egg roll bowls

I'm pretty sure it's 100% cheating to post recipes for the write31 challenge. . . I can wing through this month with no sweat and no problems if I just write about food and books, two of my favorite things.

I found this recipe on Pinterest, read it, and then lost it, and scouring the internet for it did NOT turn anything up.  So I invented my own, loosely following what I remembered reading.  It is DELICIOUS and nutritious and the smell is just amazing as you throw it together.

Egg Roll Bowls

hot cooked rice 

[I bake rice @ 350 for an hour in a covered dutch oven, 1 part basmati rice to 2 parts water + 1 chicken boullion cube for each cup of water.]

1 pound ground pork
1 head shredded cabbage
4 grated carrots
1 grated granny smith apple
4 green onions, sliced diagonally, white separated from green
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons brown sugar
soy sauce
fresh ground salt and pepper

chow mein noodles 

Brown the ground pork in a large cast iron skillet. Add the shredded cabbage, and slowly, carefully saute the cabbage in the leftover pork drippings.  It will be dry at first and you will have to stir a lot, scraping the bottom to make sure nothing sticks, but all of a sudden it kind of melts down and all becomes very easy. Add the carrots, the white part of the onions, the apple and the garlic.  Saute for another 2-3 minutes.  Add the soy sauce (to taste), sugar, salt and pepper and the green onions and mix together.

Serve with chow mein noodles over hot rice. 

things i learned on the 3-day military diet

I ate whatever I wanted to on Christmas vacation and it finally caught up to me. 

I needed a kick start to lose it all.

The wildly popular military diet promises you'll lose ten pounds in three days. 

I had nothing to lose, so- wait, I had ten pounds to lose, so- I decided to give it a try.

Here's what I learned:

1) dieting is lonely

2) I have a massive sugar habit that fresh ground whole wheat does not negate

3) I love to eat

4) I love to cook even more than I love to eat

5) dieting can push others out of my life

6) I snack far more than I thought I did

7) my kids think I'm skinny (LOVE THEM)

8) dieting makes me grumpy and cross

9) choosing and preparing food is an art; I like that task and don't like someone else planning it for me

10) I hate dieting

After working out like a maniac, drinking water, eating an extraordinary amount of tuna and boiled eggs (ehhhhhhbleeehhhhhyuck) and no snacking at all I lost a measly 2 pounds on the second day.  I never got to the y on the third day, but I doubt I lost 8 pounds.  I ate at my favorite coffee shop with a friend on Friday morning, came home to lunch and Jacob's homemade [whole wheat, mind you] monkey bread for lunch, and we ordered Dominoes for supper.  Pretty sure my two pounds lost are back on.

I am not a dieter and I don't own a bathroom scale.  It's on purpose, too, my little effort to reject our culture's obsession with weight and unrealistic expectations for women.  I don't want my daughter to grow up watching me weigh myself and whine, or weigh herself and think that her value comes from numbers (or lack of numbers).

With that said, I know how it feels to be overweight.  I really never want to go back to that; in my mind I am just one box of oreos away from the slippery slope.  I envy the effortlessly thin:  it isn't effortless for me at all, it is a humoungous huge massive big whatever i give up battle.

When I decided to lose weight, I had some extreme motivation:  I liked a guy.  (surprise, surprise.)  He was funny and smart and cute and very popular in my group of friends and I didn't think I stood a chance unless I was skinny.  Or sort of skinny.  When you're almost six feet tall, no one is ever going to refer to you as wispy, slight, slender, small [etcetera ad nauseum]. But I definitely wanted to move away from the big girl description. 

I did lose it.  It was really hard.  I ran.  Miles and miles and miles.  I did sit ups.  I drank dieter's tea that made me so ill I didn't drink it again. (I never forgot the stuff:  Apricot dieter's tea.  Avoid it.  Vile liquid, that.) I ate salads and cut sugar and quit eating whole bags of Doritos and just plain quit eating so much, which was really hard, because I dearly love to eat.  But I lost a lot of weight.  And I wasn't big anymore.  I did end up having a chance with Daniel ;) and although of course we fell in love because of a million other reasons, I know that all of my working out and losing the large had a little to do with it. 

Having been there, in the defeated frustration of facing a mountain of pounds that have to melt off of you somehow, I really never want to go back.  I worked too hard.  For better or worse, weight is something I'm always conscious of.  I don't want to obsess (which is why we don't have a scale) but I have to pay attention or else.

These days I eat pretty healthfully; I also eat exactly what everyone else is eating.  From experience, I know that you don't get overweight eating dinner with the family.  You gain weight when you finish the bag of chips and stuff the evidence in the trash, when you take the cookie dough ice cream to bed, when you drive through McD's and order fries while you're alone, when you drink pop instead of water.  And I don't want to teach my kids that it's ok for mama to eat a celery stick while they eat lunch.  That's not healthy. Besides, celery is awful.

We have sugar and we eat at McDonald's and I like potato chips as much as the next person; but there are some guidelines I follow pretty closely as I feed my lil family (and myself).

don't buy junk - if I buy the cheetohs, we will eat the cheetohs.  It's only logical.  So don't buy 'em.

don't buy pop - we stock pop for company. Otherwise- no.

don't buy juice - instead, drink sweet tea! wait, no, I mean, drink water.  Seriously, it's far better for a child to eat an apple than slurp an apple juice sippie cup. And not buying juice saves a ton of money. 

reduce meat consumption (replacing with a wide variety of legumes + eggs) -

always have fresh fruit sitting out - clementines, grapes, all kinds of apples, berries, bananas, oranges, real pineapple. 

nuts sitting out (pistachios, almonds, etc.)

plan dessert for one meal per week (sugar has a way of happening every.single.day, but I usually only buy/plan for one)

oatmeal instead of cold cereal

stock healthy snack foods:  chips, salsa, popcorn, dried fruit, healthy food that actually tastes good

serve something raw with every meal blueberries thrown on top of oatmeal, baby carrots for lunch, fresh greens for supper- it doesn't have to be complicated.

have an off time when everyone's guard is down and we can just eat whatever.  weekends!


What I learned on the three day military diet?  I reminded myself why I don't follow fad diets.  It's far more fun and effective to plan healthy meals and exhibit some self control when it comes to the Edy's Cookie Dough in the freezer.

Also I learned that the three day military diet doesn't work. (Thanks for nothing, tuna x 3 cans.)

menu plan

So this menu plan last week did not account for my stove being out for five days. 

I had to get pretty creative. 

Here's what we ate:

build your own bagel pizzas 

alfalfa, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, and Neufchâtel on rye

whole wheat buttermilk waffles

brown rice pudding

made some artisan bread and couldn't bake it (haha)

lentil spaghetti sauce turned soup after a "the stove part will be here!" false alarm 

whole wheat tortillas - black bean salsa - microwaved refried bean taco dip

oven works!!!!!! spinach, feta, bacon, tomatoes, cucumbers, grated carrots and Jacob's favorite oven baked corn casserole. 

Oh my word, best mac and cheese ever! sharp cheddar, roux with sour cream + chicken broth, smoke flavoring, bacon. Delicious!! 

back to Saturday and mom's flannel cakes.

What are you all eating? 

crescent roll egg bake

This is a great super easy recipe from my friend Phoebe:

 

it's the go-to dinner on a super hectic night

 

or we suddenly have overnight company breakfast

 

or let's just have a special brunch

 

kind of yummy treat

 

and with crescent rolls it's hard to go wrong.

 

1 tube crescent rolls

 

2 cups  shredded cheese

 

12 eggs, beaten, salt and pepper to taste

 

*see variations

 

 

Unroll crescent rolls in greased 9 x 13 pan, sprinkle with cheese, pour eggs over.  Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until eggs are puffy and done.

 

 

 

*Phoebe sprinkled sausage as the base, then crescents, then cheese.

 

*I made it all summer with crescents, cheese, and then precooked bacon strips lined up on top

 

*pictured below: fresh veggies, fried potatoes, sausage, cheese, bacon, then crescents + eggs = perfect quick dinner with a big green salad!

 

enjoy!!

 

 

end-of-summer pasta

Tonight: 


1 red onion sliced in rounds
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 ears of fresh corn, cut off the cob
Sauteed in
olive oil
fresh ground salt and pepper

Tossed with

1 pkg w/w angel hair (boil and drain)
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 yellow summer squash/ yellow zucchini thinly sliced
3 cups of spinach, cut in ribbons
3 cocktail tomatoes, thinly sliced
3 shredded chicken breasts (I baked them with a lil italian dressing)
1 small container of feta cheese

Mmmm. . . . served with crusty artisan bread. . . sooo good.

calypso burritos

After waiting literally hours for Daniel in Home Depot one day, I discovered their extensive cookbook selection as well as this great recipe.  I've modified it since and use it often. I have yet to meet someone who doesn't like it. . . no one misses the meat and it's super super healthy using olive oil and mozzarella.  I wonder if I would rename them Home Depot Burritos?

 

 

2 medium size zucchini

1 medium yellow squash (whatever it's called - I think of it as yellow zucchini)

2 large carrots

1 large green pepper

1 large red onion

3-5 cloves garlic

olive oil to saute

fresh ground salt and pepper

1 can drained black beans or kidney beans

1 can drained whole kernel corn

1 envelope taco seasoning

1/3 cup salsa

handful cilantro

 

 

 

 

Grate squashes and carrots; chop pepper, onion and garlic.  Saute the onion and garlic until tender, add the pepper, then add the squashes.  Continue to saute, adding the remaining ingredients and simmer just until everything looks blended. 

 

 

serve with:

tortillas [preferably homemade ;) ]

mozzarella cheese

fresh avocados and tomatoes

sour cream

 



So yummy!

 

 

Rice Nights

Sitting at a wedding last fall, I listened as friends described a mission conference their church had just finished hosting.  One of the nights a meal was going to be served, and there were many different ethnic foods displayed, but when it came time to eat, the only thing served was. . . rice. 

One bowl.

Our friends described the shock and underlying surprise of the attendees who didn't expect to be served rice;  and the impact that this rice meal had was great as the leaders went on to explain the reality of hunger and poverty that Americans just don't comprehend.

Can you imagine your daily meal being a bowl of rice?

This idea, of serving rice and thinking about how the other half lives, stayed with me and in January we implemented our very first rice night.

We served rice and water, that's all, googled some world hunger facts [that were frankly, staggering], and then each week we've followed our own little youtube video trail searching relief, World Vision, Compassion, children and poverty.

Did you know that every five seconds a child dies from hunger related causes?

It has been eye opening for our kids.  I love that they're seeing another side of compassion;  our family has focused on grief so much that sometimes its easy to forget that there are many more needs out there in the wild cruel world. 

On a teaching note, the geography absorbed is phenomenal, because the kids like to see where the stories are coming from.  Last week we were watching something about a little boy in Niger and Jacob piped up oh, yeah, that's right below Algeria.  I, of course, had no idea if that's true cuz my world geography is pathetic, so I snuck over to the globe to see if he was right. . . yeah, he was.  ;)

And it keeps reality in view.

We've been given so much.  Most of us have no idea what hunger truly is, what famine and poverty and water shortage really look like. 

This was a rice + lentils night. :)

Then we ran across this great organization when our friend Rachel married Jonathan, the operations director for Live58.  We were intrigued by the line Live 58. . . a challenge to believers to live Isaiah 58.  Daniel looked it up via YouVersion and read aloud from the NLT to me:

“Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast.
Shout aloud! Don’t be timid.
Tell my people Israel of their sins!
Yet they act so pious!
They come to the Temple every day
and seem delighted to learn all about me.
They act like a righteous nation
that would never abandon the laws of its God.
They ask me to take action on their behalf,
pretending they want to be near me.
‘We have fasted before you!’ they say.
‘Why aren’t you impressed?
We have been very hard on ourselves,
and you don’t even notice it!’

“I will tell you why!” I respond.
“It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves.
Even while you fast,
you keep oppressing your workers.
What good is fasting
when you keep on fighting and quarreling?
This kind of fasting
will never get you anywhere with me.
You humble yourselves
by going through the motions of penance,
bowing your heads
like reeds bending in the wind.
You dress in burlap
and cover yourselves with ashes.
Is this what you call fasting?
Do you really think this will please the Lord?

“No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
lighten the burden of those who work for you.
Let the oppressed go free,
and remove the chains that bind people.
Share your food with the hungry,
and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them,
and do not hide from relatives who need your help.

“Then your salvation will come like the dawn,
and your wounds will quickly heal.
Your godliness will lead you forward,
and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.
Then when you call, the Lord will answer.
‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.

“Remove the heavy yoke of oppression.
Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors!
Feed the hungry,
and help those in trouble.
Then your light will shine out from the darkness,
and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
The Lord will guide you continually,
giving you water when you are dry
and restoring your strength.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like an ever-flowing spring.
Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities.
Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls
and a restorer of homes.

“Keep the Sabbath day holy.
Don’t pursue your own interests on that day,
but enjoy the Sabbath
and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day.
Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day,
and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly.
Then the Lord will be your delight.
I will give you great honor
and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob.
I, the Lord, have spoken!”

 

 

We were both a bit stunned by the directness clarity of these words, humbled to realize that often our lights as believers are clouded because of our selfishness and the modern day equivalents of fasting to please ourselves can mysteriously look like

 

squabbling over sunday school room placements

 

righteous indignation over music preferences

 

endless critiques of public Christian leaders

 

proving that my philosophy of ministry/outreach is better than yours

 

how this must grieve the heart of God.

 

 

For us, these little rice nights have been a tiny step in a direction of opening our children's eyes to the real, physical needs of little ones around the world. 

 

I pray that God breaks my children's hearts for a world in need of Him, the living Water and Bread of Life.

 

 

Homemade Tortillas, Pt. 2

I'm afraid I spoke too soon on the idea of homemade tortillas.

When will I learn not to judge????

*public apology for thinking homemade tortillas indicated too much time on your hands*

Today I made these spinach tortillas for lunch, start to finish- probably 15 minutes. 

*melt in your mouth deeee-lish*


I started with Taste of Home's master recipe, but I have changed it since, so I am listing the ingredients below:

Homemade Tortillas Basic Recipe

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons oil

Mix ingredients, knead a little, let rest, divide into 8 pieces, roll out into 8 or 9 inch circles. Place on hot electric skillet for about .  .  . oooh dear. . .  I didn't time it.  Just a little bit.  Like 45 seconds?  If your bubbles are turning brown, that's too long.  Flip.  30 - 45 more seconds  and you're done. 

I loooove Mission Tortillas and all the great flavors they have so I decided to attempt a spinach version today. 

I put the 3/4 cup water in the blender and threw in a huge handful of spinach.  When it was all vibrant green spinach water :)  I took it out and made sure it measured 3/4 c. liquid still and then proceeded with the rest of the recipe.

Eli ate his with cheddar cheese; the rest of us made tacos with beef, avacodoes, tomatoes, lettuce peppers & sour cream. 

Seriously good eating.

**Note that Stephanie pointed out:  tortillas can be stored in the freezer.  (Although ours aren't making it that far.)

Homemade Tortillas

People that make their own tortillas are probably a bit weird and fanatical. . .

Unless the person is me,

and I don't like to think that I'm weird, only that I didn't have time to run to the store.

Weird or out-of-time, whichever you choose to believe,

these are actually pretty tasty and crazy easy to make.

I was inspired by Panchero's, where Deeann and I took the girls after an Easter dress shopping marathon.  The guys at Panchero's make those huge tortillas look so incredibly simple to make- just wad, smash, throw on skillet, flip, done!

I don't have a tortilla press, just a rolling pin, but it's super easy regardless.

I followed this recipe  from Taste of Home.  I didn't fry in oil, though, just cooked them two at a time on my large nonstick pancake skillet.

One recipe made enough for a 9 x 13 pan of enchiladas.

And speaking of enchiladas:

We did have a real win the other night with these!

I found these Spinach Black Bean Enchiladas on Pinterest. 

*Small break for some unsolicited Pinterest recipe advice*  (or, how to avoid ending up on a Pinterest fail blog)

Like many recipes online or in magazines, I have found that if you don't like the ingredients separately you aren't going to like them together in a recipe. 

Which is why I don't bother trying recipes with say, olives, or orange marmalade, or tuna, or eggplant. 

If it looks too hard to make, it probably is.

If it's way out of your budget range, just skip it.   Quinoa is $10 for a tiny bag that looks like it might feed Eli breakfast in my town.  We don't make stuff with quinoa.  It's just not worth it, as crazy exciting as the fad may be. That way, you won't end up like Daniel, who once threw away many, many millet-swiss cheese mock burgers. ( It's a long story.)

Anyway, back to the enchiladas.

I was really skeptical since the sauce was homemade, but these far exceeded my expectations. The kids loved it, Daniel hoarded the leftovers to take to work, and I thought they were super fresh tasting, which is my current highest food compliment.

Try 'em out. :)