T.G.I.F. and a Recipe

Warning: This post contains a sprinkling of images from our week. They may or may not have anything to do with the content of the text.If you are a parent, you have at one time or another worried about the food your child is consuming. From the moment they come into this world you ask yourselves questions about their food intake. Or at least I did and still do... Are they getting enough? Are they getting too much? Do they have a food allergy or intolerance? Why do they love something one day and despise it the next? Are they eating too much sugar? Are they eating enough veggies? Are the additives and preservatives affecting their behavior? And the list goes on and on...
I am committed to having healthy, fresh food in our house, and I try to limit the amount of fake, processed foods that we have. We make a lot of things from scratch and enjoy cooking together. I have not made the switch to organic, but the more I read the more I contemplate it. I do try to ensure the milk that we consume is from cows not treated with hormones.

Each day, I attempt to provide a nutrient filled breakfast, a home-packed lunch, and a wholesome dinner though that doesn't mean my children always eat what I cook. I believe that children not only will eat when they are hungry, but also that they will gravitate towards the nutrients that their body is craving.

My husband and I encourage our children to eat what is on their plate, but we do not force them. We encourage them to be adventuresome and to try new things, but we certainly don't expect that they clean their plate. In our eyes, that is one sure way to encourage over-eating. All of that being said, what's on their plate is what's for dinner. There are no other options. If they don't eat then the next meal is breakfast. And we expect them to sit at the table and talk about their day and listen to each other.

When it comes to food, my precious number three child is the one I "worry" the most about. He typically eats a great breakfast and a fabulous lunch, but he rarely touches his dinner. Some nights he doesn't even touch his milk. Really, he will sit down take one look and say "all done." I take comfort in the fact that he is not filling up on junk, and one day he will eat supper with us. Truly, there is not one vegetable he will eat. The moments are even rare when he will taste something green. I do worry about this though his pediatrician does not.
Well this morning, I made a new recipe for zucchini muffins, and he ate them. I am always comforted when he gets something green in his body even if it is trapped in muffin form.

I have my grandmother's delicious recipe for zucchini bread. As I was making it back in the fall, I was appalled at the amount of sugar and oil in it so I vowed to try something new. I used the Happy Healthy Mama's recipe though I did substitute sugar for agave nectar. We we all loved it! Mary Frances even suggested that I make them the next time we provide "Friday Treats" {a.k.a. snacks} for her class.

And just to to keep it real ~ I made two batches... When mixing the ingredients for the second batch I was so distracted that I completely forgot any sweetener. Those are even edible but taste a bit like baking soda. I think will be really good with honey, maple syrup, or my sweet friend Anne's apple butter.

Hope you have wonderful weekend plans. We are thrilled to have our first overnight house guests coming this evening...

Fun Fall Football Fare

I don't know about your your house, but in our house our fall social calendar revolves around college football~ SEC football in particular. Today has been no different!

We started our day around 5:00, and it wasn't the children who couldn't sleep. It was the adults! Remind me to remind Frank that he was the quitter today...

By 6:00, we had homemade BBQ sauce simmering on the stove top, pancake batter in a bowl, and one only child awake. Frank was on his way to Home Depot to get some supplies to work on the playhouse in our backyard, and I was off to the shower to prepare for the day. These is how my eldest son met me in the kitchen...

Don't you just love that bed head and sly smile!

Betsy and I left the gang to head to the YWCA for my Junior League Placement ~ Kids in the Kitchen. The rest of the family headed own the street to work on the playhouse. We met back at Pops' house to take BBQ to the workmen at the house and then back home to prepare for our own guests.

I'm always on the lookout for healthy snacks for my children. Those that can double as tailgate food are a bonus. Most game day food is high in calories and fat in addition to being highly processed. Nuts are a good pick-up food ~ easy and healthy yet high in fat and addictive so that you often eat more than you mean to. Today I found an alternative ~ roasted chickpeas! They were quite yummy ~ even Betsy liked them. That is saying A LOT since she won't eat much of anything.

Back to those guests ~
These sweet friends have three boys who fall in between each of our children. They are good boys and our children all play well together. It is always a treat to be together.

Try, Try, and Try Again!

Finally, I made some edible granola. Yes this really was my third attempt and yes it has taken me over six months to finally get it done. That's the way life is around here...

I'm really excited about this because my husband and children love sunrise yogurt yet I have been on a boycott of high fructose corn syrup and processed foods. {More on that later.} When I read the label of the boxed granola I used to buy for this creation, I cringed and went on strike.

from the archives 2010

I knew making homemade granola wasn't rocket science but I just couldn't seem to get mine to turn out right. I like it and the kids like it, but it has to pass the Frank test. I'll keep you posted on that and then provide a recipe.

Recipe Roundup

I love new recipes! I am always looking to try new things, and I know you are too. Sometimes I get stuck in a rut that I can't seem to get out of, but the change in season always ushers in new possibilities for menu options. The farmer's market is ripe with possibilities ~ bring on Pepper Place! Some of my summer favorites include crookneck or patty pan squash, Chilton County Peaches, garden ripe tomatoes and of course fresh basil. I am delighted that my children's new favorite vegetable is sauteed squash. Case and point that if you serve something often enough, they will eventually acquire a taste for the said food.

Several weeks ago we planted what seemed like an over-abundance of basil. I might be rushing the summer season, but I have managed to keep the basil well-trimmed while using it to cook. I've made Parmesan Basil Chicken, Corn with Basil and Lime Butter, and a Squash Frittata ~ just to name a few. I have also stocked my pantry with pine nuts so I am ready to make pesto which is our preferred "sauce" for homemade pizza.

Today, I want to share with you the recipe for the Parmesan Basil Chicken ~ It is so easy! This has quickly become my summer time "go to" chicken recipe. As the temperatures rise and the days grow longer we spend more and more time outside. I need recipes that can cook without me slaving over a pot. We aren't terrible fond of the texture created by crock pot meals, and one can only have so many casseroles in a given month. The grill is a great option, but since Frank switched to a Big Green Egg I am a bit intimidated by grilling out when he is not home. He has to walk me through the process every time I attempt to use it, and the end result is never as tasty and tender as when Frank does it. In addition I aim to have the meal ready to put on the table when Frank arrives home at 6:30 because my children* do best when they are in bed by 7:00. That leaves baked chicken... therefore I am on the hunt for ways to dress up four skinless chicken breasts. I'm a bit particular ~ I want tender flavorful bites. This recipe delivers and as a bonus my children like it!

Sprinkle desired number of skinless chicken breasts with salt and pepper and arrange in a Pyrex baking dish.

Next melt 1/4 cup butter.

Add 1/4 - 1/3 cup fresh chopped basil and 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Pour butter mixture over chicken.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

*This is why we try to be in bed at 7:00. After a full day complete with swim lessons, this little man literally collapsed on my shoulder as I was beginning to work on the fritatta.

Easy Breasy Peanut Butter Cookies

Do you ever say that in your house? We often say "easy breasy" when something is completed more quickly or easily than the children anticipated. Cheesy but effective particularly when there has been much complaining over completing a task.

Today I want to share with you an easy breasy recipe that I first tried just before Christmas. We were having an impromptu hamburger dinner with friends and I needed a quick dessert but I wasn't really in the mood for my "go to" recipe {i.e., chocolate chip}. I have been wanting to share this recipe since then because they were super easy and yummy, but I haven't have any pictures to accompany a post. The recipe is for Peanut Butter Cookies! They are truly what I consider to be the easiest and tastiest cookies around. The best part is that they only require four ingredients { you probably already have in your pantry} and they don't require a mixer. They are quickly becoming my "go to" cookie recipe which means they are replacing Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies.

So with out further ado, here's the recipe:

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir ingredients in a medium size bowl until completely mixed. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Place on a cookie sheet. Press flat with a fork. Bake at 350 10-15 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Makes about 2 dozen depending on your cookie size.

To make them a bit differently add 1 cup chocolate chips prior to mixing the dough.

Warning: they don't last long ~ you might want to double or even triple the recipe.

An aside:

Back in February, I realized the merit of posting recipes on my blog. We were going to the lake for the weekend, and at the last minute Frank asked me to make this strawberry shortcake for dessert. Well I forgot! Yes, that means I forgot to check the recipe and I forgot to gather the ingredients. It wasn't a big deal, and we certainly could have done without. However, once we got to the lake it turned out someone needed to run into town for something so I was able to check my archives to find out exactly what I needed to make the dessert. Since then I have wanted to be more diligent in posting recipes, however we are usually doing well to get a recipe prepped, prepared, and to the table. Often taking pictures just aren't in the cards.

So back to those cookies...Why were we making cookies? Why in the world did I need to triple the recipe?

We took pizza, peanut butter cookies, and drinks to the workmen at the house and we are having company for dinner tonight.

I hope you and yours have a wonderful spring weekend!

Salad Secrets

Do you ever feel like you enjoy the salads others make more than you enjoy your own?


Over the years of supper clubs, garden club lunches, dinner with friends, friends bringing dinners, etc, I have often encountered these feelings. In reality Frank and I like my original "go to" salad, and I am sure it is quite healthy. It is made with red or green leaf lettuce {not the bagged variety ~ you know I never do it the easy way} packed with chopped vegetables, a bit of cheddar cheese, and drizzled with a homemade vinaigrette.


But because everyone seemed to make a better salad than me, I've been taking notes. I have decided the four ingredients that make a great {and child friendly} salad are fruit, nuts, fun cheese, and a good dressing {preferably homemade}. Oh yeah and use the bagged lettuce ~ it's usually on sale and easy!


Here is the salad I've been making this week ~ I made the dressing and toasted the pecans once and assembled the ingredients three times. Seriously, three times and it is only Wednesday. On Sunday, I took it to supper club. On Monday, I took it to small group, and today I am taking it to a lunch meeting for my Junior League group. I'm not going to print the recipe here for fear of breaking some major copyright laws, but it can be found Table of Content in this cookbook.


My newer go to salad is spinach, sliced strawberries, almonds {or walnuts}, and goat cheese topped with raspberry walnut vinaigrette. This is the salad that got my children eating salad! I use Ken's dressing for this but would love to learn to make something comparable.

We often try to make our salads with spinach because we figure it has to be healthier than lettuce because it has so many more nutrients. The bonus is that my big two love it!

Humpty Dumpty

You know the rhyme:

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall

All the kings horses and all the kings men

Couldn't put Humpty together again.

What you may not know is that I spent the better part of my free time this summer putting together a "nursery rhyme curriculum" for my fellow Junior League volunteers with Success by 6 to follow. This curriculum includes 9 different nursery rhymes with a circle time, craft, snack, and various other activities for our volunteers to complete with the children in their daycare center. It has more information than anyone could every complete in the few hours we visit our day care center in a month. I had fun putting it together and feel like it allowed me to use my brain and all of the components my schooling prepared me to do. I just hope that it makes the year easier on my volunteers and that the children enjoy it.

Well yesterday, I concluded my month of Humpty Dumpty activities at Greater Shiloh, and I wanted to share some images from my time with these precious children. Before you get bored, and leave me let me tell you there are two fun book picks and a "cooking" activity you can do with your own children.

Where were my children? At school...Tuesday is the one day all three of mine go to school so I have from 8:45ish until 1:45ish to myself. I would love to tell you that this time is spent accomplishing all of the tasks around my house that I need to attend to but instead thus far this time has been spent at Greater Shiloh providing enrichment activities to a 4K classroom, meeting with builders or doing other building related homework, or at the doctor.

Yesterday was no different... After taking Stephen and Walker to school, I began my day at Greater Shiloh and then went to pick out stone/tile for the house.

We had circle time where we recited and acted out Humpty Dumpty and then I read the extremely clever book What Really Happened to Humpty? which I will tell you about later.

From circle time, the class was split into groups. One group colored their own Humpty Dumpty puppets to take home and the other group made Egg Heads.


First, I hard-boiled some eggs and cut them in slices for the body. Then, I truly went through my refrigerator and pantry and put together an assortment of various vegetables that could be used to decorate the "eggs."

The activity was well received and the children had a ball decorating and eating their "egg heads." They were great about being willing to try new foods. Some liked them...some did not!

Now for the books... Each of the nursery rhyme units is accompanied by a book list. The list contains books that can be read with the selected nursery rhyme. While at the library with my own chickadees a few weeks ago, I came across this clever little book.

This author had real vision... Go check it out and see how many other nursery rhyme or classic storybook characters you can count. There are lots of allusions! My goal is to read each of the alluded to books to my students at Greater Shiloh!

Fruit Leather

At risk of exposing myself to much ridicule from friends I am sharing this post with many who do not know about my secret bloggin' life.

When we were at the lake with our small group, I had a Tupperware filled with two batches of the fruit leather that the children and I prepared. One was mixed berries {strawberry, raspberry, and blueberry} left over from Mary Frances' baptism lunch. The other was blueberry/peach.

The other mother's were as intrigued as I was when I was first introduced to the concept of fruit leather about a year ago here.

I was intrigued because I have never been a fan of "fruit roll-ups". Even as a child it was not something I gravitated towards, but as a mother I knew that my children would love it ~ anything sweet, chewy, and different for them. I like the idea of knowing what they are eating and controlling the sugar content. Plus we are always up for a project in the kitchen.

Well, when I was searching online for a blueberry preserve recipe, I came across some additional directions for making fruit leather, and I knew I had to try it with some of those blueberries we picked.

I found the information here and here.

I've included some pictures of what we did in our kitchen:

Wash 2 cups of ripe or over-ripe fruit.

Put in the top of the double boiler. Cook for 15-20 minutes. Stir.

Place cooked fruit in the food processor* and puree. Add two tablespoons of lemon juice. Add sugar if necessary.

Line jelly-roll pan with parchment paper and spread pureed fruit evenly over the top.

Now for the not so exact part. The temperature on my oven settings doesn't go lower than warm so I placed the prepared trays into a warm oven for 4 to 6 hours and then turned the oven off, but I left the trays inside over night.

I think our leather could stand to be chewier, but it didn't keep my children from consuming mass quantities of fruit leather over the last month.

*I am a sucker for my food processor. I use it for a multitude of tasks throughout a typical week in our kitchen. Without double checking, I can almost assure you the directions recommend the blender, but I typically use a food processor for making puree instead of a blender. In my eyes, it just works better and faster, but you may have different luck with a blender.

This One's for MaMa

I consider myself blessed beyond measure. One of the greatest blessings and priveleges of my life is that I knew three of my great-grandparents. MaMa was my father's grandmother. My scanner is broken or I would include a picture. MaMa lived until she was 98. Wow! I was at summer camp when she passed away, and I distinctly remember making the realization that in her life span she saw gas powered automobiles become the standard mode of travel all the way to space exploration. That was staggering to me!

My brother and I, along with our double first cousins, had the privilege and pleasure of spending our summers at MaMa's summer home. Many of the best and most vivid memories of my childhood come from those summers. MaMa was the matriarch of the house and one of the duties of the matriarch was to plan and do most of the cooking. Well into her 90's you could find MaMa at home in the hot kitchen of March Inn.

Peaches are among my favorite summer foods and MaMa would go at least weekly to the "little girl" to buy peaches and tomatoes. She would then make scrumptious peach cobbler. For those of you who know anything about southern peach cobbler you know that it is very sweet in its own right. It doesn't need a topping to make it any sweeter. Well in MaMa's eyes cobbler wasn't complete unless ladened with what she called "hard sauce". Hard sauce was a delectable combination of softened butter and confection sugar with a dash of vanilla. This combination was put back into the refrigerator to harden and then spooned onto hot out of the oven fruit cobbler. I think I truly liked the hard sauce even better than the cobbler.

So what's the point? Well about a month ago a couple came over for dinner with their precious little one, and she brought a yummy strawberry shortcake. Mind you it was different than any strawberry shortcake I had ever had, but I loved it. There was a familiar taste that I craved, but I couldn't quite put my finger on why. I asked my friend for the recipe and prepared it the following weekend. The familiar taste that I loved so as a child was the combination of butter and confection sugar - uncooked mind you. Here is the recipe:

Strawberry Shortcake

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 cup soft butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups strawberries (or other fruit)

1 cup whipping cream lightly sweetened

Press crumbs in a 11x7x2 pan. Cream butter and gradually add sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat until fluffy but do not overbeat. Spread over graham crackers. Place strawberries on top. Whip cream and lightly sweeten. Spoon over berries. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

You might want to try it before summer completely slips into fall. Will try to post other promised recipes soon!