Broccoli and cheddar cheese soup/Side green salad

If you love broccoli and cheese on their own, why not eat them together in a light soup?!

2 T o.o.

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 medium russet potato, cut into 1/2" pieces

1 bunch of broccoli

1 cup lowfat milk

1/2 t freshly grated or ground nutmeg

6 oz extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Heat the oil over medium heat, and add the celery, garlic, onion, potato, 1/2 broccoli, salt and pepper to taste, and cook covered, stir occasionally, until tender; 5-6 min.

Meanwhile, take the remaining broccoli florets and boil in 3 cups water adding the rest of the vegetables. Once the water is boiling, the broccoli should be tender, if not, boil for a couple more minutes.

Remove from heat, and use a handheld immersion blender, if you have one, to puree the vegetables, otherwise, blend in batches. Add the milk, and nutmeg, and simmer to heat through~ 2 min. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Done! It's very easy and very tasty. Your kids might like it, too! This recipe came w/ make-your-own croutons to top. To do that, you just take 2 slices of your favorite whole wheat bread, for ie., cut into crouton sizes, toss the bread w/ 1 T of olive oil, and bake in 400 til golden brown and crisp. As a tip, I tossed the croutons w/ my hands, then gave myself a nice hand massage w/ the leftover oil.

The above salad is just whatever ingredients I had in my fridge; tomatoes, oranges, freshly grated carrot, and extra croutons you just made. With Paul Newman's viniagrette dressing, it always tastes good! Add more grated cheddar cheese, a dolop of plain Greek yogurt, more pepper or whatever you like!

Sweet Potato Lasagna

In getting ready for the fall I will be making my sweet potato lasagna. I used the Cooks Illustrated hearty tomato meat sauce lasagna but I modify it with sweet potato/tomato puree and instead of the meat I add gourmet chicken sausage. The recipe to roast the sweet potatoes follows. It takes a while to make (I always roast the sweet potatoes on a separate day) but it's so worth it.  I usually double it and freeze half. You can also assemble everything during nap time and throw it in the fridge to bake later.

My modifications are in green.  Seriously it's so good with sweet potatoes.  I have another version of spinach lasagna that I add in butternut squash too and will post it some other time. I love this fall season. This recipe looks overwhelming but it's not.

Simple Lasagna with Hearty Tomato-Meat Sauce (modified with sweet potatoes)

Serves 6 to 8.   Published September 1, 2002.  
If you can’t find meatloaf mixture for the sauce, or if you choose not to eat veal, substitute 1/2 pound ground beef and 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed, for the meatloaf mixture. The assembled, unbaked lasagna, if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil, will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. To bake, defrost it in the refrigerator for a day or two and bake as directed, extending the baking time by about 5 minutes. 
First  slice up (in 1 inch pieces) about 6-8 sweet potatoes (yams) and toss with a bit of s/p and olive oil.  Lay out on a baking sheet and roast on 350° for about 20-30 mins until they are soft...occasionally stirring.  Or you can follow the cooks illustrated version of roasting sweet potatoes but it takes longer, but is soooo good!  Recipe for that at the bottom.

Ingredients:

Tomato-Meat Sauce

1     tablespoon olive oil
1     medium onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
6     medium cloves garlic , pressed through garlic press or minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1     pound meatloaf mix or 1/3 pound each ground beef chuck, ground veal, and ground pork  (instead of this mixture I use one package {5 sausages) of a gourmet sausage from Trader Joe's or whole foods, like a chicken apple sausage, slice and cut into quarters.  Then the meat won't overpower the sweet potato)
1/2     teaspoon table salt
1/2     teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4     cup heavy cream

    1 can (28 ounces) tomato puree (instead use a 14oz can of tomato puree or diced tomatoes to puree with the sweet potatoes)
    1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes , drained

Ricotta, Mozzarella, and Pasta Layers

15     ounces ricotta cheese (whole milk or part skim), 1 3/4 cups) (I've found that the ricotta cheese in the states in mealy and not moist enough so I substitute this with COTTAGE CHEESE and believe me it's so much better)
2 1/2     ounces grated Parmesan cheese (1 1/4 cups)
1/2     cup chopped fresh basil
1     large egg , lightly beaten
1/2     teaspoon table salt
1/2     teaspoon ground black pepper
12     no-boil lasagna noodles from one 8- or 9-ounce package
16     ounces whole milk mozzarella , shredded (4 cups)

Instructions

      1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.

      2. Heat oil in large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add ground meats, salt, and pepper; cook, breaking meat into small pieces with wooden spoon, until meat loses its raw color but has not browned, about 4 minutes. Add cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and only fat remains, about 4 minutes. Add pureed and drained diced tomatoes (and the sweet potato/tomato mixture) and bring to simmer; reduce heat to low and simmer slowly until flavors are blended, about 3 minutes; set sauce aside. (Sauce can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days; reheat before assembling lasagna.)

      3. Mix cottage cheese, 1 cup Parmesan, basil, egg, salt, and pepper in medium bowl with fork until well-combined and creamy; set aside.

      4. Assemble first lasagna layer according to illustrations below. Repeat layering of noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, and sauce two more times. Place 3 remaining noodles on top of sauce, spread remaining sauce over noodles, sprinkle with remaining cup mozzarella, then with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Lightly spray a large sheet of foil with nonstick cooking spray and cover lasagna. Bake 15 minutes, then remove foil. Return lasagna to oven and continue to bake until cheese is spotty brown and sauce is bubbling, about 25 minutes longer. Cool lasagna about 10 minutes; cut into pieces and serve.


Here's the Roasted Sweet Potatoes recipe

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Serves 4 to 6.   Published November 1, 2008.   From Cook's Illustrated.
Note that this recipe calls for starting the potatoes in a cold oven. Choose potatoes that are as even in width as possible; trimming the small ends prevents them from burning. If you prefer not to peel the potatoes, just scrub them well before cutting.

Ingredients

3	pounds sweet potatoes (about 6 medium), ends trimmed, peeled, rinsed, and cut into 3/4-inch thick rounds (see note)
2	tablespoons vegetable oil
1	teaspoon table salt
	Ground black pepper

Instructions

1. 1. Toss potatoes in large bowl with oil, salt, and pepper to taste until evenly coated. Line 18- by 13-inch heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange potatoes in single layer on baking sheet and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Adjust oven rack to middle position and place potatoes in cold oven. Turn oven to 425 degrees and cook potatoes 30 minutes.
2. 2. Remove baking sheet from oven and carefully remove top layer of foil. Return potatoes to oven and cook until bottom edges of potatoes are golden brown, 15 to 25 minutes.
3. 3. Remove baking sheet from oven and, using thin metal spatula, flip slices over. Continue to roast until bottom edges of potatoes are golden brown, 18 to 22 minutes longer. Remove from oven; let potatoes cool 5 to 10 minutes; transfer to platter and serve.

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

I LOVE MAC AND CHEESE!  I think this week everyone should post their favorite mac and cheese recipe.  This is so quick and delicious! I'm going to go make it right now.

Ingredients

• 2 cups Small Pasta (Shells, Elbow Or Piccolini)
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 Tablespoon Flour
• ¾ cups Milk
• ½ cups Butternut Squash Puree
• 1-½ cup Monterey Jack Cheese
• 2 Tablespoons Cream Cheese
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• ⅛ teaspoons Pepper
• ⅛ teaspoons Paprika

Preparation Instructions

Peel and dice the squash and roast in the oven for 50 minutes at 400° cool place in a food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth. 

Bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Once boiling, add pasta and cook until pasta is tender (about 7 to 10 minutes). Strain and set aside.

Melt butter over medium low heat in a saucepan and add the flour. Whisk and cook for 2 minutes. It will resemble a paste.
Slowly add milk. Whisk until combined. Next add everything thing else. Stir until combined.
Add sauce to the pasta and stir!
Peel and dice the squash and roast in the oven for 50 minutes at 400° cool place in a food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth.

Pasta with pesto and peas

Pasta with Pesto and Peas

Ina does it again. This is delicious especially with chicken included. Its great for baby showers, too. So good.

I made the pesto in advance and kept it in the freezer then last night I cooked an extra chicken breast and today put it all together. Super easy and delicious.
Copyright, 2001, Ina Garten, All rights reserved

Prep Time:
45 min
Inactive Prep Time:
1 min
Cook Time:
12 min
Serves:
12 servings

Ingredients

* 3/4 pound fusilli pasta
* 3/4 pound bow tie pasta
* 1/4 cup good olive oil
* 1 1/2 cups pesto, packaged or see recipe below
* 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
* 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
* 1 1/4 cups good mayonnaise
* 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
* 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted
* 1/3 cup pignolis (pine nuts)
* 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pignolis, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.
Pesto:

* 1/4 cup walnuts
* 1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts)
* 3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)
* 5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 1/2 cups good olive oil
* 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Place the walnuts, pignolis, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.

Notes: Air is the enemy of pesto. For freezing, pack it in containers with a film of oil or plastic wrap directly on top with the air pressed out.

To clean basil, remove the leaves, swirl them in a bowl of water, and then spin them very dry in a salad spinner. Store them in a closed plastic bag with a slightly damp paper towel. As long as the leaves are dry they will stay green for several days.

Yield: 4 cups

Homemade Samoas

Homemade Samoas

Cookies:

• 1 cup butter, soft1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• up to 2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt followed by the vanilla and milk. Add in a bit of extra flour if your dough is very sticky.
Roll the dough between pieces of wax paper and use a circle cookie cutter to make small rounds. Place on baking sheet and use a smaller item to cut a smaller center hole. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned and cookies are lightly gold. Cool.

Topping:

• 3 cups shredded coconut
• 1 lb chewy caramels
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp milk
• 8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a baking sheet and toast 5-10 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet. Set aside.
Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula. Spread topping on cooled cookies, using about 3 tsp per cookie. Reheat caramel for a few seconds in the microwave if it gets too firm to work with.
While topping sets up, melt chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each cookie into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate into a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle finished cookies with chocolate.
Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
These taste like the real thing! Be careful, you might eat all of them in one sitting.

Cafe Rio

Don't tell my family...but I think this salad from Cafe Rio might be the thing I miss most about Utah. I could eat one of these salads once a week. And, because it can feed two people and only costs $8...I think we might have eaten there once a week!

Because those of us living in this beautiful Bay Area are deprived of enjoying Cafe Rio in all it's sweet, cilantro, lime deliciousness...I thought I'd share a knock-off you can make it at home!

Enjoy!

Sweet Barbacoa Pork

3-4 lb pork roast

Cover roast halfway with water.
Cook in crockpot for 6 hours on low.
Shred pork and reserve juices.

8 oz. taco sauce
1 tablespoon cumin
1 cup brown sugar
1 can coke (not diet!)

Add to shredded pork with some of the reserved juices until meat is submerged in liquid.
Cook on low an additional 3 hours.


Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing

1 package Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch dressing mix
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayonnaise
1-2 tomatillos
1/2 - 1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 - 1/3 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 - 1 small jalapeno, seeds removed

Add all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

If you haven't had the pleasure of an authentic Cafe Rio salad build it in this order:

fresh flour tortilla
lime rice (recipe coming in a later post)
beans
pork
lettuce
pico de gallo
guacamole
fresh lime
tortilla strips
ranch dressing

Super Easy Chili and Cornbread

Just an intro for those new girls in the ward...

Hi! I'm Whitney. I love to shop (window for now), travel, hang out with my boys, and go for walks and bike rides down our beautiful tree lined streets! Oh, and I have the coolest family ever. Don't you just want to hang out with my sisters and mom?!

















As a way to keep in my weekly grocery budget I have found a few things to be my keys to success:

1. I always make a menu for each breakfast, lunch and dinner. ( i know it sounds like a lot of work, it is! but it's worth it)
2. I make a grocery list of everything I need and make menu adjustments if things seem like they are adding to too much.
3. I have a budget when I go to the store.
4. I NEVER go shopping when I'm hungry :)
5. I make "poor man's dinner" (soup) once a week. I can make a huge batch, beans are cheap, and I can eat it for leftovers all week. I love it because I can try a new soup recipe every week and I don't get bored.






















Cooks Illustrated Simple Beef Chili

Good choices for condiments include diced fresh tomatoes, diced avocado, sliced scallions, chopped red onion, chopped cilantro leaves, sour cream, and shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese.

Makes about 3 quarts, serving 8 to 10

* I almost always buy pre-chopped veggies to save time even though they cost more. Time is money sometimes right?!

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or corn oil
2 medium onions, chopped fine (about 2 cups)
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef (see variations below)
2 (15-ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 can (28 ounces) tomato puree
Table salt

1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
*I really like spicy food and this is pretty spicy to me so I would cut the pepper flakes and cayenne down A LOT if you are sensitive to the heat.

1. Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed nonreactive Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, and spices; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add half the beef; cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink and just beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add remaining beef and cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Remove cover and continue to simmer 1 hour longer, stirring occasionally (if chili begins to stick to bottom of pot, stir in 1/2 cup water and continue to simmer), until beef is tender and chili is dark, rich, and slightly thickened. Adjust seasoning with additional salt. Serve with lime wedges and condiments if desired.

***I also make Trader Joe's cornbread mix and double it so it's twice as thick in the pan. Plenty of leftovers, easy and tastes great.

Homemade Pretzel Bites

I just made these today. I've been trying to come up with more snack ideas for the kids besides hummus and carrots sticks of flatbread, fruit and granola or crackers. These were yummy right out of the oven. I think I'll dip them in the cinnamon and sugar mix tomorrow. Also I didn't salt them tons, kids don't need too much salt. I hope people post more snack recipes/ideas. This recipe is easy and really doesn't take very long, don't be intimidated by all of the directions.

Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites

Ingredients:

Soft Pretzels:
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 package active dry yeast
3 ounces unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil
3 quarts water
3/4 cup baking soda
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
Coarse sea salt
For the cheese sauce:
½ Tablespoon unsalted butter
½ Tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ cup milk
8 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated ( I used Gruyere and it was SO GOOD)

Directions:

For the Pretzels: Combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.
Oil a bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Bring the water to a boil in a small roasting pan over high heat and add the baking soda.
Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 ounces each. Roll each piece into a long rope measuring 22 inches and shape. Cut the dough into one inch pieces to make the pretzel bites. Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution in batches. We did about 15 bites at a time. Boil for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon. Place pretzel bites on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure they are not touching. Brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt. Place into the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.
Remove to a baking rack and let rest 5 minutes before eating. Serve with cheese sauce.
To make the cheese sauce:
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and cook until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the Cheddar cheese until smooth and all of the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
*If you want to make cinnamon and sugar pretzel bites-instead of adding salt, sprinkle the bites with cinnamon and sugar.

Spinach, Mango, Avocado Smoothie

I promise this is more delicious than it sounds. The kids love it and I make it instead of a salad sometimes for dinner. It's tasty and the prettiest green. When I make it I just throw things in the blender so these proportions can be played with (I'm trying to estimate the amounts.) We try to eat lots of spinach, I really believe it makes us stronger, just call me Popeye. I get my avocado's from TJ's, in the packs of 4 because they're cheaper, always are hard though. Put them with you apples and they'll ripen quickly.

- 1/2 bag of spinach (TJ's)

~ 1 cup of sweetened almond vanilla milk

~ 1/2 cup of apple juice (I get the unfiltered kind from TJ's.)

~ 3/4 to 1 cup of whole milk yogurt (red container from TJ's)

~ 7-8 chunks of frozen mango (also from TJ's)

~ 1 avocado (this makes the smoothies so creamy)

~ 1 squirt of honey (omit if feeding to child under 1)
1 banana

BLEND! BLEND until it looks beautiful and creamy. Increase the liquid if it's too thick, you want it to flow! If you don't believe me how good it is, come over and I'll make if for you:)

Homemade Mac and Cheese

Hi, my name is Jen Lundeen.
I have lived in the area for three whole weeks.
I am originally from Sandy, Utah.
I am a history nerd, a dancer, an avid reader, and an aspiring tennis player.
My husband is a student at Stanford, a talented builder, a great storyteller and he makes a mean brownie.
I have two beautiful, fun, sweet, sassy, crazy, girly girls.
We love to eat.

I hope to share something yummy.

Can't you just taste that cheesy, gooey, deliciousness?!?!



There's just nothing like mac and cheese.

I'll be the first to admit that the boxed variety makes it's appearance in our home more often than I'd like it to. So, I've decided to perfect my home made version of this classic dish so my girls can learn what real mac and cheese is supposed to taste like!

Great as a side dish to meatloaf, Whitney's delicious Trader Joe's salad, or all by itself!

Enjoy!

Homemade Mac and Cheese

2 T butter
3 T flour
1 1/2 cups milk
3 cups cheese*
salt and pepper to taste

1 lb macaroni

1. melt butter in saucepan
2. add flour and whisk until thick
3. add milk and stir continuously until smooth and thickened
4. add cheese and stir until melted
5. salt and pepper to taste
6. pour over cooked noodles and bake at 350 until golden brown on top - about 15 minutes

Jen Lundeen

Leftover Mashed Potato Quesadilla

My mother is the master at making something incredible from random ingredients in the fridge. One time she made quesadilla's from leftover mashed Japanese sweet potatoes and goat cheese.  I had some leftover mashed garlic/spinach potatoes that I made last Saturday and wanted to do something with them, so I worked with what was in my fridge. You can use any cheese because people always have some sort of cheese in their fridge right?

-1 red pepper
-1 yellow onion
-some white stilton cheese w/ apricots from a shower I did a few days ago (can get it at Trader Joe's, run to your nearest one and get some it's so good!)
-whole wheat flatbread (also from TJ's, backup because the tortilla's ended up being moldy)

I sliced the onion and red pepper julienne style and caramelized them during the kids naps and set aside until later because I wanted to take them out to play before dinner. To caramelize you can do it a few ways, in the oven on low heat for a few hours occasionally stirring, or saute them for about 1 hr on low heat occasionally stirring, or a quicker delicious method I recently discovered, saute in a bit of olive oil, add some kosher salt (to bring out the liquids) for about 5 mins on medium heat until they're wilted, them cover for 20 mins and turn heat to low and stir about twice.

The rest is self explanatory, just layer the mashed potatoes, cheese and onions. I suggest using a panini grill if you have one, these are often tricky to flip in a pan (well you should see my kitchen after I do it, it needs a full wipe down.) Sorry no photo, they went straight to our mouths.

Roasted tomato pasta

This is quick and easy, the only thing it requires is hanging around the house to stir tomatoes every 30-40 mins, which can be made a day ahead, like on a rainy day when you can't go out.

Recipe:

2-3 baskets of small/cheery tomotoes (I love sun golds)

some olive oil

salt and pepper

a few cloves of garlic (minced)

handful of basil

1/2 pound of pasta

4-6 oz of mascapone (found at Trader Joe's, I use about 1/2 the container.)

Directions:

Heat oven to 200°. Meanwhile slice the tomatoes in half. Toss with some olive oil and kosher salt and pepper. Sprawl out the tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 4-5 hrs stirring occasionally. When they're ready they'll be pretty shriveled. 

Boil pasta, I chose wagon wheels because I was hoping it would entice Finn out of his picky eating. Chop up basil. In a pot saute minced garlic, when that's down throw in the tomatoes, basil and pasta then add the mascapone and stir and coat. It's delicious! Enjoy.

Homemade Granola for the kids. And us!

A simple morning or afternoon snack.


























1 cup old fashioned or quick cooking (not instant) oatmeal
1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds
3 tbs vegetable oil
2 tbs honey

Other suggestions you could add:

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

3/4 cup chopped nuts of your choice

3/4 cup chopped dried fruit

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Toss oatmeal, almonds, oil, and honey together in a large bowl until they are completely combined. Pour onto a baking sheet pan and bake, stirring occasionally with a metal spatula, until the mixture turns an even golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Remove the granola from the oven, scrape the pan with the spatula to loosen the granola, and allow to cool, stirring once.

Add plain yogurt, blueberries, strawberries, bananas or any fresh fruit for a healthy and tasty treat for the kids.

Easy Maple Roasted Bacon

The best way to eat bacon!

 Costco's precooked packs of bacon slices
1-2 tablespoons good maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in one layer on the baking rack. Bake for 5-7 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Brush the bacon slices with maple syrup. Transfer to plate and serve warm.

Super Yummy Buttermilk Pancakes

Everyone has their favorite version of pancakes, and these are mine.  The recipe makes 12 to 15 silver dollar pancakes (although I usually make a half batch instead).

Alice's Roasted Beet and Pepper Salad

I made this recipe up a few years ago. It's one of my favorites. Kids like it too because the beets and peppers are so sweet from being roasted, plus it's so colorful.

Alice's Roasted Beet and Pepper Salad:
3 large beets
1 red, 1 yellow, 1 orange bell pepper
a bunch of green onions
cilantro
1/2 package of Harvest Grains Blend from Trader Joe's (consists of Israeli Style Couscous, Orzo, Baby Garbonzo Beans, and Red Quinoa)
regular olive oil
juice from 1 lime
"O" olive oil ruby grapefruit (or splash some olive oil with 1/2 squeezed orange.) Found at Whole Foods or Draegers, ~$15 a bottle but so worth it and good in many salads.
orange muscat champagne vinegar from Trader Joe's
salt and pepper

Set oven to 400° and cut the stems off of the beets and place them in heavy duty foil. Drizzle with regular olive oil until coated and salt and pepper them. Wrap the foil around but not tightly. Place in oven for about 1-1 1/2 hours, or until you can easily stick a fork through them (you don't want them to be mushy.) Take out and open the foil and set aside to cool a bit.
Set the oven to broil and cut the peppers in half and flatten out skin side up onto a baking sheet (with edges). Broil until they are mostly black. If you have a brown paper bag place them directly out of the oven into the brown paper bag and close and let them steam for a bit. OR, you can place them in a metal bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Meanwhile, take the beets out and scrape off the skins with a knife, they should slide right off and chop into bite sized cubes and put in a bowl. Chop up the onions (including the greens) and add to the beet bowl. After the peppers have been steaming for at least 10-15 minutes take out of the bowl and continue to peel off the skin, if the skins are black and burnt then they will be easier to peel. Then just slice into little squares and add to the bowl. Chop up the cilantro (however much you like) and add to the bowl.
Cook the Harvest blend (or whatever grain you are using, this is also good with just plain Israeli Couscous) according to the package. Add to the bowl and immediately squeeze in lime juice, drizzle with the grapefruit olive oil and vinegar (you estimate the amount but not too much) and salt and pepper to taste. You don't want to saturate too much with the oil and vinegar so that it's dripping, just a few splashes or to taste, however do it while everything is still warm so they soak up the flavor.Mix around so that everything is evenly distributed. And voila. Best served at room temperature.

Welcome to the Mayfield Mormon Cookbook! TJ's salad recipe too!

I started this blog with the desire to help other small families on tight budgets share dinner menus that seem to work for your family. Please share any tips, advice, secrets, grocery stores, etc. that have benefited your weekly cooking.

The name is from the original city name of Palo Alto, once called Mayfield, CA. Nancy Marsh is the one who told me about it. She seems to know everything about this place!

Bon Appetit!

Here is my favorite salad. This recipe is from my sister Lindsey. It looks and tastes amazing!

TJ's salad-all ingredients at Trader Joes

Equal parts of:

medium chopped arugula

pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds)

tiny star pasta, cooked and cooled, or any very tiny pasta

quattro formaggio cheese, shredded in bag

fresh or canned corn (second best to fresh is TJ's frozen roasted corn)

craisens

bruschetta -the refrigerated one

I put them in lines on a platter and toss together just before serving.

If you really want to add a dressing it calls for TJ's Parmesan ranch, but I prefer the bruschetta itself for dressing. Also, if I run out of some of the ingredients I just use whatever I have. Lately I been having the chopped arugula with pepitas and bruschetta and it's wonderful.

A great side is Trader Joe's (par-baked) bread loafs.

Enjoy!

Whitney Bills

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