{quick} dinner

i love experimenting with new recipes and ingredients.  but, on those nights when putting dinner on the table seems like an insurmountable task, i refer to my list of "slam dunks." 

tostadas are one of them.

i'm a vegetarian, the hubby isn't.  i love black beans, the kids don't. tostadas give everyone the opportunity the build their own dinner, while everyone is still eating the same meal (i hope that makes sense?).

i bake the corn tortillas in the oven until they're crispy. then set out bowls of ingredients: beans, rice, veggies, and cheeses are just a start.  try offering new ingredients each time, even themed tostadas (mediterranean, spanish, italian).  the kids are surprisingly willing to eat when they have a say.

it's quick, healthy, and i can usually throw it together with whatever is on hand.  definitely a slam dunk!

lemon-blueberry pancakes

these are so good and easy, i made them twice this weekend (and froze some for quick before-school breakfasts!).

turns out that lemons and blueberries help prevent aging, cancer, heart disease, and help boost brain function and immunity.  even more reasons to devour these:

lemon blueberry pancakes

1 egg
1/2 cup lemon yogurt
1/2 cup milk
2 T oil
1 t lemon juice
1 cup flour
2 T sugar
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 cup fresh blueberries

whisk together egg, yogurt, milk, oil, and lemon juice.  combine dry ingredients. pour yogurt mixture into dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.  don't over-mix, the batter will be a little lumpy (the lumps help keep the pancakes airy).  gently fold in the blueberries.
 
the lemon flavor is very subdued, so next time i'll probably add some lemon zest too.  these would also be delish with orange in place of the lemon!  we just topped ours with powdered sugar, but you could also use syrup or more lemon yogurt and blueberries.

Grandma would be proud

My Grandma used to make homemade jam all the time.  In fact, we never really bought any, we always had a jar of hers in the pantry.  She made all types, but her strawberry was the sweetest (and therefore my favorite), especially because in her house, there were always warm rolls to slather.

A few weeks ago I came across a super simple recipe for spiced pumpkin butter.

4 c. (2 15 oz. cans) pumpkin puree
1 1/4 c. pure maple syrup
1/2 c. apple juice
2 T. lemon juice
2 t. grd ginger
1/2 t. grd cinnamon
1/2 t. grd nutmeg
1/4 t. salt

(I also added a tablespoon or 2 of brown sugar, just because we like it sweet!)

Boil, reduce heat for 30 minutes or so, until its all thick and your house smells like a home.  Spoon it into jars and enjoy within 2 weeks or freeze for 6 months.  It's pretty darn yummy on muffins and pancakes!

first rainy day

= carrot spice muffins to warm us inside.

betty crocker doesn't live here

i'm usually not a huge fan of sugar cookies, or more specifically, MY sugar cookies.  i always cook them a teeny bit too long, so they aren't chewy. and frankly, unless they are chewy and frosted, i'm not interested.

but i came across a recipe (if you can call it that) for cookies using cake mix. so i gave it a shot.

strawberry on strawberry has always been a favorite for cupcakes around here, so that's what i had on hand.  but they'd be yummy with so many different combinations.  just keep in mind the flavor is concentrated, so mine were very sweet.  apparently, this wasn't an issue for the hungry beasts that ate them.

they come out thick and chewy. 

maybe next i'll try red velvet with dark chocolate frosting, or vanilla with strawberry, or spice cake with buttercream...

cake mix cookies

one package cake mix, any flavor

2 eggs

1/3 - 1/2 cup oil (use your judgement, i needed the whole 1/2 cup to moisten the mix enough.)

mix everything. bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.  cool. frost. hide.

i may need an intervention

the other night i made fish tacos for dinner, topped with some mango salsa i picked up at henry's.

holy. freakin. crap.



i need more.

soon.

Using the Good Stuff

Did you ever wanna drink out of your parent's fancy glasses as a kid? I did, although I'm not sure if huge wine goblets with a white plastic stem that housed a LIGHT BULB, can be classified as "fancy."  That's right, they LIT UP. Jealous? I know. Drinking my milk with it's own spotlight and my pinky in the air was waaay more fun than a plain ol' cup.  After that, I probably threw on my Jordache jeans, donned my rabbit fur coat (ick, so gross), laced up my rollerskates, and jetted out the door...

Anyhoo -

The other night, we made a lovely little dessert: fresh strawberries, a chocolate chip muffin, and some yogurt. Voila!

I thought our little heavenly creation would be so much more fun to eat if we got to use the good stuff. The good stuff that was a very sweet wedding present, and consisted of only the pair.

It took him 2 minutes to devour it, and another 30 seconds to break the glass.  It's another reminder that "the good stuff" isn't really "stuff" at all.