Make Your Own Pasta Night

At one point or another, both of my children have rejected tomato sauce on their pasta. I really enjoy pasta, so rather than endure endless complaining at the dinner table - or empty "tummies with crummies" at bedtime - I decided to take another approach. I combined a few of our favorite things and came up with this recipe, which makes everyone happy.

There are several components and I let my children decide which they want - it's nice to give them a bit of control over their dinner plate.

Another big plus: you can make this entire dish in the time it takes to cook the pasta.

Ingredients:

3/4 lb (12 oz) of organic fusilli pasta (or any shape of pasta you like)
1 bunch of fresh Asparation, rinsed and ends trimmed
2 mild all-natural Italian pork sausages, casings removed
1/2 of a ball of fresh mozzarella (optional), cubed
1 can of organic navy beans, drained and rinsed
organic extra virgin olive oil (you can find it at Costco!)
salt
pepper
dried oregano
garlic powder

Directions:

1. Put the pasta water on to boil. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano -- since you're not putting a sauce on the pasta, these elements help to season it.
2. Remove the sausages from their casings. In a small skillet, cook the sausages, crumbling them as you go. Set aside.
3. Once the pasta water is boiling, add the pasta.
4. Rinse, trim and place the Asparation in a Pyrex dish, add about an inch of water, cover with a damp chlorine-free paper towel. Cook in the microwave on high for 3-4 minutes. You'll want it to be al dente. Drain, chop into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
5. Dice the mozzarella.
6. Once the pasta is done, drain it. You are now ready to assemble each person's dish.
7. Use a medium-sized mixing bowl and start by adding about 1 tbsp of olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder, to taste. Add 1 portion of pasta, plus 1/4 cup scoops of every other ingredient. Toss, transfer to a plate or bowl and serve.

I estimate that this recipe makes about 6 servings, maybe more. The estimated cost per serving (pretax): $2.07 (see the comments section for more details)

Postscript: I also sometimes add sauteed shrimp (remove the shell, de-vein, rinse and sautee over medium heat with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder until no longer translucent - careful not to overcook!)

Delicious Homemade Pizza for MUCH Less

The other day, I decided to make some homemade pizza. My husband loves pepperoni, so I went to the deli counter of my local gourmet grocery (think Whole Foods, but not) and bought some sliced pepperoni. As I was walking away, the woman who sliced the pepperoni for me mentioned that she planned to make pizza that night, too, and was going to ask the pizza chef there in the store for some dough. She thought I might want to do that, too. That thought had never occurred to me!

So I selected a few incredibly fresh balls of mozzarella, a lovely green pepper, and a can of pizza sauce from my favorite organic canned food company, Eden Organic. Then I approached the chef. I said quietly, "I've heard you sell your pizza dough - can I buy some?" (In retrospect, I must have sounded like a Dead Head hanging out on Sheep Meadow in Central Park, asking the "sandwich guy" for something illicit!) He chuckled and said "of course," then wrapped up three plump balls of dough for me.

Once home, I rolled out the dough with a bit of flour, spread the sauce, sliced the mozzarella and green pepper, decorated my three pizzas and popped them into a 400 degree oven until the cheese bubbled and the crust was golden brown.

All in, the at-home prep plus cook time was maybe 20 minutes. Unbelievably easy. The result? Some of the best pizza we've ever had, at a price that beats even the cheapest of pizzerias and rivals the frozen variety. (The figures below are pre-tax.)

INGREDIENTS PURCHASED FOR THREE MEDIUM-SIZED PIZZAS:
3 PIZZA DOUGH		$3.00
PEPPERONI 0.5 LB SLICED		$2.94
EDEN ORGANIC PIZZA SAUCE		$2.54
2 FRESH MOZZARELLA		$10.87
GREEN BELL PEPPER		$1.19
		$20.54
PRICE PER PIZZA MADE:		$6.85

Disgusted with SIGG

I was catching up on my favorite blogs and saw this posting on Crunchy Domestic Goddess. Needless to say, I was really disappointed that the adorable SIGG bottle I bought in 2008 for my older child has to be junked due to BPA concerns - and angry that this company deceived me into thinking I was making a healthy choice for my son when I was actually making an unhealthy one.

Daily Photo: The Carnival Goldfish of Birthday Balloons

My five year old's birthday party was yesterday. The balloons looked like this this morning. Like the carnival goldfish you won as a kid, dead the next day, so, too, were these balloons.

Welcome Back to School - Here's Your Complimentary Virus!

School started August 17 for my five year old. His nose started mildly running on the 26th.

The toddler fell ill on the 27th and the evening of the 28th he was up all night (no joke). The nose bulb and nebulizer were back in business.

I took both kids to the doctor on the 28th. Verdict: the "welcome back to school!" virus. Ok, the doctor didn't call it this but the name seems appropriate.

The five year old's birthday party was yesterday. The two year old was too sick to go - good thing he's only two and didn't realize. His Dad stayed home with him while I ran the party.

By yesterday evening, I was sick, turning in at 8:30 pm. When the toddler woke up at 6:30 am this morning (full of beans), I asked my husband to take him so I could go back to bed. He woke me up at 10:30 am with a breakfast tray of organic pancakes, sliced bananas, fresh coffee and iced juice. I think I'll keep him! Though the family room looked like a tornado hit it when I came downstairs, the kitchen was immaculate, which more than compensates.

And now my husband is sick.

I'm hoping we're just getting all of this business out of the way early so we can have a nice healthy school year. Let's hold hands and chant together! "heal-thy school year!" "heal-thy school year!" "heal-thy school year!"

Build Your Own Burrito Night

Once every week or two we have "build your own burrito night". The kids love having a "say" in their dinner and these burritos are really tasty. I like that I can get them on the table in 30 minutes (if I multitask).

I consider the rice and beans to be the "core" - the other components (cheese, chicken, chorizo, spinach, tomato, avocado) are toppings that you could add or not, as you like.

This recipe makes about 10 burritos. My husband typically eats three. We usually have some rice and beans left over for my lunch the next day.

Ingredients:

2 organic chicken breasts, bone-in, skin on
1 cup of organic white jasmine rice (the 20-minute variety)
1 can of organic navy beans, thoroughly rinsed
2 cups water (1 1/2 cups for the rice, 1/2 cup for the beans mixture)
1 tbsp organic butter
1 thick slice of white onion, diced
1/2 of a green bell pepper, diced (optional)
1/2 cup of organic tomato sauce
dried oregano
ground cumin
garlic powder
salt
pepper
olive oil
10 fresh whole wheat tortillas (medium-sized)
1 all natural chorizo sausage (optional) - casing removed
1 bag of organic shredded mexican cheese (I like Horizon Organic)
2 medium sized organic tomatoes, diced
2 small organic avocados, diced
2 cups of fresh baby spinach leaves

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
   
2. Get the chicken going. Rinse the two chicken breasts and place them in a shallow baking pan. Rub them with olive oil, then season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cover with aluminum foil and put them in the oven. (You will leave the foil on until they are almost done, then remove to let crisp; cook to no higher than 165 degrees to ensure they are juicy but safe.)
   
3. Get the rice going once the chicken is in the oven. Put the rice and 1 1/2 cups of water in a pot. Add 1 tbsp butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/4 tsp dried oregano. Bring to a boil, stir, then cover and reduce to low. Let simmer until cooked (about 20 min).
   
4. Get the beans mixture going once you've put the rice on to cook. Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a large skillet on medium-heat. Add the chopped onion and green pepper and cook, stirred frequently, until soft (about 10 minutes). Watch the heat so they don't burn.
   
5. Cook the chorizo (casing removed, crumbled) in a small skillet while the onion and green pepper are softening. Set aside.
   
6. Finish the beans mixture once the chorizo is done. To the onion and green pepper, add the beans, water, tomato sauce, garlic powder, salt, pepper, cumin and oregano to taste (the key "burrito" flavor here is the cumin). Reduce heat to low and let simmer until the rice is ready, stirring occasionally.
7. Remove the rice from heat when it is done. Fluff and mix it into the beans.
8. Use a thermometer to see if the chicken has reached 165 degrees F. If it's not there yet, remove the aluminum foil from the chicken to let the skin brown. Dice the tomatoes and avocado.
   
9. Remove the chicken from the oven as soon as it reaches 165 degrees F. Immediately remove the skin and bones, then shred the chicken with a fork.
10. Put all of your components (rice and beans, tomato, avocado, cheese, spinach, chorizo, shredded chicken, tortillas) in separate dishes, to facilitate the "build your own" format.

Enjoy!

Postscript: A reader asked how much these burritos cost per burrito based on ten burritos -- a good question. You can see the more thorough breakdown in the comments section, but my estimate based on ten overstuffed burritos (with leftovers) is $3.42/burrito. Using 15 tortillas to minimize leftovers, the cost would drop to $2.41/burrito, including the cost of the extra tortillas. Neither figure includes the cost of oil or spices.

Delicious Banana Nut Muffins

Every time I have a few overripe bananas, I whip these up. They are quick and easy to make, and are so moist and delicious that they don't last long.

The recipe makes 18 muffins (fill muffin cups around 1/2 - 2/3 full) or four mini loaves.

Today, we brought these to school for my son's birthday snack (we left out the nuts) and the kids loved them.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup organic granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
2 eggs
2-3 large bananas
3/4 cup organic whole wheat flour
3/4 cup organic all purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Beat sugar, oil and eggs. Mash bananas until they are lumpy. Stir in bananas, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla.
3. Stir in baking soda and salt until combined, then quickly follow with the whole wheat and all purpose flour. Again, stir until combined.
4. Fold in the nuts.
5. Pour into 4 greased mini loaf pans or muffin pan. Cook until golden brown and there is a bit of spring when you press on the top. For muffins, that's usually about 15 minutes (but watch carefully). For the mini loaves, check after about 20 minutes. As with all cooking, pulling food out of the oven before it dries out is key!
   

If you want to goose the health of this recipe, you can substitute some of the whole wheat flour with ground flax seed.

Enjoy!

Daily Photo: Another Garage Visitor

This one is smaller than the last one, thankfully, but just as fearless. Again, it took me 15 minutes of work with the broom to get it to leave - much to my toddler's delight!

Five Iced Superheroes And One Happy 5 Year Old

Well, you KNOW I'd love to have a nice big organic cake for my child's 5th birthday party. But I don't think there is any natural way to feature 5 brightly colored iced superheroes without something artificial (ok, I could have bought five plastic figures and stuck them on top, but he will undoubtedly want to eat Spiderman). So I swallowed hard and ordered a garishly colored birthday cake that I know he'll absolutely love. Sigh.

Daily Photo: Butterfly Chase

My toddler and I followed this butterfly all the way down the block so we could get a photo. It was a fun chase!

Daily Photo: Praying Mantis

This is my older child's favorite insect, so we felt fortunate to find one in our own backyard!

Apple Pie Kefir Ice Cream

This past Thursday was my older child's first day of school. To celebrate, we went out for ice cream. As we walked from the car, we discussed what flavor he might like to have. His response was "pear!" I wasn't confident they would have such a gourmet flavor, so I mentioned that we could make our own pear ice cream sometime (though I'd never done it before!).

On the way back to the car, after he'd enjoyed his scoop of mint chocolate chip and I my cookies 'n cream, we bought an ice cream maker at Williams-Sonoma (which happened to be right where our car was parked - convenient!).

When we got home, I immediately opened the box, washed the mixing bowl and put it in the freezer (it's filled with a fluid and needs to freeze completely before you can make your frozen treats).

The next day, I decided to just go for it. But I did not have any pears. I examined my refrigerator and freezer and discovered: 1 bottle of vanilla low-fat kefir, 4 organic gala apples and some frozen all natural pie crust. So I decided to make:

Apple Pie Kefir Ice Cream (2 quarts)



Ingredients:

4 organic gala apples
4 cups of vanilla low-fat organic kefir
2 cups of low-fat organic milk
3/4 cup granulated organic sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp organic butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 all natural pie crust

Directions:

1. Keep the ice cream maker's mixing bowl in the freezer until the last second before you use it.
2. Peel, core and dice the apples. In a saucepan, melt some butter and add the apples, brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer, occasionally stirring, until the apples are soft. Taste test to ensure the seasoning is as you like it. Let cool to room temperature.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the pie crust on a cookie sheet and bake until golden brown. Remove and let cool to room temperature.
4. Strain the apple mixture and place it in a large bowl. Add the milk, kefir, granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. Taste test to see if you need to add more cinnamon or nutmeg. Mix this all together.
5. Remove the ice cream maker's mixing bowl from the freezer and put it in the ice cream machine. Put your ice cream mixture in the bowl, put the mixing arm in and the top on. Run until the mixture thickens (about 30 minutes).
6. Break up the pie crust and scatter it at the bottom of a Pyrex storage container. Scoop the ice cream out of the mixing bowl and put on top of the crust. Smooth the top and put the covered container into the freezer until you want to serve it.
7. When you serve it, don't forget to scoop some crust from the bottom!

My family LOVED this.

Postscript: If you plan to freeze this and serve it another day, allow 5 minutes for it to thaw -- it does freeze quite hard. Alternatively, you could make this into wonderful popsicles!

Daily Photo: Lizard in Our Garage

When I first saw this lizard a few months ago, it was fairly small and cute. I left water out for it because it was in the 100s and I have a soft spot. After a while, it became a frequent visitor. My husband objected to its presence because he felt it was one step away from moving IN to our home. I argued that it's coldblooded and wouldn't like the air conditioning.

Well, it's now quite LARGE (maybe 12 inches in length) and is very clearly no longer afraid of us. I finally conceded that it needed to go. It took us 15 minutes and a broom to get it out of the garage. I swept it out and it would run right back, straight toward the broom. Imagine how hard it would be to get it out of our house!

It's Too Quiet Now

EcoMeg was very quiet these past two weeks while my family visited. First my Dad, then my brother and sister-in-law. We enjoyed ourselves immensely. Not because we did anything special, just because we were together. We lingered at the dining table, chatted while I cooked, ran errands together... Just shared the same space.

It seems too quiet in the house now, despite the kids' constant chatter.

After being in a new town on our own for two years, the visits made one thing very clear. Life is so much better when you have a rich tapestry of friends and family to share it.

For all of you out there who think you don't need anyone, that you enjoy your solitude, or whatever other reasons you have for not reaching out to other human beings: pick up the phone, invite someone over or out for a meal, strike up a conversation with your neighbor, reach out to other parents at your child's school, visit your relatives, go to coffee hour after church/temple/synagogue and mingle, call your old high school friend or your college roommate and catch up!

Famous Last Words

3:00 a.m.
I can't sleep. Mosquito bites have woken me up. I was aggressively scratching in my sleep. The itching is unbearable. I tell myself that if I just stop scratching, the itching will die down and I'll be able to fall back asleep. I lie very still and try to breathe deeply.

3:30 a.m.
Forget that! I go downstairs and find the calamine lotion. My legs are now covered in pink splotches. I sit down to wait for the lotion to dry before heading back to bed.

3:40 a.m.
Itching is still awful. I take two allergy tablets and climb the stairs.

4:00 a.m.
I drift off.

6:00 a.m.
The toddler jumps on me. The itching is almost gone but I know it's lurking. I think back to what I said to my sister-in-law the previous evening as we all sat outside enjoying a relatively mild evening. "Mosquitoes used to love me but they don't bother me anymore."

Yeah, right.

My Father: An Example of Healthy Living at 87

As a child, I remember my father, a decorated WW2 veteran, doing floor exercises every morning. He did one armed push ups, which I thought was amazing. I used to brag at elementary school about him. I don't know anyone today who can do that, regardless of age.

At 87 he doesn't do one-armed push ups anymore, but he exercises 3 or more times a week at a gym, riding the exercise bike, stretching and doing some weight training.

He also eats lots of fish, nuts, high fiber cereal and salads, and has no taste for fried food. He reads constantly, writes, travels and is active spiritually and socially. He has had some health issues but fought them with vigor and recovered well.

I can only hope to live my life as well as he has his!

Happiness: The Other Green Emotion

Green. Most people would associate it with envy, rather than any other emotion. But I think the really green emotion is happiness.

Being happy, reminding ourselves of what makes us happy, what makes us fortunate, can keep us healthy. If ill, it can make us fight illness harder, or with more grace, naturally. Sounds like good, green living to me.

Happiness is contagious, spreading throughout families, through networks of friends, between strangers who exchange smiles on the bus or street.

A few months ago, I experienced a sudden rush of happiness. Inexplicably, I realized I was utterly happy. This feeling stayed with me for maybe two weeks. Months later, after unsuccessfully determining why I felt that way, I realized that a momentary glimpse or realization of utter happiness is a gift. Sustained happiness is a choice. We must choose to dwell on the positive and not the negative.

So I choose happiness.

Daily Photo: Flowers for My Father's Birthday

Daily Photo: Mom, Look! A Spider!

As I drove to the end of our street today, my older child pointed out of the window and said, "Mom, look! A spider!" So I glanced as I was about to turn and noticed a MASSIVE spider attached to the lamppost. I have never seen one so big (in the wild).

The Shred

Yesterday, I saw an article about how Heidi Klum gets back into shape after having babies. She sounds no-nonsense. Clearly she's very disciplined, exercises and eats well. She also doesn't procrastinate, but gets back into shape immediately rather than dragging it out.

I can't say I was as motivated as Heidi Klum obviously is. Maybe it's because I don't make millions by looking totally fit (wouldn't that be great!). Whatever the reasons for dragging my feet, I finally did reach a point where I wanted my body back. Not just my pre-pregnancy body, but my wedding body. This would not be easy, since I've been married eight years, have had two children, hadn't worked out regularly since my first child was born and am now in my forties.

Now I am almost there and am in the best physical shape since my mid-twenties. I have three people to thank for it: my friend Bill at Daddy Is Tired (who also blogs at Shredheads) who told me about the workout DVD The 30 Day Shred, Jillian Michaels, the killer trainer who designed it, and my husband, who started seriously working out around the same time that I did (thank you for the moral support!).



There are a few reasons why The 30 Day Shred works for me.

1. The workouts are only 20 minutes long. This is about the same length as an episode of Max and Ruby or Danny Phantom. Not that I park my kids in front of the tube so I can get my workout in. No way.
2. They are brutal and work the entire body, including cardio. I actually found running a few miles (without stopping) to be easy after doing the DVD for 30 days. I've even done it pushing 80 pounds of kids in a double stroller.
   
3. Jillian Michaels is not annoying.
4. It makes me feel tough. She accepts no excuses, reminds us that even 400 pound people do these exercises. This made me believe that I could do it, regardless of my two knee surgeries. (The surprising result: I have less pain in my joints now that I'm in shape.)
   
5. I got results within one month. I dropped a dress size, changed the shape of my body and broke through a tough weight plateau (I hadn't been able to get rid of the last 5 pounds to get back to my wedding weight).

If you read her book Master Your Metabolism you will also appreciate her greenness. She just makes such sense. I heartily recommend the book, too.

Awesome Blueberry Muffins

These blueberry muffins are one of my kids' favorites. The entire batch is usually gone within 24 hours.

I can't take any credit at all for the recipe - I got it from Food Network, which got it from Gourmet Magazine.  I just modified the directions a bit.

I highly recommend the online resource provided by Food Network - it is a big source of inspiration.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 3/4 cup sifted flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries
1 tablespoon flour for the blueberries

Directions:

I use a stand mixer for all of my baking, which makes very quick work of it.  Cream the butter and sugar. Add milk and egg and beat until smooth. While the mixer is running, add baking powder and salt.  Add the flour.  Mix until moistened. Toss the blueberries with flour and fold into the batter. Fill a well-greased muffin pan 2/3 full with the batter or use paper muffin liners. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Don’t overcook!

Tip: - you can tuck a 1/4 cup of ground flaxseed into each batch of muffins to add fiber and Omega-3.
 

Daily Photo: I almost expected to see an elf living under there

We've had a lot of rain lately, and this is a typical result. But this particular mushroom looked like something out of a children's story.