Monday, May 30, 2011

Memorial Day do-good

By simply viewing the following "flag cake" recipe, Taste of Home will donate a dime to the USO. That's enough for a 2 minute phone call home. So go do a good deed and check out the recipe!

Taste of Home flag cake

Friday, May 27, 2011

little helpers

We usually have the kids clear their own dishes from the table. We're still refining the outcome, but it was a nice attempt to take the additional step of loading the dishwasher. Kind of.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Week 92—Easy Peasy

Mon – Stir-fry
Tues –  Breakfast (might try that Vegan French Toast a couple posts back)
Weds – Hot ham and cheese in puff pastry
Thurs Pasta Puttanesca and squash
Fri Brats, beans, and applesauce
Alts – pizza, naturally
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Is it just my kid, or is it every 5-year-old that's picked up the saying "easy peasy" this past school year? In honor of school wrapping up and other grand things learned, this is "easy peasy" week. Happy cooking.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Happy Birthday—ONE!

Made our traditional Layered Banana Cake for our son's first birthday on the 3rd. He didn't touch it actually, but the rest of us enjoyed it happily! Husband's birthday on Friday. Looking for a good carrot cake recipe. Actually, the frosting is probably the most important part of that cake, in my opinion. Thick. Creamy. Fatty. Mmmm.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Vegan French Toast

Got this recipe from my child's preschool. Sounds like a good one to try this coming Saturday morning.

Vegan French Toast

2-3 ripe bananas
3/4 cup soy milk
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
Bread
Butter or Margarine

Blend bananas, soy milk, cinnamon, and vanilla in a blender (or let your kids help mash the bananas) and pour mixture into a wide dish. Gently dip bread slices into the mix, coating both sides. Fry in butter or margarine in medium hot skillet until golden brown.

Monday, May 2, 2011

mango mania

Got a huge box of "champaign mangoes" at Sam's over the weekend. They are fabulous, and much easier to peel than the usual ones we find at the store. We've been eating mangoes like crazy ever since.

Tonight's dinner featured an easy mango chicken recipe. I didn't have fresh ginger, which would have made it really excellent, but it turned out nicely for how little prep was required. Never mind that it was positively Armageddon in the house while I was preparing this, for some reason. Just one of those nights.

Ginger Chicken with Mango

Mangoes, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce make a delightful sauce to spice up bland chicken breasts. Be sure to use ripe mangoes for best flavor. Serve with green veggies and rice for a full meal.


P

rep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
2 pounds chicken breast fillets, skinned
1 cup peeled and diced mangoes
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation:
Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan. Add the garlic and saute for a few minutes. Then, add the chicken fillets. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, combine the mango with the sugar, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. Pour the mixture over the cooked fillets and gently mix to cover the chicken pieces. Add soy sauce, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook for about 10 more minutes.

Yield: 4 servings

Recipe Source: Tropic Cooking by Joyce LaFray Young (Ten Speed Press)