A couple years ago my husband and I met a couple staying at a bed and breakfast near our home.  My husband and I were having coffee and they asked to join us.  Our simple cup of coffee turned into a day of adventure.  They were from the Caribbean and in California for a vacation.  It was so fun getting to know them and doing things we do all the time with a set of fresh eyes.

After meeting, we kept in contact through Facebook in case we were ever in the same area again.  They came back to California this past week for a business conference and we opened up our home to them.  It was great seeing them again, and as a thank you they cooked us their favorite dinner.

Caribbean food is so delicious.  After dinner I begged to get the recipe, it was so good.  They were kind enough to share their favorite recipes with us so we will be able to transform our meals into a paradise.

Here are two of the Caribbean recipes they shared, and I promise they are to die for.


Creole Rice Pilaf

Ingredients-

• 1 ½ tsp. olive oil
• ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1/3 cup minced shallots
• ½ cup sliced scallions
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 ¼ cup diced plum tomatoes
• 1 ½ cup short-grain brown rice
• 3 ½ cup vegetable broth, boiling
• ½ cup chopped fresh coriander
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 2 tsp. Bragg liquid Aminos

Instructions-

• Heat oil and crushed red pepper in a saucepan on medium heat for 1 minute.  Add the shallots, scallions, and celery and cook for about 3 minutes until adding the mushrooms and tomatoes, and cook 2 minutes before adding rice.  The entire mixture for 2 minutes while stirring.

• Add the boiling broth, coriander and thyme into the saucepan and bring to boil.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for about 45 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.  Stir in the liquid aminos and enjoy!

Caribbean Style Sofrito- this makes 6 servings, they like to feed a crowd! :D



Ingredients-

• 1 green bell pepper, cut into ¼ inch cubes
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into ¼ inch cubes
• ½ orange bell pepper, cut into ¼ inch cubes
• ½ yellow bell pepper, cut into ¼ inch cubes
• 5 tomatoes, cored and chopped
• ½ bunch of green onions, chopped
• ¾ bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
• 3 fresh tomatillos, husks removed
• ½ cup chopped garlic

Instructions-
• Put the green, red, orange, and yellow peppers, tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, tomatillos, and garlic into a food processor or blender and pulse or blend to make the your desired consistency, either chunky or smooth. Season lightly with salt.

• Enjoy!
Hope these recipes can transport you to a Caribbean escape in your kitchen!

Go green and stay keen,

Julie

The kids first day of school is tomorrow and they are having mixed feelings of excitement and sadness because the summer is over.  They both got new backpacks this year and have them all filled with notebooks and pens ready to go.

We got to do so many things together this summer and were able to cross everything off their summer to do list.  It was a wonderful summer.



Because it is the last day before they start school, I want to make them a nutritious dinner so their brains are ready for tomorrow.  I am making my eggplant lasagna that they love.  Eggplants are great vegetables with so many benefits for everyone.

Here are some healthy facts about eggplants that will make you want to add them to your regular diet.

• Eggplants have essential nutrients that your body needs like iron, calcium, and many other minerals.

• Eggplant skins contain essential phyto nutrients that improve blood circulation and nourish the brain; perfect for back to school after a summer of fun.

• Eggplants have fiber to protect and regulate the digestive tract.

• For many years eggplants were used to control and manage diabetes.  With research it was proven because of the high fiber and low soluble carbohydrate content.

• Eggplants are high in bioflavonoids that control high blood pressure and relieve stress.  Good for those first day of school jitters.

• Regular consumption of eggplants can also help prevent blood clots because of the vitamin K and bioflavonoids that strengthen capillaries.


I believe that a good dinner and breakfast are the key to a successful day at school for children.  Food fuels the brain and the body so that it performs to its highest capability.  I am lucky I taught my kids at a young age to like foods that are good for their bodies and minds.  Now Hannah and Liam prefer “healthy” food over junk food, almost all the time :).

It makes me proud to see them make good choices and grow stronger and bigger each year.

I am sure tonight is going to be the “I don’t want to go to school, I want it to be summer longer,” but with this dinner and homemade ice cream for dessert, it should make it a little more bearable for them.

Happy first day of school for all the other kids out there!

Go green and stay keen,

Julie

Happy National Watermelon Day! :D

Okay, I know it is not a widely known holiday or for that matter really celebrated, but our family takes National Watermelon Day very seriously.  It is a great day to indulge on watermelon for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Watermelons are pretty interesting fruits as well, giving us plenty to talk about.

Here are our family’s favorite fun facts about watermelons-

• There are 300 different kinds of watermelons in the US and Mexico
• They are the perfect summer snack because they are 92% water making them so refreshing.
• The world’s heaviest watermelon weighed 268.6 lbs., now that is a lot of watermelon.
• People eat on average 16 lbs. of watermelon annually.
• Egyptian hieroglyphics show the first-ever watermelon harvest took place about 5,000 years ago.  They were often sealed into tombs of kings.

Now you can have the same useless trivia as we do.

There are so many recipes with watermelon that are often forgot.  People usually just eat them sliced, although it is wonderful that way, there are so many more possibilities when it comes to a delicious fruit like this.

Watermelon-Peach Salsa with Tomatoes-

Ingredients-

• ½ cup hot pepper jelly
• 1 tbsp. lime zest
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• 2 cups seeded and diced watermelon
• 1 cup peeled and diced fresh peaches
• 1/3 cup chopped basil
• 1/3 cup chopped chives
• 3 cups baby tomatoes, halved
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh basil springs to garnish

Directions-

• Whisk the pepper jelly, lime zest, and lime juice together and then stir in watermelon, peaches, basil, and chives.
• Season the baby tomatoes with salt and pepper to taste.  Mix with salsa, and serve with basil if desired.  Enjoy!

Don’t be nervous at the thought of warm watermelon, Grilled Watermelon Slices are delicious-

Ingredients-
• Several slices of watermelon
• 2 limes, juices
• ½ a limes zest
• 3 tbsp. honey
• 2 tsp. water
• A few dashes of cayenne pepper
• A few pinches of salt



Directions-

• Preheat the grill to high.  Cut watermelon into 1 inch thick slices and lightly brush each side with honey and place on grill until browned, about 2 minutes.
• In a small bowl mix the rest of the ingredients and drizzle mixture over watermelon slices on place.
• Enjoy!

And for a little adult beverage, Frozen Watermelon Margaritas are very tasty-

Ingredients-

• 1 ½ cups watermelon, cubed
• 1 cup tequila
• ½ cup lime juice
• ½ cup orange liqueur
• 1-2 tbsp. sugar
• ½ tsp. salt
• 3 cups ice

Directions-

• Puree watermelon, add the rest of the ingredients and blend until desired consistency.  Divide among glasses and garnish with lime and watermelon slice.
• Enjoy!


With your new fun facts and superb watermelon recipes, National Watermelon day is going to be WONDERFUL!

Go green and stay keen!

Julie

I have been slacking about posting my Kids Cook Monday Meals.



We have been keeping up with it and participating since my first post.  My mind just goes to other topics when I sit down to write.  I have had way too many other good topics to share with you guys :)

Good news is I remembered tonight! My kids and husband helped cook dinner tonight! It was so wonderful.

We made Confetti Stuffed Bell Peppers and Chilled Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookies for desert.

We had so much fun cooking and our meal tasted delicious.  I think we spent the entire time cooking, laughing at Liam, he had a comment for everything; silly kid!

Here are the recipes that we used!

We actually found the Confetti Stuffed Bell Pepper recipe at the Kids Cook Monday website.

Confetti Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients-

• 4 large bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
• 1 bag (12 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables, cooked according to the package directions
• 1 bag (10 oz.) whole grain brown rice, cooked according to package directions
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup parmesan cheese
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper

Instructions-

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Lightly grease a 9x13-inch shallow baking dish with nonstick cooking spray
• Combine mixed vegetables, brown rice, ½ cup mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, tomato sauce and black pepper in a large bowl.
• Arrange peppers in prepared pan and spoon mixture into peppers.
• Pour ¼ cup water into pan around the peppers. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes, until peppers are tender.
• Remove foil and evenly sprinkle peppers with remaining cheeses.  Bake uncovered 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
• Enjoy!

For dessert we made no-bake, Chilled Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients-

• 2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup light corn syrup
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• ¼ cup chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
• 3 cups corn flakes, lightly crushed

Instructions-

• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• On a small skillet add cocoanut and toast for about 3 minutes then let cool.
• In a medium sauce pan combine honey, corn syrup, and peanut butter on medium heat.  Keep stirring until mixture begins to bubble.  Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips and cocoa.  Stir the mixture until the chocolate chips have melted and then add the cereal and toasted coconut and stir until coated.
• Spoon balls of mixture on to parchment paper and refrigerate until hardened, about 15 minutes.
• Enjoy!



It ended up being a fantastic kid’s cook Monday!  We were so full after our meal we went on a walk around the neighborhood to digest it all.  The meal and the walk put the kids right to bed.  When we got back they sat on the couch for 15 minutes and went straight to bed.  Great end to a great evening.
Go Green and Staying Keen,

Julie