My Friend Vicki gave us a HUGE zucchini from her community garden plot last week and I decided to go {sweet} with it rather than the usual savory.
: Coconut Almond Zucchini Bread :
3 cups AP flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups sugar
3 tsp. almond extract
2 cups grated zucchini {3-4 small zukes}
1/4 cup grated coconut {unsweetened}
Grease your bundt pan {I used a little butter}. Preheat oven 10 325*. Sift flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together in a bowl. Beat eggs, oil, almond extract and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and coconut until well combined. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for about 20 minutes. Place a plate over the top of the bundt pan and flip over…bread will fall from the pan on it’s own.
This recipe was a happy accident…I had run out of vanilla and cinnamon and substituted with almond extract and the coconut instead. It turned out very moist and the almond & coconut were a little something out of the ordinary. Next time I will make these into muffins. You could certainly get 2 smaller loaves {or even 3 mini loaves} out of this recipe to give as gifts at the holidays. Bake in a disposable loaf pan and adjust oven times accordingly.
Popping in again to share a healthy, fall inspired meal.
I discovered this in the May 2012 issue of Better Homes and Gardens, but thought the apple glaze would be perfect for Fall…..and it was.
: Spicy Apple-Glazed Meatballs & Yam Hash :
For the meatballs:
1 egg
1/4 c. milk
2 slices white or wheat bread, torn {I used 1/4 cup bread crumbs instead}
1 lb. 85% lean ground beef {I used a package of ground turkey}
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. vegetable oil {for frying….I baked my meatballs in the oven @ 450* for 17-20 minutes}
For the glaze:
1 cup apple juice
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp. packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. ground ginger {I used fresh}
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
6 green onions, sliced
1. Whisk together egg and milk in a bowl. Add torn bread or bread crumbs. Let sit for a few minutes until softened. Add ground meat, garlic, black pepper, salt and cayenne. Mix thoroughly. Roll into balls ~ I got 20 meatballs, but you can go bigger or smaller, just be sure to adjust your cooking time accordingly.
2. Bake meatballs at 450* for 17-20 minutes on a foil lined baking sheet sprayed with PAM. Or you can heat the oil in a 12 inch skillet and cook the meatballs a few at a time until they are brown and crusty on the outside. Turn occasionally. About 6 minutes per batch. Remove cooked meatballs and place onto a paper towel lined plate to remove any excess oil. Wipe out skillet with a paper towel and begin to prepare the glaze.
3. For the glaze, combine apple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger and cayenne in a bowl. In the same skillet, over medium heat, cook and stir sauce until thick and bubbly {should be at a full boil}. Cook and stir about 2 minutes more. Return meatballs to skillet to glaze and heat through. Top with green onions after plating.
: Yam Hash:
I just kind of made this up based off this recipe. I had two yams that needed to be eaten up so I just grated them with my box grater and sliced up a shallot that I had sitting around. You could also use a little onion instead. Drizzle a little olive oil in a pan and add the shallot and the grated yam/sweet potato. Saute, stirring occasionally, until soft. That’s it.
Plate the hash up with about 4-5 meatballs and don’t forget to add some Sriracha to your hash if you like heat!
Here I go again…..abandoning my blog! Life needs to S-L-O-W down.
I wanted to pop in and share a healthy recipe that I discovered in Shape Magazine {September 2012}.
Rocco Dispirito’s take on healthifying Italian favorites ~ this one caught my attention….
: Sausage and Peppers:
A typical sausage and pepper hero from a Chicago or New York street corner is delish, but can pack almost a day’s worth of calories {approx. 1150 cals}. Rocco’s guilt-free version has just around 290 calories.
Here is what you need:
Turkey or chicken sausages {I used TJ’s chicken sausages ~ sweet Italian pepper}
Whole wheat hot dog buns {I used TJ’s honey wheat hot dog buns}
7 cloves garlic, thinly sliced {I used like a dozen}
1 medium onion, sliced into 1/4-inch thick strips
1 red pepper, sliced {I used the trio of peppers from TJ’s ~ red, orange and yellow}
1 sweet cubanelle pepper, sliced {I used 2 anaheim chili peppers…Google said this is an equivalent}
1/4 cup no-sodium, no-sugar-added canned chopped tomatoes
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
Here is what you do:
Heat your sausages on a grill pan {they are already fully cooked}. Set aside. Spray a pan with Pam and sauté garlic, onions and peppers for about 8 minutes. Add in tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Place the sausages into the pan with the veggies and heat for a few more minutes. Season lightly with salt & pepper and turn off heat.
Lightly toast your buns and add mustard of choice {optional} and a sausage link and then top with a heaping pile of peppers and onions. Serve immediately.
These make great football grub and you don’t have to worry about all those extra calories on game day.
Enjoy!
P.S. Are you going to watch the Chargers strike the Raiders’ to the ground tonight?
I feel terrible that I have been neglecting this here blog…
I now have 6 free hours, five days a week and I can’t sit down to write a post or do any post-worthy projects!
So, I am just going to throw some thoughts and stuff out there with what we’ve been up to over the past week ~ just off the cuff.
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I can’t stop volunteering…first soccer coach, then yearbook layout, then assistant for PTA gala dinner, co-class momming it for Elliott’s room and picture taker/historian for Holden’s class! No wonder I don’t have time to blog.
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Loving these…
{ginger is almost up there with my love for coconut and reminds me so much of Fall}
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Fall NEEDS to hurry up and get here so I can make these…
I think I’m turning Japanese. I am in LOVE with the bento box!
After posting this, I was inspired to make lunches more fun {for both me and the kids!} so I set out to find some inexpensive bento boxes. First stop was TJ Maxx and I found these…
$5.99 and BPA Free! Win. Win.
Here are a few of the lunches I’ve packed…
{homemade Uncrustable, trail mix, fishes in a cute cupcake liner and fruit snack for dessert}
{Uncrustable, string cheese, leftover mac n cheese and fruit snack for dessert}
{bean & cheese burrito with salsa dipper, raisins, dried snap peas and granola bar for morning snack}
It has been so fun to pick little bits of this and that to fill their boxes with. If I send them to school with little finger foods, I am OK with that since a lot of times Holden will have a sandwich or some mac n cheese and fruit when he gets home. From what I understand, they don’t have a lot of time to eat, so quick little snacks and mini bites are perfect.
From time to time I will post some new bento ideas on my Instagram feed ~ please follow me {@aaspiras} if you, too, are at a loss for how to mix up your kiddos’ lunches! I can say that, for right now, I am excited to fill these two boxes every evening/morning and I hope it keeps up…we still have a long year ahead of us.
This afternoon I baked some mini banana muffins that I will throw in the freezer and stick in their lunches from time to time. Elliott has requested pumpkin muffins so I will certainly throw those into the rotation, too!
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Today is my mama’s birthday! We took her to Legoland over Labor Day weekend…
The happiest of birthdays to you, Mom!
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And while we were having lunch at Legoland, Jay was checking FB and noticed that his cousin from Nor Cal was there too, so he sent her a note and we met up with them ~ hadn’t seen them in 4 years!
{Holden & Elliott with Cara & Zach}
So so great to see you, Gia, Danny and kids! XO
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Tonight we’re trying out a new healthy take on Italian sausage with peppers and onions…can’t wait. Under 300 calories! They look de-lish and I will be sure and share the recipe.
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Hope you had a nice & relaxing or fun & hectic Labor Day Weekend!
Just popping in real quick to tell you about this little dessert I recently discovered…
You will want to make it ASAP. Perfect for last minute gatherings or for your kids’ birthday parties as an alternative to the usual birthday cake!
Inspired by this post. Here is another variation, too!
Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
12-15 ice cream sandwiches
{variety of your choice ~ I used mini ice cream sammies found at Ralphs, their brand, 16 in a box}
Chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, or even Magic Shell would be fun!
Tub of Cool-whip
M&M’s or candy bar of choice {chopped up}
Use a tray or large dish to assemble this dessert. Lay a row of ice cream sandwiches onto your plate, tray or dish side by side. Spread on a layer of cool-whip, drizzle with chocolate syrup or caramel sauce and then sprinkle your candy of choice on top. Repeat with the same number of ice cream sandwiches followed by another layer of cool-whip, syrup and candy. Repeat one last time and you’re done! Place in freezer for a couple hours before serving and cut with a serrated knife.
Easy, right?
This would be fun at Christmas with the mint ice cream sandwiches and the red and green M&M’s or chopped peppermint bark.
Or what about neapolitan ice cream sammies with slices of banana in-between and topped with sliced almonds and cherries for a Banana Split Ice Cream Cake?
And I do know that they have cookie and cream ice cream sandwiches, too!
Have fun with it!!!
You must make one before summer officially ends.
Um, that’s what’s dangerous about living in So Cal…….
I tried to keep the first couple weeks of lunch packing easy on myself.
We were only 4 days into school and already the kids were complaining about their lunches.
Holden hated the Cheez-its and the skin on the pre-sliced apples.
Elliott wanted me to immediately write out a check for $100 for hot lunch to keep in her account.
In our house, buying hot lunch has always been a treat ~ a few times a month. I’d like to keep it that way especially because they are both in school now.
I sent out an SOS on Facebook for lunch ideas and compiled them to help other mamas that may be in the same lunch boat.
Here are over 80 lunchbox fillers…
{Snacks}
Mini bagel with cream cheese
Granola bar/CLIF Z-bar/Nutri-grain bar
Nuts ~ peanuts, almonds, walnuts {unless you are a nut free school, of course}
Frozen Gogurts
Fruit roll
Mini rice cakes
String cheese, Babybel or Laughing Cow cheese wedges
Danimal Smoothie
Pirate’s Booty
Dried fruit
Banana chips
{“Main Dish”}
English Muffin Pizza
Leftovers from the night before
Hot dog or corn dog heated and wrapped in foil
Hummus and pita
Cheese and crackers
Salami, turkey or ham and cheese roll up
Strawberry and cream cheese sandwich
Cream cheese and cucumber sandwich
Lettuce wraps with diced chicken
Hard boiled or deviled eggs
Frozen Taquitos
Grilled cheese
Hot Pocket
{wrap warmed foods in foil to help keep in the heat}
Tuna Salad on crackers
Frozen waffles {toasted} with peanut butter
Tortellini Kebabs {thread tortellini, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls on a skewer} from the magazine parenting.com September 2012
Asian Chicken Pita {toss shredded chicken, carrots and crunchy noodles with peanut dressing and spoon into a pita} from parenting.com September 2012
{Thermos Options}
Pot stickers
Soup
Chili and cornbread
Spaghetti
Pizza rolls
Bagel Bites
Piggies in a blanket
Chicken nuggets
Fried Rice
Ramen noodles
Mini egg frittatas baked in cupcake pans
Mac n cheese with ham and peas
Orange chicken or teriyaki chicken and rice
{Fruit & Veggies}
Cantaloupe chunks
Sugar snap peas
Red or bell pepper slices
Ants on a log {celery, peanut butter and raisins}
Applesauce cup
Mandarin orange cup
Apple slices with peanut butter
Baby carrots with Ranch
Cuties {mini seedless oranges}
Kiwi slices
Raisins
Salad
Cucumber slices
{“Side Dishes”}
Shelled edamame
Trail Mix
Pickles
Popcorn
Cottage cheese
Veggie sticks
Dried peas
Black beans {beans}
Fishing poles and fish {pretzel sticks and goldfish crackers}
Tortilla chips and guac
Pasta salad
PB & Banana S’mores {stack graham crackers with peanut butter and banana slices} from parenting.com September 2012
Pop chips or Sun Chips
{Sweet Treats}
Fig Newtons
Fruit Snacks {I like Motts Medleys}
Kettle Corn
Mini Oreos or Nutter Butters
S’mores mix ~ Mini marshmallows, Teddy Grahams and mini chocolate chips
Mini muffins
Rice crispy {or other homemade} cereal bar
Banana pops {cut bananas in half and insert popsicle stick into each piece. Dip in melted chocolate and roll in sliced almonds. Freeze on waxed paper for 15 minutes then wrap in plastic wrap until ready to send to school} from parenting.com September 2012
{In A Pinch}
Lunchables
Smuckers Uncrustables
Buy school hot lunch
{Drinks}
Capri Sun
Roarin’ Waters flavored water {Capri Sun}
Juicy Juice juice boxes
Horizon Organic Milk {doesn’t need to be refrigerated}
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{Tips from other mamas and teachers}
When hungry, kids will eat anything cold or room temperature.
Kids throw away a lot of food, so the best thing to do is feed them a good, healthy breakfast and a big dinner and send them to school with little snacky foods.
Give them a sandwich when they get home instead of packing one in their lunch box ~ keep it simple.
They don’t have a lot of time to eat so quick, easy bites are best.
Have them finish anything left in their lunch box as a snack when they get home.
I don’t do it often enough, but I do like to tuck a little note written in a napkin or cute paper once in awhile. I found these little cards at Target in the dollar section which are blank on the back for a personal note…
I hope this list is helpful. I tried to include kid-friendly, somewhat easily obtainable and easy-to-prepare options which is what I think all busy moms are looking for.
Please, please feel free to comment with your lunch box favorites as we can NEVER have too many suggestions!
If you realllly want to be inspired, go to Pinterest and type {“kids lunch ideas” and “bento lunches”} into the search box. You know….if you have some extra time on your hands.
My plan is to share some lunch ideas via Instagram as I test them with my kiddos. Please follow me {@aaspiras} on IG if you’re interested not only for happy lunch box ideas, but other daily goings on in my life. I’d love to hear from you and see what you’re up to, too.
THANK YOU to all my FB mamas that commented and shared their ideas, those who forwarded links and tore out articles from magazines. I appreciate the input and I know other mamas will as well!
So………let’s do lunch ~ best of luck brown baggin’ it this school year!
XO
Linking up with April over at {The GINGERBREAD Blog} for Sweet Saturday!
Instead we will enjoy a salad which gained it’s fame on the gorgeous Amalfi Coast ~ Caprese Insalata
We went to spend an evening with our neighbors last weekend and I offered to bring a salad. With four bright red tomatoes from my friend’s community garden plot sitting in our vegetable crisper and a bunch of basil in our own backyard, I decided to do a caprese salad, but add in pasta for a heartier side dish yet still fresh and summery.
1 small clove garlic, minced {I used about 8 cloves!}
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
2 pounds tomatoes, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound pasta, such as campanelle, penne or fusilli {I used gemelli}
12 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Directions
Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, shallot and garlic in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add sugar, if desired (depending on the sweetness of your tomatoes). Add the tomatoes and gently toss. Marinate at room temperature, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Drain in a colander and run under cold water to stop the cooking.
Add the pasta and mozzarella to the tomato mixture and toss. Stir in the basil and lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, tossing occasionally, until serving.
{Note: the original recipe called for 1/4 cup lemon juice. I felt it needed some balsamic so I subbed 1/8 cup with that acid, but if you don’t have that on-hand, you could go with 1/4 cup lemon juice}
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It was delish and perfect for the warm summer months. This pasta would also be festive during the holidays, as well!
Enjoy! Happy Tuesday.
XO
P.S. Linking up with Mel over at The Larson Lingo….get your summer salad swap on!
Jay is now on Pinterest. One of his first pins was a homemade Chick-fil-a sandwich recipe.
Ironically we had these for dinner last night {Sunday} and we both could not believe how close they came to the real thing. I used honey wheat buns, put extra pickles on mine and slathered some kidnapped CFA sauce on the top bun. Recipe for homemade CFA sauce here.
What you need:
1/4 cup dill pickle juice
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
Optional: up to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper for a spicy sandwich ——> Omitted this time, but next time, for sure!
Oil for frying (about a cup) ——> I used 1/2 cup and it was plenty!
Pound out one or two chicken breasts {or buy cutlets} and cut them in half to create 2 or 4 pieces of chicken. Marinate in the pickle juice for 30-60 minutes. When you’re ready to cook them up, mix together 1/4 cup milk with the egg in a shallow bowl and mix the flour and seasonings in a separate bowl. Heat the oil on medium and go ahead and take the chicken breasts from the juice, dip them in the egg mixture followed by the flour mixture. Coat well and place into the heated oil. I didn’t pound mine out as much as I should have so I cooked them for about 4 minutes on each side. Once cooked, place them on a paper towel lined plate. Lightly toast your buns and spread with condiment of choice {mine is the CFA sauce!}. For the traditional sandwich, just place a few pickles on the bottom bun and then add the chicken. Would also be great with some sliced onion, tomato and lettuce.
And what is CFA without waffle fries? You could certainly pick up some Alexia waffle fries to go alongside, too.
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Linking up with Jess and the PinterTest Kitchen….come say Hello!
Root Beer floats are so {summer} to me. Soft scoops of vanilla bean ice cream floating in root beer. Or Coke. Or even Diet Coke.
Jay and my dad had one at Disneyland and I knew I wanted to make them at home.
I like to serve them in the 8 ounce jelly jars ~ just the perfect amount. Who am I kidding, I could polish off one 3 times this size.
We’ve all had that punch at baby showers at one time or another with rainbow sherbet and 7-up, right? When I saw this post, it reminded me of individual servings of this fun, refreshing punch.
Put your glasses {or jars} in the freezer to get them nice and frosty.
Add a couple scoops of your favorite flavor of sherbet.
Or just vanilla.
Top off with 7-up, Sprite, Sierra Mist, Fresca or any other lemon lime soda.
If you’re using vanilla ice cream, you can use root beer, Coke, Dr. Pepper, cream soda or even Orange Crush…like a 50/50 bar!
Orange Crush would also be perfect with orange sherbet, don’t you think?
The possibilities are endless with these little floats.
