Tag:

Foodie Friday

Those who know we well know I LOVE salad like a crazy person. It’s true. So naturally I have at least 3 salad dressing recipes that will have you eating so much lettuce you’ll make Peter Rabbit jealous. Just saying.

Also, if you’re looking for a salad dressing to dress up broccoli or broccolini for your kids or hubby, try these first. My kids love the balsamic dressing. It stays a week in the jar but we usually use a full recipe so I always make it fresh.

Without further adieu, here’s my top 3 on major rotation, and yes my kids are FANS!

Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe can be doubled)

Mince 2 cloves of garlic and add the following ingredients in a small jar with lid:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, I use OLIVEDA

2 T balsamic vinegar

1 t. sugar

1/2 t. salt

Shake vigorously and serve. Store in fridge up to a week.

Oriental Dressing ( from my Mother-in-Law)

4 T sugar

1 t salt

2 t. soy sauce

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

6 T white vinegar

Combine in a lidded jar and shake well.

Lemon Dijon – sounds funky but so fresh and yummy!

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard.

1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic.

3 tablespoons champagne vinegar.

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

1/2 cup good olive oil.

I also like this simple version: Lemon Dijon

fresh squeezed lemon //  dijon // olive oil // salt

There you have it, you can bookmark this post and share with your friends. Hope you enjoy, Let me know your favorite dressing in the comments!

bag // top // jeans // I also included some favorite home goods below!

Since cookies have fueled progress, innovation, and overall societal happiness since the early 1900’s, it only seems apt that today’s Foodie Friday is about this ubiquitous dessert. And since cookies should be enjoyed by one and all, I’m including a GF option. You’re welcome.

COWBOY COOKIES*
This cookie is unbeatable and unstoppable. No matter how many chocolate chip cookie recipes I’ve tried, this is the one everybody always begs for. They taste like dough, with a little crisp on the outside. Ambrosia, guys, ambrosia. But don’t overcook these! They are best only just cooked and cooled, after you’ve tried them warm just make sure they’re okay. You know, quality control. My dad who likes these crispy, but I think there’s something wrong with his taste buds.
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
1 c shortening
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 c quick oats
1 1/2 c chocolate chips
Turn on your oven to 350.
Mix the sugars and the shortening in your stand mixer (or by hand). Let it mix until it’s nice and light. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix to combine. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt all at once and mix until combined. Lastly, add your oats and chocolate chips.
Bake for 8 min, or until lightly brown on the edges and top just cooked.
GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE OATMEAL CHUNKERS
These are amazing and super simple. The only thing you have to remember is to freeze them for 20 min on the sheet pan before cooking or you’ll get flat cookies. However, if you make a batch and freeze the dough balls so that you can eat them every day instead of only once a month (this is the winner option, right?), you can skip this part and they can head straight for the oven.
3/4 c coconut oil or unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened
1 3/4 c sucanat or cane sugar
2 large eggs
1 c  (110 g) gluten-free oat flour
1/2 + 2 T (70 g) natural cocoa powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t sea salt
2 c gluten-free rolled oats (not quick!)
1 1/4 c bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks (chopped from a bar)
Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
Melt coconut oil if using, and poor oil or softened butter into bowl of a standing mixer with the paddle attachment and add sugar. Mix on medium-low speed until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs and mix on low speed; scrape down the bowl again. Increase the mixer speed to medium and mix together until creamy and homogenous, 4-5 minutes.
In a small bowl, sift together the oat flour, cocoa, and baking soda. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Add the salt, oats and chocolate; mix just until combined.
Using a small ice-cream scoop or cookie scoop, measure heaping tablespoon-sized balls of dough and transfer them to the lined baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 20 min (or if it’s easier, 30 min in the fridge).
Unwrap cookies and bake for 14-16 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
*Adapted from Sugar Rush / Tee Vintage :: Denim Shorts :: Similar :: 

top FREE PRESS :: white sweater REBECCA MINKOFF :: jeans AG JEANS :: soft slippers STEVE MADDEN :: Photo’s by Tiffany Luong Photography

Our days usually are never alike but usually begin like this . . . .

pancake breakfast, play time, lunch time, park time, dinner time, and family reading and walk to get boba tea.

Tiffany Luong offered to document our day. Being a large family of 6, I thought the idea intriguing. When I saw the end product I was grateful to see angles and perspectives I would have never seen if it wasn’t for Tiffany  who captured such a raw and organic side of our family life. Including my boy’s messy room, ha. From eating donuts, little laughs and hugs, to wrestling on the floor, she captured it all. She also offers photo books to further document your day for years to come. I was grateful for the opportunity since I most likely will forget the little things I love most about family life documented right here. Learn more about her services for your next family shoot HERE. And since it is Foodie Friday, I thought I’d share 3 kid approved meals we love and use daily. Happy Friday friends!

 

For the first recipe, I’m sharing our favorite breakfast dish, originally published HERE

AMY’S PUFFED PANCAKE

What I love about this one is that it’s something you can prep the night before, then just toss it in the oven in the morning and bask in the rave reviews.

What You’ll Need:

6 Eggs

1 C Flour (If you’re gluten free, I’d chose a flour blend that has already done the math on which GF flours combine to imitate the fluffy texture you get with wheat flour. I’m a fan of King Arthur, but comment if you have another favorite)

1 C Milk (can use almond milk)

1t Salt

1T Butter (to grease the dishes)

Toppings of your choice – we like agave, maple syrup, lemon curd, or powdered sugar

How You’ll Do It:

1 Whisk the eggs, flour, milk, and salt together. If you’re prepping this the night before, cover your bowl and put it in the fridge until you’re read to bake.

2  Preheat the oven to 425°

3  Melt the butter in two 9×13 pans

4  Pour the mix into the pan and put it in the oven for 15-20 minutes. It will puff up and create some crazy wavy textures in the oven, then it will settle and flatten out once it cools. So if it looks a little wild, you’re doing it right.

5  Serve with your favorite topping and enjoy the satisfied faces.

HOMEMADE HUMMUS eat with carrots or pita bread

2 cups drained well-cooked or canned chickpeas, liquid reserved

1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste), optional, with some of its oil

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus oil for drizzling

2 cloves garlic, peeled, or to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon ground cumin or paprika, or to taste, plus a sprinkling for garnish

Juice of 1 lemon, plus more as needed

Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

3 INGREDIENT DINNER

2 Cans vegetarian chili

1 package of hashbrowns in the shape of a rounded off rectangle

1 Package of cheese

Spread the hash browns across a 9×13 inch pan, layer chili and then cheese. Heat the over to 350 degrees and cook for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

 

Top STORETS :: denim shorts FRAME :: Similar shorts for $32 :: dinner plates POTTERY BARN :: Salad Dressing Shaker ::  photo’s by Tasha 

Balsamic Vinegrette, Oriental Dressing, and Mustard Vinegrette are some of my favorites to bring for summer picnics and lunch on the patio. My favorite type of lettuce is butter lettuce and I depending on what I have in the fridge, I usually add avocado, salted sunflower seeds, and black olives. What are your favorite salads? Scroll down for all my recipes!

Balsamic Vinegrette 

1 t minced garlic

3 T sugar or 1 T agave

3 T balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup canola oil or grapeseed oil

1 t salt

Instructions: mix, shake and chill before use.

Oriental Dressing

4 T sugar

1 t. salt

2 t. soy sauce

1/2 cup vegetable oil

6 T white vinegar

Combine in a lidded jar, and shake well.

Mustard Vinagrette from Bobby Flay

Zest and juice of 1 large lemon

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

1 teaspoon clover honey

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup olive oil or canola oil

whisk and enjoy!

 

 

Foodie Friday is back!! Like most things in life, something that started as a fun idea is now a full-blown ritual. As in, don’t even think about changing any thing up or bad things are going to happen. It’s pretty simple actually. After we drop off the kids at school, Brooks and I come back home and make smoothies. There it is. Quite honestly, I usually go through the mail and email while he begs and begs until I help him pull out all the ingredients. I literally put all the ingredients on the rug and then he sits there with the Vitamix and happily puts things in the mixer. I won’t say it’s all smooth sailing. Just today, while he was pulling out the spinach, he pulled out the glass jar of strawberry jam and it shattered. And mixers and children (well, adults too to be honest) don’t always go well together. So like I said, it’s not always smooth sailing, but it is worth it. He “cooks” his own food, and we both get yummy smoothies and fun memories.

Some of the Pros of cooking in the kitchen with your kids:

It’s fun! He’s learning and you’re both doing something fun together–it’s Quality Time!

You’re making memories

An opportunity to teach how to clean up

You get to stretch your patience muscle

Cons

Your patience muscle is getting stretched

Things will break, fall, and Legos are always involved. I don’t even know how, but it’s true

The mess (this almost deserves two bullet points, but I’ll leave it at one)

B’s Smoothie recipe

1 frozen banana

2 packets frozen acai bowl mix (we get ours from Costco)

1/2 cup – 3/4 cup  almond milk 

1 T chia seeds

1 handful of kale 

Blend in the Vitamix and enjoy chilled!

my cutoffs and a $55 version :: striped top :: similar under $100

Vitamix :: his sweater (on sale!) :: his similar  cutoffs  :: photo’s by Tasha

More denim cutoffs I’m loving here:

FOODIE FRIDAY

by Shalice Noel


Foodie Friday

Free of Tyranny, and Dairy

Mason jars are fantastic – they make adorable glassware, vases, and storage containers. And this Fourth of July, they are the perfect vessel for a red white and blue treat. There are a lot of versions of these layered fruit parfaits but most include dairy, which excludes my lactose intolerant kiddo, and cake or pudding which tend to have a lot of artificial ingredients. So I’m creating my own parfait without dairy, artificial ingredients or even gluten. This really is the land of the free. 

Independence Day Jar Parfait

This one is particularly fun as a build-your-own dessert once all the pieces are prepped. And any leftover coconut cream can double as a fruit dip!

What You’ll Need

6 8oz Mason Jars

1 14oz Can Extra Thick Coconut Cream (chilled)

1-2 Teaspoons Vanilla

1 Tablespoon Agave Nectar or Honey

1lb Strawberries, sliced

2 pints Blueberries

1 cup pomegranate seeds

12 Fat Free Vanilla Meringue Cookies 

How You’ll Do It

1 – The coconut cream layer can be a little tricky on a hot day. It can easily melt and lose its texture. I recommend keeping the can in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. First, you’ll need to drain any water left in the can so you’re only dealing with the thick cream. Then whip it in a steel bowl using an electric mixer so it’s nice and fluffy. Add the agave nectar and vanilla to taste and mix until it’s incorporated and totally spoon-licking delicious. Now pop that bowl back in the fridge to keep it cool.

2 – Place the meringue cookies in a large zip lock back and smash them up with a meat pounder or the bottom of a heavy spoon handle until it’s crumbly, but not powdered. This is a great way to let off any steam or holiday prep stress. You can also snack on a few cookies as you go – I know I did.

3 – Get Layering. If you’re doing a make-your-own-dessert station, place each ingredient in it’s own bowl with a serving spoon. I like to start with a spoonful of coconut cream on the bottom, then alternate layers of strawberries, blueberries, pomegranate and meringue crumbles and top it all off with some more coconut cream. The only rule is to always separate the cream and the meringue crumbles by fruit – otherwise that meringue can get a little soggy. 

my top MISA LOS ANGELES  / cutoffs TOPSHOP

Older Posts