Samoa Trifle

It's the second most wonderful time of the year....Girl Scout cookie time! As a Girl Scout mama to a dear Brownie and our troops "cookie mom" I found it fitting to develop a recipe for the second annual Girl Scout cookie contest. This recipe pays homage to one of my favorite Girl Scout cookies, the Samoa.

The many layers of the Samoa trifle lead to intrigue and surprise. The sweetness and full flavor of the cookie is beautifully balanced by the strong and crunchy cocoa nib while the halved peach and raspberry compliment the lightly sweetened whipped cream.

When & where might one get the delicious cookies you ask?  Sales begin on March 1 and go through March 17th.  The clever folks at Girl Scouts even created a cookie finder, just for you! Click here for the Locater.  If you like your apps as much as I do click here for the cookie locater app.  These handy dandy tools will be updated closer to the times of the cookie sales so be sure to check back near March to find out where a sale is happening near your neighborhood.

Samoa Trifle
4 servings

Ingredients

• 12 Girl Scout Samoa cookies
• 4 canned halved peaches (I prefer Trader Joe's) 
• 3 tablespoons canned peach juice 
• 4 tablespoons roasted cocoa nibs (I prefer Theo cocoa nibs) 
• 1 3/4 cups fresh or frozen raspberries (I used frozen and thaw for about 15 minutes prior to assembly)
• 8 teaspoons unsweetened flaked coconut
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 16 ounces heavy whipped cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 glasses or parfait dishes, 8 ounces (1 cup)  in size

*Optional, as a garnish

• chocolate syrup for garnish
• caramel for garnish
• pastry bag and star tip to pipe whipped cream on top of trifle

Place whipped cream in an electric mixer. Add vanilla, canned peach juice, and powdered sugar. Whip on high for about 3 minutes or until the whipped cream has formed peaks. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of whipped cream on the bottom of one serving glass or dish. Sprinkle about 8 pieces of cocoa nibs on top of the whipped cream.

Chop 10 Samoa cookies into small pieces and place about 6 small pieces on top of the whipped cream layer. Halve the remaining 2 Samoa's and set aside.

The third layer will be whipped cream. Place about 2 tablespoons of whipped cream on top of the Samoa cookie pieces.

The fourth layer contains the fruit. Place one peach halve on top of the whipped cream. Add 4-5 raspberries, a sprinkle of cocoa nibs (about 8 pieces) & a teaspoon of coconut.

Spoon another layer of the whipped cream into the glass.

Next, place about 6 small pieces of Samoas cookies in the glass.

Last, pipe in the top layer of whipped cream in a circular motion to achieve a decorative look. Sprinkle coconut, cocoa nibs and syrups as garnish. Place a halved Samoa cookie piece and one raspberry on top. **If you are using frozen berries as I did you'll want to add the raspberry garnish just before serving as the juices from the berry may begin to run a bit.

Repeat the layering on the remaining 3 glasses or dishes. Serve and enjoy Samoa Trifle

Please click here to visit the Girl Scout Cookie contest to vote for the 5 finalist beginning February 19th.

Chocolate Fudge Caramel Sea Salt Dot Cookies

Ahh the Super Bowl....the dust has settled at our house from a great family gathering of far too much food and fun. In usual style, I've managed to miss some of the commercials but of the ones I did watch I laughed out loud at the the Taco Bell and Pistachio commercials while The Dodge commercial honoring farmers tugged at my heartstrings.

But in typical style of viewing my broad based friend network via my Facebook newsfeed, I'm reminded that it's not all food, fun and laughs during a Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is the single largest human trafficking incident according to the US Attorney General.  There are vulnerable minors being brought in from other locations to cater to the mostly male appetite of the sex trade. It's outrageous and sick. So much so that even  some in Hollywood are taking action with their "Real Men don't Buy Sex" campaign.

You can report a tip or get assistance at the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-877-373-7888, a non-profit resource center.

Chocolate Fudge Caramel Sea Salt Dot Cookies

• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 12 ounces semi sweet chocolate
• 2 sticks of butter, softened
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt

2 Topping choices:

• 30 caramels
• 3 ounces of white chocolate or almond bark

Preheat oven to 300. Grease baking sheets

Melt semi sweet chocolate on low over the stove, stirring constantly. Remove and let cool a bit.

Mix flour, baking powder, cocoa and salt in a large bowl. Set aside

In an electric mixer, add butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add chocolate. Mix again. Add flour mixture and mix well.

Using a 1" cookie scoop place drops on the cookie sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes. Let cool for a minute or two then remove and allow to cool on a rack.

Topping

Set aside half of the cookies. Place white chocolate or almond bark in a bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time until nearly melted.  Drizzle over the cookies

Place caramels in a pan on the stove on medium low, stir until melted. Using the remaining half of cookies, drop a teaspoon full caramel in the center of each cookie. You will need to use your finger to shape nicely.

Italian Sausage, Bean, Farro and Veggie Soup in the Ninja Cooking System

Have you heard of Vine? It's an app that the folks at Twitter developed & features 6 second videos. I set up a Vine profile today and linked it to my Twitter account. I even went so far as recording a video of this recipe. I will say that I think the app is pretty neat.  I know that we already have a video based app in You Tube. I think where You Tube falls short Vine shines.  Vine caters to those with short attention spans (don't be offended, I have one of those too).  When I imagine waiting in line at the grocery store or waiting in line to get fuel or waiting for my child's bus to arrive I think that Vine will entertain me nicely. The news feed sorts by category & the short videos could fill the gap in time nicely. Just sayin'.

 I discovered the hard way, though,  that there isn't a way to edit a post (video). My tags were #soup & #ninjacookingsystem.  Which sounds great except that it's such a new app that the category for my post should actually be #food.  Living and learning in social media, or as my son would say "NEWB".

Italian Sausage, Bean, Farro and Veggie Soup in the Ninja Cooking System

• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
•  4 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup quick cooking farro (I used a 10 minute cook sold at Trader Joe's)
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup kale, torn into quarter size pieces
• 1 cup or 3 stalks of diced celery
• 10 dashes of Franks hot sauce
• 6 dashes of worchestire sauce
• 1 tablespoon of no salt seasoning
• 2 cans of butter beans (purred in a blender or food processor)
• 1 cup tomatoes (purred in a blender or food processor
• 4 cups of water
• 3 chicken boullion cubes
• salt and pepper to taste
• basil to garnish

In your Ninja Cooking system on high add olive oil, Italian sausage and onion. Saute for about 10 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients and cook on high for 10 minutes or until boiling. Stir and reduce the heat to stove top low and allow to cook for 20 minutes.  Set to slow cooker low until ready to eat!

Garnish with fresh basil

Easy, healthy & yummy!

Serves: 10 people

By the way, if you would like to see the video of this recipe please visit Vine.co and view my profile: @purpleovenmitt 

Creamy Pasta with Chicken, Mushrooms, Basil and Sun Dried Tomatoes in the Ninja Cooking System

My quads are still on fire. My son is quoted as saying to me  "If I had a nickle for every minute I waited for you I'd be rich".   Spending 3 days at Mt. Baker over a 9 day time frame is not for the timid. I'm not sure which is worse, the fact that I can't keep up with my kids on the slopes or that even if I could keep up my body laughs at me in rebellion for even trying. The Baker bug has infected this family. Any free day on the calendar is penciled in for the pilgrimage to "go east".

We pack our lunches & vita waters in the National Guard camo backpack & plan a dinner meal to be warm and ready upon return. A creamy pasta with chicken, mushrooms, basil and sun dried tomatoes in the Ninja Cooking System  it is. With the addition of Shiitake mushrooms this meal is earthy and nourishing.

• 1 pound of chicken, diced
• 1 pound of pasta, cooked and drained
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup of fresh basil
• 12 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 2 cups heavy cream or milk
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• salt and pepper

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain, rinse and toss in a tablespoon of olive oil. Place in a container in the fridge.

Place chicken, garlic, onion powder, chicken broth, salt and pepper in the Ninja Cooking system on Slow Cooker, Low for 8 hours. Once the 8 hours is up your Ninja will set to keep on warm.

About 30 minutes before dinner time, set the Ninja to stove top medium. Add fresh basil, mushrooms, red pepper flakes & sun dried tomatoes to the cooked chicken. Cover. Saute for about 10 minutes or so.

Add heavy cream, cheeses & cooked pasta. Toss well & cook for a few more minutes. 

Enjoy!

Serves: 6

Beef Barley Stew in the Ninja Cooking System

Hi friends, I've got a mild case of writers block today.  It's been explained to me by numerous writers and academics that the best thing to do is to step away, take a break and come back later. My problem with this advice is that later can turn into much much later and that's just not how I roll. I'm all about production and results & later doesn't yield results. (You love me anyway, even if I'm a driver, right?)

So what's causing this said writers block you ask?  Writer's block happens to me when I have stuff to talk about but I put a filter on and decide that I can't share my entire life with the world. 

It's seems as though the stuff I want to write about is floating around the front of my mind like a dark cloud floats low in the sky on a spring day.I want to push the gray clouds out of the way and frolic in the flowers and bask in the sun.  So, for now, I will share with you a beef barley recipe that my kids like. A home cooked, healthy meal can be my way to bask in the sun, for now :-)

Beef Barley Stew in the Ninja Cooking System

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery ribs, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 cup barley
• 2 boullion cubes
• 5 cups water
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Pan fry the hamburger, onion, garlic, salt and pepper on stove top medium for about 13 minutes or until fully cooked. Remove and drain.  

Place carrots & celery in the Ninja Cooking System on stove top medium (no need to add oil as you will have ground beef grease residue). Saute for about 5 minutes. Add water, boullion, parsley, barley, brown sugar & tomato sauce. Mix well.  Add hamburger mixture and cover with the lid. Turn to stove top high for 10 minutes. 

Last, turn the dial to slow cook, low and set the timer for 2 hours.

Serves: 6

What do you do when you get writers block?

Greek Quinoa Salad

It's a new week full of possibilities! Although our Seahawks didn't make it past the Falcons & we are still unsure if a Sonics team will materialize I do have great news; my sister may be flying into town this week. I always feel hopeful in times like these.

I'm focusing on gluten free cooking today as both of my sisters avoid gluten.  One of my favorite things about Quinoa (other than I can finally say it properly-ha) is that it's filling and I don't feel stuffed or bloated after eating it.







Greek Quinoa Salad

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups water 
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1/4 cup fresh feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil
• 1/4 cup sliced Kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup Greek salad dressing (I like Trader Joe's brand)

Cook quinoa according to package instructions. Place in a bowl.

Toss all ingredients together. Add quinoa and serve! Easy. Healthy & Gluten Free.

Serves: 4 

"Let us be grateful to people that make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls bloom"  ~Marcel Proust

Salmon Chowder in the Ninja Cooking System

Last week I took a little detour from my usual grocery store haunts & made a pit stop to a little discount place.  While there I stumbled upon an old staple of ours.  Little did I realize that later in the week I would be watching my kids drag each other across the living room trying to get the last bag.  

This discount place has mini shopping carts that haven't been cleaned in a decade or more and the aisles have room for one in a half carts and one in a half customers, at best. But,  they tend to have super cheap prices on expired products, so how could I go wrong? HA!

As in all conflicts a resolution usually follows. I watched  them counting out pieces in order to make a fair and equitable distribution, with a cock a roach (on wheels) as their witness. Seeing the mild violence, negotiation and ultimate child led resolution of a white cheddar smart puff lunch size bag would warm any mothers heart. These are the everyday joys of family life, my friends. I love my kids so very much and it's in these random moments that I forget my worries and let my heart happy.

Salmon Chowder in the Ninja Cooking System

• 1-1/2 pounds of wild salmon
• one leek, sliced
• 2 cups corn
• 2 celery ribs, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• half a lemon, juiced
• 10 cups water, divided
• 2 bouillon cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• a few dashes of red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons dill
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pound of red potatoes, cubed
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup flour

Place 4 cups of water in the Ninja, add the steamer basket and salmon. Cover with the lid and cook on stove top high for 20 minutes (If you have a thick filet of 2" of more) If you have a thin filet steam for about 15 minutes. Remove.  If your filet is thick in the middle like mine it will be a bit raw. Don't worry, it will cook more later.  Remove steamer basket but leave the water that was used to steam the salmon in the Ninja. 

Add the remaining 6 cups of water,  leek, celery, garlic, bouillon cubes, dill, paprika, red pepper flakes, potatoes, hot sauce, salt, pepper & lemon juice to the steamer juice in the Ninja. Cook on Stove top medium with the lid on for 15 minutes.  

In a saucepan on the stove, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour, gradually. Turn the heat off. Stir until a paste is formed. Add paste to the veggie mixture in the Ninja. Stir until mixed.

Remove the skin from the wild salmon and flake it using forks. Remove and discard any bones. Give any salmon scraps to your cat :-)

Place the salmon and heavy cream in the Ninja and reduce heat to Slow Cooker low.  Turn the timer to 30 minutes. Once 30 minutes has arrived your Ninja will automatically set to warm.  Allow to warm for up to 3 hours and your chowder will thicken beautifully. I took the photo above right after I added the salmon and heavy cream before the chowder had a chance to thicken because we were racing off to drop off my sons friend, bring my son to basketball practice and catch my daughters basketball game! Busy times :-)

Enjoy....my whole family loved this Salmon Chowder & I hope yours will too!

Serves: 10

Blondie and Chocolate Brownies

I have been sitting on the edge of my seat. Wondering & hoping. Imagining and pondering. Will the Kings become the Sonic's? Can it be true?  

I haven't always been a Sonic's fan (Washingtonian's please don't pelt me with tomatoes) My loyalty was with the Trailblazers for many moons.  Since moving to Washington over a decade ago I became a fan of our state sports. With the same enthusiasm as cheering for the Seattle Storm (WNBA), I will welcome and support the Sonic's.

I don't know if this Sacramento deal with go through. Quite frankly I don't care where a team comes from, I just want a team. Is that greedy? I'm not saying that I won't feel badly for Sacramento if they loose their team. I think I know how they will feel if they loose their team. We lost the Sonics to Oaklahoma City back in 2008. But at the end of the day it's about business and the bottom line & I get that.

May our bottom line be as sweet as these cute brownies. After all, Valentine's Day is right around the corner....

Blondie and and Chocolate Brownie

• 1 1/2 sticks of butter at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup M & M's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9"x9" glass pan.

Cream butter and sugars in an electric mixer. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

In a separate bowl add flour and baking powder. Mix. Pour into the butter/sugar mixture. Mix well. Remove half the batter and place into a bowl.

In the microwave melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the cocoa powder and mix well. Pour over the remaining batter that is located in the mixer.  Mix well. Pour the chocolate mixture onto the bottom of the greased pan.

Spread the blondie mixture on top of the chocolate layer. Sprinkle the M & M's on top.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted and removed is mostly clean/dry.

Are you a NBA or WNBA Fan? Which team is your favorite?

Thai Shrimp Soup with Ramen in the Ninja Cooking System

We made another pilgrimage to the snowy slopes of Mt.Baker this weekend. It's the first time we squeezed 7 of us in my car headed for Baker and gear for 6 people! What an accomplishment for my little Toyota. Kids had a blast and are asking and pleading for more time up there. We're thankful for the free 5th grade seasons pass & a big thanks to Mt.Baker for offering that program to our community.

After being on the mountain all day there isn't anything quite like a hot meal that's easy to prepare.  Again, my go-to source is the Ninja Cooking System that I received as a perk for attending the International Food Bloggers Conference in Portland last year.  I love this system because you can fry, saute, steam, slow cook and bake. Less clean-up + Fresh ingredients + Many features= Healthy Meal & Happy Mom

Thai Shrimp Soup with Ramen

• 2 cups shrimp
• 10 cups water
• 1 can light coconut milk
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 cups broccoli, diced
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons chili sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup torn basil leaves
• Juice from one lime
• half a red onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• salt and pepper to taste

On stove top medium for 12 minutes, saute the broccoli, onion, carrots & garlic in vegetable oil.  Stir every few minutes.

Add fish sauce, lime juice, water, salt and pepper. Turn to stove top high for 5 minutes. 

Add two packages of ramen noodles (discard the seasoning packets or save for another use).

Cook for 6 minutes. 

Turn to stove top medium and add shrimp and coconut milk.  Stir and cook for about 4 minutes.  

Serve with lime slices and fresh basil leaves.

Serves: 8 

Pomegranate Orange Quinoa Salad

Ahh New Year & new homework. It's been challenging for our kids to get back into the homework routine.  We've been hearing a lot of "I hate math" & "I hate reading". Grumble grumble. I think it's more about the long holiday break, late nights, sleepovers, family holiday gatherings and friends' parties....all things fun filled the air for weeks.

We've been giving a lot of encouragement this week. Even trying to remain patient when one child needed a homework break for a few hours. A little inspirational quote to help motivate:

    "You can have whatever you are willing to struggle for"

I suppose that the habit of study isn't too unlike the habit of eating well. Although I watch what I eat and try to be careful, there certainly isn't a shortage of indulgence. The holidays have brought an over abundance of gluttony and now I try to balance out a little bit with some healthy fare. This fresh recipe is gluten free and fresh.

Pomegranate Orange Quinoa Salad

• 2 cups Quinoa
• 1 orange
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• salt to taste

Cook quinoa according to package instructions. Place quinoa in a large bowl.

Peel & slice the orange into 1//2" pieces. Add to the quinoa.

Add celery, pomegranate, orange juice and salt. Toss to coat and serve

Serves:4

Bacon Mushroom Chicken in the Ninja Cooking System

Happy 2013 to you! I wrote my first check today & shockingly managed to fill in the proper date.  I think the reason I'm on top of it this year is because I shopped at Costco. From the moment I parked my car and saw the line of people stacked up outside the closed burgundy colored garage style doors I knew I had to be sharp and on top of my game. I couldn't daydream about snowboarding with my family as I embarked on this experience. I needed to be diligent and thoughtful.

I walked in the door & I dodged carts and masses of people. I searched the produce expiration dates to avoid buying almost expired/slimy green beans. I weaved through the aisle that contained a couple juggling 3 carts full of croissants. I made a quick pit stop to the women's blouses that were on sale. The sign featured a neon yellow "$3.00 Instant Rebate" and that captured my interest.  I glanced down at the tag on the blouse which touted its iron free features. PSY did his happy dance in my mind & the teal blouse landed in my cart. Last, the Costco grand finale; the shock at checkout.  When the clerk tells you your total is two hundred something dollars it's a very ghastly experience. Especially when the hubs sent me to get AA, C, D and 9 volt batteries for a carpentry project he is building to house the said variety of batteries.

What isn't ghastly is this recipe. I'm pretty sure that anything with bacon in it is magnificent. I'm not really sure why MSG made such a debut in the 80's and 90's. Who needs that flavor enhancer when we have bacon.

Bacon Mushroom Chicken in the Ninja Cooking System

• 6 chicken thighs
• 8 pieces of cooked bacon, diced into half inch pieces
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 12 mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup parmeasean cheese
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• salt and pepper to taste
• Egg noodles or rice
• *Optional; 4 tablespoons of butter. I didn't use butter, because it's the New Year and I'm pretending like I'm going to eat healthier for at least a few more days. 

In the Ninja Cooking System on stove top Medium, fry the oil, onion and garlic for about 10 minutes. Add the chicken, bacon, mushrooms and salt and pepper. Fry for about 16 minutes (turning once) or until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove the chicken.

Pour the water, cheese, milk and heavy cream on top of the mushroom/onion/garlic mixture. 

Add the corn starch and whisk away for about 3  minutes. Next, reduce the heat to stove top low and whisk a bit longer. Last, turn the Ninja to Slow cooker low while you prepare to plate the meal.

Layer the noodles or rice with a piece of chicken and top with the creamy, saucy goodness. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves: 6

Did you write a check with the correct date? 

Sausage Veggie Couscous Soup in the Ninja Cooking System

Do you love the raw e-cards that are flying around the web? If not stop reading here & scroll down to the recipe. You've been warned. I love reading those & enjoy the subsequent belly laugh.  I also get a kick out of the ones that shame their pet. Maybe you have seen the one of a dog with a tag around his/her neck that says "I licked my brothers balls" or "I chewed the face off an antique stuffed panda bear".  Well today its my turn to shame. Not my pet, though.

So this soup is chunky, hearty, flavorful and healthy.  I love this soup. Really. I can eat it for lunch and dinner, then lunch and dinner the next day.  Then the leftovers go in the freezer for another time. But I really shouldn't have leftovers, except that my husband is super duper picky. It's kind of a plague of sorts, for a food blogger, to be so restricted. You see, he is an amazing husband...I love him for sooo many reasons, he is; strong, loving, has an amazing work ethic, a can-do attitude, he's seriously smart, mostly patient, caring dad and the list goes on (and on).  But what he isn't is adventurous in the dining department.

 We were at the Longsdale Market in Vancouver, Canada many moons ago, before marriage & I ordered each of us a bubble tea. He looked at the gigantic straw, the bubble tea, looked at me, took a sip and his face became crazed. Really. He ran for the garbage can and spit it out.

Bubble tea is out, Thai food and Vietnamese Pho are out of the question & as far as couscous goes, that's just simply not happening. It's like a relative to the bubble tea balls, or so he tells me.

So if you love a delicious soup and aren't afraid of the couscous give this one a try.  If you're like my husband, well. I'm sorry, I can't help you today. Alright, I suppose you could substitute the noodles for couscous. Maybe.

Sausage Veggie Couscous Soup

• 3 mild Italian sausage links, casings removed
• 3 whole carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cups fresh cauliflower, diced
• 2 cups fresh broccoli, diced
• 1 large fire roasted red pepper diced (I usually use the jar variety)
• 1 can canellini beans
• 1 cup uncooked pearl couscous (otherwise known as Israel couscous)
• 8 cups beef broth
• a few dashes of worcestershire sauce
• 4 cups water
• salt and pepper to taste

In the Ninja Cooking System on Stove top high, fry the sausage for about 10 minutes. Break into smaller pieces.  Add onions, carrots, broccoli, & cauliflower. Fry for another 10 minutes.

Add beef broth & water. Place lid on top and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Remove lid, add beans, couscous, red pepper, worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Turn the Stove Top dial to medium. Place the lid on top and cook for 15 minutes.

Serves 10 people

Creamy Turkey Noodle Stew

I hope that your holiday was everything you wished for it to be. We had a lovely evening at my folks house with extended family. There were a lot of laughs during the white elephant exchange.  My 70 something dad got stuck with a 2013 Twilight calendar and book! I ended up with my own gourmet foodie gift basket. It got passed along to my nephew who just graduated and moved into his very first place. I remember when....

If your family likes turkey noodle casserole then you might give this one a try. I call it a cousin of the casserole.  Here's what you'll need:

Creamy Turkey Noodle Stew

• 2 cups leftover turkey pieces or 2 cups diced turkey 
• 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
• 1 can Progresso Creamy Portebello Mushroom Cooking Sauce
• 2 cups frozen mixed veggies (I used cauliflower, carrot & broccoli)
• 2 cups sour cream
• 6 slices of Havarti cheese
• 1 cup milk
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups uncooked egg noodles
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• salt and pepper

Using the Ninja Cooking System, fry the onion and oil on medium for about 8 minutes. Add the turkey, oyster sauce, chicken broth, mushroom cooking sauce & mixed veggies.  Stir.  Place the lid on top of the Ninja Cooking System and allow the ingredients to cook for about 10 minutes.

Stir again then add milk, sour cream & cheese. Allow to cook for a few minutes. Last, add uncooked egg noodles. Continue to cook on medium stove top for 10 more minutes.

Season with salt and pepper & serve.

Merry Christmas

The holidays can be stressful. That feeling of being pulled in so many different directions while balancing your own needs. Maybe you're working with a tight budget, like us, so it adds another layer of complication.  Maybe you are navigating loss....we have friends & family who are, multiple families & different kinds of loss. Perhaps you are battling health complications. Whatever is weighing heavily on you today or tomorrow or in the coming months, I hope that you are able to feel love & support from your family or friends or community.

Sometimes it just means reaching out. A friend recently posted online that she was enduring health challenges and having a hard time taking care of her family meals.  I called others and we banded together to bring meals to her.  I would not have known that she needed assistance with meals if she had not reached out.  I hope you will reach out, too, in friendship or need.



                             Happy Holidays!

                                     ~Frieda

Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

I'm not exactly sure how we ended up with 5 nearly rotten bananas. It is one of those situations that makes me sort of  bend my head side ways a bit and say "huh"?  I have a few theories....maybe tucking away the blender for the holiday party wasn't the best strategy after all. Or could it have been buying that case of 2 gazillion Eggo waffles from Costco caused us not to eat cereal with fresh sliced bananas swimming in a bath of organic milk?

Whatever the cause of the nearly neglected bananas, I'm here to declare that "I will not let my dear bananas go bad....I can and will save you" .  Ok, does anyone else talk to their fruit....or write about their nearly rotten fruit? Nod you head up and down, please!

Thanks.

So here you go, a worthy way to honor the banana!

Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 5 ripe super ripe bananas
• 1/2 butter melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Mix flour, baking powder & cinnamon in a bowl.

In a second bowl, mix bananas, butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla extract.

Next, combine dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Don't over mix...it's kinda like your pancake batter...no need to over stir here.

Pour into an ungreased cake pan.  Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.

Bake on 350 for 30 minutes or until your toothpick comes out clean!

Serves: 12 large slices

National Blogging Day of Remembrance

How to Make a Money Tree for a Birthday Gift or Christmas Gift

Hi friends,

I can't take any credit for this idea. At all. This is all my sister-in-law. A few years back she "wow'd" us with these super cute money Christmas trees for our kids. They were such a hit that the same trees are unpacked each season & set up in our kids' rooms.  My daughter is using hers as a night light!

Here's how to make a Christmas Money Tree:

Take a dollar bill and fold the width less than an 1/8 of an inch.  Repeat & alternate so that the entire bill is folded in an accordion style.  Take curling ribbon and tie it around the middle of the folded dollar bill. Leave enough ribbon so that you are able to tie onto the tree. Once you have it tied onto the tree you can either trim the excess ribbon ends or curl them.  Last, fan out each side of the bill.

My personal preference is to curl the ribbon only if you are also placing ornaments or other decorations on the tree.  As you can see from this photo I did not place ornaments on the tree as it was for a December birthday party that my son was invited to.  This is also why we choose a non traditional tree color (cobalt blue).

A little holiday humor:

Q:  What did the grape say to the raisin? 

A:  'Tis the season to be jelly

For more creative gifting ideas from across the web just drop by my Pinterest Page. I have a board title "Wrapping gifts" & "Homemade Gift Ideas" :

Purple Oven Mitt on Pinterest

Crock Pot Beef Broccoli

I have a heavy heart today. It feels achy, sore and sad. A friends dad passed away coupled with the devastating news about the elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.   I watched President Obama begin his speech by stating "we have endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years". He paused  during his speech numerous times & wiped away tears before they rolled down his face. As he held back tears, mine flowed. I knew, then, that the conversation I would have with my children would be difficult. I was tasked with balancing my own emotions of sadness and confusion regarding the tragedy while explaining it to my own elementary aged kids.

I was thankful to receive the mass email from the Superintendent of our local school district with a link to an online resource for talking to children about traumatic news or events. I took the time to read the article before my kids arrived home from school and it provided a great platform for me to work from.  I began asking my kids if they had heard about the tragedy today...they had not.  I explained briefly that a gunman entered a school and fired rounds from a semi-automatic weapon and that there were numerous casualties.  From there, my kids had lots of questions and I remembered the link, "don't provide unnecessary details".  I answered their questions honestly and paused at times. Trying to stay strong for them. For us.

So for now, I will hug my kids a little longer, turn the t.v off,  tuck my smart phone away a little more often and try to really engage in our family experience, as we all try to understand, mourn and process the "whys" of how precious lives were taken away in such a horrific way.

Crock Pot Beef Broccoli

• 1 pound Beef, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1/3 cup oyster sauce
• 1/2 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups broccoli
• 3 tablespoon green onions
• 4 cups cooked rice
• sesame seeds for garnish
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Mix all ingredients in the crock pot except the rice, broccoli, sesame seeds and green onions.  Set on low for 6 hours.  

Steam broccoli. Place rice on the plates and layer with beef and sauce. Next add cooked broccoli, green onions & sesame seeds. 

Serves: 4 

Oreo Cake Pops

I've admired the whole cake pop phenomena from afar. Most that I have seen flying around the web look so creative and fun. I don't have any cake decorating training or experience so I've shied away from even attempting these things but my daughter asked for cake pops this week.  She had a double header (soccer matches) on her birthday & we decided to give it a "go" to share with her team mates. Although these aren't the penguins she wished for I do believe she was happy with the end result. They are cute as a button and taste pretty good too.

Here's how to make no bake Oreo cake pops:

1 package Oreo cookies

6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1" cookie scoop

Food Processor

Lollipop sticks

Sprinkles

Ribbon

Truffle cups

Wax paper

12 ounces white almond bark

Serves: 30 cake pops

Blend oreos in a food processor until a fairly fine consistency is achieved (no powder but not chunks).  Place Oreo bits in a large bowl. Add cream cheese. Roll up your sleeves and hand mix. Over and over until you are able to get the cookie scoop in there. Using the cookie scoop pat in firmly until full. Then pop out and roll with both hands until a round ball is formed.  Place on a wax lined cookie sheet. Place in the fridge or freeze for a bit (30 minutes).

Melt almond bark. Insert lollipop stick 1/2" into the melted bark, remove, puncture the Oreo pop then place the pop + lollipop stick into the bark until fully coated.  Strike the stick against the side of the bowl to remove excess bark.  Place the pop on the wax lined paper & sprinkle immediately.

Once all pops are formed tie ribbons on the sticks and serve!

We aren't giving up on the penguins...just adding it to our culinary to-do list. What's on your to-do list?

Crockpot Slow Cooker Jambalaya

A mere 14 days until Christmas & I'm reflecting on the joys of holiday shopping.  Although I started shopping a month ago I've already missed the boat on the oversize sock monkey that my daughter saw in a Black Friday ad. Which has now lead me to scouring Craigslist for a used ipod.

As a buyer,  Craigslist can be a gamble.  In the past I've replied or called on items never to receive a phone call back. Last night I left a message and heard back within 10 minutes. But its always an awkward call. The seller fishing for info to see if you're a flake & the buyer asking all the "right" questions and hoping that one is not talking to a criminal.

I'm guessing that she won't miss the grande sock monkey once she opens up the ipod that I overheard her brother telling her that she probably won't get this year. He can be such a realist & in some ways he was almost right. She was just a sock monkey away from the ipod.

All good monkeys eat their soup & today I offer a west coast version of Jambalaya

Crock pot/ Slow Cooker Jambalaya

• 2 cups black eyed peas (I used frozen)
• 14 ounces sliced beef sausage
• 2 cups mixed veggie (I used frozen)
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 12 ounce can tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 2 teaspoon basil 
• a few dashes of hot sauce
• 4 chicken thighs
• 8 cups (cooked) brown rice

Mix all ingredients (except rice)  in the crock pot & set on High for 4 hours. Cook rice, place rice in the bottom of each serving bowl. Remove chicken thighs and with 2 forks tear into shreds then place back in the crock pot. Place jambalaya on top of the rice and serve.

Serves: 8