Izzyisms Volume 32

On April 30, 2012, in Kid, by Wendy

W: put your socks on.
I: you didn’t say the magic word.
W: please put your socks on.
I: that’s not the magic word!
W: it isn’t? Then what is?
I: the naked bird has landed!
W: the naked bird has landed and he wants you to put your socks on.
I: okay mommy. I’ll put my socks on.
W: thank you!
————

Izzy: Mommy please give me another purple nightmare. I promise I won’t go bonkers!

————-

W: why are you being so naughty?
I: I have naughty things in my head.
W: …
W: (deep breath)
W: we all have naughty thoughts in our heads, but that doesn’t mean we should act on them. That’s called impulse control. Give it a try.
I: okay mommy.

————

I: Mormons come from space
W: pardon me?
I: Mormons! They come from space
W: Mormons?
I: yes! Mormons come from space.
W:….
I: here. Do you want some Mormon goo? (she handed me several strings of silver Mardi Gras bead)
I: eat it! Mormon goo from space is delicious!

–I finally realized that Mormons = Martians.

 
 
 

1 head garlic
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
4 tbsp butter
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cups fruity red wine, such as Gamay or Barbera
Coarse salt
4 lb fresh mussels, scrubbed thoroughly
1/2 flat leaf parsley, chopped

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. On parchment lined foil, drizzle garlic with oil and tightly seal. Bake until tender, about one hour. Once cool, remove cloves from papery skin and set aside.
2. In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp butter over medium heat and add thyme and roasted garlic cloves. Cook, one to two minutes, then add wine and season with salt. Bring to a boil, add mussels and reduce heat to medium. Cook, covered and in disturbed until shells have opened, 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Stir mussels and, with a slotted spoon, transfer to a warm serving bowl. Discard unopened shells. Return broth to a boil and reduce by half. Whisk in remaining 3 tbsp butter and parsley. Ladle sauce over mussels and serve immediately.

 

Smoked-Sardine Brandade

On April 18, 2012, in Yummy Goodness, by Wendy

1/2 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 garlic cloves peeled
Coarse salt
1 tin sardines in olive oil
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for brushing
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus 1 tbsp lemon juice
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 small loaf crust bread, sliced

1. In a medium saucepan, cover potatoes and garlic with water and season generously with salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat until potatoes are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water and return to pan.
2. Add sardines and their oil. Whisk mixture until combined, them gradually whisk in oil. Add reserved cooking liquid to adjust consistency. Stir in lemon zest and juice and season to taste with cayenne.
3. Preheat broiler. Brush bread with oil and toast until golden brown and crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with brandade.

Source: Whole Living, April 2012. p 98.

 

Date shake Popsicles

On April 17, 2012, in Yummy Goodness, by Wendy

2 cups low fat plain Greek yogurt
12 pitted dates
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup low far milk

Combine ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Fill Popsicle molds and freeze.

 

Izzyisms Volume 31

On April 17, 2012, in Kid, by Wendy

Izzy: they’re punks
Wendy: what’s a punk
Izzy: somebody who breaks the rules

(OMG! Can I love this kid any more than I do?)

——————-

Izzy: can I have a candy?
Wendy: sure, as long as you clean up your blocks first.
Izzy: no thanks. I don’t want it that bad.

——————-

Mitch: you are a sweet Isadora.
Isadora: I know!

———————

I: Mommy! I don’t like the thunder. It’s sneaky!

———————

I: I’m going to have five million babies.
W: how are you going to feed them all?
I: you’re going to help me.

———————

W: I’m gonna eat your toes. They taste like chicken wings.
I: no they don’t. They taste like foot beef!

———————-

After drinking her bath water (*shudder*), izzy says: it tastes like chicken wine.

 

Chocolate-apricot nut bars

On April 17, 2012, in Yummy Goodness, by Wendy

1 1/2 cups dried apricots
1/2 cup raw almonds, toasted
2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
Coarse salt
1/2 oz dark chocolate, melted

1. Pulse apricots, almonds, 1 tbsp coconut and pinch salt in food processor until finely ground.

2. Line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with parchment, leaving an inch overhang on all sides. Transfer mixture to pan and press firmly to form a rectangle.

3. Use parchment overhang to remove from pan. Drizzle mixture with chocolate and sprinkle with remaining coconut.

4. Transfer to refrigerator an leave until firm, about 15 minutes. Slice into six bars. Store in air right container or up to five days.

Source: Whole Living, April 12, 2012. P. 62.

 

Meal Planning week of 4/15/2012

On April 15, 2012, in Meal Planning, by Wendy

Sunday:
Shrimp with mushrooms and kale, harvest grains, broccoli

Monday:
Slow cooker adobo chicken and rice

Tuesday:
Pizza

Wednesday:
Turkey cabbage carrots and egg noodles

Thursday:
Something quick and easy

Friday:
Fish nuggets, Mac and cheese, veggies

Saturday:
Slow cooker honey glazed chicken

 

Cream of *something* Soup

On April 3, 2012, in Yummy Goodness, by Wendy

Cream of Broccoli

1/4 c unsalted butter
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 c all purpose flour
4 c low sodium chicken broth
1 c water
1 pound broccoli florets
1/4 c heavy cream
salt
pepper

In a medium pot, melt butter and flour and cook until combined, about 1 minute. Whisk in chicken broth and water, reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add broccoli and bring to a simmer. Cook until broccoli is tender. Transfer to large bowl and in batches, puree in a blender until smooth. Add back to pot. Add heavy cream and heat until warmed. Season with salt and pepper.

Variations–Instead of broccoli:

Use 10 medium leeks, sliced. Skip the onion and cream. Add tarragon before pureeing.

1 1/2 pounds of carrots; buttermilk instead of heavy cream.

1 1/2 pounds of cremini mushrooms; season with sprigs of thyme, but remove them before pureeing. Also, omit the cream.

2 1/4 pounds of spinach, boiled in salted water until wilted. Drain and squeeze out remaining liquid.

Source: Everyday Food April 2012 pp. 50-51.