Gnocci...I love you.

It began with a love affair: italian food.

I bought a book at the grocery store for $8....a steal! 

It was called, "The Food of Italy" and I already
knew I would love it.

Now, some of you know (and some don't know)
 that there is some books and shows that claim to have "italian cooking." Be wary of these shows because they are not rustic, true Italian cooking.

How can you tell? True Italian cooking is very simple, few ingredients and very "natural" forms of food. You'll know right away :)

So anyways, like I was saying.

I went through this book and found many recipes I wanted to try. 

They were amazing!

Then I found my love....Gnocci.

(Healthy Garden Veg & Garlic)

OR

(Cheesy Gnocci Bake)
(I apologize for the lower-quality picture. This dish tastes amazing! It's my favorite!!)

Oh man! It was amazing!! My mouth had its own little party.

My hubby was even more in love with it than I was.
Because he has limited eating,
 he dived right into these because he could have them.

(Truth be told, I almost (but not quite) regret making them because now my
husband asks for them ALL the time,
and they're a fair amount of work, but I do love him lots :)

Yes, they are a fair amount of work, but you don't have to make them everyday. And my best tip, is to make lots at once, then freeze the rest.
They freeze amazingly! 
Taste as fresh as the day you made them!!!

Gnocci

2 lbs yellow potatoes, peeled or not (your choice. I do)

2 egg yolks

2 Tbsp grated parmesan

1-1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1. Dice and boil potatoes until soft.
2. Mix up to release steam and cool down.
3. Add rest of ingredients to potatoes.
4. Mix until dough-like consistency.  (see below, just before kneading)
5. 
6. You don't want it stiff, but not sticky either.
7. Put flour on the counter, and break dough into about 5 sections.
8. Roll each section into 1 inch diameter logs.
9. Once into log shape, cut the log every 1 inch into little squares.
10. They will look like pillows.
11. Boil "pillows" in salted water until the float to the top.
12. Pull out (use a spoon with holes)
13.  Put on wire rack to dry.
14. Once dry, do one of the following:

• Freeze for later:  (taste just as amazing as fresh)
• Freeze the gnocci on a rack or large pan, making sure the gnocci is separated, none are touching each other.
• Once frozen that way, you can throw them all in a Ziploc bag, making sure it's sealed tightly.
• Store for up to 2-3 months.
• To re-heat:
• Boil them in a pot of water for 2 minutes, to thaw them.
• Continue with however you want to make them

• Healthy Garden Veg and Garlic Recipe
• Stirfry any fresh veggies, making sure they're sliced thinly
• Add in a bit of EVOO, salt and peper, and 1 clove of garlic.
• In a non-stick pan, fry up the gnocci with butter, and 1 clove of garlic, until lightly browned on either side.
• Put veggies and gnocci together.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan if desired.

• Cheesy Gnocci Bake
• Put gnocci in a casserole dish.
• Make a cheese sauce (flour, milk, butter, cheese).
• Add any veggies you may want (carrots and parsnip, pan fried)
• Slice up some pancetta into small bits.
• Pour cheese sauce over gnocci.
• Sprinkle pancetta over cheese sauce.
• Top with grated parmesan cheese
• Bake in 375〫 for 15 minutes, uncovered.

Healthy Chicken Tenders!!

This is a recipe I make constantly for my two little kids.

What little child doesn't like breaded chicken?

I'm sure they would love to chow down on unhealthy,

 deep-fried chicken tenders, 

however their body and mind would not thank me. 

It's not good for their body, 

or eating habits.

It's not good for their brain development.

And it's not good for the bank account 

(By this, I mean its more expensive to buy 3 chicken strips 

than make your own).

I have said before, I am unfailingly strict with healthy eating. 

I believe that if you children

 are raised with things like

  whole wheat bread, vegetables, lentils, etc, 

they will  use those as the basis for the eating. 

They will take that with them when they're 14 and mom can't tell them 

what to eat (as much) anymore.

I personally only use organic meat because I can't believe what is in the "other stuff." 

Hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, etc.

It is a bit more expensive, but I personally believe it's important to know what we put in our bodies. We only get one :)

(this is just my personal opinion, and not necessarily yours)

The nice thing is, these are easy and fast! 

The kids won't even know

 how healthy they are!!

Healthy Chicken Tenders

2 large chicken breasts   (doesn't that make way more sense than lbs? or grams?)

Dressing:  (mix these each in a separate bowl)

1st bowl:

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour

2nd bowl:

2 Eggs (beaten with a fork)

3rd bowl:

3 tsp Chili Powder (it's not hot, just smoky flavoured)

1/4 tsp curry powder

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 Tbsp fresh chopped Cilantro and Flat Leafed Parsley

2 cups of bread crumbs 

~quick recipe~

4 slices of whole wheat bread.

Break these up into a fine grind of bread crumbs.

Toast in the oven on broil until just barely toasted (very pale tan)

Once out of oven, break up chunks and toss in bowl.

Add rest ingredients, mix well.

1. Slice chicken into 1" x 1" x 1" strips.
2. Make sure to coat each layer thoroughly!!
3. (use tongs) Dip into first bowl of flour. 
4. Then Second bowl of eggs.
5. Then Third bowl of bread crumbs.
6. Put on sheet of parchment paper.
7. Bake in 375〫oven for 10 minutes one side, then flip and put in for another 10 minutes.

Cut one in half to make sure it's done as this time is for convection oven, 

not convention oven.

Serve with Honey Mustard Sauce (or plum, BBQ)

Notasti + SPF = YUM!

Want a quick, easy, tasty (somewhat healthy) dinner?

Try this noodle stir fry, paired with SPF (sweet potato fries)

Notasti  (Noodles + Tasty=Notasti....work?) Makes 4 servings
Any veggies you like for a stirfry (try something new this time!)
1/4 cup Butternut Squash (cook first for 10 mins on its own)
4 carrots, peeled, then use a peeler to peel them to the core, which will look like stringy carrots.
1/2 cup broccoli
1/2 zucchini
1/2 bunch chives
Chopped fresh Cilantro
Chopped fresh Parsley
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
HP Thai Sauce
1 Tbsp peanut butter
Salt
Pepper

In a seperate saucepan:
2 cups Steam Fried Noodles

1. Bring 1 inch of water to boil in a non-stick frying pan
2. Cook carrots and squash by themselves for 10 mins first.
3. Add in the rest of the veggies, Olive Oil,  and sizzle for 8 minutes
4. You don't want the veggies to be soft, but "al dente" 
5. Add sauce.

1. In a seperate saucepan, bring water to a boil and add noodles.
2. Cook for 1 minute. Drain water.
3. Add the 2 dishes together, and stir.

          

Sweet Potato Fries and Chipoltle Mayo
McCain SP Fries
Seasoning Salt

Mayonaise
Chipoltle Sauce

Bake fries as directed.
Mix Mayo and Sauce.
Serve together.

Back to School Cookies

Well my little big girl was not all that excited about going to school. She wants to stay home with mommy. So to try and get her in the "festive" school mood, we did the following:

~ buy her a new princess lunch kit (her favorite)

~ show her her new princess backpack (courtesy of Auntie Lacey)

~Schedule her in for the same days as her cousin

~talk to her many times about how FUN preschool is

~make her the coolest, girliest, most decorative lunchbox cookies ever 

Crossing my fingers that tomorrow will be a smooth day :)

This may look like a lot of work, (cuz it looks SO fab) but it's really not much more work than scooping out chocolate chip cookies (I'm really all about fast and easy, but delish!)

Lunchbox Envy Cookies  *recipe courtesy of Jean Pare
They are a typical shortbread style cookie, but a bit sweeter, and much more fun to eat!
1 cup Butter
2/3 - 3/4 cup Icing Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 cups Flour

Easy right?

1. Preheat oven to 350〫
2. Mix the butter and icing sugar together. Cream them.
3. Add in the vanilla and flour. 
4. Mix thoroughly.
5. Divide dough into 3 even sections.
6. Put each section in a small bowl.
7. Add corresponding colours and mix thoroughly. When mixing colours, begin by stirring with a spoon, but as it becomes mixed throughout, pull out of bowl and knead and roll the colour thoroughly into the dough (unless you want colourful hands!)
8. Seperately, roll each coloured ball into a "rope" or "snake" or "log"                                                  (you may find it easier to roll these between 2 sheets of waxed paper)
9. If your dough is too soft or sticky, throw the balls (squished down into a ball the size of the palm of your hand) throw it in the freezer for 8 minutes.
10. Lay logs on a sheet of waxed paper and put in freezer for 8 minutes.
11. Pull them out, and on the sheet of waxed paper, put two rolls on the bottom, and one on top, making a pyramid.
12. Slice 3/4 - 1 inch thick.
13. Lay on sheet of parchment
14. Bake 8 mins convection, 11 mins conventional.