skb salad

We spent the earlier part of the week with cabin fever from all the rainfall, so when the sun eventually began to show itself on Thursday we were ready for some fresh air and in the mood for fresh fruit.   All these fruits were on hand and after adding some yogurt and granola we had the makings of something delicious!

diet? me???

i have never been one to diet. for one they pose too many rules which has never agreed with me. i like to make my own rules, and eating (and feeding my family) healthy unprocessed foods has always been number one. but this idea seems revolutionary to me and i am seriously considering giving it a try. it will no doubt be a challenge because i do love my flours and breads and rices, but the health benefits seem out of this world! i'm going to be visiting and reading this, this and this blog/site regularly from now on, and will keep you posted on my progress. wish me luck!

green with glaze

 

the last time we celebrated st. patrick's day was five years ago... with an old friend of my husband's who claimed a mere slice of  irish blood and who could cook a mean beef brisket; it was the best i'd ever had.  before that, the holiday was a fun celebration of childhood, and always enticing to pinch schoolmates who had forgotten to wear green.  to be honest,  this year it slipped my mind entirely until i heard it being announced on the radio this morning.  since my son was in no mood for clothing, i thought he would have fun getting covered in some lucky icing.  aside from the steps necessary for adults, he did all the work on these himself; and we both avoided getting pinched! 

(recipe is for basic yellow cake found in virtually any cookbook; mine is better homes and gardens.  the glaze is confectioner's sugar, oj, and green food coloring.)

bars beat all

we really like cookies...but there are days when we have to beat the clock and on those days we bake cookie bars. virtually any basic cookie recipe can be turned into bars by doubling or tripling the baking time; and if you have a little helper it's way more fun!

baking essentials

ever since i laid eyes on these nesting measuring cups and bowls i've been dreaming of all the ways they would improve my life; a better cooking experience, more organized cupboard, mood enhancement from the cheery colors...the list goes on.  the ceramic measuring spoons from anthropologie may not be practical, but their sweetness more than makes up for it; and various shades of lavender are becoming my favorite colors.

sweets for my sweet friend and her new baby boy!

impending our meeting of a certain special little one, Lars and i baked what will be the first of many holiday cookies this season.  using a recipe from this book (which i found thrifting last christmas; it's vintage quality is fantastic and the projects in it are truly timeless) we had fun taking turns cutting, frosting and sprinkling our festive shapes.  the cookies turned out great and were a hit~ my only challenge was keeping my husband from eating the whole batch...  we'll definitely be baking more of these again soon.

SUGAR COOKIES

makes 2 dozen

1       stick unsalted butter

1       c. granulated sugar

2c.    sifted all-purpose flour

1/4t. salt

1/2t. baking powder

1       large egg

2T.    brandy

1/2t. vanilla extract

ROYAL ICING

1c. confectioner's sugar

1    egg white

food coloring

cream butter + sugar. sift together dry ingredients; add to butter mixture and beat well. add the egg, brandy and vanilla and beat again until well mixed. shape dough into two flattened rounds and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (i put mine in the freezer for 20 min.)

roll out dough and cut shapes. bake in a 350 oven for 8-10 minutes and do not allow to brown. cool on racks and frost with royal icing and decorate.

tuna melt

 

last spring my husband hinted at needing more sustenance in his diet; i.e.~ more meat. apparently the meals i was preparing weren't providing enough...  it's true, i was serving 3-4 vegetarian meals a week.  i cook everything from scratch seven days a week and eating vegetarian half the week made great sense to me, for the health of our bodies and our pocketbook. unfortunately it didn't agree with my husband's genetic makeup; he was literally wasting away (clients even commented on how thin he seemed to be getting~on an already naturally lean frame).  my poor guy.  well feeling quite bad i immediately headed to the bookstore to pick up this cookbook, which i had already been eyeing for quite some time.  (follow the blog here.)  it is full of brilliant tips on feeding men and boys and how to keep them full, and since i have a man and my baby is becoming a boy, i couldn't ask for more.  improvement on our evening meals is keeping my husband satiated, and Lars and i are wholly enjoying all the delicious lunch recipes during our favorite time of day (we're big lunch fans).  always looking for a way to jazz up a big staple ~ tuna ~ this recipe takes the cake.

tuna salad sandwich melt

2 - 6oz cans water packed white tuna

1/4 c. chopped or grated onion (we like white)

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 tb. fresh lemon juice

course salt and fresh ground pepper

1/4 c. mayonnaise, to taste

1-3 dashes of tabasco sauce

toast slices of bread.  top the toast with tuna salad 

and one slice of cheddar, or preferred cheese.  broil in a toaster oven

or broiler for 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted.  enjoy with 

sliced tart granny smith apples on the side.  

yum.