Every Sunday we make sure make time to sit down and eat dinner together and prep for the week ahead.  With the summer winding down we are finally able to relax a little more and not worry about running somewhere quick or getting ready for a game tomorrow.

Liam and Hannah finished soccer this week, so we have the one week to relax and get ready before school starts.  Tonight for dinner, I did not feel like having dishes to wash after so I made skillet vegetable curry.

I think skillet recipes are the best, they are fairly easy, quick, and they don’t dirty a lot of pots and pans.  No one really likes doing dishes, but when I don’t feel like washing up, I always try coming up with something in the skillet.  You can cook anything in a skillet, I have mastered that art. 

Here is the recipe for my fabulous Vegetable Curry and my not-so-healthy brownie s’mores I made for dessert.  I also have the best lemon parmesan asparagus recipe for the skillet too!  I hope you love them as much as we do, and don’t worry about lots of dishes.

Vegetable Curry

Ingredients-
• 3 cups frozen peas
• 1 ½ lbs. fresh green beans
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 handfuls of spinach
• 1 tsp. black mustard seed
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. ginger
• 1 tsp. garlic paste
• ½ tsp. turmeric
• ½ tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ cup coconut milk
• Cilantro for garnishing
• Rice to serve on

Instructions-
• Heat the oil in a large skillet on high heat then reduce the heat to medium and add the mustard seeds and onion.  Cook for a few minutes then add the green beans, broccoli, potatoes, and carrots cook for about 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are almost cooked.
• Add the peas, ginger, garlic, turmeric, chili powder, salt, and paprika, cook for 3-5 minutes then add the spinach and cook until it turns bright green.  Add the coconut milk, stir and simmer for about 2 minutes.  Serve over a bed of rice and enjoy!

Not-So-Healthy Brownie S’mores

Ingredients-
• 1 boxed brownie mix
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 bag of marshmallows
• Chocolate syrup

Instructions-
• Prepare the brownies according to the directions and while they are baking, melt the butter in a small skillet then add the graham cracker crumbs and cook until the crumbs are lightly toasted.  Let cool and set aside while the brownies are baking.
• When the brownies are baked and cooled, assemble the marshmallows on top of the brownies in the skilled and turn the oven to broil and place in the oven until they are toasted.
• Take them out of the oven and sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs over the brownies and marshmallows and top with the chocolate syrup.  Enjoy your not-so-healthy brownie s’mores, I know you will!

And just in case you need a delicious side dish, my all-time favorite:

Lemon Parmesan Asparagus

Ingredients-
• 1 lbs. asparagus, washed and clean
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• ¼ tsp. garlic salt
• ¼ tsp. lemon pepper

Instructions-
• Melt the butter with olive oil in a large skilled on medium heat and add the asparagus.  Flip and stir the stalks to coat them with the butter and oil mixture.  Cover and let cook for about 5 minutes.
• Add the lemon juice, salt, lemon pepper, and half the parmesan cheese to the skillet.  Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes more until the asparagus gets tender.  When they are cooked, flip and top with the other half of parmesan cheese and serve.  Enjoy!

I hope these recipes find you when you don’t feel like dirtying a bunch of pots and pans.  Don’t let the richness of the brownie s’mores turn you off, they are great in moderation! 
Go Green and Stay Keen,
Julie

I recently broke one of my favorite rolling pins and had to order a new one.  It was so hard for me to decide which one to get because my previous one was no longer being made.  Looking for a new one made me realize I have quite the unique set of kitchen utensils.  I love finding the perfect tool for the job.  I am a sucker for specialized utensils that help make my favorite foods easier to make.

After I realized my kitchen utensil drawer probably doesn’t look like many of yours, I decided I should share my favorite unique kitchen utensils.

1. If you know me, you know I love mushrooms.  There is no slacking on this wonderful vegetable here.  My Mushroom & Egg Slicer is one of my favorite and very specific utensils.  If you cook mushrooms or eggs often I highly recommend it.  I even got the restaurant one.
2. Shears are important in every kitchen.  I use them all the time if I am in a hurry or want an easy option for mincing chives or slicing green onions.  There are my favorite kitchen shears that might just make your kitchen experience better.
3. The spill stopper has saved my stove from so many potential spills.  It is this silicone bowl-shaped utensil that fits on top of pots from water or broth from boiling over.  It is always irritating when you leave the room for two seconds and the water boils over and you have a huge flame.  The spill stopper stops that from happening.


4. My pizza wheel has retired since I got the pizza chopper.  When I used to use a pizza wheel I would have to go over the cut several times until it was cut and still then my slices wouldn’t be even.  The pizza chopper is easier and makes slices even.  I use it for tarts as well.


5. I have found the PERFECT Peeler, and what a coincidence it is called the  Perfect Peeler.  I feel like a good peeler is hard to come by until I found this one.  I went through many different kinds and designs but the perfect peeler has solved all my peeling problems.


6. Hannah’s favorite tool in the kitchen is our stainless steel scoop for cookies.  It makes the perfect sized cookies and you don’t have to fiddle with a tablespoon.  I also use it for truffles, energy bites, and watermelon balls!


7. My marble pastry slab was in impromptu buy that is one of my favorites.  I like using it better than the table when I am rolling out dough for bread or whatever I am making.  I use less flour and the dough doesn’t stick to the surface as much making it easy to clean up.


Do you have utensils you could not cook without?  Maybe you have the key to one of my cooking problems, please let a comment below with your favorite unique utensil.

Go green and stay keen,

Julie

There are just so many things to be recognized in October, but one of my favorite is today, NATIONAL PASTA DAY! :D  I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love pasta.  It is such a versatile food that can be made to be spicy, sweet, savory, rich…and the list goes on.

Happy National Pasta Day!

Did you know that pasta has been made and consumed as early at 3,000 B.C. by the Chinese?  It only was brought to America in 1789 by Thomas Jefferson after being in France.  I don’t know how people survived without it. 

Pasta has become a staple in much of American popular culinary works.  So why not find out a little bit more about our favorite pasta?  Here are some fun facts about pasta…I mean who doesn’t want to know more?


•    Italians consume more pasta than anyone else in the world.
•    Pasta comes in many different colors depending on the sauce it is made with.
•    The word pasta originated from the Italian word paste.
•    The average American eats 20 lbs. of pasta annually.
•    There are 310 specific forms of pasta that are known by over 1300 different names.

I remember years ago in college, pasta was the base for nearly every meal.  Pasta can be enjoyed on any budget and can be prepared to make the low cost noodles seem like a high end dish.  I still always keep pasta on hand at home.  It is great for those days when cooking an entire meal seems daunting but you want to eat something good.  It is easy to make a delicious meal in just a few minutes with pasta.

When you hear the statement, “Happy National Pasta Day” I hope you get as excited as I do and imagine yourself indulging in delicious pasta delights.  I am sure you have a favorite kind or shape of pasta, but today I say, try a new one.  With 310 different options, why not dapple in a new meal shape.  Get cooking and make sure you have your fair share of pasta. :)

What is your favorite pasta and pasta dish?

Go green and stay keen,

Julie

It is very important to eat a diet high in nutrients to make sure your body has the essential vitamins and minerals to keep you healthy.

Your plate should be a spectrum of bright colors.  We are naturally attracted to bright things, whether it be lush landscapes, clothing hues, bright flowers, or whatever it might be.  The foods you chose to eat shouldn’t be any different, the brighter in color the food is, the more likely it high is nutrients.

Foods that are bland colors often don’t provide as much nutrients as bright fruits and vegetables.  I taught my kids to fill their plate of color.

From when they were little, we always made sure we had at least three colors on our plate for every meal.

Liam and Hannah will even comment if our dinner or lunch is lacking in bright colors and find some fresh veggies to add to it.

Instilling good eating habits to our children is essential to their health.  Here is a list of five food color groups that are great for growing children.

• Orange fruits and vegetables are often high in vitamin A, improve immune and reproductive health, and also have anti-cancer properties.  Sweet potatoes, yams, winter squash, carrots, and apricots are all good sources of your daily dose of orange.

• Yellow fruits and veggies like squash, potatoes, bell peppers, and apples; promote skin and eye health.  They can also improve cognition.

• My favorite color, green is great for lowering the risk of cancer, improved eye health, and stronger teeth and bones.  Some of my favorite green veggies are asparagus, kale, spinach, and broccoli.

• Blue and Purple fruits and vegetables are my second favorite to eat.  Eggplant (my favorite), purple cabbage, prunes and raisins help to protect cells from being damaged and help lower the risks of heart disease, and cancer.  They also have anti-aging and brain boosting properties.

• Red fruits and vegetables like cranberries, bell peppers, tomatoes, and pomegranates contain antioxidants that benefit heart health and can help prevent some cancers.

If you have young children there was a rainbow game we used to play that can be found here.  It is a great way to get them involved with the meal and healthy choices.

I challenge you to try having three different bright colors on your plate this week.  It is not as difficult as you might thing, but the rewards will be well worth it.

Eat the rainbow.


Go green and stay keen,

Julie

Happy Valentine’s Day cyber world!  Today is such a wonderful day, you can’t go anywhere without feeling the love in the air.  I love Valentine’s Day because it celebrates one of the greatest gifts of life, love.  I love my husband, but instead of sneaking off today and doing our own thing we decided to have a family Valentine’s Days.  Our kids have allowed us to grow and fall in love even more and I fall deeper in love with my husband and my children every day. 



This morning my husband and I woke up early and made heart shaped pancakes with pink and red M&M’s in them for Hannah and Liam.  We surprised them with their first breakfast in bed.  They thought it was so great they didn’t have to get dressed to have breakfast. :)  It was fun being sly with my husband to surprise the kids.  I don’t know why we didn’t think about doing stuff like this before.




After breakfast and the kiddo’s finally got out of bed and got dressed we went to the park to play a game of Frisbee and have a picnic lunch.  It was fun getting out and being active on such a beautiful day.  We may have ruined a few couples romantic park setting by running around and whipping the Frisbee around, but we sure had a fabulous time.

A few hours later and we were exhausted and ready for our picnic.  Liam and Hannah thought it was funny that we were one of the only families in the park and the rest were couples.  They picked out a spot in the middle of the big clearing where there weren’t that many couples.  We sat there for almost two hours laughing, making duck faces, and rolling down the hill.  I don’t know what got into the kids and my husband they were so silly. 

We made it back to the house late in the afternoon and the kids, including my husband, fell asleep on the couches watching a movie while I made dinner.  I made some spaghetti with garlic bread and a delicious Valentine’s Day cake for desert.  By the time I was done cooking all my children woke up, set the table, and we had a fabulous dinner.


We concluded our family Valentine’s Day with a competitive game of sorry and apples to apples.  Today has easily been one of the best Valentine’s Day I have ever had.  Spending time with my three loves was so special and it definitely was a laugh filled day.  I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family!

Go Green and Stay Keen,

Julie