We have a tradition of sorts, around these parts.  That is: come weekend mornings, we ditch our boring weekday breakfast routine of oatmeal or yogurt and indulge in something far more caloric.  And tasty, too.  This morning, we woke to found that someone had finished off the milk with chocolate chip cookies last night, so waffles or pancakes or muffins were out.  Instead, I whipped up a twist on a recipe I saw on a food network show recently.  Egg nests.  They were easy as could be, with very light clean-up (which is always a plus!).

Egg Nests

Ingredients:
4-5 organic russet potatoes
4 T. unsalted butter, melted
6 eggs
sliced or grated cheese (we used Swiss, but provolone, Gruyere, or cheddar would be tasty, too)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°.  Spray six ramekins with cooking spray.  Set aside.

Peel potatoes and then use the grate blade of your food processor to shred them (think traditional hash browns).  Gather grated potatoes in a clean dish towel or cheesecloth and wring the liquid out.  Transfer them to a large bowl and stir in the melted butter.  Season well with salt, pepper (and maybe a dash of garlic powder if you’re adventurous).  Press the grated potatoes evenly into the prepared ramekins, being sure the potatoes go up the sides and a thin layer and covers the bottom. Bake until the top edges turn light golden brown and the potatoes are cooked through, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and gently crack an egg into each cup. Bake until the egg whites set but the yolk remains runny, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set the oven to broil. Top the eggs with grated cheese. Broil until cheese melts.  We served ours with warmed green salsa.  Yum!

SOURCE: Food Network

Every year I make Jeff a different treat for his birthday.  This year, it was a Bundt cake.  A lemon-cranberry Bundt cake to be precise.  And a very well received one at that.  This was one of the rare treats that pleased every palate in the house.  The cake itself is very fresh and tart, while the (sugared) cranberry filling adds the perfect sweet balance.  Once it’s topped with a drizzle of lemon icing, well, let’s just say we have ourselves a winner.  I made the cake again this week as dessert for a birthday luncheon I hosted.  The bright side, of course, is that when you eat such a hefty lunch, the guests have little room for dessert.  My family was rather pleased that there was plenty of cake left over :)

Lemon Cranberry Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

For the cake:
3 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
3 cups sifted cake flour
1 12-oz. bag of cranberries
2 1/2 c. sugar
6 T. whole milk
4 large eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
2 t. vanilla extract
2 T. finely grated lemon zest
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt

For the syrup and glaze:
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. plus 2 T. lemon juice
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Directions:

SOURCE: FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE

I know.  I know.  It’s only January.  So why, you ask, is there a Valentines-themed cookie bouquet adorning this blog post?  I’m glad you asked.

After posting photos of the Halloween and Thanksgiving sugar cookies I made, I was asked if I’d consider filling an order for some Valentine cookies.  But being one of those pesky perfectionist types, I did it one further and created this super cute–even if I do say so myself–cookie bouquet.  This was my first attempt and, honestly, I wish I’d doubled the batch so that I could have practiced a few other decorating ideas.  That said, I suppose this practice batch turned out pretty well, considering.

As for why I decided to post it?  I figured that since I’m already going to be filling a couple of orders for these, I might as well throw it out as an option on the ol’ blog and see if there’s any further interest.  My cookie bouquets include five 4″ from-scratch sugar cookie “pops”, baked using all natural ingredients, including real vanilla bean.  Sometimes cutesy sweets aren’t as tasty as they are pleasing to the eye, but these cookies are an exception; they are absolutely divine.  I’m pricing the bouquets at $35 each and will be accepting orders until February 10th.  If you’re local and you’d like one, send an email to me at, Darcie {at} suchthespot {dot} {com} .  Orders will be available for pick-up on Feb. 13th or 14th at either Raytheon or the Fry’s at Rita and Houghton.

Exciting, right?!

Anyway, pardon this interruption.  Now back to my regularly-scheduled posting ;)

I know that I’ve been kind of recipe centric ’round these parts lately.  I beg your pardon.  It’s just that this season brings out my inner foodie.  I intend to get back to some regular {non-recipe} blogging this week.  But not before I showcase the sugar cookies I made for Thanksgiving.  Like the Halloween ones I did, these were made with royal icing.  And because there were a few requests for that recipe, I’m sharing it now.  These would be perfect for Christmas baking with the kids, because once the royal icing is made and thinned and put into condiment squirt bottles, it’s super kid-friendly.  You end up with satiny-smooth cookies that are every bit as tasty (I promise!) as they are gorgeous.  Enjoy!

Winter White Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 large egg
2½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Zest of half an orange
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 t. nutmeg

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until smooth, 1-2 minutes.  Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, seeds scraped from the vanilla bean, and orange zest until blended.  Mix in the flour, salt, and nutmeg on low speed just until incorporated.  Form the dough into a ball and wrap tightly with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 1-2 hours.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 375? F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.  Roll the dough out on a well floured work surface to about ¼-inch thickness.  Cut with cookie cutters as desired and transfer to the prepared baking sheets.  Bake 8-10 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through baking, until fully cooked but not at all browned.  Allow to cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Barely adapted from: Annie’s Eats

After many years of the same ol’ whole wheat sandwhich bread, a family tends to get a little restless.  Bored–if you will–of the same old song and dance.  Such was the case with my family.  Not that my standby whole wheat loaves are anything to shake a stick it; it’s a great recipe.  But when I saw this bread a few months back, I knew I had to give it a go.  In spite of the fact that it’s not 100% whole wheat.  I let that slide, seeing as how I use this as more of a special occasion (like paninis for dinner night) bread.  It’s still a wholesome bread, and a tasty one at that.  Give it a try?

Oatmeal Buttermilk Bread

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup warm water
2 tsp + 2 Tbs honey
2 tsp instant yeast
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp salt

Directions:

Set aside 1/4 cup of the rolled oats, and stir the remaining 1 1/4 cups into the boiling water.   Allow to soak for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Whisk 2 teaspoons of the honey into the warm water in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Stir in the yeast, then add the soaked oats, buttermilk, and olive oil.  Stir to combine.  With the mixer on low speed, add the flours, 1 cup at a time, until a soft and shaggy dough forms.  Add the salt, mix to combine, and switch to the dough hook attachment.

Increase the speed to medium, and knead for 8-10 minutes.  Add more flour or water as necessary.

Transfer the dough to a large, lightly-oiled bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Allow to rise in a warm place 60-90 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, flatten it with your hands, and press into a 12×6 inch rectangle, positioned so the long side is facing you.  Fold the 2 short halves to meet in the center. Starting with the end closest to you, roll the dough into a tight log, and allow it to sit on its seam for about 5 minutes.

Transfer the log to a well-oiled 10-inch loaf pan, and press the dough into all the corners.  Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of honey with 1/2 teaspoon of very hot water.  Brush the top of the dough with the mixture, then sprinkle the top with the remaining oatmeal.  cover lightly with plastic wrap or a lint-free kitchen towel, and allow to rise 35-45 minutes, or until it clears the top of the loaf pan.

Bake at 385 degrees for 1 hour, or until the top is well-browned and the center is cooked through.  Allow to cool completely before slicing.

SOURCE: Pink Parsley

After I posted my Thanksgiving menu, I got an email inbox surge with requests for recipes.  The most requested?  Definitely the caramel apple cocktail.  Hmm.  I wonder what that says about my readers?

I went ahead and practiced the technique pre-Thanksgiving.  You know.  For research purposes.  It was strictly business.

I’m happy to report that the drink is quite tasty indeed.  While it has a touch of sweetness, it’s not sickeningly so (like Reisling – blech!).  You can certainly pick up the apple.  In fact, it’s quite reminiscent of one of the real things.  Enjoy.

Caramel Apple Cocktail

Ingredients:
scant 1/2 c. apple cider
2 1/2 T. butterscotch schnapps
dash of cinnamon sugar
sparkling wine

Directions:
Mix apple cider and butterscotch schnapps and cinnamon sugar in an ice-filled martini shaker.  Shake vigorously.  Pour into a cinnamon-sugar rimmed low ball glass.  Fill with sparkling wine (we used Prosecco).  Garnish as desired.  Please drink responsibly ;)

Every once in awhile I come across a recipe worthy of its very own page in my personal recipe collection.  Such was the case a couple of months ago when I discovered the muffins.  Honestly, I think they’re more a dessert than breakfast, but who am I to argue with a recipe title?  Muffins are to be served for breakfast and so that is precisely when I serve them.  Nutritional value be darned.  These are worth it.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Ingredients:

For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

For the muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree (NOT pie filling)
1¼ cups coconut oil

For the topping:
½ cup sugar
5 tbsp. flour
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions:
To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth.  Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1½-inches in diameter.  Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log, and reinforce with a piece of foil.  Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours.

To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 350? F.  Line muffin pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend.  In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil.  Mix on medium-low speed until blended.  With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend.  Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly.  Transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use.

To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons).  Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces.  Place a slice of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well.  Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely.  Sprinkle a small amount of the topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.

SOURCE: Annie’s Eats

I’ve mentioned before that I’m not so much a red meat kind of girl.  I gave it up at the age of 12 and haven’t looked back.  I am, though, a huge fan of the turkey burger.  Especially when it’s topped with melted, creamy Havarti cheese, barbecue sauce and avocado.  Burgers are hard-pressed to get much better than that.

Over the summer, I quickly grew tired of spending upwards of five bucks for a pack of whole wheat burger buns so I decided to start making my own.  Not only was it easier than I thought it would be; so, too, did my burger buns beat out the ho-hum Whole Foods ones by a tasty mile.  Here’s the recipe:

Whole Wheat Burger Buns

Ingredients
1 c. + 3T. warm milk
1 egg
2 1/2 T. butter
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/3 c. bread flour
2 1/2 T. sugar
1 1/2 t. salt
2 t. yeast

Directions
Add ingredients to bread machine pan in order listed.  Yeast should be added to the center of the pan in a small “hole” at the very end.  Set the bread machine to dough setting.  Let it do its magic.

When dough is finished, divide it into eight equal parts.  Form each portion into a disc shape.  This part can be a little tricky.  You don’t want to make your buns too flat, but you also don’t want them to round.  A disc is the best way I can think of to describe the shape we’re after.  Cover loosely and let rise for an hour or two, until they’re double in size.

Brush with egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.  Bake in a preheated 400° oven fifteen minutes or until golden brown.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Enjoy!

Judging by my Facebook news feed, I think it’s safe to say that the vast majority of American children ventured back to school last Monday.  My children, though, have been in school since mid-July.  So long, in fact, that our year-round district is nearing its first extended break of this school year.  {can I get a woot woot?!}

With that said, it should come as no surprise to you that I’ve already made many a school lunch this year.  Last year (and every year that came before) I woke up all groggy-eyed at zero dark thirty every morning and slapped some peanut butter and jelly on a couple of slices of whole wheat bread and called it a day.  Sure, I tossed in a sliced apple or a stick of string cheese for good measure, but, by and by, there was little variation from day to day.

Recognizing my slump, I set out to do better by my little brown baggers this year.  For starters, no longer are they brown baggers.  At the start of the year, I picked up two {safe} plastic containers that would replace a year’s worth of Ziploc baggies.  Cassie’s is a bit bigger than Jayce’s because she is in school all day and requires a full lunch where as Jayce just takes a snack to his half day kinder.  So, too, did I grab a package of silicone muffin cups that I use daily in my lunch making.  I also found a handful of fun “extras” like colored toothpicks, stickers (for banana peels), and decorative picks.

After dinner each night I go to great lengths to put together a colorful, healthy meal/snack.  Here’s the thing, though: even though my lunches are significantly more creative and artsy than what I’ve always done in the past, once I got the hang of things, I found that they really don’t take any longer to make.  And instead of the monotony of years before, I actually enjoy the challenge of creating something that is both attractive to the eye, and pleasing to the taste buds.

But don’t take my word for it.  See for yourself.

Contents: Turkey and cheese wrap, fresh pineapple, organic red grapes, and a stick of string cheese

Contents: half of a homemade whole wheat hamburger bun, organic cherries, organic cucumbers, star-shaped Havarti cheese and salami.

Contents: half a banana, organic cherry tomatoes, boiled egg, watermelon, organic green pepper slices, whole wheat pasta shells with homemade balsamic vinaigrette and Parmesan.

Contents: organic strawberries, turkey/cheese roll-ups, organic blackberries, organic green pepper boats with organic cherry tomato eyes, organic red grapes.

This gives you a good idea of the types of items I use to stuff the lunch boxes around here.  In addition to these yummies, I’ve also used:

-cubed grilled chicken
-baby carrots
-apple slices with a cup ‘o’ peanut butter
-whole grain crackers with heart-shaped cheese
-pb&j’s cut into airplanes or Mickey heads
-nectarine halves
-hummus
-edamame
-organic baked apple chips
-organic blueberries
-little cups of whole wheat couscous
-leftovers from the night before
-melon cubes
-veggie wraps

Basically, I try to stuff their lunches with whole foods that grow.  There are a few exceptions, obviously.  Lunch meats, for instance, are not ideal, but we don’t always have grilled chicken readily available in the fridge and I try to include at least one lean protein in their lunch each day.  In the case of lunch meats, we only purchase Boar’s Head, which, I suppose, is a small step up from the generic stuff you’d buy in the prepackaged area of the store.

Our lunches are sure to change up a bit come winter.  I imagine then that leftover soups and stews packed in a Thermos will be a frequent offering.

What about you?  What have you been packing for back to school lunches so far?  What brilliant lunch box stuffers am I overlooking?

I’m sure that after reading my food guidelines post, it would seem as though we’re left with few choices as to what we actually can eat.  After all, if you were to cruise the grocery store aisles you’d see hardly anything that fits my rigid criteria.  Actually, though, ours is a household full of healthy appetites and we can really put away some food.

The picture above shows some of our breakfast go-tos.  Two or three years ago I stopped buying breakfast cereal (and even then it was Kashi) and started preparing whole foods for my kids before sending them off to school.  Nowadays, breakfast in our house consists of things like: a fried egg on a whole wheat English (British, according to Trader Joe’s) muffin; organic whole milk yogurt with a drizzle of honey and a handful of organic berries; smoothies made from conventionally grown mangoes; homemade granola with milk; oatmeal with banana and raw almonds; fresh fruit alongside some (defrosted) homemade wheat muffins.

Lunch varies.  This year, I’ve taken to sending the kids to school with bento boxes.  Are you familiar?  They’re a recent discovery for me but I’m having a blast putting them together each night.  I’ve been taking pictures of the lunches I’ve been packing and I plan to share them in a follow-up post soon.  Just to give you the gist, though, I send star-shaped cucumber and muffin cups full of melon.  Half a nectarine.  Rolls of cheese.  Veggies cut in tiny strips.  Boiled eggs.  Leftover grilled chicken cut into cubes.  That sort of thing.  Jeff and I eat whatever is left over from dinner the night before.

Dinner is our main meal of the day.  We like to take traditional foods and put a healthy spin on them.  You’ve seen how we do pizza and tacos.  Much of what we’re eating for dinner depends upon the season.  We do an extraordinary amount of grilling in the summer.  So, too, do we make an entire meal out of salad–piling the fresh, organic veggies a mile high before drizzling them with homemade balsamic vinaigrette.  We’ll do burritos with beans from the Crock-Pot.  Tostadas. Stove-top or cold pasta dishes.  Turkey burgers.  Caprese salad or veggie quesadillas.  We pull as much produce as we can from our own garden and incorporate it into both lunches and dinner.  Come the change of seasons we crank up the oven and do comfort foods right.  Among our favorites?  Baked ziti, butternut squash lasagna, hearty minestrone, meatloaf (turkey), mac’n'cheese, chili, corn chowder, chicken pot pie and enchiladas.  I have about a half-dozen Mexican casserole dishes that we rotate through all winter long.  We also do soup at least once a week in the winter, always using homemade stock that we make once a month and freeze.  The key to indulging in these feel-good foods is adapting them ever so slightly to be better for you.  I do that by substituting whole wheat pastas for white ones, using dry beans, and organic ingredients.  We also only use organic tomatoes from a glass jar and meats raised without antibiotics.  But you already knew that, didn’t you?

I’m a sucker for recipes.  Whenever my Sunset or Real Simple magazines show up in the mail I always flip to the back first to check out what they’ve got cooking.  I also find recipes on various food blogs and change them up a bit to suit our lifestyle.

I often wonder if our seasonal way of eating is typical.  Does your family follow a similar pattern?

Other posts in my This is the way we… series: Budget, Cleaning.