Summer Dublin Coddle

Since my family is trying to eat better & cleaner, there have been some switch up in dishes & recipes. Even though we haven't given up EVERYTHING...we have been working hard to work in some better-for-you stuffs &/or changing up some of the ingredients we use.

With that said, I still had some overstock of mixed greens (find out my leafy greens mix HERE), so I was trying to figure out what to use. After doing the cleaner eating research, I knew it was pretty good to get some turkey in the mix. And since I had some cabbage & kale to use, I decided revisit my Dublin Coddle (recipe HERE)! However, it's pretty heavy & perfect for fall & winter eating. With my previous recipe, there were some things missing that could help lighten it up! Well...I changed that a bit.

Here's what I did:

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SUMMER DUBLIN CODDLE

Ingredients:

~ 1 pkg. turkey Lit'l Smokies
~ 1/4 C turkey bacon bits
~ 1 lb. baby potatoes, quartered
~ 1 small onion, sliced
~ 6 C brewed green tea
~ 2 chicken bouillon cubes
~ 1/8 C chopped parsley
~ 2 medium carrots, sliced
~ 2 red cabbage leaves, torn or chopped
~ 3 green cabbage leaves, torn or chopped
~ 2 curly kale stems (just use the leaves), torn or chopped & massaged in lemon juice & sea salt
~ 2 T marjoram
~ 2 T dried (crushed) rosemary
~ 2 T dried thyme
~ 2 T minced garlic
~ salt & black pepper to taste

Directions:

* Place all prepared ingredients into a large pot on medium-hi heat

* Bring coddle to a boil, then slightly lower burner temp (medium-lo), stir occasionally

* Allow to boil for about 15-30 minutes until potatoes & carrots are tender, stirring occasionally

* Turn burner down to lo to allow to simmer & until the cabbage leaves are tender & kale is slightly wilted

* Serve

Yield: about 4 servings

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When I made this, I could only get a hold of ruby potatoes. I really like a mixture of colors, but it was still really pretty! Imagine if I'd thrown in some Yukon &/or purple potatoes!

Also, if you have other root veggies to throw in, do it! If you have some parsnips or turnips to throw in, cut 'em up & do it. The more, the merrier! And, if you use turnips, throw in the turnip greens, too! Some mustard greens work in this coddle, also.

It's lighter, it's pretty, and it lends to that cleaner eating. My hubby liked it, too!  I'm thinking this one needs to be done again! And it's a lighter version, perfect for Spring or Summer dishes!

Short on time that day? Throw it all in the lazy cooker & let it cook on low for about 6-8 hours.
TA-DA!

ENJOY!

Mixed Leafy Greens

Lately, we (my hubby & I) have noticed that we still aren't doing as well in our family eating. Eating? Yes. Good stuff? No.

Not that we have been doing horribly, but there was plenty of room for improvement. And I've mentioned that it's hard when you have kids who like & dislike all different things. But a foot is being put down!

Now then, when we have things like tacos, salad or sandwiches (and sometimes burgers), we have lettuce. Makes sense, right? But we would just get a bag of shredded iceberg lettuce for everything except the salad...but we'd deal with a bag of shredded salad mix which included iceberg lettuce with carrot shreds, choppy cabbage pieces & maybe another kind of lettuce. But we decided to change this.

In the midst of deciding to try to eat cleaner, we decided to work in more greens & salads. And, if you have seen some of my past posts, I really like pretty & colorful food! So I thought thru how to work out the leafy greens situation.

After some research, I figured out that I could get the freshest produce for cheaper, but stock up on it...and...I discovered that I could freeze it!! (Check out my source for freezing lettuce HERE at livestrong.com)

I went to the store & got a bunch (no pun necessarily intended) of leafy veggies. So, not really a recipe, but a tip on a mix.

Here's what I did:

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Mixed Leafy Greens

Ingredients:

~ 1 head green leaf lettuce
~ 1 head red leaf lettuce
~ 1 bunch romaine lettuce
~ 1 bunch curly kale
~ 1/2 head green cabbage
~ 1/2 head red cabbage


Directions:

* separate & wash off all leaves

* tear or chop all leaves into small pieces; discard all big stems

* if using kale, be sure to massage it with sea salt & lemon juice first, to begin breakdown early

* toss all greens together & make sure all leaves all dry

* separate into several freezer bags (as in link, above)

* use as necessary in meals

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One thing I did was spend a little bit on a salad/lettuce spinner to help with getting rid of the moisture. Plus...it's totally fun to use! Then, be sure, because it is IMPORTANT, to lay out the spun greens & pat dry with paper towels. DO IT!!! The lesser the moisture before freezing, the better. Otherwise it will turn to nasty mush when you thaw it out.

Also, if you do not want to separate the different leaf varieties, freeze in much smaller bags so you can decide what to use at any given time while getting a small bag of each needed/wanted for any dish when you need it! Or just do it all in smaller freezer bags & pull out what you need in smaller portions.

And you can throw in some iceberg lettuce if you'd like, and any other leafy greens in any mix (mustard greens, collard greens, Napa cabbage, spinach, turnip greens, etc.).

And...it's gorgeous while giving different flavors, textures, and pumping up the nutrition factor when you use these!

So...salad anyone?

ENJOY!!

Rice for Breakfast

As the family slowly continues the move toward cleaner eating, I have to take a look at breakfast. It starts our day & gets us going. But grabbing a Pop Tart is probably not the best option.

For Christmas, my hubby & I got a rice/veggie steamer. We were STOKED to get it! We haven't used it a whole lot, but we do use it & find new ways to make rice all of the time. The kids really enjoy some plain, steamed, white rice. So do I! But finding out that the white rice is fairly "empty", I wanted to boost it up to brown rice. Yes, it takes longer & takes more prep in planning, but we do what we can.

Now, when we received our steamer from the in-laws, my MIL questioned why we wanted one so badly. I told her we like rice. I thought it was a no-brainer. But then she wanted to know why we have so much rice for breakfast. Yeah...she asked me about that. I was confuzzled!! I informed her we have it or dinners mostly, and she graciously accepted my answer. But her inquiry got me thinking...

Several years ago, my hubby was on a week-long mission trip in Nicaragua. He said that they were served rice pretty much every morning for breakfast. They just added some milk & sugar...so treated it like we look at cereal. He has brought up wanted to do that at home, but we didn't have the thought process or prep in planning to do so.

In the quest of cleaner eating, I decided to swap out some oatmeal (even though good for you...still very heavy for summertime) with rice! And I found a wild rice blend at the grocery store, so I mixed it with some brown rice.

Here's what I did:

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RICE FOR BREAKFAST

Ingredients:

~ 1 C steamed brown &/or wild long grain rice
~ 1/4 C dried or fresh fruit
~ 1/4 C nuts
~ 1 T honey or agave
~ 1/2 T cinnamon

Directions:

* I used equal parts of wild rice blend & brown long grain rice & steamed it according to my steamer's brown rice directions; about enough to last 4 days (about 4 cups worth)

* When finished (about 45 minutes later), I scooped about 1 cup of steamed rice into a small bowl, then added the fruit (I used a dried berry mix) & the nuts (I used sliced almonds); you may mix it all together at this point

* Drizzle the cereal, fruit & nut mixture with the honey or agave (I used honey), and then sprinkle with cinnamon; you may mix it all together at this point

* Consume

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I love this for breakfast!! And it's very vegan friendly, too! It's easy...plus you can refrigerate the left over rice & have it for a few days afterward, too.

If you want to change it up a bit, change up the fruit and nuts. You can also add raw sugar or a sugar-free maple syrup & a bit of milk for cereal option less heavy than oatmeal. I've even mashed up a banana in with it. YUM!!

So...happy eating!

ENJOY!

Rainy Day Burger Wraps

Summertime eating is here, but we have issues with getting bored with our menu planning. It's the time for lighter fare, and we like to keep it quick & versatile. We have some menu items that we might rotate around depending on the week. I bet you can guess that gets a little tired, too, even with the change ups.

This time, I gotta give credit to my hubby. This is his time to take over a lot of cooking...on the grill! Two of our menu items we go back & forth with on alternate weeks happen to be bratwurst (and hot dogs) switched with burgers.

Even though today wasn't rainy, too hot or too cold...my hubby imagined having burger wraps. We could assemble them like our soft tacos, but with typical burger condiments & such.

I ended up cooking them, and here's what I did:

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RAINY DAY BURGER WRAPS

Ingredients:

* 1 lb. ground beef
* 1-2 splashes liquid smoke
* 2 Tbs minced onion
* salt & pepper to taste
* tortilla wraps
* condiments of choice


Directions:

~ brown up ground beef in a skillet with the minced onion with salt & pepper

~ once the meat is browned, crumbly & caramelized, drain the meat & rinse; place back into the skillet

~ set the burner with the skillet on low to keep the meat warm; add the liquid smoke, stir & allow to simmer

~ spoon some of the meat mixture onto a tortilla shell (we used a whole grain tortilla) & top with condiments of choice: shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, ketchup, mustard, mayo, bbq sauce, etc.

~ fold it up & consume

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These ended up really good! They look like tacos...my kids kept pointing that out. But if you planned on burgers, but it's raining...or it's just too hot to grill (so basically for anyone who isn't a die-hard, extreme griller), this is a great option to just throw together. They are quick & easy...and no having to form meat patties! Oh...and we served 'em up with waffle fries!

My hubby has referred to them as "Any-Way-You-Want-'Em Burgers" too. Either way, another variation & slightly lighter version of a burger for the spring & summertime!

ENJOY!

Cucumber Melon Water with Mint

As we continue to hydrate while keeping up variety, I have another flavor of water for you!

One of my favorite scents is the clean aroma of cucumber & melon together. YUM! Then add a little mint to the mix for a refreshing kick. Close your eyes for a moment & imagine it...Mmmmmm...

Well, how about this? Add those very things to your water! Oh yes...that's what I'm talking about!

Here's what I did:

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CUCUMBER MELON WATER WITH MINT

Ingredients:

* 16 oz chunked melon (seedless watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe)
* 2 small seedless variety cucumbers, thinly sliced
* 1 long or 2 short mint sprigs
* about 1 gallon of filtered or tap water
* ice cubes (optional)


Directions:

~ Make sure melon is cut up into 1 to 1 & a half inch chunks; try to make sure as many seeds are out as possible

~ wash cucumbers & thinly slice (I like using English cucumbers since they are seedless already)

~ wash mint sprig(s) (I still had some to use, so I tossed it in there)

~ place all above ingredients into a 1 gallon pitcher, preferably with a slotted lid

~ fill the rest of the pitcher with filtered or tap water

~ add ice cubes, if desired

~ allow to sit for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator, or overnight

~ hydrate until gone; repeat about 2 or 3 times since the melon may not last as long

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This may be my favorite flavored water. Seriously.

Again...I want to hydrate with this water! All while getting some of the health benefit properties from the ingredients. Such a super win!

I used pre-cut melon spears this time, but I always promote swinging by your local farmer's market to get the  freshest stuff. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.

May I also suggest making a green tea with honey & milk with this water? Because it is so scrumptious, too!

And don't forget being super green by using that favorite cup or glass to drink from, or keep filling up that reusable bottle!

Happy Hydrating, everyone!

ENJOY!

Rum Cannon Balls

About the same time that I did up the RUDOLPH NOSE CANDY, I wanted to make some rum balls, too.

But I wanted to make 'em right, but also needed them for a wide variety of ages...cuz, you know...kids. So I made a couple of different ones. And they are SO easy! Messy...but easy...oh...and yummy!

Oh, and they remind me of cannon balls (more explaining on that in a moment)!

So I bring you:

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RUM CANNON BALLS

Ingredients:

* Brownie mix - made to package directions
* 1/4 C spiced rum - if making for the big kids (21+)
* 1 T rum flavoring/extract - if making for a wide range of ages
* Edible glitter or decorating sugar

Directions:

~ Bake brownie mix to package directions

~ Once out of the oven & baked, let cool for about 10-15 minutes

~ Take a spatula or spoon & break up the baked brownie into crumbly pieces

~ Add in the rum (flavoring) & mix it all up

~ Remove any rings from your fingers & dig into the mixture to form brownie balls, about 1" in size

~ Take each ball, after formed, and roll in edible glitter/sugar

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I made both kinds. And I gave color distinctions so the kiddos wouldn't consume the wrong ones! The white sugar crystals designated the free-for-alls; the gold sugar crystals designated the one for big-kid-only consumption.

So hoping to make these again. And since they remind me of cannon balls, and with Captain Morgan being used, I want to make these for International Talk Like a Pirate Day, too! (That would be September 19th, if you're keeping score.)

ENJOY!

Citrus Mint Water

How's that hydrating going? Going well? Need to get started? Cuz I've got another water for you!

A couple of years ago, I got on a weird kick of mixing the flavors of citrus (usually orange) with mint. It's a surprising flavor that is bright, sunny & refreshing!

Since I've been playing with flavoring my own water, I thought I'd go back to this flavor just for something different.

Here's what I did:

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CITRUS MINT WATER

Ingredients:
* 1 small to medium orange, thinly sliced & deseeded
* 1 medium lemon, thinly sliced & deseeded
* 1 limes, thinly sliced & deseeded
* 1 long or 2 short mint stems (you may tear off the leaves to use, if desired)
* 1 gallon filtered or tap water (approximately)
* ice cubes (optional)


Directions:
~ wash off all produce

~ thinly slice citrus fruits & remove any seeds

~ place all ingredients into 1 gallon pitcher (preferably with a slotted lid)

~ fill the pitcher the rest of the way with filtered or tap water

~ add some ice cubes, if desired

~ place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to steep into the water (longer is better, like overnight)

~ serve & repeat


Notes:

= The flavor may be strong; if the flavor is too much, try it with a couple of oranges & the mint.

= Freeze water into ice cubes to give drinks like water, tea (sweet or unsweet), or Sprite a new kick of flavor

= Use to brew up a cup of black tea.

= You may refill the pitcher with the same ingredients about 4 times

= As always...use a fun cup or reusable bottle for another layer of encouragement of hydration!

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This flavor is VERY strong compared to other waters I've posted. Be prepared for a flavor rush! But imagine the amount of vitamin C you are placing into your body while hydrating! And doing so without the extra sugars, syrups & chemicals in other juices & mixes. You're welcome!

ENJOY!

Spicy Mexi-Cocoa Cake with Brown Sugar Whipped Cream

Oh man, I have really been enjoying my Spicy Mexi-Mocha lately! (recipe HERE)

Cinco de Mayo was about a month ago, of course. We fixed up quite a Mexican fiesta! It did include the Cliantro Lime Black Bean & Corn Salsa! (salsa recipe HERE)

Now, I wanted to include a dessert, of course! I wasn't sure how a Mexi-Mocha would go over since we had the kiddos, too...so I wanted to do up just the Spicy Mexi-Cocoa. However, I didn't know how long it would take us to eat, how full we'd be, and how long the company we had over was gonna be able to stay. So I was thinking how I could get it to last. So...I BAKED IT! Right along the lines of my Apple Irish Cream Cake. (recipe HERE)

Yes, I turned it into a cake. And since I tend to use cake mixes to play with, I didn't want to add too much sweet stuffs to the mix. So I did something else with the brown & granulated sugar.

So, here's what I did:

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Spicy Mexi-Cocoa Cake with Brown Sugar Whipped Cream

Cake Ingredients:
~ 1 box chocolate cake mix
   ~ use milk instead of water
   ~ use butter instead of the oil & double the amount
   ~ add one extra egg than the box directions call for
~ 2 T cinnamon
~ 2 t ground black pepper
~ 1 1/2 t salt
~ 1 t nutmeg
~ 1 t ground cloves
~ 1 t ground cardamom
~ 1 t chili powder
~ 3 pinches ground cayenne pepper
~ 2 T vanilla extract
~ 1 t orange extract
~ 1 t anise extract


Cake Directions:

~ Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

~ Place all ingredients into a large bowl, and then mix together well

~ Spray or grease cake pan - I used my trusty bundt pan

~ Transfer cake batter evenly into the cake pan

~ Bake for approximately 45 minutes; check at around 40 minutes with knife or toothpick insertion

(while baking, make the whipped cream - recipe below)

~ Once baked thru, pull out of oven & allow to cool in pan for about 5 minutes

~ Carefully turn cake out onto cake plate or platter

~ Allow to cool for about 15-20 minutes & sprinkle with powdered sugar or cocoa powder

~ When slicing & serving, top each slice with a drizzle of honey & a dollop of brown sugar whipped cream:


Brown Sugar Whipped Cream Ingredients:

~ 1 C heavy whipping cream
~ 1/4 C packed brown sugar
~ 1 T granulated sugar


Brown Sugar Whipped Cream Directions:

~ Place ingredients into a medium bowl

~ With a hand-held mixer, whip ingredients together on medium until firm; about 5 minutes (do NOT over-whip)

~ May sprinkle a little cocoa powder or cinnamon on top, if desired ...or some chili powder if you want more spice

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OK...we didn't get to enjoy the cake on Cinco de Mayo. We were so full. But got to try it the next day. And...

Oh...My...Yum.

Just some chocolate, cake, sweet, and a little bite of spice...just so good!

Of course, not just for Cinco de Mayo, but also for Dios de los Muertos (Day of the Dead - November 1st & 2nd) or even September 16 &/or 27th.

For a little mocha variation, you can either do half a cup of strong brewed coffee & half cup milk in the cake batter instead of the 1 cup of milk, or you can make a glaze of powdered sugar, chilled brewed coffee & milk.

That slice you see in the above picture is mine! And it's already gone. I might grab me another...

ENJOY!

Lemon Ginger Cucumber Water

So...how are we doing on that whole hydration thing, people?

After consuming the Lemon Cucumber Water (recipe HERE), and after the change-up to Autumn Water (recipe HERE), it was time to try something else. However, I just recycled some stuff I had, so I took the Lemon Cucumber Water & added an extra layer of good-for-you & delicious flavor!

I have seen (and have even purchased) lemon ginger tea bags. It is generally labeled to be "probiotic" & "for digestion". I just know it's really good. So, if it's actually good for me, too...then BONUS!

So I've taken the flavor concept, especially since I have made the lemon ginger tea with the Lemon Cucumber Water (which is so unbelievably good, by the way), and decided to let the flavors sit in water together!

Here's what I did:

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LEMON GINGER CUCUMBER WATER

Ingredients:

* 2 medium lemons, sliced & deseeded

* 2-3 seedless variety cucumber, sliced (I used 3 mini English cucumbers)

* 4 1-inch chunks of ginger root, peeled

* about 1 gallon of filtered or tap water

* ice cubes (optional)


Directions:

~ After washing, slicing, deseeding lemon & cucumber, and chunking & peeling the ginger root, place all produce into a 1 gallon size pitcher, preferably with a slotted lid

~ Fill the pitcher the rest of the way with filtered or tap water; add ice cubes, if desired

~ Allow to set for about 1 hour to allow flavors to steep; 4-8 hour wait time would be better

~ Pour into a glass/cup or a refillable bottle & keep consuming throughout the day

+ Good for about 4 refills, discard used produce after finished & repeat with this flavor or another

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Like in the picture, above, I have added it to tea: lemon ginger tea, green tea, green & white fusion tea, black tea...it's all so refreshingly good!

Oh...and you can totally do that whole "freezing in an ice cube tray" thing to put into sweet or unsweet tea. You know what I'm saying...

Oh...this means I have hydrated while getting the good-for-you properties of the any probiotics, some vitamin C...and I'm super sure a lot of other things, too. I just know I really like the flavor...and it makes me want to do the most important thing: HYDRATE!

I still have more flavors I want to try. And I'm loving changing it up. I'm not getting tired of water at all!

ENJOY!