Artichoke and Spinach Pasta

Yesterday I went against everything I know and believe and tried to not only shop in the afternoon but make more than two stops. I wanted to check out our co-op in the town over because all their produce is organic. There was a huge selection and it was cheaper than our local grocery store. My little one was done after that. I figured we could come home, nap, and go back out. We did, she wasn't too happy about it, never again. I ended up leaving without even getting everything on my list. I decided I was just going to make do this week with what I had. I wasn't going back. I just revised my menu for the week.

Tonight I made artichoke and spinach pasta. Like the dip but with noodles. Have you ever just wanted to spoon the dip in your mouth and do without the cracker. I do but isn't that against the law or something?

This turned out really good if you like that type of thing. I do!

I will make a couple notes. This is pretty heavy on artichokes compared to spinach but I only wanted to use half of my spinach because I wanted the other half for another recipe this week. You could always add in way more spinach!

Artichoke and Spinach Pasta

2 T Butter
2 Cups Chopped Spinach
3 Cups Diced Artichokes
1 T Garlic
4 T Sour Cream
2 Ounces Cream Cheese
1 Cup Finely Grated Parmesan Cheese
8 Ounces Linguine Noodles
Reserved Pasta Water

Melt your butter over medium heat. Add artichokes, garlic, and spinach and cook until spinach is tender. Add sour cream and cream cheese and mix until melted through. Add cheese and stir to combine.

Add cooked noodles and toss.

Add reserved pasta water to thin out sauce as desired. Remember you salted your pasta water so easy on the thinning out. If you want it super thin toss in a little normal water. You don't want it too salty.

Feeds: Two adults and one wee one.

Making Changes

I am slowly making changes to the way we eat, cook, and use our money when it comes to food. I have learned that the better I eat, the better I feel. Sounds dumb, huh. Like it should have been really obvious. However, I didn't think like that when I was younger. Nor did I understand that I wasn't eating well to begin with. Now at the ripe old age of twenty nine I am starting to think differently. I once thought that eating healthy was simply throwing a can of peas on for dinner but now I know differently.

Some of the changes are easy and others are not easy. Some of them just force me to change the way I think.

Today I cooked up our very last piece of pork product. It was a package of sausage. Normally, I wouldn't think anything of it because I could just run to the store and get another. However, I know that will be the last piece of pork until we get our new pig later this month. One pig almost last us one year. Just a few weeks shy.

I have also looked at our supply of beef and know that it won't last till we get our next cow. I was already discussing with my husband that next year we might need to get 3/4 of a cow instead of 1/2.

Some of the changes I find humorous. We started buying organic produce. That isn't funny but that fact that I wash organic better than I did the non organic is. You know why I do? Bugs, organic has more bugs! Forget those chemicals, heaven help me if I see a bug on my lettuce.

I also have to change the way I menu plan because organic just doesn't have as much of a selection to choose from. I know once our farmer's market open up in June I will have more to choose from plus we will have our CSA. However, I will still have to plan by what is in season and not simply expect there to be any and all fruits/vegetables on any given day.

I also waste less. In most respects it cost more to eat better. I have always saved my scraps of produce in freezer bags and used them for stock but sometimes when I was lazy I would just toss them in the trash. You know because the freezer is so far away (it is actually closer then the trash). However, now that I pay almost double for my carrots you bet every single end, peel, and scrap goes in the freezer bag.

I am trying to switch mostly over to whole wheat. I was struggling with the regular whole wheat so I purchased some white whole wheat yesterday which is softer. I made cookies with it last night and other than a little bit of texture difference I can't taste the difference. 

Another change I made, unrelated to actual food is my cookware, I switched to stainless steel. I thought I would hate it and that everything would stick but it doesn't and I am in love with it! I still love my cast iron but my Teflon will not be replaced.

Random notes:

We finally found a pickle with out food dye! I plan on making my own this summer but in the meantime we can finally eat a pickle again!

I made mustard and we used that to make honey mustard dressing. It was great and actual pretty darn easy!

Also is drinking from a hose healthy? I sure hope it is because this little one sure loves to do so!

Random Things

1. I have now made six batches of taco sauce and I am not even close to my desired end result. I am changing my game plan and starting over. Once, I thought I had, it smelled identical to what I wanted but the taste wasn't even close.

2. I have tried granola bars twice. The first time I loved the taste and they were pretty close to what I wanted except that I put flax and wheat germ in them. Both were new products to me and one of them gave me a horrible headache. I tried them again, left those two out, and made a couple other changes but they ended up too dry. The flavor was good but if I wanted to eat cardboard I wouldn't be working on homemade granola bars. Hopefully try three fairs better.

3. We got out in the garden yesterday and got one little bed cleaned up. I love this time of year but I sure do hate the bugs! However, I love this bug.

4. I am trying kale again tonight. It will be my third attempt. The previous two were yuck. Tonight I am trying it in a soup, hopefully it will work out and we will all enjoy it.

5. I went to Zumba for the first time this past week. It will also be the last time. My sister really enjoyed it and is now taking her daughter. However, me, it just isn't my thing. I couldn't follow along to save my life. I just ended up get frustrated. 

6. I can't stop thinking about that split pea soup last week. I want to cook a ham just to make it again. There was another person who really loved it too:

7. I am slowly improving our food and paying more attention. I had no clue there was aluminum in some baking powder. So I went and got and aluminum free one. I honestly never thought to look at the ingredient list on things like that. Crazy.

8. I bought some Asian noodles to try last week. When I looked at the back there were two things in them. Flour and water. That is all. So I went on a mission yesterday to replace all the noodles in our pantry with ones that had only two ingredients. I stood in that pasta isle for 20 minutes chasing around my daughter and reading all the labels. Not a one. I finally gave up and went to check out. There they were in the organic and all natural section. I wish they would just put all the noodles together instead of putting the "healthy" ones in a special place. The only noodle I have yet to find a good replacement for is the elbow noodle.

9. I signed up for a CSA this year. I have never done it before but I am really excited to give it a try and see how it works out for us.

10. I asked my husband if it annoyed him that I am getting particular about our food. He said, "as long as it tastes good on my plate I don't really care what you do in the kitchen." I love him.

Review: That $7 Can of Tomatoes

Remember awhile back I told you that I purchased a can of the fancy, real deal, certified San Marzano tomatoes. I wanted to see what all the hype was about and if they really were as wonderful as everyone seems to claim they are.

I went into this with real high expectations, for many reasons. I like my Hunt's and they are a reasonable price. However, these fancy ones are superduperexpensive! Additionally, everyone (especially TV personalities) say they are simply the best canned tomato out there.

When I opened the can I expected to find a sweet and fresh tasting tomato. A tomato that tasted almost as good as a fresh picked one. I knew there would be some sacrifice in taste because it was canned but for the price I still expected perfection or close to it.

I wanted to prepare a simple tomato dish that would really let the taste of the tomato shine. You can make anything taste decent with enough spices but this tomato should be able to stand all on its own.

Today was judgment day.

I brought out the can opener and with every twirl felt my money slipping away. I slipped the lid off and looked down and there they were, my seven dollar tomatoes.

I took out a spoon and wanted to taste them prior to cooking them. I felt like it should have a good taste right out of the can. It didn't. It almost had a dirty or muted taste to it. However, I didn't let myself get discouraged. I forged on.

I made my dish and the moment came to taste for salt. It didn't have much flavor at all. I was expecting a robust tomato flavor. I added the salt till it tasted right but in the end I added a can of Hunt's diced tomatoes and some sweet basil to achieve a better taste. In my opinion they just aren't worth it.

Do you have a canned tomato that you prefer? I have only ever tried Hunt's and this one so maybe I am missing something.

Split Pea and Lentil Soup

I hate split pea soup. I always have. However, I have never tasted it.

I based my hate on two things. One, it looks gross. Two, pureed peas taste really gross.

I always assumed split pea soup was simply pureed peas. However, on this culinary adventure I have learned to never trust my prior assumptions.

So I took the plunge and made it, not the traditional way, but my way. I liked it. It isn't pretty but it is tasty.

Split Pea and Lentil Soup

1 T Coconut Oil
1 Small Sweet Onion Chopped
1/2 Cup Chopped Carrot
1 T Chopped Garlic
1 Cup Dry Split Peas (Sorted/Rinsed)
1 Bay Leaf
6 Cups Chicken Stock
2 Cups Diced Ham
3 T Reserved Ham Drippings
1 Cup Dry Red Lentils (Sorted/Rinsed)
Salt and Pepper to Taste

In a large pot melt your oil. Saute onions until tender. Add carrots, garlic, peas, lentils, and ham. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add stock, bay leaf, ham drippings, and red lentils.

Simmer for 2 hours or until peas and lentils have dissolved to mush.

Remove bay leaf, blend soup, return to pot, and heat through.

Serves: 4-5

Enjoy!

First Shoes

I see little babies with their shoes on all the time but I have never put shoes on my daughter. When she was a little, well she didn't need them, she didn't walk yet so I just had her in socks. I often got funny looks from others when I was out and about. The girl doesn't even like socks, I surely wasn't going to force shoes on her while she was stuck in a stroller or cart.

Well one day she took those first few steps and I figured it was time to get some shoes! I first tried on all the ones we were passed from friends. Nope, all too small. So we headed down to the store and started trying on shoes. Not a single one fit. After four stores I had given up.

I mentioned it to my doctor later at her one year check up and he said that her feet were pretty round so she might be stuck in socks for awhile. So I gave up for awhile.

When we were headed out on vacation I figured she needed shoes because the cement would be blazing hot. I found her some little sandals that had adjustable straps on the top and back. However, when we got there and put them on her they just fell off as she walked and became a hazard so we quickly ditched them.

This past Friday she was trying to put on a pair of shoes we had in the donate pile. They were far to small for her but I could fit most of her feet in them and I thought we might just be able to find something now.

We headed out and missed on the first store. The second store was a hit though. We actually found two pairs of shoes that work. They are super adjustable on top so you can squish a lot of foot in there.

This was the first pair we found. They are pretty comfy and very easy to get on.

This second pair is a little less easy to get on but they are more protective and they have brighter colors. Just because all my shoes are black doesn't mean she can't have a little color in her life.

Eleanor is loving playing outside and is still adjusting to walking with shoes but she is improving quickly!

My Favorite Mac and Cheese

First I realized I never put serving size, how many served, or how much it makes on anything I post and that I probably should start. People probably want to know if they are serving one or six.

Back to the Mac and Cheese. I stumbled upon this particular mix by accident. I wasn't planning it but simply trying to throw something together that everyone could eat one night. I have made it about 17 times since. Ok, maybe only 11. It has become one of my go to dishes when my daughter and I need a second dinner or a quick lunch.

A second dinner? Well my daughter is finally on Hawaii time. We are no longer in Hawaii. So we have been staying up till midnight. Good times!

Mac and Cheese

1 T Coconut Oil
2 T Flour
2/3 Cup Coconut Milk
1 Cup Grated Cheese (I use Yancey's Fancy - Bergenost)
1 1/2 Cup Dry Elbow Noodles
Dash of Ground Mustard
Salt to Taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your noodles to your liking. Drain noodles.

In a small sauce pan melt the coconut oil. Add the flour and whisk till you have a smooth paste. Add in the milk and whisk like a mad man until thick and creamy. Add the seasonings. Remove from heat, add cheese, and whisk till smooth.

Combine noodles with cheese sauce and enjoy.

Serving size: 2-3 Cups

I decided to go for quantity here and not how many people it serves. I don't know how much you eat. This feeds me and my 14 month old. I have a lot and she has a little. I also eat a lot though so this might feed two normal people and a little one. Totally depends on the person!

Potato and Ham Soup

Ham and Potato soup. I think it is one of those things that you either like or you dislike. I was on the dislike end for many years. Last year I found my love for ham and now this type of soup can come back in my life.

Ham and Potato Soup

1 T Lard
1 Small Sweet Onion Minced
1 T Minced Garlic
1 Cup Carrots
4 Cups Diced Leftover Ham
4 Cups of Chicken Stock
4 Cups Diced Potatoes
1/2 Cup Leftover Ham Drippings
1 Cup Corn
Salt and Pepper to Taste

In a large pot melt the lard. Add the onions and saute until tender. Add the garlic, carrots, and ham. Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add in the stock, potatoes, and drippings. Cook on a low simmer until the potatoes are tender.

Remove two cups of the soup to a blender or food processor and puree. Add back to the pot of soup and stir. Add in the corn and season to taste. Once the corn is warmed through you are ready to eat!

This makes enough for about four reasonable people. Or three good appetite eaters.

Old School Entertainment

A couple ham dishes in the works because who doesn't have leftover ham?

However, in the mean time some old school entertainment courtesy of my little girl!

Chocolate Chip Caramel Cookie Bar

When I made this originally, I thought I would never make them again because they were just so incredibly, deliciously, sweet. They were too much. One little piece and you were in a sugar coma. However, they were also really good. The combination of chocolate chip cookie and gooey caramel was enough to make a girl swoon. One night, when I should have been sleeping, I was thinking about how to improve it to make it a tasty treat that wouldn't send you over the edge. My thoughts were that it needed to be thinner, it needed to have less caramel, I didn't want any waste (last time I just used my original caramel and cookie recipes and threw them together), and that the cookie needed to be a little firmer. So I set about making the new and improved bar.

This time it is right on!



Chocolate Chip Caramel Cookie Bar

For the cookie:

3/4 C Butter Room Temperature
2/3 C White Sugar
1 Cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1 t Vanilla Extract
1 3/4 Cup of Flour
3/4 t Salt
3/4 t Baking Soda
3/4 t Baking Powder
1 Cup Chocolate Chips (Finely Chopped Up)

Cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla in and beat on low until incorporated.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just until incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and lightly mix until evenly distributed.

Split the dough in half and press each section between parchment paper and plastic wrap. Use your trusty rolling pin to roll the dough out to the size of your pan. 9 x 13.

Place each dough sheet in the refrigerator while you make the caramel.

For the caramel:

1/4 Cup Butter
1/4 t Salt
4 Ounces Light Brown Sugar (About 2 Packed Cups)
1/4 Cup Light Corn Syrup
3.5 Ounces Sweetened Condensed Milk (About 1/3 Cup)
1/4 t Vanilla Extract

Place all ingredients except vanilla in a small sauce pan and over low heat mix, melt, and stir until it reaches 240 degrees. Remove from heat and mix in vanilla.

For the bars:

Preheat your oven to 335 degrees.

Place one slab of cookie dough in your pan, remove the plastic wrap but leave the parchment on the bottom.

Pour the caramel over the cookie slab and spread it evenly around.

Remove the parchment from the second slab and lay it on top of the caramel. Remove the plastic wrap after you have it in place.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until it has turned a light golden brown.

Remove and place on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes. It won't be completely cool but take the parchment and lift the whole pan out and place it on the cooling rack to finish cooling. It will be quicker that way.

Enjoy!

Random Things

1. I am a total baby. Today I was working on my taco sauce recipe. The onions were killing me. The sauce was decent but way too hot. Next try I will be dramatically decreasing the amount heat. I like spicy just not that spicy. 

2. I got the worlds smallest orange in my bag of oranges. I thought it would be a dud inside so I didn't take a picture before breaking into it but it wasn't. It was probably one of the best oranges I have had. Check out the size of the orange slice. 

 3. My love bug has a cold. A running nose, cough, and can't sleep cold. We watched television all day today. We just don't do that here but I felt today was a good day to break that rule. 

4. I have found my perfect mac and cheese. Recipe to come. If it hadn't been for my daughter having a sensitive tummy I would have never figured it out. I guess things do happen for a reason. 

5. Hasn't she grown so much. This is the same car seat. 

Here she is at six weeks : 

And, here she is at one year, one month, and a couple weeks. Amazing what one year can do. 

6. I love Easter. Growing up it was biggest holiday in our house. When you don't have kids it is tough to make it fun. I used to get my fun in by sneaking into work and hiding tons of eggs. I loved watching an office full of adults get all giddy. Now I have a little one and can finally do some fun Easter stuff at home. My eggs are stuffed and Easter baskets are set. 

 7. You know those chocolate chip caramel cookie bars I swore I would never make again. I did. I thought of a way to improve it and bring it down so your are making just enough ingredients. I ate six yesterday. I am making another batch Saturday to iron out final improvements. 

8. Next week I get to use that seven dollar can of tomatoes that I bought. I hope I prefer my Hunts tomatoes. I can't afford fancy tomatoes. 

9. My new nephew is adorable. My sister was expecting a girl but out came a boy. That little man sleeps like a champ. While reading numerous books on how to get a baby to sleep, I read about that stage where they are so out of it that you can move them around and clip their nails and they won't budge. I thought it was a lie. My little girl has never ever done that. My little girl wakes up when she hears the remote button click. This little guy can have me clipping his nails and his sister throwing a fit next to him, he still sleeps like a rock. 

10. I have decided that I should never make plans when it comes to milestone type events. I remember when I was pregnant I said I would nurse till she had teeth or could physically motion for it. She got teeth pretty early, we still nursed. Then she started sticking her hand down my shirt when she wanted to nurse. We still nursed but I said at one, we were done. Well we still nurse. At one I said ok two is my cut off. However, now I am just going with the thought of letting her stop when she wants. I am such a push over.

Chicken Pot Pie

Have you ever looked back at an old post/recipe and simply laughed. I often look back at old pictures that I thought were great at the time, that really aren't. Today I happened to be flipping through the recipes and stumbled upon chicken pot pie. When I made this new blog I transferred over some of my recipes. Just the ones that people most often looked at/asked about. I knew I wouldn't be cooking for awhile so I needed to have a few recipes on here, it is partly a food blog. However, I didn't really review them before I posted them over here.

I make chicken pot pie about once a week, lately (not always with crust). However, I haven't looked at my recipe in ages. When I looked at this old one, I simply had to laugh. I don't do it that way anymore. I haven't bought chicken bouillon in ages! Since I was making chicken pot pie tonight I thought maybe I should update this.

We won't even talk about that old picture. Got to love the glare of the flash! Back then I didn't understand how natural light was your friend and flash was your enemy!



Chicken Pot Pie

5 Cups of Diced Cooked Meat (Turkey/Chicken)
6 T Unsalted Butter
3/4 Cup Flour
1 Onion
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
5 Cups Chicken Stock
2 Cups of Diced Carrots
3 Cups of Cubed White Potatoes
1 1/2 Cups Frozen Peas
1 t Poultry Seasoning
Kosher Salt to Taste
Black Pepper to Taste
Pie Crust

Melt butter in a large pot, add the diced onions and saute until tender. Add flour and whisk until smooth (no flour chunks). Allow to cook for about a minute.

Add chicken stock and whisk until smooth. Add all remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Season to taste.

Ladle into your pot pie dishes and cover with crust. Puncture a few holes in the top of the crust.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45-60 minutes depending on the size of your dish.

*Please note, normally it looks more white. However, bug and I are dairy free for a couple weeks so I left out the cream for today. Also, the crust looks dark because it is a whole wheat crust.

Many days I make this without crust and simply scoop it in a bowl. On those days I usually make the roux in a separate pan (the butter and flour mixture) and add it toward the end once the veg are cooked through. Additionally, I add those delicate peas and the cream at the end, after the roux, instead of when the rest of the lot go in. It is my go to, quick and easy, and I don't have a clue what to make for dinner... dinner.

Random Things

1. My husband asked if I checked all the pockets in his bag. The last time he used it was to go shooting. I sure did. We got to Hawaii and he was getting some thing out of his bag, instead he pulled out a live round. We got through security with it. Couldn't get a water bottle through but a bullet, you bet. If they caught it I am sure checking out our carry on baggage would have taken much, much, much longer.



2. I have so much laundry to do after vacation. Wow.

3. I dropped my knives off to be sharpened before we left. They still weren't done when we got back. I freaked out and sent my husband to buy me a knife. He suggested we wait just one more day, luckily they called a few hours later!

4. The other day my husband accidentally popped me in the chin and it knocked me out. He told me I should mention it to the doctor. I just don't see that going well. Yes doctor, ow by the way, when my husband punched me it knocked me out.

5. I loved the tacos I had in Hawaii. I will be figuring out how to make them.

6. My big girl has learned how to wave and say bye. It is perfectly cute. She also understands what it means. So when she wants to leave the house she starts waving.

7. I got my legs waxed for the first time. I had never done waxing in any shape or form. The husband was trying to convince me that it was going to be like that scene in 40 Year Old Virgin when he gets his chest waxed. It was not. But it wasn't pain free either. I couldn't see doing again, the results just aren't worth it.

8. I am on the from scratch kick. On my list are ketchup, mayo, taco sauce, and salad dressing. Once I find my go to versions I will share them.

9. I gave up food dye after reading an article on how bad they can be. I gave them up to prove I wouldn't feel any different. Just a little color. Well I haven't had a single headache since. I went through our whole house and read every label. We only had a couple things. My culprit is candy. It surprised me that certain items had coloring. Like relish. Why on earth do you need to color relish?

10. Having a child has changed my photo priorities. I tell you, I have thousands of pictures of the Hawaii beaches from previous trips, but this trip I took not a single one. 771 pictures taken and all of them have my daughter in them.

Vacation Lessons

I would like to share with you a few things I learned while on vacation.

1. The airplane sucks. We got her a brand new toy which kept her entertained for a little bit but not six hours. She was a champ and did awesome but she is curious and wanted to explore. No thirteen month old wants to sit in the same spot for six hours. Changing an explosive diaper in a bathroom that is smaller than my linen closet should be award worthy.

2. Restaurants really need more produce. I was pretty shocked to see the lack of vegetable options at every place we went to. I eat meat and so does bug but I also like to make sure she gets to pick from fruits and vegetables. They are her favorite. Rarely do I give her french fries. Prior to this trip it was maybe three times. Not anymore. I lost count. Don't even bother checking the kids menu for options. Chicken and fries. Grilled cheese and fries. One place, when I asked if they had any steamed vegetables, she said we have steamed rice. When did rice become a vegetable?



3. Sand is like a forest fire. All it takes is one little flame licking one little dry leaf and a whole forest gets taken out. Once you put that little tiny toe in the sand you are done. Sand will be places it shouldn't even be able to get to. Good luck getting it off. Those showers at the beach feel like razors on my skin so I can only imagine what it would feel like on baby skin. Sand does not feel good in the teeth. Don't bother bringing snacks, they will be coated in sand.



4. Excursions don't work. Instead of sitting down to watch the show you are out in the lobby running around trying to get a wee one happy and amused well past her bedtime. Unplanned vacations work better. Nap when you want. Eat when you want. Bedtime when you want. My husband got a little annoyed that I didn't want to do excursions with him and his mom. I tried to explain it but until we all went to the one I agreed to he didn't understand. I missed most of the show. From then on I didn't hear a peep as him and his mom went off and did that kind of stuff.

5. Germs are going to happen. You don't have room to pack the shopping cart cover. Those plastic things you stick to the table for a place mat scream "rip me off" to a wee one. High chairs, enough said. Don't even get me started on what lurks on the hotel floor and bed. I just said a little prayer when we got here that none of those germs would do permanent damage and tried to let go for the week. Just remember that when your here. Room 6412, there are no less then ten new pee spots on the carpet. I can assure you they aren't steam cleaning the carpets anytime soon.



6. Swim diapers are meant for one thing. To catch any number two accidents from entering the pool. I knew this. Luckily they were never put through the test because we had to squeeze our size seven diaper fanny into and much smaller swim diaper. They don't make them extra large. Guess they assume if your rump is that big you know how to not potty in the pool.

7. Cookies in a skillet with ice cream on the top. Yes, please.



8. All it takes is your baby rolling off the bed once for to not get another lick of sleep until you get home. How I missed my child proof house.

9. Don't put that extra little lock on. You know that metal bar one you swing toward the door so if someone does try to open the door the ball catches and the door only opens an inch. Because.... The baby will have a melt down. You will pick her up and rush to bed. You will fall asleep too. The husband and his mom will come back from their excursion to a door that only opens an inch. Good thing it is warm out.



10. Last but not least, plan to do laundry at least every other day. Even if you packed the wee one enough shirts to last a month, some how they will all be dirty in two hours.