Food to Dye for!

We're Moving!! Time to upgrade our site to a new server!

2013-04-15T00:23:00.002-05:00

Hey all! Well it's midnight here, I should be sleeping, but I have been working hard to update this site to a new, and better Blog host!

I am super excited (and a little nervous) we are moving to Wordpress!! So please make sure to check us out at http://foodtodyefor.com/

This will be my last post on this site, but we will blog on! Hope to hear and see lots from all of you over there! Hope you love the new format too!

-Michele

Super yummy Poppy seed Fruit with Chicken Salad --recipe for Creamy Lemon Poppy seed dressing

2013-04-14T16:25:00.000-05:00

Well it's a Sunny Sunday here in Illinois! Finally!!! We have had a week now of rain, cold and clouds, to say I am ready to jump over spring and get right to summer is kind of an understatement! So I decided to make my favorite summery salad (based on the one I LOVE at Portillo's-a hot dog chain here in Chicago) yesterday for our Pot Luck lunch at the boys Space Derby for Cub Scouts.

I fully intended to take a nice photo for you of this lovely salad, but as things got a little crazy getting in, with kids running off and people asking questions I totally forgot!! So when I got back to my salad to take the photo (and I am sure several of the people there were wondering why I was taking a photo of the food) This is what I got...

There was nothing left, in the end so I guess it was a success!!! Making the dressing was soooo easy I am never buying the stuff from the store again! The dressing I am told can last up to three weeks in an air tight container-so if you are keeping it at home in the fridge I'd make sure to label it, not that it will probably last that long!!

The good news it the boys took 2nd and 3rd place in the space races for their dens!! Kate was bummed as they got trophies and she did not. Not an easy thing to explain to a four year old but luckily after about a half hour she was over it.

These are our lovely Space ships---

Will had his birthday and the whole pack sang to him, talk about a super special day!! We had pie later (he didn't want cake this year after all!!) and I had a piece, cheating on my gluten free diet. Can I tell you I'm not sure it was worth it!? I could totally feel it, so I guess I will have to look into trying my hand at some gluten free pie crusts in the future or find someplace that makes them.

Ok enough blathering from me! Here is the recipe for the yummy salad, trust me it's one you will be craving after you have it!!

Poppy Seed Fruit With Chicken Salad

(or for anytime you want a taste of summer!)

1-head of lettuce (spinach works great for this too, or do a mix!)

1/2- a large cucumber sliced and halved

1/2- pt of blueberries

1/2- pt of strawberries quartered

1-cup of chopped into bite sized pineapple (Fresh is best but canned in juice-no sugar added can work too!)

1/2-of a 4oz container of Gorgonzola or Fetta or Blue Cheese

2 clementines peeled and sectioned -or- canned Mandarin oranges

2 cups of chopped cooked chicken breast

1 Cup of Pecans (For a pot luck I put them on the side, with the amount of people with nut allergies I would rather not take a chance.)

Toss all the items together and enjoy with the dressing below:

Creamy Lemon Poppy seed Dressing

1/3 cup of Honey

1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup of mayonnaise

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup of Olive Oil

1 tbsp Poppy Seeds

4 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 tbsp onion powder

*I also like to get a little bit of the lemon rind in it, so you can zest a tsp of your lemon it gives it a little extra flavor!

Super easy, put all of the items into your blender except for your Olive Oil (except the Poppy seeds!!) Blend to smooth and then take the little handle out of your blender lid-pour in your oil while blending-slowly! This will keep it from separating. Lastly pulse the Poppy Seeds into the dressing and you are done!

*You can just add it with the oil as well it will still work. You may have to shake between use to remix-

Enjoy!!

Where do you buy your groceries!?

2013-04-11T13:41:00.005-05:00

A Friend of mine posted this on Facebook, it has to be my favorite quote.

Shortly after I read this I read an article about where different states rank as far as eating local. My state-Illinois-is currently 39 out of 50 states. Which makes me wonder, where does everyone shop? For me it's all depending on time, and how badly I need something. My top three choices lately have been: Woodmans (across the boarder in Wisconsin- If you have never been to a Woodmans, you have no idea what you are missing!) Mariano's a newer chain in Illinois but is owned by Roundys in Wisconsin. Lastly would be the Grayslake Farmer's Market. Right now in last place of the three only because the produce is limited, and while I do try to eat in season as much as I can, I do need some fruit and veggies that they don't have for the kids. I am super excited to get local meat again from Farmer Nick's at the Farmers market, his prices are pretty competitive and match or are better than most of the store bought organic meat.

That said if I find a good sale, such as grass feed ground beef at Marianos (on sale for $4.99 a lb till April 17th!!) I am not going to pass that up. The article is right here if you are wanting to know where your state ranks. Once summer gets here I am looking forward to a lot more eating local!!

It's not easy to eat local in Illinois year round, but I know there are at least two things next year I need to try to do better.

1- Join a Winter meat CSA

2- Try and freeze a lot of my own veggies this summer for dinners

What other ideas do you have!? What do you do to eat local!? I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments below!!

Gluten Free Chicken Noodle Soup in the crock pot (the the best gluten free noodles I have found to date!)

2013-04-11T07:41:00.000-05:00

So I am in a little over a week and a half now into going Gluten free. I can't lie I have had two cheats, over all though I think that's pretty good!! I can feel a difference for sure in how my body over all feels. I am down a total of 5 lbs too!! I did find a noodle that I have to saw is awesome! My husband had no clue, and I have tried Gluten free noodles before and we all could tell they were...um...different from normal wheat noodles. There for sure have more of a "Normal" not whole wheat noodle.

So when I make spaghetti I make the whole package and save about 1/4 of it to put into my soup. Before you put it in the soup you just chop the cooked noodle up into small bite sized pieces. How easy is that :)

I love this chicken soup, you can add pasta, you could add rice or just up the veggies in it! It's my winter/spring weather staple for cold gloomy days! This is always made after doing a crock pot roast chicken. Make your chicken stock the night before or a few days and you won't need to get stock from the store. It's a great way to stretch your whole chicken to at least two or three meals. So enjoy this soup with some freshly made crusty bread if your not going gluten free or all on it's own. Canned soup can't touch this!

Enjoy, and Happy Eating!! :)

Crock pot Chicken Noodle Soup

1/2 tbsp of butter

1-2 cups of cooked chicken chopped into bite sized pieces

4 cups of chicken broth

1/2 tsp of garlic minced

1/2 yellow onion chopped

2 cups of baby carrots or chopped carrot coins

3 stalks of celery chopped

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

3 bay leaves

salt (I think I used maybe a tbsp-I would start out at a tsp and go up from there on your preferred taste) and pepper to taste

a squeeze of fresh lemon juice

1 cup of chopped up cooked noodles or rice

1-Warm up your butter on high and once melted add your onion and let it warm up for about 5 min. Make sure to stir so it doesn't burn to the bottom of the pot.

2-Now dump all the remainder ingredients (not the noodles or rice thought)-See easy!!

3- Leave it for 3-5 hours on high or 8-10 on low- before your last 20 min add your pasta or rice. If you add it too soon it will become much and you don't want to have mushy noodle soup-ick. So Make sure you follow this step!

This recipe freezes great as well!!

Tostizzas--my kids new favorite meal!

2013-04-10T22:38:00.001-05:00

So if you ask my kids what do you want for dinner, you'll get probably one of two answers: Pizza or Tacos. In my browsing of the blog "Semi Homemade Mom" (I LOVE her grilled cheeseburger wraps-one of my favorite recipe finds) she had a recipe for Beef and Black Bean Tostizzas. It's a good recipe but she uses Pillsbury Grands, and that is not on my whole food radar. To me the recipe is a combo of a Pizza and a Taco, so we can totally use tortillas! I always try to have Ezekiel brand tortillas (they are great for wraps, lunch time pizzas for the kids etc.) The ones I got this week were from Trader Joe's.

Super easy and fast to make, and the kids can help!! Anytime the kids can help make dinner in our house they are happy. Let them pick a green veggie side and it's a dinner that they (mostly) made themselves!

Tostizzas with Ground Beef and Black Beans

based on a recipe from Semi Homemade Mom

1 lb of ground beef

Taco Seasoning

15 oz of re-fried beans (canned or make your own)

15 oz of Black Beans (either canned-make sure to rinse--or dried re-hydrated)

1 cup of salsa

Enough Tortillas for 1-2 for each person eating

Shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar Cheese

1-Brown your ground beef, then add in your taco seasoning (follow whatever directions you have with using the seasoning-most you will need to add water and cook down)

2- When done add in your black beans and salsa and remove from heat-mix well.

3- Pre-heat your oven to 450

5- Now is the part the kids can help on! Get out a cookie sheet and put your tortillas (I can fit two) on it. Have the kids spread a thin layer of re-fried beans (you can make without but it give a nice layer and makes it more filling.) Then spread a layer of the meat mixture, lastly sprinkle on your cheese.

6-Bake for about 10 mins or until the cheese is bubbly and the edges crisp up.

You can top it with some sour cream, or avocado--yum!!

We like to use the pizza cutter and cut it in half and the boys fold it in half kind of taco like. So good they each had two!! Enjoy, and happy eating!

Make your own lunchables!! I promise it's easy!

2013-04-09T15:44:00.000-05:00

Happy Tuesday!

So yesterday I was in my daughters pre-school lunch group, and the number of kids eating lunchables kind of made me cringe. Sure I know they are easy, I mean all you have to do is pick it up a bunch of them from the store and throw them in the kids lunch. Done. However, have you ever read the ingredient list on the back of it!?

This is a list from a Ham and Swiss Lunchable. The number of Preservatives, Enriched Flour, Food Dyes, and sugars are crazy!!

I know it takes a little planning, but in five minutes you can make your own!

This is my boys favorite (Mom made) Pizza Lunch!! All you need is a tortilla (which I cut in fourth's-this is a large one made by Ezekiel bread-it's the sprouted grain tortilla) Half goes into one boys lunch half in the other. 6 slices of pepperoni-I use Hormel brand Natural Pepperoni as there are no nitrates or artificial preservative. Lastly of course you need shredded mozzarella I do suggest getting a block and shredding your own in the food processor-for one it's cheaper, secondly pre-shredded cheese has potato starch and cellulose added to it, and neither of those things need to be in cheese.
I always add a side of fruit, you could easily put veggies to put on the pizza if your child will eat them (my boys aren't big on it for pizza, so they again get a side of veggies).
That's just one easy idea, really your imagination is the limit!!

Meat cheese and crackers! Made a cute little bento box type thing with muffin liners!
or even...

Yep I did that! (Once-lol) It was I think for the first day of school I think. The Angry bird was salami on a whole wheat tortilla I made leftover from dinner held on with cream cheese. Mozerella stick cut for the whites of the eyes, with black bean eye balls and black olive eyebrows, oh yeah and a cheese beak. The pig was made from kiwi and raisins, fig cookies looked like the blocks!
Seriously I did this like once, because it did take a little time. The point is making food fun (with a lunch like this I doubt they would choose a lunchable over this!) There are some GREAT ideas at Bento-ware (click on their name it will take you there!

These lovely ziplock container I got at Target or there are tons of ideas out there to make your own boxes. Sometime I will use a sandwich keeper with the cupcake liners and that works well too! If time is an issue, you could make them all up on Sunday and then just pull one out each day!
Do you have a great lunch box idea!? Please feel free to share them in the comments!!

Menu Planning Monday 4/8/13

2013-04-08T09:18:00.000-05:00

Good morning! It's another week of meal plans, we have a lot going on this week with William's Birthday on Saturday, and a bunch of Cub Scout stuff-Den meeting, Space Derby, Candy bar sales, and a Wildlife conservation project! I made this cake for Will from scratch last year..

This year he wants..shocking I know..a Minecraft cake. I will be spending some time of Pinterest this week I guess trying to figure this out. If you want more ideas, make sure to check out Organizing Junkie!! She has all kinds of Menu Planning ideas!

Without further ado here is this weeks meal plan:
*If you want the link to the recipe (and if I have it) just click on the menu item and it will take you to the recipe link!!

Monday: Grilled Cheeseburger Warps

Tues: Ground Beef and Black Beans

Wed: Chicken Soup in the crock pot--gluten free!!

Thurs: Buca Di Beppo Chicken Marsala Knock off (Another of our favs I will have to get up this week!)

Friday: Make your own pizza night

Sat: Will's birthday-we are eating at Space Derby- so for Pot Luck I am making my favorite salad-Poppy Seed Fruit with Chicken Salad. It's a knock off from Portillos here in the Chicago area, but I make it from scratch (going to try to do the dressing from scratch as well!) the calorie count goes way down when you don't use candied pecans like they do!

Sunday-Leftover night!!

Have a great week!!

Minecraft ate my children

2013-04-06T14:17:00.002-05:00

"Mom! Mom! Did you know in the nether you can get zombie pigs.and they can get you ten pieces of stuff and...blah...blah...stuff.... fun land...dispenser...gold." This is the conversation I get from my nine year old, EVERY... FLIPPING....Day.......Gahhhhh!

What is it about Minecraft that gets them as addicted as crack to a game that is as much graphics level on par with Mario Bro's of the 80's!? When they started playing this game I was all "Ok, it takes imagination, they have to build things and find things and it's not just running and jumping." I like things that encourage their creativity.

Now they would spend all day if I let them playing, or even crazier to me watching YouTube videos of someone else playing!! And after talking to other parents I know my kids are not the only ones doing this.

The day has come, I need to free my sons from the video game zombie land!!

Today when I cut the cord (all I did was tell the boys they have had enough time and when i get out of the shower they need to be off) Of course when I got out, they were still on, looking guilty and knowing what they did. Me going down and pulling the plug resulted in faces looking like the above pic. Eeeekkk!

They of course told me "We barely had any time!!" Hahahaha! As I have been battling a pinched nerve in my neck, they got way more time than normally allowed so I could rest. (I seriously hate auto parenting days, but sometimes you don't have a choice.)

They had two hours this morning! This of course was met with the "Your a mean mom" from my six year old, and a "It's so unfair" from my nine year old.

I of course said "Yes I was a mean mom, and go to your room." It's sooooo fun being a mom some days.

After a cool down period, we had our sit down, come back to reality moment. Fifteen minutes (the time they are each allowed during the week-if homework is done, rooms are cleaned, and if the weather is good they have played outside for a half an hour) goes by in a blink.Will with the ADHD should really not be on at all during the week, but sometimes you need a bargining chip with kids and so fifteen miniutes seems a comprimise I can live with.

I told them "There is a reason I set those time limits, today you lost two hours of time boys without even noticing it!" They get it, sort of. So we are off of video games for the weekend, yup I'm a mean, mean mamma, SIGH. I can not tell you how glad I am winter is almost over and I can kick them outside. As my mom used to say--Why can't they be like we were, what's the matter with kids today-lol

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2013-04-05T22:15:00.000-05:00

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Day 5 of my No Wheat Diet...I think I am going to gnaw someone's arm off!

2013-04-05T14:44:00.003-05:00

So I have made it do day 5 of changing to gluten free life. My body feels great, well other than the pinched nerve I have in my neck--ooooowwww! My mental well being....... maybe not as much. I have reached the breaking point that I think lots of us hit when we make a big change, the point where we either plow forward or quit. It's this guy here that is getting to me-

I have not given in, but there is a box of saltine crackers currently haunting me from my pantry.

It's calling "EEEEAAAT MEEEE!" Gahhhh! This is also what was going on in my head as I tried to fall asleep last night, I'm surprise I wasn't dreaming about it.

To make matters worse today when I was baby sitting the little girl kept trying to get me to eat her veggie straws her mom brought. Talk about a test of will power! I mean, it would have been sooooo easy to say the kid made me do it right!?

That's the thing about when you quit something I guess, you have to get over the mental hump. Carbs are like crack for me and once I get past the detox stage it will be easier.... I hope.

Yesterday I took Kate and the dog for a walk when I felt my mind needed to get away from the food. Even Facebook seemed to have pictures of forbidden food all over it! Gahhh!! Stop sharing these pictures people!!

Glad I did because as you can see it was a glorious day for a walk! Sun, a little warm, and a light breeze with the birds signing too! Side note- if you ever want to feel like a kid again, take a walk with a 4/5 year old and walk at their pace (not yours--it's harder to do than you think!) Run down the hills, stop at each bench for a quick rest and let the sun warm your face, touch as many branches as you can and poke at the mud with a stick.

Sometimes I need to just be in her world, it's so much less complicated than mine is. Well, until she asks me for some crackers. :)

Kraft Mac and Cheese and the food dye's, what's with all the hype?

2013-04-04T07:42:00.000-05:00

Hello all!
This week one of my food blogging hero's-Vani from Food Babe.com came to Chicago to challenge the Kraft Corp. over the use of food coloring, including Yellow #5 & 6 in Kraft Mac and Cheese. With over 270,000 signatures (Mine being one of them!) It's great to see not only that people care and want to take a stand on our food, but also they are willing to take action!
For those who have not read, or seen on TV, or the radio- Vani and Lisa from 100 days of real food started the petition and it is both inspiring, and crazy to me polarizing in how folks feel about it!

As a parent with a now diagnosed ADHD child, I try soooo hard to keep food coloring out of my son's food. It's a battle that is harder than most folks know. there is food dye in almost everything. Even things you would never really think about! Pickles!! Do you know there is food coloring in pickles!? Get your jar out of your fridge and I would be you will find it there!

For us there is a difference in his behavior on and off of food dyes that lessens in avoiding the dye's (it doesn't fully take care of the ADHD but it is 100 x's worse on it) but in addition I can not knowingly put food with petro chemicals into my kids body any more. By the way yes I said Petro Chemicals, as in the stuff in Tar or coal products--yum right!?
To me the increase in cancer, ADHD, autism, and so many other things have to come from somewhere, and I feel strongly our food is a big part of it. You don't have to agree with me, but if you do your research in how our food is produced now over even twenty years ago I think you would be shocked.

I have read so many opinions on the petition this week it makes my head spin!!
I know some of you are thinking...."Don't you have anything better to do!?" Yes of course I do, but I desperately want to understand why anyone would WANT to keep food the bad coloring in food when there is an option that is not toxic?

Yes, it's crazy to me that there are people crying "Don't touch my Mac and Cheese!" I have wonder if they understand that these food colors are required in Europe to have a warning label (you know like cigarettes) because they can be harmful to your health. As a result Kraft reformulated for the market there and has Mac and Cheese that looks pretty much the same (maybe a little less crazy yellow) and tastes the same- it uses Paprika and Beta Carotene which is not harmful.It will taste the same!!

Then there are the folks who say "Just stop buying it." I know Food Babe and most other whole food bloggers have stopped buying Kraft a long ago.I know we don't buy it! There are however, many folks who don't know about what's in their food, or what's bad about the food coloring, they are the people I most feel need to be made aware, and if we can get Kraft to change for the health of those who do eat it then its a small win. One of my favorite articles is found here gives a great run down on food coloring! I think many of us want to speak up for those who just don't know what we know. If I were to see you walking into traffic and a car is coming I'm going to tell you.

Of course the biggest arguments I read are that even if they took the dye out it's still junk. I agree, and I know some will say just make it from scratch, of course I agree with that as well. HOWEVER, there are some who just don't have the time, the money (because let's face it you can't make it from scratch as cheap or as fast!) I purchase Annie's white cheddar (*I am taking out the part about MSG as Annie's has corrected me and that line does not have any in it--yeah!) if I have a house full of extra kids from time to time I need something quick and easy that they will all eat. So Annie's is my go to for the quick and easy. It would still count as a processed food, but in comparison is faaaarrrr better than Kraft. I sadly have yet to find a homemade Mac and Cheese that everyone loves. I do keep trying though!

I do love that Kraft says that they have some varieties with out the food color and headquartered, in Chicago does not have these varieties in stores in our area! You can't find it on Pea Pod, or the grocery stores. So where did they tell her we could get it!? Amazon.com Are you kidding me!?
So thought they make it, you most likely can't buy it.

Some say we need to be talking to the FDA, and I agree with that and need to look into where to start. The FDA is sadly a joke. There is so many corporations with their hand in it keeping food from being safe it's insane. Don't believe me!? Please watch Food Inc. If you haven't seen it, you have no idea. Kraft is kind of an icon in the country and one of the largest mass food companies in the US. If they can change it's baby steps to getting others to follow!

For me the biggest aggravation, is the once in awhile that we go out for dinner my little ones will see the kids menu and see the Mac and Cheese and want it (no she had no idea it's Kraft) so I have to say no 99% of the time. If they at the very least did not have the dye in it I could probably let it slide.

It's hard to eat perfectly, I know how it is trust me. Some days you have to be three places at once, the kids are melting down and cooking seems impossible.I hope however you can all take another look at what you eat (and what you are feeding those you love) and cook whole, real food. It may not be easy every day, but we can pay now or pay with our health later. I'd rather have good health and put in a little more time. That's my Food for thought ;)

Easy Soft Serve Ice Cream- Made from frozen banana's!!

2013-04-03T19:37:00.003-05:00

Happy Hump Day folks! So I am on day 3 of going Wheat Free!! Amazingly I am not going crazy- yet...;)

Today I was telling a friend that I feel the best today I have in months, woo-hooo!
I don't feel bloated (and I even had a large dinner tonight!) My gastro issues feel like they are improving, AND I am down 2lbs!! I have not followed the Wheat Belly diet 100% as I have not made my own bread/cookies yet. I have been using (sparingly) gluten free cookies, and bread when I have a crazy craving. These guys are pretty awesome!! The night time is the hardest, I love my crackers or a sweet treat before bed! The kids also love dessert after dinner and it's hard to not want to have something with them.

So after looking online, I have discovered the wonder that is Banana ice cream!!
How I never read about this before now, I have no idea. Seriously doesn't this look good!?

It comes out like soft serve, and looks like pudding I guess. This one is the chocolate version I made tonight. It is soooo yummy! I will say if you hate banana flavor, make a small amount and at least try it. the add in's mask the banana flavor so it's not super banana-ish.

I feel kind of silly writing "Ingredients" because it's frozen banana's. If you don't change the flavor then that's it. Crazy right!?

Directions--There are two ways to do this-

Way 1- Take a ripe banana slice it up into coins and put it on a plate or cookie sheet and freeze for an hour or so. Throw it into your food processor or blender.
OR

Way 2- When you have super ripe banana's peel them and freeze in a bag for when you need them for things like this. (Gotta love that, you will never toss a ripe banana away again!!) Then slice it up and put it into your blender or food processor.

At this point if you went with option 1 add a splash of vanilla if you like (you don't have to though!) and blend to smooth. It will come out like soft serve.

If you went the way of option 2 you might need to add a tablespoon of yogurt to add a little moisture if it does not seem to be blending well (sometimes in freezing for a longer period you loose some moisture) a splash of vanilla and you are good to go.

I have made mine in the food processor (that went quick and easy! About 4 mins and done!) The magic bullet works, but takes a little more time and shaking/mixing it up from time to time as it gets stuck. Takes more like 10 mins. Less cleaning though, either way it works.

If you want to change it up, for chocolate I add about 1.5 tbsp of coco powder (that's it!!)

We have done strawberry as well, and as I am sure you guess, add 2-3 strawberries. Do your add-in's I put mine in once everything is smooth and done.

Talk about a guilt free treat, that you or the kids can eat without any worries!!!

And trust me my kids love it!!

This is Will loving the plain old banana/vanilla flavor!

Spring is coming!?

2013-04-02T17:03:00.001-05:00

Well it's April 2nd, and though spring is on my mind it is still only 32 degrees!! Okay Winter I know you got a late start and all but enough!!! So I am officially declaring my eviction notice!!!

I am ready for all things Spring!! I am so excited the Farmers Market in Grayslake starts this weekend!! Farm fresh eggs and farm raised meats (Farmer Nick's Bacon!!!) I am so ready!!!

I am also ready for..

Spring Flowers!!!- Tulips, Crocus, and daffodils...They are trying!!

Sadly mine are still just leaves, this is from my girl friend's yard (So I know it has to be soon! Right!!??)

Speaking of plants, have you started thinking about your garden!? My favorite time is early spring, when I start to look at the seed sites and magazines and think about what I want to try this year. With the whole Monsanto seed issue I find myself having to look so much harder into who I buy from, gone are the days I can blindly trust that everyone has safe seeds that won't grow plants full of who know's what. That and there is NO WAY I want single dollar go to support them.

I did have a great article shared with me here from a blog called "The Healthy Home Economist" They have great links to many safe seed companies!

Pinterest has me fantasizing about warm days on the deck, kids playing outside (when the yard is not all mud-eeek!) I am fascinated in Straw Bale Gardens, anyone have any luck with them!? I'd love to hear about it.

For now I will just have to wistfully look at pictures, but Spring has to be here soon, if not I am going to have to find the Groundhog and have a talk with him :)

Crock Pot Whole Roast Chicken easy as can be!

2013-04-01T20:13:00.001-05:00

I have been making this for over a year now, and every time I seem to amaze folks that is how I make my whole chicken! The smell that fills the house is heavenly, and a whole chicken is usually anywhere between two to three meals for our family of five!

For me this chicken breaks up coming out, if I didn't have it on as long as I do it would probably stay whole (not that is has to, but if it bothers you that would be a solution :) ) The skin comes out crispy-ish (if you were to suck out some of the juices about half way through that might make it crispier.)
So once we are done with dinner I take most what meat is left and bag it for wraps, salad, or chicken tacos (there are tons of things one can do) and take the bones (some still leaving meat on) throw it in the crock pot, cover with water, onion, celery, carrots, onion, and a bay leaf and leave it on low over night, and voila chicken stock!! So Chicken soup is something we have every few weeks!
So skip the store Rotisserie Chicken at the store- the aroma therapy is worth doing it yourself!! :)

Crock Pot Rotisserie Chicken

1 Whole Chicken (I use a 6 lb. most times)
1 lemon whole
4-5 garlic cloves peeled
2-3 tbs of butter
spice rub mix- 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper

Wash off the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel, Lift the chicken skin and insert a few pats of butter and garlic cloves.

Rub the spice mix all over your chicken!

Insert the Lemon and 2-3 garlic cloves and any left over seasoning in the cavity

Put the chicken into the crock pot and set to High for 4 hours (if it's on longer it will still be fine, you will just have very tender chicken!)

Menu Planning Monday!! 4/1/13

2013-04-01T13:02:00.002-05:00

Happy April 1st!! Well it's the last day of spring break for my kids, and I think we are ALL ready for things to go back to normal!

Anyone else got eggs up to ying-yang!? Kate and I are the only egg eaters really in the house, I guess I will be eating LOTS of hard boiled eggs this week!

This week is also the start of my attempt to try a new eating plan. There's been lots of hype about it so I recently read "Wheat Belly" and it talks a lot about the effects gluten has on our system. It's not the first time I have done something similar to this, I've done South Beach on and off for years. I lost the bulk of my baby weight from doing that, and felt the best I have in my life when I did it. Why do I stop? What can I say bad habits are hard to break! Plus I LOVE my carbs and sweets, sadly though they do not love me! I figure if I can be a little smarter about it maybe I can start to feel better.
This isn't going to be an easy change, after all I have three kids and a husband who would riot it I threw out all bread type substances in the house-lol. The recipe book has ideas and recipes to go with the diet, but I'll be honest, with my schedule I don't know that I would have time to make some of the bread/cookie replacements. That said, it's pretty easy to stick to the basics for me- Meat, veggies, fruit, and I will try to just serve more brown rice, and oats (these as a rule are gluten free) at meals as a whole to avoid temptation.
So with out further delay, this is my meal plan for the week:

Monday-Crock pot roast chicken (I will post an easy recipe today! :) )--Make Chicken Stock after!
Tues- Tuscan Chicken Sausage and Potatos
Wed- Meatless meal night!! Brown Rice and Black Bean Fiesta Bowls
Thurs-Chicken & Rice Soup night made from the left overs Monday and left over rice from Wed!
Friday-Spaghetti night (I am making mine with Shirataki noodles and brown rice noodles for everyone else!)
Sat- Leftover night!!
Sunday- Crock pot Chili (my kids love this!!)
Have a great week everyone!! :)

Zucchini Fritters (grain free!!)

2013-03-27T18:41:00.001-05:00

So it's been awhile! I haven't bogged in ages, no real reason why (mostly time) and I guess lack of being inspired. This week however is Spring Break and I have been trying a few new recipes to the rotation!!!
One of the big things I am trying out is more veggie centered recipes, we aren't bad about eating our veggies but more in your diet does not hurt. :)
I came across this one on Pinterest and could not resist trying it. I had it planned, had to wait for Wednesday!! The day my husband has school (he is sooooo not a big veggie fan) and I can be a bit more adventurous!!
So I found this yummy looking recipe over at Slim Plate.
However I ran across a little problem, I was out of olive oi (crud!). What's a girl to do!?
Well of course my good friend Bacon is in the fridge just begging me to use it! Hmmm...bacon grease would do the trick right!? Also bacon would be a great side to these guys, and a bargaining chip with my kids to get them to try it!! Like me they will do almost anything for bacon-lol. I also added a little carrot to the recipe to spark up the color and add another level of veggie to the recipe! We called them bunny cakes (with Easter this week that seemed appropriate!) I don't know if the bunnies would like the bacon, but whatever.

I'm thinking this is a must save for summer when Zucchini is coming out of our ears! I won't have to buy meat for one dinner that week if need be! (I would omit the bacon then, I know that sounds crazy but it would be a cheap meal!!)

As you can see the kids did eat them! Even my littlest one!!
Sometimes I don't give them enough credit, my kids are awesome at trying things! I know a lot of friends tell me there is no way their kids will eat half the things we do. There is a trick that work for us when they are a bit resistant: toppings!! Kids and toppings (or dips) seem to be a must! I love sour cream (the kids not as much) My oldest liked bbq sauce on his (but then he's in a put bbq sauce on almost everything phase!)
Kate and Will (my younger ones) liked marinara sauce on them.
One major note: with bacon grease I would keep a closer eye on the fritters as they are likely to fry/burn faster (we had a majority of overly crispy-not an all bad thing but golden brown is a little bit better tasting than burnt!) The original recipe says 2-3 min I would say 2 and check them...a lot.
Also
Enjoy!!

Ingredients

2 medium zucchini
1 medium carrot
1 tbs onion powder
¼ cup almond flour
¼ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese (fresh grated is best!!
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying (I used bacon from 8 strips that I fried up first, you could use tablespoons of walnut oil. Avocado oil or coconut oil would work great too)

Instructions

Grate zucchini with a medium sized grater or use your food processor! Follow with the carrot.
Add salt and place shredded zucchini in a clean dishtowel and squeeze to get as much liquid out of it as possible. (It doesn't have to be perfect but do try to get as much as you can) If you want to let the kids help this is a great step for helping!!
Once squeezed place back in bowl and add beaten eggs, onion powder, almond flour, parmesan, black pepper and mix thorougly.
Fry up your bacon (remove and set aside) and keep your grease hot.
Add spoonfuls of mixture in hot oil and fry until golden brown on each side. About 2-3 minutes per side.
Place on platter lined with paper towels to soak up any grease that sticks to the fritter.

Awesome Whole Grain Egg Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

2012-09-14T17:30:00.000-05:00

I'm so glad fall is here, summer was killing me on the baking front. We had record hot temps and there was no way I was going to turn on the oven unless I had to. So when my husband asked where the cookies were I was happy to whip up some of these guys!

They are not huge cookies but that's good because they are just just the right size for me because I can have two and not feel too bad.
This is adapted from Bob's Red Mills Recipe Enjoy!

1/2 cup Margarine (Non-hydrogenated) (I use butter- I hate Margarine)
1/3 cup Oil
1-1/2 cups Evaporated Cane Juice Sugar
2/3 cup Milk (Soy, Rice, Cow)
2 tsp Vanilla
2-1/2 cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (I used white whole wheat flour)
1-1/4 cups Regular Rolled Oats
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 cup Chocolate Chips*

Directions

Cream together margarine, oil and sugar until very well blended. Add in milk and vanilla and blend. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, oats, baking powder and soda. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients. When half blended, add in the walnuts and chocolate chips. Mix everything until just blended, careful not to over mix. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Place by the tablespoon on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

*To make these truly unprocessed for October Unprocessed, use Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips or break up your favorite unsweetened chocolate bar (just be sure to watch out for that pesky soy lecithin); choose to use applesauce or mashed bananas for the margarine and be sure to select an unprocessed oil, such as olive oil or coconut oil.

Football season crock pot Chili!!

2012-09-13T19:04:00.000-05:00

You know you have a good recipe when the kids give it two thumbs up! This Chili recipe is a keeper in our book. :) Tonight is the big Packers/Bears Game, and a rainy, cool night to top it off so this is a perfect dinner choice! For a larger group I would just double or triple the recipe, but in my small crock pot for the five of us this works great with a little left over for lunches...if my husband doesn't eat it all!! :)

Looks good right!? I love my crock pot because you throw the stuff in and that's it!
Ok with this you do have to brown the ground beef but that's nothing really!
So here ya go!! (I hope tonight's game lives up to the name!)

Michele's Crock Pot Bear Beating Chili!
1 lb of ground beef
26oz of chopped tomatoes (If you can find Pomi it's a great brand with no extra added junk or chop your own!!)
1 small can of tomato paste
1 can of Kidney Beans
1/2 cup of chopped red pepper (you could do green if you didn't have red)
1/2 small onion chopped
4 cloves of minced garlic
1 tsp of cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
2 shakes of Tabasco
1/2 tsp 3 qt oregano
1 tsp of paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp of pepper
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
Cheddar Cheese- Hey I'm from Wisconsin I gotta have my cheese!
(This makes for a pretty mild chili, I have to keep it easy on the kids- you want more spice kick up the Tabasco, chili powder and cayenne, but do it slowly it does not take much to go from good, to burning your mouth!)

This is pretty easy, brown your ground beef, drain and

put it in the crock pot. Dump everything else in and mix.

I use my small 3 Qt. for this and it's full to the top. If you

are doing this in the morn for a long day set on low. If you

are putting it on in the afternoon then set it to High.

We always grate a little cheddar on the top and we are good

to go! Enjoy!! Go Pack!!

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins!

2012-09-13T14:19:00.003-05:00

Well if you've read this blog before, you know I love pretty much all things pumpkin!! So I had to make a snack the other night for scouts and thought...pumpkin bread. I had one problem, not enough time. So what to do? Pumpkin muffins!! I ran into a second issue...I was out of eggs! Ugh I hate when that happens!! Now worries though, I found a great whole wheat, dairy free muffin recipe! Now you can put dairy in if you have it but with all the dairy allergies out there it's nice to have a dairy free option!

The kids love them and pumpkin is so good for you! Just make sure to get the normal pumpkin not the pie filling that has a ton of junk in it!

Whole Wheat Dairy Free Pumpkin Muffins
1¾ cups white whole wheat flour
1¼ cups organic cane sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice

⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/4 cup pureed pumpkin
½ cup soy milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons molasses

2 tbsp maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly grease a twelve-muffin tin.
Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, soy milk, oil, and molasses and maple. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix.
Fill the muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Happy Hump Day!!

2012-09-12T15:16:00.001-05:00

So how's everyone's week going so far!? I've been busy baking and trying to come up with some fun ideas to switch lunch up a bit!
Let's face it PBJ sandwiches get old, fast!

Today I got inspired!!
I hope the boys liked it, we did ham roll ups with cute toothpicks! I used cup cake wrappers to section off each item. We also have small bites of cheese, cucumbers, mini triscuits, and clementines!

The other day we did this...u

My kids think lunchables are the best thing ever, I however do not! lol!
So we make our own with a sprouted whole wheat tortilla, sauce, shredded cheese, and pepperoni!
Hope this gives you a few ideas and some inspiration to make your kids lunch exciting!

Never buy Mayo again!!!

2012-09-10T16:51:00.000-05:00

Ok I know two posts in one day, but this was the other thing I have discovered over my break....Mayonnaise is the easiest thing to make, ever! Plus it tastes 1 million times better!!!
Have you ever looked at the ingredients list on the side of you Miracle Whip Bottle? It's eggs, oil, and spices (or the store stuff has a bunch of other junk in it and often sugar!)
So I did my homework and thought, what the heck!? Now if you are nervous about the whole egg thing there are pasteurized eggs out there. Honestly if you are getting fresh eggs from your local farmer you have little to worry about but I get it and if you want to take that extra step of concern then look for Davidson's Eggs.

There are a million uses of course your sandwich spread, but salad dressing, egg salad, dips. They will all taste better with real mayo!!

Real Mayonnaise (based on Gordon Ramsey's Recipe)

1 whole egg + two egg yokes

1 and 1/4 cup of canola oil (other oils work as well just don't use extra virgin Olive oil, trust me it's not a good flavor)

A good squirt of Dijon mustard

dash of pepper

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp of white vinegar or juice of 1 lemon

Ok so get out your blender folks! Put in your eggs on a medium speed, add your mustard. Now on my blender I take the little handle part on the top lid out so I have a small open hole. Slowly (and I mean it slow-add a little oil-like about a tbsp. at a time. When you get about 1/2 of your oil in add in the salt, pepper, and vinegar or lemon. Then pour in the remainder of your oil in a steady stream. You will be amazed as you pour how quickly it thickens up! Once it's all thick and yummy, take a taste. You will be able to tell if you need to add more salt or vinegar to it then and adjust slowly. Make sure you put it in an air tight container or zip lock refrigerate and use in about a two week time. Makes about 2 cups.

Pumpkin Late that you can feel good about!

2012-09-10T16:32:00.000-05:00

Hello! So it's been awhile...I've been a slacker blogger I admit it. The start of school, scouts, and a million other things (including us getting a new dog! Yes I am that crazy I guess!) has had me going in ten different directions. Finally thought we are back in the groove!
Yeah!
The fall weather is finally hitting here in Illinois so that is a big boost to my mood I love the cool crisp weather. Sadly one of my favorite fall indulgences reared it's head the other day when I was out. Oh Pumpkin Late how I love thee!! I broke down and got one from, you know that place with the green and white goddess looking logo place. I was jazzed, yeah I knew it was not a good thing for me and all but it's a weird Pavlovian thing when I hear the word fall.
Something happened though, my beloved late tasted like....sugar syrup, blech. You know it probably always did but the fact is I was eating some of that stuff before and so now that my pallet has adjusted it just does NOT taste good. Waaahhh!!
So what's a girl to do!? Pick herself up and google how to make a pumpkin late of course!! :)

Ok I know, where's the whip cream? Next time, but I am trying to cut back a little on the calories so no whip for me.
This was super easy and if you had a steamer (I do not) it would be 100x's even more like that Star something or other place.
Wonder why it's bad? Read this
So How do we make a better syrup? (Thank you blisstree for the inspiration!!

Pumpkin Spice Latte

1 Cup of Water

3 Tbsp of Pumpkin Puree

1/2 cup of pure maple syrup

2 tsp of Pumpkin Pie Spice

Put all your item into a pan and whisk as you bring to a boil, as soon as it comes to a boil drop it down to low heat. Let it simmer for about 5-10 mins until it coats the back of your spoon.

Let the mixture cool and pour into an air tight container and refrigerate (I use a little thermos)

Before you make your coffee put your cream and syrup in (I use about 2 tbs cream and 3 tbsp of syrup) mix well. Every one's taste is different so you'll need to experiment a bit with it! Enjoy!

Baked Chicken that will impress your guests!

2012-08-10T17:57:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone!! Sorry I've been away, summer craziness has kept me down from blogging, and it's hard to get inspired to cook when it's a zillion degrees!!
Not to worry though I am back cooking up some fun things to share.

So who else is tired of the day in day out baked chicken or bbq chicken? You need something a little different, a little more like something you would get on a dinner out right!? Maybe you need a recipe to impress your guests?
Bam...

This chicken dish is delish! Not hard to make, and looks like something you would get at a fine restaurant if you ask me! You could easily add a side of potatoes or rice if you like I am just trying to cut back a bit on the carb filled sides from time to time. Thank you Whole Foods recipes for some yummy new ideas!!

Baked Chicken with Spinach, Pears, and blue cheese

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
1/2 cup diced red onion
4 cups (1 large bunch) loosely packed spinach (not baby) washed, dried, stems removed
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 ripe Anjou pears peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously season each chicken breast with salt and pepper. In a large, skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and sear breasts 2 to 3 minutes each side until lightly golden. Place in an oven safe pan (or baking dish) in oven and bake until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

While chicken is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in your skillet over medium heat and saute red onion until just softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add spinach and toss until wilted. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a large platter or divide evenly between 4 plates. Wipe out pan and heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil with vinegar. Add pears and gently heat until warm. Stir in parsley. Arrange cooked chicken breasts on spinach. Top with warmed pear slices and about 2 tablespoons blue cheese per breast.

Summer almost over!? Say it ain't so!!

2012-08-02T14:16:00.000-05:00

Wow! Hard to believe we are almost done with summer here! Well the weather might go on....it seems like our hot, dry weather just goes on and on these days.

Personally I am kind of ready for that to be over, though I promise come January I will be longing for warmer weather, I'm so fickle that way-he he.

The clincher of the end of summer....our family school starts August 21st!! A near three weeks from now!! Holy Cow!!

The supply shopping is almost done, so that is off my list. What's next you ask!?

Time to think about school lunches!! Planning = ease of executing for me, so I have to start to jump on this now.

For those who have never seen these I highly suggest getting some...

This one is from Ziploc; they are easy to pick up at Target (I'm sure other stores have them too, I just know this is where I can find them!) and clean up is great. There are tons of other kinds like this from other companies; this is just what I use. This container make packing lunch easy, keeps your sandwich from getting soggy and keeps fruit and other things from getting smashed! This is what often happens with things in baggies for us. Smashed food = kids not eating it because somehow something is wrong with a smashed sandwich in my child’s mind.

This year I have a new challenge, I will have two lunches to make, and if you read my blog you know I have a food dye sensitive child. I hate to chance hot lunch at school, it makes me all kind of worried just thinking about it now.

To be honest we are pretty lucky here in dist 41 Lake Villa. The lunches are by no means perfect, but they are better than a lot of other places, and they are on top of trying to trend to the healthy end of things. So much however is left up to the kids, and I'm not dumb! My kids are going to choose a hot dog over a healthier alternative if he has a choice any day! Fruit cocktail in heavy syrup, of course that's a good choice right? I can't be with them, maybe I'm a control freak but I have to do what will let me sleep at night.

So I pack lunches 90% of the time and let my oldest choose once or twice a month (or when my morning is so crazy I didn't get things together as I planned!) How I will handle Will's stuff with school lunches, I am not sure yet. It might just be out of the question for him. Maybe it will just be that we are more on top of the lunch listings and picking out before school and writing it down. We shall see.

I will try to get some good pictures this fall to inspire lunch ideas! And I would love to see and hear your ideas on lunch! So if you have something e-mail me (mickeymom75@gmail.com) and we'll share it here on Food to dye for!!

I have come to the conclusion that presentation is one of the biggest things for kids. After all how exciting are a regular old PMB&J carrots and an apple? Let’s face it; it's the box with the cartoon character that will grab them long before they know what is actually in the box! So get creative along with getting healthy!! Make it fun! It may take a little more time and planning but you will reap the rewards of a fully eaten lunch and no lunch trades if you do!!

2012-07-23T14:19:00.000-05:00

So I've been asked for more quick and easy dinners!! Well here is one that fit's the bill for us!

I always try to have bacon on hand, so many things you can do with bacon (plus who doesn't love bacon!?)

So when we are running short on time, or I just feel uninspired to make what I planned I can quickly whip up something with the bacon!

Maybe I'll just make breakfast for dinner, the kids love to mix it up and have pancakes and bacon for dinner. My husband I have to confess is less of a fan of this though. Breakfast belongs in the morning not at dinner for him. So I had to get creative and come up with a dinner recipe that I could make with my beloved bacon that was also quick and easy.

And so I found a little Italian dish called pasta Amatriciana that makes a great dinner or side to a meal! Or as my kids call it Bacon-ey Pasta!

Bacon-ey Pasta Dinner

One Package of Bacon* chopped into bite sized pcs.

2 med. tomatoes chopped into small pcs.

1 small yellow onion chopped

4 garlic cloves chopped

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/8 tsp chili powder

1 package of bow tie pasta

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup of Marsala red wine

3 tbsp basil (a little more if fresh)

1/2 cup of Romano (or Parmesan) cheese

In a pan fry up your bacon till brown and put to the side and drain oil from pan.

(* I find it easier to chop up my bacon if it is a little frozen. Then it does not move all over so I will pre-freeze my bacon for an hour or two before chopping)

Bring a pot of water to a boil add 2 tbs salt and pasta and cook for the time per the pasta package. When done drain your pasta but keep 1/4 cup of the pasta water.

While the pasta is cooking:

In your frying pan add olive oil, onion, and after 2 mins add garlic, pepper flakes, and chili powder.

After the onions become translucent add the wine and get all the good stuff off the bottom of your pan (I use my silicone backing scraper to help with this!) Add your tomatoes and pasta water and let the liquid reduce by half.

When the sauce is ready toss with the pasta, basil, and cheese and enjoy!

Happy Eating!