Grilled cheeeeeese

One of my goals when I we decided to give up processed foods was to make all of our baked goods.  And I did come up with a delish bread recipe that takes about 2 minutes of prep work.  That being said, I haven't made a loaf of bread yet this summer.  


And it's all because of these guys.


Before I go on, I want to say that I am not paid to endorse Great Harvest Bread Company.  And even though I go there 2 times a week, they have no clue that I am a food blogger that occasionally obsesses over them.  But the reason that I continue to promote, gush, and rave about them is their bread is amazing.  And the fact that the lovely ladies at the counter remember to ask my minis how their new puppy is doing each week is an added bonus.  


I always buy honey wheat bread for my family.  (And I always let my minis have a free sample of the cinnamon roll bread).  But this week I decided to go crazy and try something new....the Dakota bread.


Oh My Goodness.  The Dakota bread is proof that God loves us and wants us to happily eat our whole grains.

I don't even know what all is in the Dakota bread, but I know that I trust my friends from Great Harvest and it is healthy.  And amazingly delish.


I decided to make grilled cheese with our Dakota bread.  In the past I have blogged about grilled cheese on the honey wheat bread, and I do believe I declared it the best school-lunch inspired meal ever.  Well, today I  am going to share yet another best-ever grilled cheese recipe.


Heids McGhee's Grilled Cheese

• bread 
• pesto
• spinach
• avocado
• cheese (I used muenster and goat)
• butter
• olive oil

When it comes to pesto, I am sort of a purist and make basil pesto.  (That being said, someone has suggested to me that I try kale pesto with my overabundance of garden kale.)  You can make (or buy, if you must) whatever pesto you prefer.

1.  Butter one side of each slice of bread.

2.  On the other side of each slice, slather on some pesto.

3.  Layer spinach leaves, avocado, and cheese on a slice of bread.

4.  Top with the remaining slice, butter side up.

5.  If you want to be really bad (and I was bad, but justified it by telling myself I did run 6 miles that morning), heat up a little olive oil in a pan.

6.  Grill your sandwich in the pan until each side is browned.

Slather with pesto.  Lick the knife.

Layer on spinach.  Lots of spinach.  It's good for you.  

(Next time I will also add artichoke).

Cheese.  Muenster for the McGhees.

Slices of avocado.  Save leftovers for guacamole.

Sprinkle some goat cheese.

Grill to perfection.

We ate our grilled cheese with zucchini chips and fresh pineapple.  And it was one of those meals where the food was so good that there was silence.  Well, mostly silent, except for my occasional outburst of "BAM! Mama makes some grilled cheese!"

A Royal Salad

The recipe I want to share with you today is from the Barefoot Contessa.  Now, I don't watch the Barefoot Contessa, mainly because I prefer to watch someone with a higher energy level than the she.  And, to be honest, until about 45 seconds ago, I didn't even know what the word "contessa" means (Italian Countess).  But, even though I don't watch her show, I do know that on the few occasions that I have tried her recipes they are always fantastic.


And her avocado and endive salad is to die for.  In fact, after she wrote this recipe, Italy probably did become a real countess.  And, from now on, I will not pretend that I am an Italian Countess every time I make this salad.

The Barefoot Contessa's Avocado and Endive Salad

• 1 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 heads endive
• 3 ripe Haas avocados, peeled and seeded

1.  Whisk together the mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper to make a vinaigrette. 

2.  Remove a 1/2-inch from the stem end of each endive, discard the core, and cut the rest across into 1-inch chunks. 

3.  Cut the avocados into large dice or wedges. 

4.  Toss the avocados and endive with the vinaigrette. Season, to taste, and serve at room temperature.

Did you know that one cup of endive a week can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer by 75%?  It's true.  I read it on the internet.

 
Prepared vinaigrette. 

Avocados, tossed with the vinaigrette.  Waiting for the endive to join them.

I am embarrassed to admit, I do not have a picture of the final product.  I was so excited to eat it and start lowering my risk of ovarian cancer, that I forgot to snap a picture.   You can find a picture here, although mine did not look nearly that neat

This salad was so delish, I was tempted to set my DVR to tape the Italian Countess.

Invitation to a BBQ

Last week I walked you through hosting the perfect summer BBQ.  Today I thought it would be fun to give you some ideas on what to bring if someone invites you to their summer BBQ.  Because here's the deal, if you get an invite to someone's house, chances are they have spent a lot of time and money on food, cleaned their house, mowed their lawn, and threatened their minis to be on their best behavior....all so that you can have a great time at their house.  So you best not be showing up with a bag of chips and a jar of salsa.


Last week my sister brought these antipasto kabobs to our BBQ.  Now, my sister always claims to be a terrible cook, but since this is the 3rd recipe of hers I have blogged about, we all know otherwise.  She just likes to use that excuse because she'd rather be shopping than cooking.  And I can totally respect that.


*sidenote* I realized these have processed foods in them.  The McGhee's devoured them anyway.  It would be rude not to.


Sister McGhee's AntiPasto Kabobs

• 1  9 oz package of Three Cheese Tortellini ,(like Buitoni )cooked to package directions
• 1 can Medium or Large pitted Black Olives
• 1 5.75 oz jar Green Olives
• 2 12 oz containers of marinated mozzarella balls
• 30 slices of Salami, cut in half (I recommend Boar's Head, or a local organic)
• 60 pieces of pepperoni (again, Boar's Head, or a local organic)
• 1 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing (store bought or homemade), 

1.  Place the cooked tortellini in a bowl or large gallon freeze bag. Pour the salad dressing over the top and marinade in the fridge for a few hours.

2.  Drain the pasta.

3.  Place each item onto the skewer using the pointy side.

4.  Can be made a few hours ahead and placed in the refrigerator covered.

These babies lasted maybe 5 minutes at our BBQ.  So, make a lot, at least 3-4 per person.  My minis loved them.  

I am not sure if you guys know this, but I am famous.  Seriously, in my circle of friends, I am totally famous for my guacamole.  And I have debated sharing this recipe with you because of several reasons.  1.  My fame will diminish.  2.  I don't actually follow a recipe and I make it a different way each time.  3.  Everyone will see how ridiculously easy it is to make my famous guacamole and I will lose all credibility that I have.  

But, then I realized....you may now know my guacamole recipe.  But you will never be able to outdo me when it comes to guacamole presentation.  

Heids McGhee's Famous (better to be famous than infamous) Guacamole

• 3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

1.  Mash avocado.  

2.  Add lime, salt, onion, cilantro, tomato and garlic.

3.  Taste.  Add more of what you think is missing.  (I find that popping open a Corona helps with this step).

Now, if you think the skewers and guacamole seem like too much work, then I do have a simpler, less time-consuming idea for you to bring to your friends' BBQ.  This is something you can bring to your friends' fancy schmancy dinner party too.  It's called cheese and fig spread.

Fig Spread is fancy jelly.  Most fancy people love fig spread.  Some unfancy people like myself love it as well.  Go to your grocery store or market and buy several kinds of cheese.  Now, you're going to have to spend some money on the cheese because fig spread does not go well with Cheez Whiz.  I always buy an aged goat cheese, an italian cheese (like an aged parmesan), and a striped monterey jack cheese.  Serve with baguettes.  Be fancy.  But know that the fun people are eating antipasto skewers and guacamole out of a puking Jack O' Lantern.  

Love Fest

Wowzer!  On a scale of 1-10, this past weekend was a 10.  We spent most of the weekend outside, working in the yard.  My tiny mini planted her own herb garden, which she will most likely have completely drowned by next weekend.

My tiny mini woke up on Saturday morning, very distraught because she needed a moroccan oil treatment.  So, we did that and then she and I went to listen to my favorite pastor give a girl power sermon.  Sunday, my tiny mini and I spent some time shopping where I found the perfect pair of shoes (and I had a coupon!) and my mini found 5 bottles of "hanitizer" that she had to have.

My boy minis spent the weekend doing this.

They alternated between frisbee, baseball, hocky, football, and golf.  But, you get the idea.

On Saturday night, I was the luckiest girl in town because I got to dress up and have a night out with the three amazing men in my life.  My tiny mini stayed with her grandparents, where I am sure she coaxed them into many things, perhaps even another moroccan oil treament.

My incredibly handsome hubby, Mr. McGhee, spent all day Sunday staining our mini's swingset and installing my raised garden beds.  I came home from a wonderful shopping trip, to see my Mr. McGhee working very hard on the swingset, while my two boy minis were running around playing baseball.  I looked at my tiny mini, who was wearing her skinny jeans and boots, and realized, "hot damn, the people I share my life with are pretty amazing."  Do you ever have those moments, when you are just overwhelmed with this sense of love for your family and feel the urge to do something to show them how much you love them?  Well, that was me yesterday, I had this sudden need to show these people how much I adore them and I realized there was only one way to do that.

Avocado french fries.

That's right.  Avocado french fries, people!!!!!

• Oil For Frying
• 2 Avocados
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 1 and 1/3 Cup Bread Crumbs
• 1 Teaspoon Lemon Pepper
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Cumin
• 5 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
• 3 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro, chopped
• Juice from 1/2 of Lemon

1.   In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, lemon pepper, salt and cumin. Set it aside. 

2.  Cut the avocados in half and then slice them vertically into 4 inch by 1 inch wedges. Set them aside. 

3.  Heat the vegetable oil to 335 degrees Fahrenheit in a large frying pan, adding enough oil so that the oil is about 3 to four inches deep.  (If your oil starts smoking, you have heated your oil too hot).

4.  Dredge the avocado slices in the breadcrumb mixture, then in the egg mixture, then in the breadcrumb mixture again. 

5.  Place them in the hot oil and fry them for about 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. 

6.  Remove them with a slotted spoon or tongs, and set them on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil. 

7.  Allow them to dry for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a serving tray and serve them immediately with the Cilantro Lemon Dipping Sauce.

8.      For the Cilantro Lemon Dipping Sauce, place the mayonnaise, cilantro, and lemon juice in a blender and mix until smooth and creamy in texture.

Prepare your eggs and breadcrumb mixture.  

Slice and scoop out your avocado.

Dredge each slice in breadcrumbs....

....then eggs.....

.....then breadcrumbs again.

Fry for a few minutes.

Serve with cilantro lime dressing.

These were fun and tasty!  My tiny mini loves avocados, but for some reason she didn't love these.  She did however love the dressing.  Probably because I lied and told her it was ranch.  

I also made my mini's favorite salad ever, pasta salad.  Pasta salad is always a hit, and you really can't mess it up.  I boiled some vegetable pasta and threw in some peppers, tomato (yellow cherry--proof that God wants kids to eat tomatoes), onion, olives, cheese chunks, and pepperoni (yes, the pepperoni is probably considered processed).  I drizzled it with some balsamic dressing.  To make the dressing, I chopped up a shallot, a few cloves of garlic and added some olive oil, balsamic and black pepper.  

The pasta salad was a massive hit.  Mr McGhee loved it.  The minis loved it.  I love them.  It was a total love fest.

Dreams and Avocados

In the McGhee home, we like to dream big.

For instance, my middle mini wants to grow up and live in an RV on the beach and be a stay at home dad so he can play with his kids on the beach all day while his wife works.

My oldest mini wants to work at a smoothie shop and make "power smoothies".

And my tiny mini dreams of never having her hair cut.

I dream of baking bread, growing my own pear tomatoes, and raising chickens.  Thank goodness for Mr. McGhee and his grown up dreams or we'd all be in trouble!

Another thing I dream about is avocados.

I think avocados are the perfect food.  If I am ever stranded on an island....say in an RV with my middle and oldest mini because we don't have enough money to pay our phone bill and call for help.....I would want to have a source of avocados near by.  They have fat.  They have calories.  And they pack 20 nutrients.  And they are darn tasty.  Just as a sidenote, they are they perfect first food for a baby too, just smash and serve.

So, tonight's dinner is avocado chicken quesadilias.

Ingredients  

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 8 flour tortillas, fajita size
• 1 cup Colby-Jack cheese
• 1 cup Pepper-Jack cheese, shredded
• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (I used chicken from yesterday)
• 1 avocado, diced sprinkled with 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 green onions, diced

Instructions (Just as a sidenote here, I have wasted a solid hour of my life trying to get this off of an aqua and large font and I can't get it to work.  So, I apologize if this is bothering you.  Please know it is bothering me too.)

1.  Heat a griddle or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add a little butter to the griddle and melt. 

2.  Place one tortilla over melted butter, sprinkle with 1/4 cup Colby-Jack and 1/4 cup Pepper-Jack cheeses, 1/2 cup of chicken, 1/4 of the green onions, and 1/4 of the avocado; top with another tortilla. 

3.  Cook until browned, using a spatula gently flip over and cook until bottom tortilla is browned. Remove to a cutting board and slice with a sharp knife or pizza cutter into 4 wedges. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

These quesadilias were absolutely delish!  If you have never tried homemade tortillas, I highly recommend trying them with this recipe, it is well worth the extra time and effort.  


Roll the tortillas out as thin as you can.  

Try to cut them in equal sizes.  For Pete's sake, do a better job of this step than I do!!!

Heat up on a skillet....no spray, oil, grease needed....just a minute or so on each side until browned.

So, here's my quesadilia.  It's a trainwreck, but an oh-so-delish trainwreck.

I served my delish quesadilias with these babies....

You can see on the ingredient label, that these tortilla chips only have 4 ingredients so technically they are not processed food.   In my heart, I know these are a cheat.  I also have a certain Mr. McGhee that is in my heart too.  And Mr. McGhee loves him some tortilla chips and homemade salsa.   And since his dreams keep our family afloat, I strive to keep him happy.  Just ask him.  

So there you go, a totally delish dinner!  Eat your avocados!  And, for crying out loud readers, ChAsE yOuR dReAmS.  (Even if that dream is to live in an van down by the river RV on the beach).

Valentine's Day!!!

Today is Valentine's Day, which means moms everywhere are breaking out the heart-shaped cookie cutter to make pancakes for breakfast and PB&J to pack in lunches.  I have had several people ask me how we are going to handle the Valentine's Day candy that the minis will be bringing home from school.  I have decided that today we are following a "don't ask, don't tell" policy.  So, for today, the candy is far game...tomorrow, when they are in school, it's all going in the garbage.  Now, before you get all "oh, those poor minis", remember that my minis are not huge sweet eaters.  They were far more excited about the organic uncured beef franks that tasted like beef jerky than my homemade poptarts.  Besides, they are much more likely to carry emotional scars from childhood memories of their mother yelling "booyah suckas" in their faces during UNO. 

Tonight's dinner is going to be p'sketti, garlic bread, and a spinach salad. 

Spinach salad

• spinach
• berries (I used strawberry, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries)
• crumbled goat cheese

Dressing

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• salt and pepper

1. Add chopped garlic to balsamic vinegar
2. Season with salt and pepper
3. Slowly add olive oil and stir to mix.

Spaghetti Sauce

• one onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 3 cans plum tomatoes
• basil
• salt and pepper
• sugar, 1 tsp

1. Remove tomatoes from cans (keep the juice) and cut into chunks.
2. In a pan, saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent.
3. Add red wine, and let cook for a few minutes. Some of the liquid will evaporate. This is okay, just don't let it all.
4. Add tomatoes, tomato juice, basil, salt and pepper. Stir.
5. Simmer 30 minutes.
6. If you don't like your sauce chunky, remove the large chunks of tomatoes and puree in a food processor.
7. Simmer on very low heat until ready to serve.

We are having our sauce over spaghetti squash (I will mix some Ezekiel 4:9 pasta in with the minis).  Ezekiel 4:9 products use freshly sprouted organic live grains, which means they are higher in nutrients. 

Cook the squash at 375 F in the oven for about an hour (or, if you're okay with the microwave, just nuke it. I'm still unsure about microwaving everything, so I bake mine). Once it's cooked, slice it in half, dig out the seeds, and scrape it with a fork just like this.

We are also having garlic bread with our dinner.  And because I do know how to let my hair down and have good time, I used all white bread flour when I made this. 

Bread Machine Garlic Bread

• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons and 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2-3/4 cups and 3 tablespoons bread flour
• 2 tablespoons and 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese (I was out of parm, I used asiago and romano)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1-3/4 teaspoons bread machine yeast

1.  Put the ingredients in the bread machine according to your machine's directions.  For mine, I put in water and oil first and then the dry ingredients. 

2.  Bake on white or basic bread setting.  Set for 1.5 pound loaf and medium crust.

I wanted to talk to you guys about some information I learned from my boyfriend the other day when he did an episode on weight loss.  Now, the last time I said Dr. Oz was my boyfriend I got a few emails and even a text from my bestie saying, "Really, Heids?  Dr. Oz?"  I know, I really should stop calling Dr. Oz my boyfriend because the truth is my boyfriend of 14 years is pretty wonderful.  And he tolerates a wife that celebrates Valentine's Day by cooking a dinner that uses 12 cloves of garlic, makes him a mixed tape, and sends him this.....

Anyway, Dr. Oz is really smart and can do a lot of push-ups, which are the 2 things I look for in a man, so he's sort of my boyfriend too.  Anyway....Dr. Oz had an episode on eating for your body type and I wanted to pass this information along.

When I was overweight, I carried all my weight in my mid-section.  This is the most dangerous place to carry extra weight, so I have to be really careful to keep myself thin.  So, I decided I would follow Dr. Oz's recommendations of avoiding all refined carbs (bread, pasta, etc) and try to eat healthy fats (fish, avocado, etc). 

This morning for breakfast, I sliced an avocado thick and placed it on a pan.  I cracked an egg in the hole of the avocado slice and cooked both sides.  Oh My.  Delish.

I copied and pasted this from Dr. Oz's website, I am hoping that's okay.  I don't want my boyfriend to be mad at me on Valentine's Day.

Body Type: Big Bottom (Large Hips, Thighs and Rear)
If you fall into this category, the first secret to slimming down is to understand what type of body fat you’re fighting. Those with big bottoms are carrying around extra subcutaneous fat. This fat that appears just below your skin is actually healthier than belly fat; unfortunately, it is also harder to get rid of. Subcutaneous fat is associated with healthy cholesterol levels and fewer heart attacks, but it also has less blood flow and holds onto calories, which makes it tough to burn off.

Diet Plan: Eat a Low-fat Diet
Research shows that a low-fat diet actually helps break down stubborn fat cells in your bottom region.

Step 1: Cut Back on Saturated Fats
To get on track with a low-fat diet, begin by cutting down on saturated fats, including animal sources such as high-fat dairy and red meats. Eliminate hidden saturated fats such as hydrogenated oils found in processed foods.

Body Type: Big Middle
If you’re struggling to get rid of a big middle, you’re battling visceral fat, the fat located in your abdominal region that surrounds vital organs. While this fat is easier to get rid of than subcutaneous fat, it is also worse for you. Excess visceral fat has been linked to type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer. People with big middles tend to have higher levels of cortisol, the body’s key stress hormone. Too much cortisol slows your metabolism and also breaks down muscle, making you hard-wired to store fat.

Diet Plan: Avoid Refined Carbohydrates/Eat Anti-Inflammatory Foods
First, avoid refined carbs like white bread, pasta and rice that are low in fat and spike blood sugar, which can increase stress and make you hungrier. Replace simple carbs with anti-inflammatory foods such as barley, buckwheat and amaranth. These whole grains stabilize blood sugar and help control cortisol surges. Go for other healthy anti-inflammatory fats, too, like olive oil, avocado, sea bass and salmon.

Body Type: Big on Top (Chest, Arms and Back)
Women who are big on top carry fat in their chest, arms and back and are the android type. Upper body fat is dangerous for your heart. Stress and lack of protein makes this problem area worse. However, the right combination of foods can melt away the extra fat.

Diet Plan: L-Carnitine Lunch Tex Mex Salad
Just like big bellies, people who carry weight in their upper body do well on a diet that emphasizes dairy. This salad has a decadent sour cream topping. Pair with 500mg of L-carnitine, which stimulates growth hormone and helps turn on the mechanism that burns off fat in those specific areas. Eat with an orange since vitamin C activates L-carnitine.

Body Type: Big Thighs
Trying to lose fat on your thighs can be very frustrating since the fat on your thighs is not very metabolically active. Those with big thighs, like those with a big behind do best with a low-fat, high-protein diet to help boost their metabolism.

Diet plan: Liquid Lunch
Make a protein drink with a secret fat-busting ingredient: white kidney bean extract, shown to help prevent carbs from being broken down into sugars and converted into fat in your thighs.

If you are still reading after all this, HaPpY VaLeNtInE's DaY!!!!!