Supper tonight - takeout (not)

Tonight, I wanted take-out.

It wasn't in the menu plan, that's for sure, but I was just a tiny bit tired of being the full-time parent, maid, entertainer and chef around here and was thinking a change would be nice.

Well, I didn't have the "change" to pay for said meal, so I opted to cook instead.  yipee

Somehow, takeout turned into homemade Pad Thai.  Served on nothing but a plate.  I let the dish shine.

It was good.  The middle kids didn't eat more than two bits, but I don't get hung up on what they eat or don't eat or when or how.  When they're hungry they eat.  I try to offer good snacks.  Meh, it all comes out in the wash.  The Big Kid is such a trooper and pretty much eats anything I set in front of him - he always has; even when he can SEE the tofu in it, he does his best.

I did have chicken breast and tofu, so they both went into it and somehow I forgot a sweet pepper and an onion.  It was still delightful and I'll make it again.  And again.  and again.

Go here for the recipe for Pad Thai.  For this exact batch you see pictured, I kinda winged it with the sauce ingredients and it turned out a bit less saucy than I like a little less peanutty also.  Go with the recipe here and it'll be perfect.

I think I'm going to make a small batch of wedges now for a snack, that'll satisfy.  Remember this awesome lunch?  This is what I'm going to make right now.  Mmmmmm

Coming soon...

I'm going to be hosting a GIVEAWAY soon for coconut oil!

Stay tuned!

Moroccan Red Lentil Soup

I can hardly believe I haven't posted this recipe before now!  I make this so often, I consider it one of our regular soups. 

Guess I forgot to add the peas before I took the picture.

 The ingredients are almost always in the house.  It's warming.  It's good for you.  It's easily doubled and freezes well.  The kids eat it!

Moroccan Red Lentil Soup ingredients.

I love the yellow colour of the soup with the bright green peas floating around.  It`s a jolly soup!

Moroccan Red Lentil Soup
copied straight from Canadian Living

These are the spices, aren`t they pretty?

2 2tbsp tbspextra-virgin olive oil

2 onions , chopped

4 cloves garlic , minced

2 celery stalks , chopped

1-1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 Pinch saffron (optional)
6 cups water
1 cup red lentils
1 tbsp tomato paste

2 potatoes , peeled and cubed

1 can (19 oz/540 mL) tomatoes

1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup light sour cream
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley

- In large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat; cook onions, garlic and celery, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and saffron (if using); cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
- Add water, lentils, tomato paste, potatoes and tomatoes, breaking up tomatoes with spoon; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 35 minutes.
- Add peas; simmer until lentils, vegetables and potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.  Ladle into bowls. Dollop each with sour cream; sprinkle with parsley. 
Tip 1: For a smoother texture, purée 2 cups of the cooked soup until smooth, then stir back into remainder of soup.
Tip 2: You can add a variety of vegetables to this soup.  For example, this particular batch has cauliflower florets in it.  You can add sweet potato, carrot, and cooked squash.
Vegan version: you can omit the sour cream entirely and it's still awesome, this is how we eat it most of the time, actually.

Turning the table for a minute

I'm handing the Talking Stick over to you guys for a minute.

What are you here for?  What are you looking for?  How can I better address your kitchen desires / cravings / questions?

Do you want decadent desserts?  Made healthier or not?

Do you want a running diary of what I feed my family and how?

Would you like to talk menu planning?

Are you pleased to just let me run off at the mouth and see what comes out?

I'd appreciate your feedback if you have some to offer.

On a personal note...

You know, my life is pretty darn good if I can come on here as often as I do and talk about something as light and fluffy as food. 

Sometimes I feel like I'm living a life of leisure already.  (Now, go back and say "leisure" with an English accent, you're talking in your head anyway, no one's going to hear you.  Not "lee-sure" but "leh-shur".)

I went for a drive yesterday and in case you missed it, here's the post.  I was meandering through Wolfville and was struck by how much I just wanted to park the car and sit on a patio with a hot cuppa java (probably from the Just Us! location I spotted).  The sun was shining, people looked healthy, happy, wandering around this little town's main drag that is about three blocks long.  You've got everything right there.  Post office, grocery store, flower shop, barber, used books, gifts, games, restaurants, pubs, cafés, shoe store, photo shop, theatre, outdoor clothing store and the list goes on.  There's a major university there too which I imagine helps keep the population young-looking (I don't  know the census information on this town, I'm just making assumptions based on what I saw).

Now, no, not everything I saw was rainbows and unicorns, I didn't have my rose-coloured glasses on.  Even the less-than-awesome was part of the picture.  We're all part of the picture.  When I'm walking down the street struggling with my three-under-three-and-a-quarter, what am I adding to the layers of my town or street?

But back to my life... I wake up, get people out the door who go out the door, then turn my attention to my wee ones, my house and myself in that order.  I don't have a schedule, I don't have anywhere I have to be most days.  We can play, learn, eat and drink as we please.  So, why then, does that seem so "intense" as one woman called it - I'd been using the term "chaotic" but I like "intense" much more.

No one in my family is ill or challenged in any obvious ways, I'm so lucky this way.  We all seem pretty happy with our stand in life.  My partner loves me and I love him AND we like each other, that helps too.  My kids get along, in the major ways.

So there I was, approaching a stop sign in Wolfville, windows down, kids are looking around, life is good, thinking about all the lazy stuff I'd do if I lived in Wolfville.  I'd walk on the sidewalk.  I'd stop when I wanted to.  I'd have a book with me and I'd read a page or two with coffee in the hot, hot sun.  I'd admire the shoes in the window.  I'd scout out gifts I'd like to give to my family and friends.  Sounds like I'd be kidless at that moment... maybe they're in daycare... yeah, that's it.  I'm just getting a break.

What a beautiful day it was daydreaming.

I'm awfully thankful for all the people in my life that make it what it is.

Coffee and noodles, noodles and coffee

Today, I went for a drive. 

It was a beautiful day, perfect temperature for a non air-conditioned car, windows cracked just a bit. 

By the way, one twin can't stand having wind in his hair and the other one would stick her whole head out the window like a dog (tongue flapping and all) if she weren't strapped down so tight.  Yep, they're twins all right!

I asked the wee ones where they wanted to go - big mistake.  They wanted timbits.  Ach!  Well, I dared ask.  So we started at Tim Horton's where the two middle kids got one timbit each.  Done.  I won't ask them again today what they want.  The story gets much better, bear with me.

I decided that because I ran out of coffee that I should go get more.  I also decided I should go buy it straight from the roaster so they can stamp my frequent-buyer card.  ROAD TRIP!  The Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-op is in Grand-Pré, an hour if you just drive there on the highway and without kids.

But who does that?!

I took the "old road", the #1 highway.  I love, love, love this drive.  The whole thing, once I "get out of town".  I love the Valley in it's entirety.  I could melt there.  I love the views, the smells ("it smell cowwww" today, they said), the tall trees, the houses, the history, the view, did I mention the views?

So, only the wee-est one slept on the way there.  We stopped and got banana bread at Irving and played in a park.  Finally, we arrived in Grand-Pré.  We all pile out and order tuna sandwiches, a coffee in a travel mug (another stamp) and a bag of Espresso Blend, my favourite right now.  We took a seat in the sun room to chow down.  Then we went outside and romped in their garden.  The kids picked so many dandelion bouquets for me and I threw them up in the air so it could rain flowers on us.  They chased two butterflies, they watched the clouds, watched a couple of eagles, they did summersaults.  The counted the tulips.  Four minutes later, they were done in the garden.  Phew!  I *almost* relaxed!

Back into the car, I pulled out of the parking lot not in the direction of our house and the boy twin noticed and said that was okay.  I explained that I wanted to find fresh pasta.  I knew there was a place and I could picture it in my mind so I was going to find it.  Just past the gorgeous town of Wolfville lies a village called Port Williams.  Oh my.  Gorgeous.  I told you, I love the Valley.

I found the Pasta Studio no problem.  AH!  I've never shopped here before!  I was so excited.  I asked what they had in the fridge today and tasted two kinds to see what I thought the kids would like, I would've eaten anything from them.  I decided on the cracked black pepper tagliatelle.  I wanted so much to try everything.

With my treasures of fairly traded, organic coffee and hand-made-with-local-ingredients pasta, both companies with a mind for the future, our bodies and the environment, I started for home.  The kids slept the whole way home, good for them and for me.

I tell you, they gobbled up that pasta so quickly and with gusto.  They absolutely loved it.  "More", "more"!  Awesome!  I cut up a chicken breast sliced very thinly and fried it quickly in a pan with a touch of salt and turned off the burner and added the pasta just to heat (it comes cooked and tossed in a bit of EVOO, heat and eat, baby!).  I served it with yellow pepper strips and milk.

My camera is on vacation so I can't give you any pictures today.  Please click on the links in the text above to visit the sites of the products I mentioned.

Simple supper

Last night, I was in the mood for a simple supper.

I had previously eaten too many chips and dip (the dip is 1:1 mayo and sour cream (1/2 cup) with 2 Tbsp Epicure Cheese, Chives and Bacon seasoning) so I was perhaps looking to make up for that.

I took a chicken breast (which I rarely have in the house, what a treat) and cut it up small, browned it in a pan, added 1/3 can organic diced tomatoes (these were kind of salty, so I didn't add any) and 1/2 yellow pepper diced small.  I let that cook a few minutes.  I served it over a baked potato that I had done in the microwave.

Just right!