solid sundays:: starting solids

A couple of weeks ago we were given the go ahead to start Kannon on real food.  Since then, we have introduced several new fruits and veggies with success.  I keep meaning to make a "food log" but between moving, packing boxes, and such I can't seem to keep track of my car keys let alone a piece of paper.  So, Sundays will be the start of a new blog category--solid sundays.  Stay tuned if you like learning more about food, making baby food, and seeing ridiculous photos of Kannon covered in puree. 

First off, I never knew baby food could be so fun.  Before Kannon my concept of baby food was Gerber jars packed full with gross smelling purees.   Seriously, what baby would eat pureed chicken?  Of course, after having Kannon my outlook on baby food changed.  I bought a food mill, ice cube trays (for storing and freezing), and a puree cookbook.  I have been researching the history of peas, carrots, and bananas--desiring a greater understanding of not only where food comes from, but its history. 

So the googling began and before long I was in the grocery store telling Dale the complete history of sweet potatoes versus yams--with an audience.  I am like a mad scientist playing with my son's food.  I giggle every time I use the food mill recounting my years of playdough and preschool.  I mix bananas and avocados and play with food as much as Kannon. I am so much more than a foodie, I am a fun-foodie.

Alas, I digress.  We introduce new foods on Mondays and Thursdays leaving Sunday as a good opportunity to recap on Kannon's food adventures.  Bon appetit!

Feeding Schedule::
7am 6oz bottle
9:30am 4 oz bottle
Nap
11:30am Veggie Serving
2:00pm 6 oz bottle
Nap
5:00pm Veggie/Fruit Serving
7:30pm 6oz bottle
Bedtime (Kannon sleeps from 7pm-7am EVERY night)

***This is Kannon's schedule.  We feed him when he shows hunger cues and let him eat until he's full.  Somedays this schedule is different.  Yesterday Kannon ate 12oz in an hour.  In general, this is the everyday schedule that Kannon has set for himself--like clockwork. Kannon is beginning to cut out the 4oz bottles now that we have started solids.  I imagine that when we introduce a third meal, those bottles will be completely eliminated.  We plan on adding a breakfast serving at 8am but we are waiting until we are moved, settled, and have a more regular schedule.

New Foods::
Peas
Carrots
Apples
Avocado
Bananas
Sweet Potatoes

Peas::
To make peas, I steamed them in a little bit of boiling water until soft and ran them through our food mill.  The texture was quite dry so I added formula to keep them runny.

After the first few bites, Kannon decided he liked them and ate nearly 3 oz in one sitting. 

Carrots::
For carrots, I made them just like peas, steaming them until soft and using the food mill to puree. 

After the first few bites, Kannon made gagging faces, pushed my hands away, and started crying by the 4th bite. I tried to introduce them again and he fussed the minute he saw the bowl.  To top it off, he pooped orange for 2 days.  I think we will try carrots at a later date.

Apples:: 
For apples, I used frozen, sliced and peeled apples that I steamed in water and pureed with my  food processor.

Kannon loves sucking on apples in his mesh bag so I assumed he would love apple pureed but I was wrong.  He wasn't crazy about the texture or the taste but he still sucked them down. Next batch, I will try adding cinnamon to spice things up.

Avocados::
This is a no-brainer.  I sliced an avocado and ran it through the food mill to mash it up. 

Kannon wasn't crazy about avocados but by the third bite he was downing them like a champ. 

Bananas::
Also, a no-brainer.  I ran the banana through the food mill and it turned into a delicious banana pudding. 

Kannon loves bananas.  He now eats nearly a whole pureed banana at breakfast.  However much he loves them, I can't give him too much because it makes him really bratty....I am not sure why.

***We also mixed bananas and avocado which sounds like a crazy combination but it was delicious.  Apparently Kannon agreed because the bowl disappeared before I could blink.

Sweet Potatoes::
For these bad boys, I poked them a few times with a fork and put them in a dish with a little bit of water in a 400 degree oven.  45 minutes later the potatoes are done.  I ran them under cold water, peeled the skin off and used the food mill.

Kannon loves sweet potatoes.  When I pull them out of the fridge he does this little excited dance and flails his arms and legs about.  The best part, I love sweet potatoes, so every one bite for Kannon is 2 bites for me. 

Next Week Preview::
Butternut Squash
Pears

We are trying to introduce a new fruit and vegetable each week.  I am also spending a little time researching baby-led weaning and plan on introducing a few finger foods in the coming weeks.

"No-No Pie" Dog Treats

There are days when everything in our world is turned upside down and backwards. Days when I can't even stop to take a sip of water. Days when there are dishes in the sink piled a mile high. Days when I don't (ashamedly) remember to change my underwear.

Days when Kannon wont take naps, eats every hour, and poops in the last clean pair of pants. I hate these days. Sadly, I also love these days. These are days when food taste like a gift from the Gods and crawling into bed (even for only 2 hours sleep) is a personal sanctuary.

These days are becoming more frequent now that I have gone back to work and Kannon is getting bigger---refusing his naps and demanding 100% of my attention. It is hard. I have learned how to type one-handed, balancing a baby on my knee and the keyboard on the desk. I have learned how to bake while wearing Kannon in a homemade ring-sling--although its not perfect, he usually ends up flour covered. I have learned to do a lot of things. Before baby I didn't know what a bumbo or bumgenius was but now I finding these words to be common place in our house.

These days, I sometimes forget my dog. I also forget the freshly baked pecan pie that I left sitting on the counter. Sadly, these days, I come home to find one happy dog and no pecan pie and shout "No, No, Pie!!!"



So in honor of every bad, crazy day, I have decided to make some "no, no pie" dog treats--so I can at least make one person happy with some yummy treats instead of sacrificing my beautifully baked goods to our canine friend, Emma.

But seriously, these treats are easy to make and will satisfy every ignored canine suffering from "new baby in the house" syndrome...or just satisfy any canine with a sweet tooth.



"No-No Pie" Dog Treats

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup peanut butter (Emma prefers crunchy peanut butter)
1 cup milk

1.) Preheat the oven to 370 degrees.

2.) Mix the dry ingredients

3.) Add peanut butter until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.

4.) Add milk and beat/knead until well incorporated.

5.) Roll out and use a cookie cutter or shot glass to cut your shapes.

6.) Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool completely before treating your dog.

Yields approximately 40 dog treats.

Hand Made Ornaments

I meant to post this a few weeks ago, but its never too late! We decided to make some ornaments this year mainly because I wanted to make hand and foot print ornaments for Kannon. So I thought I would share it in case you find yourselves needing something fun to do before Christmas (no baking required!!!).




Hand Made Ornaments (Cornstarch Dough)
Ingredients
1 cup cornstarch

2 cups baking soda

1-1/4 cups cold water


1.) Combine the cornstarch and baking soda in a saucepan.

2.) Gradually add the water until the mixture is smooth.

3.) Stir constantly, over medium heat, until the mixture reaches a moist, mashed potato consistency (about 7-10 min)

4.) Turn the dough onto a plate and cover it with a damp towel.

5.) Knead the dough when it is cool enough to handle.

6.) Roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness.

7.) Cut with cookie cutters. (Dip cutters in cornstarch and shake before cutting.)

8.) Using a skewer, pierce a hole at the top of each ornament (for the hook to go through later to hang the ornament).

9.) Place the dough ornaments on a cooling rack to air dry. It takes a couple days, depending on how humid your home is.

10.) PAINT!

* Add food coloring to make different colors.
* Roll out the dough into 1/4 inch thick to make foot/hand prints
* Clay may crack if too thick or too thin, so make sure to roll them thin and evenly about 1/4 inch thick.

ENJOY!

Lovely Limoncello!

It may seem like I should have no free time to even think about cooking or blogging but the truth is, when this baby sleeps I am busy! While I know I should be sleeping myself, Kannon's naptime seems like the only time I can do things for MYSELF, like eat, get dressed, catch up on internet etc. Of course, now that I making ample use of the MOBY wrap it seems like I can do just about anything with a baby strapped to my chest (although, washing dishes is still fairly precarious, unless you dont mind bathing your baby with dirty dishwater!)

That said, Dale and I finally got a chance to master a limoncello recipe that we have meaning to try since LAST year. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be, so I thought I would pass the recipe along as limoncello makes a great Christmas gift!

Limoncello

1.75 liters of Vodka (cheap Vodka will work, we went with Potter's)
Roughly 17 lemons (we got the 5 pound bags from Costco, so numbers were tricky)
3.5 cups of sugar
5 cups of water

1.) Scrub those lemons and peel the skins using a vegetable peeler (try to avoid getting any of the white pith mixed in)

***You will have a bunch of skinless lemons lying around, I would suggest juicing them and freezing in ice cubes tray for later uses or if you feel motivated make lemon bars!

2.) Add the peels to a big airtight pitcher. Then add the vodka.

3.) Put the pitcher away somewhere dark where its out-of-sight, out-of-mind and let it rest for 4 weeks. (If you get really antsy like I do, feel free to give it a gentle shake about half way through, to get the oils distributed)

***You will know when its done, when the peels have turned white and are brittle.

4.) Mix the sugar and water in a pot and bring to boil for 5 minutes. Let it cool completely.

5.) Strain your vodka into another pitcher big enough to add the sugar/water mixture. Add the sugar/water and bottle (we used Grolsch bottles) and send out for gifts or place in your freezer for drinking pleasure.

6.) Limoncello is sweet and lemony and could be served simply chilled over ice or mixed in an a variety of adult drinks.


Enjoy!

Anniversary and Eggplant Baby!!

Today marks our 1-year wedding anniversary but we celebrated early (on Thursday) I think hoping that the baby would come early! We shared an intimate evening, first stopping in at our favorite watering hole, James Bar, for some cheap drinks and eats to set the mood. Then we headed to RedBird, which ended with us walking out on account of poor service and bad vibes and strutted our heels down to Scotty's Table instead. Our last fancy meal out was on my birthday and we went to Pearl for what I thought was the most amazing meal of my life--truth is, I had another amazing meal (don't hate me Pearl!)

We brought our own wine, which Dale picked out, a beautiful and smooth malbec from Argentina, and pared it with braised beef with a marscapone polenta and sherry demi-glace, a pork confit with tomato-bacon remoulade with brioche and a delightful over-easy egg, and topped the whole night off with a flourless chocolate-raspberry torte. Needless to say, we walked away happy and full, enjoying what will probably be our last night out for a while!

So Friday morning, I woke up having these horrible stomach cramps...I thought it may have just been the rich meal we consumed the night before, but these cramps did not go away! We ran a few errands, walked around, took a nap, and the cramps kept coming back! I was running around trying to decide whether I should get my bags packed or sleep it off. Of course, Dale and I were super excited that this might be the start of labor only to be disappointed when the cramps slowly faded away--2 days later and I get a cramp maybe once every hour. Now, I realize that it was probably false labor!

I know every one says "you will know" when its labor but for all the women I have spoken with (my family included) none have known until the baby popped out 45 minutes after arriving to the hospital! In fact, most of them thought it was a stomach ache! We have a doctor's appointment in the morning and we will find out if any of these contractions were productive!

In all the hullabaloo, Dale and I were doing everything in our power to continue contractions. I walked, drank raspberry leaf tea, ate spicy Wasabi sauce over my burrito, walked more, and finally decided to distract ourselves by preparing what is believed to be a "guaranteed" labor inducer: Scalini's Famous Eggplant Parmigiana (http://www.scalinis.com/Bambino.htm) 24 hours later and I am still sitting here (there is still hope, as they guarantee labor within 48 hours) so I am not convinced of any of these tales but at least I am fat, happy and full with a belly full of eggplant! The recipe was easy and soooooo delicious it had our cat begging for more!!! You can follow the recipe on the link, which makes a ridiculous amount of food, so I would suggest cutting it in 3rds.

Brrrrrr.....

We have kept ourselves bundled up the last few days as temperatures hovered around 18 degrees practically freezing everything in sight. Montana has four distinct seasons--they just don't always come in the same order. One day its fall, the next winter, and so forth. In the spirit of cold days, we decided to cheer ourselves up with some holiday cheer (albeit, premature) by roasting a turkey, soaking up some mushroom barley soup (recipe to follow) and hosting an apple-cider pressing party. The warm kitchen kept us distracted from not only the cold weather but also from our quickly approaching due date!



First, we prepared the apples for the apple press by coring the apples and removing any wormy bits.



Then, we put the apples through the masher, which mashed them into smaller chunks.



Then, we pressed the apples, extracting as much liquid as possible. Our 40 lbs of apples yielded about 2 gallons of juice.



Finally, we activated some champagne yeast and added it to the juice to be capped. We will let this ferment, checking on the activity daily, until its developed good head and flavor (most likely by Christmas!)



Exhausted from our coring, mashing, pressing party, we enjoyed some cheese and warmed ourselves with some hearty soup.

Mushroom-Barley Soup

Ingredients

• 1 c Uncooked pearl barley
• 7 c Stock (chicken or veggie, or more depending on how thick you like soup)
• 2 tb Butter
• 2 med carrots, diced
• 2 med celery stalks, thinly sliced
  
• 1 md Onion; diced
• 2 md Clove garlic; crushed
• 1-1/2 lb thinly slice FRESH mushrooms (I used Crimini)
• 1/2 ts Salt; (up to 1)
• 1 tsp of pepper
• 1-2 tsp of dried thyme
  
• 3 tb Soy sauce
• A few glugs of red wine
• ****Optional, if you like creamy soup
  
• 2 tbl butter
• 2 tbl flour
• 2 cups of milk
  

Preparation

Bring a saucepan with 3 cups of stock to a boil. Add the barley, reduce heat and let simmer covered for 20-30 minutes (or until cooked).

Meanwhile, melt 1 tbl butter in a skillet. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, salt and pepper and saute until softened. Add veggies to the barley, along with a couple glugs of stock, cover and continue to simmer.

Melt another tbl of butter in a skillet over med-high heat and add the mushrooms. Give 'em a minute to brown and soften and then add the soy sauce and red wine, and salt/pepper and thyme. When the mushrooms are softened and slightly darkened, add them with all its liquid to the cooked barley, along with the remaining stock (depending on how thick you like your soup, you may need to add more stock or more water.) Bring to a boil and let simmer, covered for 20-30 minutes. From here, the soup is cooked and you can adjust any seasonings you might like, but if you like creamy soup, continue.

**If you like creamy soups, which I do, mix 2 tbls of softened butter with 2 tbl of flour until a paste is formed. Drop the paste into the soup and stir it up. Then stir in the 2 cups of milk. Let simmer until thickened (about 5-10 minutes) and serve with a nice crusty bread!

This makes a big batch of soup, which you can freeze or enjoy with lots of guests!

Crisp for Crisp Days....

A few months ago, I escorted my family to Jerry Johnson hot springs a mere 67 miles from Missoula. The hot springs are technically in Idaho but Missoulians claim them for Montana fame. On that trip, it was 90 degrees and the river flowing nearby was more relaxing then the rock lined hot springs. Nonetheless, we had a great time and after witnessing a very pregnant women soaking in those pools I vowed to go back on a crisp fall day with Dale in tow. Let me just say, it was well worth the 67 mile trip, 1.5 mile hike, and jeans I ripped on the way to hear my back and hips crack and pop like a bowl of rice crispies, submerged with relaxation.



After devouring some delicious pork sandwiches that Dale made, we packed up some goldfish, homemade peach-apple crisp (recipe to follow), and a bottle of wine that we have been saving since May. The road was long and windy but beautifully lined with amber, orange, and red trees, and snow capped mountains in the distance. The parking lot, as usual, had a few cars, all hinting of nature's magical powers. We started our ascent up the 1.5 mile trail, that was admittedly easier when I wasn't nine months pregnant.



Our way up the trail, Dale and I held hands and quietly observed our surroundings: mushrooms, ferns, babbling creek, broken logs all lined the way. After a few stops to catch my breath and adjust my now ripped jeans we arrived at the luxurious site free of other people and quickly stripped to our swimsuits and jumped in.



The pools were hot but not too hot and were deep enough to sit in fully submerged with only our heads sticking out. Emma even enjoyed the hot springs, swimming around and panting in an attempt to stay by our sides. We enjoyed our bottle of wine, a dessert wine from Mission Mountain Winery (one that we had been saving for a special occasion), and pared it with our delicious crisp. All in all, it was the perfect way to celebrate the beginning of October, being full-term, and appreciating the last few weeks we have to ourselves. All this time, I have been so anxious to meet our baby, but now, after such a relaxing day, I am wishing I had just a few more months to enjoy our twosome-life together as a couple.



We made our way back to Missoula, with soft hands and feet slightly effervescent of sulphur, hand in hand as we drove over the pass, knowing that this was a special day, one to remember between midnight feedings and diaper changes when we become 3.

Peach-Apple Crisp

You can make this crisp with almost any fruit you have lying around--in fact its a great way to use any over-ripening fruits that may be lying around your counter. I used a few apples and 2 cans of peaches, drained and rinsed, totaling about 4 cups of fruit.

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 2 cans of sliced peaches, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
• 2 apples, sliced
  
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup tightly packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch kosher salt

For the topping:

• 1 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into pea sized pieces
• Pinch kosher salt
• 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the filling:

Toss the fruit in a large bowl with the zest and lemon juice. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Evenly fill a pie-plate or baking dish with filling.

For the topping:

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor except the water. Pulse until combined, this will take about 30 seconds. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time until mixture is clumpy but crumbly.

Top the filling with the topping.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the filling is hot and bubbly and the topping, brown and crispy.

This was delicious served warm with vanilla ice cream!

Zucchini Gratin

Most home-gardeners complain about too much zucchini. Dale and I haven't had enough! Our plant was very productive bearing delicious golden fruit daily but we still want more! However, as the temperatures cool I needed some recipes to use the last of my zucchini in tasteful ways. I made Zucchini Gratin last week and we all cleared our plates! Dalyn, Dale's sister, made this dish meal-request for Thanksgiving so I made sure to freeze some sliced zucchini for the honor.

Zucchini Gratin

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 3 tbls unsalted butter
• 1-2 onions, thinly sliced
  
• 2 big zucchini slice, 1/4 inch thick
  
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup hot milk
• 3/4 cup panko (or seasoned bread crumbs)
  
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a very large saute pan and cook the onions and zucchini over low heat for 20 minutes, or until tender but not browned. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook uncovered for 5 more minutes. Stir in the flour. Add the hot milk and cook over low heat for a few minutes, until it makes a sauce. Pour the mixture into an 8 by 10-inch baking dish.

Combine the panko and parmesan and sprinkle on top of the zucchini mixture and bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly and browned.

Quest for Pie

I never knew how to make pie. It looked easy enough but the thought of making pie-crust sent me screaming for the door. Then I met Dale. He inspired my inner-Julia Child and taught me how to bake almost anything my heart desired. So last year, we made my first pie, a blueberry-lemon pie courtesy of the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook, and it was fabulous. From there on, I got creative and tested other pie recipes. From apples to raspberries I have tried almost every fruit in pie form and they have all turned out delicious. However, when asked what my favorite pie is, I stumble over myself because until this weekend I never had a favorite pie. I liked them all!

The funny thing about our cooking adventures is that Dale and I have never had a fully functioning oven. We always had to get creative and adjust our cooking techniques to suit our oven. In our last apartment we preheated the oven and cooked everything about 25 degrees higher than the recipes called for. In our new house, the lower heating element was broken so we put cast-iron pans on the bottom shelf and let the oven preheat for an hour before attempting any baking. While both methods worked somewhat well, we were always left foiling the top to prevent burning and still sifting through a somewhat soggy, underbaked crust.

Our oven got fixed. The repair man replaced the element and now our oven preheats in minutes to the correct temperatures. I spent all week adjusting my favorite recipes to a now working oven as I nearly burned everything I put inside it. With a newly working stove, I gave a whirl at making another blueberry-pie and discovered that the quest is over: blueberry pie is my favorite. The berries were plump and popped sweetness in your mouth, the crust perfectly cooked, flaky, and buttery, and the hints of cinnamon pared with ice cream made for the perfect pie adventure.

I am headed to Glacier for a few days to relax with some girlfriends and while campfire cooking is not suited to baking pies, I will be dreaming about the blueberry pie and perhaps you can too.

Blueberry Pie

For the Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter, cut into cubes
7-9 tbls of water

For the Filling:
4-5 cups of frozen or fresh blueberries (I use frozen and I always use less berries than recommended because I hate overfilling)
1 cup sugar
4 tbls flour
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (depending on oven!)

Mix the berries with sugar, flour, and cinnamon and let sit for 30 minutes while you make the pie crust.

***I never use a pastry blender for making pie crust, if you prefer that method please read the instructions below. My method which has served me well over the years is to throw flour and salt into my kitchenaid, turn it on medium speed and slowly add cubed butter until the the flour is pea-sized. With the kitchenaid still running, I add water 1 tablespoon at a time until the flour is moist and starts to form a ball. I turn the kitchenaid off, roll it around on the cutting board a few times and divide it into two balls. I put the balls in the freezer for 10 minutes and then roll out each ball to my desired thickness and size, use the rolling pin to transfer the dough on to the pie plate, toss the filling in, and then place the second rolled-ball of dough on top of the pie. If you want to get fancy, you can cut dough in strips and do a lattice work crust.

Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and completely cooked through. Cool on wire rack until cool. Serve with lots of ice cream!

**In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in 2/3 cup shortening until pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon water at a time until all the dough is moistened (using 7 to 9 tablespoons water total). Divide in half. Form each half into a ball. Roll out the crust, place in pie pan, pour in filling and place the second crust on top.

Check this link for more specific tips and instructions: http://www.bhg.com/recipes/desserts/pies/how-to-make-piecrusts/

Carnitas Tacos Comfort

I forgot how antibiotics can sometimes make you feel more ill than you were before popping the pill. The extra strength-highly concentrated Azithromycin that I have been taking for my sinus infection has left my stomach in knots with my last meal hovering between my stomach and my throat.

Consequently, nothing sounds appetizing except for the carnitas (shredded beef) tacos that Dale and I made a few weeks ago. They are the perfect combination of grease, spice, and gently shredded beef that heals the angriest of stomachs. Sadly, I wont be making them tonight because we have other plans, but I thought I would share the recipe, which is fantastically easy and delicious.

Carnitas Tacos

• 2 pounds beef shoulder/chuck roast/brisket (anything you would use for pot roast)
  
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, (I like the fire-roasted kind)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 bay leaves

Directions

Season all sides of the beef liberally with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over moderately high heat. Add beef to the pot, browning the meat on all sides, taking the time to get a nice crust on the outside.

Add the onion and garlic and lightly brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, plus 1 can of water, spices, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and add enough water to cover the meat (if needed). Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer with a lid for 2-3 hours until the meat is fork tender.

Let meat cool in the liquid, reserve liquid.

Shred meat using a fork. While you are shredding the meat, bring the liquid in the pot to a gentle simmer over medium heat and let reduce until its the consistency of tomato sauce (about 5 minutes), add the shredded meat back to the pot, combine well and reduce the heat to warm until ready to serve.

Get your taco fixings ready! Dale likes to make homemade taco shells using corn tortillas fried lightly in oil while I prefer soft tacos. We both agree, these carnitas deserved to be dressed up simply with some cotija cheese, shredded lettuce, guacamole, and salsa but feel free to dress them as you desire!

Kat & Dale's Baby....Downpour???

The infamous Guinness Cupcakes...with blue frosting of course (Recipe is at the bottom)

Our baby shower on Sunday was more of a downpour as our house was filled with all of our friends and family who came heavy handed with gifts, advice, congratulations and warm hugs! We had guests coming and going between 10 am and 2 am the next morning and we spent an hour opening gifts! Clearly, this was not a shower, but a clear downpour of love and excitement.

My aunt Renee hosted the event and was truly in the spirit of it all as she arrived with a keg, tons of food, baby onesies and bib decorating, a matching game, and energy to put it all together! We are blessed to have so many wonderful friends and family to have helped!

After it was all over, Dale and I stared at a mountain of gifts in our living room, joking that once we set up all the baby stuff there will be no room for the baby! Despite all the gifts and advice we received Dale and I still have TONS of stuff we need to do before October.

• Purchase a carseat and install it!
  
• Take childbirth class and tour the hospital
• Start our cloth diaper stash
• Get a baby sling or Ergo baby carrier
• Purchase a breast pump
• Get crib sheets and bumper
• Set our baby's room up (we have been holding off because of all the visitors!)
• Pack a hospital bag
• Send out thank you's for baby showers (sorry!!)
• Finish my scrapbook, from LAST year!
• Start saving money....we really suck at saving!

Okay, so the list isn't that bad, but to a nesting mother I feel like I have sooooo much to do!!! Anyways, here is the recipe for these delicious stout cupcakes!

Guinness Chocolate Stout Cupcakes

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa, plus more for dusting finished cupcakes
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purposeflour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch fine salt
• 1 bottle stout beer (recommended: Guinness, room temperature)
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sour cream (room temperature)
  

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt.
In another medium mixing bowl, combine the stout, melted butter, and vanilla. Beat in eggs, 1 at time. Mix in sour cream until thoroughly combined and smooth. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.
Lightly grease muffin tins, and fill each 3/4 full. Bake for about 12 minutes and then rotate the pan. Bake another 12 to 13 minutes until risen, nicely domed, and set in the middle but still soft and tender. Cool before turning out. Use any icing you like to top these, I prefer packaged Dr. Oetker frosting, which I buy at the Good Food Store, but any will do! (http://www.oetker.us /en/product/organics/organic-icing-mixes) Enjoy!!!

Farmer's Market Fun

Dale and I went to Farmer's market on Saturday and were delighted to see so many beautiful fresh veggies and herbs, that were twice as big and beautiful as those in my garden...We decided to please the more adventurous side of taste buds, purchasing garlic scapes, lemon basil, and beets.

While Dale was working, I had to find someway to use these ingredients and please my pallet. Let me just say, I was licking my kitchenaid clean after making scape pesto!

GARLIC SCAPE PESTO
Garlic scapes are the tops of garlic that are beautiful and tasty, almost like basil and garlic in one plant. They are tough to find, but if you can find scape, this is one tasty concoction! I froze the pesto in ice cube trays and then transferred to a ziplock bag so we can have pesto any day! You can freeze garlic, ginger, and other types of pesto using your kitchenaid and freezing them in trays...pretty handy!

Ingredients

10 garlic scapes, finely chopped
1/3 to 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan (to taste and texture)
1/3 cup pinenuts (you could toast them lightly, if you'd like)
About 1/2 cup olive oil
Sea salt & black pepper
Put the scapes, cheese, pinenuts into your kitchenaid, blender, or cusinart and pulse until finely chopped. Slowly drizzle the olive oil in until the texture is smooth. If you like the texture, stop; if you'd like it a little thinner, add some more oil. Season with salt and pepper.
The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days or packed airtight and frozen for a couple of months. I would serve this over flank steak, maybe toss with pasta and zucchini, or fry some prawns in there as well! The possibilities are endless!

***If you cant find garlic scapes, just grab a handful of basil and a few cloves of garlic and make a traditional pesto. You could also substitute spinach and lemon or arugula and freshly grated pepper. Pesto-magic!!

Pickled Beets

I love beets and will eat them on any occasion. I especially love them roasted in orange juice and garlic and tossed with pork. I also love them sliced thin and served with a sharp goat cheese, like Cana de Oveja. For all you who shudder at the thought of beets, you must try them roasted because they are far superior to any red wedges found in a can.

Ingredients

3-4 medium sized beets, I used red beets and chioggia beets (candy cane striped)
1 tbls Coriander seeds

1 tbls Fennel seeds
4 star anise
1 Cinnamon stick
A few black peppercorns
2 tbls sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
Olive Oil

1 cup of apple cider vinegar
1 cup of water
Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash your beets and toss in a roasting pan. Toss with olive oil and roast for 40 minutes, or until fork tender. Let cool slightly and using a towel gently rub beets free of their skin. Set aside.
2. Bring vinegar and water to a simmer. Meanwhile, lightly toast the coriander, cinnamon stick, star anise, black pepper, and fennel seed until their aroma is released. Toss the spices and the sugar, salt, and cayenne into the simmering liquid and continue to simmer for 4-5 minutes.

3. While the liquid is simmering, slice your beets and layer them into a quart size glass jar. Add the liquid and let cool before placing the lid on and store in the fridge for up to a month.
I snack on the beets almost like candy. As mentioned before I serve them with cheese or will toss them onto a salad. Feel free to add garlic or shallot during pickling. Enjoy!!!

Chicken and 40 Cloves of Garlic over a creamy Crimini Risotto

We licked our plates clean with this traditional recipe. I served it over a Crimini mushroom risotto, but had I done it over, I would have served it over mashed potatoes.

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic Ingredients

nocoupons

• 3 whole heads garlic, about 40 cloves, peeled (I peeled them by rolling the cloves into a silpat and rolling them on the counter until the skins peeled off....took me about 4 minutes...)
  
• 1 4-lb chicken, cut into eighths
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine, divided (optional)
  
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions
Dry the chicken with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken starting skin side down, until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn with tongs. If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium. When a batch is done, transfer it to a plate. Add all of the garlic to the pot. Lower the heat and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add 2 tablespoons of the red wine and all of the white wine, return to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 45 minutes, until all the chicken is done.
Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sauce and the flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of red wine and the cream, and boil for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and pour the sauce and the garlic over the chicken and serve hot.

Crimini Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients

• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons butter, plus 1 tbls
  
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus 2 tablespoons
• Glug of cream or half & half
  
• 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Glug of red wine
• dash of thyme
• About 1 cup of crimini mushrooms chopped

Directions
In a medium saucepan bring the broth to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep hot over low heat.
In a heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and saute until tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter, until rice is translucent. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of the broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter, cream, 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, mascarpone cheese, and the salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.
In a saute pan, heat 1 tbls of butter. Add mushrooms, sauteeing for just a few minutes until mushrooms begin to darken. Splash the pan with a glug of red wine, salt and pepper and serve on top of the risotto.

Flank Steak over Corn Polenta

As promised, I present the much awaited recipes that have filled our kitchen with intoxicating aromas....The first, and I think most delicious, was a recipe adapted from Food & Wine Magazine. Enjoy!

Flank Steak over Corn Polenta

Ingredients

1. 5 1/2 cups water
2. 2 1/4 teaspoons salt
3. 3 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves (you can used dried)
   
4. 2 cups frozen corn kernels
5. 1 1/3 cups coarse cornmeal
6. 2 tablespoons butter
7. 2 tablespoons cooking oil
8. 1 1/2 pounds flank steak
9. 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
10. 3 cloves garlic, minced
11. 1 cup dry white wine
12. 1/4 cup red wine (optional)

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water, 1 3/4 teaspoons of the salt, and thyme leaves to a boil. Stir in the corn and cook until tender, 1 minute for frozen. Add the cornmeal in a slow stream, whisking. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until very thick, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the butter.
2. While polenta is simmering, in a large frying pan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Sprinkle the steak with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Add the meat to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Turn and cook to your taste, about 5 minutes longer for medium rare, depending on the thickness. Remove.
3. Reduce the heat to medium low. Add the garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the remaining any remaining thyme, and the wine and stir to dislodge any brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan. Boil until reduced to approximately 1/4 cup, 3 to 4 minutes. Slice the steak across the grain and on the diagonal. Serve the steak over a bed of corn polenta, with the sauce drizzled over all.

We're not at Peso's anymore Cornbread Benedict

In Seattle we frequented many restaurants but our favorite breakfast joint was Peso's down in lower Queen Anne. We also rushed over to make the $6 breakfast special and cure our hangovers with white sangria. Living in Montana has made my pregnancy cravings almost impossible: how is Dale supposed to get me the habanero sausage benedict from Peso's when its almost 7 hours away! We got creative in the kitchen and were able to come up with something that not only hit the spot but was arguably better than anything I could have ordered out...so leave the pesos in your purse and give this recipe a shot!

This recipe involves a three step process: First poach the eggs, Second make the gravy, and Third prepare the plates. (If you dont have leftover cornbread feel free to make it, buy it from the store)



Cornbread Benedict with Spicy Gravy
Serves 2 very hungary appetites

4 slices of cornbread (we had leftovers on hand, but you can make them using any recipe)
1 Roma tomato diced
Handful of chopped of Cilantro
Sour Cream (optional)
4 eggs
1 tbls of white vinegar
2 cups of milk
2 tbls of flour
2 tbls of butter
1 tsp of pepper
1 tsp of salt
dash of paprika
dash of garlic seasoning
dash of bacon salt (optional, my husband is addicted!)
dash of Siriacha sauce (or any other hot sauce)

1. First, poach the eggs, if you havent done this before: Fill a saucepan with 1 1/2 inches of water add vinegar and bring to a gentle boil. When the water comes to a low boil, crack one egg into a bowl and gently drop the egg into the water. Do the same with the second, third, and fourth. (Youtube videos help a lot if you are a novice egg poacher!) Cover the pan and let the eggs simmer for 2-4 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks are still jiggly. Drain the eggs on a papertowel being careful not to break the egg.

2. To make the sauce, melt butter in a pan. And then stir in flour, salt & pepper. Add the milk, spices, and hot sauce and stir over med heat until the sauce becomes thickened and gravy like. (About 9 minutes)

3. On 2 plates, cut cornbread in half, top with a little butter and heat in the microwave until warm. Top each plate of cornbread with two poached eggs. Add gravy to each plate and top with tomatoes and cilantro and a dash of sour cream.

4. Enjoy with a cup of coffee and a mimosa!

Amazing Strawberry Muffins

Originally, when I started this blog, I had hoped to share more about our culinary adventures but between babymaking and work I forgot to include the occasional recipe. That is about to change as I made the most amazing strawberry muffins, they were melt-in-your mouth delicious and so easy to make.

Amazing Strawberry Muffins
2 cups of flour (white or whole wheat)
1/2 cup of sugar
1 1/2 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of nutmeg
1 tsp of cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup of french vanilla (or vanilla) yogurt
1/4 cup of butter (melted)
1 1/2 tsp of vanilla
1 1/2 cups of chopped fresh or frozen (thawed) strawberries
Raw sugar (the pretty sugar crystals) for sprinkling optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
1. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
2. In a separate bowl beat eggs, melted butter, yogurt, and vanilla together.
3. Add strawberries to the flour mixture and then add the yogurt mixture all at once and stir to combine until smooth.
4. Spoon batter into greased muffin tin and sprinkle with raw sugar.
5. Bake 20-25 minutes until tops are golden brown.

Eat warm, with lots of butter and honey!

Walnut, Pear, and Swiss Salad with French Onion Soup

Saturday my Aunt Renee came over for lunch and wanting to satisfy our appetites and impress our guest we prepared a light, yet delightful, lunch. Of course, we were full of cheese, cherries, and bread we consumed in the process but we still able to lick our plates clean!


French Onion Soup
Serves 4-6, Preparation & Cook Time: 2 1/2 hours

5-6 onions, thinly sliced
4 tbls butter
1 tbls olive oil
salt & pepper (about 1 tsp each)
2 tbls of Worcestershire sauce
2 tbls of dry White Wine (optional)
5-6 Cups beef broth
Swiss cheese (for topping)
Slice french bread (for topping)

1. In a large dutch oven, over med-low, heat butter and olive oil until melted and lightly bubbling, add the onions, stir gently and cover. Check the onions every 20 minutes, stir, and cover. (About 1 1/2 hours later, the liquid will have disappeared and the onions should be a light caramel brown color)

2. When the onions are the light caramel color, add beef broth, Wine, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and continue to cook, covered, until hot. (About 20 minutes)

3. Preheat oven to broil. In each bowl, ladle soup and top with bread, and cheese. Place bowls under broiler until the cheese is just bubbly and golden. Be careful removing bowls as they will be hot!

4. Enjoy with salad and a prosecco lemonade!


Walnut, Pear, and Swiss Salad
Serves 4, Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Small bag of mixed greens salad
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
2 pears, thinly sliced
1/2 cup of swiss cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler (into long thin strips)
Raspberry Vinaigrette
salt & pepper and of course, bacon salt if you have it.

1. In a bowl combine greens, walnuts, pears, swiss cheese and salt & pepper. Toss lightly with the raspberry vinaigrette.


Prosecco Lemonade
Serves 4, Preparation Time: 5 Minutes

1 750 ml Bottle of Prosecco (sparkling white wine)
1 liter bottle of Mango Lemonade (I use Santa Cruz Organic but any will do)

1. In a pitcher add mango lemonade and prosecco. Serve over ice in gimlet glasses.

Kat's Bad-Ass Buffalo Chilli

We went to our friends house on Friday for dinner. I aggreed to make Chilli if they made cornbread and salad. I have made chilli before and have gotten rave reviews. This time, I decided to change things around and use things local to Montana. What I created was the BEST damn chilli I have ever tasted, I have supporters on this one. I have tasted a lot of chilli and my friend Kay is a Texan and swears that this is the best chilli ever. If I could make a pot and have all of you over for dinner I would, but for now the recipe will suffice.

Kat's Bad-Ass Buffalo Chilli
1 lb stewing beef, sliced into 1-inch chunks
1 lb buffalo tri-tip or rump roast, sliced into 1-inch chunks
1/2 lb of ground buffalo

1 large onion
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can of stewed tomatoes
1 can tomatoe paste
1/4 diced green chilies
2 tbsp of chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 can of beer
1 cup of beef broth
1 tsp oil

Herbs:
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp Cumin
Salt/Pepper to taste (usually 1 tsp each)

**If you like beans (which I do) Add:
1 can chilli beans (pinto beans in tomatoe sauce)
1 can black beans, kidney beans OR pinto beans

1.) In a dutch oven, brown meat on all sides and remove from pan. (I usually do this 1/2 at a time, so meat gets brown faster)

2.) LEAVE the fat in the pan and add 1/2 can of beer. Let reduce 2-3 minutes until most of the liquid is gone. (Buffalo is very lean, reducing the fat gives the buffalo richness)

3.) Add oil to the pan with sliced onion, garlic, and green chilies. Cook until onions are tender (about 4 minutes, you can add more beer if it starts to burn)

4.) Add the meat back into the pan. Add the chipotle peppers and diced/stewed tomatoes. Give it a stir, add remaining beer, beef broth and spices. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer covered for 20 minutes. (depending on how spicy you like your chilli, add more/less chipotle peppers. Also, I really like cumin, so I usually add an extra 1-2 tbsp)

5.) To thicken sauce, add tomatoe paste and stir. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered for about 10 minutes. (again, depending on how you like your chilli, you may add more or less tomatoe paste)

6.) Add beans and once again, simmer covered for about 10 more minutes. Adjust to taste.

7.) Serve with Kay's cornbread casserole and devour!

***The longer it stews the more tender it will be. I usually let it stew for 2 hours and then add beans about 30 minutes before its ready to eat, so that the beans keep their texture.