Kitchen Must-Haves for a Healthy Start

 
  Eating healthy starts with cooking healthy - at home, and that requires the right gadgets, inspiration and tools to make it all more palatable. Cooking (and baking) for me does not come easy. I am not a natural. When a recipe says prep time of 10 minutes, I triple it.  And I don't even look at the ones that have a prep time of 30 minutes or over - hah!
I also like kitchen tools and gadgets that can double as decor - since I'm just starting to get the knack for proper organization (another must!), and I'm usually hustling, so really ideal to have my main tools in arms reach and easy to put away later. Even better if putting it away means setting it on my counter. ;)
For a new year, with your new goals (if you're like me... eating healthy and more so at home) - I've rounded up my top 7 kitchen must-haves below!

Stoneware is a must, but you have to figure out what you'll most want it for to determine the size. I have a few, and up until recently, was mostly using when entertaining - but have challenged myself to use more often and just for fun! 
Not only do they cook better and keep food warm - but the bright colors or crisp white make it more fun than a plain metal pan. Bonus, if it sits out on your counter - it doesn't look so bad.

Cutting boards are a utility you need, but also double as serving trays for cheese and charcuterie. Furthermore, some even look wonderful out on display, leaning against the back splash or wall. Get them in different sizes and designs - like this long, skinny one with marble or a set of olive wood cutting boards.

Trade in your mismatched, nicked and wilted cooking utensils for a set that matches. You won't even have to shove them in a drawer, you could display them right out on the counter - throwing them in a canister for easy use.

One of my favorite small appliances is my Blendtec blender. This has lasted me 5 years and going strong. I use it weekly - and there is never any re-blending or stirring throughout needed. Make this homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte (healthier and cheaper)!

For all those stews and chili that are so great to make in the winter time, I got a cast iron dutch oven for Christmas! After a ton of research (if you know my husband.... you know we don't buy/ask for anything that isn't reviewed, tested and approved by the likes of Wire Cutter and others), we landed on this 6 qt one in crispy white by Lodge.
And my favorite thing to make in it... this veggie packed stew!

My favorite reusable item - the Stasher bag! It's basically a reusable Ziplock, but you can also freeze it, dishwasher it and boil it (a la sous vide). They also come in all kinds of colors, 3 different sizes and easy to close/open.

And the icing on the cake... or the avocado on the salad (?) for healthy cooking and keeping your kitchen space conveniently looking good (even when cluttered), cookbooks! I recently went through mine and cleaned out my way too massive stash, but the few I kept not only give me the best recipes, but look good. My favorite? Clean Slate by the editors of the great Martha Stewart Living.
My favorite kitchen gadgets, tools and appliances:

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Pizza Party with the Kids!

Earlier this week, my husband was out of town for work - so the kids and I decided to splurge on pizza for dinner, but not just any pizza - homemade pizza.  And since I was the sole entertainer for the evening (first of two), I turned it into a pizza party to give us plenty to do before bedtime.   Does anyone else get a wee bit nervous when they are 100% responsible for an extended period of time more than they're used to?  Maybe it's because I'm a working mama, so most of the time when I'm with my kids, it's in partnership with my husband.  And typically I'm the one traveling for work... But I do love the one on one time and getting to do something different, and of course, it's always no big deal (but I do find myself reviewing my CPR and heimlich instructions from kid training - haha).  Ok, so maybe I'm just neurotic. I digress... Pizza party for all! I picked up different ingredients to make two different kinds of pizzas (with the best pizza dough from Trader Joe's): the standard pepperoni that I know my kids will eat, and an experiment kind that I'm pretty sure no one will even try except for me.  And as luck would have it, we all had fun - and even had enough ingredients left over for the pizza after Nora ate more of her dinner from the set up!

 I gently urged them to add kale to their pepperoni pizza in the form of getting to decorate the pizza more!  They weren't nearly as excited to actually eat the kale after it cooked as they were to add it to their pizza masterpiece.

The second pizza, my experimental one, actually turned out pretty good!  The kids helped me "decorate" it and Nora even tried it after it cooked (she ate the strawberries off of her slice).  It was created out of goat cheese, sliced strawberries, basil and balsamic vinegar atop whole wheat dough.

Oh hey - pro rookie tip: put your basil on AFTER your pizza cooks (unlike kale, it doesn't taste as good crispy).  This one tasted more like dessert - the fruit tastes so good cooked!

Do you have any fun homemade pizza ingredients/kinds I can try? 

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Tips on how to survive cold & flu season!

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Kleenex but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #KleenexTarget  http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO

It's the most wonderful time of year with all the holiday parties, family gatherings, dressing up and going out, get-togethers with friends and beyond.  But cold and flu hits a lot of us and/or our loved ones this time of year.  It's pretty sad missing out on all the fun because you're sick, or worse, your little one is sick (in my mind, there is nothing worse than a sick baby!).  So over the years, there are a few things I've turned to for comfort when that nagging cough hits and the aches appear.  Here are my tips on how to survive the cold and flu (and get over as comfortable as possible):
1. First, comfy pants and cozy sweater/sweatshirt STAT.  Whether it's you that's sick, or your child - you get into that cozy wear and get your little all comfy, too. And maybe not your best comfy wear if we're talking a sick kid here... case in point, this past weekend I caught my toddler's vomit in my hands. 
2. Get something warm, nutritious and smelling delicious going on the stove (you still need to eat to keep up your energy). Sure there are probably a million great chicken noodle soup recipes out there, but I always turn to my mama's amazing Plaza Steak Soup recipe (with her permission, the recipe is at the bottom of this post. You're welcome).
3. Place Kleenex all around the house... literally. You don't want to be all snuggled up and cozy when the faucet (aka, your nose) starts running, or your little one lets out a huge sneeze and everything is covered in snot.  And don't skimp on your nose wipes, go for the good stuff, Kleenex Ultra Soft Tissues, when you're blowing your nose 100 times a day... Kleenex won't leave you feeling like Rudolph. Even your kids will like it (proof below).
4. Surround yourself with the softest blankets you own, pillows to snuggle into and my fav - a c-table (25% off right now with code FURN25EM) that hovers over the couch to bring everything close to where you are snuggled up.  
5. Time to catch up on all those Netflix movies or shows you've been meaning to watch - or your favorite one that you can always turn to - or if it's my toddler... Curious George and Clifford on repeat.  Leave the dishes and the chores for another day... rest up!

What do you do for yourself or your family when the cold and flu creep in?
Be sure to stock up on Kleenex now so you are ready when you or your family needs it most.  And save some money by using this coupon to save $1 on Kleenex 4-pack or larger at Target.
Plaza Steak Soup Recipe

You need:

1 1/2 to 2lbs of ground beef (or turkey)

1/2 cup of light margarine/butter

3/4 cup flour (I use wheat flour)

Frozen Veggies:

16 oz of peas

16 oz of mixed veggies (green beans, corn and carrots)

I add in an extra 1 to 2 cups of carrots

1 cup of lima beans

1 15oz can of diced tomatoes

1 yellow onion

1 Bottle of B-V beef flavoring (in condiment aisle)

Pepper to taste/preference

Optional: 1 to 2 cups of chopped potatoes

What to do:

Brown the meat in large skillet, drain off fat and set  aside.  

Melt margarine in large Dutch oven.  Whisk in flour, bit by bit, cooking on medium.  Blend until smooth.  Add 8 cups of water to the flour mixture gradually while continuing to whisk.

Add in all ingredients (veggies, onion, cooked meat, tomatoes, potatoes, beef flavoring and pepper) to the large pot of “broth." Bring to boil.

Simmer for 2 hours.  

Great for leftovers and freezing for later - tastes even better the next day (which is good, b/c this will make a lot to last you all week)!

Stay well!

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Using those apples: Apple Danish

I'm still using up our apples from our Fall morning spent at the orchards and with a couple guests coming over for brunch last weekend, I had the perfect excuse to try out a new apple recipe. Originally I saw a similar apple danish recipe over at TfDiaries and adapted it a bit for my own enjoyment. This apple danish is so super easy and perfect for any brunch or breakfast you have this fall (and a great way to use up your abundance of apples).
Ingredients Needed: About 2-3 medium apples (or I used about 4 small orchard apples), sliced thin 1 tube of Crescent Rolls About 1/4 cup of Greek Yogurt - vanilla or plain (which I used b/c I didn't have cream cheese, but as this is healthier and turned out great, I'd do it again) 1T of Cinnamon  1T of Sugar Honey
Pre-oven to 350 degrees and grease baking pan.

First spread out the crescent rolls, pinching the perforated portions together to make more of a solid crust.  Slice about one inch slits about an inch apart along the the sides.  Once the dough is prepared, spread a thin layer of yogurt down the center.  Top with the thinly cut apples.

Sprinkle (or pile on) the cinnamon and sugar pre-mixed over the apple slices and then take your crescent roll sides and wrap over the filling.  Bake until golden - for me it took about 16 minutes (may start with 12 and check on it).

Serve and enjoy!  What other recipes are you enjoying this fall?

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Homemade Apple Pie (my first ever)

You guys, confession time. I've never made a pie, ever, never... until this past weekend.  After visiting the apple orchard and coming home with an abundance of apples, I decided to give it a go.  BUT, must admit, I didn't go all the way.  I used a pre-made dough by Pillsbury instead of making my own crust... baby steps here people.  I did cut the top layer of dough into strips to make a weave top to the pie, so that has to count for something.  Anyways, the best part is that the pie came out so delicious.  Even Liam thought so! So here is my first ever pie and the recipe I followed (and subtle alterations I made...).

I followed this recipe, but added a bit more cinnamon and nutmeg (because I love them).  Using the pre-made Phillsbury dough was so easy. It comes with two, already rolled out and perfectly round separate crusts. You take the first one, just unroll it, place and press into an ungreased 9" pie plate then pour in your apple filling and top with the 2nd crust.

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.

For the filling, you combine the following into a big bowl and gently stir:

6 cups of thinly sliced apples (was about 9 small ones for me; or probably 6 medium ones)

3/4 cups sugar

2 tbls all purpose flour (I used wheat flour)

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon (I used a bit more than 1 tsb)

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg (I used about 1/4 tsp)

1 tbls lemon juice

To make the basket-weave top:

I used a pizza roller to separate the pre-made dough into 10 strips.

Then I pulled every other up and laid about a finger width apart in one direction across the top of the pie.

I used the remaining 5 stripes to weave under and over the ones already laid down in the perpendicular direction.

I'd rotate between start over or under the already laid stripes and go from there.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, but check in about half way through.  I placed foil over the edges at about 20 minutes into the baking to keep them from burning/getting too dry.

It's actually so easy and was so much better than any (fully) store bought pie I've ever had. 

Any ideas what to do with the rest of our apples?  

I'm thinking about trying this recipe for salted carmel apple tarts...

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Yummy Winter Pasta

My good fiend told me (and made it for me first) about this very yummy, customizable-perfect-for-winter pasta.  I just made it again this week and had to share!

What you need:

It's customizable because you can use whatever veggies, cheese and meat you want!  But here's how I made mine.

Start with your choice of noodles.  I boiled whole wheat rotini pasta.  Drained 90% of the water once finished, but kept a bit (to help create a sauce later).

Pick your veggies.  I chopped up carrots, used a can of beats, and sliced up zucchini.  I cooked them in a pan with about 1-2 tbls of olive oil.  Then throw them in the pasta pot.

Add sweet potatoes (or meat, or regular potatoes) - cut into chunks, boiled in separate pot and then added to pasta/veggie pot.

I even added a can of butter beans to this mixture for some protein.

Turn stove to low, to warm everything up.  Stir and mix.  Once it's warm - add your choice of cheese.  I use goat cheese.  This melts and with the pasta water, helps add moisture.

A great meal of whole wheat, veggies and protein. I make a lot so I can have for left overs for days to come!

Low Fat Wednesday: Bethenny's Site

I am LOVING Bethenny Frankel's site.  My favorite part is trying the recipes (and knowing they are healthy is makes it so easy)!

See that amazing looking dessert above?  I made that for a co-worker's birthday today... and it tastes, smells and looks as amazing in person as you'd think:

Still in spring-form cake pan - which I didn't have before wanting to make this, so ran to Walmart and picked up this light green one for $8.

And then last night hubs and I also made Bethenny's Ultra Healthy Mexican Chili...

 
Hubs added some extra spice (red pepper flakes and Tabasco sauce), but otherwise get the full recipe here.

You might remember the creamy low fat mushroom pasta I made a few weeks ago... yum! 

Have you tried any of her recipes?

Bethenny's Low-Fat Creamy Pasta

Mrs. Bethenny Frankel posted a yummy looking recipe to her website and I tried it out for dinner last night!  I made a few edits and the results were amazing!  Definitely a must do-again.

Get the recipe over at Bethenny's site, here.

The changes I made:
- I added chopped up asparagus (cooked them with the mushrooms and shallot)
- Left out the truffle oil and just used gourmet mushrooms instead
- Left out the parsley (didn't feel like making the effort to get this), which went unnoticed.

It was good!  Try it!

Recreation of my favorite dinner!

I went to college in Lawrence, KS.  For four glorious years I lived there with some of the best foods walking distance away.  My absolute favorite Lawrence Local Gem is LaParrilla.  This restaurant is filled with Latin American Cuisine, and my go-to dish - Veggie Rice Bowl. 

After eating there a few weeks ago, I decided to recreate this dish at home (or at least try).  I liked it.  It was quick, easy and good.  No perfect LaParrilla bowl, but it'll do for a good at home weekday meal.

Make it Vegetarian or add Meat:

Secret Tactic - cook the rice in broth (veggie broth for vegetarian, chicken broth for not):

I used Minute Brown Rice with Organic Veggie Broth and followed the directions on the rice box!

Get all the veggies roasting.  Chopping is what takes the longest, and use whatever veggies you have or want!  

I used zucchini (pan on the left) and carrots, onions and a bit of squash (pan to the right).

Roasted with some spray butter (classy), Oregano and Basil Leaves.

Peppers would be good, though I didn't have any on hand.  And if you want meat, get that cooking.

Warmed up a full can of black beans:

Mix it all together and add some salsa on top:

Pretty good home-LaParrilla!