Some call this the “Shrek” smoothie. Since my kids don’t know Shrek as well as Kermit I called it a Kermit smoothie.

They LOVE it!

INGREDIENTS:
1 frozen banana
1 c frozen peaches
1 c frozen mango chunks
2-3 c cold almond milk
2-3 ice cubes
2 handfuls spinach
OPTIONAL: splash lemon or orange juice

Honestly, I don’t measure this stuff! I put about half the frozen fruit into the blender & 1 c of the almond milk & blend. Then add the ice cubes. Blend. (Add as much more almond milk as you may need.) Add the rest of the fruit. Blend. Then add the spinach. Blend. As you can probably tell, I don’t have a powerful blender. If you have a Vita Mix or whatever you can probably toss it all in at once!

Start out using less almond milk until you get used to it. It’s easier to thin the smoothie out than it is to make it thicker.

I love to add a few ice cubes and 2-3 TBSP lemon juice since it’s a sweet drink and needs a little acid.

You can’t taste the spinach at all! My kids LOVE this! They have had variations on this one for the past three days. What’s the spinach for? Spinach is SOOOOOOO full of vitamins!! And it makes a crazy bright Kermit green smoothie! (Unless you add blueberries & strawberries, in which case it makes a gnarly brown smoothie that is still delicious.)

There’s my other “smoothie” on the left. A STRONG coffee.

The kids drink it from those plastic cups you get at restaurants.This one is from Benihana’s. And the beer cozy (koozie?) is courtesy of a pre-kid weekend up at the Tuolumne River. Classy!

Maddie wants to call it “Frog Pillow Smoothie” after a particularly filthy little someone special to her.

This is AMAZING!!!! It requires a little more babysitting than I typically have time for but the stars aligned here & Bea slept through the constant stirring & checking, waking only when it was done. (Thanks, Bea!) Not only is this pretty to look at but it’s sooooooo tasty & full of veggies. A little something special. Next time I make this it will be for guests since it is such a labor of love. But still MUCH easier than I had expected…

Here’s what you need (more or less):

INGREDIENTS:
5 c low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth (I used vegetarian chicken flavored bullion)
2 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP butter (unsalted if you have it)
1/2 large yellow onion, finely diced
3 carrots, peeled & finely diced
1 c asparagus, end snapped off & finely diced
1/2 c cauliflower pieces
1 c mushrooms, scrubbed & diced
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP olive oil (additional)
1 TBSP butter (additional)
1-1/2 c arborio rice
1-1/2 c dry white wine
1-1/2 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
1/2 c frozen peas
4 oz, goat cheese
1/2 c parmesan cheese
fresh dill for garnish
OPTIONAL: change out any veggies you like or have: broccoli, squash, bell peppers, zucchini

Let’s get started! You’ll be surprised how easy this is – I was a little intimidated to make a risotto after hearing about all the work but this wasn’t difficult at all. That said, it requires a lot more than a crock pot soup.

1. Dice onion & veggies. You want them diced finely & uniformly so they’ll cook evenly & quickly.

Which reminds me, when a recipe calls for “trimmed asparagus,” have you ever found that actually cutting it does NOT ensure the tough ends are gone? Try just snapping the end off wherever it naturally “wants” to snap. No more impossible to chew end!

Simmer broth in a small saucepan – keep it on low.

In a large pot, heat 2 TBSP of olive oil and then melt 2TBSP of butter into that.

Once it’s heated, add the diced onions, carrots. Stir & cook for 3 minutes.

Add asparagus, stir to coat & cook for another minute or so.

Yummmmm…

Add chopped mushrooms.

Add salt, stir to combine. Turnout veggies from pot onto a platter. (You’re going to use that same pot for the risotto so don’t clean it!)

Ok. Now, add the ADDITIONAL 2 TBSP olive oil to the pot/Dutch oven you just cooked the vegetables in. Heat on medium-low & add the ADDITIONAL 2 TBSP butter.

Add rice & stir (keeping heat on medium-low).

Cook for 1 minute.

Add 1/2 the wine and 1-1/2 tsp salt.

Now, get your stirrin’ hand ready. From now on you’ll be stirring a lot. Just an easy stir though – nothing too strenuous.

Stir the rice & wine every once in a while until the liquid has been absorbed. (I think you are supposed to stir constantly but I had to run and get something for Maddie or wash a dish etc. so I just stirred often.)

Here’s the liquid. You don’t want liquid. Rice wants liquid.

Now, keep adding 1 cup at a time of your simmering broth to the rice & stirring until it has been absorbed (before you add the next cup.) I think that was awkward writing. Just add a cup of the remaining broth (which is on LOW), keep stirring rice until the liquid has been absorbed. Now add another cup of broth & stir until THAT liquid has been absorbed. Capiche? This is the part that takes a while but you can do some other stuff in between stirs.

Taste your rice to see if it’s done. If it has too much bite to it, add more broth.

I didn’t actually use ALL my broth – I reserved a 1/2 c of broth to add later in case my final risotto was too thick.

Once all the liquid has been absorbed, add the peas and stir. Taste to check salt content. Add salt to taste.

Now for the REALLY yummy part: add the goat cheese & stir. It helps to slice it up a bit. I didn’t.

Add the parmesan cheese and

the vegetables

and stir to combine.

Holy smoke! Creamy, fresh & extra-special comfort food.

Who gave the baby a cupcake before dinner?

Source: Slightly adapted from The Pioneer Woman.

What are your criteria for an easy dinner?

Mine:
1. As few ingredients as possible

2. good for adults too

3. requires no specialty store

My friend, Olivia, put me onto this! Why didn’t I think of it??

All you need:

3-4 TBSP miso paste
roasted seaweed, cut or torn
16oz firm tofu, pressed & cut into small cubes
8 oz soba noodles
OPTIONAL:
green onions, sliced
shiitake mushrooms
baby spinach
crushed red pepper

Knowing how those soba noodles like to be babied, I looked at a few recipes to check on the order of things. Those of you who have cooked soba noodles know they have to characteristics that make them distinct from, like, spaghetti.

1. They expand QUITE a lot during cooking.

and

2. After cooking, they need to rinsed with cold water to avoid unsightly CLUMPING.

My advice: follow the package directions to a T. (Tee or T? I dunno!)

Here’s what I did after reading several recipes:

1. Press tofu. Also: I think FIRM tofu would be best for soup. I had extra firm so I used that.

2. Start your water for the soba. Use a medium or large saucepan since the soba will expand. Follow package instructions. I know I already suggested this. I can’t stress it enough because of my own failure to follow package instructions.

3. While that’s boiling, cut the seaweed into strips of whatever size you’d like! I used kitchen scissors.

I cut some of the strips into thirds afterwards. By the way, what’s Monkey Binky doing on the floor?

4. Drain your noodles, rinse & set aside. Do NOT skip the rinsing or you’ll have a giant clump o noodle.

5. Set 4 c of water to boil. This will be for your broth. In a small bowl, whisk together 3 or 4 TBSP miso paste with some of the hot broth water. Then add that mixture to your broth water & stir to combine. This supposedly helps avoid clumping but you can try skipping this step & just add the miso paste directly to the boiling water if you’re feeling adventurous (i.e. short on time.)

Add the seaweed & tofu to the broth and let it sit for a few minutes.

Ready to serve!

Drop some noodles in your bowl:

Ladle some broth over the noodles.

YUM!

DISCLOSURE: My broth isn’t as purdy as it could be because I was trying to save on dishes/energy use. I decided to reserve 4 cups of the noodle water to use for the broth. (Instead of tossing perfectly good hot water & starting over again.) The results tasted excellent but looked sort of murky.

Next time I’ll add shitake mushrooms & green onions.

Btw: both kids showed their usual level of disinterest in it the first night but I now realize they are not big dinner eaters. They eat most of their food during the daytime. The next day they  scarfed down 2 bowls each! Which tells you the leftovers are great too…

Adapted from recipes from: Olivia Kelly & Heidi Swanson

Do you ever eat these?

(Photo taken from the Larabar website!)

We used to take them when we went hiking, skiing or kayaking. Those were the days! I always preferred these to Power Bars (old school), Tiger’s Milk & even Cliff Bars thinking they were less processed/chemically.

Also, I wanted something portable for the kids & me that wasn’t loaded with extra sugar. I can’t believe how easy they are to make. These are great little energy bars – and a healthy power snack to keep in your purse.

I think they also help keep you regular. If you know what I mean.

You should be able to get everything at your regular grocery. Nothing fills me with dread more than the thought of a trip to Whole Foods. I actually like the store but it’s not near my house, it’s pricey & it’s just a li’l too much sometimes. Holy cow I was amazed to find everything I needed at Ralph’s & Trader Joe’s!

Here’s what you’ll need:

INGREDIENTS:
1 c dried blueberries
2 c cashews
1 c dates, pitted (Medjool work best)
1/2 a vanilla bean
zest of one lemon

1. Toss blueberries in your food processor. I know, I know, in the past I’ve bragged about using my blender for everything. And I did this time too. But if you are lucky enough to have a food processor – use it.

Dump blueberries into a large bowl.

2. Now process your cashews. They should be in a fine dust. Not like mine. Here’s where things went wrong. (I chopped the dates first but they made the stickiest, crazy mess so I decided next time I’ll do the cashews first.) Anyway, by the time I got to the cashews my blender had had it. It smelled like smoke and then the two black rotors with black rubber teeth, that need to stay clenched together, melted down, spewing black rubber, followed by a VERY BAD SOUND and a less bad but still bad SMELL. After that, the blender ceased to function.

Is this where bragging gets you?

Anyway, that explains the whole cashews in my bars. Yours won’t have those. But if they do, big deal?

Before the blowout.

Add the chopped cashews to your bowl.

3. Now chop the dates. This’ll be an ooey gooey sticky mess. Like someone stepped on a giant raisin. Except in your blender. Only you’ll be using your food processor for this.

I did the blueberries & dates first!

Add ‘em to the bowl.

4. Finally, add the lemon zest & scrape out the innards of a half of a vanilla bean. That’s that really dark stuff on top.

5. This ain’t pretty but knead it by hand. You’ll want to combine it as thoroughly as you can unless you don’t mind biting into a pure clump of lemon zest.

Could my hand BE any less photogenic? Oh wait, that’s what it actually looks like in person.

6. Spread the mixture into the bottom of an 8×8 (or something close) baking dish. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes before cutting.

Bea loves ‘em!

Maddie feels differently about them.

What’s Maddie doing back there? Who didn’t fold the laundry?

These will keep well in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks according to internet lore…

Source: Use Real Butter

My blog is backed up with recipes, LA Family activities, park recommendations, and even a “How to Paint Stripes on Your Ceiling Tutorial” that I need to post but since my in-laws left my kids have been glued to my side. Hell, they’re glued to my side, front, and back (including the older one who is sitting behind me in this small chair at my desk, like, right NOW.) about 12 hours of the day. 2 hours are devoted solely to cleaning up the mess left by the Bea-dozer and trying to catch a Real Housewives or Shahs of Sunset episode here & there. Still, knowing this special time at home with them is so fleeting, I really don’t want to keep pushing them away so I can sit here typing a blog even though it’s such a fun outlet for me. The kids are so silly, inquisitive, entertaining (oh yeah, and infuriating) that I want to be here for all (ahem, most) of it.

Anyway, I’d planned on doing my Easter post but *someone* took the camera to an all-night shoot so I’ll do these easy, oh so yummy sesame noodles instead! These are great for when you’re in a pinch (as I am every other night or so…).

You prolly have all these ingredients:

and this:

INGREDIENTS:
12 oz thin noodles (I used whole wheat spaghetti but you can use soba or another kind of Asian noodle or whatever you like)
1/4 c soy sauce
2 TBSP sugar (or maple syrup)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP rice vinegar
3 TBSP pure sesame oil
1/2 tsp hot chili oil
4 TBSP canola or vegetable oil
4 green onions, sliced thin

NOTE: if you don’t have all these ingredients, go and get them! You should be able to find them at your regular grocery store in the Asian aisle. Even if you are put off by buying all these ingredients for a supposedly simple dish, you’ll be glad you have them as I promise, you’ll make these noodles like once a week until time immemorial. Trust me!

Holy cow – look it how much soy sauce I bought! I go through this stuff crazy fast.

This dish is really easy! I make these once a week or so for the girls and then I eat half of them, from a standing position behind the counter. They’re not going to trick me into sitting down with them so that the second my bum hits the chair they ask me for something. Fool me once…shame on me, fool me twice, well, you & G.W.Bush know the rest.

1. Set some water to boil.

2. Whisk together the dressing/sauce ingredients.

Taste the sauce & adjust any ingredients to your liking. For instance, if you like it spicier you might want to add more hot chili oil. Or if you like it sweeter, more sugar.

3. Add your noodles to the water.

4. Slice your green onions.

5. Drain your noodles. Really shake them & try to get the water out by tossing them in the air gently a few times.

6. Return noodles to pot and drizzle about 3/4ths of the sauce over the noodles & toss. I reserve about 1/4th of the sauce to drizzle over each person’s bowl when serving. Add green onions & toss. Unless you find it painful to watch your kids pick out each and every green onion. Then just hold those back for your bowl.

Yes, it’s 6PM here in Santa Monica. Love it when summer’s on its way!

I swear, we DO own a hairbrush!

Maddie’s name this week was “Furten” (rhymes with “curtain”) but today it’s “Caston.”

Source: The Pioneer Woman