Picking Up Good Habits

Don't you just love it when your kids picks up one of your good habits for a change? I do. As you might have figured out from my previous posts that I have been trying to make my diet, which I thought was already pretty healthy, even healthier. We've been experimenting in the kitchen with new recipe ideas and even trying a few new vegetables. It's been great and lucky me I've even lost a little bit of weight. What I wasn't trying to do is convince Quirky that she needed to do this to, so I was a little surprised the other day when I noticed her making herself an early lunch. She had pulled out my giant tub of spinach, which made me stop to see where this was going. She ended up making what she called a Turkey, Spinach, and Cheese Tortilla Pizza. Now Quirky will eat spinach, if I put it on her plate, but normally voluntarily. I was a little surprised and proud. She really is a great kid.

Sweet and Garlicky Greenbeans

I mentioned previously, in my post about a quick and easy corn on the cob recipe, that sometimes the simplest recipes are the best. You don't always need fifteen ingredients and every spice known to man to make something delicious. Besides, when you are making a quick lunch, who has time for long and complicated recipes. Not moi. Nor does Quirky always have the patience or the attention span for such recipes. So when lunch time rolled around, I decided that I would show Quirky a quick, simple, and delicious way to dress up fresh or frozen Greenbeans. Here is what we did:

Zucchini and Cheddar Frittata Topped With Spinach Salad

I decided on a whim today to make a frittata for lunch, mainly because I didn't want to stand over a hot stove to make an omelette. It was fairly quick, packed with veggies, and delicious. It was so good that I think I will be revisiting this recipe the next time Dork and Quirky request quiche for dinner. I think it will make a great low-carb alternative. This is what I did:

Baked Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Our family is probably typical in that pasta makes up at least one of our meals per week. Sometimes it's simple spaghetti or sometimes it's a little more complicated like Chicken Marsala. Either way, for me it's pasta, and right now that just does not fit in my dietary restrictions at the moment. Do I plan on giving up pasta forever? Probably not, but for right now I am seeking out alternatives that I can enjoy without having to cook two completely different meals. Last week, since Dork and Quirky were having spaghetti, I decided to give spaghetti squash a try as a substitute. This is something that I had never tried before. I was pleased to find it easy to cook and delicious to eat. This is what I did:

Getting Healthy...a New Journey in the Kitchen

Getting Healthy

Recently I went to my doctor, where to my chagrin, I was informed that I was both overweight and had high cholesterol. Yikes! A little excess weight I can live with, I try to teach Quirky that beauty comes from inside and has no relation to the shape, size, or color of the outside package, and I rather not be a hypocrit in her eyes. The cholesterol though has me a little worried. Ok, a lot worried. I've got a lot of years left to go, hopefully, and it don't want to spend them in horrible health. So I took my doctor seriously and started analyzing our diet.

Truthfully, I thought that we typical have a fairly healthy diet. Yes, Quirky and I like to get in the kitchen and bake. Yes, I make homemade comfort foods on occasion. Both of those things are true, and maybe those are part of the cause, but we also eat lots of vegetables and rarely fry anything. Yet, here I am...counting carbs and watching my cholesterol. I've even bumped up my exercise, doing my best to get at least 45 minutes of cardio everyday. I'm determined. 

So where does that leave Quirky and I in the kitchen? Are we going to give up baking...that's a large resounding no. Can't do it. I love baking with Quirky way to much, but maybe we find ways to make our treats a little more healthy. Maybe you'll find us trying out a few healthier versions of our all time favorite meals. Maybe Quirky will grow up knowing that yes, true beauty comes from inside, but loving yourself enough to take care of the package is just as important. 

Mixing it up...

In the kitchen, that is. I know the other day when I posted about the "coffee" cake for one, I had also mentioned that we made one for Quirky. Not sure what to call this one...a little bit chocolate cake or Chocolate Syrup Mug Cake. I don't know, but either way Quirky enjoyed it and we had fun in the kitchen. This is what we did.

Quirky's Chocolate Syrup Mug Cake

3 tbs. Self-rising flour

1 tsp. vanilla flavoring

1 tbs. Sugar

1/4 tsp of oil

Squirt of chocolate milk syrup

Milk

Makes for a short post but, really all you need to do is mix all the ingredients together and microwave for one minute. Next drizzle with chocolate syrup. Finally hand to kid and try not to get your hand bit as she devours it. I think she liked it.

Coffee Cake for One

After dinner Quirky and I had a taste for something sweet, so we decided to whip together two quick microwave cakes. Once we got in the kitchen, Quirky and I realized that we wanted two different things, and well that led two completely different little cakes. For myself, we decided to make a "coffee" cake. This little cake turned out delicious and was just what I needed to satisfy both my sweet tooth and my coffee cravings. Here is what we did:

Pineapple Oatmeal Muffins with Almond Glaze

Recently Quirky and I were experimenting in the kitchen with our basic oatmeal muffin recipe, and came up with this sweet creation that is reminiscent of pineapple upside down cake, just with less sugar and heart healthy oatmeal. They made for a delicious breakfast served with hot coffee for me and milk for Quirky. This is what we did:

Quick Delicious Corn on the Cob

Sometimes the simplest way is the best. Take this recipe for instance, if you can even truly call it a recipe. To me it just simple, delicious, and something I've been doing for years. In all the years that I have made corn this way I have just never let Quirky help. Why I don't know, maybe because it was simple that I did it without even thinking about. Oh well...whatever the reason for not doing it in the past, today was a perfect day for us try this recipe together.

Chocolate Peanut Buttery Fudgy Deliciousness

Yummy! Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

As you might have guessed from some of my previous posts that Dork was recently out of town and Quirky and I went crazy cooking. It occupied our time and our minds and helped us to forget just how much we missed our Dork. Of course we had to make him something special for when he got back. So we decided that we would make him cookies, double chocolatey extra yummy cookies. We really...I mean really like...no love chocolate around here. So we started out pulling out all the ingredients to make the recipe for double chocolate cookies that I had when I realized that I was missing a good portion of the ingredients. I had less than half the butter I needed, only a third of the cocoa powder, on and one the list went. Yikes!...it's time to replenish the baking supplies. We could have given up...

Vanilla Chai Muffins

Vanilla Chai Muffins

Quirky and I love to experiment in the kitchen. Often we take a general idea of what we want and then run with it. Imaginations are not just for stories and art, we use them in the kitchen too.

This muffin came about one afternoon because of how much Quirky loves hot chai tea, well that and we had nothing...well nothing that Quirky really wanted left to eat for breakfast the next day. (We were both tired of cold cereal!) So Quirky and I decided that we would make a quick batch of muffins. It didn't take long and they turned out delicious. Here is what we did:

Homemade Gnocchi Soup

Quirky's Homemade Gnocchi Soup

Homemade Gnocchi has been on our list of things to make since Quirky was a little girl and a huge Curious George cartoons fan, and a huge fan of the little cat named....Gnocchi. She thought it was hysterical that the little cat was named after pasta, and she thought it was hysterical when Curious George tried to cook. Maybe that's why she likes to help out in the kitchen now. So why has it taken us so long to finally make our gnocchi? Fear. Plain and simple. The word gnocchi even sounds intimidating. I was absolutely positive it would be both difficult and time consuming. Last week however, the perfect opportunity came for Quirky and I to give this a try.

Valentine's Day is only one day...

Normally Dork and I don't make a really big deal out of Valentine's Day. We figure there are 365 days for us to show each other how much we care, and countless ways. From the little things that he does without fail,

Easy Stuffed Tacos...stuffed Mexican Pizzas...Well...

you can call them whatever you like. I call them time well spent in the kitchen with Quirky. Time chatting...giggling...and making something delicious. Time spent together. If we get dinner in the process, well that's even better. 

Peanut butter and chocolate no bake oatmeal bars...

Quirky and I have been baking again...well ok not really baking. We have been making some melt in your mouth oatmeal bars. They are a chocolatey and peanut buttery heaven and they take me back to my childhood and coming home to the smell of my Mom's chocolate oatmeal cookies.  I think these might be just as good... Don't tell mom.

These were fun to make with Quirky because they are quick and easy.Technically you could even use the microwave to boil the milk mixture...making the recipe really kid friendly. I've also decided that this recipe is healthy....it's full of oatmeal...and chocolate...and sugar...and butter. Ok...never mind they are still delicious!

Making Apple Apple Pies...

Ok...I apparently forgot to hit post back when I wrote this.  Well anyway here it is now. 

Quirky and I love the taste of apple pie. In fact saying the word in my head makes my mouth water. We love them so much that most trips to Mc Donald's end with an apple pie. To be honest though at $1.15 for two small pies they are really not that cheap...especially when you consider how cheap, easy, and fun they are to make on your own. So that's what we did...and we'll sorry McDonald's...you may not be getting our apple pie business anymore. Hope it doesn't bring down the business :) So how did we make our Apple Apple Pie?

You win some...You lose some

     I think might I have mentioned before that I am not a famous chef...nor a fabulous cook. But I can read a recipe and occasionally adapt them to make them my own. The other thing that I can do is admit when something I make goes wrong...

Oscar's Soft Batch Doggie Cookies

    Have you ever met the real Oscar Fido? If you have ever stopped by the blogs that I write along with my daughter you probably have been introduced to the story Oscar...but have you ever met the real Oscar. He's old...16 in dog years...forever and a day in human years. His eyesight is going...he is just as likely to stand in front of the closet door when he needs to go out as he is to stand in front of the door to the outside. Did I mention that he can't stand up very well and that it's hard for him to walk...most of the time I just carry him up and down the porch steps. He spends part of his day sleeping and the rest of his day making messes in the floor. He is pitiful and it is heartbreaking...I have had him since he was a grumpy cantankerous puppy. (Thus his name...Oscar) Yet...despite all of these things that are failing him, he still manages to stand (albeit it barely) at the gate to his doggie nursing home (AKA: my laundry room) and kick and head butt the gate to get our attention.  He does all of these things because the one thing that has not failed him is his nose...and his stomach. THE DOG LOVES TO EAT. So what do you do when you have an old, blind, arthritic dog who loves food more than anything in the world....

You make him soft batch doggie cookies of course! They are simple to make and Quirky and I love making them for Oscar. When we start whipping up a batch of these treats, Oscar comes out of his arthritic coma and whines,cries, and does what Quirky calls "Dog Fu". He kicks the gate until he is falling over and won't hush until they are done and we finally give him one. To put it mildly...HE LOVES THEM. So what is our recipe?

Oscar's Soft Batch Doggie Cookies

2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tbs baking powder
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup chicken broth

     Blend together flour and baking powder together into a large mixing bowl. Work the cup of peanut butter into the flour with your hands. Its messy and its fun. This is the part that Quirky likes. Slowly begin pouring the chicken broth into the mixture continue to mix until well blended and you have a thick dough. It will be the consistency of playdoh. Then you can either roll it out and cut out shapes or roll out balls and flatten them with the bottom of glass. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes at 375F.  What are you waiting for...go grab those kids and get baking!