Unfussy: Hernekeitto

Made pea soup for dinner. Erik was not pleased. "But, I hate peas. I have always, always hated peas." True enough. I might have told him that herne are "special Finnish peas" and this is my favorite soup. So, he (very reluctantly) tried it. And, as often happens, he was pleasantly surprised. Thumbs up from Erik (even with his post-soccer hair).

And, Mads had a second bowlful, so she's a thumbs up there too.

Unfussy: Grilled Endive

Thumbs down from both kids on the grilled endive, but Mads loved the garlic vinaigrette that it was dressed with. The chicken roasted perfectly in 40 minutes, and the carrots are absolutely delicious (and I don't care for cooked carrots).

Happy Thanksgiving @Home

Macrina Bakery's Apricot Walnut bread crostini with some tasty French cheese, blue cheese and apple-cinnamon goat cheese, our spatchcocked turkey read for the BBQ, roasted veggies rule!!, and ready to eat!

Erik laughing, Mads going for her faves, and a nicely set table with placemats from Made By Joel 

Caesar salad with anchovies, stuffing with sage sausage and honecrisp apple, barbecued rosemary sage turkey, roasted truffle green beans, roast sweet potatoes and shallots. Plus potato rolls and gravy. Mmm... 

Cranberry Custard Pie - Mmm...

Potato Leek Soup

Easiest ever, and always delicious.  Chop (and rinse) 3-4 leeks, chop several golden potatoes (I did 5), cover all with water, boil then simmer until everything is softened. Blend with an immersion blender and season to taste. I added homemade chicken stock to mine, diced chicken and some garlic foccacia croutons to serve. Delish! 

Beautiful Salad

This kale salad is slightly adapted from Dr. Weil's recipe, and is amazing. I first made it last Thanksgiving, and have made it countless times since. It is similar to Caesar, but features gorgeous Lacinato Kale (or Tuscan/Italian Kale), is easy to make ahead and holds up well as a leftover salad too. I've also had numerous friends ask me why this recipe isn't on my cooking blog yet, so... Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve dinner:  Finnish ham, rye crisp with herring roe, kale salad,
purple potato with pickled herring, sourdough rye bread with Finnish cheese and Two Vines Chardonnay

Kale Salad

5-6 cups chopped kale, ribs removed (or a triple-washed package of baby kale)
Juice from 1 large lemon, or two small lemons
4-5 Tbs. olive oil (truffled olive oil from Trader Joe's is amazing in this)
4 cloves pressed, fresh, garlic
Kosher or sea salt (to taste)
lemon pepper (or Penzey's Sunny Spain) to taste
3/4 cup shaved or grated Parmesan, Asiago, or other hard, flavorful cheese
1/2 cup panko crumbs (optional)

Whisk the fresh-squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, pressed garlic and seasonings in a large salad bowl, then add all but 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese and whisk again. Let sit for at least 5 minutes, then mix in the panko crumbs (if using) just before serving, and top with remaining Parmesan. Enjoy!! 

Creative Lunches... For The Win!!

Back when M was in preschool, I packed her glorious bento-box lunches three days a week, filled with fun, funky, amazing things. Fast-forward a few years (filled with preschool lunches for brother too), and a full year of 1st- and 2nd-grade lunches (minus the three times she bought lunch), and I'm pretty tired of making lunch every single day. 

And, while sometimes I wish that the girl would just buy lunch, I've visited her cafeteria during lunch a few times this year and tried to eat a healthy, semi-appealing lunch from the lunch line and it's very challenging. So, I understand why she doesn't want to buy lunch. I wouldn't want to eat it either.

While I was away for a week in Hawaii earlier this year, M packed her own lunch every evening, for the next day, and she did gain a real appreciation for the lunches I send with her daily. She's also developed a taste for the simple - PB&J or bagel with cream cheese, fruit, a small treat, and veggies with ranch. Pretty easy. 

But, as we neared the final two weeks of school, and everything seemed to pile up (as it always does at the end), and I was so tired of lunch-packing, and we all just wanted summer, I decided to buck the system because this is the finish line! So many parents just seemed to be celebrating "giving up" on caring about school, and stopped packing lunches, volunteering, or making sure kiddos get homework done. Even one of the kids' teachers shared that she was "done" with the year, and it didn't matter anymore... everyone was doing it (or so it seemed, since so many were paying lip-service to it), and I just had to step away from the crowd and get away from the negativity. 

You don't peter out when you're about to cross the finish! That's a terrible lesson for kids. We're all excited for summer fun, but endurance is the name of the game when it comes to kiddos, life, and a healthy attitude. And, so I got really creative with lunches for the final two weeks of school to pump a little fun into the final miles... here are a few of M's favorites, and you know what? It totally worked - flipped all our attitudes around and we've had a fantastic final two weeks full of in-class fun, field-trip and field-day and party chaperoning, lots of reading and art-lesson teaching, Girl Scout fun, and Thank-You gift coordinating! Attitude makes a world of difference. 

Rainbow Lunch with M's favorites, including fresh pineapple and fresh English Peas. What? No protein you say? She bought white milk, and took cheese & crackers for her snack. 

Flat Stanley party lunch today... flat Stanley PB&J on Dave's Killer Bread, flat-sliced apple with cinnamon cream cheese, flat-sliced strawberries, Stanley cheddar slices, Big Cheezits, and Flat scottie-dog shortbread cookies. Fun!

M's faves lunch... salami, carrots & homemade ranch, roasted Yukon Golds and ketchup, Brussels cookies and fresh Bing Cherries.

And, another rainbow lunch with carrots, orange supremes, and canned pineapple.

Best Salad Ever...

Fantastic salad! Vincent made this to contribute to a dinner that we hosted at our place with the gang. Luckily, the recipe came in his weekly produce box (which we also happen to subscribe to). It's a keeper!

Shredded Carrot and Pistachio Salad (adapted)
Full Circle Farms 

1 (to 1.5) c. shredded carrots, pressed dry
1/2 c. yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/3 c. pistachios, toasted and chopped
1/2 t. salt
2 T. Greek yogurt
1.5 T. olive oil
1 T. black or yellow mustard seeds
1 T. chopped fresh cilantro

Mix everything except mustard seeds; add oil to pan and heat over medium until they pop. Add oil and seeds to carrot mixture, stir and serve immediately. 

Vegetable Moussaka

This makes four large, dinner-sized servings, and is delicious! It's adapted from The South Beach Diet Super Charged. I subbed kidney beans for canned lentils (didn't have lentils), added one more clove of garlic, and left out the chopped, fresh parsley (1/4 cup). I also subbed milk for the fat-free half-and-half (because I don't buy that - it's wrong!) and left out the nutmeg too. Serve this with a quick salad of diced fennel bulb, radish, cuke and a lemon/olive oil/S&P "dressing," and you're set!!

Veggie Moussaka (adapted from The South Beach Diet Super Charged)


1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds (about 1.25 lbs)
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 15-oz. can kidney beans, drained (but not rinsed) 
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes with liquid
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
Fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup fresh-grated parmesan
1/8 tsp. nutmeg (I subbed cinnamon, because it's what I had)


Heat oven to 425-degrees F. 


Spray eggplant slices with cooking spray and bake on a cookie sheet, in a single layer, until softened, about 20-25 minutes, then reduce oven temp to 350-degrees F. 


While eggplant is baking, soften onion and garlic in EVOO in a med-hot pan. When translucent, add the beans, tomatoes and liquid, and seasonings. Simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

In a small bowl, beat the eggs, and add milk, 2 Tbs. cheese and the nutmeg (or cinnamon). Reserve remaining 2 Tbs. cheese for the top of moussaka. 


Spray an 8 x 8 pan with cooking spray and layer eggplant, tomato/bean mixture, alternately, twice, and top with a final layer of eggplant. Pour the egg/milk/cheese mixture on top, then sprinkle the last 2 Tbs. cheese over the top. 


Cover with foil, and bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake another 10-15 minutes until golden on top. Let stand 10 minutes before serving warm. 

Sous Saturday

They were beyond excited to get some knife time in tonight, and were very good at listening and minding. They also zested, pressed, stirred, juiced, toasted, buttered, drizzled, snapped, and set. Good team effort on an awesome dinner.
Gremolata for the Osso Bucco; delicious, and because he made it, the E man even tried the parsley-full (Green!) stuff. Love it!

Peloton Cupcakes

Happy Birthday to Solomon!! This birthday dinner was the perfect opportunity to try out two healthier treats, side-by-side (literally) as Solomon's bike-race cupcakes.

First were Chocolate Beet Cupcakes as the road/race track. Yes, you read that right. Beet. And, yes, I really do love Solomon, he's one of the sweetest 4-year-olds I know (see, he needs no extra sugar!) These cupcakes have no white sugar in them, and they are delicious. I didn't trust the not-very-brown, and quite pink-ish batter of the original recipe, so I added one heaping Tablespoon of Scharffenberger unsweetened cocoa in with the flour in this recipe, and they were very chocolaty and delicious. I left the maple out of the cream cheese frosting too, going with vanilla instead, and these were great. The recipe is right here on Simple Bites.
I frosted lightly with the cream cheese frosting, sprinkled with black sprinkles (leaving a white "bike lane" stripe down the side), and topped with a racer (from The Cupcake Social on Etsy). They have the best supplies, and good prices. The liners are from TCS too. Love 'em!

Anyway, the second cupcake was the Chocolate Date Cupcake, which was the shoulder or dirt in this race, they they were amazing. They have no frosting, and they don't need it. They're sweet and chocolaty enough, and topped with chocolate chips and sugar (and nuts, it you want - we didn't), which forms a fabulous, bumpy topping of their own. Yum!

I of course, did not advertise the fact that the treats were filled with veggies and such, and all the kids gobbled up their cupcakes. Even Erik. My nearly-4-year-old. Haha Erik, you ate beets tonight. I'm totally going to sneak more veggies into your cupcakes now. Works like a charm.

The best part is that Solomon loved his cake! Happy Birthday, Somblin!! We love you!
Chocolate Date Cupcakes
(adapted from Allrecipes.com)

1 1/4 c. boiling water
1 (8 ounce) package chopped dates
2 c. flour
1 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3/4 c. butter (that's 1 and 1/2 sticks)
3/4 c. sugar (or 3/4 c. raw cane sugar)
2 eggs

Topping
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. white sugar (or raw cane sugar)
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional - I did not use these)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour the boiling water over the chopped dates in a Pyrex measuring cup. Set aside. Sift together the dry ingredients.

In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the dry stuff. Add in the dates with all the soaking liquid, and stir until combined. Scoop batter into approximately 21 prepared paper-lined muffin cups.

In an another bowl, combine the chocolate chips and remaining 1/2 cup sugar (and nuts, if you wish). Sprinkle mixture over top of each cupcake and bake for 21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Super-star Bento!

Wordless Wednesday: Rainbow Salad

Wordless Wednesday: "Miso Block" Noodles

Farmer's Market Magic

I love the Farmer's Market. The variety, color, freshness, beauty, and I get to talk to farmers. That's always fun.
And, then I get to make a salad like this. This is magic salad. 17 different varieties of greens. A simple homemade orange vinaigrette, which means that I can tell the self-proclaimed "salad-hater" in our household that I've found a bunch of awesome new lettuces for him to try to see if he likes any of 'em. Guess what?
He tried. This is huge. Huge, I tell you!
But, did he like?
Yeah!! "These are Awesome!! Look at me, trying new foods. I'm getting to be a big boy. Hey, Mama, I love these new lettuces."
He cleaned his plate, and had seconds on the salad. Like I said, Magic Salad! He devoured the wild mushroom bucatelli, and the melon too.
What does the sister think? "Finally! I told you that salad is awesome, and you finally know!! Thank Goodness!"

Well Chuffed...

Both the kids have really gotten into being my sous chefs for any meal prep, and Madeline is well chuffed with her improving knife skills (and the fact that she even gets to use a knife). Last night we made "miso block" (AKA tofu) stir fry, and the kids loved pressing the tofu too.

We threw in, one whole block of extra firm tofu, about 1/2 pound crimini mushrooms, 1/2 a red bell pepper, some brocolli, three small zucchini, and two small baby bok choy. Sesame oil, soy sauce, agave nectar, ginger. Yum. Easy peasy as Jamie Oliver would say.

I think that he'd approve of our "naked" meal served up with brown rice.

Speaking of which, the kids love his new Food Revolution show (ABC 8-9pm and 9-10? it was both this week, Fridays). They already knew of him from my cookbooks (I use his recipes often), but they are hooked now. And why not? He is a charming sweetheart.

Oh, and did Erik actually eat this? Well, of course he did. It was dinner. He ate the rice, miso blocks (tofu), mushrooms, and brocolli. He left the peppers, zuke and bok choy on the plate, and that is fine by me.

Soup's On!

Is there anything better (or easier) than homemade soup? Really, chop/prep the ingredients, combine in soup pot, and simmer on the stove while you do other things. Easy! And, homemade soup tastes infinitely better than anything out of a can. Plus, there is way, way less sodium in soup you make yourself. Oh, and it happens to be a sneak-tastic way to get my veg scrutinizer to eat vegetables that he otherwise wouldn't willingly try. So, since Easter, I've made Potato Leek, Creamy Cauliflower, and today... 4B's Tomato Soup (Erik despises tomatoes).

Potato Leek is easier than pie, and my mom's fave. She actually prepped that one after Easter brunch by chopping up about six potatoes, and three large leeks (all, even the green part), tossed them in my soup kettle, and covered with water. It simmered for about an hour, then I seasoned with garlic, salt and pepper, and whirred it up in my blender in batches. Voila! Dinner full of veg that E wouldn't usually eat (well, the leeks anyway).

I did the Creamy Cauliflower in similar fashion, cleaning and separating into florets, one head of cauliflower. I tossed that into a hot soup pot with 2 Tbs. of butter and about 1/3 cup of tiny star-shaped pasta. I browned that up, then added hot water to cover and simmered until the cauli was soft. Then I tossed in a can of navy beans (with bacon) for about 10 mins of simmering, a little garlic, celery salt and pepper, and whirred batches in my blender. Erik inhaled two bowls and said, "Hmm... I guess that I do like cauliflower. I thought I didn't."

(clockwise in pic: 4B's tomato regular and creamy, E enjoying his soup, E prepping cheese sammies to go with leek onion soup, and creamy cauliflower with cheese crisps)

And, so... on to an actual recipe! The 4B's is a popular restaurant chain in Montana, where we had this fabulous soup with Jamie and John on a summer road trip, nearly six years ago. I found the recipe online, posted by a local paper in Havre, MT. I'm going to follow it pretty closely, except for the cream part. To lighten up this one, I'm going to employ my trusty blender to "cream" the soup. My second reason for the blending is to get Erik to love tomatoes (which he's already informed me that he doesn't like and won't eat). Blending those tomatoes will make the soup creamy, yummy, and chunk-free!

4B's Tomato Soup (adapted from the recipe posted here, plus, I doubled the recipe since I had enough ingredients to do so!)
2 28-oz. cans of diced tomatoes (I used organic)
18 oz. chicken broth (I used low-sodium)
4 Tbs. butter
4 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. chopped onion
2 pinches of baking soda

Combine ingredients in a soup pot, bring to a low boil over medium-high, and then reduce to low to simmer for one hour. Then comes the cream part...

2 c. half and half - (and being doubled, if you are following the real recipe, this should be 4 c. half and half or cream - yikes!)

Heat the half and half in the microwave until nearly boiling, then add to tomato mixture (not the other way around) before serving.

I blended about 1/2 of the tomato mixture in the blender first, than added some of it back to the pot, which made the soup creamy without all the fat of the 4 c. of half and half (I only used 2c.), then add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!! I also separated a completely creamed amount out for Erik, and left the chunkier soup for the rest of us, so E's did have more of the half and half in it as well.

The verdict... Erik LOVED the creamy version of the 4B's soup! And, I think that tossing in a handful of carrots to simmer for the hour (for sweetness) and maybe blending in white beans would lend creaminess without the fat of half and half and add protein and vitamins — I'll definitely try that next time!

Move Over Martha!

Move over Martha, Madeline's in town! I told Miss M to arrange the starfruit (her fave) and strawberries however she wanted on this platter, and here's what she did...

... makes a Mama proud! She's got the eye. And, E's busy sampling the fruit as well...

And, at Grammy's the day prior, M was thrilled to practice her knife skills ala Jamie Oliver!

Erik is always the first to volunteer for sous chef duty, and hopped up to the sink to wash scallions.

Madeline's Choice Bento

Dill tuna salad, cheese Sun Chips, a "really big" carrot, and banana.

Spring Preview...

"Spears" - AKA asparagus... Erik actually ate two spears of this. Victory!! He also inhaled two bowls of "Grumbly Bean Soup" this week. He like edamame (or Grumbly Beans) so that's what I called the Split Pea Soup I made on Tuesday. It has no edamame in it, but he doesn't know that. He LOVED it. Sweet. He also isn't aware that I discovered a sneaky cauliflower recipe in one of the Moosewood cookbooks today at the library, which I'll be making next week. Bwahahahaha!!
We ate the Grumbly Bean Soup (or Hernesoppa in Finnish) on Laskiaistiistai (Shrove Tuesday/Fat Tuesday) along with Shrove Buns. These tasty treats are called Laskiaispullat in Finland and are cardamom sweet rolls (similar to Challah) sliced in half and filled with almond paste (or raspberry jam) and sweetened whipped cream. In turns out that Erik adores almond paste, and there is zero problem getting him to eat that.