Discontinued No More!

Sooooooooooo, raise your hand if you've fallen madly in love with something and it's been discontinued.  A favorite nail polish.  A particular style of jeans.  A perfume.  A COOKIE.  Now we're getting serious.  I could find a new shade of red-brown for my fall nails.  I could suck it up and go with "the other" jeans.  I could even switch up my fragrance if left alone to select it (I'm talking to you, perfume sprayer ladies!).  But a cookie?  No.  That's just not right.

A few years ago, we made the unfortunate discovery of a cookie at the bakery of our local Costco.  It seemed like an innocent fall-y purchase at the time.  Until we tried them.  This is where it gets unfortunate.  They were good.  Like, "I'm not sure I could overstate it" good.  And, as everyone knows, you buy in bulk (duh!) at Costco.  So we had about 92,883,748,787,438,243 or so of these things in a plastic clamshell package.  Until we got to the car.  Where that number was immediately cut.  In half.

They were chewy.  They were sweet.  They were spicy.  They had a tiny but of crunch thanks to the sugary crust.  They.  Were.  Amazing.

And then---they discontinued them.  If this was a video blog, here is where you'd hear and see the gasp, horror and total shock that crossed my face when I learned of this unspeakable misstep by the bakers that be.  Rude and thoughtless, I tell you.

Fast forward to present day where I am juuuuuuuuuuuuuust about over the slight and have preeeeeeeety much come to grips with the fact that they're not coming back.  Ever.  Sigh.

Galloping into my life like a knight in shining armor, however---Pinterest and its infinite bevy of options.  And this recipe from a blog called (and I adore its name) Gimme Some Oven.

I hope you'll enjoy these as much as we did.  Okay...as much as I did---I really didn't share very well.  Shame on me.

Imagine this cookie with a mug of Constant Comment tea, an afghan and a great book.  Oh the beauty of it all....happy baking, happy fall!

What You'll Need:

• WILLPOWER!
• 1.5 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 eggs
• 4.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. salt

What You'll Do:

Say a prayer that you don't eat them all at once.
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed for 1 minute until light and fluffy.  Add in the eggs and molasses, and beat on medium-low speed until combined. 

Gradually add in the dry ingredient mixture and beat until combined.

Roll the dough into small balls, about 1-inch in diameter.*

Fill a small bowl with sugar, and roll each ball in the sugar until it is completely coated. 

Place on cookie sheet at least 1 inch apart, and bake for about 8-10 minutes, until the cookies begin to slightly crack on top.  (They may crack more while cooling.)  

Remove from the oven and let cool for a minute or two. Then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
 
Serve immediately or store in a sealed container for up to 1 week. (a week?  are you nuts?  these bad boys go FAST!)

*I found that it was helpful to chill the dough a little before rolling it into balls.  Maybe 30 minutes or so.

A Little Tex...A Little Mex...and a whole lotta YES YES YES

Alright, you asked for it and here it is.  A little gem I most likely found as I Pinned While Hungry (you all know how I love to do that!).  Good news is, this is a healthy PWH pin.  Win!!

I won't even give you a whole lotta preamble with this one.  I will, however, tell you that it made its way into the Make Again pile.  And "again" may be next week.  For real.  It was just that good.  And it made a TON!

Tex Mex Spaghetti Squash

Serves: 4-6

 

What You'll Need:

• 1 large spaghetti squash
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1½ cups black beans
• 1½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1½ teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• ½ onion, chopped
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken - optional
• 1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• Oil

What You'll Do:Spaghetti Squash
Carefully cut spaghetti squash in half. Scrape out the seeds and stringy insides. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt. Place cut side down on a pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool until you can handle it. Turn squash over and use a fork to scrape across the squash short ways to make the spaghetti.

 

Everything Else

• Heat a skillet over medium heat. Drizzle with olive oil or coconut oil.
• Add onions and jalapeno and saute a few minutes. Add garlic, bell pepper, salt, cumin, paprika, and chili powder. Saute around 5 more minutes.
• Add corn and black beans (and chicken if using) and saute until heated through.
• Add spaghetti squash strands to skillet and carefully stir and toss everything together. Adjust salt and seasonings if needed.
• Transfer mixture into both halves of the squash or into an 8x11 glass baking dish.
• Sprinkle with cheese.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

We added a dollop of plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream) and a splash of salsa to the top before we devoured served ours.

Thank you, fromthiskitchentable.com!

Chicken On a Stick...Because apparently it's more fun that way?

Or so I've been told anyway.  I mean, it's the same little chunks of chicken, just cut up and placed on a stick.  Why that's more appealing escapes me.  But who cares.  These look, smell and taste amazing.  They may not be the world's cleanest chicken kebabs, but....you'll forgive me this one, right?  And besides, I'm balancing the rest out with lots of veggies, tons of water and no dessert.  There.  I feel better.

Sweet Maple BBQ Chicken Skewers (kebabs...on a stick, whatever!)


What You'll Need:

• 2lbs. chicken tenders
• 1 (packed) cup brown Sugar
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• ¼ heaping cup pure maple syrup, meaning a little over ¼ cup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons ground mustard
• 2 teaspoons Paprika
• 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper 

What You'll Do:

To make the marinade:

Mix brown sugar, ketchup, red wine vinegar, water, pure maple syrup Worcestershire sauce, ground mustard, paprika, kosher salt and pepper in a large bowl. Place chicken tenders in marinade. Cover and let chicken marinade for at least 2-4 hours or overnight. I like to throw all the ingredients into a Ziploc bag and let it marinade this way.

To make the chicken:
Remove the chicken from the fridge, one piece at a time grab a tender and pierce through the skewer. Once completed drizzle extra marinade over the chicken, and let it sit while grill is heating up.

Heat gas or charcoal grill, remove chicken from marinade. Place chicken on grill over medium heat. Cover grill and cook 3 minutes, then turn over the kebab and cook another 3 minutes. At this point check the chicken. To know if the chicken is done the juices should be clear and the center of thickest part is cut (170°F). If not done, continue to cook, at this point I leave the lid open and just turn the kebabs so they are cooked evenly on both sides--about 8-10 minutes.

Remove from grill and serve immediately. Or cover with foil and serve later.  Great to serve with grilled corn on the cob and a tossed salad.  And while you've got the salad ingredients out, think about using the leftovers the next day for a grilled chicken salad.  If there are leftovers!

Deconstructed (and better for you!) Chinese Takeout

Every now and again, I splurge on Chinese takeout.  I usually regret it about 12 bites in, but I can't help myself....and I keep eating.  It's a guilty pleasure and one that thankfully I do not indulge too often.  Last week, I felt the urge creeping up.  I wanted a warm bowl of steaming rice and perfectly seasoned (okay, totally over-salted!) shrimp and veggies.  But I found willpower....and this recipe.  We are planning on making it this week, so you'll have to stick around if you want to get the full report.  I know what you're thinking..."Does this one land in the famous Make Again pile or is it destined to be shredded like the cabbage it contains?"  Stay tuned to find out...

Here's the scoop...it's Egg Roll in a Bowl.  Nothing deep fried, no crispy outer shell (wait, I'm starting to feel like I'm going to miss that...wait, nope, it's gone!)....just the warm goodness of the inside, outside!

What You'll Need:

• 1 pound ground pork
• 3-4 cloves minced garlic
• 5 scallions chopped
• 3 Tablespoons Low Sodium Soy
• Pepper
• 3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 1 bag coleslaw mix (not the premixed kind, just the already chopped cabbage and carrots)
• 2 bags Success® Jasmine Rice

What You'll Do

• Brown the pork with the garlic and scallions.
• Add in the coleslaw mix, soy and brown sugar. Season with pepper.
• Cook until the cabbage is cooked down and almost caramelized.
• Boil your 2 bags Success® Jasmine Rice according to box directions.
• Serve the pork mixture over the rice.
• Top with crispy wontons or duck sauce if desired. 

 
We don't desire, so we'll probably serve it with fruit salad instead.  I'm pretty excited to give this one a whirl.  Who knows we may even find a lingering fortune cookie from a previous takeout order?!  

Blackened Salmon and A Quinoa Salad...not together, though!

Hey, hey, hey.  It's a Sunday night two-fer!  You're getting two recipes for the price of one blog post.  And I promise to get right to the point.  It's Sunday.  I've been in power-de-cluttering mode...and I need a break.  Plus, a dear friend of mine asked for this last week (gulp!) and I forgot.  So here goes....

Recipe #1:  Blackened Salmon

Those of you who have been paying attention may recall a post about how I made this and sent my entire family outside coughing and gasping--apparently the spices were a bit too much in the cooking process.  I also added a lovely smoke haze to the entire downstairs.  That said, it was a lovely evening and we should have been outside anyway, and the dinner turned out to be delicious.  Once the smoke cleared and we came back inside, we added this recipe to the (say it with me now, people!) Make Again pile.  Seriously--it wasn't overpowering at all when we plated and ate it.  It must have been the spices getting into the air while it was on the stove that did it!?

What You'll Need:
3 teaspoons cumin
3 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 (4-ounce) salmon fillets, skin removed*
2 teaspoons canola oil

What You'll Do:
In a small bowl combine all the ingredients except the salmon.
Coat the salmon fillets evenly on both sides with the spice mixture, pressing the mixture in so it sticks.
Heat the oil in a large heavy preferably nonstick skillet over high heat. 
Add the salmon and cook until blackened on one side, about 4 minutes.
Carefully turn the fillets and continue cooking until the other side is blackened and the salmon is tender, flaky, but not overcooked, about another 4 minutes.
*I had skin on filets and it worked fine; I only coated the one side with the rub, and when the filets were done, the skin was easily pulled away...trust me, there was no loss of flavor, either! 

We served this over a yummy salad and, of course, sauteed zukes as well.  I mean, come on...when you have a pile on your counter, you've gotta use those puppies often.  And we do.  Mmm!

Alright, onto Recipe #2:  Citrus Quinoa Chicken Salad

This stuff is good, easy and travels well.  I know this because my gem of a hubby packed a container of it for me last week so I could eat dinner during Abby's soccer clinic.  Awe.  Isn't he thoughtful?  Yes.  Yes he is!

What You'll Need:

1 and 1/2 cups cooked quinoa (again I sing the praises of the steam in the bag stuff!)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast, chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 cloves roasted garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large oranges, peeled and segmented
1 ripe avocado, peeled and cubed

Dressing
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (packed)
1 Tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon honey

What You'll Do:
Cook quinoa according to package directions.  Transfer cooked quinoa to a large bowl and let cool.
Pour olive oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and roasted garlic, stirring it all around to coat with oil.
Sprinkle with smoked paprika and salt. Stir and cook until chicken is done, about 8 minutes. Add cooked chicken, oranges, and avocado to the quinoa.
Stir to combine. Set aside.

For the dressing:
Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together.
Pour over salad and toss to coat everything evenly.
Serve immediately. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Make ahead tip: This is a perfect recipe to make ahead of time because the flavors taste amazing by day 2. Simply prepare through step 3, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight.

Super easy, yummy and whoa the protein.  It was light and fresh, but I was definitely full.  A really great summer meal, and it's also a great picnic dish...no mayo to worry about!

I told you I'd get right to the point.  And I did.  So there you have it.  Two of the meals that hit our table last week.  Happy to share...and happy to hear what's hitting your table this week.  Share with me!

Veggies as Dessert....Well Alright Then!

When your Father In Law AND your next door neighbor deliver armfuls of zucchini to you, you smile gratefully and get to work trying new ways to enjoy it.  Fritters?  Done that.  Bread?  Yep.  Stuffed, sauteed, baked and breaded?  Yes, yes, yes and yes.

And when you cannot find the recipe for your favorite side dish made of the yummy green stuff, you realize that it is probably best because that side dish isn't so much on the clean side.  Anyway...you look around and find THIS recipe.  And you rejoice.  And then, when they're done, and you try them, you rejoice some more.  And then, when they're done, and you try them, and your 6yo tries them and gives them two thumbs up, well, I'm not sure what happens, but it's way bigger than rejoicing.

Give them a go this week with the surplus of zukes you probably have on hand like us!  Cheers and enjoy.

 

 

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bars*

Prep time 10 mins     Cook time 30 mins    Total time 40 mins   Serves: 12 (or 2..haha)

 

What You'll Need

• ¾ cup creamy almond butter
• 1 heaping cup grated zucchini (1 medium zucchini)
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup (or honey)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼-½ cup chocolate chips

What You'll Do

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Call upon your willpower--because you'll need it.  Spray an 8 x 8 pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Stir together almond butter, zucchini, egg, maple syrup and vanilla in a large bowl until combined.
3. Add in the rest of the ingredients (except chocolate chips) and stir.
4. Fold in chocolate chips.
5. Bake at 350 for thirty minutes or until a knife comes out clean.  
6. Contemplate topping them with vanilla ice cream, but realize that move sorta (totally) defeats the purpose of making a healthy dessert.
7. Remind yourself not to admit there's zucchini in them--at least not when your daughter is listening.  She loves her veggies, but claims that zukes are "not really on my favorites list."   

 
*found on hummusapien.com

The Pile

There is a pile in my basement.  It started off as one, single item.  That one, single item is on its way out, has a destination in mind and is simply waiting.  Then that one, single item became two and three and eventually, a pile.  And yesterday, I added something else to that pile.  My old and worn copy of What To Expect The First Year.  I placed the book atop the baby bath towels that now look impossibly tiny, yet once seemed to swallow Abby and Alyssa whole.  The towels were placed upon several receiving blankets that were the perfect weight to protect the girls from too much sun or a light fall breeze.  The blankets were placed atop the baby bathtub, the Bumbo seat and tray, the boppies, the bouncy seat and the Baby Bjorn.  Each item thoroughly cleaned, yet indelibly covered with sweet memories.  

Like the first time I placed Abby in that blue tub, her eyes its exact color.  The squeals of delight she let out as the water splashed on her toes, tummy and nose.  And even the last time I placed Alyssa in it, realizing that she was too big--and too capable--to need the confines of its plastic protection.  Into the big tub she went---joyfully!  The Bumbo seat, where both girls perfected the whole sitting up thing, transfixed by hockey games on TV or the lights of the Christmas tree.  The bouncy seat that became a fixture in our bathroom, allowing me to take a shower when I needed one as desperately as the baby needed a nap.  And the Baby Bjorn that didn't really seem useful until Alyssa came along and I needed two hands to help Abby yet still hold Alyssa.  She toured our neighborhood many times from that vantage point, the idea of her nestled so closely to me was incredibly comforting--even as I huffed and puffed up the hills with the extra weight of her warm body on mine.

Other vestiges of babyhood have disappeared as well.  The mobile that "Herc" broke (how Alyssa pulled it totally apart is beyond me!), the swing and even the changing pad that became obsolete pretty quickly as Alyssa figured out that squirming through a diaper change was a whole lot more fun than being peaceful and still.  To the floor we went for that chore.  Gone is the gigantic bink they give you at the hospital; neither girl liking it for more than a couple weeks anyway.  Packed away are my pumps; thrown away are all of the corresponding Medela bottles I used for months and months.  So, too, are the bottles Alyssa took--replaced with sippy cups and straw cups.  The crib and pack 'n play mattresses are both lowered and each week I clean out another drawer of clothes that no longer fit my Babe.

Yet walking downstairs and setting that book on top of that pile caught me emotionally off guard.  The first year is over.  Packed away in memories and pictures and experiences.  I wasn't expecting the reaction to be as visceral.  But there I was, in the basement, crying.  Over a pile.  I'm not an idiot; I know that Alyssa (and Abby too!) has to grow up.  I know she is a nearly-walking one year old with a mouthful of teeth and a headful of ideas.  I also know that there will be no more babies in our home...and although that is our choice, it still made me sad in the moment. 

The moments are so brief.  The crying all night long moments?  Brief (though not at the time).  The I wonder what her voice will sound like moments?  Brief (replaced with I wonder if there will ever be silence moments).  And in making this pile, I was reminded that these pieces of our kiddos' lives, once seemingly impossible to live without, are moving on to someone else who can use them.  For brief moments.

I'm sure it's no coincidence that I would find a perfectly-suited blog post on a friend's FB wall last week.  The week Abby and Alyssa turned 6 and 1.  The post was entitled something like "When Did I Last Wash Your Hair?"  And I thought it was a funny look at the life of a busy Mom who was so crazed she couldn't remember when she last bathed her kids.  I wanted to laugh, so I clicked on it.  Whoops.  No.  It was about not realizing that she had washed her daughter's hair for the last time because now, said daughter, could (and insisted upon!) do it herself. 

Abby now closes her door when she's getting dressed.  She works so hard to get her hair into a pony tail and select an outfit that matches and will earn my approval.  When she yells through the door, "I'm ready, you can come in now!" I open the door to a girl, beaming with pride.  She is, in that moment, both my little girl and far too grown up for my liking.  And I wonder, when was the last time you asked me to help you get dressed? 

We celebrate a ton of firsts, don't we?  We record them and mark the occasion.  But we don't do that with the lasts because we don't always know those moments are the last moments.  Like the pile in the basement, it creeps up on you.  One moment at a time until BAM, you're no longer rocking your baby to sleep as you nurse her.  One moment your tiny girl is in your arms and fits right there, the next, you carry her up to bed and there seems to be a mile of limbs and body and hair to hold.  One moment you're hovering behind the wobbly and excited steps of your little one as she attempts the stairs, the next, you're calling her to come downstairs for dinner.  One minute there's one, single item and the next, a pile of memories and baby needs.

 
The one, single item that started the pile?  Our family bassinet.  More than a dozen babies have used it, each of their names written on the bottom.  And now that bassinet is headed to my cousin for his first child.  And someday be the start of his pile, too.

While it might be nice to have that space reclaimed in my basement, I'm sure I'll be pretty thoughtful about having all that stuff leave.  And I'll be sure to mark the occasion, not simply let it slip by unnoticed.  It will be the last time that bassinet (and everything else piled on top of it) is in my house.  I'll notice.

Abby checking on Alyssa in the bassinet