Public Stoning

Back to reality today!  So the McGhee family has had the last 9 days off for spring break.  I had plans of having a nice and relaxing week at home, which we did not.  We were on the go for 9 straight days, spending over 30 hours in the car.  And we fell off the wagon.  Like, really fell.  Fell off the wagon and rolled over the cliff.  In the last 9 days, the McGhee family has eaten

• McDonalds's (more than once!)
• carry out pizza (twice!)
• movie theater popcorn
• Dairy Queen
• wheat thins
• twizzlers
• honey nut Cheerios

I think this calls for a public stoning.  

The good news is we all feel terrible.  No, really, we literally feel terrible!  At some point in the week, at least one of us had a tummy ache from all the junk we were eating.  Needless to say, everyone was quite agreeable when I said we are getting back on track.  Starting today.

Breakfast was eggs and pancakes.  I made myself a quick scramble, by wilting some spinach in a skillet, adding eggs and goat cheese.  Once it was done, I topped it with peppadews.  An absolutely delicious way to start the day and it got me through a killer workout at the gym.  I even managed to workout on the stairclimber without falling off.  I'll credit the spinach for that as well.  

Yeah for spinach scrambles!  I guess Popeye knew what he was talking about.....although canned spinach.  *gag*

Today's lunch was fruit and veggies.  The minis got peanut butter to dip the fruit in and hummus to dip the veggies in.  For those of you that worry that I am starving my minis, I did pack peanut butter sandwiches on bread.  I can almost certainly guarantee those will be returned this afternoon without a bite taken.  My minis prefer fruits and veggies.  They eat like birds.  But birds are cool, so I'm okay with that.

Tonight's dinner will be deli-style.....egg salad and tuna salad on homemade honey wheat bread, quinoa salad, and to drink...shamrock smoothies.

Honey Wheat Bread

• 1 1/8 cups water
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup bread flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon dry milk powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons shortening
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1. Place ingredients in bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select Whole Wheat setting, and then press Start.    

Tuna Salad (my bestie made up this recipe)

• canned tuna
• capers
• olive oil
• onion, diced
• salt and pepper
• fresh dill

I realize I didn't give you measurements.  She didn't give me any either.  But, I am assuming you all  know how to open a can of tuna, put in a little olive oil, some capers, diced onion, salt and pepper, and fresh dill.  Put in a lot of the stuff you like, a little of the stuff you don't.

Egg Salad (from Pioneer Woman)

• 8 whole Hard Boiled Eggs, Peeled
• 2 whole Avocados, Pitted
• 4 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
• 3 teaspoons Red Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Sald
• Black Pepper To Taste
• 1 teaspoon Chives, Chopped

Preparation Instructions

1.  Combine all ingredients (scrape avocado from skin) except for chopped chives in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times, scraping the bowl once or twice if necessary. Continue pulsing until salad reaches the consistency you want: chunky or more smooth!

2.  Remove blade from bowl and stir in chives. Check seasoning and adjust as necessary.

3.  Serve on a sandwich (spread bread with a mix of Dijon and mayonnaise) or serve on a thick slice of tomato as a cool salad. 

The best part about this egg salad recipe is this review that someone posted on her blog.....

DEAR PONIES. I love eggs. I love avocado. I love salad. This recipe is a wet dream for me!

I don't know who this person is, but I would love to track her down and beg her to read my blog and leave comments like that for me.

Give leftover avocado to your mini.  It will make them happy.  It will make you happy.  The world will be perfect.

International Quinoa Salad (from Fat-Free Vegan blogger....this made me laugh really hard.  I am pairing a recipe from a fat-free vegan with a recipe from pioneer woman that includes eggs and avocado.  Ah, ying and yang!)

Quinoa:

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed very well
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
• 1/2 tsp. salt (optional)

Vegetables:

• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 2 medium-large tomatoes, finely chopped
• kernels of 2 ears of cooked corn (about 1 cup)
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
• 1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced
• 2/3 cup parsley — minced
• 1/3 cup fresh mint — minced
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced (reserve a few slices for garnish)

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (NOT lemon)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable broth or bean cooking liquid (Sorry Fat Free Vegan, I will totally be using olive oil instead!)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste (optional)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili pepper

1.  Cook quinoa following directions on the package.  (I am going to try adding the garlic to the cooking water).
2.  Cool quinoa.
3.  Combine all of the vegetables in a large bowl. Add the quinoa and mix well.
4.  Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad. Mix well and refrigerate until chilled. Taste before serving, and add more lime juice as necessary (you want it to be tangy). Garnish with avocado slices and serve. Makes about 8 servings.


EDITING TO ADD:  I was not crazy about this quinoa salad.  I thought it was really bland.  I didn't add the jalapeno peppers since my minis aren't a fan of spicy food, so maybe that is where I went wrong?!?!


Shamrock Smoothies  (Now, before I post this recipe, I need to say something about these smoothies.  I get emails every single day from readers about every single recipe I post...who likes it and who doesn't.  Do you know the ONE recipe I haven't gotten an email about is my shamrock smoothie?!?!?!  What is wrong with you people?  This may be my yummiest recipe yet and NOBODY has tried it?!?!?)

Ingredients:

• 2 bananas, frozen
• 2 HUGE handfuls spinach (you won’t even taste it)
• 1 cup milk (almond, soy, cow, etc)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Add all ingredients into a blender. Blend until mixed. Serve in tall glasses and enjoy.

So we're back on the wagon!  Join us.  And for crying out loud, make the shamrock smoothie and email me about it!

Kid Friendly dinner

I took my first spinning class this morning, so, in my mind, that makes me a biker.  And, clearly, now that I am a biker, I have a need for a high-quality protein bar to sustain me through my biking.  I remembered having found this recipe a few days ago, so as soon as I got feeling back in my legs....I hit the kitchen. 

3/4 cup dry quinoa, or about 2 cups cooked

1/2 cup dates, pitted

3 tablespoons agave nectar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup protein powder

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup stir-ins like dry fruit, nuts, shredded coconut, or chocolate chips.

1.  Rinse the dry quinoa in cold water, then let sit in a bowl of water for 10 minutes. In the meantime, bring 1 cup of water to boil. Drain the quinoa and add to the boiling water. Cover, and reduce heat to simmer for about 12 minutes. Let cool enough to handle.
2.  In the bowl of a food processor, combine the cooked quinoa, dates, agave nectar, vegetable oil, flaxseed, almond extract, and salt. Process until relatively smooth (the quinoa is so small it stays slightly lumpy).
3.  In a small bowl, stir together the protein powder, flour, and stir-ins. Fold this dry mixture into wet mixture with a spatula. The dough is very thick, like cookie dough, so use the spatula to press into prepared pan evenly.
4.  Bake for about 22-25 minutes, until firm. Let cool, then slice into a dozen bars. Store in an airtight container for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

I just want to point out that these are called chocolate quinoa bars, yet there is only a minuscule amount of optional chocolate in the recipe.  Here's my chocolate quinoa bars.  Um, yeah.  Something went wrong.  Very wrong.  These puppies have no flavor...like zip, zilch, nada.  Now, I am digging the ingredients....flaxseed, quinoa, agave nectar.  So, I am reworking this recipe and tweaking it for next time.  The bars I made aren't inedible.  They are just missing flavor.  Which makes me think the mini McGhees will love them.

WAIT!!!  It just dawned on me.  Do you think that 1/2 cup of stir-ins means 1/2 a cup of each?  I think it does.  oops, I only put in 1/2 cup total of the stir-ins.  That could explain the missing flavor. 

So, stay tuned.  Not giving up on a homemade protein bar.

Last week's pasta sauce was so delish, I had to make another batch.  Here's a recap of the recipe.

• 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, 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.

This time I got all crazy and added in a handful of chopped spinach.  Tonight we had the pasta sauce with this meatball recipe. 

1 lb ground beef

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup carrot bits (you can grind them in a food processor, grate then dice them, or mince them)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

¼ teaspoon salt

Crushed red pepper, to taste

1. Mix together ground beef and all other ingredients. You can use your hands, or if you have someone that owes you a favor...you can use their hands.
2. Generously grease a baking sheet with olive oil.
3. Roll the beef mixture into meatballs the size of golf balls. Place them in rows onto the greased baking sheet.
4. Bake for 9 – 11 minutes or until brown all the way through.

**sidenote**  I had some leftover bread from an breadmachine failure extra loaf in the pantry.  I let the bread dry out and then if I had a food processor, I would have used it to make breadcrumbs.  However, since I do not have a food processor, I put the bread in a bag and beat the hell out of it with a spoon. 

Since Mr. McGhee wasn't home for dinner tonight and I, as the biker in the house, am exhausted from the waist down, I kept dinner real simple.  Meatballs with sauce, apple slices, edamame, and strawberries.  It was a perfectly pleasant, kid-friendly dinner, complete with listening to the kids argue over who loves edamame the most. 

And dessert was sliced mango with dark chocolate, by request.  Love my little food nerds.