Tip for Coring Apples

This little tidbit has been sitting in my drafts folder forEVAH.   In honour of the farmers markets re-opening, and the big bags of apples available from cold storage, I thought I’d finally post it.

Using my melon baller is WAY easier than a corer (which is both hard to use and hard to clean) and produces much less waste than with just a paring knife.

I love me a good kitchen tip!

Happy Tuesday to y’all!

Green Eggs and Ham

I’ve been excited all week about today being Dr. Seuss’ birthday.  We love his books and his movies, and I knew I wanted to make Green Eggs and Ham for breakfast.  But was there a way to do it without nasty food colouring?  I decided to investigate.

What I found really exciting.  Red cabbage can turn eggs green?  What?

It didn’t occur to me until part way through the process that I should be taking pictures, but here’s what I did:

1)  I chopped about 1  1/2 cups of red cabbage, added it to a pot with a tiny bit of water on the bottom and simmered it for about 10 minutes, adding a splash of water when needed to prevent scorching.

2)  I used my immersion blender to puree it, and then pushed it through a fine strainer to squeeze out the beautiful purpleness.

3)  I separated a bunch of eggs…

4)   …and added a couple scoops of the purpleness to the whites.

5)  Then the kids got mixing.

Apparently, the green comes via a chemical reaction relating to the pH levels.  Here’s what I found:

“Naturally, red cabbage has a colour somewhere between red and purple, depending on the pH-value of the soil it is growing in. This colour change occurs due to the pigment flavin, which belongs to a group of water soluble plant pigments called anthocyanins (For those of you, that don’t know what the pH value refers to, it is the measure of the acidity (pH < 7) or basicity (pH > 7) of an aqueous solution). In this Instructable, we are making use of the fact, that flavin is a natural pH indicator and that egg white has a pH value of about 8. These slightly alkaline condition result in a colour change to a blueish-green.”

How cool is THAT?

6)  I then spooned some egg whites egg greens into the pan, and carefully spooned a yolk on top, flipping carefully when the time came.   (They look less green in this photo for some reason, but they were actually quite green in reality.)

7)  I tried to make the ham green, but it only made it purple.  Clearly, the ham didn’t have the right pH to cause the reaction.   Great science lesson!   We talked about pH levels in pools and how our eyes can be red when the pH is off, and perfectly clear when the pH is right.

We all enjoyed our breakfast immensely!

Caleb declared that it smelled like I was cooking chinese food for breakfast, I guess because of the cabbage smell.  But they tasted like …eggs, perhaps a slight bit sweeter.  All five of us ate them up and declared breakfast a great success!

Now this has me thinking about pH levels and experiments we can do with them.  Maybe planting seeds in soils of varying pH levels to see what happens…?    I think it’s all pretty cool.

It’s a snow day here in Nova Scotia (we’re finally getting our winter), and I’ve declared it a Funday Friday – because I can (the homeschoolers among you know what I’m talking about).   My brood is out in the snow now, a bit of shoveling, bringing in some wood and of course, playing!  Later, we’ll do some crafts – maybe draw some Dr. Seuss characters?  We’ll watch ‘Horton Hears a Who’ this afternoon, and probably do a read-aloud of Green Eggs and Ham.   It’s days like this that my kids will look back on with fondness.

And now I’m off to clean up the post-breakfast mess.  A small price to pay for all the smiles.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Recipe: Crack Bread er… I mean… Bacon Cheddar Ranch Pulls

I saw this picture on Pinterest and started to drool. 

Yes indeedy.

So when I attended a friend’s Christmas party a couple weeks ago, I knew I had to make it.    It was easy and delicious and I will definitely be making it again and again.  I followed the recipe found here, but added chopped green onion (because I love it so).

It was a big hit at the party and several people have asked me for the recipe, so it’s a sure keeper! 

(Thank you Steph.)

Now to test out other combos that keep popping into my mind:

 -olives and goat cheese?

-chicken and mushroom?

-BBQ chicken?

-a pizza version?

-shrimp and seafood sauce?

-artichoke and asiago?

-cream cheese and crab?

-a caprese salad version (mmmm… my long time favourite salad with tomato, basil and fresh bocconcini) 

- or a sweet apples and cinnamon version? 

- or chocolate and banana? 

Holy Schmoly, this is going to be fun! 

This post has been linked to Edie’s  Party of Christmas Appetizers.  If you don’t read Edie’s blog, you need to.  

And that’s all I have to say about that. 

Day 3: The Receiving End of Intention

Last night was Date Night. 

It’s a weekly thing for me and David; a special time to eat great food, enjoy some fantastic conversation and a glass or two of wine.  The biggest plus is that it’s just the two of us.

One of the things that makes Date Night particularly special, is that most of the time, David makes a beautiful meal for us to share.  Last night was Salsa Night:  homemade salsa and chips as an appetizer, fresh tuna steaks on a bed of spinach with yummy mango salsa for the main, fruit salsa and cinnamon chips for dessert.  It was fabulous! 

We even tried about 5 seconds of salsa dancing.  It wasn’t pretty so we stopped.   It’s good to know your limits.

However, the best thing about our evening was David’s comment to me after we had enjoyed our beautiful fish.   Were it not for interrupting date night, I would have jumped up and recorded it verbatim, but his words went something like this: 

“I love you and so I enjoy pouring my love into the food, because I know you enjoy it so much.  Food is just another way I can express my love to you.  We might enjoy a frozen lasagna just as much.  It serves the same purpose of filling us, and we can still share it just the two of us, but it doesn’t do anything to really express how much I love you.” 

(Melt…)

After his comment, when my heart returned to its regular pace,  it came to me.   

Day 3:

Being on the receiving end of intention feels so wonderful, and makes me feel so well-loved, that I want to be the giver of more intention, so those special to me might feel the same way.   

 And for what it’s worth, that gorgeous tuna was way better than any lasagna, frozen or otherwise.

This post has been linked to the 31 DAYS series.  You can start from the beginning here, and check out the other 31 Dayers by visiting The Nester.

Ingenuity

Lastnight I made a lovely beef, eggplant and carrot stirfry over brown rice, complete with fresh herbs from our garden.  I LOVED it, but then, I love eggplant so I knew it would be yummy …to me. 

My kids, on the other hand, suffered their way through it.  We have ‘exemptions’ in our house and have had from the beginning.  The kids are each allowed to choose three items they will not be made to eat until they remove it from their list in favour of something else (but never on a day that the ‘something else’ is being served.)  Since eggplant isn’t on anyone’s list (though I do use it from time to time), they all had to eat it up. 

At some point along the way, Caleb had a mouthful of food and a super-disgusted look on his face.  I reminded him it was best to swallow quickly, to get it away from his tastebuds.  

A few minutes later, the boys had finished their portions and excused themselves to clear their bowls. 

Then, I turned to Eden and saw this (–it’s blurry because it was just a quick iPhone picture):

“I’m getting the eggplant off my tastebuds Mama, and onto my cheeks instead!”

Seriously. 

Where’d I find this kid?

Wordless Wednesday – Preparing for a Bounty

For more Wordless Wednesday photos, visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

Eager Hands

So, we baked on Wednesday, as I had intended.  We opted for chocolate banana cookies instead of muffins – an excellent choice!  Both the baking and the painting that followed were an effort to stomp out the ‘someday’ I too often draw on in my day-to-day.   Between homeschooling and the business and all the other things I have on my plate, it had been too many weeks since we baked and painted together. It felt good to back at it. 

Though it was also a test of my patience. 

Those eager little hands love to help and take their sweet time doing it. 

Am I right?

But yesterday, it didn’t matter.  Yes, I could make the cookies in about a sixth of the time it took with my helpers, but that wasn’t the point.  Instead of rushing them along (as I have done a LOT lately), I took some deep calming breaths, focussed on my patience, and left them to it.  

The learned, giggled, got their hands dirty.  They enjoyed the supervision of their Mama who was simply watching contentedly, and encouraging them along the way.

And I don’t think anything could have made them happier.  

I want my kids to later reflect on their childhoods with memories of a Mom who had the patience to let them do these kinds of things, not one who was always rushing them along to the next task.  

I want to encourage those eager little hands! 

Focusing on the “worldly” causes me to lose focus on what’s really important.  Sure, I may have lost bit of focus lately, but I’m getting it back.    Oh YES, I am! 

____________

This post has been linked to Amy’s Finer Things.

Choosing Better Products

I would love to buy the healthiest of products 100% of the time.  However, like most people, I don’t have unlimited dollars at my disposal. Because of that, I prioritize my spending based on a few basic criteria.

A)  Consumed items are the highest on the list.  This includes the food we eat and the beverages we consume.  The goal is raw food… foods in their basic (intended) form that are then combined with other foods and flavours from other raw foods to create something wonderful and new.  

B)  Next are items that aren’t consumed but can very easily make their way into our blood streams.  We spend a bit more to buy toothpaste, dish soap, shampoo, dishwasher detergent, laundry soap, lotions, etc. that subject us to minimal SLS, Fluoride, Parabens, Scent, Colour, various random chemicals and (gasp!) SPF.  (Yes, that last one is worthy of a post all its own.)

For a couple years now, I’ve used the  Skin Deep site (from the Environmental Working Group) as a great resource.  You can search on the harmfulness of your own beauty products, but here is a list of things to avoid, by category.    With over 65,000 products in its database, you can check out a product’s Overall Score (rated 0-10, lower is better) and read what kind of health concern is associated with it.  As an example, I just checked out the lip balm I use.  It get’s an overall score of 2 (that’s a green light) and health concen “low”.  Pretty good.  (Whew!  Because I really like that stuff.)

C)  Everything else. 

Although the highest priority is given to the food we eat, we simply cannot afford to purchase only 100% organic, free range, home grown, pesticide free, local foods.  I’d like to, but I can’t. 

That’s why I find this list helpful.  This is based on American products, however I can’t help but think it’s a good place to start for those of us on this side of the border as well.  The US Environmental Working Group has tested produce and discovered that these products have the highest pesticide levels.  I’m not sure if it’s driven by the amount of pesticides/fungusides used on those crops, or if some of the product skins are more permeable than others.  Probably both, since none of these products are peeled to be eaten.  Either way, here they are; 

The Dirty Dozen:

1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries (American)
6. Nectarines
7. Sweet Bell Peppers
8. Spinach
9. Cherries
10. Kale/ Collard Greens
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes (not North American)

It would be great to have the latest figures for Canada, and for meat in particular.  I must get on that.  In the meantime, as we get ready to plant our garden (this week!), we will include as many of these as I can manage, that are already consumed regularly by our family.   And I’ve wanted a pair of apple trees for what seems like forever.  Maybe this will be the year to actually get around to planting them.   (I’ll try not to think too much about how, if my procrastinator-self had planted them when we moved into this house, we’d already be enjoying their deliciousness.) 

I recently came across another great resource for those of us wishing to make better decisions about the products we use.  The GoodGuide site covers more than just food and cosmetics, and rates items on the basis of health, environmental and societal factors.  They look at a company’s business ethics, philanthropy, and working conditions.  They go as far as looking at the global supply chain as part of their analysis to understand their resource management and environmental impact and give an overview of products.   I have only compared the two sites on a couple of products and their opinion of those products ranked in relative proximity to one another.  

Since I am someone who tends to challenge the status quo, I don’t really take anyone’s word for anything without doing a little figuring out on my own.  I am all about informed choice.  That’s why I’m thrilled to see these two sites available for people to review the information and form their own opinions.  It’s empowering to make good choices!   A good choice isn’t made on the basis of what people tell you to do.  It’s made by fact finding, soul searching and in some cases, a leap of faith.

And remember, we vote with our dollars. 

We do.  Where we spend our money makes a statement, like it or not.  We are called to be good stewards.  The cumulative impact of dollars going toward ethical and healthy products will ultimately benefit that company and allow them to do even more good, while at the same time taking dollars from companies that continually produce unhealthy foods and beverages for us to consume.   That’s stewardship. 

What would the EWG and GoodGuide say about the products in your home?  How is the ‘food department?’  The beauty department?  The cleaning department?  It’s not hard to change things up in favour of healthier options that are still affordable. 

Baby steps will get you there and you will feel and live better for it!

Caesar Salad Dressing

Over the years I’ve tried many different Caesar Salad Dressing recipes, but they are either too spicy for the kids, or too raw-eggy for mom’s nerves, or too… I don’t know, not good enough.  I clipped this recipe out of a magazine when I was first married, and it’s been taped to a recipe card ever since.  I can’t give proper credit, because, let’s face it, 13 years ago I had no idea I’d be sharing it here, and I trimmed off all the details. 

This recipe is our favourite because it’s fairly quick to make, doesn’t use raw eggs, and doesn’t really require anchovies if you’re having a hard time finding anchovy paste in your small town grocery store, or if you’re trying to keep your meal inexpensive.   I mostly make it without. 

It’s best if you make it at least an hour before serving, but I’ve done it 5 minutes before and it was still tasty.

I don’t measure for this recipe anymore, I usually make a double batch, toss things in and adjust it to taste by adding salt and more Worcestershire, but the quantities on the original recipe are as follows:

1 egg yolk

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp anchovy paste or 2 anchovy fillets, minced (optional)

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

In a glass dish or Pyrex measuring cup, whisk together egg yolk, lemon juice and vinegar for 30 seconds or until it starts to foam around the edges.  Whisk again.  Microwave for another 10 seconds or until the edge foams. 

In a food processor, blend yolk mixture, garlic, anchovies, Worcestershire sauce and pepper.  Blend until smooth.  If you’re like me and prefer the clean-up of an immersion blender, just add the ingredients in a wide mouth mason jar instead and blend.  With machine running, gradually pour in olive oil.  Mix in parmesan cheese.  If the dressing is too thick, thin with a little water. 

Serve with crisp romaine, croutons and bacon bits.  

Here are a couple frugal time-saving tips for you: 

CROUTONS:   Store bought croutons have to be one of the highest revenue generators for manufacturers because they are SO cheap and easy to make (hello?  stale bread anyone?) and they charge $1.99 to $2.99 for a small bag.  When you think about it, one package is the equivalent of 3 or 4 slices of bread.  At that rate, that’s like a $12 loaf of bread!  And it’s stale people! 

Instead, I use the 2-3 day old ends of my bread loaves, cut them into cubes, drizzle a little olive oil, garlic powder and parsley and/or oregano on them, toss them together and bake a few minutes in the oven, until golden.  Easy and cheap, especially if it’s coming off my homemade bread which costs me about 70 cents a loaf, plus electricity for the oven.   Though I don’t always get them in time, my family likes them best when I take them out in time for crispy outsides and chewy insides.  Mmm… 

BACON BITS:    I never, ever, ever buy bacon unless it’s on sale.  Regular price for some brands is $5.49/lb and I mean, really… it’s just not necessary to spend that much.  Instead, I wait until it goes on sale for $1.99/ lb and then I buy about 12 pounds of it, which lasts us about 8 or 9 months.  It freezes beautifully because of how it’s packaged, so there’s really no need to ever pay full price.   We rarely use bacon to eat on its own – it’s mostly used as an ingredient in recipes.  So, even though I only need a few slices off a pound, I always cook the full pound, or sometimes many.  It means just one greasy pan to wash, but lots of cooked bacon as a result.  I drain and cool it, chop it and put it in little containers (or mini-baggies) in the freezer.  When I start washing the lettuce, I take them out of the freezer.  When I’m adding the dressing, I throw them in the bowl and the tiny pieces are thawed by the time the bowl makes it to the table moments later.  Easy peasy. 

LETTUCE:     It is surely the easiest thing to grow on your own.  Try it this season and see how it goes!  We eat use it pretty much every day in season – on wraps or sandwiches, in a salad, for “tuna boat” lunches.  We run out to the garden, pluck off what we need and enjoy it moments later.  It doesn’t get better than that.  I’m not a great gardener, but lettuce is something that even I can manage.  It’s hard to keep up with the speed at which it grows though, (and you need to get it before it becomes too tall and bitter) so don’t plant too many.  To keep it simple, you could even plant it in a planter on your deck!  (I think I may try this with my tomatoes this year to make sure they get as much sun as possible).   It’s never-ending lettuce for pennies.  Easy, cheap and healthy.  It doesn’t get better than that. 

Enjoy! 

This post has been linked to Tasty Tuesday over at Beauty and Bedlam.  Jen’s post today makes me laugh… all about following recipes, or not.  I’d have to say I use them as a guide, as I like to adjust for our desired healthiness, our tastes and our budget.  And no, I wouldn’t mind at all if you didn’t post the exact quantities. Half the fun of cooking is the figuring out…   :)

Awesome & Easy Chocolate Cake

I so enjoy coming up with a great birthday cake for my kids. 

It becomes something extra special for them to look forward to on their big day.  They sometimes ask for a white cake, but mostly it’s this deliciously moist chocolate cake recipe that I’ve  been using for 6 or 7 years now.  It’s just soooo good. 

The recipe is not one that would fall in the “healthy and wholesome” category, but really, who needs healthy and wholesome on their birthday anyway?   

2 cups white sugar  (that is not a typo)
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cups cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
2 tsp vanilla

1 cup boiling water

1) In a medium bowl (the big pampered chef measuring cup bowl is perfect), mix together first six ingredients with a spoon.

2) Add next four ingredients. Mix with electric mixer for a couple of minutes.

3) Add boiling water and stir in by hand, until well combined.

Pour evenly into 2 greased and floured 9″ pans.  Really, do the flour step.  You’ll be glad you did. 

Instead of a layered cake, you could do a slab.  Or do a slab and 6 ramekins for that Lego block cake I did.  Or you could use an oven safe bowl for a Barbie Cake (which is what I’m thinking might be Eden’s 5th birthday this summer).   Or, if you live near a Bulk Barn, you could rent one of a several dozen cake pans from for $1.99 a day.  Have fun and experiment!  

Bake in 350 oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Cool before frosting.

This recipe has been linked to Tasty Tuesday over at Beauty and Bedlam.     For months, I’ve had a post sitting in my draft folder about the ‘dirty dozen.’   Jen’s post today is about the Dirty Dozen AND the Clean Fifteen.  I’ve not seen the Clean Fifteen list before, so it’s a great post to read.  It may be a while before I share mine, but I’ll certainly be adding this extra info when I do!   Thanks Jen!