Avocado and Black Bean Salsa

This is HF's new favorite salsa. We are addicted. I've concluded that this salsa tastes good on everything from chips to salads. I got this recipe from a good friend, Kate, who is the queen of amazing salsas. She doesn't have a food blog so it is up to me to share this with the rest of the world. I hope you like it. It makes a lot and is great for all ocassions and gatherings.



Combine the following ingredients in order:

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can white shoepeg corn, drained
1/2 red onion finely chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro finely chopped
Juice from 2-3 limes
4-5 ripe avocados diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 package Good Seasons Italian Dressing, made according to the package directions
1/2 cup sugar

Kate suggests you serve it with Lime flavor tortilla chips. She also said that the ingredients must be added in the order listed or it won't turn out. I don't see why it wouldn't, but it's true she says.

3.14....

Happy National Pi Day!

Did you eat some pie today to celebrate Pi? We aren't mathematicians here in the Fuzz household, but any excuse to eat some pie? We will do so. Today we enjoyed a yummy no bake cherry cheesecake "pie". What did you have? Or what would you have if you were to have some pie?

Read more about Pi day here.  I've been checking my favorite food blogs to see what pies food enthusiasts are making. Here's a bit that the Huffington Post did with some pictures of some popular pies.

mpm: week of March 14th

for more menu ideas or to submit your own, visit orgjunkie!

MONDAY
Taco Salad (leftovers from yesterday)
Quick and Easy Method: crushed tortilla chips on bottom of plate or bowl. Top with seasoned beef or chicken, black beans, tomatoes, avocado, cheese, salsa, sour cream, green onions, etc. Voila!

TUESDAY
John's Chicken Masala (recipe to come)

WEDNESDAY
Cold Italian Pasta :: crusty garlic bread
THURSDAY
Kale and White Bean Soup

FRIDAY
Pizza Night :: veggie pizza (from take out)

SATURDAY
leftovers day

SUNDAY
spaghetti with creamy tomato sauce
Beignets

spring is just around the corner (bentos 91 & 92)

bento for HF: (top left then clockwise)-1 whole kiwi fruit, sliced, chicken sausage with artichoke and smoked mozzarella, english cucumber wheels, and chickadees (like cheese goldfish). Underneath the chickadees are 2 Oreo cookies.

This is an example of another bento in a hurry. I may not be pleased with it aesthetically, but it shows that you can make bentos out of anything lying around pretty much.

Hard boiled egg, frozen blueberries, carrot and cucumber cut into flowers, and 3 Oreos for dessert.

bento #90

I have been such a lazy cook lately! But here is a bento that I am pretty proud of. Daisy was pretty proud to take it to school too.

Left side: yellow tulip cup with pistachios, a hard boiled egg, a silicone cup of kiwi slices, and a little bitty lemon cake bite.

Right side: a couple of pieces of sweet and sour chicken with a giraffe pick, a bed of fried rice with carrot flower on top. The green stem is from a peeled english cucumber. I just used one of the peelings and cut it in strips to create the stem.

bento #89

Bento school lunch in a hurry? No problem. I grabbed two silicone cups. Put a handful of grape tomatoes in one, a stack of cucumber coins in the other. Then I put a handful of Boulder Canyon Rice & Adzuki Bean chips in one corner, and a whole wheat snickerdoodle cookie cut in half in the other corner. I always give our daughter a sports bottle of water to take with her school lunches.

Oven French Toast with Orange Apple Syrup

Can you tell that I love breakfast foods?! This recipe is from Florida's Natural seen here at their website. We liked it very much. For our version pictured above, we used almond milk in place of the milk, and we happened to have fresh Florida oranges (a birthday gift sent from Hale Groves from my Mother-in-law) that we squeezed in place of the bottled juice.

Oven French Toast with Orange Apple Syrup (from Florida's Natural)
Ingredients for French Toast:
•2 eggs
•1/2 cup Florida's Natural® Brand Premium orange juice
•1/4 cup milk
•1 tsp. vanilla
•1/4 tsp. cinnamon
•1/4 tsp. nutmeg
•8 French bread slices, cut 1-inch thick
•1/4 cup melted butter

Ingredients for Orange Apple Syrup:
•3/4 cup Florida's Natural® Brand Premium orange juice
•1/4 cup brown sugar
•1 medium apple, cored and thinly sliced
•1/2 tsp. cinnamon
•1/4 tsp. ginger
•1 orange, peeled and cut into sections

Instructions:
In a medium bowl whisk together all French toast ingredients except French bread and butter. Dip both sides of French bread in mixture and place in buttered 13 x 9-inch baking dish; pour remaining mixture over bread. Refrigerate overnight or bake. Before baking, drizzle melted butter over French bread. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, in large skillet combine 3/4 cup orange juice and brown sugar; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until mixture is bubbly. Add apples, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and ginger. Continue cooking until apples are tender; add orange sections.
Serve over French toast.

bentos 86, 87 & 88

 bento for HF: grapes, regular pringles, string cheese cut into chunks, carrot coins, bridge mix, and a lara bar (peanut butter cookie)

 grapes, lara bar, pringles, cheese, carrots, and 2 gingerbread men

grapes, cheese, strawberry yogurt, star-shaped carrot coins, a turkey and cheese star-shaped sandwich, and a dark chocolate heart.

mpm: week of February 14th

for more menu ideas or to submit your own go here

This is totally late for this week, but I haven't been posting my menus for a while so it's better late than never, right? On Sunday, I made this sweet pork in the crockpot with lime cilantro rice and black beans. I repurposed the meat to use up for 2 or 3 days. I added 1 cup more of salsa and for the black beans I omitted the oil.

MONDAY

Loaded Nachos (I added a little bit of chopped leftover sweet pork). These were delicious!

TUESDAY

Homemade Taquitos with leftover sweet pork. Super easy! {Microwave 10 tortillas inbetween 2 paper towels for 45 seconds so they are pliable. Spread 1/4 cup of desired meat in center of tortilla. Add a sprinkle of cheese and roll up tight. Place seam side down on cookie sheet. Brush taquitos with oil and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve with salsa and guacamole.}

WEDNESDAY

potato soup in bread bowls (recipe to come)

THURSDAY

breakfast for dinner: biscuits n' gravy

FRIDAY

pizza night: veggie pizza!

SATURDAY

leftovers for dinner

SUNDAY

meatball subs :: fruit

valentine bentos

Daisy's school bento: (bottom) heart-shaped sandwich with strawberry preserves (it fit perfectly on the little tray under the lid), strawberry fruit leather hearts. (top) carrot coins in flower shape, silicone heart with pistachios, silicone heart with jumbo olives and a little panda pick, a quarter of a fuji apple with checkered pattern cut out. I put a little baran (bento grass) to separate the apple from the strawberry pocky sticks that you can't really see in the picture. I put a bundle of 8 with a little ribbon for her dessert.

 At home bento for the boys: they are identical. heart shaped turkey and cheese sandwich, pecan sandie on top, cluster of grapes, heart shaped strawberries, and olives on picks.

Bento for daddy: heart shaped turkey and cheese sandwich, pecan sandies, olives, pistachios, strawberries and grapes. Simple, yet it did the job for a Valentine's lunch.

fun snacks for kids: apple smiles

Remember these? My mom made these for me occasionally when I was a little girl, but they had peanut butter spread on the apples instead of honey, like I used in the ones pictured above. We have a kid with a peanut allergy here, so I have to get creative sometimes.

These are super easy to make and pretty much self explanatory.

You will need:

• mini marshmallows
• apples (with red skins preferably)
• peanut butter (we used local raw honey-it was delicious!)

1. Cut and quarter an apple.
2. Cut each quarter into slices of desired thickness (depending on how big you want the lips)
3. Spread peanut butter or honey on one side of the apple wedge. Place your marshmallow teeth on top of the peanut butter.
4. Spread peanut butter on an "upper lip" slice and place on top of the row of marshmallows.
5. Enjoy!

I've been a bad blogger, but I did a guest post a couple of weeks ago over at my lavender ave. It's all about menu planning! Check it out and have a look around. She does a lot of fun things over there.

GOOP

No it's not Gwyneth Paltrow's website, but a homemade concoction for the kids to play with. We've been talking about alien stuff and watching alien movies (kid ones) all week so we made some gross stuff. Goop is cool because it is pliable, cool to the touch, but it is not wet, it's like play dough, but after you've squished it into shape, it flattens again back to its original form. It is NOT edible. The other thing I made after giving into the kids' begging, was green jello. I put a cup of green grapes in it to give it some extra funk and when I pulled it out to serve, the kids pretended to be excited about it, but really they were horrified. It was hilarious. The kids would not eat that jello for anything. When I jabbed it with a spoon and it jiggled, they ran screaming. I guess I haven't exposed them to jello much. Or maybe it was the grapes making their imaginations run wild.

GOOP
You will need two bowls.

Bowl 1:
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 cups white glue
food coloring

Mix together and set aside.

Bowl 2:
2 cups Borax
1 1/3 cups warm water

Pour the glue mixture into the Borax mixture. Mix with your hands and try to get rid of all the clumps. Store in airtight container or plastic bag. If the mixture starts to get clumpy and dry you just squish it around until pliable again. Eventually it dries out and gets flaky and that's when you know it's time to throw it out.

It does remind me however, of one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite movies, Better Off Dead:

"It's Got Raisins In It ... You Like Raisins" from pudge on Vimeo.

mpm: week of January 17th

to see more menus or to submit your own go here

MONDAY

B:   cold cereal :: milk

L:   parfaits :: toast

D:  Southwestern Grilled Chicken with Lime Butter (this is a family fave we've been making for years) :: couscous :: asparagus

snacks & desserts: apple slices and celery sticks with almond butter :: marshmallow popcorn

TUESDAY

B:  almond & cranberry oatmeal :: almond milk

L:  yogurt with strawberries and blackberries mixed in :: cornbread muffins

D:  Cool Taco Salad (Eating For Life Recipe)

snacks & desserts:  carrots (Bugs Bunny style) :: popcorn :: homemade baked donuts

WEDNESDAY

B:   cold cereal :: milk

L:   pb & j sandwiches :: apple slices

D:  Vietnamese Lettuce Rolls (recipe to come) :: chow mein

snacks & desserts:  popcorn :: smoothies

THURSDAY

B:  steel-cut oats with apples & pecans

L:  crackers & cheese :: celery sticks w/ almond butter :: berries

D:  BBQ Chicken salad (recipe still to come)

snacks & desserts:  toast with jam :: pani popo

FRIDAY

B:  grapefruit :: avocado on toast

L:  pb & j sandwiches :: apples :: almond milk

D:  pizza night :: salad with tomatoes

snacks & desserts:  popcorn :: banana ice cream (frozen bananas-recipe to come)

SATURDAY

B:   oatmeal (maple & brown sugar)

L:   leftovers

D:  weekly leftovers

snacks & desserts:  no bake no bakes (recipe to come) Carrot-Orange Ice Cream (recipe to come)

SUNDAY

B:   cream of wheat :: orange juice
L:   twin sun toast :: strawberries
D:  breakfast for dinner (brinner) :: Sour Cream Pancakes :: sausage

snacks & desserts:  vegies & ranch dip :: creme brulee

lemon cake balls

There is an amazing sweet shop where I live. The owner makes these amazing little cake bites, much like Bakerella's Cake Balls, but they are very small, and amazingly perfectly balanced in moistness, texture, taste, smoothness, and richness. However, they are expensive. So I tried to make my own.

We try to make sweets just once a week, and I was craving something lemony and cakey, so I thought I would make these. I used Bakerella's Red Velvet cake balls recipe as a guide.

Lemon Cake Balls
1 box lemon cake (cooked as directed on box for 9x13 cake)
1 can cream cheese frosting (I made lemon cream cheese frosting minus the food coloring)
1 package white chocolate bark

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl or into a gallon ziploc bag.

2. Mix thoroughly with frosting. (If you use the ziploc bag you can just squish the mixture without getting your hands messy)
3. Roll mixture into small balls and lay on cookie sheet.
4. Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)
5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.
6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm.

I found it difficult to coat the cake balls. It got very clumpy for me and thick. When it hardened, it was very hard, unlike my bakery's smooth and soft coating. Also, I don't like the taste very much of the almond bark. So if I do this again I would want a different sort of coating for the outside. I'll have to figure that out. It also seemed like the lemon cake needed additional flavor. I was thinking maybe a drop or two of coconut extract? All in all, it was a fun thing to make and fun for the fam to eat. I could only eat a couple before I had my fill. They are incredibly sweet and rich.

I still make bentos . . .

It's been forever since I posted anything about bento! Yes I still make them, but I have not been good about photographing them. And when I do photograph them, I don't post them. So there you have it. I've been incredible lazy in the blogging department for, a while.

This is a very simple bento, but one of my favorites, aesthetically. I found the world's tiniest apples that fit perfectly inside a bento box. For the main part of the meal, I made wagon wheel shaped pasta with peas and parmesan cheese. For a special little treat, I filled a little cup full of Hello Panda cookies from the local Asian market.

eating salad: strawberry spinach salad

This is from a family cookbook. My lovely sister-in-law makes it often and has perfected the dressing that accompanies this salad. This is great on its own or as an addition to any meal.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

1 bag spinach

1 cup sliced strawberries

2 kiwi or 1-2 cans mandarin oranges (I never use the oranges)

Dressing

1/2 cup sugar (you can use another sweetener such as honey)

2 Tbsp. sesame seeds (optional-i never use this either)

1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

1 1/2 tsp. minced onion

1/4 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. Worchestershire sauce

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup cider vinegar

Mix and serve over salad. Serve immediately.

mpm: week of January 10th

for more menu ideas or to submit your own go to orgjunkie.com

Our menu is an interesting one this week. We are making lots of Star Wars Cookbook recipes much to the obsessed 4 year old's begging. We are also trying out a few recipes from another children's cookbook, Around the World Cookbook. These experiements are on days Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. We eat a lot of the same things for breakfast and lunch each day, but I included all the meals and snacks for each day this time.

MONDAY

b:  bran cereal :: milk :: orange juice 
l:   crackers :: cheese :: apples :: carrot sticks
d:  sweet and sour chicken :: brown rice :: broccoli

snacks & desserts:  popcorn :: yogurt

TUESDAY
b:  toast with jam :: orange juice or almond milk
l:   pb & j sandwiches :: popeye smoothies
d:  pizza (amazing deal on local gourmet pizzas) :: cucumber coins :: baby carrots :: ranch dressing dip

snacks & desserts:  raisins :: mini marshmallows :: Anzac Biscuits

WEDNESDAY
b:  steel-cut oats with apples and pecans :: almond milk or orange juice
l:   leftover pizza :: celery sticks :: ice water
d:  BBQ chicken salad (recipe to come)

snacks & desserts:  frozen blueberries :: La Panzanella crackers :: laughing cow cheese

THURSDAY
b:  steel-cut oats with apples and pecans :: almond milk or orange juice
l:   Twin Sun Toast :: Skywalker Smoothies
d:  Boba-Fett-uccine

snacks & desserts:  popcorn :: The Force Fruit Fun -drizzled honey in place of sugar

FRIDAY
b:  cream of wheat with milk and honey
l:   strawberry salad (recipe to come) :: toast :: ice water
d:  C-3PO Pancakes :: sausage :: orange juice

snacks & desserts:  raw vegies and dip :: Mos Eisley Morsels -It's like banana bread without sugar.

SATURDAY
b:  hot cracked wheat cereal :: grapefruit
l:   leftovers day
d:  leftovers day

snacks & desserts: leftovers or whatever we can scrounge up in the cupboards/pantry

SUNDAY
b:  Awful Waffles (recipe to come) :: fresh fruit :: almond milk
l:   Vietnamese Lettuce Rolls :: vegetable fried rice
d:  Tandoori Chicken :: Cauliflower and Pea Curry (I don't think anyone will like it, but we are going to try it!) :: naan

snacks & desserts:  raisins :: marshmallows :: popcorn :: creme brulee for the grownups after bedtime!

eating salad: apple walnut salad

Okay. The truth. I hate salad! I love eating healthy, but the only way I can choke down a salad if it's full of tasty things and an excellent dressing. By the time you add all that, it's usually no longer healthy. I am forcing myself to eat salad everyday this week and make it healthy and tasty. Here's my first attempt.

Apple Walnut Salad on Spring Greens with Sweet Poppy Seed Dressing

Spring mix lettuce

2 Fuji apples, chopped (leave skins on)

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped*

1/2 cup craisins

1 small cucumber, chopped

These are just my estimates, but really you can add more or less ingredients to taste. I usually purchase my lettuces at Costco. This is the Organic Spring Mix or something like that. Any poppy seed dressing or other fruity viniagrette will do. See the recipe for the dressing I used below.

1.  Prepare dressing and set aside or refrigerate while making salad.

2.  Rinse and spin or pat dry the desired amount of lettuce. Place prepared lettuce in salad bowl.

3.  Add prepared apples, walnuts, craisins, and cucumbers. Toss.

4.  Serve in individual bowls and drizzle with dressing.

Sweet Poppy Seed Dressing

1/3 cup red wine vinegar (or cider vinegar)

3/4 cup sugar (you can also use honey to taste)
1 teaspoon ground mustard
3/4 cup teaspoon salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Blend the first five ingredients in blender until smooth. Then add oil and pulse. Stir in poppy seeds by hand.

This salad was very refreshing to me and I ate a lot of it. Let me know if you have a good dressing for salad that you like to use.

*I like to toast the walnuts also. To do this, set your oven at 350 degrees. Spread the chopped nuts evenly on a cookie sheet and bake for 5-6 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Another delicious dressing with this salad:
Cranberry Vinaigrette (from my aunt)
1/4 cup fresh cranberries
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. chopped red onion
2 Tbsp. honey
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Blend cranberries in blender until smooth. Add vinegar, sugar, onion, and honey; process until blended. With blender running, gradually add oil. Makes 1 1/4 cups.

mpm: week of December 13th

for more menu ideas or to submit your own menu see orgjunkie.com

MONDAY  pesto-chicken italiano :: crusty bread

TUESDAY  Oven French Toast with Orange Apple Syrup :: sausage

WEDNESDAY  Quick Shrimp Po' Boys :: oranges

THURSDAY  Apple, Ham, and Cheddar Melt :: steamed vegetables

FRIDAY  Pizza Night-  take out from a cheap, local mom and pop pizza place :: raw vegies and dip

SATURDAY  leftovers day

SUNDAY  Chicken Tikka Masala (recipe to come) :: brown rice and/or naan :: fresh mango slices for dessert

peaches n cream

I really am going to miss all the fresh picked fruit that comes with visits to the farmer's market or a friend's backyard. Especially our local peaches. My goodness these are good. My favorite way to eat them is sliced thin with a little bit of milk. Otherwise known as Peaches n Cream.

 Thinly slice one peeled peach into a bowl. (You could leave the skins on if you want.)

 Pour in desired amount of milk, almond milk, or rice milk. Perfect as is. You don't need to add sugar.

Serve and enjoy! How easy is that?! I let mine sit for a bit so that the milk gets peach-flavored.

talk about comforting

I love the brisk chill of Fall. But after spending long amounts outside, I'm ready to come inside and have something warm and comforting in my tummy. 

The last time we visited my Grandmother, she asked us if we wanted something to eat. She began rattling off the various things she had in her fridge. I had no preference as I wasn't very hungry, but then she said, ". . . leftover Cabbage casserole . . . " and I said, "wait, you mean that stuff made with the cabbage, hamburger, and soy sauce?! I haven't had that since I was a teenager!" My mom made it quite often growing up.

This past week or two, .I've been craving the comforts of home. I pulled out our family cookbook and just like I thought, grandma's cabbage casserole was in there. As I was putting it together and sticking it in the oven, I was filled with so much nostalgia. The smells of a familiar dish, actually brought comfort and happiness to my soul.

This might not be the best thing you've ever had, but for me it tastes every bit of delicious as any of my other beloved favorites. I'm not sure how my grandmother came up with this recipe, but I think what makes it unique from other cabbage casseroles are is its minimal ingredients and the fact that there is no tomato sauce or cheese of any kind. Blech! The combination of ingredients used in this recipe give it an Asian flavor in my opinion.

What are some of your favorite comforting dishes that fill you with nostalgia?

Grandma's Cabbage Casserole

1 lb. hamburger (I used organic grass fed beef)

1 yellow onion, chopped

3 cups chopped cabbage

1-2 carrots, grated

6 cups cooked rice

Sauce:

4 Tbsp. butter

6 Tbsp. brown sugar

4 Tbsp. soy sauce

Saute meat and onion together until cooked. Drain. Mix together with rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Add sauce and combine until coated evenly. Pout into 9x13 casseole dish and bake at 350 for 1 hour. I cover mine for the first 30 minutes and cook uncovered the last 30 minutes.

yogurt parfaits

We love the yogurt and fruit parfaits. They are easy to make and healthy too. That is, if you use plain lowfat yogurt and not the amazing full fat coconut Liberté that I used last time. . .  that made it a dessert.

Yogurt Parfaits

1.5 cups plain yogurt

2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 cup fresh fruit (any variety-the one above just has strawberries)

1 cup granola of choice (we used one with almonds)

Place yogurt in a bowl. Add maple syrup and lemon juice and mix until thoroughly combined. Layer alternately in a parfait glass (or any clear glass you would like to use) the granola, yogurt, and fruit. You can do the layers a number of ways; thin layers, or thick like mine above. You can also use other types of cereal in place of the granola or in a combination. Garnish with a sprig of mint if desired and serve! We love how the maple syrup and lemon juice give the plain yogurt a sweet and flavorful taste.

mpm: week of October 4th

to see other mpms or to add your own go to orgjunkie.com

MONDAY

B:   fruit and yogurt parfaits (recipe to come)
L:   choco-nana shakes :: toast with honey
D:   hootenanny pancakes :: popeye smoothies

TUESDAY
B:   oatmeal :: orange juice
L:   snack platter:  crackers :: cheese :: apples :: almond milk
D:   nachos (recipe to come)

WEDNESDAY
B:   steel-cut oats with apples and pecans
L:   chips and guacamole :: small salad with garden veggies
D:   Pesto-chicken Italiano

THURSDAY
B:   oatmeal :: orange juice
L:   pb&j sandwiches :: kiwi fruit :: almond milk
D:   grilled chicken :: spring mix salad with poppy seed dressing

FRIDAY
B:   fruit and yogurt parfaits
L:   nachos
D:   pizza night :: Pioneer Woman's Tomato-Basil Pizza

SATURDAY
B:   muffins :: orange juice
L:   Pioneer Woman's veggie and cheese bagel
D:   eat out

SUNDAY
B:   cold ceral and milk
L:   trail mix :: apple slices :: turkey slices
D:   fajitas :: homeade refried beans (recipe to come) :: mexican rice

mpm: week of September 13th

to see more menus or contribute your own, go here

MONDAY

b:  cold cereal :: orange juice

l:   pasta with garlic and parmesan :: peas :: apples

d:  pesto-chicken italiano

snacks & treats:  popcorn :: watermelon slushies

TUESDAY

b:  steel-cut oats with apples & pecans

l:   pb & honey sandwiches :: carrot sticks with ranch

d:  BBQ chicken salad

snacks & treats:  apples and cheese

WEDNESDAY

b:  cold cereal & almond milk

l:   apples :: carrots :: cheese :: pretzels

d:  eat out

snacks & treats: watermelon slushies :: popcorn

THURSDAY

b:  cold cereal :: almond milk

l:   spring mix salad with garden vegies :: bananas

d:  cool taco salad

snacks & treats:  crackers :: laughing cow cheese

FRIDAY

b:  cold cereal :: almond milk

l:   avocado on toast :: mixed fruit

d:  pizza night :: raw vegies :: ranch dip

snacks & treats:  apples :: peanut butter

SATURDAY

b:  cold cereal :: almond milk

l:   tamales from the farmer's market :: salsa :: apple slices

d:  leftovers

snacks & treats:  Oatmeal Squares cereal :: bananas

SUNDAY

b:  cold cereal :: milk

l:   pb & apricot jam sandwiches :: vegie chips :: orange juice

d:  fajitas

snacks & treats:  cheesecake :: yogurt :: granola

arancini: italian rice balls

Annabel Karmel writes some of my very most favorite children's cookbooks. I have made so many yummy recipes from her books and she inspires me to use my own creativity and ideas for recipes and ways of feeding my family.

These rice balls are from her book, Cook It Together. The reason they are so great? The whole family likes these, they can be put in bentos, and for some reason, making these somehow makes me feel as though I am  one with the Italian side of the family. They would be so proud.

I usually double or triple this recipe.

1 tsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. diced onion

1/3 cup risotto rice

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

3 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

5 1/2 oz. mozarella, cut into 5 x 3/4 inch cubes

2 Tbsp. breadcrumbs

1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt

oil, for frying

1.  Heat the oil. Cook the onion. Add rice and stock. Simmer for 25 minutes until cooked, stirring often. Add 2 Tbsp. Parmesan, salt and pepper.

2.  Cool then refrigerate the rice for 3 hours or until firm. Then break it up, divide it into 5 portions, and squash into balls.

3.  Make a hole in each ball and push in a piece of cheese. Squish the rice around the cheese.

4.  Mix the breadcrumbs with the remaining Parmesan. Dip the rice balls into the egg.

5.  Roll the rice balls in the breadcrumb mixture.

6.  When the balls are completely coated, fry them in oil for 5 minutes or until golden.

Serve with your favorite tomato sauce. Or eat them like us! Plain.

baked brie with pepper jelly

First, get your wheel of brie. This one is from Costco and it's prety big. Just over 19 oz.

Plop it into an oven safe dish.

We love pepper jelly. Not just any ole pepper jelly however. Our favorite is an Oregon company called Rose City Pepperheads. We have been known to order a few from time to time. Our favorite is Apricot With Attitude. We have however found a couple of good substitutes at our local farmer's market since.

What you do next: Bake your brie in an oven safe dish without anything on it. Do not remove the rind. You will bake it at 500 degrees for about 7 minutes, or until Brie is soft.

When you remove it from the oven, you will pour your favorite jam or jelly over the top of your Brie. Another yummy way is cranberry sauce. I have a recipe for another version that I will share at a later time.

Yum. The inside will be nice and melty. It is best served pretty much immediately. This wheel serves a lot of people. So if you want to have it for a smaller crowd or just 2 of you, get a small Brie wheel. This is great served with apples, pears, fancy crackers, etc. You can also make your own pepper jelly. This recipe is delicious!