December's Eats

Well Christmas is coming up soon.  And I could do a post of all of the Christmas cookies I have been making, believe me our kitchen island is very festive with all sorts of cookie tins.  However, I do believe in balance so along with my cookies I still like to continue to eat healthy whole foods that have a minimum of processed ingredients.  (Dessert does not fall into this category at all.)  

Last Friday, my husband and I were alone for dinner so it was cheese souffle.  When all 5 or even 4 of us are at home the dish is not enough for us all, but for 2 it's perfect maybe even a bit much.  Served with homemade bread, a green salad and wine and dinner is all set.

I love kale, especially in salads.  I can make a large batch, and it will keep for a few days.  So of course I made some for lunch this past weekend and topped it with roasted squash, feta, avocado and pepitas. Delish!

Another lunch:  left over mix roasted veggie soup.  On the side sautéed chanterelle mushrooms on top of sourdough bread and grated manchego cheese.

We had a crazy night of meetings, concerts and work the other day.  I made taco meat so my son could have something to eat early and others could eat when they needed to.  I also roasted some cabbage.  Most of my family had regular soft tacos, but I thought I'd take a different spin on dinner and use some of our leftover rice and beans, taco meat, the cabbage and a little cheese.   It also worked well for lunch the next day.

Breakfast Tuesday: Sunny side-up eggs over left over roasted veggies and a piece of toast.  I know I made this after a 4 mile morning run.  This has become one of my go-to breakfasts because it's an easy way to add more veggies in my day and super quick to prepare. I try to make a large amount of mixed  roasted veggies once or twice a week to have on hand for such breakfasts or any other thing I can dream up.

Bon Appétit! 

And as always with love from the Midwest,

Beth

Rum Balls

As with many other people who like to cook and bake, this time of year revolves around the kitchen.  I can't think of a better way to spend a day than with family members, listening to Christmas music and making a treat.  The other day I made an old family recipe, rum balls.  They used to be bourbon balls, but I don't like bourbon so I switched my alcohol to my liking.  The recipe is simple enough to make on a weekday after school, especially if you have help.  The problem is waiting to eat them.  They really are best if you wait a week before eating them.

The ingredients are simple enough: 1 box vanilla wafers, 1 T cocoa powder, 3 1/2 T corn syrup, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 cup walnuts or pecans and 1/2 cup rum.  This can easily be doubled. 

After I pulverized the wafers and nuts in a food processor, I combined the wafers, nuts, cocoa and powdered sugar in a large bowl and mixed together. 

This is what the mixture looks like after I added 1 cup rum and 3 1/2 T corn syrup.  It's not very pretty, but it will taste so good.

Shape into small balls, about 1 1/2" in diameter and roll in granulated sugar.  Let the rum balls sit out for about 1 hour so they can set before putting them in a cookie tin.

Remember a week is usually good enough before eating, however they age very well.  

Bon appétit and as always with love from the Midwest, 

Beth 

Thanksgiving Eating and More

Going back to  work today was difficult; I won't lie.  Primarily because Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holiday.  It is almost better than Christmas, because I don't have to worry about presents.  I love a holiday that revolves around cooking.  However I always start my Thanksgiving with our cities 5 mile turkey trot and this year my daughter Sophie decided to join us.  Of course afterwards we always stop for coffee.  I've got to have my latte.  

We serve dinner around 6:30 so I have plenty of time to make dinner, grill the turkey and do any finishing touches.  Most of this menu I made ahead on Wednesday and earlier.  So yes I did make 3 desserts for 7 people and we ate everything over the weekend.

The table is all set for the meal.  I like to use my real silver and good china; it is Thanksgiving after all.  This year we served Beaujolais Nouveau and Chateau Ste. Michelle with dinner. 

Saturday I went to my indoor farmers' market and picked up some quail eggs.  My husband thought they'd be super cute on top of a steak for lunch.  They are so buttery and fragile.  

Of course what would the end of Thanksgiving be without making the start of the Christmas goodies? White chocolate covered pretzels are a family favorite.

I hope your Thanksgiving was filled with many things for which you are thankful.  

As always with love from the Midwest,

Beth 

Muffins for Madeleine

In the past I wouldn't have given a recipe for gluten free bread a second look.  Now that I have a daughter who needs to be gluten free, if I see something that might be good I give it a try.  I love the magazine Eating Well.  If you haven't looked through it's pages I highly recommend.  A couple of weeks ago I came across this recipe for pumpkin oat muffins.    They are quick and easy to make and can be made gluten free who needs to be completely gluten free.  The recipe calls for making oat flour in the blender.  That is super easy even without a Vitamix.  Please note that not all oats are free of wheat contaminants and need to say gluten free. 

Starting a month or so ago I found a local source for free range chicken eggs!  I pick them up weekly and if I'm lucky they are still warm.  They haven't been washed, so I just store them on my baker's table in my dining room.  They are delicious.

The recipe calls for either cranberries or chocolate chips.  In my mind there is no question.  I didn't have minis so I just chopped up some regular sized chips.  

The final product.  I made regular sized muffins and it only made 9.  I did cook them for a full 20 minutes even in my convection oven.  They stayed good for 5 days until there were no more.

I sent down a second batch to my daughter, and she loved them.  They didn't last long between her and her roommate.  

Bon Appétit!

and as always with love from the Midwest,

Beth

A Perfect Fall Day

I really do love fall.  Yes sometimes the weather can be awful: rain, sleet, snow, yes snow.  However some days are just perfect.  Yesterday was one of them.  It was a real delight to be outside.  No wind, upper 40-50 degrees and the some the trees still have color on them.  The garden is mostly put to bed, and even though that means I'll have to buy my produce from the supermarket soon, I know next year I'll  be back out there and at at the farmers' market.

I spent most of my day raking leaves.  Actually, other than a sore shoulder I really like this activity. I even mowed  the lawn for one last time for good measure.  Except for two small trees, the yard is ready for its winter sleep.  

Also what a better way to finish up a great fall day than by making something with squash or pumpkin.  I have several butternut squash from the farmers' market in my basement and I thought it was time to make soup.  Today it was roasted squash and carrot soup. The recipe makes a lot so I had some for lunch, saved some for the school week and froze some for another two lunches. 

As I said a perfect fall day.  

Enjoy the soup:

2 butternut squash - halved and seeds scooped out.

1 pound peeled and large cut carrots

1 large onion chopped in large slices.

Roast all veggies on sheet pans. 375 degrees for about 30-50 minutes depending on your oven.  I put the squash flesh side down on  their own lightly greased sheet. The squash took about 45 minutes total in a convection oven. About ten minutes later I mixed the carrots and onions with olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper and roasted them for about 30 minutes.  When everything was soft and maybe slightly chard I put it in my Vitamix for with 5 1/2 cups chicken broth.  I had to do this in 2 batches and stir everything together in a large bowl at the end. Correct for seasonings. 

I added chia seeds and swirl of olive oil to the finished soup. 

Bon Appétit. 

As always with love from the Midwest,

Beth  

Chicken Tagine with Olives and Lemons

Thankfully my daughter went through my recipe binder recently and found this recipe from Bon Appétit.  This chicken tagine is really quite simple if you have all of the ingredients on hand.  I just mix everything in the food processor, marinade the chicken for 2 hours or up to 1 day in a large plastic bag.   To cook I use a clay pot, but any oven proof pot with a cover will do.  Also if you need a prep ahead dinner party dish this is it. 

The recipe is as follows: 

2 Tbl minced garlic

3/4 c chopped cilantro

3/4 c chopped parsley

2 cups chopped onions

2 tsp lemon zest

1/2 c lemon juice

1/2 c olive oil

2 Tbs paprika

2 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp saffron threads

1 whole chicken - about 4 pounds

3/4 cup chopped black olives

2 small lemons thinly sliced

1 1/2 c water

Bring first 13 ingredients together, as I said in a food processor it's super quick.  Pour into a bowl or gallon plastic bag and add chicken.  Marinate for at least 2 hours.  Refrigerate until ready to cook. 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Add chicken and marinade to oven proof dish along with the water, olives and the lemons.  Cover and cook for about 1 hour, until the chicken is cooked through.  Transfer to a platter and serve with sauce, couscous and a dark green.  

Serve with a white wine or beer.

Bon Appétit!

And as always with love from the Midwest,

Beth 

Sunday Dinner - BBQ Pork on the BGE

I realized I haven't done a Sunday dinner post. Please sit down as a family at least once a week, it is really so important to connect with one another, no phones, just face to face conversation.  We never know what topic will come up in our conversations.  Sometimes it is something simple other times its weighty political topics.  Both are great. Dinner doesn't have to be a big affair when you sit down, but I do love to cook so on the weekends I put some more time into my meal. This Sunday it meant all day. 

I started by pulling my pork out of the fridge around 8 am so it could come to more than fridge temperature.  After that I started to get the grill going.  While the grill and meat were warming up my son and I ate our breakfast.

After the BGE started to warm up I added our apple wood.  My husband and I found these huge chunks at the Green Bay farmers' market.  I wish I remembered the vendor, because they were great.  I let the grill come to about 200 degrees.  The idea is low and slow.  

Once I put the pork on the grill it was time to make the mop sauce.  This is a combination of 1/4 c brown sugar, 2 c cider vinegar and about 1 tsp each red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper.  More if you like it really spicy.  Bring the sauce to a boil so the sugar can dissolve.  Separate the sauce 1/3 in a cup for basting and 2/3 in a bowl for use later on.  About every hour baste the pork.  Also its really important to make sure the Egg stays at 200 degrees or so and doesn't spike higher. 

About 9 hours later we pulled off the pork.  It's always a beautiful sight.  

We sliced and cubed it and tossed it in a large bowl with the remaining mop sauce that I put aside earlier on. 

We served the pork with homemade biscuits, the last of the year's corn on the cob from the market, green salad and applesauce I made earlier on that day.

Bon Appétit!

And as always with love from the Midwest,

Beth 

A day in the Life

Well I've been seeing a bunch of blog posts about peoples days or what they ate so I thought I'd post my own.  I'm not always the best about taking pictures about everything, but I set that as my goal for today.  However there are somethings that really don't need a picture - such as dirty laundry. 

I usually get up around 5:20 during the week and exercise.  It's either a run or yoga in my basement.  I love to run outside as long as I can, but once the ice and snow hit I'm on my treadmill.  Today's run was 3 miles in slightly misty conditions.  I always run with my reflective gear and blinking lights.  When I come home I do a few core exercises and or some push-ups.

After my work out, I shower and come down for my much needed breakfast, but first I pour my coffee.  I have a coffee maker that is on a timer so its ready when I am.

 I usually have a plan for the week of what I'm eating for breakfast.  This weekend I made sourdough bread.  So of course I had avocado toast, local tomatoes and olive oil.  This is one of my favorites.

After that I get ready to go to school.  For lunch I brought my kale salad.  I picked up locally smoked salmon and tuna at the market this week so I put that on the salad along with plums, pepitas and dried unsweetened cherries. 

I thought I'd include a picture after school of what I wore.  I love neutral clothes, because I can just mix and match depending on my mood.

  

When I come home I usually do some school work, laundry and clean up the kitchen.  I also go for a walk with my husband and or our dog, Magic.  Today it was just 1 mile with Magic.

Perhaps after a walk I read, knit, bullet journal or maybe even do a little more schoolwork if need be.  But soon it's time for wine.  We're currently drinking Chateau Ste. Michelle chardonnay.  I always like a glass while I prepare dinner.  

We usually sit down for dinner around 7:30. Tonight's dinner was sautéd spicy shrimp, basmati rice and swiss chard.  Of course I had another glass of wine.

After dinner my husband and I usually watch something on TV together or read while the kids finish up any homework or if we're lucky hang out with us.  I'm usually off to bed around 9:30-9:45, to be ready for the next day.

As always with love from the Midwest,

Beth 

Weekend Roundup

Well this weekend was busy.  I had all of my kids home and it was homecoming for my two in high school.  It was also race weekend for the Fox Cities Marathon!  I also found a little time to sit and relax as well as do a lot of errands.  

Well my weekend wouldn't be complete without a delicious breakfast.  For Saturday I decided to make my son his favorite, pancakes.  He loves the classic pancake with chocolate chips.  I tend to dress mine up a bit.  I always add flax seeds and what ever fruit we have. Saturday it was plums, blueberries and pears with pecans.

No Saturday would be complete without the farmers' market.  I love all of the colors of the September markets.  I miss going when the market closes.

This Saturday I went for coffee with my college daughter. Its always so nice to sit down with the ritual of a latte. Of course I had obligatory PSL for the first day of fall. 

Sunday was the 1/2 marathon.  I was so thankful that my husband drove us to the race in the dark.  Beautiful weather, I was so blessed and finished in 2:09:47 for my second race.  My daughter ran way faster than I did, but she came back to pick me up for the final mile.    

Luckily when the race was over I came home to breakfast already made by my  sweet 17 year old daughter, pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes. I also found some time to put my feet up and relax.

I hope your weekend was delightful as well.

As always with love from the Midwest,

Beth 

Planning and Eating

Well school really in the full swing of things.  My children are super busy with after school high school sports and my husband and I are as busy as always in September.  He has deadlines and I'm just getting back into my work mode.  So this Sunday I was able to sit down for a few moments and plan my week worth of breakfast and lunches.  At least this makes my life easier.    If one of my children likes what I made for breakfast, which they did this week then all the better.  I've started using my bullet journal more for planning breakfast and lunch.  For dinner I still post my meals on a printed calendar so everyone can see what we are eating.  There are no surprises, or at least shouldn't be.

  

For breakfast this week I tried Breakfast Burrito Egg Casserole. It has everything I look for breakfast, make ahead, protein, vegetables and no meat.  I'm not a vegetarian, but I like to keep my meat eating for dinner.  I would make a few changes to the recipe - fewer potatoes, another can of green chilies and more salt and pepper.  I also added chopped red pepper.  My daughter liked it with salsa.  Tomatoes would be good too.  Of course a bit of fruit and coffee and you are good to go.  

Lunch today was zucchini fritters and tomatoes with a few plums.  All the veggies were local of course.  The picture doesn't look the prettiest, but I love this dish.  I also tried making them in a cast iron skillet, which didn't work out to well.  Oh well.  

The next few days are my kale salad. I'll add in extra vegetables and some local smoked trout that I picked up at the farmers' market Saturday.  

Hope this gives you some ideas as what to plan for.

As always with love from the Midwest,

Beth

Summer & Fall Reading

As usual I've read a lot this summer. I can't think of anything sweeter than sitting outside and reading a book. I have a kindle, but I really love a paper book to hold in my hands. I thought I'd give you a quick rundown of some of my favorites.

The Secret to Southern Charm - This is the second book in the Peach Tree Bluff series.  Each book is from the point of view of one of the three sisters.  This is just a sweet book great for the beach or any other time. 

Eleanor Oliphant - I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book when I first started it, but then it sucked you right in.  The main theme is friendship, and it is an extremely witty well written story.  

Morning Glory - Like the other books I've read of Sarah Jio this books takes place in both the past and the present.  I particularly liked that it took place in Seattle; somewhere that I know.  And who doesn't like the idea of the Seattle houseboat life? 

How to raise a French Family - I love memoirs of people moving to another country, especially France. Again I'm familiar with the culture and can't wait to get back to France.  So this book was of course a win for me.

A Man Called Ove - After hearing so much about this book I wasn't really sure if I wanted to read a book about "suicide".  That is not what  Ove is about. This is about community and love.  Fredrik Backman is an incredible writer, and I would also recommend Beartown.  I'm looking forward to reading some of his other books too.

Finally, A Gentleman in Moscow - This is probably one of the best books I've ever read.  It might be my new favorite book. The books starts in 1922 in Moscow and follows the life of Count Rostov as he is placed under house arrest in a Moscow hotel over 30 or so years.   I was  truly sad when I finished this book. 

I hope this gives you a few ideas of a new book. 

As always with love from the Midwest, 

Beth 

All in a Day's Eating

I thought I'd share mostly what I generally eat in a summer day.  Sometimes it's just nice to have inspiration of what to cook or put together.  This morning I started with crepes.  Usually we make pancakes, but one of my children requested crepes for breakfast.  It was so good.  I loaded mine with peaches, blueberry thyme compote that I had from a pound cake, whip cream and a little bit of granola. My favorite recipe comes from Alton Brown.  The batter is always perfect.  I use the 20 minute wait time to cut fruit or anything else that is going in them. Perhaps something savory for dinner.

Lunch was cherry gazpacho. It is just light and delicious.  As you can see I served it with avocado toast and tomatoes.  

Since it was Friday and nice out my husband and I went out for a glass of wine and some snacks at our local wine bar.  This is something we've been doing a lot this summer and it is such a enjoyable simple date. 

For dinner, after the wine bar,I like to keep it simple.  So I made an easy beef stir fry using my zucchini from my garden and mushrooms from the farmers' market. 

Hope this inspires you to eat good food and enjoy nature's bounty.

Bon appétit, and as always with love from the Midwest,

Beth