Snow Much Fun!

Thursday night brought us our first "snow" of the year.  I use quotes on snow because it started as ice pellets so it wasn't the delightfully fluffy and packable stuff I prefer to play in. The last two winters haven't provided us with much of the white stuff, so the 4.7 of us headed outside with Miss Lady to enjoy it while we could! Here are some of our pictures.

Our snowman was more of a snow penguin.

Happy Saturday! Enjoy your weekend with your family!

This Weekend - We Play!!

We are all finally feeling better- even NanaPop! They're here! 

We are looking forward to using the warm weather to get some Vitamin D, fresh air, and plenty of playtime. We're thinking of going to a local park and perhaps Lewis Ginter.  Miss Moo wants to go play in the sand and visit the fairy house in their Garden Keeper's Cottage.

Here's what it looks like:

Both girls love mermaids, but Moo is particularly interested in Fairies as of late. Perhaps visiting this little house will get all of our creative juices flowing. I've thought about making a Fairy wand or a Fairy bed for visitors. We'll see where the weekend takes us!

What do you have planned for fun this weekend? Do you let you kids take the lead from time to time?

Recipe Collection: Real Food Christmas Morning Casserole - A New Morning Staple

My memories of the Christmases of my childhood all carry sights, sounds, and smells. I remember seeing the tree for the first time with all the gifts nestled beneath it. I remember the sound of carols playing softly in the background  amidst the ripping of paper as we opened gifts. I remember the smell of the coffee my parents brewed to cope with our early wake up call.

I also clearly remember the smell of Christmas Morning Casserole warming in the oven as we spent the last few minutes emptying our stockings and surveying our loot. I'm not entirely sure where the recipe came from or what year it started appearing on our table. I just remember it being delicious and paired with tomato juice.

This Christmas was the first that our family was home Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Being home afforded me the time to make the casserole with Real Food and have it rest overnight in the fridge for it to grace our table Christmas morning. Here's the modified recipe for the casserole that will now make more than a yearly appearance on our table.

Christmas Casserole

Preparation Time:
20 minutes hands on then refrigerate overnight

Cook Time:
30-50 minutes

Total Time: 
1 hour 10 minutes plus overnight set

Ingredients:
1.5 pounds local, ground breakfast sausage
6 free range eggs
2 cups raw/organic cream line or whole milk
2 (or more) cups freshly shredded whole milk cheddar cheese
1 TSP dry mustard
1 TSP Real Salt (or to taste)
2 slices sourdough (optional)

Cooking Instructions:
1. Brown the sausage in your pan until cooked throughout. -We've been transitioning to cast iron and it give the sausage a much more even cook than non stick pans.
2. In a large bowl, beat your 6 eggs. -This step is a GREAT one for little chefs to help with so they are involved. Miss Moo has even learned to softly tap the yolks with the whisk to break them before she begins to beat them.
3. Slowly whisk your milk into the beaten eggs.
4. Add your dry mustard and salt to egg mixture. Whisk again.
5. If using bread, cube the slices into bite size piece and line the bottom of your casserole dish. - I use a plain, white, oval souffle dish that has it's own lid. I used organic sourdough but am going to omit that next time so that we can cut our that grain and keep the meal mostly protein.
6. Grate your cheese. - 2 cups is a guideline. I started with that and did grate more before I decided there was enough. We love cheese.
7. Pour the egg mixture into the souffle dish and over the bread if you are using it.
8. Drain some of the grease from the cooked sausage so that the eggs aren't swimming in the grease but there is some for flavor and goodness.
9. Add the sausage and grease to the top of the egg mixture.
10. Sprinkle the cheese evenly across the top of the casserole.
11. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning:
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Uncover the casserole and let it sit on the counter as your oven preheats.
3. Place the casserole in the oven for 35-50 minutes, depending on your oven and the depth of your dish.  - Mine took right at 50 minutes to set. You are looking for quiche type consistency. A cake tester inserted in the middle should be clean indicating that the casserole is done.

Serve this dish with some delicious yogurt parfaits - we used granola, strawberries, and a little bit of maple syrup.



My family LOVED this dish and happily ate it rewarmed the second day.

Roo enjoying her breakfast.

 I love that this dish is protein rich, full of real food, and gives me time in the morning to be with my children rather than baked eggs, bacon, and the usual breakfast fixin's.

A satisfied Moo.

What easy, real food breakfasts do you love? What traditions do you see moving to your regular rotation?

Recipe Collection: Real Food Adapted Baked Spaghetti

I must confess, I'm addicted to spaghetti. I have been pretty much since birth; Nana can attest to that. Miss Moo has received this gene from me and would eat pasta of any variety every day if I'd let her. I've been on a quest for the perfect baked spaghetti even since this pregnancy began. I've made some that were decent, but I haven't had much luck with gluten free noodles staying, well, noodle like.

Tonight I adapted a recipe that I found on All Recipe to make it GF and full of Real Food. This dish was on our Meal Plan for Wednesday but circumstances of time, or lack there of, moved it to tonight. I was very satisfied with the end result and will make it again with the following tweaks. The recipe below is my adapted recipe from the original that I linked. (I haven't made all the changes below to this batch, so yours will look slightly different from the photo.)

Real Food Baked Spaghetti

Preparation time:
30 mins

 Cooking time:
1 hour

Total time:
1 hour 30 minutes

Allergens:
Dairy (Casein), egg

Ingredients for Sauce:

• 1 lb. grass fed, ground beef (ours is local)
• 1 organic yellow onion, diced
• 2 jars homemade OR organic tomato basil pasta sauce
• 3 tbsp organic Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon Real Salt

Ingredients for the Noodles:

• 1 package (16 oz.) Trader Joe's corn spaghetti (although I am skeptical of corn, this is the ONLY noodle that comes close to holding it's texture)
• 2 eggs (ours are local, free range)
• 5 tbsp organic salted butter
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Additional Ingredients for Layering:

• 5 cups freshly shredded, whole milk mozzarella
• 2 cups organic, whole milk, small curd cottage cheese

Cooking Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Chop onion, grate cheeses, and divide cottage cheese evenly.
3. Grease lasagna dish or 9 x 13 inch dish.
4. Add chopped onion, ground beef, and Italian seasoning to heated pan and cook, breaking up meat and mixing thoroughly until the onion is translucent and the beef is completely browned.
5.  Add sauce to meat and onions and stir until completely combined.  Remove from heat.
6. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with warm water to stop the cooking process.
7. Beat the eggs.
8. Melt butter over medium heat just until it has melted completely.
9. Combine butter, eggs, and Parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Add the noodles to the egg solution and toss until the noodles are completely covered.
10. Place 1/2 the noodles in the bottom of the greased dish. Place 1 cup of cottage cheese upon the noodles. Spread evenly.
11. Add 2 cups of Mozzarella on top of the cottage cheese.
12. Spoon 1/2 the meat sauce mixture on top of the Mozzarella.
13. Repeat the layering with the other 1/2 of the noodles, remaining cup of cottage cheese, 2 cups Mozzarella, and remaining meat sauce mixture.
14. Cover with foil and bake for 40 mins.
15. Remove foil, add remaining 1 cup of Mozzarella, and bake for 20 mins or until the cheese is browned.
16. Removed from heat and serve.

We all loved this dish. Roo ate 3 plates ;)

I served this dish along with a salad of organic: spinach, cherry tomatoes, avocado, egg, bacon, and goat cheese topped with homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think!

Recipe Collection: Crock Pot Stock

I don't know why I didn't think of this before. Cooking a whole chicken in the crock pot is simple (in fact this is my second one this week) but I always groaned at making the stock on the stove top. Then I did some Googling and found out that I can make my stock in the crock pot overnight!

After you have cooked your chicken in the crock pot (for me it's a seasoned chicken on low for 7 hours) let the juices remain in the ceramic bowl. After you have carved your chicken, throw all the bones and parts back into the chicken juices. I added four cups of water to my small crock and will add 8 to the large one for tonight. Turn the crock pot on low and let it go. I let it go overnight (at least 12 hours) and add water if it looks low. Then in the morning, strain off the bones and parts, and put your stock into glass jars. Let the stock separate, save your fat for gelatin if you like, and fridge or freeze your stock.

I'm still working on what I need to add to the stock here and there, but so far it's working JUST fine from the spicing of the chicken.

Happy Saturday!

Recipe Collection: Simple Salad Dressing

We are buying less "convenience" food and making more at home. One of my favorite ways to do this and explore in the kitchen is with salad dressing.  We tend to be a simple balsamic vinegar and olive oil family, but my Honey Vinaigrette is a favorite as well.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp champagne vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp dijon mustard (I like mine a little thicker and tangier)
1 tsp honey (I use raw, local honey)
1/8 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oi


Combine vinegar, mustard,honey, salt, and pepper in bowl and whisk until blended. Slowly whisk in the oil. Adjust mustard and honey as needed for the right consistency. Place in refrigerator before serving. 

That's it! This vinaigrette is great on a goat cheese and spinach salad. I crumble goat cheese over fresh spinach, sliced eggs, and bacon. You can also add grilled chicken for added protein and to make it a whole meal.


What dressings do you like?? Do you make your own??