Jalapeno Lime Ranch

Every year, I make a Mexican Fiesta for my mom's birthday. We started this tradition years ago...Mexican food is actually its own food group in my family. I make a spread that covers our island and stove and everyone can make whatever they want...tacos, salad, nachos or a "sampler platter" (ha!)

A few years ago, I added this Jalapeno Lime Ranch and it took the whole meal up a notch. I'm not sure what it is...dressing, dip, a sauce to pour over everything on your plate? Whatever it is, we love it. And here's how I make it (plus a list of everything I make every year...no need to reinvent the wheel!).

Jalapeno Lime Ranch 

1 (1 oz) packet dry Ranch dressing mix

1/2 cup EACH: mayonnaise, some cream & buttermilk 

Juice 1 Lime

1 whole garlic clove

1/2 bunch cilantro leaves  

4 oz. Can diced jalapenos, not drained 

Place all ingredients in the food processor and pulse until chopped and thoroughly mixed. Cover and chill for a few hours. Serve with chips, tacos, rice...anything really. 

Everything I serve for our Fiesta meal:

Shredded lettuce 

Taco beef

Mexican Crockpot Chicken

Rice

Tortillas 

Tortilla chips

Queso

Red salsa

Black Bean salsa 

Sour cream

Monterey Jack cheese (Shredded by hand...yes it matters...)

Sour cream

Guacamole 

Sliced picked jalapenos

Jalapeno Lime Ranch

Monster Bars

My mom always made monster cookies when I was little. Such remembered flavor  - peanut butter, oats, M&Ms...

A few years ago, I had these Monster Bars and loved them! All of the same flavors in bar form. Easy to make, updated with Mini M&Ms (minis are my fave!!!). It's the little things in life (pun intended).

Go forth and make these. They make a nice big pan so share with your friends (or don't. I'm not here to judge).

One word of caution: do not, I repeat DO NOT overbake these. Your life will not be right if you do. I bake mine for 8 minutes. EIGHT. That's not very long. But you want them BARELY cooked long enough to hold together.

Oh! And one more thing. You're reading the recipe correctly: there's no flour. They wouldn't be monster otherwise!

Monster Bars

1 stick butter, softened
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 T vanilla extract
3 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups quick-cook oats
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
10-12 oz. Bag mini M&Ms (reserve 1/2 cup for the top)

Beat the butter with sugars until combined. Add peanut butter, vanilla and mix. Add eggs and combine. Add remaining ingredients and combine. Spread into a 10x15 inch baking sheet lined with parchment and sprayed with baking spray. Press to spread the dough evenly. Sprinkle the remaining M&Ms on top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8 minutes. Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting (or eat them warm out of the pan. You won't be sorry.)

Apple Blue Cheese Salad

We just got home from the lake with Matthew's extended family. It was wonderful. Good, clean fun in the sun. Jet skis, boating, tubing, swimming, fireworks, cousins. All the things that make you eat a good dinner and sleep hard at night.

I made this salad at the lake. Adults and kids alike enjoyed it.

True to form, I like more "stuff" than actual lettuce in my salads. So this is choc full of the good stuff! Modify proportions as you see fit. 

Apple Blue Cheese Salad

3 apples, chopped (I like honeycrisp or granny smith apples for this salad)

1 cup Craisins 

1 cup blue cheese, crumbled (the stinkier, the better!)

1 cup roughly chopped pecans, toasted

1 bag bagel chips, broken in half (I like Stacy's brand)

6 oz. Spring mix

12 oz. Bottle Briana's poppyseed salad dressing (on the dressing aisle; there's also a good poppyseed dressing with the refrigerated dressings in the produce section)

Toss the ingredients together and with the dressing in a large bowl. Serve immediately. 

Salted Caramel Brownies

These brownies. They should be called killer brownies. Or amazing brownies. But I decided to be boring and just call them Caramel Brownies. Descriptive but not nearly enough pizzazz for these brownies. They are so so delicious!

So here's what you're going to do. It all starts with a cake mix. The traditional method uses German chocolate cake mix, which is good, but I took a right turn and use devil's food cake mix. And by the way, German chocolate is named after a MAN named German not the country named Germany. You're welcome.

And on that topic, they're CANADA geese. Not Canadian. Because they're named after a MAN named John Canada, not the country Canada.

But why am I talking about geese when we need to be talking about brownies. But since I'm talking about geese, it makes me think of ducks, and the ducks we raised this spring.

In case you're not aware, ducks grow FAST.

In other news, ducks can also be trained to lay on their back. Ask my 5-year-old for her training tips.

Back to brownies. Press in most of the brownie batter into a 9x13 dish. Bake it for 6 minutes. Let it cool. Pour over the cooled caramel. Sprinkle on the chocolate chips and the salt. Dot on the remaining brownie batter. Cook it for a few more minutes. Try to use self-control while the brownies cool. You must let them cool or you'll end up with a molten dish of salted caramel brownies.

Caramel Brownies

1 package devil's food cake mix
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
2 T flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 11 oz. packages Kraft caramel bits
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 tsp kosher salt

Stir together the cake mix, butter, flour, vanilla & evaporated milk. Spread 2/3 of the batter in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 6 minutes. Take it out and let it cool.

Meanwhile, melt together in a medium saucepan the 1/2 cup evaporated milk and the caramel bits. Allow it to mostly cool.

When the brownie base is cool, pour over the melted (but mostly cool) caramel. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Sprinkle the kosher salt on top of that.

Cover the top with the remaining batter. It won't cover it completely; that's ok. Just spread it out with your hands and cover the top the best you can.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-11 minutes. Optional: sprinkle powdered sugar on top. Cool completely before cutting (otherwise it's just a molten mess!).

Mediterranean Tacos with Greek Chicken and Quick Tzatziki

Hi friends. I wrestled with what to call this recipe. Mediterranean chicken? Greek platter? Chicken Gyros?

But, since I like the idea of fusion food, I settled on Mediterranean Tacos. It's fun, don't you think?

Plus, I used naan bread instead of pita bread so it's really THREE fusions in one! I better stop now before I break the internet.

I need to disclose a few items first.

• I don't always love chicken breasts in the crockpot. Sometimes it can be tough and flavorless. NOT THESE. I assure you. This Greek chicken is a winner. 
• Eat this any way you please. Make a taco. Make a salad. Put all of the components on a plate and stir them up. Eat them all separately. However you do it, you will be glad you did.
• I used to make tzatziki many years ago. As in, before plain Greek yogurt in a big tub even existed. So I had to drain the yogurt to make tzatziki. Not anymore, people! It's so easy now because I just use the big tub of Greek yogurt. You want full-fat, trust me. And you want the brand Greek Gods yogurt. You really do.
• Matthew and I went to Greece. Before we had children. It was amazing. It was also a lifetime ago.

Greek Chicken

4-5 large chicken breasts (about 2 lbs - frozen or thawed, it doesn't matter)

Juice of 3 lemons

1 cup water

1 1/2 T dried oregano

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

5 cloves garlic, minced (or a big spoonful of jarred minced garlic)

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Place all ingredients in crockpot, turn on high and cook for about 4 hours. You'll know it's done when the chicken shreds easily. Shred with 2 forks, mix it well with the juice and set it to warm until you're ready to eat.

All the Fixins'

Red onion, sliced very thin

Grape tomatoes, sliced in half

Thinly sliced cucumber

Kalamata Olives

Feta cheese

Hummus

Quick Tzatziki

24 oz. tub plain Greek Yogurt (you want full-fat) (I highly recommend Greek Gods brand)

1 English cucumber, peeled and grated into a bowl

2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup sour cream

Juice of 1 lemon

2 T white wine vinegar

2 T minced fresh dill

2 cloves garlic, grated

1 tsp pepper

Grate the cucumber into a bowl. Squeeze out the excess water. You don't need to squeeze it all to pieces but just get the majority of the water out. Stir in remaining ingredients. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to allow the flavors to blend. Eat on your gyro or with pita chips. Or with carrots. Or with a spoon. It's that good.

Paleo Chicken Tortilla Soup

Hi friends. I just rediscovered my blog. And I found this recipe! I have no idea when I wrote it, when I made or when I ate it. But it sounds good, doesn't it?

I also have no pictures of it. So use your imagination! Or just follow the recipe and see for yourself what it looks like when it's ladled up in a bowl.


Paleo Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 T olive oil
3 carrots, chopped small
3 stalks celery, chopped small
1 large sweet onion, chopped small
1 red bell pepper, chopped small
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken stock
10 oz. can Rotel tomatoes
15 oz. can chopped tomatoes
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
2-3 cups chopped (or shredded) cooked chicken (optional)
1 bunch cilantro, minced
Juice of 1 lime
Topping: avocado slices

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat and saute carrots, celery, onion and bell pepper until soft and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes or so. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add stock, tomatoes and seasonings (salt, pepper, chili powder & cumin). Stir well and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Add chicken (if using) and heat through. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and lime. Top with avocado slices.

Hamburger Soup

This soup is in our monthly wintertime dinner rotation. It is so delicious! It is a twist on traditional vegetable soup. Very simple and very satisfying.

We always put cheese on top because we can.

Hamburger Soup

2 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3 bell peppers, chopped (I use an assortment of red, orange & yellow)
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
One pound carrots, chopped
28 oz can diced tomatoes, not drained
4 cups beef stock (homemade chicken stock is good too)
small can tomato paste
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper

In a large pot over medium high heat, brown the beef with onions, peppers, celery and the carrots, crumbling the beef as it cooks. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook over low heat for about 45 minutes.

Chocolate Cake with Fudge Buttercream

It's my middlest middle baby's birthday today. He requested chocolate cake with chocolate icing. I made him this cake. It's so good, so easy and did I mention it's delicious? Moist chocolate cake topped with fudgy chocolate buttercream. You should make it, even if it's no one's birthday.

You'll be glad you did.

Chocolate Cake with Fudge Buttercream

1 cup canola oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tap baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup hot water

Icing:
1.5 sticks butter, softened
6 T whole milk
1 tsp vanilla
6 T cocoa powder
5 cups powdered sugar

For the cake, combine the oil, buttermilk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Whisk together in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients, except hot water, and whisk until combined. Do not over mix. Pour in the hot water and mix until just combined. Pour into a greased 9 by 13 baking dish and bake on 350ﾟfor about 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick or knife inserted in the middle comes out clean or with just a few crumbs sticking to it. Allow it to cool.

 For the icing, beat together the Butter, milk and vanilla. Add the cocoa and powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. Spread evenly over the cooled cake.

Cauliflower 'n Cheese (Keto)

Well, instead of Mac 'n Cheese, this is Cauliflower 'n Cheese. Matthew and my daddy especially loved it. (The rest of us enjoyed it too, but they were scraping the dish.)

It's simple to make, it only requires a small saucepan and a dish to bake it in. I'm a minimalist when it comes to dishes these days. My daily challenge is to only run my dishwasher ONCE a day. I'm not always successful. But tomorrow is a new day!

So all you do is mix the sauce together in a saucepan (just to get the cheese melty and the cream cheese to incorporate completely). Toss it together - in the baking dish - with the RAW cauliflower (I'm into eliminating cooking steps whenever possible, too), cover it with foil and bake. When the cauliflower is done, take the foil off, sprinkle a little more cheese on top and bake for a few more mins. That's it! Easy. Delicious. Keto. Yum.

Cauliflower 'n Cheese

7.5 oz. tub onion & chive cream cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar-jack blend cheese, divided
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix together the cream cheese, 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, half-and-half and salt & pepper. Stir until just combined (no need to cook it; we're just melting it here).

Spread the cauliflower in a 9x13 baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce on top and mix well. Cover tightly with foil and bake in a 400 degree oven for 35 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350, remove the foil, sprinkle the other half cup of cheese over the top and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender when pierced with a fork and the cheese is bubbly.

Garlic Green Beans

I made these for dinner on Friday. I'm making them again for dinner tonight (it's Monday in case you wondered). They were delicious. My family loved them. My 4-year-old scarfed them down and asked for more.

Garlic Green Beans

1 lb. string beans (or any green beans will work)
1/4 cup water
2 T butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 T minced garlic

Place the water and green beans in a saucepan with a lid. Steam them until tender (but not falling apart), about 10 minutes or so. Drain. If needed, at this point you can set the green beans aside until you're ready to saute them right before you serve.

Add the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, green beans, salt & pepper. Stir around and saute until heated through. Serve immediately.

2017 Year in Review

Well, I just found this post. I wrote it a year ago and never posted it. It's now 2019. February already. Levi is 2 and sang me "Jesus Loves Me" today after he climbed onto the kitchen island and plopped down in the middle of it. I loved every word.

It's 2018. Did y'all get the memo? Life is marching on. I'm going to try to remember 2017 because it went super fast. Here goes.

Levi changed SO MUCH this year! He started 2017 as an itty bitty baby and ended the year walking, climbing, hollering mama and dada, and loving his brother and sisters more than I can even say. His hobby is making messes. He's had a lot of practice, does it every waking moment and is quite skilled at this hobby. He also loves to take the tops off of markers and pens (generally permanent ones) and scribble on anything he can reach. You know, normal 1-year-old behavior.

Mary Beth turned 9 and finished 3rd grade. Wow. She loves Little House on the Prairie and she and I have almost finished reading the entire series. It's taken us several years and has been so fun!

Anna Leigh finished first grade in May and brought home two chicks that her class hatched. They were so cute! And noisy. The kids loved them. They're about as messy as a 1-year-old.

The most exciting thing we did this summer was raise a baby deer. The kids named her Pippen (have you read the kids' story Kate & Pippen, a real story of a dog and a fawn? So cute.) and we got her when she was a week old. Oh my, she was darling. The kids adored her. And I'm pretty sure she loved all of us too...even Teddy! She was so fun.

We had a MASSIVE yield from our apple & pear trees! I made apple butter in the CrockPot (um, yum), pear butter, apple sauce, pear sauce, canned pears in syrup and a few other pear & apple things that I can't remember.

Oh! We made apple cider with my dad. Livin' off the land, I tell you. (Ha!) Yes, cider-making was a hit. Pick the apples, grind the apples into chunks, press the apples, drink the cider. Repeat. We can't wait to do that again.

Stephen turned 5 in August and he gave up his passie on his 5th birthday (not his choice, just so ya know). Judge me if you need to, I don't care. Because a 5-year-old sucking a pacifier is so cute! We decided that he was ready for preschool in January, so he just started preschool on Tuesdays & Thursdays. He loves it so much. And the girls love having him at school with him.

And Sarah Kate. She is so independent and bossy and sure of herself. She has a pretty good spot in the family with a big brother and a little brother. She LOVED Pippen this summer!

Spaghetti Squash Mexican Casserole

So last year, we grew spaghetti squash in our garden. It was a good decision. (Do you know how much spaghetti squash costs at the grocery???? Too much, I tell you. Too much.)

But! What to do with all of this squash? Sometimes I roast it, cut it in half (across, not long-ways like you normally see it - this way you get long strands of spaghetti, not short stubby pieces), and then, after I scrape it out of the skin, I spread it on a baking sheet, sprinkle it with salt, pepper, garlic powder & olive oil and broil it until it's starting to brown. Then spoon meat sauce over it. Delicious.

But other times, I make this Mexican casserole. We all love it. If we're doing a Whole30, I make it as is. If we're not, I sprinkle cheese on top toward the end of baking and then serve it with sour cream. Either way, I always serve it with a jar of pickled jalapenos. My kids skip those but love the casserole.

Spaghetti Squash Mexican Casserole
Adapted from My Heart Beets

1 lb ground beef
1 sweet onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika
1 T cumin
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 T chili powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
15 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 spaghetti squash, roasted until tender and seeds removed, strands separated from skin with a fork
1 egg, beaten
Optional: Mexican blend shredded cheese (sprinkle on top at the end of baking until just melted)
For serving: chopped cilantro, sour cream, lime wedges, pickled sliced jalapenos

In a large pot, brown the beef, onion, garlic and bell pepper. Stir and crumble until cooked through. If it seems greasy, drain the grease. Add the spices/seasonings and stir around to mix thoroughly. Stir in the tomatoes (juice and all) and the spaghetti squash strands. Stir in the egg, mix completely, and pour into a 9x13 casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees until hot and cooked through, about 45 minutes.

Greek Couscous Salad

I've made this salad a couple of times lately and it's just so good! I love Israeli couscous. The size and texture are nothing short of perfect. And this salad has pickled banana peppers in it - I've never added those to salad before and I LOVE it! AND it has a Cubanelle pepper, which I now love. (I'm pretty sure I've never used a Cubanelle before.) It's the light green pepper right with the other peppers and its flavor is less in-your-face than a green pepper.

This is the perfect summer salad. Fresh, tangy, colorful. Make it. You'll be glad you did.

Greek Couscous Salad
Inspired by Geoffrey Zakarian

1 cup uncooked Israeli Couscous
8 oz. baby arugula, thinly sliced/chopped
1/2 large red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup kalamata olives (I leave them whole so my husband can pick them out; otherwise I would chop them finely)
1/2 cup chopped pickled banana peppers
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 cubanelle pepper, chopped finely
about a cup of grape tomatoes, chopped into thirds
1 English cucumber, chopped finely
6 oz. feta cheese crumbles
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Cook the couscous in salted boiling water until it's cooked through. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool. Place in a large salad bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, except the feta, and toss to combine. Add the feta and stir gently as to not break it up too much. Serve immediately or chill first and then serve.

Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

We added a member to our family. No, not a human this time. A guinea pig! I've always wanted a guinea pig. So when the opportunity came our way, we snatched her up.

Her name is Cookie. I mean, how appropriate.

We all love her. She talks - a lot. I had no idea guinea pigs were so expressive?!? She's a fun little creature. She gets along well with Ari the bunny and she doesn't mind being stalked by Tubby the cat.

Next pet on my list? A mini longhair weiner dog. As in, a dachshund. They're a bit hard to find within reasonable driving distance of central Kentucky. But I'm working on it. Plus, I might as well potty train a puppy while Levi potty trains. Right? Right. So stay tuned.

Okay, enough news about the animals I am collecting and planning to collect. Let's talk about this soup. I was wanting something with Thai flavors - I love cilantro, lime, spice, curry, coconut...Yum. The inspiration for this soup came from Core Life - they have a coconut curry stock that's delicious. Here's what I created and it turned out just like I wanted. I do have to leave the jalapenos only for my bowl because my kids' spice sensitivity isn't quite at my level, but that's fine. This was a hit with everyone!

Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

2 T coconut oil
1 onion, diced
10 oz. bag shredded carrots
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3 T red curry paste
1 T grated fresh ginger root
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups chicken stock
1 can coconut milk
14 oz. (give or take) Thai rice noodles
3 cups cooked chicken
Juice 1 lime
Chopped Cilantro
1 bunch green onions
Sliced jalapenos

Heat the coconut oil in a large pot and saute the onions, carrot and bell pepper until soft, about 10 minutes over medium-high heat. Add the salt, pepper, curry paste, ginger and garlic and stir well. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the noodles and remove from heat. Cover for 10 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, chicken and lime juice. Serve with cilantro, green onions and jalapenos on top.

Italian Veggie Soup

Happy New Year, friends! I've written a Year in Review post in my head but I've yet to type it out on my keyboard. Someday, people. Someday.

But! In the meantime (while you're waiting with baited breath for the Jones family year in review), would you like to see Baby #5? He's almost 16 months old and he climbs on/in/out of everything. He stands on the kitchen island. And the dining room table. All of the furniture. It's never ending. And he's so cute, it makes us all laugh. Being the baby is a sweet deal.

And on to the actual point of this post. Here's a totally healthy, Paleo, Whole30 Italian Veggie Soup recipe. My sister-in-law texted this to me one night and I made it soon thereafter. It's got flavor, texture and it will warm you up while it's 4 degrees. Like it was today.

I snapped this picture with my phone right before I inhaled this mug of soup for lunch. So don't judge the soup by the sloppy picture. The soup has just the right amount of spice and texture from the veggies and it's sweet from the onions and carrots and the kale is the perfect finish. Parmesan would be a perfect finish, too, if you're not a Paleo person.

Italian Veggie Soup

1 T olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
4 carrots, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 T Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
15 oz. tomato sauce
15 oz. diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock
1 bunch kale, leaves torn into small pieces

Saute the onion, carrots & celery in olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes until softened and beginning to brown. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper & red pepper flakes and stir for a minute. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes & stock and bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Add the torn kale and remove from the heat. Give the kale about 5-10 minutes to wilt a bit and then serve.

Chopped Salad

This salad just sort of evolved...I've made it so many times this summer, each a little different than the last. Oh summer, how are you already giving way to fall? I love fall...but I really love summer.

And I loved tossed salads. Quinoa gives this wonderful texture and flavor to salads...if you haven't tried it, you've got to.

Really you can toss just about anything in and it would be yummy. Roasted red peppers would be great...I might need to try that next time.

The Garlic Expressions Vinaigrette is amazing...it's in regular stores like Kroger but usually in a random spot, like some shelf in the produce department. But the best part is that it has whole garlic cloves at the bottom. They. are. amazing. My friend brought me this dressing when Levi was born and I've been eating it ever since.

On that note, Levi is fixin' to be 1 (do y'all say fixin'? Or is that South speech?). What in the world. He is an absolute joy.

Here is the baby, helping himself to an Asian pear we just picked. Our apples and pears have been abundant. We've made apple butter, pear butter, canned pears, applesauce, baked apples, skillet apple pie (oh my word. it was amazing)...

And yes, I will still call him "the baby" when he's 4...and 6...and probably 15.

Chopped Salad
4 oz. arugula
1 heart of romaine, chopped
1/2 cup quinoa, cooked in 1 cup water & 1/2 tsp salt until done and cooled to room temperature
15 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped small
8 oz. grape tomatoes, cut in half or thirds
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 can garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed (optional)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup sliced toasted almonds
Garlic Expressions Vinaigrette (delicious) or Italian dressing...or Greek Feta dressing...whatever you like

Toss ingredients in a large bowl. Add enough dressing to moisten (but not too much!)....you can always add more if you need it. Serve immediately.

Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup

So...in January Matthew and I did a Whole30. And that was several months ago. And I'm just now getting around to posting this soup.

It is so good and I made it several times that month. It's a great Whole30 lunch...or any kind of lunch. I adore curry powder...and coconut...but I don't love butternut squash. I think it's a texture thing. It gets mushy. But it's perfect in this soup because it's pureed! The flavors are delicious together.

Also, I use the bags of frozen chopped butternut squash. It makes the soup fast and so easy. This mama ain't got time to slaughter a whole butternut squash. I've done it before and it practically takes an ax chop into that thing. So the frozen variety works great.

Here's how I did it...

Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup

1 T coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper (cut back if you like it with less spice)
1 T curry powder
2 one-pound bags of frozen chopped butternut squash (no need to thaw it first)
1 quart chicken stock
1 can coconut milk (I use lite)

In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onion for 8-10 minutes until it starts to soften. Add the salt, pepper & curry and stir it around. Add the butternut squash and stock. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes or so until the squash is tender. At this point, I use an immersion blender to make the soup smooth & creamy (but you could use a blender or food processor...just be careful not to overfill the food processor bowl). Add the coconut milk, heat through and taste for seasonings.

Kale Salad

This salad is pretty delicious, I must say. The Panera salad with roasted beets was my inspiration...but I'm not about to roast beets in my kitchen, so this is the next best thing to that salad.

I'm also loving adding quinoa to my salads this year! It's a 2017 thing.

I've made this salad a ton but apparently taking a picture of it was too much for me, so no picture this time. Just imagine the beautiful colors and delicious flavors. That's the best I've got to offer.

So delicious! Oh, and you want to dress this salad several hours before you serve it...kale needs some time to relax and become less...chewy.

Kale Salad

Juice of 2 lemons
3 T honey
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 bunch kale, stems removed & chopped finely
1/2 cup quinoa, cooked in 1 cup water until done
1 cup dried cranberries
15 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained
3/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
8 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

Whisk together the lemon juice, honey, olive oil, salt & pepper. Add the shredded kale and toss it to coat. Taste the kale - you may need to add a bit more honey as kale can be quite bitter. Adjust the seasonings and know that it will get better with time. You want to dress the salad several hours before eating it. Toss in the cooked quinoa and craisins and combine. On top of the salad, sprinkle the mandarin oranges and almonds and mix in just a little bit (not too much or the oranges will break up). Just before serving, sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese on top. Don't stir in the goat cheese or it will dissolve and make a mess.

2016 In Review

I've never done a year in review post before! It sounded fun so I thought I'd try it.

In January, we found out that we were expecting a baby! #5. We've had a baby every "even" year since 2008, so why should 2016 be any different? Exactly.

In related news, I love being pregnant. Really. There is nothing sweeter than having a baby inside my belly. Nothing sweeter than telling our kids that there's gonna be another. Nothing better than filling every seat in my van.

I love it.

In March, our baby #2 turned 6. I turned 35. (!) We added a furry member to our family: Meet Ari Zebra (Mary Beth was in charge of naming him). He is a lionhead bunny. (Ari=lion in Hebrew; Zebra=black&white color to an 8-year-old). Isn't he CUTE???

In April, our baby #1 turned 8. Wow.

In May, our baby #4 turned 2, Matthew turned 35 and we celebrated 13 years of marriage! If you had told us when we got married that we would have 5 children, I would have called you a false prophet. But that's okay because I've had to eat a lot of words in my day. I'm used to it.

June started summer! I love summer. The kids literally wore nothing but bathing suits the entire month. We played in the backyard, in the sprinkler, in the baby pool, in the fields, the orchard and on the playset. We also went to the (real) pool a lot. Even as we pass the pool in the dead of winter, Sarah Kate (she's 2) still screams "pool!" Never mind that it's empty save some leaves and twigs.

In August, our baby #3 turned 4. And the big girls started school, 1st & 3rd grades. Then, in a stroke of genius, I taught my big girls how to clean bathrooms.

In September, our Levi Davidson was born! He weighed nearly 9 pounds. Sweet, peaceful, precious baby. The 4 kids are so proud. Levi excels in nursing, smiling and sleeping. (I didn't think we could birth a baby that slept in the first year of his life. Levi has proven me wrong and I am thankful!)

In November, our 13-year-old longhaired mini weiner dog went to heaven. (Most dogs do go to heaven, you know.) She slept with us every night. I still miss her. I will need to have another weiner dog in the near future.

It's rarely calm, never quiet, sometimes clean and usually fun at our house. I am thankful for another year of God's blessing on our family. Matthew and I kicked off 2017 with the Whole30! It's so much fun (well, maybe "fun" isn't the most accurate descriptor, but I'm trying to be positive). I will probably post some Whole30 recipes on here just in the event that we do this again, I'm not reinventing the wheel trying to remember what we ate for the month!

(In case you're curious, Whole30 is a 30-day elimination eating plan where you get to eat meat, eggs, nuts, fruits, vegetables & certain healthy oils (like olive & coconut). No dairy, sugar, grains or legumes. It's not a diet. It's a nutritional "reset." Or so I'm told.)

These are 2 peas in a pod...

Happy New Year, y'all!

Grilled Corn Salad

I've been making this salad this summer and everyone loves it everywhere I take it. I know it's technically not summer anymore because Labor Day has passed and we're not supposed to wear white shoes (I don't actually own any white shoes) or summery dresses. But it's 94 degrees here and I'm really pregnant so I'll eat corn salad and wear summery dresses if I feel like it. Just sayin'.

Have you grilled corn? It's smoky and sweet and absolutely delicious. Mixed with the other salad ingredients - like feta cheese - downright addictive.


That's probably all I need to say about this.



Go forth and make it while the corn is still fresh-picked and delicious.

Grilled Corn Salad

8 ears of corn, grilled until slightly charred (I usually brush it with olive oil before grilling)

3 avocados, diced & tossed with the juice from one lemon (to prevent browning)

2 cups tomatoes (I use garden-fresh heirlooms or grape tomatoes), chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 (heaping) cup crumbled feta cheese

English cucumber, peeled and diced

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Vinaigrette:

6 T apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Cut the corn from the cob and toss it with the other veggies and feta cheese. Whisk the vinaigrette together and mix it with the salad. Serve this immediately at room temp (yum!) or chill it in the fridge for up to a few hours. Best served the same day you make it.