because you asked! balsamic bbq pork loin

i'm kind of known around here for my love of pork and my pulled pork bbq sandwiches, but the other day i didn't have time for my pulled pork sandwiches but  really wanted  barbequed pork. so i sifted through some of my mom's old recipes and i found this recipe for balsamic pork roast, it's similar to a roasted balsamic chicken recipe i do all the time.  so with minimal time before heading out of the house on sunday i figured i'd give it a try. it was soooo good the family said it needs to become one of our regular favorite dinners! we have quite a few of those around here. 

                                                         balsamic bbq pork loin

1 (2 pound) boneless pork roast

1 teaspoon ground sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cup chicken/veg/beef stock (your choice water/beer would work too)

1 tablespoon of olive oil

bbq sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Combine sage, salt, pepper. Rub over roast. heat olive oil in pan, make sure it's nice and hot to get a good sear on the meat. this helps deepen the flavor. place pork roast in pan and sear each side, when done searing meat, remove and put in slow cooker and deglaze pan with liquid, then pour over roast. spread garlic on top of roast and cover.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

 About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture thickens. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.
 

my food journey with anne post 2

the other day i asked anne what she wanted for dinner, her response was i don't know, something easy to eat since my mouth hurts, but maybe not soup or salad. i suggested stir fry with fish and she said that sounds great! i haven't had stir fry in a while.

while driving home i started to think about what i normally do for stir fry and realized this would have to be quite different. no rice, no soy, no carrots, no peppers all things that are common to a good stir fry. what could i do to make this actually seem like stir fry and not just some basic sauteed veggies and fish? the main thing that makes a difference is when you pour the veggies and protein over rice and it absorbs all those wonderful flavors. hmmmm what to do with out rice?

i started to do a little research and then some experimenting and came up with this yummy little dish

green stir fry with cauliflower rice and garlic cashew cod

not your average stir fry, but it was really great. since rice wasn't an option, the cauliflower acts as the filler and it soaks up all the goodness of the stir fry and fish. for the green stir fry i sauteed broccoli, shaved brussel sprouts, shallots, garlic and ginger and the cod was sauteed in garlic, butter, olive oil and topped with  roasted cashews. what really made this dish was the cauliflower rice and it was so easy to make.
since on this journey with anne, the other goal is to make this family friendly too, so for my kids i sauteed some carrots and peppers also and then served theirs with teriyaki chicken. they loved it! my son added a bit of soy sauce to his cauliflower, but all agreed that is was a great substitute for the rice. again another win, win!
the best part it is completely carb free and i was still full for the rest of the night. i often notice when i cut my carbs i tend to get hungry about an hour later. that is just me, not everyone, but that was not the case with this meal.


                                                     cauliflower rice

2 cups cauliflower florets (one large head)
2 tablespoons coconut or extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 shallots
2 minced cloves garlic
Coarse salt
1/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

Pulse cauliflower florets in a food processor until finely chopped. Heat one tablespoon coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced shallot and minced garlic and cook, stirring, until tender, about six minutes. Add cauliflower and season with coarse salt. Stir in vegetable broth and steam, covered, until broth has evaporated and cauliflower is tender, about six minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover.

my food journey with anne......

if you have been following these last few weeks you know i started a quest of finding healthy, tasty meals for a close friend who is on a VERY restricted diet. she is going through cancer treatments and part of her plan to kick this horrible thing is eating only the best foods for her body.
 trying to plan tasty meals that are small, filling and easy to eat is hard all by itself. so let's face it when you can't have meat, dairy, carbs, fruits and dare i say chocolate!! ;(  there are only soooo many salads you can eat.
i also decided while on this fabulous and challenging food journey with her, i was going to create meals that were not only good for her, but also meals and snacks my family or any family could eat too.
so last nights dinner was parchment baked salmon with brussel sprouts and garlic, light, easy and loaded with protein! that wasn't all that challenging. the real challenge was creating a dessert that didn't contain dairy, sugar, fruits or chocolate that would be tasty for her and  my family would enjoy it also! so this is what came out of my brainstorming.
chia pudding, made with coconut milk, chia seeds, cinnamon and vanilla. it is thick and creamy and kind of like tapioca pudding. i topped hers with coconut sugar, cinnamon and crushed almonds as you can see it looks delicious and it tasted yummy!!!
 so here's a few facts about chia seed: 
        it has five times the calcium of milk, chia seed has double the protein of any other seed or grain. it also contains boron (a trace mineral that helps get the calcium in your bones, a great thing for anne since this awful disease is attacking her bones too)
 it is extremely high in fiber, provides energy, helps induce weight loss,  lowers cholesterol, and provides intestinal regularity, and is easy to digest. do i need to go on? oh, but wait, here's another interesting fact, did i mention, my kids loved it too!!!!! ding, ding, ding!!!! we have a win!!
below is the kids version, they topped it with strawberries, blueberries, crushed almonds and a drizzle of maple syrup. breakfast, lunch, snack, dessert really does it matter when you eat it! something yummy for anytime of the day.
 i have decided i am going to try and bring you on this food journey with me, by posting pics and blogging and sharing some of my new recipes with you as often as i can. bare with me though, between the kids, everyday life, work, and did i mention remodel, packing and moving and let's just throw a wedding out of town in there for good measure i may get behind. i will try and do my best tho. hope you enjoy our little treat as much as we did!

                                                        vanilla chia seed pudding
1 can coconut milk
12 0zs. warm water
1/2 cup chia seeds
1 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Dash of sea salt 

whisk together the coconut milk and water until smooth.  whisk in the remaining ingredients for about a minute or two.  let set for five minutes and whisk again for another minute.  
 cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.  the chia seeds need about eight hours to absorb the liquid.  in the morning whisk again, then enjoy your pudding.
the pudding becomes thicker the longer you leave in refrig. i made mine tuesday and it is really thick and delicious today! feel free to mix in any flavors, like honey, different nuts, fruits. i love that the kids liked it too. what a great after school snack or before practice pick me up.
  

out of the mouths of children

my son came home from camp a few days ago and asked me "i heard that margarine is one ingredient away from being plastic. is that true?'

let me go back a bit so you can fully understand first where this crazy question came from and what kind of camp he was at that this would be a topic of discussion.

no, he was not at a cooking camp or anything related to food for the matter. he was at a jr lifeguard camp, so i was a bit surprised by the question myself. how this all came about was through out camp they have special days for the kids and this year they had a  pancake breakfast. at the end of the food line were all the regular toppings, but instead of butter there was margarine. i won't even go into some of the other choices, since that is not what this post is about.

 his first actual question was "mom, there was this stuff that wasn't butter, but it was yellow like butter, i forget the name, do you know what i'm talking about?" i responded margarine and that is how the rest of the conversation happened.

 since we try and eat organic and healthy as much as possible it is not something we have in our house. it makes me kind of happy that at almost 12 years old he didn't even know what it was, so i must be doing something right. it was his friend in line who told him what it was and stated this fact. i'm not familiar with his friend (or his parents) since they only met at camp, but kudos to whoever is teaching him about healthy foods. there were other topics that came up between him and my son during their snack and lunch time eating. i love when kids are involved in what they eat! ok, getting off my soap box now and back to that crazy question.

i had heard this before, but as i said, we don't use it so i never really paid attention. so my answer at the time, since we were driving home from the beach, was i don't know for sure about that, but most of what goes into margarine is not considered "real" food.  he then decided when he got home he was going to google this fact.  there were several articles on this and i don't know how many were fact or fiction, but i thought i would post this one that is came across, that was the most understandable to the general public. i don't know about you, but sometimes all the words, studies, ect tend to make my head spin. http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/butter.asp

so, my son did find out not to always believe everything you hear. it also states the obvious, be aware of what you eat and what goes into the process of making the food you eat. make informed choices.

margarine is not one ingredient away from plastic, but with that being said, it doesn't make it the most healthy choice. i do understand lots of non dairy eaters do use this option, for cooking, baking, ect.
i myself would find another option, but to each their own.

this was just something i found interesting and enlightening and thought i would share with my readers.

not another lunch

so i know summer is slowly sneaking up on us, and i do mean slowly, could it just please get here already!!! if you are like me you are itching for summer days and no more school, more importantly no more school lunches. as the school year drags on it can be hard to keep kids happy with their lunches and still keep them healthy.
 there are several great blogs out there about real lunches and all kinds of school containers that help with the packing, storing and making the not so boring lunch.  here are a couple of my favorites.
 http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/02/04/school-lunch-roundup-iii/
another great one is https://www.facebook.com/AnotherLunch
i love to browse these all the time to help me come up with new ideas. as my kids have gotten older some of these lunches don't really work for them. i tend to make a more hearty version. so i thought i'd share with you a couple of ideas on what to pack your "big" kids.
these are just a few of my kids favorites.

i am pretty lucky in the fact that for the most part my kids eat the same thing, there are small variables like my daughter prefers v8 juice and my son flavored coconut water or their choices for granola bars might be different but the mains can usually be the same. this is our sushi lunch and we do it every couple of weeks. the kids like it on hot days because it cool, light and satisfying. by the way, sushi doesn't have to break the bank a calif roll or shrimp roll split between the two of them is surprisingly affordable.

just as the sushi is for a hot day, we have favorite warm lunches for cold days. this is chili and corn bread. i always make enough of things like chili, soup and macaroni at dinner time so we have leftovers for lunch. i love these containers from aladdin because they are short and round, so they are easy to fill and perfect for the kids to eat out of.

this is what they look like closed up and they fit great in lunch boxes and do a good job keeping food warm.

this is a chicken club wrap. again leftovers are a life saver, last nights roasted chicken today chicken wrap. and yes, that is a cupcake in there with the healthy fruit and trail mix. the kids love to get home made treats as a surprise every now and then. i mean when your mom is the cupcake lady to all your friends at school you should reap the reward of having them every now and then too!
 we also do great paninis with just about any filling you can imagine. wrapped in foil in an insulated lunch box they stay warm and inviting by lunch. an all time favorite panini for both my kiddos is a ciabatta roll with tomato sauce, mozzarella and meatballs. again, there's the leftovers making my life easier.
now don't get all judgy, judgy on me. not ALL of our lunches look like this. there are plenty of those days when a good old pb&j or some sort of lunch meat sammie is perfectly acceptable. just thought i'd share a few tricks to keep you and your kiddos a little happier these last few long days of school. after all i don't know about you, but  when we hit summer, my kids will be making their own lunches at home while i sit by the pool sunning. ok, so maybe not but i can dream can't i?

making jucing user friendly

so lately there is a lot of talk about juicing. it seems everywhere you go now you can usually find somewhere that has some form of veggie/fruit juice. so what's all the fuss about? it's really not a new concept, nor is it something that a fancy chef on tv came up with. could it be everyone is finally catching up to what some of us have know forever.  you are what you eat and your body is not a dumping ground for convenient, prepacked foods full of preservatives.
the truth is people have been juicing for years for all sorts of reasons, health, weight loss, medical and dietary issues. those are just the tip of the iceberg. so really who knows what has truly brought it to the forefront, the good news is it's there and people are starting to understand all the benefits of this wonderful nectar of the earth.
 i am not here to preach all those things to you today, really this is just a chance for me to share my reason and how easy it is at home. i even have a few of my family favorite juices. yes, i did just say family, my kids drink it too! even the kind with spinach in it.
if you follow my fb page and blog you already know i am blessed wih kids that have wonderfully open food tastes and will agree to try just about anything. saying that, i am going to be brutally honest and say, they are kids. that means they don't always eat the best, are constantly being exposed to sugar, perservatives and packaged foods. i can't be with them all the time, and they are not always going to pass up on the things that if they were with me they wouldn't eat, like i said, they are kids. so for me if they drink a glass of juice in the am filled with everything they need for the day i feel better with them eating the stuff they don't need.

when the subject of juicing comes up, the first thing most people say is "yuck! how do you drink that stuff without gagging?" the second is "i wouldn't even know where to begin or what to put in the juice. isn't it a lot of work?" the answer is no and really any fruits and veggies you like and even a few you think you don't. truthfully, even the veggies you won't eat on a plate can make a juice taste great. my son won't eat spinach on a plate, but will drink it even knowing it's in the juice. i'm not a huge fan of beets on their own, but love them in juice. so we have covered the yuck and some of the what, now the "isn't it hard?" part.
i think the hardest part of juicing is the first step, picking a juicer, if you don't have one that is. if you do, than the rest is easy. they are so many choices out there it's hard to pick the "best" one. my advice to you is pick the one that will work for you, because if it's a pain for you to use or clean, you won't use it, plain and simple.

so this is my juicing friend. it is by omega and is a little more work than the average juicer. it is designed for completely raw juicing. this means it grinds the fruits and veggies removing all hard to digest fiber. the grinding never heats the fruits/veggie leaving all nutrients in tact and is great for those of you who do the raw diet, where nothing is cooked. there are other juicers out there they do the same, this is just the one i decided worked best for me. some juicers puree everything and the friction from the blades heat the veggies just slightly, which doesn't follow raw guidelines but are fabulous anyway. when i purchased mine i was using it for juicing, baby food and a close friend who was following the raw diet for medical reasons. juicers come in all shapes, sizes and price ranges. there is also a difference between a juicer and things like the vitamix and the blendtec models, which make all sorts of things like smoothies, juices, soups, ect. i have one of those too, which i do use for just that. like i said pick a choice that works for you. i am posting two links, one is for juicers the other is for the all in one models. in no way do i say  either  is the last word on the products, but i wanted to give you a place to start if you don't own one already.
http://www.fernsnutrition.com/juicers.html this is a juicer site, and if you notice the one i use is on the top of the page so you can do your own research.
http://gotgreensrevolution.com/Vitamix-versus-blendtec-review.html this is a review of the two top all in one models.
after you get your juicer the rest is easy.
now what to put in them you ask, the answer really is what can't you. i am going to share two of our everyday juices. one is a green juice which is filled with iron, vitamins and chlorophyll. great for your immune system, your blood and everyday wellness.

           green juice
1 english cucumber ****
2 stalks of celery
2 cups raw spinach
2 green apples ***
1 cup pineapple
2 kids to help with the process ****
1/2 cup of coconut water (optional, you can add alkaline water or none at all your choice)
i add coconut especially in the summer so we start our day hydrated as well.

that's it, now depending on your juicer/ blender, your prep is all up to you. my juicer requires some chopping and a plunger to help it in the feeding tube. this is what my kids love to do.
*** you can use any type of cucumber and apple you choose, i like english and green apples for this juice, but we really just use what we have that day. i also use all organic produce so i don't have to peel any of the ingredients, but again do what works for you. the trick to this juice tasting good to the kids is the pineapple and apples. we also use mango or flavored coconut waters and then everyone is happy. getting them involved in the process helps.
this recipe makes enough for 4 if your like me and don't have the time to do the actual juicing everyday, double the recipe and store in airtight mason jars. the vitamins start to deplete daily so drink by the next day. we try and do a couple of different batches every other day during the week and use the weekends to experiment with other juice flavors when we have the time.

               carrot beat juice
1 large beet
3 large carrotts ***
2 fuji apples
2 stalks celery
1 pear
1/2 cup coconut water (optional)

that's it, this juice is so sweet from the beets and carrots you'll be surprised how much the kids like it. like i said i don't really like beets, but this juice is a great energy boost and great for pre workout or sports activities.
*** use whatever carrots you want, even baby if that's what you have.

so there you have it, two simple yummy recipes, that are easy and family friendly. two other great combos are orange/blackberry and pineapple/orange/blueberry. let the kids come up with their own combos, we have used everything including strawberries in our juices. we have had some hits and some flops, but it's a great way to take the "yuck" out of juicing and a little comfort for you with your family facing the big bad food world.

take me out to the ballgame!!!

it's here, it's here that wonderful time of year!! baseball season! and what goes better with baseball besides cracker jacks!!! ok, ok so maybe beer does. i don't make beer, but i do make a mean homemade cracker jack, that is quite tasty with beer. the plus is you will never eat the one from the box again, when you see how easy they are to make! you can even add your own prize in the batch and it's bound to be a better one than you find in the box these days. i mean really what happened to the good prizes like plastic rings and stuff, who wants a tattoo and a joke! blah!!!  

so i am done complaining about the boxed kind, on to mine!!! 

this recipe is quick and easy and you can customize it when your all done. think chocolate moose munch from harry and david. yummy caramel popcorn drizzled with chocolate, or chocolate and peanut butter..... mmmmmmm!!! ok, i'm getting side tracked by the idea of crunchy goodness. let me get back on track!!

so this is what you will need.

                                                  

                                                   homemade cracker jacks

***2/3 cup unpopped popcorn
4 teaspoons olive oil (5-6 teaspoons for 2/3 cup popcorn)
1/2 cup shelled peanuts (our family likes roasted and salted, but use whatever you like)

 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon molasses (you can use 2 tablespoons if you love molasses)
1/2 teaspoon salt

 preheat oven to 350

****i like to pop my corn in a pot on the stove. add oil to a stock pot over med heat and pour kernels in and shake to coat with oil. place lid on pot and what for that first fabulous pop! after that gently continue to shake pot over the heat until all popcorn is popped. the popping will slow considerably when it is ready. ***

now this is your choice if you use an air popper, go for it. you can also place the kernels in a paperbag with a small amount of oil, seal the bag and put in the microwave on your popcorn setting. yes there is no need for that stuff you buy in the grocery store. altho i think there may be an organic natural brand out there now, but i can't help you there. my way is cheaper and plenty easy for me.

pour the popped corn in a large bowl, try and make sure there are no un-popped kernels in the batch, but some seem to always slip by. pour the peanuts into the bowl with your popcorn.

 

for the caramel, heat the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, molasses and salt in a pan on the stove until the butter is melted, and the sugar is smooth and not grainy anymore.

 

 pour this mixture over the popcorn and peanuts, stirring well. pour it all onto a cookie sheet(i used a silpat on my cookie sheet) and place in oven for 10-12 minutes, stirring once or twice. it will be gooey. 

you will end up with a wonderful cookie sheet of goodness that looks something like this.

stir occasionally and let air dry until crisp, then store in an airtight container if there is any left that is!