Lunch: 11.1.12

Happy November!

The Girl's snack is a pumpkin oat craisin bar and some blueberry almond bites from Naturebox.

Her lunch is a couple leftover pumpkin waffles with some strawberry jelly in a small lego sauce container, a clementine, apple slices, and a rice krispy treat from her Trick-or-Treating loot.  She says her school doesn't allow candy in lunch boxes, so that's the only thing I could give her from her loot. 

Lunch for The Boy: 11.1.12

Halloween is over, and it's back to normality, or as close to it as I come!

Oat Pumpkin Craisin Bar: 10g, Blueberry Almond bites: 9g

The Boy's snack is a pumpkin oatmeal craisin bar and some blueberry almond bites from Naturebox.

Waffle & jelly: 35g, turkey: 1g. apple slices: 8g, caramel: 8g (for all), Starburst: 8g

His lunch is some leftover pumpkin spice waffles (from yesterday's Wacky Worldly Waffle Wednesday dinner), with some jelly on them, a piece of turkey in a lego container, apple slices with some caramel in the little yellow container, and two Starburst candies from Trick-or-Treating in the green container.

Wacky Worldly Waffle Wednesday: Pumpkin Waffles with Spiced Maple Whipped Cream

Since it's Halloween, I decided to make our Waffle Wednesday a little less Worldly, and just stick with something festive.

I based my pumpkin waffle recipe on this one, and decided to make some maple whipped cream in a whipped cream maker I'm borrowing.  I've made pumpkin waffles before but that recipe was for my Belgian waffle maker.  This one is for my standard waffle maker.

Decadent.

Seriously.

Pumpkin Spice Waffles

1/4 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 c skim milk
1 15-oz can pumpkin
4 Tbsp melted butter
1 c white whole wheat flour
1/2 c cake flour (or all white whole wheat flour)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger

 Cream together the brown sugar, eggs, milk, pumpkin, and butter.  In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients slowly, mixing well.  Oil and preheat your waffle maker and cook according to manufacturer's instructions.  Serve with maple syrup, or Spiced Maple Whipped Cream (recipe below) if desired.

Spiced Maple Whipped Cream

1 c whipping cream
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon

If using a whipped cream charger, combine all ingredients in the charger, swirl gently, and insert an NO2 cartridge, venting it into the charger.  If the whipped cream is not stabilized enough, use another NO2 cartridge.

If you don't have a whipped cream charger, you can whip the ingredients together in a mixer until peaks form.

Recipe: Black Cocoa Macarons with Red Velvet Buttercream Filling

I wanted to make some special cookies for The Boy's school Halloween party, and he requested macarons.

I couldn't say no (I also bought some Chips Ahoy for those kids that didn't want to try the macarons... and offered them more to the grown ups in the class, because... yum).

I was trying to figure out what kind of  macarons to make, and I have some Red Velvet Baker's Emulsion that I wanted to try out.  I wasn't sure if that would work in macarons.  King Arthur Flour Baker's Hotline to the rescue! I spoke with Mary Jane, and she because of the delicate nature of macarons, adding Baker's Emulsion might not work out.  Together, we came up with the idea of using Black cocoa and using the Baker's Emulsion for butter cream filling.

Voila.  I love collaboration sometimes.

She suggested that I use Dave Lebowitz's cocoa macarons.  I did so, and used the black cocoa in place of the regular cocoa, doubling the recipe.

Do you like my Halloween nails?

I used this recipe for buttercream and halved the recipe, adding about a teaspoon of the Red Velvet Baker's Emulsion to it.  It was a bit pink, and I would have preferred it red.  Perhaps if I made it chocolate buttercream with the red velvet added, it would have been more red.  I'll try that next time.

And there will be a next time.  I love macarons! One of the moms at the Halloween party said she wanted to take me to her house to make them for her all the time.  I'd say that's an endorsement!

Lunch: 10.31.12

Happy Halloween!

The Girl has a clementine for snack, with googly eyes and a pair of whiskers from pumpkin decorating.

Her lunch is shredded bbq chicken in an Easylunchbox Mini dipper, to put on a King Arthur Flour onion roll with some face pieces leftover from pumpkin decorating and carving, apple slices, with some caramel dipping sauce, and some grapes.

Lunch for The Boy: 10.31.12

Happy Halloween!!

Yogurt: 15g

The Boy's snack for Halloween is some Cabot blueberry Greek Yogurt.

Sandwich: 30g, apple: 8g, radish & ranch: 2g, grapes: 6g

His lunch is a turkey sandwich with Miracle Whip on a King Arthur Flour onion roll with some face pieces from pumpkin carving,  watermelon radish in a cherry silicone cup with ranch dressing (in the triangle container), grapes, and apple slices, in an Easylunchbox container.

Lunch: 10.29.12

Happy Monday!

The Girl's snack is some Cabot strawberry Greek yogurt in an Oxo Tot Blocks container.

Her lunch is leftover cheese hot dog from dinner in a spider silicone cup, carrots, hummus in an Easylunchbox mini dipper, pineapple, green and purple grapes, and a couple black cocoa cookies leftover from my Halloween party.

Lunch for The Boy: 10.29.12

Yogurt: 15g

The Boy has Cabot strawberry Greek yogurt with sprinkles, in an Oxo Tot Blocks container for snack.

Grapes: 7g, melon: 5g, cheese dog: 1g, ranch & carrots: 3g, cookies: 10g

His lunch is some leftover cheese hot dog from dinner in a spider silicone cup, carrots, ranch dressing in an Easylunchbox mini dipper, cantaloupe and honeydew melon, green and purple grapes, and a couple black cocoa cookies leftover from my Halloween party.

Halloween Party 2012

I love Halloween!!

Punch with dry ice

For me, the party is all about the food.  And the costumes.  But the food is where it starts.

Here's what I made this year.

Roasted Beet Dip

3 beets, peeled
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 package chevre (small package - I used caramelized onion chevre!  So yummy!)

I used two candy cane beets and one golden beet... it would have been a pink dip if I had used regular beets.  That would have been pretty, but I worked with what I had

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Cut the beets up and place, along with garlic cloves, in a foil lined pan.  Roast for about 40 minutes, or until the beets are softened.

Mix in a food processor along with the chevre until well blended.

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Gorgonzola Artichoke Dip

1/2 c gorgonzola
1 can artichoke hearts, drained.
2 Tbsp buffalo sauce (to taste)


Mix cheese and artichoke hearts in a food processor until smooth.  Add the buffalo sauce to taste. 

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Pumpkin Fluff Dip

Pumpkin Fluff Dip - Follow the link for this simple and delicious recipe.  It's not something I came up with, but it's certainly something that I love!

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Chocolate Cut Out cookies - a King Arthur Flour recipe, cut with these cutters.

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A friend posted these to my Facebook wall, and I knew I had to make them!  I sprinkled them with Parmesan cheese and some King Arthur Flour pizza seasoning.  I totally used the Pop-n-fresh bread stick dough, but I could have made my own.  I just didn't have time.

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This canape bread was made using this King Arthur Flour recipe, in these pans.  I colored them orange for a festive touch.

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Curried Deviled Eggs
12 eggs
1 Tbsp curry powder
2-4 Tbsp Miracle Whip
1 tsp smoked paprika

Place eggs in a large pot of water.  Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and cover for 10 minutes.  Peel eggs and halve them, popping out the yolks.  Mix together the yolks with curry powder, Miracle whip, and the smoked paprika until smooth (I used a food processor).   Pipe back into the egg whites and enjoy.

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Quick Crockpot Pumpkin Chili

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 can pumpkin puree
2 c salsa
2 Tbsp chili powder

Mix all ingredients together in a crockpot and cook for about 3 hours on high, or 6 hours on low. 

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I wish I had gotten a picture of the making of this Cider Sangria.  It is delicious.  Totally a win for the grown ups in the crowd!  I made it according the the Food & Wine recipe, using Woodchuck hard cider.  I will be making this one again!

 And there was a non-alcoholic punch, too.  For the little witches.  With a bit of dry ice.  Because that's how we roll.

Lunch: 10.26.12

The Girl has a prune muffin for snack, in a cute container I picked up at Michael's a couple years ago.

Her lunch is a turkey sandwich with hummus on flower shaped homemade whole wheat bread,carrots in a pumpkin silicone cup, with ranch dressing, a clementine jack-o-lantern, and some blueberry Cabot Greek yogurt with sprinkles on top, in an Easylunchbox Mini Dipper.

Lunch for The Boy: 10.26.12

Happy Friday!

Muffin: 10g

The Boy's snack is a prune muffin in a cool container that I found at Michael's a couple of years ago.

Sandwich: 20g, radish & ranch: 3g, yogurt: 10g, cantaloupe: 5g

His lunch is a salami sandwich with hummus on flower shaped homemade whole wheat bread, watermelon radish in a spider silicone cup, ranch dressing in a little sauce container, Cabot Blueberry Greek yogurt with some sprinkles on top in an Easylunchbox Mini Dipper, and cantaloupe, all in an Easylunchbox.

Lunch: 10.24.12

The Girl has a clementine for snack (not pictured).

Her lunch is leftovers from Wacky Worldly Waffle Wednesday - Cornmeal Taco Spiced Waffles, taco meat and cheese with a little sauce in the lego container, lettuce, and a prune muffin, all in an Easylunchbox.

Lunch for The Boy: 10.25.12

The Boy's snack for Thursday is a banana (not pictured: 30g)

Wrap: 23g, radish & ranch: 2g, cantaloupe: 5g, muffin: 10g

His lunch is a wrap with some taco meat, cheese, and lettuce, along with some taco meat, along with some watermelon radish in a pumpkin silicone container, ranch dressing, cantaloupe, and a prune muffin, all in an Easylunchbox.

Wacky Worldy Waffle Wednesday: Taco Waffles!

For the second week of Wacky Worldly Waffle Wednesday, we decided to go with waffles with a Mexican twist... Enter Taco Waffles!

They were a win!  I wonder where we'll go with our waffles next week...

Taco Waffles

Waffles:
1 1/4 c King Arthur Flour White Whole Wheat flour
1 1/2 c cornmeal
2 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 3/4 c skim milk
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp taco seasoning
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 c shredded Mexican blend cheese

Taco topping:
1 lb ground turkey
2-4 Tbsp taco seasoning, depending on your preference
lettuce, shredded
taco sauce
shredded Mexican blend cheese
guacamole (optional)

Blend together dry ingredients for the waffle batter, and then stir in the wet ingredients, finally folding in the cheese.  Cook waffles in a waffle iron per manufacture's instructions.   If you have an option for a crisper waffle, use it.  These waffles are better on the crisp side.  Place in the oven on warm on a plate or a platter until they are all done and you are ready to serve.

I love avocados!

Meanwhile, prepare the toppings.  Cook the ground turkey with the taco seasoning (I used a crockpot to have it ready when I got home from work, but you could do it in a pan on the stove).  Place toppings in serving dishes so that diners can top their own taco waffles as desired.

Top a waffle with some meat, then some guacamole (if desired), lettuce, cheese, and taco sauce.  Enjoy!

The Hubby folded his like a real taco shell.

Lunch: 10.24.12

The Girl has a banana for snack (not pictured).

For lunch, she has a thermos of purple cauliflower soup (made based on this Smitten Kitchen recipe) - I'll put it in the thermos in the morning nice and hot - along with some parmesan cheese to put on the soup in the small lego container, some salad in the large lego container, salad dressing in the mini lego container, a clementine, and a prune muffin, all in an Easylunchbox.

Lunch for The Boy: 10.24.12

The Boy has a banana for snack (not pictured, 30g)

Muffin: 10g, cantaloupe: 5g, veggies & dip: 3g, salami: 1g

His lunch is a piece of salami in a spider silicone mold (and a creepy hand!), thinly sliced watermelon radish (I found it at the farmer's market - so cool looking!), carrots, and a couple pieces of lettuce in a silicone pea pod container, some ranch dressing in a mini lego container, cantaloupe, and a prune muffin, all in an Easylunchbox.

Lunch for Mommy & Daddy: 10.23.12

Daddy and I both have leftover pizza for lunch (I got way too much pizza the other night!).  Daddy has an apple and a chocolate chip cookie bar that I made, and I have a clementine and a chocolate chip cookie bar, along with a piece of cheesy bread (because my pizza is smaller).

My, what a beige lunch you have... (I'll make up for the beige at dinner)

Lunch: 10.23.12

The Girl loved her lunch Monday, so Tuesday is much the same.

Her snack is a banana (not pictured).

Her lunch is a ham and lettuce wrap with hummus, apple slices, a clementine, and a prune muffin.

Lunch for The Boy: 10.23.12

Happy Tuesday!

The Boy has strawberry Cabot Greek yogurt with sprinkles for snack (not pictured: 20g)

Sandwich: 30g, apple slices: 4g. cantaloupe: 5g, prune muffin: 10g

His lunch is a salami & ham sandwich with hummus and a little lettuce on homemade honey oat bread (colored orange), some apple slices, cantaloupe, and a prune muffin.

Recipe: Spinach & Tomato Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

I love when I make up a recipe on the fly and it is a big hit! Both kids gobbled this up with exclamations of joy (I am not even kidding. If you've ever eaten at my table, you would understand.. they are a vocal crew).

I want to go stock up on winter squash because it keeps so well and everyone loves it.  And, though I've promised to make this recipe again, I have other spaghetti squash recipes I want to try! So many recipes, so little time!

Spinach & Tomato Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

1 large spaghetti squash, cut lengthwise and seeds scooped out
1 c roasted tomatoes (or 3 chopped tomatoes - roasted is much yummier)
 2 Tbsp olive oil
4 c fresh spinach
3/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese (divided)
4 Tbsp sunflower seeds (I used Naturebox Barbecue sunflower seeds)
2 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Place spaghetti squash face down on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for about 40 minutes, or until a fork inserted in the squash goes in easily.

Meanwhile, put the tomatoes in a pan with the olive oil.  When they are softened, tear up the spinach leaves and add them, putting a cover on the pan until they have just wilted.  Put aside.

When the squash is done, remove from the oven and shred the innards with two forks so that they resemble spaghetti.

Scoop the squash innards out of the shell and mix in with the spinach and tomato.  Add 1/2 c of the cheese.  Return the squash to the shells and top with the sunflower seeds and the remaining cheese.  Put the squash back in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Serve the innards in bowls, or right out of the shell.  Enjoy!