GET YOUR VEG ON KIDDIE STYLE

      After a morning spent playing outside in the foggy rain, and crafting "Little Red Riding Hood" puppets, my little boy was hungry!  My favorite food to make lately when I want a fast, nutritious lunch is alphabet pasta with vegetables and browned butter.  Who says you can only use vegetable alphabets in soup?  This dish actually reminds me of hilopites, a greek square shaped pasta.  Every now and then my family in Greece sends a batch of homemade hilopites to my mother, and if I am really lucky, she shares her stash with me.  As a nutritious substitute, we love to use Vegetable Alphabets pasta from Eden Organic.  They are made from 60% organic whole grains and are vegetable dyed lovely hues with beets, spinach, carrots and annatto.  The trick to this meal is chopping or grating whatever vegetables you have on hand, so they are in easy to eat little bits.  The "sauce" is simply butter that is melted to the point of just browning, which give this pasta a lovely nutty, buttery flavour.  We can't get enough of this dish in us, so be sure to make lots...we always do!

VEGETABLE ALPHABETS with Browned Butter

1/2 pound Eden Organc vegetable alphabets

1/4-1/2 cup organic butter

1 cup organic butternut squash, grated

1 organic carrot, grated

3 handfuls organic spinach, torn

Other great additions:  peas, broccoli, rutabaga, red peppers

freshly grated romano cheese

sea salt

Method:  Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Stir in 1/2 Tbsp sea salt into the water, along with the pasta.  While it cooks, heat a small saucepan over medium low heat and heat the butter until it starts to brown slightly, about 5 minutes.  When the pasta is almost ready, stir in the veggies.  Strain the pasta when it is tender and pour the browned butter over top.  Top with lots of cheese.

CRAZY FOR ICE CREAM

Owning an ice cream maker doesn't necessarily mean you will make ice cream that often.  It is one of those appliances that seems like a great idea when you are in the store, you buy it and bring it home, and then rarely ever use.  I own alot of kitchen appliances and gadgets like that, but I refuse to give them away because when I do want to make __________ (fill in the blank - ice cream, popcorn, pasta, peel apples, core apples, juice, etc)  then I have the tool to do the job.  Unfortunately this means my basement is FULL of kitchen equipment.  Ah well, that's the beauty of having a basement.  A friend recently told me that Gandhi once said to only own as much "stuff" as you can fit into a chest.  HMMMMMMMM I am way past that point.  Though it is comforting to think that I am not a fear based person when it comes to the thought of my house being broken into and all my stuff stolen.  I mean I like my stuff, but I can live without all of it.  Anyway, so the point of this story is that I have been making ice cream a lot lately.  I can't help it.  I see organic dairy products on sale and I keep bringing home whipping cream and milk that needs to be used STAT!  My favorite thus far has been last night's treat of Peanut Butter Chocolate ice cream.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER ICE CREAM

3 organic eggs

1 cup organic sugar

250 g organic chocolate chips

2 1/4 cup organic half and half

1 cup organic whole milk

1 tsp organic vanilla extract

3/4 cup organic natural peanut butter

Method:  Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a bowl.  In a medium saucepan, combine the chocolate and cream.  Cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally until chocolate is melted.  Whisk into the egg mixture.  Return entire mixture back to the pan and cook over low heat until it thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.  Strain into a large bowl.  Let cool to room temperature.  Then stir in the vanilla and milk.  Cover and refrigerate until cold.

Transfer one cup of the cream mixture to a blender and blend in the peanut butter.  Stir peanut butter mixture into remaining cream mixture.  Transfer to an ice cream maker.

THE BIG 3

     Just winding down from a day of lots of busy excitement as my little boy turns 3.  His birthday isn't actually until Thursday, but we celebrated it today with lots of fun and friends.  I look back at last year's birthday party and wonder how  I managed to do it all!  I pared down the extravagance big time this year due to the fact that we now have two little ones to tend to, but I tried to still keep it special and delicious. 

     As you may remember, I have committed to striving to live as plastic-free a life as possible, which means not buying products packaged in plastic or made of plastic.  So last year at birthday time I bought Chinese paper lanterns instead of balloons.  The beauty of these lanterns is that they can be used over and over again, and they add a nice festive touch to parties.  The paper theme continued over to the corner where we hung a pinata shaped like a sun wearing sunglasses.  I stuffed this sucker full of little wooden toys, chocolate coins, and fruit sticks.  I had an uneasy feeling this "pull ribbon" variety of pinata was a dud.  I was right, after pulling off all the ribbons the darn thing didn't open.  I had to seriously put a lot of effort into busting the thing open to get the candies out....oh well.

     Since Faegan is now three, I thought we could try letting the little ones make their own pizzas.  The dough and toppings were made in advance and ready to go for when the guests arrived.  After some outdoor play and a snack of popcorn with (unintentional) burnt butter, they went to work creating their very own pies.  My favorite was the pizza face, made by chewing away bits of pepperoni to make a smile and pupils.  

     The sweetest part of the party of course was dessert.  Today was a great opportunity to try making super large cupcakes with the pan I've had kicking around since last years aborted baking idea.  I thought it would be neat to give each kid their very own cake to eat instead of cutting into a traditional birthday cake.  My favorite maple chocolate cake recipe translated fairly well over to cupcakes, except they sort of sunk in the middle.  No matter though, they still tasted great, especially when served with a side of homemade honey ice cream.  

MAPLE CHOCOLATE CAKE

(makes one 6” layer cake or 9 large cupcakes)

¾ cup organic whole wheat flour

1 cup organic unbleached white flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

¾ cup organic cocoa powder

½ tsp sea salt

1 cup organic whole milk

½ cup organic vegetable oil (sunflower or safflower)

1 ½ cups local maple syrup

1 tsp organic apple cider vinegar

2 tsp pure organic vanilla

Method: Preheat oven to 350*.  Prepare two 6” round cake pans by greasing them with some oil and then lining with parchment paper cut into rounds.  Sift all dry ingredients together into a bowl.  Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat, and then stir in the cocoa powder until dissolved.  Whisk the oil, maple syrup, vinegar and vanilla into the cocoa mixture.  Stir the wet ingredients into to the dry.  Pour into prepared cake pans and bake in 350* oven for 45-60 minutes in cake pans and for 22 minutes in the cupcake pan.  Allow to cool on a  baking rack for 10 minutes before removing cakes from pans.  Cool completely before icing.


MAPLE CHOCOLATE ICING


1/2 cup organic cocoa powder, sifted
100 g organic unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp pure organic vanilla extract
1/2 cup local maple syrup


Method:  Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric stand mixer.  Add the vanilla and maple syrup.  Slowly stir in the cocoa powder.

HONEY VANILLA ICE CREAM

4 organic egg yolks

1/2 cup local honey

1 cups organic cream

1 cups organic whole milk

1 tsp organic vanilla

Method:  Whisk the egg yolks with the honey.  Set aside.

In a saucepan over medium low heat, bring cream and milk to a simmer and then gradually whisk into the egg mixture.

Return the entire mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.  Stir in vanilla.  Cover and refrigerate until cold.  Stir and transfer into an ice cream maker.

SUGARING TIME

As you may have noticed, I love maple syrup.  I use it whenever possible, and love substituting it for sugar whenever I can in recipes.  Our house is always stocked with it, and in fact, I start to get anxious when we run out.  So, it only makes sense that we would try our hand at harvesting our very own sap to make maple syrup.  To our dismay, we only have three (small) maples on our property.  That hasn't stopped us from purchasing three spiles and tapping away.  Going around to each tree to empty the buckets of sap is one of the highlights of my day.  Right now, all the sap is gathering in our fridge until the weekend when the big boil down occurs.......

Did you know that maple sap makes for a refreshing beverage right out of the tree?  Oh indeed!  And so even without a chemical analysis of it, I can pretty much guarantee it is full of electrolytes and life giving energy to give you just the boost you need this spring.  If drinking it straight up isn't your thing, try replacing it for water in your favorite recipes....oatmeal, coffee, tea and more!

SPROUTS OF SPRING

All the excitement over the first signs of spring have inspired me to start sprouting again.  I seem to go in phases when it comes to sprouting.  I think sprouts are especially good in the spring, as their vibrant energy helps our bodies get in gear for the warmer weather.  Growing your own sprouts is farming essentially, only you do it indoors, which also makes them great winter crops to supplement the heavier fare of winter. I could go on and on about sprouts, but instead I'll just share you an excerpt from my new book!  Yes, that's right I am writing a book which is almost complete!  So exciting.  All I can say about it now is that it is basically a renegade homemakers guide to living.......will keep you posted on it's developments as they unfold..
Sprouting is a wonderful and easy way to grow some of your own food year round.  Not only are sprouts tasty, they are very nutritious.  Sprouts are concentrated natural sources of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, trace minerals, amino acids and proteins.  Growing your own sprouts reduces the amount of packaging that store bought ones come in, not to mention the carbon footprint associated with shipping fresh produce to stores.  Homegrown sprouts are also always fresh, and a rewarding experience to grow!
What can be sprouted?
Although most people are only familiar with alfalfa sprouts and asian bean sprouts, there are so many wonderful sprouts you can grow:
* alfalfa
* broccoli
* lentils
* radish
* red clover
* mung beans
*onion

METHODS OF SPROUTING
There are so many ways to sprout seeds, depending on the tool you use.  I personally prefer sprouting in a glass mason jar and in a specially designed sprouting tray that has perforated hole in the bottom.  When I am growing sunflower sprouts, I start the seeds in a mason jar and then transfer them to a tray filled with soil.

MASON JAR METHOD
1. Soak the Seeds: Not all seeds require this step. If they do, fill the jar with seeds and water, twirl the water in the jar, pout water out and repeat until the water runs clear.  Fill the jar with cool water and leave to soak for 8-12 hours.
2. Rinsing and Draining: Drain the water out of the jar, fill it with cool water, twirl the water.  Pour off the water and repeat once or twice more.  Rinse 2-3 times daily.  When you are done rinsing, you need to get as much of the water out of the jar as possible.  Turn the jar over and shake until all the water is gone.
3. Sprouting: Place the jar face down at an angle between the times you are rinsing and draining.  You can use a dish rack or high-rimmed bowl for this purpose.  Be sure that the jar is placed in a low light area.  When the sprouts are done and big enough to eat, you can move them to a brighter area of your kitchen, but never in direct sunlight.  Placing them in more light will cause the leaves to turn green, which is a good thing.  Refrigerate the sprouts to slow the growth rate and keep them fresh until you eat them.

SPROUTING TRAYS

Growing sprouts in a tray is very similar to growing them in a jar.
1. Soak the seeds in a jar as outlined above.
2. Rinse and drain the seeds in the sprouting tray.  The perforated holes will allow the water to drain out.  Be sure all the water is removed from the tray.
3. Cover the tray with a damp cloth in a dimly lit part of your kitchen.  Be sure to rinse and drain 2-3 times a day.
4. Sprouting: When the sprouts reach the desired height, remove the cloth and move them to an area of the kitchen with more light to green off your plants.  When done, store sprouts in a container in the refrigerator.

GROWING GREENS

The difference between sprouts and greens is that sprouts are eaten root and all, whereas greens are harvested and you only eat the greens!  Greens also differ from sprouts in that they require soil to grow.
The most popular greens to grow are sunflower, buckwheat, and pea.
1. Pre-Sprout the Seeds: Most seeds need to be soaked and pre-sprouted until they grow a root of about 1/8-1/3-inch long.
2. Growing Medium:  Fill a shallow tray with organic potting soil.  It is not necessary that the tray have holes.  Spread the seeds evenly over the moistened soil.  Store the tray in low light at room temperature.  Water lightly every morning until the greens are 2-3 inches long.
3. Sun Your Plants: Move the tray to a well-lit area out of direct sunlight.  They should be ready in a few day.
4. Harvest: Use scissors to cut the greens off above soil level.  Store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat them.  Some of the sprouts may not be ready to harvest yet, so just let them grow some more.  You will be able to harvest a few times before all the seeds are spent.

GROWING GRASSES

The increase in popularity of juice bars, raw foods, and healthy living has introduced people to the benefits of grass juices.  You have probably heard of wheatgrass juice, the very concentrated green liquid often consumed straight up like a shot, or mixed into smoothies.  Wheatgrass juice is believed to help cleanse the lymph system, restore balance in the body, help remove toxic metals from the cells, and restore vitality.  In addition to wheat, many people grow and juice other grains like spelt, rye, and barley.

The best way to juice grasses are with a hand-cranked or automatic wheat grass juicer that acts as a press that slowly extracts the juice from each blade of grass.  Using a wheat grass juicer is preferable because it does not destroy the enzymes with high speed.  Grasses are grown exactly the same way as greens, but must be consumed and juiced immediately, or very shortly after harvesting.

SPRING IS HERE!

Happy Spring Equinox!  After a long winter of hibernating and gestating, I am so glad spring is here.  To celebrate the first day of spring, the sun shone brightly and I cleaned my house.  Nothing says spring like a little spring cleaning.  Oh, and nothing says spring like fresh local spinach at the Farmer's Market.  I can't tell you how excited I was to see that.  To top off my excitement about the spinach, I was delighted to see it being sold in bulk, so no plastic bag!  Woo hoo.  I filled a paper bag and have been happily consuming spinach at every meal thus far.  Spinach in my crepes this morning, spinach in my tomato salad last night, spinach salad for supper tonight......mmmmmmmm spring.  Oh, I also came home from the market with some local, pesticide free, greenhouse tomatoes yesterday too.  I can't wait to see what else is in store at the market next week.  But until then, I am content to still eat winter squash.  It shined tonight next to our Equinox feast of Lemon Chicken and Spinach Salad.  That is the beauty of spring.  Just as the days are still sometimes gray and cold, the sun still feels that much warmer.  The gradual shift from winter to summer is what spring is all about, and so our diet should reflect this too.  The slow emergence of spring's bounty mingles beautifully with the last few remains of fall's harvest.

SPINACH SALAD with a Yogurt Pear Vinaigrette

1/2 pound local organic spinach, washed and torn

1 organic carrot, grated

a sprinkle of organic sunflower seeds

3 Tbsp organic whole milk yogurt

2 Tbsp e.v olive oil

1 Tbsp organic pear cider vinegar

1/2 Tbsp local honey

sea salt and pepper

Method:  Whisk the yogurt, oil, vinegar, honey, sea salt, and pepper in a bowl.  Drizzle it on salad.  Serve.

GREEK LEMON CHICKEN

4 organic chicken thighs

1 clove organic garlic, minced

juice of half an organic lemon

3 Tbsp e.v olive oil

1 Tbsp dried organic oregano

sea salt and pepper

Method:  Preheat oven to 375*.  Marinate chicken pieces in the lemon juice, olive oil, and oregano in the fridge for 2-4 hours.  When ready to cook, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Drain the chicken from the marinade and cook in the oven for about 30 minutes or until juices run clear and skin is browned.

BABIES AND BACON

I really miss my blog.  It has been so long since I've posted any new recipes and updates on my life.  But we've been a little busy baking a baby.  And he's here!  Welcome Jude, we just want to eat you up.  As you can imagine, life is a little hectic here at times with two wee ones to take care of.  We are slowly getting into a rhythm, but sadly making exciting food is last on the list of things to do.  We've been finding ourselves eating leftovers for a few days actually, so I've spared you the details of those fancy meals.  The other day I managed to fry up some bacon, slather a couple of croissants with dijon, melt cheese and slice apple for some lunch sandwiches, which I then had to eat with a crying baby in a sling as I dropped croissant flakes all over him as I ate standing up.  I didn't even have a chance to change the lens on my camera to get a good picture.......I am going to share it with you nonetheless....