Refreshing and Cool and good for you too!

Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie

2 cups ice
1 cup vanilla/plain yogurt
2 bananas
1/4 peanut butter
2 cups soy milk/milk
3 tablespoons of chocolate syrup or a handful of chocolate chips
optional ingredients (protein powder, chia seed, other supplements)

place all ingredients in blender and puree till smooth. check consistency, add more or less liquid to your liking. a healthy, filling and cool alternative on hot mornings or for an after school snack. great for drinking before sports too.
enjoy!

back to school lunch blues

summer has ended and the back to school lunch box blues are starting to set in with mom's around the world. the idea of packing the endless lunches for the next 9 months and the chimes of "mom i'm bored!" "peanut butter and jelly again...." do not make it any easier. if you are like me and your children do not eat hot lunch at school everyday, or you don't want them to, for let's just say, lack of a better food choices, there is the constant struggle for fresh ideas to break up the everyday sandwich. well, fret no more. the following recipes can help put some fun back into lunch and help your kids eat a little better too. the other great thing about these recipes is that they can be swapped with lots of different ingredient ideas and can be used for after school snacks and breakfast too. picky eaters can be transformed by taking part in the decision making, as well as the lunch making to motivate them to eat better and try new things. you can also adapt these recipes to your schedule and take the short cuts you need by buying some pre-made or pre-cut ingredients.

caramel apple dip

-8 oz. cream cheese
-1 cup Caramel Dip, Caramel Sauce or melted caramels
-3/4 cup Granola Cereal/chopped nuts any kind
-sliced apples

Spread 1/2 inch of cream cheese across bottom of a shallow dish. Top with a layer of caramel. Sprinkle Granola on top. Serve with apple slices.

this recipe is great to alternate with peanut butter instead of caramel, dippers can be swapped for any fruit your kids enjoy, bananas, strawberries. graham cracker, preztels there are endless choices. layer in individual tupperwares for a lunch box treat or surprise them with a fun snack after school or practice.

this next idea works along the same lines, yogurt parfaits, so good my children feel like they are getting dessert for breakfast. this next recipe is our family favorite.

strawberry and banana parfaits

-sliced bananas and strawberries
-one container of vanilla/plain yogurt
-tbls of honey or agave syrup (optional)

in a glass or see through container, layer 1/4 of the strawberries,
than 1/4 of banana, than 1/4 of yogurt,(if using plain yogurt, drizzle with honey or agave, if you desire) than sprinkle some granola. repeat until container is full. if i pack these in my kids lunch boxes, i keep the granola seperate and let them sprinkle it on themselves so it's nice and crunchy.

this is another great recipe that can be done a million ways depending on your childrens likes and dislikes. use fresh blueberries with strawberry yogurt and Go Lean Crunch from Kashi. no fresh fruit in the house applesauce or any type of jams, jellies or canned fruit work great. not a big fan of yogurt, ricotta cheese drizzled with honey or agave is delicious. change up the crunch with your favorite cereal or graham cracker, smashed up. let your kids make it and give them options to create their own version. my son likes to layer some plain yogurt, with peanut butter and bananas and granola or sometimes crushed pretzels.
these are great alternatives to a sandwich and if the kids get to help in the decision and making process they are more willing to try new things and eat what you pack. these are just a few of the things up my sleeve to take me through the lunch box blues. check back for more lunch recipes in the next few weeks. together we can work at making this a little less stressful school year, at least in the lunch department!

visiting italy via my taste buds

had a fabulous dinner with friends last night at one of my favorite places. whenever i eat at Via Italia in Encinitas i am transported to Italy by the smells from the kitchen, the flavors of the food and wine and the ambiance that makes you think the cobble stone street of Italy are right outside the door. i have eaten here several times and never been disappointed. the menu has so much to offer for everyone. i myself love the pizzas, risottos and the gnocchi, and to say i love the gnocchi is huge. i rarely find a restaurant where the gnocchi is as light as air and filled with so much flavor. there are several to chose from and i think i have tasted them all and i have nothing but good things to say. last night i tried their saffron risotto it was so flavorful, sometimes saffron gets lost in recipes or overpowers a dish, this was the perfect balance with the creaminess of the risotto.
the pizza's are not your everyday tomato and cheese pies, they are piled high with ingredients like arugula, prosciutto, shaved Parmesan and some are even drizzled with the sweet touches of balsamic vinegar.
if you are ever in the area and need a bite to eat wander in a try a little taste of Italy at the beach. i promise you won't be disappointed, i never am.

http://viaitaliapizzeria.com

light summer sandwich

as the weather warms up, so does your kitchen and after a long day of work or play the last thing you want to do is cook. here is the perfect answer to a quick, healthy and filling dinner.
the sun is out and that means so are all of the bounties of summer vegetables and herbs. lucky for me i have neighbors who garden and farmers market on every day of the week close to where i live, but no matter where you are there is a store, produce stand or mom and pop market that have tomatoes stacked high and herbs in abundance. i will post what i used below, but feel free to use any cheeses and veggies you chose, the possibilities are endless and it only is about 5 mins out of your busy day.

1 baguette sliced lengthwise, toasted, grilled, broiled
fresh sliced tomatoes
1 handful of arugula also known as rocket
1/2 cup of ricotta cheese
1 tbls of olive oil, flavored is always a great option
1 teas of thyme, chopped fine
1 tbls of Parmesan
salt & pepper to taste

mix olive oil, thyme, Parmesan, and salt and pepper into the ricotta cheese. taste and adjust to your taste buds. spread the mixture on each side of your warm toasted bread. i used the broiler for mine, but feel free to throw it in the toaster or on the grill whatever makes your life easier. place sliced tomatoes and arugula on top of one side of baguette and top with the other, press down a bit to let the flavors mingle. cut into sandwiches wedges and enjoy.

as i said before you can substitute any of the ingredients above, i used ricotta, because of the creaminess and the fact that it is high in protein and lower in fat then some cheeses. goat cheese would be great too. you can even find flavored spreadable cheeses at most markets, saving you the step of having fresh thyme on hand and chopping. another great topping would be spinach, or for the more hearty appetite, a little bit of prosciutto, layered through the middle would be fabulous. the idea is a quick and yummy dinner with minimal fuss and clean up. now if you'll excuse me, i am off to eat my yummy, no cook dinner after a long day of my own!

different ways to play with your kids!!

after a fun day of playing in our favorite places yesterday, the zoo, the pier, seaside village, our little family was a little lazy this morning. so after cuddling in bed for a bit with my three favorite things, my kids, my coffee and a food show, i asked my kids the loaded question "what should we have for breakfast?" in a duet of different tastes, i received the answers, bananas, bacon, and french toast. what could a mother do but give them everything they asked for.
with some help from my favorite sous chefs we created the J & A french toast breakfast. maple caramelized bananas, with cinnamon, nutmeg french toast and crunchy bacon crumbles. i'm beginning to think my kids my eventually put me out of business. the best thing about this meal was the fun we had making it, or should i say the mess in the kitchen. children dipping bread in an egg batter is not for the neat freaks in the kitchen, there was sugar and eggs everywhere! so here it is, our finished product!

so while parks, beaches and playgrounds are fun with the kids, your own kitchen can be a playground too. the sweet surprise is the love your kids will have for family and food. the ability to get your kids to try new things and eat healthy too. i'll tell you a secret... the bread is multi grain and the bacon is turkey and well there is nothing bad about bananas, but the kids won't care a bit. you can even substitute agave syrup for the maple, but if you are using maple, use the real stuff, not the colored corn syrup stuff, you don't need as much and the flavor is over the top. so go on and play with your kids, oh, and your food!!!

chicken again?

tired of boring old chicken for dinner AGAIN? or do you want something different and are afraid your kids won't eat it, so why bother? here is a great solution that will make both the foodie in you happy and still be family, namely kid friendly.
the other night i needed to test some recipes for a client and still needed dinner for my family, so i combined the two. the surprise? everyone was happy!
i have a client who is bored with their everyday recipes and wants to try something new. chicken is a staple in their home, so i put something together that requires a little work, but nothing to over the top. the plus is, it can be made and placed in the refrigerator ahead of time and then the actual meal on the table is about 20 mins.
so hear it is.....

spinach and cheese stuffed chicken breasts

for the filling:

2 cups baby spinach
1 shallot, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
1/4 teas fresh ground nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
hot sauce to taste
2 tbls of cream cheese, room temp
2 tbls of goat cheese, room temp
2 tbsp on olive oil

heat olive oil in saute pan on med-low heat and add shallots, cook for 2-3 mins stirring often being carefully not to over brown. add spinach and garlic and coat with olive oil and shallots. the spinach will immediately start to wilt so turn off heat and season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and hot sauce. place mixture in bowl to cool slightly, after it is cooled a bit, add cheeses and incorporate.

for the chicken:

4 thinly pounded chicken breasts**
2 thinly pounded chicken breast cut into tenders**
2 cups panko bread crumbs
2 cups italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated ramano cheese
1 cup flour
2 eggs beaten
salt and pepper to taste
3 generous tbls of vegetable oil

make a assembly line of three shallow bowls and a sheet pan covered with wax paper or foil. in first bowl add flour, second bowl add beaten eggs, third bowl bread crumb and cheese mixture.
at this point you may season flour and bread crumbs with salt and pepper to your liking, a little or a lot.
first the family friendly, just in case they won't eat my fabulous creation, chicken tenders.
set aside the four chicken breasts and move on to the tenders. dip each piece, first in flour, then egg and then bread crumb mixture, making sure to coat each side. place on baking sheet. repeat until all are breaded.
now moving on to the i'm not sick of chicken any more creation.
place all four pieces of chicken on a flat surface covered with wax paper. take about a large spoonful of the spinach mixture and spread on the chicken leaving a 1/4 inch border all the way around. you should have a little bit of the mixture left over, set it aside for now. from the skinny end of the chicken, begin to roll each piece, don't worry if they are not perfect, just do your best. after take each roll and repeat the breading process, flour, eggs, bread crumbs and place on cookie sheet.
at this point, cover and place in refrigerator for a least 15 mins, to 1 day ahead. remove from refrigerator about 2-3 mins before cooking.
time to cook:
heat oil in a pan big enough to place all four rolls in at the same time. place a cookie sheet with paper towels for draining, next to your cooking area.
when oil starts to sizzle, a good way to check is to place the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil and see if the oil bubbles, if it does you are good to go.
first, cook off the tenders, place each piece in pan and flip in about 2-3 mins, when they are golden brown, remove from pan and place on paper towels to drain.
now, take your rolled chicken and place in pan, rolls to each side, browning as you go, again maybe 2-3 mins. now if filling oozes out a bit, don't panic it will still taste great. when golden brown remove from pan and place on paper towels to drain. now here's a trick to keeping them warm and crispy while you finish up your sauce and meal. place on serving dishes and put in a 200 degree oven.
** you can purchase thinly sliced chicken or make your own by pounding it out, entirely up to you, your time frame and your cooking comfort level. as you can tell, mine are perfect either, but they still tasted fabulous.

for the sauce:

leftover spinach mixture
1/4 cup of chicken stock

and a simple salad of tomatoes, cucumber, black olives and arugula in a light in the same pan as you did the chicken, drain off excess oil and place back on stove top on med-low heat. add chicken stock to pan, scraping up bits and pieces off the bottom of pan, add the rest of spinach mixture and melt into chicken stock, remove from heat. to serve pour sauce over chicken. you can use this sauce for the chicken tenders too, or for your picky eater, ketchup, ranch dressing, mustard it all works. i served our chicken with some light sides of red quinoavinaigrette of olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt and pepper. again for the kiddos cucumbers and olives.
the result is everyone is happy, and you never know, your kids may like it too!! i know my daughter did and happily ate the whole meal, my son, stuck to the chicken tenders with ketchup. and myself, a new recipe, a happy tummy and a dinner with no fuss or complaints. you can have fun with this recipe, by changing up what you stuff the chicken with, or even venture out and use pork, the point is now you know the process, the rest is up to you.
enjoy!!

exceptional dining right around the corner

as a full time wife, mother of two and business owner opportunities to go out for a nice, leisurely meal with friends and no children are few and far between. last Saturday the opportunity arose for a night out with friends at a restaurant of my choice. i have been following a local restaurant on twitter called Blanca and drooling over their menus, so i jumped at the chance to try it! imagine my surprise to find such an exceptional dining experience right around the corner in the sleepy and beautiful city of solana beach.
the ambiance and decor were a treat to the senses as we walked in the door and the quiet was a blessing to our ears, both couples the proud owners of 5 children between us, quiet is not something that happens often. i could go on about this, but my girlfriend who treated us to the experience is a graphic designer with a background in architecture and she does a much better job, i have included her twitpic at the bottom of the blog, so you can see and hear her words yourself. on to the food!
first let me say chef gavin smith has an amazing flair and palate for working with the local farms and local, seasonal ingredients. the menu was full of fabulous flavors and twists, an indulgent experience for the foodie in me. as each course arrived, we all tried, shared and devoured the delectable items that arrived on our plates in the form of artworks themselves. i am quite certain the pictures to follow will not give the food justice, as we took them with our iphones in the dark of the restaurant. everything from the charcuterie platter, to the local farm raised pork, local, seasonal vegetables and herbs to the black cod, each bite was an explosion of flavor and melt in your mouth delicious. the dessert finale really sealed the deal for me, a caramelized brioche filled with strawberry jelly, was nothing more than pure bliss, crunchy from the sugar, light and airy brioche and decade filling and sauce. excuse me for a minute, i am drooling as i think of this. i look forward to the chance to taste and experience more of blanca, next time maybe a happy hour in their stylish lounge to try the many interesting items on the lounge menu.


willis farm pork
zucchini soup

black cod
caramelized sugar brioche

check out Blanca at http://www.dineblanca.com

http://twitpic.com/24fidx