two of water. I know I should have a steamer... but I don't so I "boil-steam" my veggies. </div>
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Up to this point, my daughter was happily pretending to cook in her play kitchen. However as soon as I turned the burner on under the broccoli she appeared in the kitchen and proudly announced "I pooped!" So off we went to change it.</div>
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After some diaper wrangling and washing of hands I was ready to start the pork chops. I put two tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan and turned the heat on high. As soon as the oil was hot I reduced the heat to medium and placed the pork chops in the pan. (I use thin cut boneless pork chops. They are only about 1/8 -1/4 inch thick) I put a little garlic salt and pepper on each pork chop. </div>
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I also added a few drops of <a href="http://bragg.com/products/la.html">Braggs Liquid Aminos</a> to each pork chop. I used to use Soy Sauce which in my opinion makes for great pork chops, but a few weeks ago I went gluten free, sugar free and a lot of other things free so the soy sauce is out for now. </div>
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I cooked the pork chops for 2-3 minutes before turning them over. Once they have been flipped I add a few more drops of the <a href="http://bragg.com/products/la.html">Braggs Liquid Aminos</a> to each chop and again cook for 2-3 minutes. At this point it was 5:05 and the rice was just about done. Of course I had forgotten to set a timer so I had to keep checking the rice to see if the water had been absorbed. Once it had been I removed it from the heat. I also turned the heat off the broccoli, drained, returned the pot and put a lid on it to keep it warm.</div>
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At this point the pork chops were probably done, but I like my meat well done so I flipped them a few more times until they were nicely browned. While I was doing this my daughter came back to the kitchen let me know that she had found some of the beads that mommy and daddy said "were all gone" a few weeks ago. As I am flipping pork chops I tried to convince her that the rest really are all gone (we threw them away weeks ago) and she insists they must be somewhere because she found these under the rocking chair in her bedroom. I need a few more minutes to get dinner ready so I send her off on a hunt for more which I secretly hoped she wouldn't find.</div>
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It was then 5:10 and everything was cooked. All that was left was to serve it up. Here is a picture of my husband's plate. I ate some of the quinoa I made yesterday since I can't eat the bouillon in the rice... that gluten stuff hides in the weirdest things. </div>
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I managed to corral my daughter to the table... along with those three miraculous beads that came back from the dead. </div>
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She took one look at her plate and with a big smile said "Mommy <i>what </i>am I going to eat first??" Since she has been on a kick of frowning and saying "I don't want that" I counted this as a small victory. I made a meal we all enjoyed and did it in 30 minutes. </div>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01344222359974325477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850174384460268001.post-89736145633998949512012-04-10T20:05:00.000-07:002012-04-14T20:29:05.943-07:00Quinoa - The solution to the lunch dilemmaI am not very good at lunch. I don't particularly like eating lunch and I never know what to eat. I've been like this my whole life. Really I think lunch is stupid... but I admit I feel a million times better if I eat it.<br />
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I've tried to do the salad thing. And the conclusion I have come to is that I LOVE salads in restaurants and HATE them at home. I can never get it right. So I have moved on... to quinoa.<br />
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Quinoa has become quite trendy. It's carried in large grocery stores and I quickly discovered it is much cheaper if you buy it from the bulk section. It is an incredible grain full of good things for you but I have often struggled with how to prepare it. Until now.<br />
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For now it is my solution to the lunch dilemma. I can make a big batch of it and it lasts all week. I can eat it alone or with left over meat from last nights dinner or if I am really motivated I can cook up a salmon steak to have with it.<br />
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Here is the recipe. Check out how simple it looks:<br />
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Rinse one cup of quinoa with cold water (rinsing is really important)<br />
Add one cup of rinsed quinoa to two cups of water.<br />
Add 1 teaspoon cumin, 3/4 teaspoon coriander, a dash of salt and a dash of ground ginger.<br />
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low. Cook 10-15 minutes until all the water is absorbed.<br />
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Then you can mix in peas, spinach, carrot. Any vegetable you have on hand. You can eat it warm or cold. I store in the fridge and eat it for days.<br />
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The recipe really is simple. However here is how it went in my house today:<br />
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We had a wonderful playgroup this morning and luckily my cousin decided to stick around for a while afterwards. I decided a while ago that amongst family and friends I would try not worry about how my kitchen looked or feel ashamed if I needed to do some household chores while we were hanging out. I love having company but I also sometimes have to multitask.<br />
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Today I rinsed the quinoa while we were having an important, passionate conversation. I love easy recipes that don't take much brain work because I can do them while my mind is focused on something else. I got my daughter lunch and then rinsed the quinoa. Today she didn't reject lunch but was so hungry I needed to prepare second and third courses. I decided the quinoa could just wait because right or wrong I've learned that most of the time if I meet my toddlers needs first everything else just seems to go better.<br />
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Usually I just half-hazardly add spices to the pot with out measuring, but today I measured... some of it. I used 1 teaspoon of cumin and 3/4 teaspoon of coriander. I added a dash of sea salt and a dash of ginger. <br />
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To finish off her lunch my daughter ate yogurt with a spoon. Unlike yesterday, today she wanted to do it all on her own but that meant each bite ended with half in her mouth, half on her plate and a loud, impassioned "Oops" along with an insistence that it be wiped up. I was going back and forth between spices and wipes and am grateful it all made it into the pot and onto the burner. I brought it to a boil and reduced it to a simmer.<br />
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I then decided it would be a good idea to unload and reload the dishwasher. Why? I am not sure. Multi-tasking, over-achiever maybe? Or just the reality that there is a lot of stuff that needs to be done and not a lot of time when my daughter is preoccupied so I can do them. Luckily my cousin stepped in to help each time there was another delightful "Oops I made a mess" and I was close enough to the stove to keep checking on the quinoa since I had forgotten to set a timer as I often do. <br />
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The quinoa is done when you can fluff it with a fork and there is no water left. I then quickly heated some frozen peas in the microwave, mixed them in and it was done.<br />
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Best part was I had a sense of accomplishment. I cooked something healthy, my daughter ate a good lunch, I did the dishes <i>and</i> I had a great conversation. Some times it just works out this way. If only I could end all mornings feeling this accomplished! Since most days I feel a little crazed and not sure if I've accomplished much I am grateful for days like today.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01344222359974325477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850174384460268001.post-28177105726487258972012-04-09T19:26:00.002-07:002012-04-14T20:33:15.561-07:00Shepard's Pie - A Midday Cooking AdventureThis is a well-loved, time-tested recipe. The point of my blog is not necessarily to share new recipes but to try and document how the heck someone makes a home cooked meal for their family while juggling all the other beautiful chaos occurring in a typical household. <br />
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This recipe falls into my "Midday" category because I make it in the middle of the day on those days that I don't have time or don't want to cook in the evening. (I can either serve this all by itself or in the evening quickly cook some green beans to go with it.) Today I decided to make it during the hour prior to nap time while my daughter was eating lunch, playing and watching Sesame Street.<br />
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First things first: Ingredients. My recipes are not exact. I am all for experimenting with a dash of this or a dash of that but for the purposes of this blog I will try to be as exact as possible.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
1lb ground lamb - thawed (you can also use ground beef)<br />
1-2 carrots<br />
1-2 celery stalks<br />
1 medium sized shallot (or a small onion)<br />
10-15 small potatoes<br />
1/2 cup frozen peas<br />
1-2 tablespoons olive oil<br />
1-2 ounces of butter (I use Earth Balance butter spread as a non-dairy option)<br />
1-2 tablespoons of milk (I use almond milk. You could use any kind of milk or water)<br />
garlic salt<br />
sea salt<br />
pepper<br />
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<b>Here is how I managed to cook this meal today. Below you will find the "ideal world" cooking instructions.</b></div>
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First I finely chopped the shallot, celery, and carrot while my daughter happily played with her doctor kit. I managed to get it all in the pan before the first "Mommmy I Neeeeeeed you." The great thing about sautéing these on very low heat is that it takes a while and frees you to do something else. Ideally I would have been peeling potatoes but today I was making my daughter's first lunch, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.<br />
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Once the onions are clear and the carrots have started to soften it is time to add the meat. I usually just put it in on top of the sautéed vegetables. I can't be bothered with taking out the vegetables and creating more dishes to be cleaned. I try to leave some chunks of meat big enough for my daughter to pick up and eat. At this point I really, <i>really</i> should start peeling potatoes (which I hate doing) but my daughter has now rejected the PBJ and insists she really wants macaroni and cheese. So I prepare her second lunch and throw in a load of laundry.<br />
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Now the meat is cooked but I haven't peeled the potatoes. No problem. The meat can sit for a while and wait. I open the cupboard and realize I only have seven small potatoes. I should have checked before I started making the meal but I can't turn back now! I peel them and hope for the best. I am always worried about quantities and it always seems to work out in the end. In between potatoes I am running over to feed my daughter her macaroni and cheese off her fork. She used to do this happily on her own but right now she insists on having me do it.<br />
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Once she has finished her lunch I quarter the potatoes and put them in a large pot to boil with a dash of sea salt. I boil them until they are just about falling apart. While they are boiling I clean up lunch, draw some rainbows, and have a mini-dance party. It is almost nap time, but I have to mash the potatoes so I put on Sesame Street.<br />
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I make my mash potatoes dairy free so I use a splash of almond milk (probably 1-2 tablespoons) and a few dollops of Earth Balance Butter Spread. If the potatoes aren't mashing well add a little more liquid. I also like to use a few dashes of garlic salt.<br />
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Now I add the peas to the frying pan along with some water, salt, garlic salt and pepper. I bring the heat back up just until everything starts to simmer a little.<br />
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By this point I have a very tired little girl hovering around my legs so I quickly dump the meat mixture into a medium sized casserole dish and scoop the potatoes on top hoping there is enough to cover the whole thing. There is! It always works out. Be sure to spread the potatoes over all of the mixture sealing the edges.<br />
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In the oven it goes and off I go to put my daughter down for a nap. A good tip I learned the hard way, put the casserole dish on a cookie sheet in the oven. This way if the liquid from the meat bubbles over it is easy to clean up.<br />
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Now all that is left is a very messy kitchen, a half done load of laundry and a delicious smelling meal in the oven.<br />
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<b>In an ideal world here is how the cooking would go:</b></div>
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In a large pan sauté the shallot, celery and carrot in the olive oil on low heat until tender. Remove from the pan and set aside.</div>
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Brown the meat on medium heat until cooked through. Drain extra fat.</div>
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While everything is sautéing and browning peel potatoes, quarter them and boil them in a medium pot with a dash of salt.</div>
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Add shallot, celery, and carrot back to pan along with a few dashes of garlic salt, sea salt and pepper.</div>
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Add 1/3 cup water and peas. Bring to a simmer.</div>
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While waiting for that to simmer mash the potatoes with butter, milk and a dash of garlic salt.</div>
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Put meat mixture in medium sized casserole dish, top with mashed potatoes and put in oven at 350 degrees. Cook for 20-30 minutes until the top begins to lightly brown. </div>
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If only it were that simple! </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01344222359974325477noreply@blogger.com2