Butt-kicking breadsticks

Those of you who know Cali know that she is working hard to kick thyroid cancer to the curb!  This week, she started a low-iodine eating plan.  Thyroid tissue and thyroid cancer tissue "sucks up" iodine.  For now, she needs to starve her system of iodine.  That way, when she swallows the radioactive iodine pill (date TBD), the radioiodine will be more effective in kicking cancer's butt.  So for now, it's all about organic.  Bye-bye, Jet's, Jimmy John's and Coldstone. 

Today we made bread sticks in the shape of the ribbon that most people associate with one cause or another.  In this case, the thyroid cancer ribbon is pink, teal and purple.  At least the ribbon has cool colors!  You probably recognized those colors from the CANCER SUCKS bracelet that Cali wears.  Yes, cancer does SUCK.  These bread sticks, however, do not :)

Simple Bread Recipe

Combine the following in a large mixing bowl:

• Two .25 oz packages fast-rising yeast
• 2 cups warm water (we put it in the microwave for 45 seconds)

Mix with a fork for a minute or two.

Add:

• 2 tsp NON-IODIZED salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 4 cups flour
• 1 tsp minced garlic (if you want garlicky bread sticks)

Let the dough raise 5 minutes.  Shape into a ball.  Roll out dough on floured surface.  Cut dough into strips.  Braid and shape into ribbons and place on parchment covered cookie sheet.  Brush with olive oil and bake at 425 for approximately 10 minutes. 

We dipped them in Eden Organic crushed tomatoes with roasted onion and garlic (from Whole Foods). 

Rockin' Guac

A Tweens Greens!

What do most tweens think of when they here "we are having Greens for dinner." Well we think YUCK!!!!!!!

Well... NOT THIS TIME!!!!!! This YUMMY Guacamole will make their faces glow any color but green... The ingredients are...

- 2 avocados
-1 lime

-small bunch/cilantro
-1.5 tsp minced garlic

-1 tsp sea salt

Smash Sea Salt into garlic w/ back of spoon. Carefully cut avocado length wise down the middle. Twist each side of avocado to halve avocado and remove pit w/ spoon. Add avocados to bowl. Mash up avocados with back of spoon or potato masher. Squeeze Juice of 1 lime onto avocado. Using kitchen shears snip cilantro into bowl. Blend it all up with your spoon. Put into a pretty glass and garnish with a lime slice. Optional: diced red onion, tomato.

Bon Appetit, Y'all

Awesome Accoutrements!

We have had a sports kind of weekend. Yesterday we spent all day at Comerica Park in Detroit at Tiger Fest 2010. That is why my fonts are blue and orange :) We got to meet many players on the active roster for 2010. It was sooo exciting! Today, my dad had 2 critical football games on his agenda- the NFC and AFC championships....to decide who is going to the Superbowl. So, my mom decided to grill him some steak...and I made the accoutrements: (french for good stuff that goes with it) sauteed mushrooms, baked potatoes and artichokes.



Baked potatoes
What You'll Need:

• Cookie Sheet
• Small dish
• Fork
  

Ingredients:

• Large baking potatoes
• Olive Oil
• Minced garlic
• Sea Salt
  

Preheat oven to 400. Wash your hands really well and then wash your baking potatoes really well! Use your fork to pierce your potatoes...at least 6 on each side. Put some olive oil in a small dish. Dip your fingers in the olive oil and rub it all over the potatoes. Rub minced garlic on the potato skin and then sprinkle with sea salt. Place potatoes on cookie sheet and bake for at least an hour - - until fork goes in easily. Serve with whatever floats your boat - butter, fake butter spray, sour cream, diced onions, etc.

Artichokes:
What You'll Need

• Large soup pot
• Kitchen shears (a girl's best friend in the kitchen)
• Sharp knife
  

Ingredients

• Fresh artichokes (we used three for me, my mom and dad)
• 16 cups of water
• 2 TBSP red wine vinegar
• 2 TBSP sea salt
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 fresh lemon
  

Wash your artichokes really well! My mom learned about preparing artichokes through The Joy of Cooking. I learned through The Food Network and my Mimi. First - put your 16 cups of water, red wine vinegar, sea salt and olive oil in the soup pot and place heat on medium high until boiling.

While waiting for your water to boil, prepare your artichokes by "americanizing" them, which means cutting the spiky ends off the outer leaves. Never, ever use a sharp knife without the help of an adult!!!! Did you get that? Okay, next you'll want to cut the stem and just leave about 1/4". Finally, you'll want to cut the top so that you expose the top of the "choke". It's not an exact science, because each artichoke is a different size...so there's a bit of "winging it" at least in our house! Any time you cut the artichoke, you need to rub it with lemon so that it doesn't turn brown (ewww!).










After your artichoke is prepped, have an adult drop them in the boiling water and boil for about 20-25 minutes. Put boiled artichokes into a serving dish. Never, ever, ever eat "the choke". You bite "the meat" off the outer leaves and leave finding the heart to the experts (your mom or dad). We have butter warmers, which made our dinner extra special. We made plain butter in one and garlic/lemon butter in the other. My parents were in heaven!

Sauteed Mushrooms










What You'll Need:

• Large frying pan
• Metal spatula

Ingredients:

• 2 TBSP butter or olive oil
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 8 oz package sliced mushrooms
• 2 TBSP cooking sherry
• 1 TBSP capers

Wash your mushrooms very well and then pat dry with paper towl. Melt butter (or put olive oil) in frying pan on medium heat. Add minced garlic and mushrooms. Add cooking sherry and capers and cook on medium heat until mushrooms get a nice golden-y brown on both sides. We put the mushrooms on top of the steak - ummm yummmm.

Bon Appetit, Y'all! :)

Broccoli Corn Chowder

I like to have soup on cold dreary days. This one is yummy in so many ways....with broccoli and corn and the taste of warm cheddar, this one is a winner....what could be better!




What You'll Need:

• Large soup pot
• Measuring cup
• Large spoon
• Ladle

Ingredients:

• 8 cups water
• 11.2 oz package Bear Creek cheddar broccoli soup mix
• 1 cup diced ham
• 2 cups cooked chopped broccoli (we steam ours in water with sea salt...yum)
• 1 15.2 oz can sweet corn (we use no sugar added)

Add water, and mix to large pot. Stir to get lumps out :0 Add ham, broccoli and corn. Cook on medium/low for 15 minutes. Ladle into soup cups and sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese if you like!

Notes!

• Broccoli is my all-time favorite vegetable! Hopefully you like it too because it's packed with good stuff like vitamins C and A, calcium and fiber.
  

Tasty Taters

This is a recipe I made for my family on New Year's Day. My mom made honey baked ham from Costco (yummers) and I made the tasty taters. Y'all know that I love Paula Dean. Paula and her sweet southern style were the inspiration for these taters. Enjoy!

What you'll need:

• Medium or large mixing bowl


• Spoon


• Measuring spoons & cup

Ingredients:

• 1 bag Ore-Ida Potatoes O'Brien


• 1.5 cups sour cream


• 1 can Campbell's cream of cheddar soup


• 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese


• 3 TBSP italian bread crumbs

Spray 9 x 13" glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Mix first 4 ingredients in bowl and spread in baking dish. Sprinkle italian bread crumbs over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Important notes!

1. If you don't like onions and peppers, you can substitue plain cubed frozen potatoes for O'Brien.


2. Don't forget to recycle your soup can!


3. When using Campbell's soup, clip the points off the label and earn free stuff for your school!


4. Leftover ideas! Add to broccoli/cheese soup or a quiche :)