Simple Kale Saute

I've been on a no sugar, no carb diet. So I've been trying to find food I can make that tastes yummy - is healthy and easy peasy to make.

I like kale - so I thought... maybe a quick saute.


1 bunch of kale
1/2 bunch of spinach
10-15 thin spears of asparagus
1 cup of sliced crimini mushrooms
2-3 Tblsp garlic olive oil
1tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
salt and pepper for your own preference
1/2 a lemon


Wash the kale and de-stem them. Make slice the leaves in thirds horizontally.
Wash the spinach and make the same slices as the kale.

Break off the ends of the asparagus and wash. Slice them in thirds at an angle - because it's prettier.


Add 2-3 Tablespoons garlic olive oil to a wok (or whatever you like to saute in) over med-high heat. I sprinkle some freshly ground sea salt and black pepper - 'bout a 1/2 tsp each to start.


Toss in the mushrooms and saute until golden brown.
Add the asparagus. Saute another few minutes until tender.
Toss in the kale. Saute for 4 min or until it's wilted.
Last, add  in the spinach and saute until wilted.
Off the heat.
Squeeze in half a lemon's worth of juice.
Add more salt/pepper to your tongue's choice. heh

Toss - and enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower

I'm a little addicted to cauliflower right now. In the last week I've had it three times. Also, cauliflower is part of the family of veggies that actually protect you against cancers. Dude. Awesome.

So here's what I do.

Buy a head of cauliflower (they have orange too - so pretty). Preheat your oven to 350. 

Cut off the leftover leafy/stem thing and then break the sucker apart. If there are pieces that are ginormous. Cut them. Shape them into what you want to eat. Wash the beautiful cauliflower. Drain.

Toss the lot of them into a bowl and douse it with enough olive oil to coat the cauliflower. Freshly grind sea salt and black pepper - liberally. Don't be afraid. The more salt/pepper the more you can't have just one. If you're like me and love spicy food, add red pepper flakes.

Scatter these puppies on cookie sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes. Check it to make sure it's done to your desire.

Then... eat... and watch how quickly you can inhale a single cabbage head. It's like being a vegetarian zombie... "mmm... imitation brains!"

Apricot Compote Cheesecake Bars

Thank you Martha Stewart. These are simply divine.

For the delicious recipe - go here.
Thought I'd share some of the pictures I took while I made the cheesecake. I wish you could smell the sweet apricot aroma.




First you cook the apricots. The recipe says four - but I threw in one more. You cook it with sugar and a bit of salt.

It's ready when it looks like this.

Then you puree it with a lemon juice and water (I doubled the lemon juice) in a food processor.

This is the crust after it's been baked.

 Here's the cheesecake mix waiting for the apricot puree.

You just drop spoonfuls randomly. It's really fun.

 Then take a skewer and gently make your own designs. My girls thought these looked like dancing stars.

Voila - all done and baked... cool and then let it sit in your fridge for two hours. 

Dang I love apricots.




ps. I only took one bite. Just one. I am so proud of my discipline. I did freeze some for when I'm of my no sugar/carbs stint.

Graduation

Tonight my little one graduates preschool.

They're having a whole little ceremony with caps and gowns. It'll be sweet. I hope it stops raining by then, as it is being held outside.

 

She'll start kindergarten this fall... I'm trying not to think about it.

Oh, and I made these cupcakes for my first grader's kindergarten teacher. It was for her daughter's birthday party. I loved my little painter palettes. 

lemon chiffon cake with strawberry filling, and strawberry/lemon curd frosting.

Cheers!

ps. May is kicking my badunkadunk - I am exhaustapooped. The month's been non-stop things to do, places to go, items to remember... I can't wait until May is over. Also, I have senioritis baaaaad. And I'm the mom.

Happiness Post:: Post 24

Sometimes... being both silly and sassy... makes me uproariously happy.

Cups and Ice

You know the FRIENDS episode where Rachel smokes? In that episode Monica throws a party and puts Phoebe in charge of only cups and ice, because Monica is ... well, Monica. So Phoebe, knowing she's being slighted and side-lined, does what Phoebe would do - goes overboard with the cups and ice. There was shaved ice, pebbled ice, crushed ice, dry ice... then cup hats, cup garlands, sculptures, you name it.

snowmen cupcakes... 

In our first grade class it seems that the mom with the adorable kid, who is allergic to peanuts - is the only one allowed to make cupcakes for the class. I don't know why, or how it was decided, but there it is. However, these aren't from scratch cupcakes - these are the from a packaged, processed frosting kind of cupcakes. 

carrot cake... one of my all-time favorites minus the nuts - I like mine nut free

(side note - I also found it weird that at the beginning of the year we got a list of approved food - all of which were pre-packaged, chemically messed with "food" er...garbage. Even the apple slices were requested to be the chemically preserved apples to keep them from browning... FYI you can use a quick salt water soak to do that - wouldn't it be better to serve a kid with allergies whole, fresh food?)

applesauce spice cupcakes with roasted apple pear sauce topped with brown sugar cream cheese frosting

If you know me... I love, love, love making cupcakes - have been playing with them for several years now. Simply because, they're easy, peasy from scratch, taste better and... oh, yes I love to eat them, so does my family. I love sharing with good friends as well ... if you love it, share!

dark chocolate cupcake with dark/milk filling and ganache frosting sitting next to the applesauce spice one from above.

So it actually pains my soul when I'm not allowed to bring them to class.

kiwi cupcake with whipped cream frosting

My 6YO center - is an Egret... a beautiful, animated, happy egret.

For my 6YO's recent class play they asked for packaged rice krispie treats and oreo cookies. I first offered to bring cupcakes - but was immediately shot down. So then I said I would bring rice krispie treats - but I'd make them - I had to alert the mom with the kid with the allergy... who swallowed a fly - that sentence just had to go there... rhythm and all.

 M&M rice krispies... with a few skittles sprinkled in for a surprise.

So since I got clearance to make rice krispie treats, let's just say I was giddy as I decided to add a touch of Phoebe to my rice krispie endeavor.

 
cinnamon rice krispie treats...extra cinnamon...mmm

 pink rice krispie treats...because my girls got a kick out of the pink marshmallows

 this is only half what I made... I saved some for friends, classes, family... I had rice krispies coming out the seams.

It makes me happy when I find myself hilarious, with a touch of smart a$$ dolloped in... it must be the 12 year old boy in my head who is giggling his head off.


Cheers!

 

GNO

 

I love the spoon shape.

Last week my husband scored a ticket to go to the first SJ Sharks playoff game. My husband is a huge fan of Bay Area sports. He's currently glued SF Giants too. 

 Somehow they thought it would be a great idea to sip their juice and water at the same time for... watered down juice?

 

 

Since he was going to be gone for the evening on Wednesday of last week, I told him I would take the girls out for dinner. He thought it was a great idea, and I agreed of course.
 

They used to need the plastic chop stick helper clips - they don't need them anymore. 

Oh yeah... Asian genes baby. 

 

  

So Wednesday evening we headed to my 6YO's favorite Japanese restaurant. We took these cute pictures and texted them to my husband. After we'd gotten home my husband called and said, the pictures were cute, but his SJ Shark game was Thursday, not Wednesday. Turns, out Wednesday he was just working late.



Apparently, I pulled another Joey Moment.


So there really wasn't anything to do, but to repeat our GNO the next evening. (Oh, darn.)


Have I told you how much I love having daughters?


Even with the tears that happen at least 2-4 times a day. Then there's the emotional breakdowns, the whining, the "she's being mean to me", the tattling, the talking at the same time....

At our favorite thin crust pizza place. Dessert, the giant cookie w/ice cream on top.

Somehow, those moments are instantly forgotten when they cuddle with me, kiss me, or pummel me with a bear hug and tell me that I'm the "best mom in the whole world, best baker, cooker, or the nicest"- because they are so easily pleased with the surprises/activities and places we go.

Have I also mentioned how sweet they can be to each other? They encourage, teach, share, defend, comfort, giggle and whisper secrets as sisters do. Those moments make me deeply happy.

It's in those complete moments that I have a zen moment. I thank the Lord he gave me sweet daughters.


Here's to many, many more GNOs with my little, adorable crew.


Cheers!

By the way, what are you doing on Friday?

I'll be posting "Friday: A Family Lives Here". 

Will you join me?

Here's the button.

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Here's my post from last week. I hope you join in on my weekly carnival. I love visiting and discovering what you're all doing as you gather evidence in your own homes.
 

Monday Mish Mash

image from vegnews

Do you have a thing?

When I go to a place that serves chili on the menu... I always order it. I.Heart.Chili. Any kind of chili. I prefer it spicy. I'll enjoy it tame. I like it drizzled on fries, saturating a burger, a hot dog, Cincinnati style... maybe I should go make a batch.

With this unending rain, and cloud cover, all I want is food that envelops me. Chili does that. It's also hearty...argh!

So yeah, I have a thing. It's chili.

Okay... disclaimer: I am also prolifically, potently musical post-bowl. *grin*

Tamales

My friend Sylvia is the tamale queen. (She's also Chinese, like me. I have always thought ...all through college that there was a little latina inside me - maybe it's true for all us Asian chics?) She gave tamales as Christmas gifts back in 2008. I have not forgotten the taste. I have since tried to find tamales as good as hers, and failed miserably.

So, she taught me how to make them. The key is the masa.

In Newark, CA there's the Mexican Tortilla Factory that grinds fresh masa daily. The masa Sylvia uses is the red masa. Red masa rules. I don't know what's in it, but all sorts of magical goodness, because it is tasty. If you go, you can also get some delicious, made to order Mexican food, in addition to browsing all the Mexican grocery items to your heart's content. I'm starting to get hungry just typing this paragraph.


Since I was in the Bay Area two weekends ago, I loaded up on 20lbs of masa, two bags of corn husks, and two bags of California Chile Pods.

Sylvia was in charge of the tasty, tasty pork. She slow-cooked it with salt, pepper, cumin, garlic and a can of beer.


Then there's the chile pod sauce. You bring water to a boil w/the chile pods and garlic, then simmer for an hour to soften it all up. Blend and mix with the meat. That color of red is so lovely.



Soak the corn husks to make them pliable for tamale folding.


Hello delicious masa... I love you.


The meat is so good, my girls and I would pick at it and gobble it up.


Pretty. So pretty. Get in my belly.

Then steam, pour Cholula over it, add some guac and inhale.

Chocolate Drought

Please say it isn't so.

Check out this article.