Happy Thanksgiving! Menu & Recipes

Thanksgiving Delights

 

On Thanksgiving Day we’re thankful for

Our blessings all year through,

For family we dearly love,

For good friends, old and new.

 

For sun to light and warm our days,

For stars that glow at night,

For trees of green and skies of blue,

And puffy clouds of white.

 

We’re grateful for our eyes that see

The beauty all around,

For arms to hug, and legs to walk,

And ears to hear each sound.

 

The list of all we’re grateful for

Would fill a great big book;

Our thankful hearts find new delights

Everywhere we look!

 

By Joanna Fuchs

www.poemsource.com

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My Family's Thanksgiving 2010 Menu

Cheese Ball & Crackers

Roast Turkey

Pan Gravy

Cornbread Dressing with Bacon & Onions*

Buttery Corn Pudding

Mashed Potatoes

Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

Honey-Nut Crunch Sweet Potatoes with Cranberries

Pumpkin Yeast Rolls*

Sweet Peas with Pearl Onions

Simple Pumpkin Mousse

Crustless Pumpkin Pie*

Pumpkin Bread Pudding*

Banana Bread

Apple Crisp*

Vanilla Ice Cream

*Recipe follows

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Hints for a Delicious Turkey

I don't inject my bird. I don't deep fry it. I don't really do anything special. But my turkey is always the moistest, most delicious around. How do I do it? Well, Grammy always taught me that the most important thing about cooking is paying attention to detail. Not skill. Not talent. But rather taking care...doing the job at hand and doing it well. Pay attention to the foods you're cooking. My biggest turkey tip:

Baste it. A lot.

Keep squirting or spooning the juices over your bird. This keeps the bird moist and helps even browning.

More tips:

Rub your bird, inside and out, with a high-quality olive oil. Then, rub in your favorite herbs. I like to use garlic, pepper, and salt..only those three. You can get fancier, but I find that those three make the best flavor.

To stuff, or not to stuff?

I've done both. I prefer unstuffed. I like to cook my dressing on the side, and I stick a whole onion (stick it with a fork a few times first), a couple cut-up carrots, and some celery in the cavity to add flavor to both the bird and the drippings -- which you'll use for gravy later!

Use a meat thermometer. These are available at low cost. They're tremendously useful. Another way to tell when your bird is probably done: The wings and drums will wiggle loosely in their sockets. A meat thermometer is your best bet, though.

Avoid cross-contamination.

Defrost in the fridge. I pulled out my turkey on Sunday and it was perfectly thawed this morning.

Emergency thawing: place the WRAPPED turkey in a clean sink full of cold water. Change the water every thirty minutes until the turkey is thawed.

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Thanksgiving Recipes

Cornbread Dressing with Bacon & Onions

I rely on boxed stuffing mix for this quick, delicious variation on dressing. It's a favorite with my entire family.

What You Need:

• 2 boxes of cornbread stuffing mix
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1/2 cup butter, divided
• 1/4 lb bacon, diced

How it's Done:

1. Heat 1/4 cup butter in a skillet. Add bacon and onion. Cook and stir until onion is translucent and bacon is cooked.
2. Bring to a boil 3 cups of water.
3. Put the dry stuffing mix in a large mixing bowl. Cover with the bacon and onion. Top with the rest of the butter. When the water boils, pour it over the entire thing.
4. Let the stuffing stand for five minutes.
5. Grease a 2 quart baking dish. Transfer the stuffing to the dish. Pack it down tightly. Bake in the oven with your turkey for the last hour of cooking.

Pumpkin Yeast Rolls

These beauties are just a spin off of my favorite sweet potato rolls. They're easy to make and taste delicious.

What You Need:

• 1 cup warm milk
• 2 packets active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 3 to 4 cups flour (I used White Lily all-purpose flour)

How it's Done:

1.Proof your yeast: In your mixing bowl, combine warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Stir it up and then let it sit undisturbed for ten to twelve minutes. It should get bubbly and double in volume. (If it doesn't, don't proceed, because it means your yeast is dead. Go out and buy new, fresh yeast. Yeast should be used by the expiration date. If you buy it in a jar, use it within 6 months of opening.)

2.Stir in egg yolk, butter, and salt. Add pumpkin puree and stir to combine.


3.Half a cup at a time, stir in your flour. If you're not using a stand mixer, a wooden spoon is the best tool for this job. Your dough will be slightly sticky when all the flour is stirred in.


4.Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. You could also use your stand mixer for this job. By hand, it will take about 8 minutes.


5.Form the dough into a ball. Coat lightly with oil and place in a large mixing bowl. Cover gently and let rise until doubled in size. This will take anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes.


6.Punch down your dough. Divide it into 10 equal parts. Roll each piece into a rope. Roll cinnamon-roll style, pinching the end seam to seal. Place each on a cookie sheet that's been oiled and dusted with cornmeal. Cover loosely. Let rise again, until doubled, about 45 minutes to an hour.


7.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake rolls 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned.


8.Immediately upon removal from oven, brush rolls with melted butter.
 
 
 
Crustless Pumpkin Pie (a.k.a. Pumpkin Pudding)

This wonderful dessert will satisfy your desire for pumpkin pie and you won't even miss the crust! Better still: you can make it in your slow cooker, freeing up time AND oven space!

What You Need:

• 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
• 12 oz can evaporated milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• 2 Tbsp melted butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

How it's Done:

1. Beat eggs well. Add the rest of the ingredients and keep stirring until it's uniform in texture and color.
2. Pour into a greased slow cooker.
3. Cook on high for three to four hours. Start checking for doneness at the 3 hour mark. You'll know it's done when the center is set and it looks like a pumpkin pie.
4. Serve as is or with whipped cream.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Make the most out of this favorite American fall food. Who says you need to stop at pumpkin pie? Try this delicious twist on a traditional bread pudding. I've used milk in place of heavy cream to cut down on calories, but make no mistake: this is a very rich dessert that's full of sugar. A little bit will do you well.

What You Need:

for the pumpkin bread:

• 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

for the custard:

• 3 cups milk
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

for the nonalcoholic vanilla sauce:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• vanilla bean, scraped

How it's Done:

1. Bake the pumpkin bread.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line three loaf pans (8x5 is fine) with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set them aside.
2. Beat together the pumpkin, eggs, vegetable oil, milk, and sugar.
3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, soda, and all the spices.
4. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients all at once and stir only until combined.
5. Divide amongst loaf pans and bake for about an hour, until a pick inserted near center comes out clean.
6. Let the loaves cool completely. I like to wrap mine and store them overnight before use.
7. Cut two of the loaves into 1/2" cubes. Spread them out on cookie sheets and bake at 325 for about 20 to 30 minutes, until they're toasted dry. You can use the other loaf another time.
8. Set the cubes aside and prepare the custard. Bring the milk and vanilla extract to a simmer over medium heat, stirring very frequently to prevent scorching.
9. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, pumpkin puree, and cinnamon in a separate bowl.
10. Slowly drizzle in the heated milk, stirring the whole time to prevent the eggs from cooking.
11. Butter a 9x11" baking dish. Spread the pumpkin bread cubes evenly in the dish.
12. Drizzle the custard over the cubes, stirring and pressing the cubes to fully saturate them with custard. Let it stand up to 30 minutes so that the bread soaks up the custard as much as possible.
13. You need to cook this in a water bath, so find a pan bigger than the one you're cooking it in. Place the bread pudding dish into the larger dish and position the whole thing on the middle shelf in your oven.
14. Pour hot water into the bottom dish.
15. Bake for an hour. You want to see it puffed up, but the center will still be a bit jiggly. Take it out of the oven and out of its water bath. Let it stand 30 minutes before topping with sauce and serving.
16. While it sits undisturbed, make your vanilla sauce. Bring all the ingredients (just the seeds of the vanilla bean, not the bean itself) to a boil in a sauce pan with high sides. Cook and stir for two minutes. Remove from heat.
17. You can either drizzle the sauce over the entire dish, or you can drizzle a bit over eat individual serving. For additional flavor and eye appeal, sprinkle each serving with a combination of ground cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, to taste.

Apple Crisp

What You Need:

• 3 lb tart apples, cored (peel them if you want to. I left my peels on for color and texture)
• big bowl of water with Fruit Fresh added (for dipping the sliced apples)
• 2 Tbsp apple cider, orange juice, apple juice, lemon juice, or water
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional, I omitted them today)
• 1/4 cup softened butter

How it's Done:

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Slice the apples thinly as you would for pie. Dunk them in the Fruit Fresh water ( I leave all the slices in the bowl until I'm ready to proceed).
3. In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, and 2 Tbsp all purpose flour. Toss apples in sugar mixture.
4. Grease a 2 quart baking dish. Pour the coated apples into the dish and distribute them evenly.
5. Drizzle with whatever juice you prefer.
6. Combine the topping ingredients: softened butter, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts (if using). Sprinkle topping evenly on apples.
7. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes, or until apples are tender and dish is bubbling.
8. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

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I'd like to leave you with one final verse:

May your stuffing be tasty,

May your turkey be plump.

May your potatoes & gravy

Have nary a lump.

May your yams be delicious.

May your pies take the prize.

May your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off of your thighs.



Thanksgiving -- Another Great Recipe for You

I won't be able to post a completed picture of this dish until Thanksgiving, because it's one of the few dishes I insist on making the day of the dinner. However, it's so good that I want to get this recipe into your hands in time for your big day. I'll update the recipe with completed photos once I prepare it. Of course, I could always just make one just for the blog, and another for my family's celebration. However, that's not economical for my wallet or my waistline. I can't resist this dish, so twice a year is all it gets. :)

There are so many versions of corn pudding available to try. Some use saltine crackers. Some use bread crumbs. Some use bell pepper. Some use bacon. Some include green beans. Mine is a result of my family loving corn but not being satisfied with the recipes out there. It takes a while to bake, so be patient. It's well worth the wait.

Buttery Corn Pudding

What You Need:

• 2 cans of corn, drained
• 2 cans of creamed corn
• 1/2 lb cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 a large onion, minced
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cups of Ritz-type cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• ground black pepper to taste

How it's Done:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (or, leave it at your turkey roasting temperature). Spray a 9x11" casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray or coat with butter. Set it aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine all four cans of corn, 3/4 of the shredded cheese, the onion, the eggs, 1 cup of the cracker crumbs, and pepper if desired. Pour this mixture into your baking dish.
3. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top of your corn mixture.
4. Combine the other cup of crumbs with the melted butter, and sprinkle the crumbs over the top of your casserole.
5. Bake, uncovered, for an hour at 350 degrees, or 90 minutes to 2 hours if you're baking it alongside your turkey.
6. Let the dish stand for ten minutes before serving.

Thanksgiving -- Day 2

Now, I have this problem that may or may not be unique to my little family. You see, I'm the only one who loves cranberry sauce! Every year, I buy a whole container of cranberry sauce, only to have one or two servings before throwing the rest away. What a waste! I can't simply give it up. Oh, no! It wouldn't be Thanksgiving dinner without my cranberry sauce! So I've devised a simple method to have my cranberry sauce without waste. I make a small batch.

This recipe easily doubles to accommodate a family that's more appreciative of a good cranberry sauce.

Whole Berry Stove Top Cranberry Sauce
Serves 2 to 4 depending on portion size

What You Need:

• 6 oz fresh cranberries (use the other half of the bag bought for the sweet potatoes!)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup water

How it's Done:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan with high sides.

2. Bring to a boil. Stir frequently.
3. Cook and stir about 15 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

I'm thankful for loving family and good friends to keep nearby during this holiday season and always. What are you thankful for?

Thanksgiving

Do I even need to mention that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday? I see it as my showcase day: the day when I share my cooking passion and skill with friends and family. My wares are on display. I get to see cleaned plates and food-drunken grins. It's quite an ego-stroke.

This year, I'm toning my Thanksgiving down quite a bit, for two reasons. First, because I want a stress-free holiday season. In years past, I have worked myself into a frenzy cooking ten or more side dishes and an equal number of desserts. Also, I'm working on my weight, so I need to be careful what I serve. There are a couple dishes that I'm going to make that are very fattening but very worth the caloric cost. Other than those, I'm making my dinner plans healthier.

Each day this week, I'll share with you a recipe that I'm using for my family's Thanksgiving celebration. I'm cooking these in real time, and freezing them to use on the big day. That's another way to de-stress your holidays: plan ahead, prepare ahead. I hope you enjoy my recipes.

First recipe: Sweet Potatoes made healthier

Normally, my sweet potato recipe consists of tons of butter, brown sugar, pineapple, and pecans. Here's a healthier option:

Honey-Nut Crunch Sweet Potatoes with Cranberries

What You Need:

• 2 1/2 lb peeled, cubed sweet potatoes (1" cubes)
• 6 oz fresh cranberries
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup apple cider
• 6 oz whole almonds (unsalted), ground into a coarse meal
• 1/4 cup honey

How it's Done:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Layer the sweet potatoes and cranberries in a 2 quart baking dish.

3. Pour the apple cider over the sweet potatoes, then sprinkle with the cinnamon.
4. Combine ground almonds and honey. Sprinkle over the top of the sweet potatoes.


5. Bake, covered, for 45 minutes. Remove lid and bake an additional 15 minutes to brown top.

I'm thankful for full bellies and full cupboards...I'm thankful my family never

needs to experience true hunger. What are you thankful for?

Coconut Black Beans & Rice and Summer Corn Salad

Happy Friday to all of you! Do you have any fun plans for the weekend? A band called Seven Oh Sixx is performing here at Fort Benning, free of charge, so we're going to go enjoy the show tomorrow night. We're also hosting a sleepover -- a sort of last hurrah before school begins.

My blogger friend Heather at Out of the Box Into the Kitchen made some coconut black beans and rice, but advised that it was bland. So, I decided I'd try it differently and see if I'd like it. The idea of adding coconut both intrigued me and made me nervous at the same time.

WOW! Everyone gobbled it up, even Picky Eater! It was so delicious I'll never make black beans & rice differently again. I know it sounds odd, but give it a try. We had summer Corn Salad on the side. It was fresh and delightful. A good accompaniment to the main dish.

Coconut Black Beans & Rice

What You Need:

for the beans:

• 1 lb black beans, cooked, and drained (or 2 cans, rinsed and drained)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil or butter
• 1/2 an onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 green onions (greens and whites), sliced
• 1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• a few cranks of freshly ground black pepper

for the rice:

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice (sticky rice is great here)
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup coconut milk (full-fat, also called coconut cream)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 3 green onions, sliced
• a few cranks of freshly ground black pepper and a few more shakes of sea salt

How it's Done:

1. Bring the coconut milk, water, and 1 tsp sea salt to a boil. Add the rice. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes (for white rice). When finished, remove from heat and stir in green onions and pepper & additional salt (as needed). Rice will be creamy and will absorb the remaining liquid as it sits a few minutes.
2. While the rice is simmering, prepare the beans: In a skillet, heat oil or butter. Saute onion and pepper several minutes. Add garlic, salt, pepper, beans, and coconut, Cook and stir until heated. Stir in green onions.
3. Serve beans over rice.

Simple Summer Corn Salad

What You Need:

• 15 oz can white corn kernels (drained of liquid)
• a handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 small green bell pepper, diced
• 1 banana pepper, sliced into rings
• 1/4 onion, diced
• a handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
• the juice of one lemon
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper

How it's Done:

1. Combine all ingredients in a glass bowl.
2. Cover and chill several hours before serving.

Welcome, friends new & old! Don't forget to enter to win a SodaStream Home Soda Kit! Also, I'll be drawing later this evening for a random follower winner of my Georgia Pay it Forward prize pack! (To win the Georgia Prize, all you need to do is become a public follower via Google Friend Connect!)

This post is linked to...

http://friday-follow.com/

http://www.breastfeedingmomsunite.com/

A Delicious Salad, a Crispy Crunch, and a Refreshing Dressing

Summer is all about cool and crisp and fresh, and salads epitomize those better than anything. I won't spend much time here on this blog talking about salads, because they're generally so simple to throw together that having a recipe for them is redundant. This one is worth sharing, because it makes my mouth happy. It has many flavors involved, including a light and healthy, refreshing dressing. Here's how I made it:

For the salad, I used butter lettuce, diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, dried cranberries, pecan pieces, and dressing. I had baby carrots on the side because they taste so good dipped in the fruity dressing.

The Dressing:

Combine in a container with lid:

• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup apple cidar vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

Seal tightly and shake to emulsify. Drizzle over salad. Store extra dressing tightly sealed in the refrigerator. It's light, fruity, and full of good-for-you stuff.

Now, for a mid-day meal, I need more than just salad, even if it includes fruit and nuts. That's where these cheese straws come in. Cheese straws are commonly served in the south. If you've never had them before, I encourage you to try them. They taste a lot like CheezIts, only less salty and more wholesome.

Cheese Straws

What You Need:

• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (sharp or extra sharp is best)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 Tbsp salted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 Tbsp dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 4 tsp milk

How it's Done:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and get out a couple baking sheets.
2. Combine cheese, flour, butter, mustard, and pepper in the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until it resembles bread crumbs.
3. Turn the food processor on and drizzle in the milk, processing until the dough forms a ball.
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to 1/8" thickness.
5. Using your pizza cutter, cut into 1" wide strips. Place strips on baking sheets (nearly touching is fine, as they won't exand outward much at all) and bake for 15 minutes.
6. Let your cheese straws cool completely on their baking sheets before moving them. They'll crisp up nicely sitting there.
7. Store tightly covered at room temperature. Cheese straws are even better on days two and three.

This post linked to Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays and

A Week of (Healthy) Bare-Bones Meals

Last week, I talked about ways to get by during food hardship periods. This week, I'm going to practice what I preach. I'm going to show you a week of rock-bottom recipes that you can pull out of your reservoir in hard times. Each day, I'll give you one recipe, along with a basic meal plan. I am not a dietitian, a doctor, or a financial expert. I'm just a gal with a kitchen, a computer, and a knack for saving a few bucks. Your mileage may vary.

Day One

Breakfast: oatmeal made with a banana and milk, not water
Lunch: peanut butter & jam on wheat bread & an apple
Dinner: vegetable fried rice

Recipe: Vegetable Fried Rice

This isn't so much a recipe as a basic set of instructions. What you include will depend on what you have. It's a forgiving recipe, so amounts are not exact. use what you have.

What You Need:

• 1 1/2 cups raw rice (at least use brown rice -- mine was a mix of brown & wild rices)
• 1/4 cup oil (I used olive, because I had it. use what you can afford and what you have on hand)
• 5 cups chopped vegetables (cabbage, carrots, onions, green onions, and peas are all cheap. I added green bell pepper, banana pepper, both from my garden)
• soy sauce to taste
• if you have it, fresh ginger is great. 2 Tbsp minced is enough (I will not count this in my grocery list at the end of the week)

How it's Done:

1. Cook the rice according to directions. Let it cool slightly before using it.
2. In a large skillet, heat half of the oil. Cook the vegetables in the oil until crisp-tender. remove them to a platter.
3. Add the remainder of the oil and fry the rice until it's browned a bit and smells nutty. Add the vegetables back in and stir-fry the food, adding soy sauce to taste.
4. Serve right away. This recipe makes a large amount, perfect for lunches throughout the week.

Frugal Tip #1: Plan meals that use similar ingredients. If you plan for 4 meals that use rice, you only need to buy one package of rice. That will cut your grocery bill significantly.

Fond Memories of Food and Family

Day 110.

The first cookbook ever given to me was Kids Cooking for Kids. I still have it, with all of my own notes and recipe written in my own penmanship.

Every time I look through the cookbook, it brings a smile to my face. Now, my own children look through it and choose recipes to try on their own.

My breakfast "recipes" from childhood

One of the very first recipes I made by myself. From Kids Cooking for Kids.

The two leading influences on my love of cooking are my mother and my grandmother.  Growing up, I was always served fresh, wholesome, cooked from scratch meals by my mother. We'd have garden-fresh vegetables, backyard-raised beef, homemade breads, and homemade desserts. Thanksgivings were mostly spent at my grandmother's house, where a feast would await us. Grammy spent weeks preparing for Thanksgiving, and would be up cooking and cleaning all night before the big day. But it never showed. She was always so loving and fun to be around.

For many years, the Army kept us away from Grammy's at Thanksgiving. This year, however, my family and I got to visit for Thanksgiving and my own children got to experience their very first Grammy Thanksgiving. Now, it wasn't the feast of Thanksgivings past... it was smaller, and partially catered. But a few favorite dishes graced us with their presence, and just being at Grammy's made it special.

One side dish that Grammy makes is turnips & carrots. It's very simple to do, but it's so delicious. Only five of us like it: My Grammy, my mother, my two children, and me. Maybe we can add you to that list.

Turnips & Carrots

What You Need:

• 3 turnips, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 lb carrots, peeled and cut up
• 1/4 cup butter
• splash of milk
• salt to taste

How it's Done:

1. Boil turnips and carrots together until soft, about 20 to 30 minutes, then drain.
2. Move to a mixing bowl and add milk, salt, and butter. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.

A Win for Picky Eater and Me!

Day 102.

In case you didn't read earlier, my daughter announced that she might be a vegetarian that eats bacon and sausage and tacos. So, I agreed to make vegetarian meals for her, if she agreed to eat her vegetables. Not wanting to miss the opportunity to stuff her full of vitamins, I made a vegetarian meal for the family for dinner tonight, and carefully planned it to include lots of foods she wouldn't normally consider. It wasn't that I wanted to sabotage her healthy efforts, no, definitely not. Rather, I wanted to show her that the foods she snubs can be delicious. And it worked. Picky Eater loved it.

Multigrain Lentil Loaf

What You Need:

• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 cup oat bran
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 2 cups cooked lentils
• 2 carrots, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped green chili peppers (from a can)
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used mozzarella, because I had it. Any cheese will do, and feel free to leave it out if you'd prefer)
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp tahini (sesame butter)
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 egg
• for topping: 2 Tbsp tomato paste plus 1 tsp soy sauce

How it's Done:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except for topping ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Form into a loaf shape in the pan.
3. Spread topping over loaf.
4. Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 45 minutes. Let the loaf stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
5. After slicing, if you prefer a firmer loaf, bake on a greased baking sheet for about 10 minutes or so, turning once.

On the side, I served cooked baby carrots, and I called them sweet carrots.

Sweet Carrots

What You Need:

• 2 cups baby carrots
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

How it's Done:

1. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, bringing to a simmer, until carrots are slightly softened, about ten to fifteen minuets. Sauce will have thickened.

This Won't Convert the Broccoli Haters in Your Life

Day 81.

Today, my baby learned to ride without training wheels. I ran outside and snapped about a hundred pictures of her tottering along on two wheels. All the while, images flashed through my mind of scraped elbows and battered hands. But she did it. She rode without training wheels today. I am so proud of her.

But each time she reaches a milestone, a part of me wants to cry, "No! Stay little!" She's my baby. When she lost her first tooth, I cried. I didn't let her see me, and I certainly did not break down into hysterics, but I shed a few tears. When she started first grade this year, I spent the first couple of hours of her school day at Starbucks. Not really treating myself. You see, Starbucks is directly across from the school. I sat on the porch with a friend, and we drank coffee and looked at the school. Then, I went home, and sat in the back yard and looked at the school. I missed her. (for the record, these days, I'm okay with her going to school, and I go about my daily business without pining for her in the back yard, although I know when her P.E. class and recess times are, and I listen to the kids squealing outside during those times.)

I'm very proud of all of her accomplishments. She's in the gifted program. She's spelling third grade words with no effort. She's about to take part in a musical production about ancient Rome. She's on the soccer team. She's a terrific kid. And she's growing up. And that's bittersweet.

But she'll always be my baby...



...who doesn't like broccoli.

Your broccoli haters probably won't like this dish, either. But if broccoli's your thing (and it's definitely my thing), you'll love this dish. The broccoli emerges tasting sweet.

Baked Broccoli

Ingredients:

• 1 lb broccoli florets
• 1 Tbsp melted butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

How it's Done:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Steam broccoli as usual.
3. Toss with melted butter and bread crumbs. Spread in an 8x8" square baking dish. Top with cheese.
4. Drizzle oil over top.
5. Bake 30 minutes.