Baked Lemon Pasta

I have been seeing lots of recipes for variations on lemon pasta.  Some have shrimp or chicken added, while others have spring veggies.  I thought I'd try out a basic version.  My kids love lemons and pasta so I thought that they'd enjoy this.  This was simple enough to put together.  The kids enjoyed it.  I'm not the biggest fan of citrus so this wasn't my favorite.  But I was happy that they enjoyed it! I think adding some grilled chicken would be a great addition.

Baked Lemon Pasta
recipe from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:
1 pound Thin Spaghetti
4 Tablespoons Salted Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole Lemon, Juiced And Zested
2 cups Sour Cream
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt, Or More To Taste
Plenty Of Grated Parmesan Cheese
Extra Lemon Juice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook spaghetti according to package.

In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.

Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt to taste.  Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish.

Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.)

When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.
  Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

SRC Reveal: Root Beer Chicken with BBQ Sauce

It's reveal day for Group A of The Secret Recipe Club.  This month I was assigned the blog Everyday Mom.  Kim is an avid baker and has lots of tasty looking dessert recipes on her blog!  I ended up opting for a savory choice though.  With the weather turning warmer I thought that this Root Beer Chicken looked like a perfect weekend dinner.  This means that my husband, "The Weekend Chef" helped prepare and cook this.  We've cooked chicken like this before but used a beer can.  This is the "non-alcoholic" version! The chicken rub is tasty and it is cooked on the grill.  The sauce was different with an interesting flavor from the root beer, molasses, and orange and lemon juice.  We all enjoyed this dish.  The chicken turned out moist and my kids are big "sauce" lovers.  So they enjoyed this a lot.

Root Beer Chicken with BBQ Sauce

recipe from Everyday Mom

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
Chicken Seasoning (see below)
1 can root beer
1 cup ketchup
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup orange juice
3 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. molasses
½ tsp. ginger powder
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. onion powder

Directions:
Prepare grill, for indirect cooking.

Wash and pat dry chicken. Generously sprinkle entire chicken with chicken seasoning. Pour out and reserve, 1 cup of root beer. Place chicken on top of open can, so chicken is standing upright. Place chicken on back half of grill, use the legs and can as a tripod to help the chicken stand. Close cover and let chicken cook for at least an hour or until thermometer, placed in thickest part, reads 160°-165°. Remove from heat, let chicken rest for 10 minutes, slice and serve.

While the chicken cooks, combine the 1 cup of root beer set aside and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan. Place over medium high heat, stirring continuously bring to a boil. Once mixture has reached a boil reduce temperature to medium low and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly then serve with roasted chicken.

Chicken Seasoning
(slightly adapted)

2 Tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Lemon Pepper (can use plain pepper and lemon zest)
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Place all ingredients in small bowl, stir until combined.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Turkey & Zucchini Burgers with Green Onion and Cumin

This week's theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs is "A Squash is a Squash, Of Course, Of Course..."  Participants could cook any Ottolenghi recipe using squash.  Here in New York it's springtime, so I didn't want to cook with any of the winter squashes.  I ended up choosing zucchini, since it's one of my favorite squashes.  I saw this recipe in Jerusalem but sadly had to return the cookbook to the library.  Luckily, I found an online version from Recipe Connoisseur that I adapted to suit our tastes.  The original sauce recipe called for ground sumac.  According to Wikipedia, sumac is a reddish-purple powder often used in Middle Eastern cuisine to add a lemony taste to foods.  Obviously, the local grocery store doesn't carry sumac.  There's actually a small Middle Eastern grocery store in the neighborhood but I never made it there.  I also didn't really feel like spending money on a spice that I thought I'd probably never use again.  I thought the sauce tasted fine without.  Overall, these burgers were okay.  They were nice and moist and both kids ate their entire patty.  I served them over couscous, as seen in the pic below. 

Turkey & Zucchini Burgers with Green Onions and Cumin
Recipe adapted from Recipe Connoisseur, via Ottolenghi's Jerusalem

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1 large zucchini, coarsely chopped
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
about 3-4 tbsp olive oil, for searing

For the Sauce:
½ cup sour cream
⅔ cup plain yogurt
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ tbs olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions:
First, make the sour cream sauce by mixing all ingredients in small bowl and placing in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl combine all burger ingredients except oil. Mix with your hands and form into desired patty sizes.

Pour enough oil to cover bottom of large frying pan. Heat over medium heat until hot, then sear burgers about 2 minutes per side or until golden brown.

Carefully transfer the seared burgers to a baking sheet and place in oven 7-10 minutes, or until cooked through.    

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Basmati Rice & Potatoes

This week on I Heart Cooking Clubs as we continue to cook with Yotam Ottolenghi, the theme is "Going with the Grain."  Ottolenghi has a lot of interesting grain recipes. Unfortuntaely, I really wimped out this week.  I was planning my weekly menu at the last minute and didn't want to make anything time consuming or with ingredients that I thought the kids wouldn't eat.  I ended up making his Basmati Rice & Potatoes, based on his Basmati Rice & Orzo recipe from his cookbook Jerusalem.  This recipe was almost too easy, but it was in his cookbook!  I was set to make the rice with orzo and meant to check my pantry to make sure I had orzo before I went grocery shopping....but I forgot.  Only when I went to make this did I realize that I didn't have orzo.  I was NOT running back out to the grocery store to get some and I didn't have vermicelli noodles which was listed as a substitute.  However, he notes that "other substantial elements - vericelli, potatoes, lentils, nuts - could also be included.  I had some leftover roasted potatoes and went with that!  I'm not sure if cooking method affects the recipe either.  Again, I went quick and easy and used my rice cooker.   Have I mentioned that this was quick and easy?!!  The chicken broth gives the rice some flavor and my daughter loved it.  I thought it was okay and a nice change from plain white rice, though I'm not sure if I'll end up making this again.

                                 

Basmati Rice & Potatoes
recipe inspired by Ottolenghi's Basmati Rice & Orzo recipe in Jerusalem

Ingredients:
2 cups basmati rice
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup leftover roasted potatoes, diced

Directions:
1. Put 2 cups of rice in rice cooker.  Add chicken stock to the 2 cup fill line and cook. While rice is cooking, melt butter in large saute pan.  Fry potatoes in butter, turning as needed, until heated through about 10 minutes.  Once rice is cooked transfer to a large bowl and mix in potatoes.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Tagliatelle with Spinach, Mascarpone, & Parmesan

This week is the April Potluck at I Heart Cooking Clubs.  Even though the featured chef is Yotam Ottolenghi, for the potluck participants are able to choose a recipe from any of the eight previously featured chefs that the club has cooked.   Since Ottolenghi is the first chef that I've been cooking with for the club I wanted to branch out and try cooking something from one of the past chefs.  I decided to cook something from Jamie Oliver.  I saw this recipe and it looked so simple and easy, just the kind of recipe I needed this week!  This was so easy to make.  Taste-wise it was okay.  The kids ate it without complaint and my daughter even asked to take some for lunch the next day.  I felt it was kind of plain and needed something.  I have a bunch of Italian sausage in the freezer that I think when crumbled and browned would have gone really well in this dish.  Although I wasn't wowed by this dish, I was glad to have made something by Jamie Oliver and will be trying some of his other recipes out!

Tagliatelle with Spinach, Mascarpone, & Parmesan
recipe adapted from jamieoliver.com

Ingredients:
1 lb. fettuccini
olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
baby spinach, washed thoroughly
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup mascarpone cheese
2 handfuls Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Directions:
Boil a large pot of water,  add pasta, and cook according to package directions. Meanwhile heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil, the butter, and garlic. When the butter melts, add the spinach and heat until wilted, approximately five minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste then add the heavy cream, mascarpone and a little ladle of cooking water from the pasta. Let this come to a simmer and then season again.

Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water, then stir it into the spinach sauce. Add the Parmesan and toss everything together.  

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Ottolenghi's Sweet Potato Cakes

I am continuing my cooking adventures with the I Heart Cooking Clubs as we get to know Yotam Ottolenghi.  This week's theme was "Get Back to Your Roots."  I had bought a 5 lb. box of sweet potatoes that was on sale from the grocery store a couple of weeks ago.  I knew this week's Ottolenghi theme would be a perfect opportunity to use them up.  A couple of other participants had already made these and given them good reviews.  I didn't end up making the dipping sauce that goes with these and just served with some sour cream that I had.  I know the other reviewers said the sauce made the recipe.  So, I'm not sure if I missed out on anything by not making it.  However, I enjoyed these with just the sour cream.  You must like sweet potatoes though if you're thinking of making these.  The sweet potato flavor really stands out with a little heat from the pepper (though I only used a jalapeno, not the red chile the original recipe called for!).  Instead of steaming the potatoes like the original recipe called for, I ended up boiling, draining, and mashing them like I would if I was making mashed sweet potatoes.  This definitely cut down on the cooking and prep time that the original recipe needed.  Unfortunately, my son who enjoys sweet potatoes wasn't a big fan of these.  I knew my daughter, who doesn't like sweet potatoes to begin with wouldn't like these, so I halved the recipe, as shown in the amounts below.  But my husband I enjoyed them.  These are best eaten the day they are made.  The leftovers didn't taste as good!
        
                              
Sweet Potato Cakes
recipe adapted from Plenty:  Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi

Yield: 2 servings as posted (original recipe yields 4)

Ingredients:
1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp scallions, chopped
1 tsp jalapeno pepper finely choped
lots of butter, for frying
sour cream for topping

Directions:
Fill large sauce pan with water and bring to boil over high heat.  Once boiling, add potato chunks and cook for 15 minutes.  Drain and let cool for about fifteen minutes. Place in a large mixing bowl and mash with fork.  Add the rest of the ingredients except the butter.  Mix the ingredients by hand - it should be sticky, so if it's a little runny, add some flour. Do not over-mix.

Melt some butter in a nonstick pan.  Add spoonfuls of batter to pan and flatten with a spatula into discs that are approximately 2 inches in diameter and 3/8 inch think.  Fry on moderate heat until you get a nice, brown crust, about six minutes on each sode. Place between two sheets of kitchen towel, to soak up the excess butter. Serve warm, topping with sour cream if desired.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Hawaiian Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I mentioned in yesterday's post that I made these sandwiches to go with the Green Gazpacho.  The kids didn't enjoy the soup but they loved these sandwiches.  That wasn't hard to predict!  I hadn't made grilled cheese in a loooong time and needed something quick and easy to go with the gazpacho.  These were definitely quick and easy.  My kids love all of these ingredients on their own, so I knew they'd enjoy them in a sandwich form.  As you can see from my photo, I wasn't patient enough to let the cheese get all gooey.  But this was tasty as is!  My husband told me he could go for another one, after he ate his first.  I told him that I unfortunately used up all of the bread in making these. 

Hawaiian Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwich
recipe slightly adapted from Cheese Curd In Paradise, inspired by Healthy Food for Living

Ingredients:
(for 4 sandwiches)

8 slices bread of your choice
2 cup tomato sauce
8 slices of low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese
8 slices of deli ham (2 slices per sandwich)
4 pineapple rings
Butter

Directions:
In a skillet heat about one Tablespoon of butter over medium heat. On 8 slices of bread dab a small amount of butter on each side. Place 2 slices butter side down in skillet. Spread 1 Tbsp of tomato sauce onto each slice of bread in the skillet. Next, layer 2 slices of mozzarella, 1 pineapple ring, and  2 slices of ham.  Top with remaining 2 slices of bread. 

Cook sandwiches until golden brown on the bottom, about 3-4 minutes. Flip sandwiches and cook until golden brown on the other side and the cheese has fully melted, about 3-4 remaining minutes. If the bread turns golden brown before the cheese has fully melted, reduced stove heat to low. Remove from heat and repeat for next two sandwiches.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Rice Cheesecake with Praline Sauce

Last Saturday was our supper club dinner.  This month's theme was rice.  Everyone had to make a dish using rice, in any form....rice, rice flour, etc.  I quickly claimed dessert and then jokingly said I'd make rice krispy treats.  I do love them but they're not quite supper club caliber material!  I didn't want to make rice pudding because I had made that for our Indian themed dinner a couple of months ago.  I found this recipe on the Riceland Foods website.  In the picture on their site it looked like the rice sunk to the bottom, almost like a crust, with the cheesecake on top.  In mine, the rice stayed mixed with the cheesecake which gave it a texture that I didn't like.  Everyone else seemed to enjoy the cheesecake and I did really like the praline sauce.  This was something different but I probably won't be making it again. 

Rice Cheesecake with Praline Sauce
recipe from Riceland.com

Yield:  16 servings

Ingredients:

FILLING:
3 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup half-and-half
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups cold cooked Riceland Plump & Tender Medium Grain Rice

PRALINE SAUCE
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 cup pecan halves

Directions:
Heat oven to 325F. Spray 10-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. In large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add sugar, beating until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add 1 cup half-and-half and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in rice. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 50-60 minutes or until set. (To minimize cracking, place shallow pan half full of hot water on lower oven rack during baking.) Cool cheesecake to room temperature on wire rack. Remove sides of pan. Refrigerate 1-2 hours. To prepare sauce, melt margarine in medium saucepan. Stir in brown sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil; boil 1 minute stirring constantly. Gradually stir in 1/2 cup half-and-half; return to a boil. Remove from heat; cool. Stir in pecans. Serve with cheesecake. (From our "Riceland Collection" cookbook)

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Glazed Toffee Bonbons

This past weekend we had our annual Supper Club December dinner out and cookie exchange.  We tried a Southern/Carribean restaurant in New Rochelle, NY called Alvin and Sons that was REALLY good!  On the way home, even though we were stuffed from dinner, my husband and I did a mini cookie tasting.  These were the cookies that I ended up making for the exchange. I really like heath bars and thought they looked and sounded good.  They were pretty easy to put together.  I had them completed from start to finish in about an hour.  I wasn't sure that two dozen would be enough (you have to account for mess-ups, taste tests, and I had to leave some for the kids!) so I doubled the recipe.  Of course it made enough that my husband was able to bring some to work the next day.  Unfortunately, I wasn't "wowed" by these cookies like I was hoping.  They aren't bad....and according to my daughter, they're the best cookies that I've ever made!  I just found them a bit too sweet.....which is why I was suprised that my daughter loved them so much since she really doesn't like very sweet things. Luckily, I got a bunch of really tasty cookies from the other supper club members!

Glazed Toffee Bonbons
recipe from Taste and Tell

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 14 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Toffee filled cookies are topped with caramel icing, white and milk chocolate, and more toffee pieces!

Ingredients:

Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 bars (1.4 oz. each) chocolate covered English toffee candy, finely chopped

Glaze
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk chocolate chips
1/3 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:
Heat the oven to 325F. In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, the vanilla and the egg with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. On low speed, beat in the flour, baking soda and salt. Reserve 1/3 of the toffee pieces for garnish. Stir remaining chopped candy into the dough. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. On ungreased cookie sheets, place balls 1 inch apart.

Bake 11 to 14 minutes or until edges start to brown and tops of cookies feel set when tapped. Place cooling racks on waxed paper. Immediately remove cookies from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

Meanwhile, in a 1-quart saucepan, heat 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of the milk over medium-low heat , stirring frequently, until mixture just comes to a boil and sugar is dissolved. Stir in powdered sugar; beat with a wire whisk if necessary to remove lumps. Immediately dip tops of cookies into glaze or spread on top of cookies. (Cookies don’t need to be completely cooled, just firm and set.) Place on rack; let stand about 10 minutes until glaze is set. If glaze starts to set in saucepan, reheat over medium-low heat and beat with a wire whisk.

Place chocolate chips and vanilla chips in separate small microwaveable bowls. Microwave each on high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and smooth. Using the tip of a spoon, drizzle each flavor generously over cookies. Alternately, place the chips in a zip top bag, microwave until melted, and then cut off the corner and drizzle over cookies. Sprinkle with remaining candy. Refrigerate 20 minutes to set quickly.

Family Rating:1 thumb up.

This recipe is shared at:
Creative Thursday @ Michelle's Tasty Creations
Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage
Showcase Your Talent Thursday @ What's Cooking, Love?

Children's Book Review: Nighttime Ninja

Nighttime Ninja
Written by:  Barbara DaCosta
Illustrated by:  Ed Young
Published by:  Little Brown and Company, 2012

from goodreads.com:
Late at night, when all is quiet and everyone is asleep, a ninja creeps silently through the house in search of treasure. Soon he reaches his ultimate goal...and gets a big surprise! Will the nighttime ninja complete his mission?

With spare text and lush illustrations, Nighttime Ninja is a fun, adventure-filled story about the power of play and imagination.

* A ninja comes out at night while everyone is sleeping to complete his mission.  But what could the mission be?  We were all trying to guess and were suprised to discover what the ninja was trying to do!  The artwork is really the star of this book though.  The illustrations are collages of cut paper and tell the story so well that text is almost not needed.  This was a quick read that we all enjoyed.

This book was borrowed from the library.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Children's Book Review: One is a Feast for Mouse - A Thanksgiving tale

One is a Feast for Mouse - A Thanksgiving Tale
Written by: Judy Cox
Illustrated by:  Jeffrey Ebbeler
Published by: Holiday House, 2008

from goodreads.com:
The Thanksgiving feast is over. Mouse spots one pea, which is quite enough for one mouse, but he keeps adding other tidbits. Then Cat sees him, in a story about giving thanks for the little things.

* This is the last of the Thanksgiving book reviews until next year.  In this book a mouse comes out of his hiding spot after the Thanksgiving feast has been eaten.  He scours the table for leftovers and finds one "teensy-tiny, toothsome, green pea."  But then he gets greedy and wants a cranberry, some mashed potatoes and gravy, and of course some pumpkin pie! The cat sees him and disaster occurs.  But mouse is still able to retrieve his pea and is thankful for his feast.  The kids enjoyed this story.  I liked the adjectives used to describe each food ("carrot sticks, crunchy and munchy and orange").  Overall this was a nice, last Thanksgiving read for us.

This book was borrowed from the library.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Children's Book Review: Over the River: A Turkey's Tale

Over the River:  A Turkey's Tale
Written and illustrated by:  Derek Anderson
Published by: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2005

from goodreads.com:
Over the river Mama, Papa, and Baby Turkey embark for their vegetarian Thanksgiving Feast. But when a hungry boy and his dog start sniffing around, the turkeys have got to think fast before they become the main course! Acclaimed artist Derek Anderson's glorious autumn artwork adds heaps of holiday humor to Lydia Maria Child's classic Thanksgiving song. And readers of all ages will be wondering who gobbles up whom until the dessert finale.

* I think that I've only heard this classic song through the first couple of lines.  My daughter tried singing this but didn't quite have the tune.  So, I read/sang the song as we looked at the pictures.  And you really do have to look at the pictures as you read/sing this because there's a story going on through the illustrations.  Overall, a cute children's book take on a classic song that the kids enjoyed.

This book was borrowed from the library.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Children's Book Review: A Plump and Perky Turkey

A Plump and Perky Turkey
Written by: Teresa Bateman
Illustrated by: Jeff Shelly
Published by: Marshall Cavendish, 2001

from goodreads.com:
The townspeople of Squawk Valley try to trick a turkey into being their Thanksgiving dinner, but are frustrated in their efforts when the turkey tricks them instead.

* Both of my kids were familiar with this book, having heard it in the past at school.  My husband and I had never read it so we decided to give it a go.  Told in rhyme, this story tells about the town of Squawk Valley where the turkeys have gotten smart and disappear in the fall.  The townspeople really want a turkey for their Thanksgiving dinner so they come up with a plan to catch one.  However, they are disappointed, when all is said and done, that they have been the ones tricked.   

This book was borrowed from the library.  

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Children's Book Review: Splat Says Thank You

Splat Says Thank You!
Written and illustrated by:  Rob Scotton
Published by:  Harper, 2012

from amazon.com:
Splat the Cat's trusty mouse friend, Seymour, needs cheering up, and Splat wants to help. He's been working on something special for Seymour—not just a thank-you card but a thank-you book! His book lists all the sweet and often hilarious reasons Splat is thankful for their friendship.

The funny adventures that Splat and Seymour have had together, complete with animated illustrations and a laugh-out-loud text from bestselling author and illustrator Rob Scotton, will leave Splat fans thankful to know this cat-and-mouse duo.

* Splat the Cat is a well-known character from Rob Scotton.  He stars in picture books and beginning to read chapter books.   We have read a couple of the Splat the Cat books as a family.  In this book, perfect for this time of year when we are celebrating being thankful, Splat thanks his friend Seymour for all of the kind things that he's done for him.  The illustrations and reasons are somewhat funny, as Splat can get himself into a lot of trouble.  It also touches upon the importance of good friends.  Overall, the kids seemed to enjoy it.  It took the theme of being thankful away from the traditional "Thanksgiving" theme which was a nice change. 

This book was borrowed from the library.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Children's Book Review: Glamorous Glasses

Glamorous Glasses
Written and illustrated by:  Barbara Johansen Newman
Published by: Boyds Mills Press, 2012

from goodreads.com:
Bobbie and Joanie are best friends and best cousins, and they do everything together. So when Joanie has to get glasses, Bobbie figures she'll get them, too--especially once she discovers the fabulous frames on display at the eyeglasses store. Meanwhile, Joanie has the opposite reaction. Glasses make her feel different and look different. And they're uncomfortable. So the ever-resourceful Bobbie comes up with a perfect plan to make both of them happy. Illustrations full of rich, comical details enhance this story about friendship and a classic childhood experience.

* My daughter recently got glasses, for distance only.  While at the eye doctor my son also got his eyes checked.  He luckily doesn't need glasses....yet.  While picking out frames for my daughter I had to deal with a bit of a tantrum from my son while he kept telling me that he NEEDS glasses.  I told him that he just had his eyes checked and he did not need glasses.  I told him by the time he's six he'll probably need glasses too.  I am practically blind (though I prefer to wear contacts) and my husband wears glasses too.  He's doomed!  So, this book ended up being one that the kids could relate to.  Bobbie goes with her cousin Joanie to pick out her glasses and she really wants a pair too.  She even goes as far as to fake pretending that she needs them (pretending that she couldn't see the board, tripping on purpose, etc.).  Joanie doesn't like her glasses but really likes Bobbie's pure so they end up doing a switch.  Only after a couple of mishaps do the girls realize that Joanie should really wear her glasses!

This book was borrowed from the library.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Beginning Reader Book Review: P.J. Funnybunny Camps Out

P.J. Funnybunny Camps Out
Written by: Marilyn Sadler
Illustrated by: Roger Bollen
Published by:  Random House, 1993

from goodreads.com:
Illus. in full color. Camping is not for girls, right? At least, that's what P.J. and his pals tell Donna and Honey Bunny when they want to tag along on a camping trip. But when two mysterious ghosts frighten the boys all the way home, only the girls know the "real" story.

* My son picked this book off of the beginning chapter book shelves at the library.  I didn't really like when P.J. told his sister that "Camping is not for girls."  I asked my son, is he right?  Can girls go camping? I was very relieved when my son told me that girls can go camping (which we have done before as a family!).  However, in the end, the girls prevail.  This was a good book to practice predicting.  When I had my son make some predictions he ended up being partly correct.  When I made my prediction and ended up being correct, my kids accused me of reading the book before!  Overall, this was a cute story about a bunny and his friends who attempt to go on a camping trip but end up being frightened and run home.

This book was borrowed from the library.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries

I had a leftover zucchini in the refrigerator and had this recipe bookmarked in my "To Try" folder.  So I thought now would be a perfect time to go with the Hummus Turkey Burgers.  I thought the breading might entice the kids to eat zucchini, but I was wrong.  They didn't like these.  I did, although they didn't come out as crispy as I would have liked.  For the amount of time and dirty dishes this created, I don't think I'll be making these again.

Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries
recipe from The Soulicious Life

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds zucchini, cut into french fry sticks about 3″ long
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper, divided
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. Panko or traditional bread crumbs
1/2 c. grated Parmesan and/or Romano cheese
1 tbls. fresh oregano, or 1 tsp dried

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees and lightly grease two baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray.

Arrange three bowls assembly line style. In the first, stir together flour, 1/2 tsp. garlic salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. In the second, whisk together eggs with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. In the third bowl, combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan and/or Romano, and oregano.

Working in batches, first dip zucchini in flour, then transfer to egg mixture and toss until coated. Finally, coat zucchini in breadcrumb mixture.


Arrange zucchini on prepared baking sheets in single layers and without touching. Bake 22-27 minutes until breadcrumb coating is golden and crisp.


Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Super Easy Homemade Hummus

My family enjoys hummus.  Normally, I buy it at the store and we'll use it as a dip for pita chips or veggies.  I needed hummus for a recipe (see tomorrow's post!) and recently saw this homemade hummus recipe.  I liked it because it didn't call for tahini.  I've made hummus in the past, bought the container of tahini for like $5 and only used it once.  Another plus is that I already had all of the ingredients in the house.  This was super easy to make, just like the title implies.  The most time consuming part was taking the skins off of the chick peas.  This was very garlicky and tasty but it definitely wasn't as creamy as I would have liked (like the store bought hummus!).  Could the tahini possibly have something to do with it?  Possibly.  This was perfect for my recipe that I needed hummus for, but I probably won't make it again.

Supe Easy Homemade Hummus
recipe from Pinch of Yum

Ingredients:
2 cans chickpeas
1 clove garlic
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
up to ½ cup water
½ teaspoon salt

Directions:
Remove the skins from the chickpeas by gently pinching them until the skin comes off. Discard the skins and reserve the chickpeas.

Place de-skinned chickpeas in a blender or food processor with garlic, olive oil, ¼ cup water, and salt. Blend or puree until very smooth, adding the remaining water one tablespoon at a time if the mixture is too sticky to move through the blender. Once the mixture is going, you can stream in a little bit more olive oil to help achieve a super creamy texture.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Reuben Pizza

We had leftover corned beef after I had made it in the slow cooker.  I wanted to make something with the leftovers, instead of just serving leftover corned beef.  So, I thought that I'd make a pizza since our family loves pizza so much.  My husband and I came up with the ingredients and discussed how I would make it.  As much as I love a good reuben every now and then I don't really like seeded rye bread.  I had to draw the line when my husband suggested that we add caraway seeds to the dough!  Overall, I think this sounded better in concept than it tasted.  Although my husband really enjoyed this I thought it was okay.  The kids surprisingly ate this, sauerkraut and all! 

Reuben Pizza
recipe by The Busy Mom (my own recipe)

Ingredients:
1 store bought pizza dough
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup sauerkraut
2-3 Tbps. Thousand Island dressing (or more if you prefer)
1 cup shredded corned beef
1 cup shredded swiss cheese

Directions:
Preheat pizza stone in oven at 450 degrees F.  Roll/stretch dough into desired shape and thickness.

Brush olive oil on dough, leaving approximately a 1-inch crust.  In a small bowl mix sauerkraut and thousand island dressing (use more dressing if you want it saucier).  Spread on prepared crust. Arrange corned beef on top.  Sprinkle swiss cheese on top.

Cook in oven for 12-15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden brown.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

This recipe is shared at:
Tastetastic Thursday @ A Little Nosh
Full Plate Thursday @ Mis Helen's Country Cottage
Creative Thursday @ Michelle's Tasty Creations

Children's Book Review: Tangerines and Tea, My Grandparents and Me

Tangerines and Tea, My Grandparents and Me
Written by:  Ona Gritz
Illustrated by:  Yumi Heo
Published by:  Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2005

from goodreads.com:
With heartwarming illustrations and fun rhymes, this alphabet book is perfect for grandchildren and grandparents alike.

Visiting grandparents is always an adventure, whether rooting through drawers, playing pretend, or relaxing and reading together in a comfortable chair. Join two boisterous siblings as they leave home to be guests on their grandparents' farm during different seasons of the year. Providing fun rhymes like "the songs we sing while we sit on the swing," and "an oak tree to climb one limb at a time," both adults and children will have fun singing and reading along together, as they learn the alphabet.

Yumi Heo's whimsical illustrations provide the perfect complement to the rhythm of Ona Gritz's jubilant ABC text. Grandchildren of all ages will recognize themselves in this book's appreciative look at the warmth and happiness that grandparents provide. 

* This book is dubbed as an alphabet book, but it's definitely not geared towards young kids learning their letters.  Each page has some text that begin with the "letter" but the letter is not displayed on the page.  My daughter could pick out the words "apples" and "autumn air" on the first page and my son could see the apples in the illustration.  However, I'd say the "alphabetness" (if that's even a word!) is very subtle.  Told in rhyme, this book tells and illustrates the different activites that siblings engage in while visiting with their grandparents on their farm. The kids enjoyed this book and my daughter liked pointing out the rhyming words. 

This book was borrowed from the library.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.