Two things I always crave these days: pizza and pancakes.
I am annoyed that DoorDash doesn’t deliver the pizza I like, but the pancakes? Those I can take care of myself! Last week I was all about pumpkin pancakes, and this week, I’ve moved onto blueberry pancakes. This is mostly because we ran out of canned pumpkin and I had frozen blueberries in the freezer already.
Because I like to put all my frequently-used recipes on my blog for easy access, I am now adding this one! I’ve got it memorized for the moment because I made it three days in a row, but in case I ever get past this obsession and forget the proportions, I can now find it here. They feel healthyish (whole wheat!), take 5 minutes to mix together, and taste great! Enjoy!
I’m scared to write this post. Because I’m have a terrible feeling that as soon as I hit publish, my daughter will suddenly decide that she hates everything and anything I try to feed her… And that I will be eating my words even as they are flying out to you in cyberspace.
I also don’t want to get into mommy wars here. God knows the last thing I want from this is to get into a debate on which method is right or whose nutrition philosophy is best. I just have a lot of friends getting into the parenting stage and want to share what has worked for us so far. No promises that it will work for you, or even that it will continue to work for us or that our next baby will accept it. Just hoping to provide some practical ideas for new parents out there!
Okay now that I got all my disclaimers out of the way, let’s get to it. This post is about trying to train your child to be a “good eater.” That is, a baby who will accept most of the foods you try to feed her, especially vegetables. This will not only make life much easier for you in the long run, but also probably make for a more healthy/balanced life for your child in the years to come.
First let me be clear: my daughter is not yet two. I hear once they hit two, things can change, big time. But right now, I can tell you this: my daughter is a great eater. I can give her cauliflower, fish, zucchini, asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts, celery root or cheese and she will not only eat it, but often will also say, “Mmmm, good!” and nod in approval when she’s especially pleased with it.
Is your 1.5 year old like that, too? Then HOORAY FOR US, right?? I can’t keep track of the number of times random strangers have come up to me and said, “Your daughter is such a good eater!” Sometimes, they also add, “You’re lucky,” as if it’s an inherited trait, or the luck of the draw. Maybe it is. At least part of it probably is. But I was reading a book on how French Kids Eat Everything, and couldn’t help but scoff at the things the author was saying we “Americans” do, and the more I read, the more I debated if she was exaggerating her description of American parenting, or if I was French at heart. Let kids snack anytime they want? Let the baby decide what to eat– and encourage her to play with her food and throw it around? Be a short-order cook and make one meal for the adults, and a separate meal for your picky eater(s) each night? No, thanks.
So in a lip-biting case of I-may-be-eating-my-words someday, I’m going to share some of what we did to try to train our daughter to be a flexible eater.
This stuff is SO good. SO simple. SO perfect for a busy night when I still want something REALLY REALLY DELICIOUS to eat. This dish makes me eat about twice as much pasta as I normally do because this buttery, lemony angel hair pasta is completely addicting. It’s one of my favorite recipes from Ina, because it uses such basic ingredients, but comes together in such a perfect way when you bite down on that perfectly roasted shrimp and the delectable, tasty pasta. I feel a symphony of happiness in my insides, much like Remy’s blissful strawberry and cheese moment in Ratatouille:
Seriously, if you like shrimp, lemon, and butter, you have to try this. It’s super easy to throw together, yet makes me feel like a gourmet chef every time I make it. I usually pay over $20 when we eat out for pasta, but often think I’d be even happier eating this (so would my wallet)! Even better, I recently discovered great quality frozen shrimp at Sprouts (thanks for the rec, Dad!) so most of the ingredients to make this are already in my pantry and freezer all the time. Didn’t get a chance to go grocery shopping yet? No problem! Pick a couple lemons from your backyard and everything else should be in your pantry or freezer already! Convenient, right?
To keep dinner nice and simple, I usually serve this with roasted veggies like asparagus or brussel sprouts. Just toss them with some olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 400 degrees F for about 15 minutes. It’s easy prep since your oven is going to be running anyway.
Thank you, Ina. Recipes like this are exactly why I have watched so many of your shows and own two of your cookbooks. Keep ’em coming!
Because it’s 100 degrees.
And because it tastes wonderful.
And because there is no Serendipity 3 near my home.
And who doesn’t want frozen hot chocolate made the way it’s done in an ice cream parlor?!
And did you know you were paying $8.95 for 6 oz. milk + cocoa + sugar + ice?! Cuz that’s all it takes to make this incredibly satisfying, throat-cooling, hit-the-chocolate-spot treat!
The proportions on this recipe are perfect. Enjoy!
I like to cook, but I don’t always like to go grocery shopping.
I like to cook, but I don’t always enjoy meal planning.
I like to cook, but sometimes I just wanna mix things up and try something new.
I don’t really know how to cook, but I want to learn. Help?
Sometimes, I don’t feel like cooking at all. I don’t even want to go pick up takeout. I just want food delivered to my door.
If any of those statements resonates with you, then you may want to consider a meal delivery service! Meal delivery services are cropping everywhere, and I feel like I’m just starting to get the hang of one when another new one pops up. I’ve tried four of the options offered in the SF Bay Area so far, so I can give you the lowdown on how they work, how they differ, and which one would fit your needs best! Here is my review of The Munchery, Gobble, Blue Apron, and Door Dash.
This stuff is so good. So, so, so good, and so easy to shake together in the morning! That’s right, I like to shake my iced coffee, boba-shop style :). From my relatively small batch of cold brew (I only made 8 cups of it, compared to The Pioneer Woman’s 8 quarts!), I’ve been able to make creamy, scrumptious Vietnamese iced coffee for myself a few times, my husband a few times, my mom, and my friend Jamie! They all really enjoyed it, and I think you will, too!
The main thing that makes this coffee Vietnamese is the condensed milk (pictured left), not to be confused with evaporated milk (pictured right):
While they are both canned dairy products, condensed milk is a thick, oozy, super sweet product
As for the “splash” ingredient, The Pioneer Woman recommends half-and-half, but I have experimented with splashing in both heavy cream and then whole milk, and I liked it equally well both ways.
After you’ve added all your ingredients, be sure to stir it up really well, otherwise the condensed milk settles on the bottom and it gets too sweet at the end (or the beginning, if you’re using a straw)… although I guess if it came down to it, you could just add more coffee and milk and then enjoy some more of this scrumptious beverage! :). If you like your iced coffee creamy and sweet, you have to try this recipe. So easy, so delicious!!
I stumbled upon this cold-brew recipe a few years ago and was dying to try it. But I disciplined myself and kept putting it off due to being pregnant or nursing. But my will eventually crumbled (years of pregnancy and nursing will do that to you) and I finally gave it a go! Now I daily face the temptation of sweet, delicious iced coffee every day in my refrigerator… ai yah. What have I done. But it’s SO GOOD! And SO EASY. You can just use the recipe linked above, but it’s kind of long so I figured I’d break the basic information down into two parts: 1) How to make a simple cold brew (this post), and 2) A great recipe for Vietnamese iced coffee using your cold brew (post coming soon!). YUMMMMYYYY!!!!!!
Back when I first read the recipe, I mentally boiled down the 1,242-word post down to these simple directions: steep coffee grounds in water. I guess nowadays the hip term for this process is making cold brew. It’s such an easy way to prepare coffee, and results in a smooth, less-acidic coffee after. After you filter out the grounds, then BOOM. There’s your cold brew. Done. Now you have coffee concentrate at your fingertips, ready to refresh you morning after morning! I love her idea of making a big batch so all you have to do in the days (or weeks) to follow is pour it over a bit of ice and really, you can be done. Anything to keep the mornings more simple!
After making your batch of cold brew, check out this recipe (link will work soon 🙂works!) for a great Vietnamese coffee using condensed milk. MMMM. Soooo creamy, perfectly sweet, and delicious! Enjoy!
Lord, help me. It’s been one of those weeks. I’m so. tired.
Sorry, blog,I have no energy for you right now. I’ll be back soon!
In the meantime, here is something I’ve been meaning to share for a long time: Giada’s Garlic Lemon Aioli recipe. It’s fanTASTIC. It’s my own little “dirty sauce” that I love to spread on anything, especially on paninis or for dipping veggies in. It’s the extra MMM you’re looking for to bring your sandwiches to the next level, and seriously pairs wonderfully with so many things. I mean, lemon, garlic, salt, and pepper– can’t really go wrong there, right?
Mix…
Yum!!!
This is our favorite panini setup right there with focaccia, pepperjack, arugala, tomatoes, pastrami, and some garlic lemon aioli.
I sprinkle some salt on top before grilling them and mm-mmm they always hit the spot!
Anyway I’m way overdue to get this on my blog, because I reference my own blog for frequently used recipes and I always tell myself “I really need to get the aioli recipe on there!” So here it is. Enjoy!
I promise I’m not becoming a super health nut (har har). But a friend wrote glowing reviews about making cashew milk on Facebook, and curiosity got the best of me. Plus, the recipe was promisingly simple: 1) Soak cashews for 4 hours, then 2) Add water and some simple flavoring and blend.
As she wrote about various types of nut milk, all-capped words like “SO GOOD!” and “AMAZING” stood out to me, not to mention “It tastes like chocolate milk even without the chocolate!!” (hazelnut milk, that is). Well if that doesn’t pique your interest, I don’t know what will.
Plus, I had this huge tub of cashews I had bought at Costco to make these grain-free waffles (thanks to a tempting photo from a friend on Instagram) and had plenty to use up. So last week, I threw a cup of cashews into some water and the next morning, I whirred it up to make the lovely bottled concoction pictured above.
It was YUMMY! Creamy, cool, refreshing. It reminded me a lot of how I like to jazz up my vanilla almond milk, since I add honey, cinnamon, and vanilla extract to that, too. But much creamier. Although I’ve never attempted a nut milk from scratch before, it was a much easier process than I had expected. No straining or anything. That means few dishes, little hassle, and no waste! I thought my Vitamix had something to do with the super creamy and smooth consistency of the milk, but the original author of the recipe says any ‘ol blender will do.
I thought it’d be a one-time recipe experiment, but after I finished the last glass, I found myself craving more, so not only did I blend up another big batch and finish up the last of my cashews, but I got a WHOLE NOTHER TUB of the nuts so I could keep going! I’ve made several batches now. I’m kind of addicted to the stuff now. Who would have thought?? I feel healthy adding a glass to my morning breakfast– it’s easy protein and tastes darn delicious! I recommend. Try it and let me know what you think!
I always thought it took one of those super healthy, super “crunchy,” super moms to do things like make your own granola.
BUT HEY GUYS I DID IT! And it was pretty easy!! I didn’t do it because I was trying to be that mom. I did it because I had greek yogurt and honey and nothing fun to go with it, so I thought I’d try to find an easy homemade granola recipe, cuz y’all know I love a little crrrrrunch in my food. There are a lot of recipes out there, so I was just trying to find something where I already had all the ingredients in my pantry. I narrowed it down to one winner winner, and the results were delicious! It was just crunchy enough, and had a complex sweetness that wasn’t cloying or too straightforward. Yum!
I brought some to share with friends and someone immediately commented on the complexity of the sweetness. This isn’t something I usually notice when I’m noshing on granola, so I think that makes this a recipe worth keeping. I’m not honey expert, but I find that darker honeys seem to taste more complex, so I use my darkest honeys (buckwheat, and one I got from Paris) for this granola. The almond extract, vanilla extract, and coconut make a lovely combination I would have never thought to try on my own! I’ve made this recipe twice now, and love that I know exactly what’s in my crunch-a-munch. Hope you like it, too!
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