It'll Change Your Life

Ahhh, few things say summer like a plate of fresh and steaming hot corn on the cob.

While being the most anticipated side dish of the year, no one likes the mess that goes with buttering it, which is certainly not an optional component of corn eating.
Hopefully I won't get backlash here for sharing Edwards family secrets, but try buttering it this way, and corn eating as you know it will never be the same. (in case you can't tell, take your least fresh bread, cut in in quarters, put a generous pat of butter on it, and rub it on the corn) And please, only use real butter.

Ok, it may not change you life, but I obvously am pretty excited about sharing it..

I tried something new as we celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend with The Vinkle Family.

It was so simple, and I had never thought of it before. My friend Nancy told me about it so I decided to free up my oven and make my turkey breast in the crock pot.

Yes, the crock pot!

With a small kitchen and an apartment sized stove (I blame poor measuring skills on the former homeowner, and that's probably just being nice), having the open oven for a big dinner is a lifesaver!

I, of course, had to be slightly different than the instructions which were told to me as "1 can chicken broth and put turkey in breast side down, cook on high 1 hour, low 5 to 6 hours". I threw in some celery stalks, some onion, salt, pepper, and a half stick of butter (think rich, delicious gravy with the drippings).

Let me just say, a turkey breast is something that can turn out very dry, even when cooked and treated properly. Not this time! It was literally fall off the bone tender. I wanted to throw it under the broiler to crisp the skin, but it was falling off the bone to the point I could not even do that. Fortunately, there was no need. Wow, it was really good! I will for sure do this again.

I also have cast my vote that even though fresh butternut squash is not the most user friendly, it is 100% worth it.
Try this:
Preheat oven to 375
Peel, clean, and chop 2 large butternut squash into cubes
Place in 9x13 pan, drizzle with a little olive oil, a little fresh maple syrup, salt, pepper, and some butter chopped into small pieces
Roast for 30 minutes.
Yum, comfort food at it's best.

You Know Summer Has Arrived...

Sahlens hot dogs and burgers on the grill, garden veggies, homemade vanilla custard, fresh brewed iced tea with lots of lemon and this favorite- fresh mozzarella, basil, a bit of roasted red pepper atop a rosemary and olive oil Triscut (are there a few missing here? oops).

All served casually on paper plates for easy clean up....

I love summer food.

Canadian Maple Syrup

Aside from ketchup chips, this may be the best food item out of Canada!
I had asked my mom and dad in-law for some maple syrup. To my surprise, we got this!
A gallon, yes a whole gallon, of the good stuff!


From the Vinkle "mothership"


They say the "light" is the best kind.


Sharbot Lake, Ontario- Mom and Dad V's hometown! (this family is a relative who I have not met)


Now there's no need to pick and choose, I can make them all!

Pancakes


Maple glazed pork tenderloin


Belgian Waffles


Maple roasted squash

5 Steps or Less!

To a gourmet meal....

Some moms make grilled cheese or canned soup for lunch.... mine goes for Scallops in a Tarragon Cream Sauce. I watched my mom whip this gourmet lunch on our most recent snow day up in 5 steps or less, and had to share!

You need:
Large sea scallops (10 to 12)
white flour + seasonings (pepper, salt, garlic powder, paprika, a dash of each)
butter/olive oil (about a tablespoon of each)
half and half (use about 1 cup, and you can use the fat free variety and it's still yummy)
tarragon (about a teaspoon)
grainy dijon mustard (1 tablespoon, and I bet any mustard would do in a pinch)

1. Mix flour and seasonings, dredge scallops in mixture.
2. heat oil and butter on medium in a frying pan
3. sautee scallops about 4 minutes per side, until brown, remove from pan
4. mix cream, tarragon, and mustard (salt and pepper too) in the pan, bring to simmer until thickened
5. pour over scallops, eat.
(note: this can be done with shrimp or chicken if you don't have/like scallops)

Sorry for the cell phone pic... but it just had to be done. Yum.

Cooking Tips

Julia Child I am not, but I like to think have some worthy kitchen tips to share! I do love to cook, and have picked up some shortcuts and good tips along the way.



Here's one I made up:
If you like the onion taste, but not big chunks use your garlic press to add onion to your potato salad, guacamole, tuna fish, or whatever floats your boat. It adds a nice flavor, but none of the potent-ness of onion.

Here's one from my extended family:
When serving corn on the cob, quarter some few-day-old bread slices, put your butter pats on them, and use the bread as a tool to spread the butter (and please, use only real butter) on the corn.

Here's one I heard somewhere:
If you are using a cheese grater, pop your cheese in the freezer for a few minutes to make it grate better.

Here's one I got from my mom:
Is there a nice cut of meat on sale at the grocery store? Take it to the meat counter and have half of it ground-you will be amazed and the difference between packaged ground beef and beef that you have freshly ground. And, the other half makes a mighty fine roast for a small family!

Here's one for people following Weight Watchers or like to add some fiber:
Puree a can of kidney beans into your pasta sauce. They do not add or take away from any of the taste, but they add fiber and bring the points down. Use some Barilla Plus or other whole grain pasta and you just saved a ton of points.

Here's one for busy moms;
Use kitchen scissors instead of a knife to cut kid sized pieces of just about anything. Pizza, pasta, chicken, salad... you won't be sorry you try this.

Here's one for if you are stuck:
Uh oh... you said you'd bring something to a party and forgot all about it. Most people have everything to make these:
1. Deviled eggs
2. Saltine cracker cookie dessert
*Recipes at bottom*

Here's one just because:
Honey is delicious. Use it in your marinades (especially with fish), on toast with butter, on graham crackers with peanut butter, as a dip for chicken of any kind, in tea with lemon, in yogurt with any sort of crunchy element... yum.

Deviled Eggs :add 6 eggs covered in water to a pot and bring to a boil- remove from heat and cover for 18 min and take eggs out. Let cool some. Cut eggs in half length wise. Scoop yolks into gallon sized plastic bag, set whites aside. Add 1/4 cup (or so) of mayo and squirt of mustard, a touch of dill pickle juice, salt and pepper and mix. Add more mayo etc... if needed to the consistency of paste. Trim tip of bag and fill whites. Top with paprika (if you don't have it, don't worry about it).

Saltine cookies: preheat oven to 350, on a cookie sheet lined with foil, spread out one sleeve of saltines. In a pot boil cook 2 sticks of butter and 2 cups of sugar. Bring to boil and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Mixture will thicken as cooking. Pour over saltines. Put in oven for 10 minutes. Allow to set, and break into pieces. Optional- top with chocolate chips and let melt and/or slivered almonds. I like them plain.
No saltines? Graham crackers or club crackers are great too.

A Darn Good Salad

For some good eats, make this:
-Chopped romaine or any combo of mixed greens
-Your preferred salad veggies
-Crumbled Danish blue cheese (yes, it does matter)

-Croutons/chopped apple/walnuts (your preference)

But for some serious deliciousness, use this amazing dressing
(This is something I feel needs to be shared with you... it actually is an old family recipe that I hopefully will not be disowned for sharing:)
1/3 cup each:
-water
-ketchup
-vinegar (I love it with balsamic, the family uses cider... if you use the balsamic it's not the pretty red color it should be)
-oil (low fat folks, try it with applesauce)
-sugar (splenda, if you wish)
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
2 teaspoons dry mustard
sprinkle of celery seed (optional, I like)
1 whole clove garlic, peeled (remember, with garlic the bigger the piece, the milder the flavor)
- whisk well, refrigerate overnight for best taste... fish out garlic before serving.

P.S.- don't have these ingredients? Get creative- any type of oil and vinegar with the spices and flavors you like are usually 1 million times better than bottled dressings! Try balsamic, honey, garlic, and oil.. or Parmesan cheese, olive oil, black pepper, and red wine vinegar... etc, etc!! Yum!

Organic Confusion

Ok, so we're making some changes here in the Vinkle household. I have been learning and realizing that making the sacrifice to but more natural and organic foods was necessary for the health and safety of our family. So, finally I found a butcher that carries some organic meats so I went there. I was prepared to pay more, but YIKES, this was a LOT more! I got it anyway, and I don't know if it was in my head or not, but those burgers were mighty tasty. (I also found organic chocolate chip cookies, whose fat and calories do not count.) Today at Tops I also looked for natural, organic, and more whole foods. Well, let's just say my bargain hunting pride was bruised a little when I got very few bags for $83.00.

But, this is a sacrifice that I feel will benefit my family, so can you really put a price tag on that? Here is a portion of an article taken from naturalpath.com:

"Skeptics claim that labeling foods organic is just a marketing tactic to get consumers to pay a premium. And, some scientists maintain that there are no discernible health differences between the two.
However, there are numerous health benefits, both personal and planetary, to eating an organic diet.
Organic foods minimize exposure to pesticides, which have been proven to be toxic in the human diet, and often linked with cancer. This is especially critical for children, who are even more susceptible to the effects of toxins than adults.
Organically grown foods have reduced amounts of heavy metals such as lead and mercury, and solvents like benzene and toluene, when compared to conventionally grown foods. Minimizing exposure to these toxins is beneficial, as accumulation of heavy metals is associated with many diseases such as allergic reactions, nerve disorders, and cancer.
Organic foods are also more nutritious than their conventional counterparts. Recent studies have found significantly higher levels of nutrients and antioxidants in organic produce. Analysis shows that organic foods have, on average, 27% more vitamin C, 29% more iron, and 14% more phosphorus. A study by Globe and Mail and CTV news, found that today's potatoes, compared with those from 50 years ago, contain 57% less vitamin C, 57% less iron, and 50% less riboflavin. Modern industrial broccoli has 63% less calcium, 34% less iron, and a decrease in seven other vital other nutrients."

There are countless resources out there, some that tell you not to bother at all, others more middle of the road, and some that are nazi-ish in their organic beliefs. i get so confused!

For a full list of what the best produce is to buy organic click here

Stolen Recipe

I had to steal this from Kara (totally read worthy blog) who shared this and made my Sunday.

Make it, you'll be glad you did.

White chili with chicken. (my modifications in parenthesis, just b/c some things I did not have on hand, or preferred more)



3 T olive oil (I used a little less)
1 onion (I used 2)
2 t chili powder
1 1/2 t cumin
1 t oregano
2 garlic cloves ( very finely chopped mine)
2 cans white kidney or navy beans, drained and rinsed (I used cannelloni beans)
3 to 4 cups cooked chicken
1 cup corn (I used 2 drained cans of corn)
5 green chilies diced (I used 2 fresh hot peppers from the garden, and sauteed with the onion)
2 cups chicken broth (I used 3 cups)
1/4 t salt
2 T flour (I used cold water and corn starch)
3 to 4 T half and half
Grated cheese

Warm oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute it. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and garlic, and saute for another minute. Stir in the white beans, chicken, corn, chilies, chicken broth, and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, blend the butter and flour. Add the mixture to the chili and stir until it thickens, about a minute. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Add half and half to thicken it. Serve with cheese on top!

Green Thumb Hubby

He's got the knack to turn this


Into this...


And these...


I can take no credit for this mere sampling of beauties, but you can better believe I am going to put them to good use!!

Oh, the Things We Do To Get Our Children to Eat

The Proof is in the Pudding

I have been thinking about the topic for my next blog all day. Needlessly, apparently.... leave it to me to walk of out the dining room for a minute...


This is how I found them...
     
Zachary knows he's in trouble!

Adam sweetly feeds his brother

This is the way they kiss

MMMMMM...

Grin!

Looking a little guilty... or full?

Little Stinker

Food for Thought

On the tails of a popular HGTV show, I give you a grocery edition of "What You Get for the Money".

$1.19
A single bottle of Lipton Tea

OR
A whole bunch of bananas


$2.99
Fruit Loops ( I do love these)

OR
Kashi waffles, loaded with fiber and taste awesome

PLUS THIS!
A dozen eggs!


$3.99
Lay's Chips

OR
A whole watermelon

I could go on, but I won't.
So, while the junk constantly tempts me, i am learning to be more conscientious of not only my health, but the value in eating foods that are not as highly processed. While they are more work, you get a lot more for the money!
P.S.- Lay's have their place, don't get me wrong... and boy I could go for a cold Lipton Tea...

Thank You Real Simple

Since becoming a mom, I have become a more avid magazine reader, for a couple reasons. One, it's much easier to read a quick article and process it, and two, a magazine won't keep me up all night compulsively reading, like books always have.
So, I purchased Real Simple, the August 2009 issue. It's a favorite for me... and I just had to blog this one (pardon my plagiarism, I did some modifications)!
I have been trying, trying, trying to eat healthier and ditch the junk that I have loved... so this will certainly be posted on my fridge.
So, here's a synopsis of the article "How to Snack Smarter"
Mastering the Mini Meal... this is great for me, a person who eats small portions, but LOVES to snack!! The benefits of incorporating appropriate snacks between means are as follows:
- keeps metabolism efficient
- prevents overeating
- improves nutrition
- boosts mood
- stops cravings
Here are some of their suggestions that sound fantastic!
- one inch cube hard cheese with 4-6 dried apricot halves
- air popped or 94% fat free popcorn topped with some dark chocolate shavings
- Melba toast with cream cheese and berries
- apple slices dipped in almond butter (I like natural peanut butter)
- handful almonds and dried cherries/blueberries
- small bowl tomato soup with a dollop of sour cream
- 2-4 tablespoons hummus with veggies
- cucumbers with Laughing Cow cheese or Baby Belle cheese
- greek yogurt with honey and chopped walnuts (yum!!)
- whole wheat enhlish muffin with peanut butter

Now doesn't that sound better than a bowl of chips? I am going to exert a little more effort and try some of these yummy sounding ideas. You too?

Amazing recipe

Ok, so I did not make this one up, in fact I sort of stole it... but it was absolutely delicious.

Stuffed Pork Chops with Apple Glaze
6 boneless pork chops, cut a slit in each to stuff
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup diced apple
3 tbs crumbled cooked bacon

Combine blue cheese, apples, and bacon. Use hands to mix and form a dough like consistency. Divide and stuff into pork chops.

glaze:
1/2 cup apple juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp dry mustard

Mix together and pour over stuffed pork chops. Freezes well if you want to split it up.

Preheat oven to 350 and bake uncovered 25-35 min.

Enjoy!