Happy Hour: Mojitos

I really love living in Northern California.  I live an hour away from the ocean and a couple hours away from the mountains.  Not many places have beautiful beaches and amazing ski resorts within a couple hours from each other.  I also live in one of the greatest places for agriculture.  I'm less than 30 minutes away from wine country, and every imaginable fruit and vegetable is raised in the area.  I can get amazing strawberries, artichokes, olive oils, fresh pastured meats, and fresh fish...all within an hours drive from my house. 

The one thing I really don't like about where I live are days like today when it's well over 100*.  I despise the heat.  A few years ago we went to a beer fest on the Sacramento river.  It was only mid-May, but it was well over 100*.  I tried to stay hydrated, didn't get to drink any beer, and ended up getting really sick and overheated and ever since my body can't handle the heat. 

So on days like today, I like to take a trip to San Francisco Bay Area where it's generally around 30* cooler.  But, when I can't make it to the bay, I try to stay indoors with the AC on and drink lots of cold water and iced tea.  

On Saturday nights, it's time to relax and spend time with Dave and family and friends.  One of my favorite drinks for a hot summer night is a mojito.  The mint and lime are so refreshing.  Unlike a margarita, the sweetness isn't (or shouldn't be) overpowering.  Drinks that are too sweet usually make me feel sick to my stomach, especially when the thermometer has already exceeded 100* and keeps on rising.  

Strawberry mojitos at sunset

Mojitos are a fairly involved drink to make, and you don't find them on too many bar menus.  Often times when you do, they are made with so much sugar it just tastes like a glass of lime sugar.  

A few years ago, I set out on a quest to make the perfect mojito.  I researched recipes and found them to be pretty standard:  mint, limes, simple syrup, white rum, and club soda.  Some recipes use a lemon-lime soda, but that just adds way too much sweetness in my opinion.  

I went to my local BevMo to get the ingredients and was disappointed to find out that almost every simple syrup is made from HFCS instead of real sugar.  I did find one brand that was made out of real sugar, but it was very expensive for a small bottle.  I knew that simple syrup had to be easy to make since it was just sugar water, and decided that I would make it on my own.  

I started out by taking equal parts of organic sugar and water in a sauce pan.  I brought it to a boil and stirred it until the sugar dissolved completely and a syrup formed.  I then poured the syrup in a glass bottle and put it in the fridge to cool down.  

The only down side to using the organic sugar is that it made a brown syrup instead of a clear syrup, but you won't notice it once you mix up your drink.  

 

I love mjitos so much, I have a wine barrel planter dedicated to growing mint plants. 

Start by washing your lime and cutting half of the lime into 4 wedges.  Add the lime and about a dozen mint leaves into a glass (about 16 oz size glass).  

Muddle the lime and mint together.  I've read so many opinions on how long you need to muddle the lime and mint, anywhere from 10 twists of the muddler to 30 seconds.  The goal is to release the juice from the lime and the oils from the lime peel and the mint leaves.  

Next, you want to fill the glass about 2/3 of the way with crushed ice.  

Add one shot of simple syrup...

...and one shot of white rum.  Get the good stuff, skip the cheap crap in the pastic bottle.  Your head and stomach will thank you the next morning.  

Top off with club soda.  

Stir. Add a straw and enjoy.  

(You could also use a shaker and pour it into a fresh glass, but why dirty up extra dishes when you are at home?) 

"Drink me"

Mojitos

1/2 lime, cut into 4 wedges

12 mint leaves, removed from the stem

crushed ice

1.5 oz simple syrup

1.5 oz white rum

club soda

Muddle together mint and lime.  Add crushed ice.  Pour simple syrup and rum over the ice.  Fill with club soda.  Stir.  Add a straw and serve immediately.  

I'm starving! What's for dinner???

That's usually what I'm thinking every night after I get home from work.  I don't know why, but car trips make me hungry. Even the 45 minute drive home from work I do every day is no exception. 

I used to be pretty great at planning meals for the week before I had to go on my allergy elimination diet.  Now, with all my restrictions, my cooking creativity has died.  On top of everything else, hubby had been working out of the area and wasn't home on weeknights for the past 6 months, so I had gotten very lazy at cooking meals.  Before the elimination diet, I was living off a diet of scrambled eggs and Annie's GF rice macaroni and cheese (Yes, Mom, I added veggies).  After the elimination diet started it dwindled to a Lara Bar or a handful of almonds. Now that the hubby is home, I find myself staring at a stocked pantry, fridge, and freezer with no idea what to do with it all.  This week I even went as far as making a menu on my menu board and I just don't have the....desire...strength....will-power....drive...nothing...for cooking.

I can't really eat out, so I HAVE to cook.

We all get in those slumps.  Our creativity has disappeared.  We get so caught up in everything else, that we are just too tired to care about anything.  It happens in every aspect of your life: work, home, relationships, and even in the kitchen.  Usually it's just a phase that we get over in a few days or weeks.  But what do we do in the meantime?  Live off frozen pizza, take out and drive-thrus?  That's not a good idea for your wallet or your waistline. 

It's times like these, that it's good to have a basic repertoire of easy, fail-safe, go-to recipes that we can make during the days and weeks that we've lost our mojo.  I'd suggest to gather a good dozen recipes that you and your family all love.  Make sure to include a few recipes that are easy to double or triple or even quadruple, so you can munch on leftovers for lunch and dinner throughout the week, or even package up and freeze for three weeks from now.

Noodle Salad with Peanut Mmmm Sauce

Even though this is a vegan recipe, meat lovers probably won't miss the meat.  The sauce is amazing, it has tons of colorful veggies (I like to add shredded carrots - raw or stir fry them with the other veggies), and it can be served hot or cold.  I will make a triple batch of the sauce using the full can of coconut milk and tomatoes (one 15oz. can measures out to around over 1.5 cups) and divide it into three equal portions.  I freeze two containers of sauce and then use it to make the noodle salad in the next couple weeks, or as a marinade/sauce for chicken.  This way, I eliminate partial cans of things in my fridge that get lost in the back and spoil before I use them up.  You can even just make a double or triple recipe of the entire recipe and eat it during the week for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  And because it's vegan, you can take it to a summer picnic and not have to worry about it spoiling in the heat.

Seared Ahi Tuna and Salad of Mixed Greens with Wasabi Vinaigrette

This salad combines my love of sushi and my love of salads during the summer months.  Quick, easy and much cheaper than getting a similar salad at a restaurant.

Green Chilie Chicken

This recipe is so yummy.  I usually swap out the breasts for boneless, skinless thighs (2 things per 1 breast).  I also will double the recipe (use the 28 oz can of whole Ortega chilies - way more cost effective than the small cans).  You could cook it in two dishes and freeze one, or jut eat it during the week and have some friends over for an impromptu dinner party!

Pulled Pork

My absolute favorite, easiest thing to make.  Since it's a crockpot dish, it takes less than 5 minutes to prepare.  Place a 5-7lb pork shoulder in the crockpot.  Add 2-3TBL liquid smoke and 2-3 TBL of red Hawaiian sea salt.  Cook on low for about 20 hours.  Remove fat, shred, add some of the juices to keep it moist, and eat.  On the first day, I usually serve it plain on top of steamed rice and shredded green cabbage. Makes me wish I was back in Hawaii at a luau eating kalua pork! The possibilities with the leftovers are limitless.  Add some BBQ sauce and make into sandwiches.  Pan fry in a skillet with some orange juice and spices to make carnitas.  Make into taco/enchilada/burrito filling.  Put it on top of a salad or in an omelet.

Chicken, Mushrooms, and Artichoke Hearts in a Roasted Lemon Sauce

I make chicken like this or some sort of variation of this 3-4 times a month.  If you are short on time, skip roasting the lemon, and just add the juice of one full lemon to the dish.  Some of my favorite additions to this dish are more mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, olives, and chopped baby spinach.  To adapt to my diet restrictions, I omit the flour or use rice or almond flour and use coconut oil or ghee in place of the butter. I also like things with lots of sauce, so I tend to double the sauce, especially if I'm adding more veggies!

Kung Pao Chicken

Make takeout quicker than it can be delivered!  This recipe makes cooking Chinese food so easy and it turns out better than the restaurant!  I like to use thighs, because they stay moister, and replace the sugar with honey.  You can use any swaps you need to make it more friendly for your dietary needs...raw almonds in place of the peanuts, coconut aminos instead of the soy sauce.  You can serve it on top of brown rice, shredded cabbage, cauliflower "rice"...whatever fits your tastes or dietary needs.

Risotto

This is my second favorite dish behind mac and cheese.  Rice flavored with wine and a rich stock, peppered with bits of "goodies" and finished with creamy butter and tangy Parmesan cheese.  What's not to love?!?! Once you have the basic technique down to make risotto, you can add whatever sounds good.  Two of my favorite varieties are a ham and pea risotto, and mushroom  prosciutto risotto with grilled prawns.  With my elimination diet, I still eat risotto. I just eliminate the ingredients I can't have like butter and cheese, swap out the prosciutto and ham for some pastured bacon from the farmers market, and add some more veggies, like chopped up spinach or asparagus.  It's still flavorful and tasty, and if you actually stir the rice the entire 18+ minutes, it will come out so creamy, you won't miss the butter and cheese.

Fish Tacos

Fish tacos are one of my favorite dinners.  It's so quick and easy to make.  I just cook some white fish (like tilapia) in a skillet, flake it, add some lime juice,  pepper plant seasoning (or taco seasoning), and a can of diced green chilies.  Put in a corn tortilla or a taco shell and top with onions, cilantro, avocado, and shredded cabbage.  Yum!  You can also make fried fish tacos by battering and deep frying your favorite firm white fish.  Or you can do it the shortcut way and use pre-battered fish portions or fish sticks that you bake in the oven.  Just beware becuase many of those contain fillers and very little fish.

Smoked Salmon Hand Rolls

I love sushi so much, I could eat it every day.  I can't afford to go out for sushi all the time, so this is my compromise.  You can also make other kinds of sushi at home, just make sure you have found somewhere that sells sashimi grade fish if you plan on eating it raw.

Sunday Gravy with Macaroni

I love to get out my giant 16 quart stock pot and make a giant batch of pasta sauce.  This is one of my favorite recipes.  I tend to make multiple batches of this recipe and freeze it in gallon ziplock bags full of sauce for the future.  I actually like to simmer my meatballs in the sauce instead of baking them.  I will usually make this sauce on my day off and let it simmer on low for several hours.  I also like to add a hearty red wine to the sauce when I add the tomatoes.  It adds a depth and richness to this sauce that is
legend-wait for it-dary.

 

Baked Salmon

I always have a bag of wild salmon filets from Costco on hand at all times.  They make a quick, healthy dinner in only a few minutes.  I will place 2 portions in a glass baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, sprinkle on my favorite seasonings, and bake according to the package directions.  This can be served by itself with a side of rice and steamed veggies, on top of a hearty dinner salad, alongside of a simple spaghetti with garlic and olive oil and a crunchy green salad, or topped with your favorite salsa (grilled pineapple????) with a side of rice and beans. 

(Just so you know, some of these recipes were my go-to recipes BEFORE I started my elimination diet.  I'm 6 months into my elimination diet, and I'm just getting my cooking groove down..  There are a few things that I've been cooking on a regular basis that I haven't got around to sharing just yet.  They will come soon, I promise!)

Happy National "Sneak Some Zucchini on Your Neighbour's Porch Day!"

My sister texted me the other day.

How do you make stuffed zucchini?

Right now, everyone's garden (except mine) is overflowing with monster zucchinis.  My coworker went away for a couple days and came home to zucchini so big, you could carve them into a canoe.  She put them up for adoption, and I generously welcomed them into our home.

I remember mom would grow zucchini or get them from grandma's garden when we were kids.  All summer long we would eat zucchini.  Boiled zucchini with dried basil.  Ew.  Sauteed zucchini with onions.  Yum!  Zucchini bread. Mmmmmmmm!  Stuffed zucchini.  Yes, please. When we got zucchini that was too big to cook, or we simply had to many, she would shred it up and make zucchini relish or freeze it in containers for wintertime zucchini bread cravings.  

Mom would hallow out a zucchini, stuff it full of a meat stuffing mixture, top it with tomato sauce, and then right before it was done, top it with slices of American cheese, and broiled the cheese till it was all melty and browned.  Summer wasn't complete without eating stuffed zucchini until we were sick of it.

I sat in the (parked) car, texting my sister the recipe.  Not so much a recipe as a general idea of what you need to do.  Even though I had just eaten, my mouth was watering for stuffed zucchini.  I decided I had to take the smallest zucchini canoes and stuff them.

My favorite things about stuffed zucchini is that it makes great leftovers all week long and it freezes well for a quick dinner next month.

I started out by browning and crumbling two pounds of ground meat.  I used one pound grass fed ground beef, one pound organic 99% lean ground chicken.  You could use whatever ground meat you want and it would taste great. Since I used very lean meat, it did not need to be drained after it was cooked.  If you use fatty meat, be sure to drain it, or it gets too greasy. 

I chopped up two onions (one red, one yellow) and added them to the meat and cooked them till they were translucent.

I chopped up some fresh basil and oregano from my garden and added  that to the pan.
  

I also added a home canned quart size jar of drained, diced tomatoes, and two cups of leftover cooked rice.  I warmed everything up, added salt and pepper to taste and set it aside.

I took two giant zucchinis, washed them, and cut them lengthwise.  I scooped out the center where all the seeds are and make my boat.  I discard the seeds, but I remember mom would save it and add it to the ground meat to get more veggies in our diet.

I places the zucchini boats into a baking dish and carefully spponed the ground meat mixture into each boat.  I had enough leftover that I got a couple bell peppers and stuffed those as well.

Then I slowly poured some homemade tomato sauce all over the top of the zucchini and peppers.  

I put the lid on the peppers and put those in the freezer for later.  I put the zucchini in the oven and baked it for about 30 minutes, until the zucchini was soft.  Finally, I topped the zucchini with some shredded goat cheese mozzarella and put it under the broiler, until the cheese was all melty.

 

It was so tasty.  It was just like mom used to make, just slightly modified mom's original recipe to make it allergy friendly for me! (Mom would add seasoned bread cubes in place of the rice and top it with American cheese.)

Stuffed Zucchini

2-3 large zucchini (or bell peppers)
2lbs of ground hamburger (or chicken, lamb, pork, turkey, or your favorite combination)
2 onions, diced
2 tbl fresh chopped basil
2 tbl fresh chopped oregano
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups leftover cooked rice
salt and pepper to taste
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I used goat cheese)

In a large skillet, brown and crumble ground hamburger over medium heat.  Drain if needed. Add onions and cook until translucent.  Add basil, oregano, tomatoes, and rice and warm throughout.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cut zucchini (and/or peppers) lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Place in a baking dish.  Spoon hamburger mixture into zucchini.  Top with tomato sauce.  Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350* for about 30 minutes or until zucchini is tender.  Sprinkle with cheese and place under broiler until cheese is melty and browned, about 5 minutes.  Serve hot!

***This dish can be made ahead and kept for a day or two in the fridge or frozen for up to a month or two.  Just cover tightly and thaw in the fridge overnight prior to baking.  It will take a bit longer to cook, approx 15-20 minutes. 

How come my Pinterest Project doesn't look like the pictures?

I saw these cute daisy eggs all over pinterest and thought they were so cute! Since I can't eat eggs, I thought I would surprise hubby with them!

I started out by slicing a bell pepper into rings. I put it in a hot skillet with about 1tbl bacon grease.

 I cooked the pepper on both sides. 

When the pepper was getting close to being soft, I cracked a small egg into each ring. 

I put a lid on the eggs and cooked them for about 2 minutes until the whites were completely cooked but the yolks were still soft.

My eggs don't look as pretty as the fancy styled ones on pinterest. I should have used bigger bell peppers because my eggs leaked out.

 I also should have cut the rings a bit thicker so there would be a taller wall for the egg to live in. And I needed to cut the rings more evenly because they were very uneven and the eggs were leaking underneath the pepper ring. Overall they turned out good, they were super cute and hubby loved them. I will definitely make these again.  

What do you want to be when you grow up?

"A pediatric surgeon."

That's what I would have answered when I was 5.  I was born with a bilateral vesicoureteral reflux and had to have a couple surgeries as a toddler to correct it.  My first memory is sitting in a bed looking up at a lady in surgical scrubs.  I was probably 1 or 2 at that time and I still remember her face.  I spent so much time at doctor's appointments and hospitals that I wanted to help kids that were sick like me.  

Over the years, I changed what I wanted to be when I grew up as often as the seasons changed.  I wanted to be an actress, an auto mechanic, a journalist, a pilot, a teacher, a nurse.  You can be anything you want when you grow up.  

I've always loved cooking as long as I can remember.  I have vivid memories of spending hours reading my mom's series of Time Life's The Good Cook series. I was always helping out in the kitchen, making meals for the family, experimenting on recipes, and learning everything I could about cooking.

When I was 17, I took my SAT's just like every other high school senior.  While most kids are sending their scores to UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UC Davis, I had mine sent to a famous culinary school in San Francisco.  I even spoke with an admissions counselor, but the $40k tuition wasn't even a possibility.  I ended up settling for the local community college and got a AA in Liberal Arts because I didn't know what I wanted to do.  I bounced from job to job...retail, warehouse, nanny, popcorn maker, auto parts cashier, massage therapist, office worker...nothing suited me.  They paid the bills, but there was no passion.  

When I moved out on my own, I was broke just like every other girl in her early 20s.  My boyfriend (now hubby) and I lived on ramen, Hamburger Helper, Rice A Roni, and all the other cheap foods you tend to eat when you're young and broke.  But I always tried my hardest to make them "fancy".  I'd add chopped up veggies, more spices, and whatever else I could find to make it edible.

Then I started watching the Food Network.  Hours on end of watching people teach me how to cook.  It was like free culinary school.  It was also at this time that I had started getting sick and was trying to lose weight, so knowing what was in my food was becoming my central focus.  Sometimes I'd ask myself if this was what I was supposed to be doing.  Was I supposed to be a chef and not working in a store or at a desk?  

Armed with a couple cookbooks, a TV station dedicated to cooking, a Weight Watchers Points Guide, and the vast resources of the internet, I began to search for ways to cook my way to weight loss and health. Soon, I started venturing out on my own - making meals completely from scratch (without the aid of a box, package, or can) - for about the same price as the boxes, packages, and cans.  Hubby's friends and family were always raving about the foods I cooked.  Everyone kept asking when I was going to open my restaurant.  I think I am the only person in the world that owns the main CIA textbook/cookbook that isn't and never was a student. 

I always knew there had to be a correlation between the foods I ate, and the health problems I was experiencing.  I searched high and low, but I could never pinpoint it.  My doctors didn't seem to know how to treat me if it couldn't be fixed with a pill.  The pills weren't working, so I knew I had to keep looking.  I never gave up and continued to search for answers, trying to cook my way to health.  I couldn't get myself to like artificially sweetened things....they tasted like DIRT.  I couldn't get myself to try fat free chips that could make me have stomach cramps and worse.  I never understood how food made with unnatural chemicals was better for you than "real" foods.  Why not just eat the real thing, and just not gorge yourself on it?  Quality over quantity.  Moderation.

We began to eat very healthy.  Whole grains.  Fat free dairy.  Lean meats.  Lots of organic fruits and veggies.  Water.  Sweets in moderation.  We stopped eating fast food.  We stopped going to cheap restaurants all the time.  We ate at home and we ate healthier and cheaper than any restaurant could provide.  I was constantly searching for recipes to cook better and healthier.  If we weren't eating out, I wanted my food to taste like it.  Dave's overall health was improving.  Mine was getting worse.  I didn't understand what I was doing wrong, even though I was doing everything right. I dabbled in every kind of diet out there, but I always came back to eating a healthy, well balanced diet full of fresh, wholesome foods.  

One day, Dave and I were watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.  I was hooked.  Here was a guy, about my age, who lived his dream as a chef, yet was trying to save the world by his cooking, one school lunch at a time.  That show shocked me.  Families that ate nothing but fast food, takeout, and frozen dinners.  Children that didn't know what fruits and vegetables were.  Watching that show made my heart ache.    

I remember telling Dave that I wish I could do what Jamie Oliver was doing.  He's famous and has a following. He can tell people to do things and they will happen. I sit at a desk and push papers and occasionally make my (and Dave's) coworkers jealous with leftovers from last night's dinner.  I have no following.  I have no voice.  I have no training, no experience.  Jobs like that aren't posted on Monster or Career Builder (I checked) and even if they were, I don't have any qualifications. Just desire to help.  Desire doesn't usually get you hired on its own. 

Source

Over the following months, more and more people kept coming into my life that didn't know how to cook. I kept hearing stories of friend of friends who don't cook.  A mom that fed her children fast food three meals a day.  Another mom who couldn't prepare a scrambled egg and toast for her kids' breakfast.  Families that ate cereal for dinner because no one knew how to cook.  Families that think that having a home cooked dinner is a Stouffer's lasagna. Husbands and wives that got into fights over cooking responsibilities and the amount of money being spent eating out because neither of them knew how to cook.  Heartbreaking.  

I take it so much for granted that I grew up with a mom and grandma that are amazing cooks.  We didn't eat frozen pizzas or lasagnas.  Store bought cookies were a special treat.  Restaurants were for special occasions.  We ate foods were make from scratch.  We always ate vegetables with every meal.  My little brother was shocking restaurant staff at 3 years old when he ate a side salad on his own.  My mom insisted that all of us kids knew how to cook for ourselves by the time we were teenagers.  I just can't comprehend not knowing how to make a basic dish like scrambled eggs or marinara sauce or even a simple, healthy meal like baked chicken, steamed rice, and a side salad.  I understand the laziness factor of not cooking, but I don't understand how you can NOT know how to cook.  I thought it was just one of those things you learn as a kid, like tying your shoes, or washing dishes.  

Last October, after lots of encouragement from some friends, I finally decided to start a blog.  I didn't exactly know what my direction was going to be, other than it would be about healthy food and recipes, and probably about gluten-free foods as well.  I didn't really tell anyone about it.  I figured it would be just for me until I was satisfied with the contents. 

The holidays came and went, and by January, I was really sick.  I was exhausted.  Being sick for years is exhausting.  Inconclusive doctor's appointments are draining.  Dave's new job was taking him all over the state except for home.  We were in the midst of short selling our {bad} investment house.  We were trying to catch up from months of un/under-employment.  I was physically, emotionally, and mentally at my breaking point.  My final act of desperation before I officially gave up on my health and ever having a "normal" life, led me to a life changing appointment with my Naturopath.  Food allergies?  Really?  8 years of tests and medications and it was FOOD ALLERGIES?  Shouldn't that have been the FIRST thing that I was tested for?  The past six months have been an amazing journey that I wouldn't trade for all the cupcakes in the world.  However, my cooking world was turned upside down and I was lost.  I didn't know what to do, how to cook, what to cook.  Nothing.  It was AWFUL. 

In April, I decided to write down my experiences about how things were going with my food allergies.  It was a very difficult adjustment for me and journaling my struggles helped me in the past, so I decided to try it again.  Instead of keeping it hidden behind a heart shaped lock and gold key, I decided to put it out there in the universe.  If I could let one person know they are not alone while going through a similar struggle and help them out somehow someway, it would make me feel like all my struggles weren't for nothing.  

As I started to write down my new ways of cooking, I started to gain the confidence back in the kitchen that I had lost.  Cooking started being fun again.  It was like a game trying to find recipes I could eat or modify recipes so I could eat them.  I found my passion again for cooking.  I also rediscovered my passion for writing.  

Last week, while I was searching for recipes, and I came across a link to an awesome website called Not Eating Out in NY: Consuming Less, Eating More.  It's an awesome read full of great pictures, and yummy looking recipes.  The author, Cathy, has a series of posts called "Reasons for Not Eating Out #{x}."  My eyes drifted to the reason for July.  "Reason for not eating out #51: To Be a Home Cooking Advocate."  She started out by discussing the recent passing of a culinary legend. 

She wasn’t a five-star restaurant chef, and didn’t graduate from a culinary school.

 She was Marion Cunningham, author of several cookbooks (including the revised Fannie Farmer Cookbook), cooking instructor, and cooking television show host. 

As the New York Times put it in the title of her obituary, she was a “home cooking advocate."

A Home Cooking Advocate?  

I didn't realize that was an actual career.

Cathy continued her article: 

 Anyone can “advocate” by just cooking, for your friends, family or yourself. You can also busy yourself doing unprofitable things like volunteering at a soup kitchen, teaching a bunch of kids how to make sushi rolls (which I was doing Wednesday at a day camp), or writing a recipe blog. There are ever more creative ways to step out in this field, like producing an online cooking show or throwing a themed potluck. I’d like to think they’re working, giving people a new outlet for creativity and passion for food. Little by little, anyone can be the next Marion Cunningham, and reap the reward of simply knowing that you’re making a positive impact.

"...anyone can be the next Marion Cunningham..."

I could be the next Home Cooking Advocate.

(Is that some sort of reality show contest?)

And then it hit me.  That's what I want to do.  I want to be a home cooking advocate.  In fact, I'm doing it daily already.  I cook at home.  I share with my friends, family, and coworkers constantly about cooking and healthy eating.  My passion is food and I want to share that with everyone. 

My heart is sad for kids that grow up without eating a home-cooked meal around the dinner table.  It makes me depressed to go to the grocery store and see families shopping and carts full of boxed dinners, frozen pizzas, chips and sodas, yet not one fruit, vegetable or remotely healthy food item.  

I know that I want to be a Home Cooking Advocate.  I want to help that mom be able to feed her babies wholesome, home-cooked meals so they don't have to eat fast food three times a day.  I want to help that couple learn to cook healthy meals for their family and save money so they aren't always broke and fighting about it.  I want to help the food allergy newbie how to work with their new restrictions and overcome that challenge and still eat delicious foods.  

I don't really know how to become that person yet.  I actually don't think anyone really knows how to become that person.  It just sort of happens along the way of doing what they love to do.  Right now I'm at the beginning of my journey.  I have a general idea of the direction I want to head.  I just haven't found the path to get there just yet.  So for now, I will do the only thing I know how to do.  I will cook and I will write and I will share.  I will keep my eyes, ears, and heart open to the signs from the universe guiding me down the path I need to take.    

Source

  

How I Learned to Love Breakfast ~ Homemade Breakfast Sausage

I never ate breakfast growing up.  I despised most breakfast foods.  I didn't like eggs, bacon, pancakes, cereal with milk, toast, sausage, or danishes.

There were a few exceptions:

Donuts

Waffles with fresh strawberries and whipped cream

Apple cinnamon walnut pancakes with butter and cinnamon sugar

Biscuits and Gravy  

Hash Browns

Pilsbury Cinnamon Rolls in the pop tube

Those were special occasion foods reserved for Birthdays, vacations, and Holidays. I only ate breakfast when those were on the menu.  And even then, it wasn't until mid morning, hours after I stumbled out of bed.

I am not a morning person AT ALL.  It takes me a while to roll out of bed, and even longer before I'm functional.  The thought of food or coffee within the first couple hours of me waking up was nauseating.  I used to get sick on car trips as soon as dad cracked open his green thermos full of coffee.    

Once, when I was about 7, we were visiting my Grandparents in Washington, and they took the whole family to a super fancy brunch at a restaurant overlooking Snoqualmie Falls. Rumor has it that the breakfast was very expensive, even for children, and that I only ate a few strawberries.  My Grandparents were NOT happy with me.  

Most mornings I skipped breakfast.  My mom was always on me about eating breakfast.  Sometimes she could get me to have a poptart or a glass of Carnation Instant Breakfast.  But most times I'd just wait till I got hungry around lunch time.

I know, I know. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day blah, blah, blah. 

As I got older, I still couldn't really eat until I had been up for a while.  But I had started to like some breakfast foods.  Bagels and cream cheese?  Yes, please.  Leftovers from the day before?  Sure.  A grilled cheese sandwich or a quesadila?  Always.  But still no eggs or "traditional" breakfast foods. Eventually, I learned to like an egg breakfast casserolle my mom made for Christmas breakfast every year.  It barely tastes at all like eggs and is full of bread, sausage, cheese, and a mushroom sauce. 

Mom, I can't wait for Christmas breakfast.  I look forward to it all year long.  We'll make an allergy friendly one again this year! 

When I met Dave, he was a breakfast person.  I'd want to go out for an early Sunday lunch.  He would want a big, Sunday breakfast.  Most places won't serve lunch until 11.  But every Sunday morning hangover needs a filling, greasy meal to make you feel better.  I usually ended up getting a side of hash-browns or a side of biscuits and gravy.  Sometimes I would order a meal and ask for the eggs on the side and give them to Dave.   I always wanted to order the fruit bowl, but they always have melons, and I'm very allergic to them.  Sometimes I timidly asked if they would make an exception to their lunch service times and ordered a sandwich or a burger. I got mixed responses.  I never went hungry, but I didn't understand the obsession with breakfast. 

As slowly as I introduced him to new foods, like cheesecake, he introduced me to breakfast foods, like bacon and cheese omelets .  Then suddenly breakfast became my favorite meal of the day.  I couldn't get enough of omelets.  Fluffy eggs stuffed with veggies, meats and cheeses.  A pile of hash-browns.  A side of gravy.  Sourdough toast slathered in butter.  Then came the love of bacon.  Glorious bacon. 

I could eat an enormous breakfast Sunday morning and then not eat again till dinner, or even Monday morning. 

As I've gotten older, my body has decided that it functions much better on a protein heavy morning meal.  I am more awake and less hungry throughout the day. It just makes me feel better.  

Last year, Dave started working and living out of town, so I ended up cooking scrambled eggs for myself most nights.  It was quick, easy, and filling.  I was loving breakfast so much, I was now making "brinner."

Then in February, I found out I was allergic to eggs.  The food that I had grown to love, ripped away from me.  

Once again, my dear friends, who both eat a paleo diet, found me recipes that didn't have eggs, or could be made without eggs, but were still filling.   One of the recipes was a root vegetable hash topped with meat and avocado and a fried egg.  Leave the fried egg out of the recipe, and I would have a tasty breakfast! 

My local grocery store makes amazing homemade sausages.  They have so many flavors, including an Italian breakfast sausage.  Right now, I can't eat it because it contains bay leaves and some other ingredients that I tested positive to.  

The other day, I really wanted some sausage on my breakfast hash, so I decided to figure out how to make it myself.  

I am a lazy cook, I admit it.  So instead of starting out with a whole pork roast and pork fat and grinding it myself, I decided to buy plain, organic ground pork and just season it for myself.  I added salt, pepper, some of my fermented garlic cloves, and a chopped up red bell pepper.  I mixed it all together and browned it in the skillet.  I could have stuffed it into casings or even made patties, but that's so much work, and I was hungry! 

I ended up roasting my sweet potatoes in the oven only because they end up using so much fat when you cook them in a skillet and they get a bit too greasy for my taste.  I know that one should get plenty of healthy fats in their diet, and I would already be eating lots of other healthy fats in this meal. 

 Everything in moderation, right?!?!

While the sweet potatoes were cooking, I added a diced up onion and added it to the browned sausage.  I let it cook until it was soft and translucent.  When the potatoes were done, I added them to the skillet with the cooked sausage and tossed it.  I served it with sliced avocado on top.  You could definitely add a fried egg or two on top.  I was getting low on veggies when I made this, but I will add more veggies in with the onions, like some chopped baby spinach or some shredded zucchini.  And with any breakfast, it would be great topped with some hot sauce.  But the eggs and hot sauce will have to wait for me right now.  But you should try it and tell me how it was!  

Homemade Breakfast Sausage 

2 lbs organic ground pork

2 tbl salt

2 tbl of pepper

1 red bell pepper, minced

4 tbl fennel seeds

10 (fermented - opt.) garlic cloves, minced

Mix all ingredients together until just combined.   Can form into patties first if desired.  Brown in the skillet or use in your favorite recipe! Always cook pork thoroughly until no longer pink in the middle. 

Seared Scallops with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

I love seafood.  Sushi is by far my favorite food ever.  I'm not talking about a deep fried cali roll but actual fresh fish made into an amazing piece of sashimi, nigiri, or an inventive roll.

I also love cooked seafood.  Crab.  Shrimp.  Lobster.  Salmon. Trout.  Anchovies.  I love it all.

Growing up so close to the ocean, and into a family that loves to fish, I have had the privilege of eating such a wide variety of seafood.  I've had fresh abalone hours after it's been pulled from the ocean.  I've eaten fresh lake trout pan fried the same day it was caught.  I eat seafood every chance I get.  I've eaten at fine dining restaurants overlooking the Ocean, and fish tacos in my car from a local fast food place.

When I eat something amazing at a restaurant, I am always determined to recreate it at home.  I can't afford to go out and eat sushi, or salmon, or lobster.  But I can afford to make that stuff at home on a fairly regular basis.

Last week, I made some amazing Grilled Pineapple Salsa.  It was sweet and spicy.  It reminded me of being back in Hawaii.  Hawaii also has such wonderful, fresh seafood. Instantly I knew that this had to be paired up with an amazing seafood dish.

I had a bag of scallops from Costco in the freezer.  These are the big scallops, about 8 count per pound!  I grabbed out 8, placed them in the colander, and ran cold water over them to thaw them quickly.

When they were thawed, I dried them off on a paper towel.  Seasoned them lightly with salt and pepper and quickly cooked them in a hot skillet with a little bit of coconut oil.  You have to be so careful when cooking scallops.  A few seconds too little and they are mushy in the center.  A few seconds to long, and they end up rubbery and taste like a tire.

As soon as they were done, I placed them on top of a bed of lettuce and crisp cucumber slices.  Topped them with the chilled pineapple salsa, and sprinkled a tiny bit of raw goat feta cheese on top.  I wanted to add some avocado slices, but I was all out.

It.was.delectable.  Hubby said it was light and refreshing, yet filling.

This is one of those dishes that makes you genuinely sad when you finish your plate.  I could eat this every day, all summer long.  

Seared Scallops with Grilled Pineapple Salsa Salad

1 lb fresh/thawed large sea scallops

salt and pepper

1-2 tsp coconut oil

Grilled Pineapple Salsa

4-6 cups mixed baby greens

1 cucumber, sliced thinly (peel and seed if desired)

2 ounces raw goat feta cheese, crumbled

Pat scallops dry.  Season with salt and pepper.  Heat a large skillet or grill pain over medium high heat. Add coconut oil.  When oil is hot, add scallops gently to the pan.  Cook 2-3 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown and just barely cooked all the way through.

Divide lettuce among plates or salad bowls. Add several cucumber slices.  Top with hot scallops and pineapple salsa.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Serve immediately!