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A Life From Scratch.

A Life You Adore Around A Table You Love.

It’s the thought that counts.

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As you may have figured out by now, we have left our boys at home from time to time for a few days away. We do this to reset, recharge, and come home as better parents and spouses to each other. It’s something that’s incredibly important to us and a nice change of pace to not begin a conversation with ‘ok so B’s rash is about 73% cleared up but you still need to use a wet paper towel – NO wipes – and BOTH creams….’

And that’s where Mary Beth comes in. We have had the privilege of having her grow with our family. She started off when L was just 3 years old – teetering on that line between toddler and preschooler. We, and L, feel in love hard and we haven’t really been able to let her go since.

We both grew our families since meeting each other. I’ll never forget the day she called to tell me they were adopting Hannah. In 3 weeks. I cried tears of joy, and shared my news of being pregnant with B, and both our hearts swelled. Hannah joined MB in caring for L and he has had the gift of watching her grow from newborn, to baby, to an extra chatty toddler.

B joined us a bit later to bring the crew’s tally up to 3. MB has the art of juggling them perfectly and seems to meet each ones needs before they are even needed. Answering the questions before they are asked. A true gift. As one of L’s dear friends, Olivia, stated to a stranger at the park (love that girl) ‘ that’s my Mary Beth.’ As if she were a universal figure. Like, grandma or best friend. She’s on the right track though – everyone should have one.

When you find your Mary Beth make sure to treat her well. A good place to start is leaving some tasty food around the home. I always try to have a soup or chili on hand, if possible. The other day I had texted her I was making a homemade and healthy(!!!) cheesy chicken pot pie. She wouldn’t need to worry about dinner for herself or her husband (who often stops by) as we’d have plenty of leftovers.

Whoops. 

As you can see from the text, and pic, that didn’t exactly happen. M and I pretty much consumed that entire casserole dish. Hey, it’s a true testament to how amazing this recipe is.

Mary Beth? I owe you one!

cheesy chicken pot pie

Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie
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Ingredients
  1. Filling
  2. 2 cups chopped cooked chicken (or turkey, or ham)
  3. 2 cups leftover, fresh or frozen vegetables
  4. Cheese Sauce
  5. 2 tablespoons butter
  6. 2 tablespoons flour
  7. 1 cup chicken broth
  8. salt & pepper to taste
  9. 1 cup shredded cheese
  10. Biscuit Topping
  11. 1 cup biscuit mix
  12. ½ cup grated cheese
  13. ⅓ cup milk
Instructions
  1. Place meat and vegetables in a 9 inch round or 8×8 square baking dish.
  2. Make the sauce: Melt butter over medium heat, add flour and cook 1 minute.
  3. Slowly add chicken broth, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally.
  4. Remove from heat, add salt and pepper to taste and stir in cheese until melted.
  5. Pour over meat and vegetables. Mix well.
Biscuit topping
  1. Stir together all ingredients with a fork until even moistened. Spread thinly over mixture in casserole dish. (Don’t worry if there are gaps, it does not need to be perfectly covered and it will fill out more as it bakes.)
  2. Bake at 400ºF for 25 minutes or until topping is golden and filling is bubbly.
Adapted from Kitchen Simplicity
Adapted from Kitchen Simplicity
A Life From Scratch. http://a-life-from-scratch.com/

6PM lasagna.

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skillet lasagna

Lasagna, while always delicious, comes with a certain connotation of just being high maintenance. So high maintenance that it would be a terrifying thought to tackle after 6PM on a week night…until now.

Enter skillet lasagna. Just as tasty as the original, but modified down to a quick 30 minute dinner that comes together beautifully. You can do this on a weeknight, promise. Massive bonus that it’s a lot healthier than the original by using chicken sausage and whole wheat noodles. Optional of course – but why not when it’s just as tasty? It is still January. We’re supposed to be eating healthy, guys. 

M and I gobbled this up on a cold winter night (is there any other kind of night?) and loved every single bite. Even the baby gave it a thumbs up – meaning, it didn’t end up on the floor. Nothing makes mom happier. Huge win, all around! 

Skillet Lasagna
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Ingredients
  1. ½ onion, diced
  2. ½ teaspoon salt
  3. pepper, to taste
  4. 4 cloves garlic, minced
  5. ¼ teaspoon dried basil
  6. ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  7. ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
  8. 1 lb. chicken Italian sausage, crumbled
  9. 10 lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch lengths (I used whole wheat)
  10. 2 (19 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
  11. ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  12. ½ cup grated parmesan
  13. ¾ cup cottage cheese
  14. 3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
Instructions
  1. Heat a large non-stick (or cast iron) skillet over medium heat. Add a small bit of oil, onions, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have softened.
  2. Add garlic, basil, oregano, and parsley. Cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
  3. Add sausage, and cook until no longer pink. Drain fat, if needed.
  4. Add lasagna noodles to skillet. Top with tomatoes and their juices. Bring to a simmer.
  5. Cover and simmer, stirring often, until pasta is tender (20-25 minutes).
  6. When pasta is tender, remove from heat. Stir in half of mozzarella and parmesan, and ¼ cup cottage cheese.
  7. Smooth top and dollop with spoonfuls of remaining ½ cup cottage cheese. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and parmesan over all.
  8. Place under a pre-heated broiler until cheese is browned and bubbling.
  9. Remove from oven. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil just before serving
Adapted from Kitchen Simplicity
Adapted from Kitchen Simplicity
A Life From Scratch. http://a-life-from-scratch.com/
 

-15 degree stew.

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barley stew

I have to say, it was a bit of a shock to my system to return here. This winter can only be described as relentless and everywhere I look people just look….in pain. It doesn’t stop snowing. The wind is insane. I literally almost blew over while getting gas. And of course, it hurts to breathe. Nice.

I knew some type of soup had to get going on my stove ASAP as it’s the only thing that can help. This one is super healthy (kale!), super hearty (barley!), and comes together easily (almost one dish!). A big bowl of barley stew, some crusty bread, and a glass of pinot noir – hopefully it will take the edge off the fact that spring is nowhere in sight. Sigh.

Barley Stew
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Ingredients
  1. 2 cups water
  2. 1 cup quick-cooking barley
  3. Salt, to taste
  4. 2 Tbs. olive oil
  5. 1 lb. chicken sausage
  6. 1 yellow onion, chopped
  7. 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  8. pinch of red pepper flakes
  9. 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juices
  10. 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  11. 4 cups kale, stemmed and chopped
  12. Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the water to a boil.
  2. Add the barley and a big pinch of salt, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, warm 1 Tbs. of the olive oil.
  4. Add the sausage and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
  5. Add the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil, the onion and garlic to the saucepan and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.
  6. Cut the sausage into 1-inch slices and return them to the saucepan. Cook, stirring often, until the sausage is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
  7. Season with the red pepper flakes, salt, & pepper.
  8. Add the tomatoes with their juices and the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
  9. Add the barley and the kale and cook just until the kale softens, about 5 minutes.
A Life From Scratch. http://a-life-from-scratch.com/

Eat up!

C

Ignorance is bliss.

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mexican quinoa

Victory.

I feel like shouting this from the rooftop – M ATE QUINOA! 

But then I thought that may be a little weird. And icy. And cold. And we live across from a forest so no one would actually hear me.

So, I’m shouting it here. I had anxiety all day about making this dish. I knew I’d devour it no problem, but my meat and potatoes husband? Well that was another story. He gets weirded out by whole grain pasta – how was I going to sneak this one by him?

Earlier in the day he asked me what was for dinner, to which I replied ‘oh, like a mexican casserole dish!’ Leaving out the oh so important star ingredient – quinoa. Cool, he responded. In his mind he was getting enchiladas.

Then the true test – I set down his bowl in front of him piled high with sharp cheddar and homemade guacamole. When he asked more about it, I hastily replied ‘it’s like a mexican rice dish. Dig in!’

And he did. Gobbled it all up. Ignorance is so bliss, isn’t it? 

Mexican Quinoa
Recipe from Kitchen Simplicity

INGREDIENTS:

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well and drained
1¼ cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 can (1½ cups) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup corn
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tsp cumin
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, optional
1 quarter of a lime, juiced
To serve: salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, and guacamole

INSTRUCTIONS

Add a small bit of oil to a medium-sized pot set over medium heat. Add garlic and jalapeños; cook just until fragrant (about a minute). Add quinoa, broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, cumin, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 25 minutes, or until quinoa is cooked and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro and lime juice. Spoon into bowls and serve with desired toppings.

Serve with homemade guac or store bought would work just fine.

Eat up!
C

Easiest dinner, ever.

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sauteed peppers and onions over arugula

Let’s keep things easy in January, shall we?

I came up with this dinner about a month or so ago – it seemed too easy to be true. Kind of like, why haven’t I been doing this my whole life? It turned out delicious and quite healthy, if healthy to you is defined by no carbs. That rule doesn’t fly in our home so of course bread was served on the side. Either way though, this sauteed peppers and onions over arugula is another quick, easy, and healthy go to for your 2014 kitchen repertoire.

Sauteed Peppers & Onions over Arugula
Serves 4
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
30 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
30 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 TBS olive oil
  2. 2 mild peppers - your choice of color, sliced
  3. 1 red onion, sliced
  4. pinch of red pepper flakes
  5. Italian sausage - as much as you want to make
  6. Arugula
  7. Fresh parmesan, for serving
Instructions
  1. Cook your sausage - you can grill, or, if it's too cold (like now) we roast in a 425 oven for 15-20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, warm the oil in a large skillet. Saute the peppers and onions together until they soften and have a nice color on them. Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
  3. Spread the arugula on a large serving tray. Spoon the warm peppers & onions over. Slice up the sausage and add to the plate. Top with freshly shaved parmesan.
A Life From Scratch. http://a-life-from-scratch.com/

Eat up!

C

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