Green smoothie WITHOUT a high-power blender

I think I have perfected my (purple) green smoothie. I don't have a Vitamix or BlendTec, just a Cuisenart blender.  At first I was throwing everything in and trying to puree or liquify everything at once, but it was so thick that I had to add way more liquid than I wanted, and ended up with a watery smoothie.  I finally realized that it's easier to add the chunkier things at the end.

The Perfect Poach

I learned how to poach chicken from this amazing just-like-Chinese-takeout soup recipe http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ginger-Scallion-Egg-Drop-Soup-358121, and picked up some other tips to make the most tender, flavorful poached chicken. Goodbye dry, rubbery, bland chicken. Make large batches to have for snacking and salads (which is huge for me now that I'm back on the low carb bandwagon). It's very simple. Over-flavor the water, and do a 2-step simmer/stand for 20-minutes. I will elaborate...

Last Minute Pork Stew

I pulled this meal together from basic ingredients, and I only planned ahead enough to put it in the slow cooker at 10AM. Plus, it's minimal prep (I didn't brown the pork beforehand - whaaaat??).  The day before I'd sworn off slaving away in the kitchen at mealtimes, so I was really excited that this panned out. I made it on my kids first day back to school - it was overcast and drizzling and we were all in some stage of a summer cold, and soup sounded perfect.  Here's how it played out in my head: Oh shoot, I still have that pork in the fridge that I got at Costco the other day but was too lazy to divide up for the freezer. What can I make with that that's not BBQ...    And this is what I came up with!

Kid-Friendly Piña-Colada Smoothie

I just wanted to share something I've been making at my house lately... I admit I bought some of that nasty (delicious) sticky, sugar-and-preservative-laden mixer Coco Real to make piña-coladas for me and the hubby.  For fun I tried making a somewhat healthy, kid-friendly version without the mixer and it turned out fab.  

Ham and Gruyère Waffles

I had the rare opportunity to sleepover at my moms this weekend, and relished our morning coffee time in PJs. When I realized she had both ham and gruyère on hand, I knew we must make these waffles.  I don't make waffles often because, unlike pancakes which require only a bowl and a whisk, I have to go to the trouble of getting out the hand mixer to beat the egg whites which just seems like too much effort for a weekend morning.  These waffles, however, are worth the effort.  They are perfect with mimosas for brunch, and as soon as I perfect a complementary herbed butter I'll be a millionaire. Cheddar or Swiss would be just as good, but the gruyère adds a little je ne sais quoi.  (See there how I used a French expression and made it sound fancy without really describing anything?  That's what makes these waffles so good.)

Quick Nachos (With Real Cheese)

I was doing my usual Costco run the other day and they were sampling these Veggie chips that look like Tostito Scoops. "What makes them veggie?" I asked. I hadn't even planned on sampling them until she said "kale and broccoli" and I perked right up. Hmmm what's that now, kale you say?  Now, I realize these are essentially just corn tortilla chips with like a tenth of a gram of any remotely healthy vegetable... but that's a tenth of a gram that I won't have to fight about with my kids. Plus they were on sale for $3.69 a bag, a huge Costco sized bag, so that pretty much made up my mind. I used them to whip up these quick (super tasty) nachos.  I didn't revolutionize nachos or anything, mostly I needed to break up all the Silhouette Cameo posts I'm working on!

My Bagel Breakthrough

I love bagels. Real bagels from a bagel shop, not bread-in-the-shape-of-a-bagel that you find at the grocery store. I have attempted homemade bagels but it's tricky to get that chewy crust just right, not to mention time consuming.  I don't plan my bagel cravings, so when the urge strikes (usually in the morning) I don't want to spend four hours kneading, proofing, boiling and baking to have bagels just in time for dinner. And to be more specific, the urge usually strikes on a weekend morning, so I am not inclined to get out of my PJs and go out into the world to make it happen. Unless we're out of coffee and I'm hitting the Starbucks drive-thru too.  No, I have found another way to get my bagel on.

Clean And Light Summer Party Food For Mom's 60th Birthday

I received so many compliments on the food at my mom's birthday at La Nebbia winery that I had to share my strategy and menu. My mom is very heath-minded and I wanted the food to parallel her lifestyle (think Paleo) .  Also, everything needed to be do-ahead and self-serve since I didn't have a caterer or waitstaff.  Check out this Pinterest board to see lots of other fantastic ideas that didn't get used.  Here is the menu and keep scrolling for details and recipe links...

• Watermelon Gazpacho
• Shrimp Ceviche
• Thai Peanut Slaw
• Tropical Chicken Salad With Mint
• French Potato Salad
• Flourless Chocolate "Cupcakes"
• Mini Cheesecakes With Raspberry Lime Sauce

One of the first things I pinned was this Tangled Thai salad which spoke to me because they use a spiralizer to make carrot and beet "noodles" which is something my mom uses in her kitchen.  Also, I love a good peanut dressing!

From The Canadian Gift Guide

Making Kombucha

If you're not familiar, kombucha is a fermented tea. It's tart and it's alkaline and probiotic with a whole slew of other health benefits. It can be fizzy which helped me kick my diet soda habit.  It tastes similar to a wine cooler (it can be mildly alcoholic, although some say the buzz you may experience from kombucha is actually from one of the acids produced and not the marginal alcohol content - so marginal that I drank kombucha while pregnant, if that's any indication).  My not-very-alternative husband swears by it for stomach aches and general digestive discomfort.  At around 3 bucks a bottle its handy if you can make your own.

Easter Birthday Bunting Cake

This year my husband's birthday fell on Easter. I thought it was a good excuse to make this cake I saw on Pinterest, which reminds me of a great big basket full of candy...

Flavorful Vegetarian Better-Than-They-Sound Bean Patties

I'm not a vegetarian but I think it's good to go meatless a few days a week, and I'm a big fan of beans since they have protein and fiber (they're high in antioxidants too). Not to mention great finger foods for babies and toddlers. When you combine beans with rice, the amino acids make a complete protein. I came across Martha Stewart's recipe for black bean and brown rice patties and saw lots of room for improvement. I found that it needed some egg to hold together better, and that it was better to cook it in a pan vs her oven method. Plus a bunch of additions to the preparation... This would be great for hiding kale (chop finely and sauté with the onion).

Homemade (Raw, Probiotic) Pickles

It is SO easy to ferment pickles, and they're so healthy. I got into fermented foods with the whole Weston Price thing, and pickles were something my family would actually eat (and salsa!). Recently my youngest had to go on antibiotics for an ear infection, so I was trying to think of as many ways possible to get probiotics in him to offset the damage. Which brings us back to pickles.

It sounds gross but you leave the cucumbers out (unrefrigerated) in a brine solution for a few days and (good) bacteria starts to grow, while the salt prevents them from spoiling. I use pickling spice for a familiar dill pickle flavor but you can use fresh garlic, dill etc. The whole process takes a few days, or longer depending on how sour you like your pickles.  Mo' sour is mo' betta, nutritionally speaking.

{BabyFoodie} Beyond Purée

So your baby has mastered purées and is eyeballing your dinner plate.  Here are some ideas to take him to the next level.  You may notice I try to avoid using wheat flour because it's hard on the digestive system among other things.  I didn't give my youngest any crackers or bread until he was around one year, and I still try to minimize it.  I'm sure there are LOTS of things to add to this list but this will get the wheels turning - comments welcome!

Tender, Gluten-Free Meatballs

photo from Epicurious

These meatballs have become a regular dish at our house - usually in sandwiches but sometimes with pasta. (I use brown rice pasta, and if you're gluten free I'm sure these would be good with rice too).  They are so tender that it made the perfect first food when my son was ready to move past purées (even meat purees can have a rough texture, as moms know). I use all ground beef but you could easily use beef & pork (or chicken/turkey which may not be as tender, so definitely cook them low and slow and do not overcook). I use oats instead of flour which is healthier and enhances the moistness. If you happen to follow the link to Epicurious, there's a sauce recipe included. I've only slightly adapted the recipe by swapping out the breadcrumbs and using a little more milk, and you don't even miss the breadcrumbs. I hope you love it as much as we do!

My New Go-To Muffin Recipe (Made With Oats, No Flour)

Yay - you have just found THE BEST no-flour muffin recipe!  I must give credit where credit is due, I found this on Pinterest from Keeping Up With the Joneses (you can go there for the original recipe).  This is my adaptation which I make regularly for my one-year-old.  It is basically the same but with a sugar alternative, and less of it, and some options for the yogurt in case you don't have it.  This version is too bread-like for my older kids who expect a muffin to taste like cake, but the baby loves 'em and my husband and I like 'em too, especially with a pat of butter and maybe a little jam...

Make Your Own Chili Seasoning - Easy Chili Recipe

I love chili.  Not the canned dog food kind, though.  I like real, homemade chili.  (Is it still homemade if you use canned beans?  I think yes!)  And it's pretty healthy if you think about it - all that protein and fiber and veggies disguised in warm, spicy, tomato-y goodness.

I like to think I have mastered chili this fall. I started making my own seasoning simply because I didn't have any one day and then I made it a few more times to get it just right. I add a little cocoa powder which you could certainly omit but I have to mention that my husband who is very picky a meat-and-potatoes guy with a very good palate, unknowingly preferred it. It adds depth. But it's not all about the cocoa powder. This certainly isn't a ground-breaking chili recipe but its one you can trust.

6 Ways To Get Your Potato On (french fries and mashed potatoes aren't on the list!)

I'm not normally a potato lover, but when you have a ten pound bag from Costco, you find ways to use them!  Here are some interesting and easy ways to prepare potatoes...

Microwave Chips

via The Kitchn

Crispy potato chips in the microwave -- shut the front door!  A mandoline is extremely helpful here to get those chips as thin as possible.

Pumpkin Spice Latte With Coconut Milk (Dairy-Free)

I recently posted a recipe for a homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte using half-n-half and egg yolk (custard style) -- but I wouldn't be true to my blog name if I didn't offer a version with coconut milk.  With ingredients like pumpkin and coconut, do I dare call something so yummy healthy?!  One of the great things about coconut milk is that it emulsifies with other ingredients beautifully, and its thick enough that it doesn't need the egg-yolk like the dairy version.  It also adds some sweetness and takes away from the pumpkin flavor so that I tweaked the ratios of the ingredients, and decided that with so many little alterations, I figured this version deserves its own post...   Hope you like!

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latté

You know it's fall when Starbucks is serving Pumpkin Spice Lattés, even if it is still in the mid-80's in California.  I love me some Starbucks but I am not a fan of paying $4 for coffee, so I had to come up with a homemade (and all-natural) version!  After a week of Pumpkin Spice Lattés, I think I've got it just right.  If you try it, please leave a comment and let me know how you like it!

Crock Pot Chicken Stock (And Homemade Chicken Soup Recipe)

A few years ago I read Nourishing Traditions (Sally Fallon) and have been making homemade chicken stock regularly ever since. Bone broth is rich in minerals because of the marrow and gelatin, which is why it is beneficial when you're sick. But besides that, its yummy! Use it for soups, sauces, cooking rice or potatoes, to thin baby food purees, and anything else you can think of. The NT way takes up to 24 hours on the stove, but most of us need to leave the house at some point, so I've found that the crock pot works great too.