Movie night and pizza

Every Friday since we moved in to our new house (in our new town in our new province) we have had movie night on Friday night.  We choose a very docile, kid-friendly movie and we all gather together on the couch (we have a couch in our new house!) and watch a movie. 

Mmmmmmmmmmmm

My Man has fond memories of his Papa making an enormous bowl of popcorn and sitting down with it to watch a movie and everyone was welcome to dig into his bowl.  So now My Man, also known as Papa, makes a big bowl of popcorn every Friday night and each of the kids gets their own container to eat from.  He makes it in a pot on the stove, the way his Papa did and the way my family has always made it as well.  Here's how: heat some oil in a big pot on almost-high heat, throw in three kernels.  When those begin to pop pour in about 1/4 - 1/3 cup of kernels and put the cover on.  Keep the pot moving so as to not burn the already popped popcorn.  When popping slows nearly to a stop (a couple of seconds between pops) immediately dump the popcorn into a big bowl.  You can melt some butter and shake on some salt if you want.  If you have ideas to flavour popcorn, please feel free to share them with me below in the comments section.  I have tried cinnamon and it was not well received.

Tonight, we watched Ice Age and I cried.  I'm such a baby.

Twin 1 (aka Thing 1) helped me out cutting "wif the big, sharp knife" before his sisters awoke from their nap.

We also made PIZZA.  Individual pizzas!  They each had their own that they dressed as they pleased.  The toppings were pizza sauce, red peppers, green peppers, crushed pineapple, ham, ground beef with a bit of taco seasoning (homemade with this recipe) and mozzarella cheese.  Miam.  The crust was also homemade and such a pleasure to work with. 



4 kids' pizzas before going in the oven - they topped them themselves.

Close-up of kids' pizzas before baking.

Pizza crust
adapted from Canadian Living
1-1/4 cups hot (120 F/50 C) water
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp traditional or instant dry yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups all purpose flour (I used whole wheat)
- pour water into mixong bowl, add sugar and sprinkle yeast on top.  Let proof until slightly foamy on top
- add salt and oil
- add flour while mixing, adding a Tbsp at a time more until it is no longer sticky.  In my Kitchen Aid mixer, I let it knead about 8 minutes on speed 2
- grease a bowl and the top of your dough, let rise in a warm place 1 hour (Make-ahead: Refrigerate unrisen dough and let rise for 24 hours. Or freeze in plastic bag for up to 1 month; let thaw and rise in refrigerator overnight.)
- grease baking sheet and spread your dough out (it's a dream to work with!), top as desired and bake at 400F for about 25 minutes. 

 

Kids' pizzas after baking and before devouring.

 

The "adult" pizza.  The Big Kid ate almost half of ours as his wasn't big enough
(and he's not nearly a teenager yet!).

What kind of family traditions did you have?  Not necessarily around holidays, but the weekly or monthly ones.

Real food - Thai Shrimp Soup

I'm usually so excited to share with you all the sweets, treats and desserts that I make that I forget to share with you all the normal, everyday food that my family grows on. 

Well, we eat three meals and at least two snacks a day.  We share two of the meals together every day as a group of six.  My Man takes his lunch to work, but the other five of us still eat lunch together at home.  That's a lot of meals and snacks!  I bet you're wondering what we really eat all day long!  The next few posts will give you some insight into this.

The Big Kid loves shrimp!  "Shrimp and tortellini" his Gramma Jean and Nanny will tell you.  I don't think he's had them together in the same dish, but definitely in the same meal!

This soup does not contain tortellini, fear not.

All the kids gobble it down, especially the Big Kid.

There's a bit of chopping to do, then it just simmers for a few minutes.  This could most definitely be made on a school night.  You can even buy sweet potatoes that are peeled and cubed for you in many big grocery stores thereby cutting back on even more prep work.

This recipe came straight out of Janet and Gret Podleski's cookbook Eat, Shrink and Be Merry.  Hopefully you won't be put off by the long list of ingredients, it's a really good soup.

Thai Shrimp Soup
from Janet and Greta Podleski

2 tsp butter or olive oil

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

3/4 cup chopped celery

2 tsp minced garlic

4 cups peeled sweet potatoes (about two large)

1 tbsp fresh grated gingerroot

3/4 tsp ground cumin

3/4 tsp ground coriander I can't stomach coriander so I leave it out

3/4 tsp curry powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 cups chicken broth

1 can light coconut milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp each chopped fresh cilantro I can't stomach cilantro either so I leave it out

3 tbsp basil leaves (I usually don't have fresh basil lying around and the soup is fine without it)

2 tbsp light peanut butter

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp lime juice

1 lb cooked medium shrimp, tails removed, (thaw first)

 

- heat butter in a large non-stick pot over medium heat. Add onions, red pepper, celery and garlic. Cook and stir until vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes.

 

- stir in sweet potatoes, gingerroot, cumin, coriander, curry powder and cinnamon. Cook and stir for 30 more seconds. Add broth, coconut milk, salt & pepper. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, just until sweet potatoes are tender.

- trasnfer half the soup to a blender and purée until smooth. Return puréed soup to pot with remaining soup. Stir in cilantro, basil, peanut butter, brown sugar, and lime juice. Mix well. Add shrimp and heat for about 2 more minutes just until shrimp is hot.

This is NOT my photo, but my soup looks just like this so I felt it was an accurate representation.
Source http://kyliecooks.wordpress.com/

What do you guys eat every day or even now and then as meals?  How do you get your whole family to stay at the table to share a meal?

Homemade Peppermint Patties

I love mint.  I seem to keep forgetting.  But then, maybe that's a good thing because then I keep getting surprised by how much I enjoy minty things whenever I eat them.

Just dry enough, yet a smooth minty filling.

These mints remind me of a York Peppermint Patty.  So cool and refreshing.

The recipe I used is based on one from How Sweet Eats.  She based hers on The Joy Of Baking - a great information site I recommend you read, it's a great site.

These were easy to make, very rewarding and simple ingredients.  There are a few steps, of course, but nothing is complicated.  These can be made and enjoyed in one evening.

A simple candy requiring no special tools.  Your guests will love these and perhaps you will give them away in your cookie exchange or to the bus driver or teacher or favouritest co-worker or babysitter.  Who knows?!

 

I did use peppermint extract, I didn't even bother looking for peppermint oil in this little town of mine.  I dipped my candies in a combination of a dark (72%) chocolate bar I had on-hand and some Hershey's Chipits dark (50%) chocolate chips I also had on-hand.  Delish!  The candy centre was good straight up but once dipped in chocolate, the balance was perfect.

Peppermint Patties
adapted from a combination of How Sweet Eats and Joy of Baking

2 cups icing sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

drop or two of peppermint extract

2 Tbsp milk (I used 10% cream)

Chocolate Coating:

1-2 cups semi sweet, bittersweet or dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 Tbsp butter

- in an electric mixer, beat first 5 ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate to set. Once firm, scoop by the teaspoonful (or any size you want - from Junior Mints to York patties), roll into balls.  Fridge to set. Push down to flatten. Set in freezer.

- melt chocolate chips in a double boiler. Remove patties from freezer and dip in chocolate, setting on wax paper. Freeze again until ready to eat.
 

I made 39 patties using a teaspoon.  I think there are about 25 left...  My Man is loving them, the Big Kid too.  The Three Wees haven't had any yet.

 

These pictures are actually okay!  I'm pretty pleased with them.

 

Post script: I'm certain a drop or two of green food colouring would suit if you associate green with mint.

Your kids will ask for broccoli!

It's not rocket science and generations have known for some time that if you want your children to eat their broccoli (or carrot or cauliflower or peas) smother the vegetable in cheese sauce!  Yeah, that's right, I said it.  Smother the vegetable in cheese sauce.  Of course, that is if your gang is not intolerant of gluten and dairy products.

Start off with a roux (a mix of fat and flour that you cook for a minute or so), add some milk and a handful of cheese.  Voilà!  La magie!  Broccoli disappears.  You've given them yours off your plate and still they want more.  Uh huh.

Below, I've broken the recipe for cheese sauce into a recipe for a white sauce and then added cheese to it.  The white sauce, prepared as below, can be served hot on cooked vegetables, fish, poultry, seafood or hard-cooked eggs.  You can add spices as you want depending on what you will be using it for (perhaps dill for eggs or seafood, for example).

White Sauce
straight outta Cooks Illustrated 1980
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour (I've used whole wheat also and it was fine)
1/4 tsp salt
few shakes of pepper
pinch paprika
1/2 cup milk
- measure all your ingredients and have them waiting
- in small heavy pot, melt butter
- add flour, salt, pepper and paprika.  Low heat, stir to smooth.
- gradually stir in milk, cook, stirring constantly to thick and smooth.
If you want cheese sauce, at this point throw in a handful (1/2 cup) grated cheese of your choice (medium or old cheddar recommended) and 1/8 tsp dry mustard (optional).  Stir to melted.

You can steam a head of broccoli and pour a bit of sauce over the broccoli on each plate or you can serve the broccoli with the sauce on the side if you have little dippers in the house.  You can also break up the broccoli and stir it around gently in the pot, then serve.

This sauce is also good over hot, cooked pasta or rice, although I'll be posting soon about a kick butt mac 'n cheese (maybe two).

This keeps in the fridge for a couple of days.

Chickpea Curry and Chapattis

My Big Kid loves this dish and requests it when I solicit meal ideas.  It's great fresh and leftover.  It's a complete protein if you combine it with a grain - chapattis or naan bread are awesome examples.  If you choose one of these breads you don't even need cutlery, just scoop up the curry with the bread cupped in your fingers!  Bliss!

Chickpea curry will warm you up and make your home smell so good while it is cooking.  It has lots of onion and garlic in it to help clean your blood and keep you strong on the inside to fight colds and whatever's going around. 

Served with basmati rice.

This recipe comes directly from my Essential Vegetarian cookbook.  It's a good one to put on your shelf.  It's very informative about food, the vegetarian diet and some hero foods and food combining.  It really is basic if you are just getting started understanding food and how it works with our bodies and minds.  I re-read the first 30 pages every now and then to bring myself back to centre when I feel I am straying from what is healthy and good for me.  The meals inside are usually budget- and waist-friendly as well.

This curry is not hot at all.  I can serve it to everyone in my family.  If it is not hot enough for you, try adding more chili powder and as always, ensure your spices are fresh.  Oh yes, I do not use coriander, I just can't stomach it so I omit it completely.  I've added it here because I'm sure it serves some purpose.  I (too often) forget the garam masala to add at the end right before you serve it and it really does add a lot, so do what you can to not forget it.  If you do think of it at the last second it can be sprinkled on each bowl.

It is great to prep it all before you start.  Slice onions finely and crush garlic, chop a bit.  Measure out spices into one little bowl (not garam masala).  Open cans, drain and rinse as needed.  GO!

Chickpea Curry
from Essential Vegetarian
2 onions
4 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp ghee or oil
1 tsp chili powder (adjust for your audience)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp grounde coriander
2 x 14 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 x 28 oz can diced tomatoes (you may also add more tomatoes if you like, it still works)
1 tsp garam masala
- slice onions finely, crush garlic.  Heat ghee or oil in a big fry pan medium heat, cook onions and garlic to soft.  Stir often.
- add spices (not garam masala), stir over medium heat 1 minute to fragrant.
- add chickpeas and tomatoes (undrained).  Simmer, covered, over low heat 20 minutes.
- stir in garam masala, simmer 10 minutes.

Close-up of the delicious dish.

Pecan Pie Bars

I have made these to start off my HOLIDAY BAKING!  I'm so excited to have these in the freezer, waiting for December 1st, when I officially open the floodgates to Christmas in our house. 

Peanut batch

Fa la la la la, la la la la.  (Click here for some Bing Crosby Christmas music.)

Pecan batch.

I jumped on this recipe because it does not call for corn syrup.  Up to this moment, I'd not put any effort into researching why we should be avoiding corn syrup but just went along with the notion that high fructose corn syrup and the corn syrup you buy at the grocery store (to pour on vanilla ice cream or add to your homemade pancake syrup to avoid crytsalization) are similar enough to avoid them both.  I'm wrong!  YAY!  I can buy corn syrup again.  That said, please read a bit about high fructose corn syrup and always check the labels of the foods you buy, you'll find this ingredient everywhere. 

Unless you buy ingredients to make food and don't buy "food" prepared for you, then, you should be alright!

Enough education, let's get to the good stuff!

I made this recipe in two 8x8" square pans by using one batch of the base divided in the two pans.  I used two small pots to make the topping as I only had 1 cup of pecans in the house and I used 1 cup of salted peanuts for the other pan.  You can see the difference in the colour of the final products in the pictures, the peanuts are lighter in colour.  They are both good, but different from each other.  I'd do either again.  Chop yer nuts up real fine, like.  It's easier to cut and serve.

The pictures found at Just a Taste are far more luscious-looking than mine.  I think it has to do with the size of the pans I used.  Or perhaps I should've baked for about 5 mintues less, that would've helped too.

Pecan Pie Bars
from Just a Taste

For crust:
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat)
½ teaspoon salt
For topping:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons heavy cream (I used 6%)
2 cups chopped pecans

- preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a 9x13-inch pan with foil, leaving enough for a 2-inch overhang on all sides, grease. (Or two 8x8"s)
- first make the crust by creaming together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add in the flour and salt and mix until crumbly.
- press the crust into the foil-lined pan and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
- while the crust bakes, prepare the filling by combining the butter, brown sugar, honey and heavy cream in a saucepan and stirring it over medium heat. Simmer the mixture for 1 minute, then stir in the chopped nuts.

 

 

- remove the crust from the oven and immediately pour the pecan filling over the hot crust spreading it to cover the entire surface.
- return the pan to the oven and bake an additional 20 minutes. (15 is using two 8x8")
- remove the pan and allow the bars to fully cool in the pan.
- use the foil overhang to lift out the bars and transfer them to a cutting board. Peel off the foil, slice into bars and serve or freeze.

MIAM!

Fast Red Lentil Soup

When I open my Essential Vegetarian that my Mum gave to me a while ago to make the Chickpea Curry, I usually whip up a batch of this soup at the same time.  It is quick to throw together, I usually have all the ingredients in the house, it freezes well and we all love it. 

I add (almost) whatever veggies I have in the house - peppers of any colour, carrots, a bit of celery, a potato, sweet potato, a bit of turnip (not much).  I add the finely chopped or diced vegetables at the beginning with the onion.

Not going to win any photgraphy awards, but here are the bowls lined up for my family's supper -
three wees and three bigs!

I also usually double it, I'm already chopping, so what's a bit more?!

Fast Red Lentil Soup
directly from Essential Vegetarian
1 onion, chopped finely
1 Tbsp olive oil
any vegetables you choose
1 cup red lentils
1 - 14oz can of diced tomatoes
4 cups stock or water (you'll want to add some seasoning if you use water, like a bouillon cube)
- fry onion and any vegetables you are adding in a bit of oil until soft
- add lentil, tomatoes and stock (or water and seasonings)
- bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.  Serve topped with a small dollop of sour cream.

 

You can also add some quinoa or rice (brown or wild) to this soup.  If you have some of these grains already cooked, throw them in.  If you are adding them uncooked, add extra water or stock so the grain can absorb it (thoroughly rinse your quinoa first).  Keep in mind that these grains will continue to grow and absorb the liquid so I prefer to only add them to the batch I am serving and will consume, not to the batch that is destined to be frozen.  Freeze your cooked grains along with the soup in a separate baggie or container so you will have some to add for next time.