Foodie Friday

I'm sure I'm not the only one who got addicted to Starbucks' frappuccinos during their half-price "happy hour" promotional. I made every excuse I could dream up to make the 30-minute trip to indulge in my new obsession, which is a grande caramel with a shot of espresso, thankyouverymuch. Of course, my addiction didn't end when the promo did, which is, I'm sure, what Fivebucks, er, ahem, Starbucks was counting on. I mean, when two fraps for Benj and me cost as much as a chicken that would feed the family, things have gotten out of hand. And then, there's always the issue of the eleventy-seven grams of sugar in one of those cups of bliss.  I came to the conclusion, though it took me longer than it should have, that if I want to be able to fit through doorways without turning sideways (and buy chickens for the family) a frap had better be an occasional treat, not an every-time-I-get-the-chance treat.

So like a true addict, I've been trying to find other ways to satisfy my craving by mucking around with cold coffee, ice cubes, and a food processor. At first, I wasn't terribly successful. More than one attempt ended up splattered all over my wall, cupboards, and counter. If it had tasted good, I wouldn't have minded the mess so much. But it didn't come anywhere near the trademarked frappuccino. Mine was always watery, not slushy, coffee-y, and sweet. I finally came up with the idea of freezing milk in ice cube trays rather than using regular ice cubes. These drinks came out tasting good, but they still weren't quite the texture I was looking for (and I still made a mess.) Finally, my husband, bless his sweet heart, decided he was going to try making one with my immersion blender rather than the food processor. Success! The texture was fabulous, and it tasted heavenly.  To save  you, my three dear readers, from sticky floors, I am posting my wonderful recipe here.

Prep: Pour whole milk or cream into an ice cube tray (better do at least two trays...you'll be hooked) and freeze till solid. Brew strong coffee and cool in the refrigerator.

Directions: Pour 8 ounces of cooled, strong coffee in mixing cup or jar.
                  Add 2 tablespoons of coffee syrup (more or less to taste).
                  Add 6 or 7 milk cubes
                 Blend with a stick blender until the cubes disappear and the texture is frothy and slushy
                 Top with whipped cream and enjoy

Notes: For best results use a good quality coffee, such as Starbucks Gold Coast or French Roast or, what we use, Equal Exchange organic and fairly traded French Roast or Midnite Sun.

I use Flavorganics coffee syrup. It's organic and gluten free, and it only has 9 grams of sugar per tablespoon.

If you don't have an immersion or stick blender , a smoothie maker or heavy duty blender would probably work as well. I just know that a food processor wasn't a good choice.

Enjoy!

Foodie Friday

I know, I know. It's not Friday. I'm not so lost in my own mommy world here on the mountain that I forget what day it is. I know very well that it's Sunday. What? Oh. Yeah. It's Saturday. Ahem. Anyway, I had these pictures that I took specifically for Foodie Friday, and I forgot to post them yesterday. I used the children's naptime for a cheerier occupation--paying bills.

I recently became interested in the art of  Bento. These Japanese, beautifully-arranged, single-serving meals are making an appearance in America. I had read about it in my Mothering Magazine. Since I pack food for our gluten-fearing selves everywhere we go, I decided to give it a try. I found these American-style Bento sets from Laptop Lunches, which are phthalate, BPA, and lead free, at a huge discount and bought one for each of the children. The boxes come with an insulated sleeve and a non-toxic cold pack.  Although mine aren't as elaborate as these, I thought they came out quite pleasant looking.

All the food is homemade, of course. Each box contains black walnut-cheese crackers (cut in their respective initials); a cup with raw cheese cut in animal shapes and carrots cut in scalloped shapes; fresh guacamole for the crackers;  a sandwich made out of buckwheat pancakes and filled with homemade pumpkin seed butter, strawberry conserve, and sliced bananas (cut in a flower for Mercy and a car for Judah); a fruit cup with strawberries, melon, and grapes; and finally, three almond thumbprint cookies. A sippy of strawberry kefir finished the meal.

I'm excited to make more elaborate designs as I add to my Bento tools. I'll post pictures of future attempts soon, I'm sure.

Foodie Friday

Alternately titled: "What To Do When There's No Ice Cream in the House."

Mercy loves ice cream almost as much as her daddy. (When I re-read this for editing, I almost changed that first sentence to be more clear, then realized it's true however you read it: She loves ice cream almost as much as her daddy loves ice cream, and she loves ice cream almost as much as she loves her daddy.) She doesn't experience it as much as she'd like, since I don't want her appetite spoiled for things like hummus with greens and avocado and smoothies with cod liver oil, brewer's yeast, and powdered greens. Anyway, she had been begging for ice cream for days, and it had been a while since she'd had any, so I told her we'd get some next time we went to the grocery store. After supper the other night, I had an idea. So while Benj gave the children baths, I undertook making "ice cream." I took two cups of frozen blueberries, two cups of heavy whipping cream, a splash of vanilla, and a little organic confectioners sugar to taste and whirred it in the food processor until it was smooth. Yum.

It was rich, creamy, and delicious. My crew approved. It did get a little harder than regular ice cream when we re-froze the leftovers, but it tasted wonderful. Today, when I fed Mercy and Judah the last of it, I said "It's almost gone!" Mercy leaned over the bowl and said "OH NO!" And Judah? Well, he just threw himself on the floor and cried.

I'm always looking for new ways to sneak extra nutrition into the children's food, and I came across a great idea in a nutrition magazine that I read. I took about two cups of English walnuts, which I had soaked in saltwater and dried to reduce enzyme inhibitors, ground them to a powder in the food processor, then set them aside. I then took about a dozen small figs and processed them with a little water until they made a sticky paste. Then I added the walnuts back in, plus some flaxseed I had ground in a coffee grinder, and whirred it until combined. I then rolled them in almond sized pieces and rolled them in shredded coconut. I told Mercy it was candy, and she would tell you she's been popping them like M&M's, if she knew what M&M's were. It's a great, slightly sweet snack. The walnuts and flax cut the sugar...I estimate there's about 1-2 grams of sugar in each piece...and makes the texture managable. They're not sticky, thus posing a choking hazard like alot of dried fruit. Judah even ate pieces I broke off for him and had no trouble chewing it.

And that's all for Foodie Friday.

Foodie Friday

In case you think I've hit my head and become disoriented as to day and time, I did actually start this post on Friday. Like many things in my life right now, I just didn't finish it the same day I started it.

Behold the pie! I have a terrible time coming up with gifts for my dad and FIL for holidays like Father's Day. And birthdays. And Christmas. And...you get the idea. Usually the gifts end up being some sort of culinary delight. This past week, my in-laws came for a visit, and I attempted to make a pie for FIL's belated Father's Day gift, as pie is arguably one of his all-time favorite desserts. Or maybe I shouldn't qualify it. It's arguably one of his favorite FOODS. Now, you have to know that, skilled baker and cook who doesn't tremble at sprouted grains, grinding my own grains, or soaking/fermenting foods, that I am, I don't. Do. Pie. Pastry crusts are one of the few things that get the better of me and leave me wanting to scream and throw dough across the kitchen. So this was an act of love. Pure and simple. That, and the fact that I didn't have any other ideas. Being the overachiever that I also am ("What?" my three readers gasp, "not Lisa!"), I wasn't content to make any old apple pie. No. It had to be a bag apple pie like the one we ate at a certain Amish restaraunt in Berlin, Ohio. I've read that the pie isn't baked in a brown bag any longer, and that the real secret to it's deliciousness is the sugar cookie crust. Suffice it to say, it must REALLY be a secret, because I had a hideous time finding a promising recipe. I ended up patching together (an unfortunate term in speaking of a pie) several recipes. The results were spectacular. And unlike the recipe, I didn't have to patch the pie. Well, not much anyway. I'm not even a pie person, and I admit that to sufficiently describe the taste and beauty, I would have to descend to carnal terms. Without further ado, though I should probably copyright it first, here is my final recipe for this divine pie. You're very welcome.

Lisa's Apple Pie with Sugar Cookie Crust

Sugar Cookie Crust:
2/3 c. sugar
1 c. butter, room temperature
2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
4 T whole milk
2 t. vanilla

Apple Filling:
About 10 medium baking apples (Granny Smith, Golden Delicious)
1 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
3 T. flour
pinch salt
2 T butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar. Beat in remaining ingredients until dough is moistened and crumbly. Pour half the dough into a 9 inch pie plate and press into bottom and up the sides, making sure it is an even thickness throughout. Bake about 20-25 minutes. It is not necessary to prick the crust as there are no leavening agents (eggs, baking powder) and it won't puff or shrink. Meanwhile, pour remainder of dough between two sheets of parchment. Pat out into a circle.

For apples, peel and slice into very thin slices. Toss gently with all filling ingredients except butter.

Pour filling into prepared crust. Dot with butter. Place top dough circle onto filling. I vented the top, but I don't think it was necessary, surprisingly. The holes closed, and the juice didn't bake out, but vent it if you want.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake about another 30 minutes. If the crust browns too much before the pie is done, lay a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the top.

In other food frontiers...pizza. It's no secret that I love pizza. With a passion. I am a traitor to my sex, but I love pizza better than organic gourmet chocolate truffles or Godiva. I love it more than just about any other food. In fact, I love it almost as much as...**cough, cough** What am I saying?!? (Insert dope smack.) Really. Not quite that much.

Moving right along.

So I love pizza, but it's really not a very friendly food to consume when I'm trying to get rid of my baby baby weight. Even my homemade organic crusts are super carb heavy. To my delight, in one of my organic foodie magazines, I saw pizzas made on portobello mushrooms. Depending on the source, these fabulous fungi have only 1-3 grams of carbs per serving. I found organic portobellos and got busy making my own little low-carb pizzas. Well, first, I had to google "portobello mushroom prep" and watch a couple Youtube videos, as I didn't have much any experience with portobellos.

Here's what you do. Clean the mushrooms (the mushroom experts say to just wipe them off, but I washed them. I'm very paranoid about parasites and, well, dirt.) Then you turn them gill side up and gently pop out the stem. Some instructions say to use a spoon and carefully scrape out the gills. Some just leave them. I scraped them out because they looked like compost, and scraping them out gives you more of a cup to hold the toppings anyway.After preparing the mushroom, place tomato sauce, shredded cheese, and any other toppings you like. I added finely sliced onion, a dash of garlic, sweet basil, and thyme to mine. Bake at 350 until cheese is melted. A word about the time in the oven:The first time I made a portobello pizza, I baked it for probably 30-40 minutes. The mushroom was completely soft, but it lost its cup shape, thus allowing the cheese and sauce to spread all over the baking sheet. It was delicious, just ugly. Today, I baked the pizzas for 20 minutes. The cheese was melted, and it looked great, but the mushroom was still rather firm, and I didn't think it tasted quite as wonderful. So you can use those times and decide which way you prefer.

Oh Baby!

And speaking of food...

Couldn't you just eat them up with a spoon?