Since we’re playing with pasta this week I wanted to share with you guys one of my best keep secrets. This is one of those dishes that I came up with way back when in order to sneak some protein into the boys diets when they were itty bitty. You see those picky monkeys of ours used to hide under the table if we attempted to feed them meatballs or meat in their spaghetti sauce. Ugh!, ewwwwwww, Mpphf-NuhUnh! Were the typical responses when they were confronted with “chunky” sauce. What can I say; they come by their picky tendencies honestly. I’m not saying who they got it from. Nope, you can’t make me spill the beans.

Beans {giggle}. Sorry, no pun intended really. Fortunately, I could always count on the boys to eat at least two things without complaint beans and black olives. Thank goodness, because a home without beans or olives would make me a little twitchy. I could not imagine our pantry bereft of either. A meal without at least one kid sporting olive fingers would just be boring right. Can you see how the idea came about back then to sneak “black” beans into their marinara sauce? Black beans, black olives, similar color and shape…I’m a fan of trompe l’oeil in art, so why not with food as well.

So I rinsed half a can of black beans.

Tossed them with my marinara sauce and some small black olives. Volia! Healthy and picky kid approved! Well at least my picky kids.

I even went so far as to chop a few spinach leaves to add to the sauce. The monkeys just assumed that they were herbs. Who was I to disagree? Paired with whole grain spaghetti it turned out that they were actually eating a robust as well as a healthy meal. Yes, the sauce was still “chunky” but once the monkeys realized that there were beans rather than meat in their sauce they were a little less hesitant to try it.

Curious do y’all like beans with your marinara sauce?

Don’t ask me to explain the logic behind the boys picking one chunky sauce over the other because I can’t. Their taste buds still bamboozle me to this day. All I can do is keep-pulling tricks from my magic hat at hope that one of them works. By the way, not all tricks work for both. Sometimes they have me doing double time to ensure that each is satisfied, but it’s worth it so long as they are eating healthy and learning to love food.

If you have a picky foodie or two in your home like we did try this little trick. Or just give the bean switch a roo a try for kicks and giggles. It has turned into one of our favorite dishes over the years with all sorts of variations now that the boys are older and wiser.

Xoxo,

Shari-Tickled Red

Let’s talk about pasta before we play with soup this week. Most days you will find me making numerous pasta dishes for my three guys. Pasta is not simply a staple in our home, it’s a way of life.

I may be a diehard southern girl down to my roots, but I also grew up highly influenced by my Irish-Italian grandmother from Connecticut. She happens to be the lovely lady who passed along the ginger gene as well. There are only three quirky redheads in our family who inherited the McGraw complexion. Everyone else inherited the Greco-Civitelli olive skin and dark hair. I adore my ginger locks, but during the summer, I long for my mother’s lovely Italian pigment.

Now the love of Italian cuisine did not come from my family alone, surferboy and his family are part Italian as well. I bet you guys didn’t know I have an Italian last name? Even those of you who actually know what my last name is. Let’s just say that it’s unusual and is never pronounced correctly. Don’t you love how I tease you guys? Who knows, maybe I will drop our last name on here one day.

Pasta, pasta, pasta in all of its lovely shapes, sizes and flavors fills more than half of my pantry to the brim. If we didn’t go through it all in record time, DS would have to build me a larger pantry. Our favorite pasta to stock is whole grain. What can I tell you guys, I married a California health nut, and he has rubbed off on me the past sixteen years. When it comes to eating whole grains in general, DS reformed me years ago. Therefore reviewing a variety of Barilla® Whole Grain Pastas was easy as well as delicious.

We love the added flavor whole grain adds to our pasta dishes. I know some of you have already hopped on the bandwagon and switched over to whole grain pastas, but if you haven’t tried any yet here are a few good reasons why you should consider giving Barilla® Whole Grain a try:

• Made with 51% whole wheat.
• An all-natural and excellent source of fiber, delivering three times the fiber of regular pasta.
• There is a taste guarantee – if you don’t love it, you get a free box of Barilla® blue box pasta. Gotta love it!
• It tastes great! That’s my personal opinion.

I didn’t realize that Barilla® Whole Grain Pastas were made with 51% whole wheat until I did this review. As a mom, it thrills me to know that the monkeys are eating healthy and getting more fiber in their diet when I make them a bowl of their favorite Alfredo. That they are ingesting more than carbs and cheese is a big plus in my book. Their whole grain pasta also pairs perfectly with our Spinach Mushroom Pesto, making it the ultimate super food meal for us.

Still not sure? Why not visit TryBarillaWholeGrain.com and check out the Dinner Kit for recipes and other tools that make it easy to put healthy and extraordinary meals on the table for your family?

Oh, and be sure to check out the Sweepstakes/Giveaway below for a $100 Amazon.com card they are offering you guys! I’m kind of jealous; I would be going cookbook crazy on Amazon with that.

I can’t wait to share a little more of our blended Southern-Italian heritage with ya’ll through some of the healthy dishes we came up with this past week using Barilla® Whole Grain Pasta. Monkey Two happens to be the sous chef in the family, as well the number one critic with all of our Italian dishes so he will have plenty to add. Don’t worry I still fry things like potato salad on occasion, just not everyday.

Have fun trying some new healthy whole grain pasta dishes. Don’t forget to share your favorites, we are always looking for some nummy new pasta dishes to try.

Love and hugs,

Shari-Tickled Red

See the rules below to be eligible to win a $100 Amazon.com card from Barilla®. To be entered for a chance to win, leave a comment letting me know what you love about Barilla® Whole Grain.

SWEEPSTAKES/GIVEAWAY RULES No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods: a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post b) Tweet about this promotion @BarillaUS with the following unique term in your message, #BarillaWG, and link to your Tweet in a comment on this post c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to your post in a comment on this post d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry. This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected. The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 2/21/12-3/30/12.

Be sure to visit the Barilla® Whole Grain round-up page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

Can I you tell you guys something? Pesto sauce is one of my absolute favorite sauces to make. There are so many different flavor combinations that you can create in a matter of minutes with just a handful of ingredients. Mild, spicy, tangy or lemon infused; depending on which flavor combination you choose to play around with pesto can also be very good for you. Gotta love that right!? This blend falls under my category of super foods. It is surprisingly nutritious and best of all, I don’t have to share any. The only other person in the house who will touch a mushroom besides me is M2 and he’s not a big pesto fan…yet.

Do you guys know exactly how much nutritional goodness is packed into spinach? I always knew it was good for you but I never knew how much. Like everyone else, I grew up with Popeye cracking into a can of spinach then miraculously whirling his arms in a fury of strength. Yet eating my greens the way that Popeye did has never appealed to me. Spinach cooked is {shiver} not my thing. I will admit it I’m a bit picky. Spinach in a salad is fine. Stuffed into something rich and decadent makes it even better. Unfortunately, at that point its nutritional value no longer counts.

The benefits listed for spinach are nearly a mile long. Vitamin K, vitamin A, magnesium, folate, manganese, iron, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin B2, potassium, and vitamin B6, protein, phosphorus, vitamin E, zinc, dietary fiber, copper, selenium, niacin, and omega-3 fatty acids. Whew, that is quite a bit of good for you crammed into one little green leaf. Add mushrooms, which are full of potassium and almonds for protein what we end up with is a one two punch pesto that even Popeye would blow his pipe over. Discovering that one medium portobello mushroom has even more potassium than a banana or a glass of orange juice floored me. Wahoo! No more, force feeding myself bananas. Told y’all I was picky.

This is how easy it is to be healthy and enjoy something scrumptious…

Saute finely chopped mushrooms with Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice until the mushrooms begin to brown.

Puree the mushrooms with garlic, almonds, Parmesan and extra virgin olive oil. Add spinach and blend until the spinach is chopped fine.

Volia! That’s it. Pesto, pesto! It won’t win any beauty pageants but I’m okay with that.

Toss some whole grain penne pasta with this nummy nutritious pesto and life is good. See I do eat healthy…most of the time. When I’m not surrounded by crab mac n’ cheese, cheesecake or cannoli stuffed french toast. But hey, a girl needs some vices right?

Not to worry y’all, if you don’t happen to be a fungi lover like me there will be a few more pesto recipes coming soon that you will be able to enjoy.

Love and Hugs,

Shari-Tickled Red

As you all know DS went to Barbados recently. He’s fortunate that when he has to travel for work that it is also for his pleasure. You see he went to coach a few young souls who are just as consumed with surfing and are as competitive as he is. All of the kids that you see below are fierce competitors in the sport. They are always working hard to hone their skills, while fueling their love of surfing. It’s hard to believe but there was a time when surfing didn’t hold my attention. It seemed to be something that the guys did in the summer simply to gain the attention of the tourist girls who were passing thorough our small beach town. A youthful past time reserved for bronze gods out to impress sun kissed goddesses basking in an endless summer. Then I met my darlin’.

It became very clear being with him, that even though I had spent my youth growing up at the beach, I had somehow overlooked a uniquely large subculture. One that pulses with adrenaline and vitality. I suppose avoiding prolonged exposure to my hydro-glow skin may have played a small part in my ignorance. For those who have heard the summoning challenge from Mother Nature, surfing is not just a sport. It is an integral part of their being. You could say that salt water pumps through their veins and makes their heart beat faster with the thought of each rising swell. Their excitement is extremely contagious y’all. Whether you step onto a board or not you will find yourself caught up in their desire to push the limits. To stretch the boundaries and ride each challenge that nature tosses at you with the same amount of fervor coursing through your veins.

What amazes me each time I watch anyone surfing is the complexity of the sport.

Darlin’ Surferboy-DS

They turn…

Powered by speed and sheer will.

Pushing through a wave, only to race onto the next with joyous determination.

Carving their name with loving ferocity, in each turquoise crest they come upon. *By the way “S” is for surferboy :D *

Ché

Young boys testing their skills.

Soaring above the waves while they are growling and spitting.

Landing in the foam, thrilled and pumped to try again.

Dylan

Barreling their way through a wave. In awe of the oceans cradling touch.

Flying high and defying gravity.

With the ability to land, such profound jumps.

Knox

Sliding/grinding backwards across the lip of a wave.

Balancing amidst the breaking force.

Stretching and contorting their bodies.

Moving with grace through the strain.

Chelsea

Let’s not forget the girls who hold their own with the boys.

Where the boys are full on aggression, the girls are underestimated beauty on the water. Fluid and smooth.

Their strength shines through in their finesse and style.

Surfers do all of this, gymnastics, acrobatics, defying physics and basically being contortionist on a living moving surface. That is what catches my breath! Their ability to connect and become part of the water transcends what otherwise would be an athletic performance of skill. Moreover, they never get tired of it. From sunup to sundown, they cannot resist the siren call of the ocean. Neither can I. After being surrounded by surfers and their passion for 17 years, it is a life that I could never imagine living without. For the love of surfing has swept me up in its tide. Hopefully it will never leave me lying bereft on a beach.

Thank you Mark Nick for all of your beautiful photos! I wish that I could’ve been standing there, watching everyone as you captured their spirit.

Hugs, Kisses and Love Sparked Adventures,

Shari-Tickled Red

Playing around with Rum BBQ sauce yesterday turned into a surf and turf evening. We had to taste test the new rich dark brew somehow right? Shrimp and veggie kabobs are always a must around our house. Toss in some chicken or beef for good measure and dinner is ready in a snap. Fortunately it’s still warm enough here for us to grill out.

Seeing as how this was a last minute meal I grabbed what was handy, chopping up some green pepper and purple onions.

Made sure the beef and skrimps (yes skrimps, that’s my pet name for them) were completely slathered in Rum BBQ sauce.

Assembled the kabobs and made sure that I had everything we would need to grill.

See, what do you guys think? Am I’m doing a bang up job manning the grill or what? Actually I’m a firm believer that if there’s a strong, willing and able man nearby pass the torch…literally. Also, I didn’t have much choice in the matter. Dad’s the grill master and wont let me/anyone touch his baby. But mostly me…dads. Works for me pops, I like taking it easy and watching.

Especially when you slather on more sweet and tangy rum sauce, MmmMmm!

Don’t those cute little skrimp and beef bites look gorgeous? The rum sauce has caramelized into each and every crevice. I kind of want to dub them Barbie Cuties. Nah, too much.

That was yesterday evening, today I’m fighting a cold. I don’t know which of my guys loved on me and passed along the sniffles but it was probably worth it. Yeah, I’ll claim them…cooties and all.

Have fun playing with your grills. Oh, if you’re snowed in somewhere icy and frigid simply saute everything and serve over some long grain rice. Rum BBQ Stir Fry, oh so Caribbean!

Hugs and Kisses {but not to close},

Shari-Tickled Red

Guess what I did today? I spiked my BBQ sauce. Yep, that’s right. I got down right wicked in the kitchen today and decided that I would break with tradition by boozing up my sauce. Okay, I’ll admit my BBQ sauce is usually a little tipsy anyway with a bit of beer thrown in there. But I was out of beer today since we’re trying to cut back on calories. The Guinness only shows up occasionally now. However there was something rich, spiced and deliciously auburn just lying around from someones tropical exploration recently. It whispered to me from the pantry in it’s husky voice, “Give me a try sweetheart”. I couldn’t resist, could you?

I pulled out my favorite pot, browned butter, onions and garlic until they were a touch beyond golden brown.

Combined all of my usual ingredients in order to make my scrumptious BBQ sauce.

Then I added the secret ingredient. My warm, spicy seducer from Barbados. Hello luv, having you in my kitchen is going to be dreamy.

Can you say sinful? Finger licking good will work as well.

I am totally enamored with my new dark, wicked BBQ sauce y’all.

Calling this auburn lusciousness wicked is pretty apropos you know. Back in the 17th and 18th centuries, when BBQ was preferred in places like North and South Carolina as well as parts of Virginia and Georgia, a revolution came about. Mustard and tomato based sauces were introduced, largely attributed to the Germans if I remember my history correctly. Some people feared the new burning red sauce due to it’s color. I can just imagine what they would think of my dark hued brew.

Personally I can’t imagine anything better than to come home after a day spent playing in the sun, surf and sand…

Than to wrap up a glorious day by spending the rest of the evening grilling a few BBQ smothered delights while the sun sets in the distance.

The kids will love this BBQ sauce as well since it’s flavors are more sweet and tangy.  It isn’t too spicy or hot, honest. What can I say the Caribbean was speaking to me today rather than the south. Which is inevitable when you’ve spent three days pouring over surf photos from Barbados as I’ve been. Surf photos from surferboys trip coming soon I promise, I just need my eyes to uncross first.

I hope that you guys enjoy giving this sauce a try. As always feel free to play around with the recipe, just let me know what twists you come up with :D

Xoxo,

Shari-Tickled Red

Once upon a time there was a young, redheaded little girl. Fresh from the majestic blue mountains in which she had grown up, she was now unceremoniously plopped down into the lowlands. Surrounded by gritty sand, thundering waves and spandex wearing Olivia Newton John wannabe’s. She felt terribly lost and alone. Suffering from culture shock she turned to some beloved constant companions for support…books. Among her old well worn books she found a new story to read. One that she had purchased during her old schools book sale as a memento.

Nestled under a shade tree she found herself walking along sandy beaches as she read the new book. The last place that she wanted be, seeing as how the beach was now her nemesis. It was an undesirable place that had taken her from loving grandparents, cousins and her dear horses. Yet putting down a book once she had begun was not in her nature, so she kept reading. She discovered that these beaches were different. They were tropical beaches. Speckled with palm trees and surrounded by glistening turquoise waters. There was music in the air here. The people and land seemed to hum with happiness. There was another young girl in the book. She was also feeling torn and distraught over leaving her home. Saying goodbye to her Caribbean paradise for a dreary Connecticut colony of old. Where being slightly different didn’t result in being shunned but rather hunted.

I know. What a strange way to start a post but The Witch of Blackbird Pond completely changed the way I viewed life at the beach after we moved to the coast. It has also had me dreaming of beautiful Barbados ever since I was 11 years old. So you see I had to start there first. Otherwise y’all wouldn’t know how badly I wanted to stow away in my darling surfers board bag when he took off to one of my deep seeded, must visit before I expire, travel destinations. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t begrudged him one tiny bit for going without me. The cards just weren’t in it for all of us to go this time, but soon guys. Very soon I will walk those white beaches and feel the trade winds on my face. I will also send up a little prayer of thanks that I discovered a love for the ocean and all the wonders that she’s held out for me to claim. Especially this guy, who is as much a part of the ocean as anyone could possibly be.

How could I not be thrilled that my love was able to experience what is second nature to him in a land that I have loved from afar? I suppose it’s only fair seeing as how I’ve been to Lugano, Switzerland. Which happens to be where his family is from and he has not been there yet. Life and it’s funny little quirks.

He had an amazing time and made some wonderful friends while he was down in paradise. Unfortunately, as much as I adore him for it, he’s a diehard surfer. That means he ran straight for the waves and forgot all about playing tourist for me. Tsk, tsk surferboy. Knox who went along with him has some candid photos of Barbados and “our” new friends (mine as well because I’m on the next plane), but it’s going to be like pulling teeth to get them from him in a timely fashion.

That’s okay, I’m putting together Part Two-Surfing Barbados tonight. Then once I’ve tracked down Knox, sat on him and tickled him mercilessly until I have the other photos, y’all will get to see the rest.

So in the meantime you guys will just have to stare longingly with me at the only two photos DS took with his phone. As well as the sublime turquoise waters under his board and in all of the coming action shots taken by his new bud Mark Nick.

Let’s all sigh together at once…{sigh}.

Love, hugs and tropicly deprived,

Shari-Tickled Red

Whenever I bake certain desserts I’m left with some lonely little egg whites with nowhere to go. Do you ever run into this dilemma? Left over egg whites need some love as well don’t you think? Not tossed to the side or simply scrambled. They need to shine beautifully and bask in their own rays of attention. At least I think so, that’s why I paired mine with a couple of radiant heirloom tomatoes, sauteed leeks, a little Parmesan and a sprinkle of sage. Voila! A sunny frittata to go along with our warm weekend.

It’s a super simple recipe. Thinly slice a leek, pull apart each ring and soak in cold water (trust me, leeks are dirty) and saute briefly in olive oil.

Slice two gorgeous heirloom tomatoes.

Place a layer of tomatoes along the bottom of your dish.

Cover with Parmesan infused egg whites, another layer of lovely tomatoes and sprinkle with some finely chopped sage as well as the sauteed leeks.

Bake.

Serve.

And thoroughly enjoy for breakfast, lunch or as y’all know me so well…brunch.

If you guys see juice in the bottom of your dish don’t be surprised, the tomatoes hold a lot of moisture. I could have roasted the tomatoes for this recipe but I was really craving that fresh, sweet, juicy bite that you get with ripe summer tomatoes. All you have to do is pour out the excess juice once you remove your first slice. Or you can roast your tomatoes, either way it will be delish.

I hope that you enjoy our Sunny Frittata. Let me know how you play with this recipe and make it your own.

Hugs & Kisses,

Shari-Tickled Red

I was going to start this week off talking about surferboy’s trip to the Caribbean but I just had to share our foggy morning with y’all first.  Early coastal foggy mornings happen to be one of our favorite times of the day. As we were driving to school this morning M2 and I were engrossed in the mood that the fog was draping across us, as well as the land. Pointing out to each other groves of trees or roads disappearing into thick fog banks. All the while trying to come up with as many adjectives as possible to describe the wonder that we were feeling as we drove through the fog.

There’s something about being enveloped in the quiet mystery of fog that calms, yet excites you at the same time. The soft serenity lulls you into a feeling of safety while a small voice whispers within you, “What lies within those gray depths?”.

Eloquent words of Poe seem to fill the morning, wrapping around our shoulders as softly as the fog wraps around the barrier islands off our coast.

“An opiate vapor, dewy, dim,
Exhales from out her golden rim,
And, softly dripping, drop by drop,
Upon the quiet mountain top,
Steals drowsily and musically
Into the universal valley.
The rosemary nods upon the grave;
The lily lolls upon the wave;
Wrapping the fog about its breast,
The ruin molders into rest;
Looking like Lethe, see! the lake
A conscious slumber seems to take,
And would not, for the world, awake.
All Beauty sleeps!”

The Sleeper-Edgar Allen Poe

Lone fishermen glide across those slumbering waters, listening to the seagull calls echo back at them through the fog. What do they think about as they venture along the intracoastal and out to sea? Could tales of old come to mind as they slip through the quiet morning mist? Perhaps they conjure up images of beautiful sea sirens waiting for them in those wispy gray depths?

I could spend all morning sitting at the end of a dock wondering about what lies out there. Iridescent pearl skinned mermaids dripping with forgotten treasure, frolicking under the cover of the dense fog. Possibly Poseidon himself leading a merry day of unhindered joy amidst the low lying clouds.

What do you think lies beyond those fog laden islands?

Wishing joy & wonder to you all this morning,

Shari-Tickled Red

By chance do y’all like pork? We happen to live in pork country guys. NC is synonymous with pork. I grew up with pork chops making an appearance on the table quite often. Personally I like pork tenderloin. There are so many different ways that you can be creative with it and still have dinner on the table in about 30 minutes.  Rub it, grill it, stuff it, you name it.

During the week it seems like the guys and I are forever in a rush. Most of our evenings are meals are thrown together on the fly. I’m notorious for making Last Minute Meals, but for some reason I haven’t really shared them with y’all. Maybe I thought that their simplicity would make you guys wonder what in the world I was thinking. Who knows, I’m quirky like that sometimes. Well get ready to ponder my sanity guys. Last Minute Meals will be showing up more often. It is how we eat Monday-Friday after all. The weekends are for playing with our food.

This tenderloin takes five minutes to prep and approx. 35 minutes to cook. Which is the perfect meal when you need to spend some time at the kitchen table helping your kiddos with their homework.

First there was pork, slathered in olive oil.

Then there was spice. The same spice that was posted not to long ago. I couldn’t, in all honesty, tease you guys with this tenderloin recipe without having the spice combination ready for you first.

Then there was heat. And resting. Meat likes to rest for a bit y’all, same as me. If you were wondering about the proper way to cook pork check out the following from the National Pork Board…

New USDA Guidelines Lower Pork Cooking Temperature 

” May 24, 2011-New cooking guidelines from the nation’s food-safety agency confirm Pork Checkoff research that shows pork can be consumed safely when cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit, followed by a three-minute rest time. The guidelines were announced today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS).

The revised recommendation applies to pork whole-muscle cuts, such as loin, chops and roasts. Ground pork, like all ground meat, should be cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Regardless of cut or cooking method, both the USDA and National Pork Board recommend using a digital cooking thermometer to ensure an accurate final temperature.

The new recommendation reflects advances in both food safety and nutritional content of pork in recent years. On average, most common cuts of pork are 16 percent leaner than 20 years ago, and saturated fat has dropped 27 percent. In fact, pork tenderloin is now as lean as the leanest type of chicken – a skinless chicken breast.

In addition to the new recommendation to cook pork to 145 degrees Fahrenheit, followed by a three-minute rest time, the USDA food preparation guidelines advise the following:

• Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often
• Separate: Don’t cross-contaminate
• Cook: To proper cooking temperatures
• Chill: Refrigerate promptly

Additional information about cooking pork, including recipes, is available at PorkBeInspired.com, or Facebook.com/PorkBeInspired.

When I was showing Blaine how to make Tuscan Baked Beans we had these lovely tenderloins roasting in the oven. The pork and the baked beans together were so good that I was lucky to get any photos at all. Seriously! Between 2 adults, 3 college students, 1 teenager and the 2 sea monkeys I’m surprised I didn’t pull back a nub getting the four slices of pork that I used for the photos. Even the picky eaters in our family loved this Greek Rubbed Pork Tenderloin. I hope that you guys enjoy it :D

How do you like to make your favorite cut of pork? Have fun playing around with our recipe and making it your own.

Hugs & Kisses,

Shari

“Just so you know this is not a sponsored post. No one at the National Pork Board knows about this quirky surfer chic”