Squash and Cheese, Macaroni's Healthy Cousin

I believe that last week included a holiday known as "National Leave a Zucchini on Your Neighbor's Porch Day". Even if you don't have a green thumb, zucchini and squash in gardens tend to do what bunnies do- multiply! Then you are left with an assortment of baseball bat sized zucchinis and you're begging folks to take squash home every time they come over. One particularly abundant year I sent our UPS man off with a bag of produce.

This was one day's harvest. I swear they weren't there the day before when I looked!

If you're reading this maybe you were one of the thousands of folks "googling" - What can I do with 15 pounds of squash? Well, the childhood blue box macaroni and cheese got fancied up a bit in our house.  Whether you have kids who don't love veggies or you're trying to cut out pasta, using squash as the macaroni has delicious results.

Ooey Gooey Squash and Cheese
(serves 4 hearty servings)

A glut of zucchini or squash, I used about 2 1/2 lbs- chopped into rounds it was close to 8 cups of summer squash
2 TBS oil (I used olive oil.)
3 TBS butter
3 TBS flour
1 1/4 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried mustard
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Wash the squash. I leave the skin on otherwise that texture ends up a little- well, squashy- after you cook it. If the squash is large slice it lengthwise and remove the seeds. (Bonus on this preparation is that you end up with elbow macaroni shaped slices.) Slice squash into 1/4" thick slices.

2. In a stockpot heat up 2 TBS oil. Add the squash and saute gently for 3-5 minutes flipping to coat all the slices. Turn the heat down to low and cover. The squash will continue to steam. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

3. In a saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Measure out your milk. When the butter is melted add the floor and whisk gently to make a smooth paste.

Slowly whisk in the milk to form a roux (basically a white gravy). Add in salt, pepper, paprika, and mustard.

Add the cheese, stirring gently to mix. Let it heat until melted completely.

4. Pour cheese sauce over the squash and stir gently until all the squash is coated in ooey, gooey melted cheese. Serve to a happy family and enjoy!

Note: This is great in the fridge as leftovers for quick kid lunches.

Pineapple Basil Jam

Nothing better than jam and fresh baked bread!

I have a Ball jar problem. I see them in the store and I have to have them. I have stacks of flats in my home and once they're staring me in the face I spend hours in the kitchen playing around with ideas until things work.

This isn't even all of them.

Our farm share has been yielding copious amounts of the most beautiful basil. Now I love pesto as much as the next girl (maybe more, I'm allergic to pine nuts so I have to make my own to ensure it's safe for me) but I wasn't feeling inspired to make some. So I left the basil in the fridge for a few days and was the creepy lady who pulled out the bag occasionally just to sniff it.

I had been toying with the idea of a pineapple jelly when I realized that the flavors would compliment each other. It was a huge hit. Yasmina licked it off of cracker after cracker at dinner and demanded more, I used it to glaze chicken one night, and the cherry on the sundae was that it won both a blue ribbon and a best of show ribbon at our regional fair. (My husband demands that I insert here the fact that I competed against and beat Amish people. Apparently, he is impressed with their jam making skills and this elevates my win.)

She is a big fan of the giant purple ribbon.

I hope you enjoy it! This is actually a great beginner's jam so if you're just starting out try it....

Pineapple Basil Jam
(makes 6 12 oz jelly jars) and a tiny bit extra to go into the fridge for snacking

1 20 oz can of pineapple (you can use crushed or food process rings or chunks)
1 1/2 cups basil, chopped (you can use unpretty basil that has a few spots since you'll be discarding the boiled leaves)
3 cups water
1.75 oz pectin powder (Make sure you weigh this out.)
3 cups sugar

Note: For this recipe you will need prepared canning jars. For instructions on preparing jars for canning visit the Ball website, 2nd question down. You will also need a prepared ladle so keep that in mind and boil it when you do the jars!

1. Boil chopped basil in water for 10 minutes. Take it off the heat, cover &  let it sit for 10 additional minutes. Strain into a bowl discarding the basil and reserving the water. Measure out 2 1/2 cups of the basil water for the jam.


2. Pour can of crushed pineapple into saucepan.
Add the 2 1/2 cups of basil water.






3. Add 3 cups of sugar and bring it up to a rolling boil. A rolling boil means that when it boils and you go to stir it it continues to boil. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon to ensure that the sugar gets incorporated completely.




4. Add pectin powder to boiling mixture and stir well to mix in. Boil for 1 minute at a high boil.


5. Remove from the heat and use the wooden spoon to skim the foam off the top of the jam. Discard the foam. Using a sterilized ladle fill the prepared jars leaving 1/4" of room at the top (called headspace). I visualize my pinky finger on it's side as the amount of space I need to leave. There is usually about 4-6 oz extra of jam. I put that in a container in the fridge to eat right away.

I did my 1st batch in big jars, then wised up.

6. Process the jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Remove them and put them somewhere where they can sit quietly undisturbed for 24 hours. You may here occasional pinging noises as the jars settle that is okay. The next day make sure all the seals are sucked down and discard anything that did not properly seal. Label and date them and store them for later use. Yum :)

Homemade Seeded Energy Bread

We make bread 3 times a week. My son, who is here for the summer, started talking about a 21 grain bread by Killer Dave's that he has at his other house. We looked online and I determined that it was a mix of seeds and flours. I don't sweeten my bread so I was unsure of how popular the end result would be with an 8 year old if I omitted the cane syrup and molasses but I decided to give it a go. I raided our cupboards for seeds and grains and the end result was amazing if I do say so myself. It even uses chia seeds which are a great source of energy and very filling. This bread is the perfect start to my day spread with Pineapple Basil Preserves (recipe coming soon).

I asked my son what he would do if he liked this bread better than Killer Dave's. His response? "I'll ask for more." (And he did- it apparently is "Way better" and "Awesome").

We took a family poll and have deemed this bread Robust Rabbit Loaf. We have a robust (rotund) rabbit so we thought we would honor him with his own loaf.

A favorite nap spot- the bottom shelf of my desk. 

Robust Rabbit Loaf
Makes 2 loaves
3 cups hot water
1 1/2 TBS salt
1 1/2 TBS yeast
4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup rye flour
1/2 cup soy flour
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/8 cup flax seeds
1/8 cup poppy seeds
3 TBS fennel seeds

1. In the bowl of a mixer with a dough hook attachment mix the water, salt, and yeast. Add the flours 2 cups at a time. This recipe makes a fairly heavy loaf- to lighten it a little reduce the amount of flour and up the soy flour. The soy flour yields a little extra lightness.

2. Once all flours have been added and the dough is mixed up add all the seeds in and mix until they are incorporated. Let the dough rise for 1-2 hours. (The warmer your kitchen is the faster it will rise.)

3. Preheat your oven to 450. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Spray the inside of two loaf pans with cooking spray. Split the batter between the two pans by pouring it in. Use a spatula to scrape any excess off the bowl. No punching or forming necessary.Set the loaf pans near the stove. The heat as it preheats will help the dough rise a little more. Bake for 25 minutes. Enjoy warm slathered with butter or jam!

Cheeseburger Risotto

The perfect meal for an overcast stormy day, this meal is the epitome of comfort food. The kids loved it and for the grownups it was like a classed up version of Hamburger Helper (without the hard to pronounce additives). This one will definitely live in my normal rotation.

Cheeseburger Risotto

(serves 4) 

1 lb ground beef

1 clove garlic or 1 tsp garlic powder

1 TBS butter

1 TBS oil

1/2 cup red wine

1 1/2 cups arborio rice (I find it is much cheaper to buy this in the bulk section than in containers)

8 oz canned diced tomatoes & their liquid (I used the leftovers from a 32 oz can from another meal)

8 oz shredded cheese (I used Cabot Bacon Cheddar which I highly recommend but you can pick anything)

1. In a saucepan, brown the ground beef. While the ground beef is browning melt 1 TBS of butter in a stockpot. Add the oil to the stockpot and dump in the arborio rice once the butter is bubbling. Using a wooden spoon move around the rice to "toast it". When the kernels look translucent around the edges with a white spot in the middle dump in the wine. It should make a nice "poof" noise. If you don't want to use wine just replace it with another liquid. Stir the rice rapidly. 

Let the rice "toast" in the butter & oil.

2. Add the garlic to the ground beef. I used raw (not cured) garlic so I just sliced it in half and removed it before we ate it. Raw garlic is really pungent so I didn't want anyone biting into it. You could mince a regular clove of garlic or use garlic powder instead.

3. You're going to start slowly adding the liquid to the rice. I put half the tomatoes in my measuring cup and then added hot water to make 2 cups. You want to add this slowly and stir frequently. I add about 1/3 cup of liquid at a time and then add more after it has been absorbed. Make sure the heat is closer to medium than high. If the heat is too high the liquid will boil and evaporate instead of being absorbed and you'll end up with kernels that are crunchy in the middle. After you've gone through the 2 cups of tomato water make a second 2 cups. You want to add a total of 4 cups of tomato water to the risotto.

Tomato Water

Add the liquid a little at a time.

4.  Once all the liquid has been absorbed add the ground beef to the risotto and mix it in.

Add the cheese and mix that in as well. 

Dish out and enjoy! 

Keeping Your Head Above Water When Parenting

Pre-incident

I've been held up at gunpoint twice in a retail store setting. My hands were ziptied behind my back and I counted silently to myself to try to determine how long I needed to wait to try to get help. A home invader in Texas was scared off by my dog while my infant son sat in a car seat nearby. I shudder to think what he wanted with me. These moments have left me fairly confident that I can deal with difficult situations. I feel lucky and blessed and appreciate the levelheadedness that I bring to tough times. And then this morning I'm running on slippery tiles alongside a heavily chlorinated pool in flip-flops with my 2 month old still attached to my boob yelling "Hey, hey, HEY!" to the instructors during free swim.

I put my son in swim lessons because I didn't want him to be like me. I can tread water for hours, I am a fairly strong swimmer, but I can't go under water without holding my nose. I know, lame. It definitely became awkward at pool parties in high school where I'd be hugging the wall furthest from the pool so that no one would throw me in. And the one time I did get thrown in I hacked on the side of the pool like a wet cat for 20 minutes. Very attractive.

It was the last day of swim lessons. The little kids were already out of the pool eating cupcakes and drinking juice boxes. My son's group was jumping into the pool. I was settled on a bench nursing the baby and listening to shouts of "Cannonball!". They were all shoulder to shoulder in the pool and I noticed that one boy in the class, who spent the first few days holding the side of the pool, was reaching for Ry's shoulder. And in the next instant Ry was underwater and the boy was nervously scaling him and flailing. For one second I was frozen trying to figure out if they were playing. And then I could see that Ry was frantically trying to wave his hands and was pushing on the bottom with his feet. The boy's father was watching them too and I thought for sure he'd say something. After all, he was right there and I halfway down the pool with a tiny barracuda on my breast. If I could see the struggle surely he could? But nothing happened. The adrenaline kicked in so I ran, nursing shawl streaming, baby bouncing, yelling my brains out. And a tiny sane piece of me was scanning other parents on the sidelines as I ran trying to figure out who looked like they would catch a tossed 2 month old the best if I had to jump in. Luckily, the instructor realized they weren't playing around and she hauled the boy off of Ry and got him to the side of the pool. I helped him out and everything in my body just oozed with manic mommy energy. Struggling to hold Sohayla, I got him near a window and he hacked up half the pool and sobbed.  It took every single ounce of my willpower to not sob with him, I was already shaking, but I didn't want to scare him anymore. He sat on my lap for a bit. I dried him off limb by limb like I do for my toddler, thinking about how big he's gotten.

In the midst of my thankful thoughts I noticed that the boy's dad was hovering. I tried to kill time because honestly I wasn't ready to say "It's all right" yet when the apology came. Well, silly me. There wasn't to be an apology. "Is he all right?" the boy's father asked. I let him know that he was pretty scared and his throat hurt a bit from the pool water but he would be ok. And then the moment came, the one where he should have just quit while he was ahead, he started talking about how they were really both all over each other trying to stay up out there." I'm sorry, WHAT? Are you really making it sound like both of our kids were floundering and having trouble and reached for each other? My son hacked water on the side of the pool for ten minutes and is now asking to stay home from day camp (which he loves) and your son just put three cupcakes in his mouth!  Seriously? I understand completely that it was not your child's fault. He panicked and he's learning to swim. He didn't do it intentionally. It was an accident. But have we really become a society where we try to spread the "blame" so that our kids don't "feel bad"? Because that will be a sad place to live.

Tonight I'll cook my son shrimp (his favorite), give him an extra hug and kiss when I put him to bed, and drink a glass of wine (my favorite). And tomorrow I'll try to get him into the pool again.

Hidden Veggies Beet Spaghetti Sauce

Think your kids won't eat beets? We kept getting them in the CSA basket and I was determined to do something with them that was different. Beet recipes so often gear towards roasting and I wanted to put them into something that was already a hit in our house. Success! My son had seconds, my daughter loved the purple color and I loved that there was a pound of veggies crammed into the sauce. This recipe pulls double duty because you can use leftovers over mashed potatoes or as a sloppy joe filling.

Hidden Veggies Beet Spaghetti Sauce

(serves 6-8; great for leftovers)

1 lb ground beef

6-8 oz mushrooms

4 oz spinach

1 oz arugula (optional- I love the peppery bite it gives the sauce)

6 oz beets, tops & roots removed (no need to peel)

1 can plain tomato sauce

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1. Brown ground beef in a saucepan. Drain off the fat. While the beef is browning de-stem and slice the mushrooms.

2. Add mushrooms to the ground beef. 

3. Measure out 4 oz spinach, 1 oz arugula and 6 oz beets (roughly one small bunch). 

Chop them all up in the food processor. 

4. Add the veggies to the ground beef and mushrooms. Add a can of traditional spaghetti sauce (I use generic Hannaford's brand 95 cent sauce). Stir to combine. Add garlic powder and heat through.

5. Serve sauce over noodles, potatoes or as the filling for sloppy joes. Enjoy!

How the Heck Does a Moby Wrap Work?

I decided to try something new with baby #3. I traded in my sling (which I found to be to hot during the summer) and got myself a Moby wrap. What can I say, I was being a follower. Everywhere I went I heard about how great they are and how they're on every mom to be's list. So I was swayed and I got one. I mean I cloth diaper and make my own laundry detergent. Why shouldn't I have an organic Moby wrap? Especially when I find one at the resale store.

Things I Have Done With My Moby Wrap:
* used it as a temporary clothesline between two chairs while folding laundry
* swaddled a whole gaggle of my toddler's dolls in it
* used it as a shawl when I got cold one day
* immobilized my 8 year old when my toddler and I were wrestling him (think hog-tied)

Things I Have Not Done With My Moby Wrap:
* worn it correctly to carry the baby

Seriously though- how the heck do you use this thing without an assistant on hand? Step 1 should be "Find someone to help". I'm 5'3" I can't reach far enough to wrap the ends around me properly. And as soon as my toddler comes up and starts yanking on me I panic thinking she's going to pull the wrong piece and the baby is going to come tumbling out the bottom. How do the ladies on the web site look so serene? I kept worrying about splattered baby. Maybe I'll keep finding other uses for it. (For the record most of the assembled furniture in our home was put together by me so usually I'm good with directions.)

I need to find a new sling of some sort to transport the baby at BlogHer. Something that doesn't make me look inept. Unless someone wants to give me the one on one petite user rundown on this thing.

Surviving As a New Mom

Every mother is a new mother at some point in time. Now with my third child laying next to me I can tell you that it's different with every child, but that there are some constants. You'll simultaneously love the cooing little creature who looks up at you and curse them for taking away your sanity through sleep deprivation. You'll hold up tiny little outfits that they may wear and then remove the same tiny outfit moments later when it has been defiled from one of two ends (or both if it's a really special day). Nursing will be the worst/best experience you've had. One day your nipples will feel like they'll fall off, another day you'll gaze down in amazement while the baby eats and feel all powerful, and some days you'll just feel like a cow. Or maybe that's just me. As a former dairy farm tenant I remember watching the cows get milked with a complacent look on their face. I feel one with the cow some days.

It gets easier. I promise. Sleep will return and there will be days when you'll have 20 minute stretches of silence. Your baby will hit milestones and your heart will fill with joy. But no one ever tells you how to get there. If I could give one piece of advice to new moms it would be to pick an achievable goal that you will do every day. One thing, that's it.

I made a vow that I would shower daily. I use the term shower loosely, some days it was a rinse while the baby cried in the bouncer on the bathroom floor, some days the shower involved a toddler between my feet playing with duplos on the tub floor, and some days when my wonderful husband was home I got ten glorious minutes of hot water running over me uninterrupted. The goal was a shower and if I accomplished it then all was good. I had accomplished what I needed to for the day and anything else was a bonus. The laundry might be piling up, the kitchen floor could be filthy but I was clean and I felt human. And the funny thing is once you feel good about yourself, you naturally get more done.

Set a goal- be it a five minute morning mug of coffee quietly enjoyed, a shower, a load of laundry, weeding a flowerbox, wiping down the table, throw out junk mail or writing a thank you note- and I promise if you complete it daily normalcy will creep back into your life. And once you've accomplished your goal go hug your baby and enjoy them knowing you are awesome.

Kale & Chicken Freezer Burritos

Kale is abundant at our CSA right now. I've made kale chips, I stirfry it with apples and bacon for quick dinners but I needed to do something new. After getting some sale priced chicken breasts, I cooked the entire package and made enchiladas with half. I shredded the rest and waited for inspiration to strike. Freezer burritos went over so well last time, and the idea of a quick meal has been super handy. With it getting hot out there are days where I just don't want to turn on the oven and having these on hand will solve that problem. My husband ate a few for lunch today, pronounced them "awesome" and they were child approved as well. The trick is to use the kale as a sauce to moisten the chicken.

There is a little Vermont humor in here too. We have an entrepreneur here, Bo Muller-Moore, who makes t-shirts that say Eat More Kale. Check out his website. Chick-Fil-A is currently suing him saying he can't use that phrase because it infringes on their "Eat Mor Chikin" slogan. Crappy spelling aside- I'm sure that most people can tell the difference between chicken and kale, the fonts are completely different, and there are no Chick-Fil-A's in the state of Vermont. I used to eat at Chick-Fil-A when I lived in Texas and I can tell you I will never set foot in one ever again after seeing the way that they bully small businesses. As a business that advertises themselves as a Christian business it is very un-Christian of them, unless they're trying to pull a David vs. Goliath.

Sorry- I got sidetracked. Anyways this recipe has more chicken in it than kale but the kale is truly the star of the dish. These burritos can be made to be frozen or served for a meal.

Kale & Chicken Burritos
(makes 16)

2 lbs of shredded chicken (I had crockpot cooked mine ahead of time. Great way to use leftovers.)
2 bunches of kale (roughly 24 oz)
2 TBS oil
1/2 large shallot
8 oz shredded Cabot Pepperjack cheese (I shredded a stick of it.)
1 tsp salt
16 flour tortillas

1. In a large pot on the stove, heat 2 TBS oil. Take 2 bunches of kale, chop off the bottom stems (don't bother taking out the large piece running down the middle), and cram them into the pot.

Using tongs flip the kale around a couple of times to get a little oil on it. Let it sizzle for about 5 minutes, then add 16 oz of water. Keep it on high heat and continue to flip the kale with the tongs. The kale should start wilting. 

2. In a food processor, chop the shallot. Add the kale a little at a time, until it is all blended into a paste. Add the salt and 4-8 oz of water. You want it to be a thick sauce not runny. The shallot is important- you want to use some strong flavors when freezing items so that the taste holds up.

3. I pre-tear sections of tinfoil and plastic wrap and lay a tortilla on each one ahead of time. For photos feel free to check out my last burrito post . Dump your pureed kale sauce into the bowl of shredded chicken and mix well. 

Dose out some of the kale chicken mix onto a tortilla. I used about 4 oz for each.

Top with cheese, I used 1/2 oz. I love my kitchen scale. 

Now fold in the sides and roll it up.

Wrap the plastic wrap around the burrito, then the tinfoil. This helps to keep it fresh and to prevent freezer burn. Now label them and load your freezer! Enjoy them for quick lunches or no cook dinners on hot summer days. (3 minutes in the microwave is about right)