Oh the Habanero

Friends of ours grow their own peppers each year. They know that we are foodies like them (as we often trade recipe ideas and treats that we have made). This year they grew some habaneros and asked if we would like some. Sure, I've never cooked with them before, being a little fearful of the intense heat, but what the heck. 
My first venture out, I decided to add them to a batch of salsa.  The original recipe called for 10 jalapeno peppers, so I wasn't sure exactly how many habanero peppers to put in their place.  I looked up the heat charts and thought that 2 would bring the heat up.  The salsa turned out well, but not nearly as spicy as I wanted to make it.  I think I'd use 4 next time with that volume.
The unfortunate part of that cooking experience was that I just wasn't thinking about handling the peppers.  I didn't wear gloves.  Oh my word!  The undersides of my fingernails were burning.  Really really burning.  And not thinking again, I tried to wash the oil off my fingers - note to self - water makes the heat re-intensify. Ouch!  Thank goodness I remembered not to let the baby suck on my fingers for teething relief until the oils were truly gone.
Today I tried out a recipe for a roasted spicy squash soup.  Doesn't that just sound lovely?  I mean, I dream of recipes like this for fall.  It called for 3 habanero peppers (I used only 2).  Okay, I really, really have to learn my ratios for this little pepper.  The house smelled so fragrantly wonderful.  I roasted the squash and peppers and garlic.   I used fresh turkey stock that I made from my Thanksgiving turkey this past weekend.  It should have been beautiful.   Until I tasted it.  Oh mouth on fire!  Mouth on fire!  My husband laughed at me.  But I thought at least he could enjoy it, loving spicy food that is really fiery more than I.  Nope, he can't eat it either.  At least not a full bowl full.  Too bad.  Here's the link to the recipe for those who really like heat in their soup.
So now I am not sure what to do with the rest of the peppers.  They still sit there inviting me, making me believe that I can use them in something and it will turn out alright.  I like spicy, but not so spicy that I can't eat it.  I know some of you are better at this than me!
Incidentally, here are a couple of ways I learned you can reduce the heat from a habanero pepper oil on your skin:
-white toothpaste
-soak your hands in a bowl of cold milk

Orange Stuff, Muffins and Sharing the Love!

Where to begin? I have so much to say. 1st, can I brag a little? I now have Paul McCartney tickets! I am so excited about this! I never thought I would actually get to see him live, but I am - July 11th in Halifax! WOOT WOOT!


2nd - I'm very touched that Girlichef
thought to bless me with a blogger award this week! Thank you so much! I am supposed to pass it along to 7 other bloggers that I enjoy. I'd really like to pass it back to her because hers is one of my favorites, but I guess that isn't allowed, so...
I'm also going to stay away from passing it onto others that I passed an award onto before (it doesn't mean that I love your blog any less) and I'm going to not pass it onto others that I know Girlichef passed it along to this week. Look at me, giving myself all sorts of restrictions :o) Do you that makes this any easier when there are so many lovely blogs that I enjoy out there?
So I will pass this onto:
Tried and True Cooking with Heidi - I love that she is looking for delicious meals for her family, while sticking to a budget (sound familliar?)
Lauren's Kitchen - She's got some great recipes on here, also looking to feed a young one healthy and palate pleasing food
Coleen's Recipes- Coleen always has something yummy posted and gives the lovliest feedback too
Lick the Bowl Good - Monica has the most beautiful cakes I have ever seen (and lots more good stuff too!)
Cooking With Carrie - Carrie is yet another mom of boys who has some gret easy meal ideas
Cheat Day Cafe - I'm pretty sure that Melody's blog was the first food blog I came across when I decided to get serious about my food blogging. I love her recipes (in fact I'm making one tomorrow that I'll post later this week)
Smokey Mountain Cafe - Katherine's blog just impresses me again and again
*Just as a special note, I'd really love to pass something along to Katy of Food For a Hungry Soul but I know she chooses not to participate in these sorts of things. May I just then mention how much I enjoy her blog. I have tried out a few of her recipes and they are absolutely delicious. As well, she has the most encouraging feedback about what I have posted. She seems to be a truly special person.
And now the Orange Stuff. I've shared in the past how what an absolute struggle it can be to feed my youngest veggies. This past fall I purchased the book, The Sneaky Chef by Missy Chase Lapine

I don't know if you agree with her food philosophy or not, but it fits in with what I believe. Keep offering kids veggies as you would with regular meals, but 'hide' veggies into foods that they do eat to ensure that their nutritional needs are being met. Works for me :o)
So this past week, I've made 2 recipes with the Orange Stuff. She calls it a Make Ahead Recipe: Orange Puree. It's really easy (just like making baby food). Take 1 sweet potato and 3 large carrots. Boil them in a little bit of water until they are soft. Drain. Blend it until it is smooth. Makes about 2 cups.
This is her most versatile puree. You can plan to use it up in a few days, or freeze it in ziplock bags ready to use later. This week, I made her grilled cheese muffins (with two adaptations - she uses her own flour blend and oil in hers).

1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup parmasan cheese
1 cup low fat cheddar cheese (I used light sharp)
2 eggs
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup applesauce
3/4 cup orange puree (see above recipe)

Preheat oven to 350*
Mix all the dry ingredients plus the cheeses in a large bowl. Mix all the wet ingredients in a medium bowl. Fold the wet ingredient mixture into the dry ingredient mixture. Mix until the flour is just moistened.
Scoop the batter into a muffin tin sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake 25-30 minutes (large muffins) or 12-15 minutes (mini-muffins).
These muffins are the lightest sweet muffins I've ever had. The taste reminds me of corn bread, but not as dense. My boys liked them a lot too. I made minis (I usually do). I think when I next make them I may play around with the recipe more to make them savoury-er - add some onion and herbs?

Top Cooks

As I've been surfing my favorite foodie blogs, I keep seeing the same names again and again: Tyler Florence, Ina - the Barefoot Contessa and a few others. I feel a little bit behind in the who's who in cooking. I haven't had cable for about 6 years now so I don't get to see the Food Network and TLC like I used to.
The first chef that I ever watched with rapid adoration was Emeril *bam!*. I loved his show and learned a lot about flavoring from him (no such thing as too much garlic - I agree) - of course a lot of his tips were not great for the arteries :o)
I know my favorite cookbook authors Janet and Greta Podleski have their own show now, which I would love to see - but they amuse me just with their cookbooks.
So in my online travels who would you reccommend I check out? Why them? Is it style? Is it their food? What appeals to you about them?

Picky, picky?

No recipes today, sorry - I'm eating leftovers. The picture is me with my youngest son, Jeremy. Jeremy is two, and as you'll find out, he's a terribly picky eater. I wrote about my food trials and tribulations with him for my shared parenting site with my friend Jill called Clever Mamas.

My youngest son has all the markings of a picky eater. There are things that he likes (chicken strips, fries, yogurt, cereal, applesauce and anything bread) and things that he doesn't (pretty much everything else). There are also things that he can't eat due to allergies (eggs, soy products). I met with a nutritionist a while back to figure out how to solve his eating dilemma (to me this was a dilemma). The biggest thing that I couldn't figure out is that he would not eat any veggies and very little in the way of fruit. If the fruit is dried (raisins, apricots) he's fine with it. If the fruit is pureed (the many varieties of applesauce) he's fine with it. If it is in any way shape or from of its natural state, it is so offensive to him that you would think I was asking him to eat a rat sandwich rather than a banana or orange. He loves pancakes, add berries to top the pancakes? He will not touch them until the berries are removed. As far as veggies go? Forget it. I did work around this one with my first but he would always eat a spoonful at least per meal. This little boy? I'd have better luck getting a hippopotumus to walk a tightrope wire.
So as much as some people would say this is cheating, I hide food within food he likes. I dice, I puree, I mash and combine. I'd rather he get the nutrient one way or another than face Grand Kitchen Battle 2009.
There are foods that he likes that naturally lend themselves to more foods he tries to avoid. Spagetti sauce is great - he gets some beef, tomato, and red pepper in that. Pancakes are a great place to add as well: pumpkin, apple, squash and blueberries are all wonderful added to pancake batter (just not all at once). Smoothies are a tasty treat that can have virtually any fruit and veggie you desire. My friend Jen has a wonderful recipe for smoothies with Spinach (and her kids have no idea). Trail mix is another tasy snack. Bulk food stores have all sorts of dried fruit (kiwi, apricot, peaches, pineapple and raisins) that you can add to nuts and cereal pieces. And let's not forget the beauty of muffins: zuchinni, pumpkin, fruit - the varieties are endless.
I do continue to offer everything that we are eating to him. I want him to be familiar to all sorts of food (even if he isn't actually putting it in his mouth). The nutritionist had a wonderful story that she told me about a lady that she knew who had travelled to South America. There was an evening where she had been invited as the guest of honour to a banquet. Unfortunately for her the menu consisted of local cuisine. Local cuisine that she had no intention of ever eating. Everything was edible. Everything was considered a delicacy. Everything was completely not North American. Cockroaches anyone? Manners dictated that she at least take the food, which she did. She started eating things she knew she could handle - seasoned flatbread, that sort of thing. And she watched everyone else eat. As the night went on, she became less disgusted by what was on her plate. At first she just started to poke at it a bit. A little later on, she took a piece and held it close to her mouth. She eventually popped a little of it inside, just to taste. Step by step and very slowly, she ate one. Sound familliar? As much as what we eat is normal to us, our little ones see everything as brand new. What may look so appetizing to us, may be a cockroach to them. They may play with it, try and figure it out, or reject it outright. They may get to the point where they put it in their mouth only to spit it out. A few may actually start to eat it. But each stage of discovery eating is just that, a stage. There are many, many stages that happen from a piece of food on a plate to consuming that food in outright agreement. The next time your child is being picky, think of the cockroach and don't force it on them. Goodness knows that our culture has enough food issues as it is. If you are really concerned that your little one isn't eating well, track their food consumption. What, when and how much are they eating over a cycle of a few days? They may be more nutritionally balanced than you ever imagined.

Bisquick Popovers - an experiment

I was quite inspired by Coleen's Mini-Popover recipe and decided that I would make those instead of my usual Saturday morning pancakes. Unfortunately, I forgot that I used up my flour making muffins earlier this week. To tell you the truth I really did not want to get out of my jammies and run to the store to get flour (that kinda defeats the purpose of a lazy Saturday morning). So I hunted around my cupboards to see what I could find. What I found was a box of Bisquick. I don't normally have Bisquick in the house, I had bought it especially for a dumplings recipe. So really, I don't know a lot about how Bisquick works, but I thought I'd try a little experiment and see what happened. I wasn't sure if this would work, and they didn't turn into popovers exactly, more of a thicker Yorkshire Pudding, with no fancy rising. They were still fluffy and tasty. I think they would have been even better if I'd had some whipped cream to sweeten up the berries. While I was waiting for them to bake, I looked on Betty Crocker's site to see if anyone else had made something like this. While I didn't see any recipes like it, I did see some other recipes that looked tasty. I may just have to buy another box of this stuff and experiment some more.

2 eggs
1 cup Bisquick
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt

Heat oven to 450*. Beat eggs until fluffy. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix together until blended. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Fill each muffin cup half full. Bake for 15 minutes.

*Cooking Tip - When baking with a muffin tin and you don't use all of the muffin cups, fill the remaining cups half full with water, this prevents the cooking spray from cooking onto your tin.

Thai Shrimp Stir Fry

This super-easy super-tasty dish has become a regular feature at our house. I'm posting it specifically for a friend of mine who wants to learn to cook as I often bring the leftovers to work with me to share with her.

1 can coconut milk
1 tbsp curry paste
a couple of dashes of fish sauce*
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 onion, sliced thinly
1 red pepper sliced thinly
1 cup shrimp, thawed (I use the pre-cooked and frozen shrimp)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the coconut milk in a small saucepan. Whisk the curry paste and fish sauce into it. Let boil together for a few minutes (so the paste has disolved and mixed in nicely) and remove from heat and set aside.
Heat cooking oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers to cook to your desired crispyness level (just a few minutes, you don't want to burn the onions). Add the shrimp and coconut/curry sauce. Stir everything together. Add the cilantro just at the end. Serve over basimati rice.

*About the fish sauce. When we first started cooking Thai food, I wondered if this was really neccessary. I guess you can get away without it, but the fish sauce gives it an authentic Thai taste. It's not very expensive and it lasts forever. I bought mine at an Asian food store. Just ask for fish sauce and they will know what you mean and that you are cooking Thai.

Be Careful What You Eat

So I've mentioned before that I have a pork intolerance (much to my Nana's disbelief, insisting that of course I could eat her pork chops - no, I can't Nana, really I can't). And I think it's getting worse. Yesterday we went for breakfast at a diner that we love, but hadn't been to in a while. I had my 2 eggs over easy, home cooked potatoes and raisin toast. Yummy right? Yes...until a few hours later. I was sick, very sick. So sick that if I didn't have to conduct in the music festival this week, I would have called a supply teacher in for me today. The culprit? The potatoes were cooked in bacon grease. Yep, my tummy did not like that one at all. So for all of you foodies that cook some really nice looking pork dished out there, I will continue to admire them from afar and figure out if I could make it with chicken instead.

Banana Whole Wheat Pancakes

Good morning to you! This is a Saturday morning staple around our house. It's what Saturdays were made for, a lazy day to stay in your PJ's and linger over the breakfast table. It's also a great way for my youngest (who doesn't eat fresh fruit) to get some fruit into him. This recipe makes a lot, so what you can do is make it all at once and keep the rest in the fridge for easy breakast over the next couple of days. Or save some of the batter to make fresh over the next couple of days. I prefer to make it all at once. It's also great if you are having company for breakfast.

2 eggs
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar (brown or white)
1/4 cup applesauce
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 mashed bananas*

Heat your griddle or pan while you are mixing up the batter. Use a large bowl. Whisk eggs until fluffy. Add rest of the ingredients except bananas and whisk well. Fold in the mashed bananas. Spray non-stick cooking spray or melt a little margarine in the pan to prevent sticking. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into your griddle (375*) or pan (over low medium heat). Cook on one side until the sides look dry. Flip and cook other side. Serve with your favorite pancake toppings.

*Banana tip - freeze your ripe bananas right in their peels. These are great for recipes that call for banana in baking. To thaw, put bananas (peel and all) in a small bowl and heat in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Tear peel apart and the banana slides right in to the bowl. Mash and use in whatever you need.

How to shop with 2 small boys

Boys are busy. Pre-school boys are even busier. So how do you grocery shop and stay sane? Be prepared. I always leave for shopping about a half-hour to an hour after Jeremy's nap. That way I know he's not tired and not cranky from just having woken up. I also make sure that before we leave the house Elijah has gone to the washroom and Jeremy has a clean diaper on. There's nothing worse than hearing 'Mom I have to go pee' half-way through the shop.
I also make sure my 'mom bag' is stocked. I pack 2 snacks for each of them plus a portable cup for each. As soon as we get to the store, they both go in the cart (Elijah usually gets out halfway through to be my helper half-way through, but I like them contained for the beginning at least). It's also why I like the Superstore, they have carts made for 2 kids to sit in.
We then swing by the snack area to pick up some strawberry milk (which goes in the go-cups I've packed). They are happy with the treat and I don't hear, 'Mom, can I get a treat?' the rest of the shop. The snacks I've packed don't come out right away either, they don't come out until I can see they are restless or they ask for them. Sometimes we never get to them. Especially on days when the sample ladies are in the store.
Letting Elijah be my helper is good too. It keeps him busy and involved and gives me an opportunity to talk about the kinds of foods we get. I also let them get some choice in what we are buying. For example, they really like the yogurt drinks so I will ask do they want strawberry or banana this week? Or they will be allowed to choose which kind of applesauce cups they want to get this week.
I think it's important to talk about food choice with your kids. Yesterday, Elijah asked why we don't buy the canned pasta. He's pretty accepting when I told him that first Jeremy was allergic to it (soy oil content) and that it has too much salt which isn't good for your body. I figure they have to come along anyways they may as well learn from it.
It's also a great oppourtunity for other kinds of learning. If I'm buying tuna I will ask Elijah to get 3 cans so he is getting some counting practice. Or we will talk about some of the words we see as we go buy (literacy practice).
I'm not saying it always goes smoothly. Probably 90% of the time it's smooth and the other 10% I wish I could have gone alone, or with just one of them. But I can usually see where I went wrong in those cases. Like I picked a time when one was tired. Or I didn't pack a snack. Or I knew they were already getting on each others nerves before we left.
Being a regular at the store helps too. I know who the fast cashiers are that like kids and which ones are as slow as molasses. The end of the shop is the most likely time for a melt-down, they can get store weary, just like the rest of us. It's also where they place the candy, which is frustrating too. But you deal with it and then you're home again, home again jiggety-jig :o)

Menu Planning

We shop for groceries once every 2 weeks. That's it, that's all we need and that's how we save money and still have great food. Sounds a little rediculous at first I know. I didn't think we could do it. But we had been finding that we kept running back to the store for this and that which made our grocery budget explode. We also had taken to eating out more and more, also not good for the budget. We also have 2 small boys so grocery shopping can be a chaotic time if we aren't ready for it. What I have learned to do is to plan and plan well. I have a set time for groceries. I know that I will be at the store every Friday afternoon that I get paid (I get paid bi-weekly). I do my planning on Thursday night. The first thing I do is check the fridge, freezer and cupboards. Is there anything left in there that I can plan into my menus? Are there any staples that we are out of. (Usually I keep track on a white board on my fridge of things we need as we run out of them). Then I start to plan.
I start with 2 blank note papers. The first is for menus, the second is for a grocery list.
The menu paper I fill in like this:
F
S
S
M
T
W
Th

F
S
S
M
T
W
Th

I then start filling in. Wednesdays we always have pizzas, Jonathan works Wednesday nights and takes one to work and I pop one in the oven for me & the boys. Thursday nights are almost always leftover nights, I find that that is a good day to eat up whatever is remaining from the previous week.
I also note in things that are going on so I don't plan something complicated for a night we won't have time, and to remind me of potlucks and nights Jonathan will be out etc.
As I fill in my week I note on the grocery paper items I will need for recipes that I don't have on hand.
I also like to take this time to flip through my favortie cook books for inspiration. What looks interesting for this week? (It's also a good time to ask Jonathan if he's been craving anything too).

By then end of it my list looks something like this:

F - (boys getting pictures done) eat at store
S - fettucini
S - quesedillas
M - (Elijah swimming lessons) - Beef Stew with dumplings
T - Spanikopita
W - Pizza
Th - chicken and fries

F - Fish with veggies and home fries
S - (Potluck) - bring dessert
S - roast beef, cheesy potato casserole and veg
M - (Elijah swimming lessons) - fish and chips
T - chili & biscuits (make chili night before after swimming)
W - pizza
Th - leftovers

I don't cook big every night. At least twice a week I have something quick and easy (pizza, chicken and fries, fish and chips) and I try to keep something in the house for a just in case meal that I can heat up (like extra spagetti sauce from another meal that I had frozen) because you never know what could come up during the week.

I also plan for lunches. I like to take soup for lunch that I make on the weekend and divide up into plastic containers for the week.
The boys eat lunch at daycare on Monday and Tuesday, but Weds. to Thurs. Jonathan is home with them. So I make note of those days too. Usually mini pizzas, some sort of sandwiches and macaroni fits in there.
As well I fill in things like yogurt, applesauce, fruit etc. for snacks. And breakfast foods. I eat oatmeal every weekday, but the boys like cold cereal.

And that's it.

Everything I need for the next 2 weeks I know I have in the house. I also know that my grocery money is spent so I am not looking for money that isn't there later on. We've been doing groceries this way for the past 6 months or so and it's working really well. We used to do it every week, which worked too, but we find this saves us even more money (and less hassle shopping with the boys).

Sometimes it just doesn't turn out

I messed up pancakes yesterday...PANCAKES! That is just not right. I tossed them. What went wrong? I forgot to put in baking powder. Some things just can't be saved. Other recipes can. Here are a list of mess ups I've had in the kitchen.

First the bad:
home fries : too much salt, not much you can do about that
arroz con pollo: it was truly terrible. The rice never cooked through (believe me I tried). I know this could be good, I think I just need a different recipe.
chocolate cake: in an attempt of being healthy I used whole wheat flour, not a good idea...now one of the only things I make with white flour.
lentils: burned, boiled dry (note to self, pay attention to anything you boil, sometimes the time is shorter than the recipe says)

Mess-ups I saved:
Vegetable soup: the problem, much too bland...the solution, added more seasonings
toffee: the problem, stuck to the pan...the solution, chipped it up into small chunks and used as sprinkles over ice cream
caramel: the problem, too runny...the solution, froze the pan, scooped up a serving-ful at a time, heated and poured over ice cream for sauce
pizza bread: (pizza flavoured bread that is, not pizza dough) the problem: didn't rise well and cook through...the solution, cut the bread into cubes and made croutons with it

Whatcha cook for Christmas?

Here's my Christmas 2008 menu:

Turkey
Gravy
Chestnut Stuffing
Stove-top Stuffing (yes I love the box stuff)
Mashed Potatoes
Carrot-Turnip Mash
Peas
Brussel Sprouts
Cranberry Sauce
Apple Struedel with Whipped Cream

Cookbooks

I have loved to cook since I was a little girl. I'd love to say that I come from a long line of fabulous cooks, but that's not true. My nana is a fabulous baker. My mom does a wonderful job of cooking good home food, but she's be the first to admit she'd rather not. (In fact, when we visit, I kinda float back into the role of the house cook while we're there).
I first started to experiment with food when I was a pre-teen. I gathered up my mom's cookbooks and started to read. I decided at the grand old age of about 11 that I would indeed make a 4 course meal to serve to my family and our closest family friends. And I did. I know now that the food I chose probably didn't compliment each other, but I enjoyed the experience all the same.
Cookbooks have since been the way I learned the basics of cooking. My mom's old 5 Roses cookbook had the staples I used to ground myself in. It was replaced by my Betty Crocker cookbook we recieved as a wedding gift.
My husband had worked in restaurants for a few years so he taught me how to adapt and flavour recipes to our own taste.
I've added an amazon link to my own favorite cookbooks. These are the ones that I actually use, not ones that you buy and sit on your shelf collecting dust (I have a number of those too). Eat, Shrink and Be Merry and the Betty Crocker cookbook are the two that I use the most, but all are in rotation in my kitchen.
If you are new to cooking, I'd recommend buying a good staple cookbook to start. I like to read recipe books to get ideas. Some of my best recipes are ones that I've made up by taking an idea from here and there and putting it all together.