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A Life From Scratch.

A Life You Adore Around A Table You Love.

Quick Chinese chicken.

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You guys. This recipe rocks!

You’ve heard of General Tso’s Chinese chicken, right? Totally a dish that when I want to be really bad, I really want to order and eat. Well, now you can be bad right at your own home. And you actually aren’t being bad because it’s good. Following me?

Chicken and crisp pea pods stir fried together, serve over brown rice, bam – dinner is done. And you will still like yourself. Always a good thing.

Chinese Chicken
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Sauce
  1. 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  2. ½ cup water
  3. 2 cups snow peas, trimmed and halved diagonally
  4. 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  5. 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
  6. 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
  7. 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  8. ¼ – ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Chicken and Coating
  1. 2 large egg whites
  2. 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  3. ½ teaspoon salt
  4. ¼ teaspoon pepper
  5. 1 pound chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
  6. sesame seeds, for topping
For sauce
  1. Mix together water and cornstarch until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients. Set aside.
For chicken
  1. Whisk together egg whites, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Stir in chicken.
To cook
  1. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add a small amount of oil. Add half of chicken to pan, dripping off excess coating.
  2. Cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown and cooked through.
  3. Remove from pan, add more oil if necessary and repeat with remaining chicken. Set the chicken aside.
  4. Add sauce to skillet and cook until snow peas are tender and sauce is thickened.
  5. Add chicken (and any collected juices) to skillet.Toss to coat.
  6. Sprinkle dish with sesame seeds.
Adapted from Kitchen Simplicity
Adapted from Kitchen Simplicity
A Life From Scratch. http://a-life-from-scratch.com/

 

Eat up!
C

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/

Bread for Becca.

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As you know by now if you follow my blog, we have a new little member of the family. Our cousins brought home their precious boy Reid and he could not be cuter. L and I had the chance to visit him the other day and the whole way down to the city (they’re cool like that) I kept saying how I couldn’t wait to gobble him up. L’s response? ‘Mom, you can’t EAT Becca’s baby.’ Thank you, L.

If you know me by now there is nothing I love more than to feed people, so putting together this little package was so much fun! And hey, how cute is the tag? My sister Talia got me them for Christmas and they are from anthropolgie.

Back to the package.

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To start, there was dinner. Monday during nap I whipped up a big batch of this super healthy bolognese sauce. Call me selfish but if you’re going to make a meal for someone else it’s just common sense to make enough of something that you can enjoy as well. Why cook twice? We enjoyed a small amount Monday night and the rest was packaged up in a Mason jar for Becca. I was happy to find some whole wheat fresh pasta and a chopped up kale salad. You have to stay healthy to take care of a little one!

A sample of homemade biscotti also made it in, which I can’t take credit for. My nice (and very Italian) friend and her mother made them from scratch and I thought they would be perfect dipped in their morning coffee. We all know sleep isn’t exactly the easiest thing to find with a new one. Even if you have an angel that will sleep perfectly in the bassinet (B, you did not do this), it’s truly hard to fall into a deep sleep because you’re obsessing about every little movement, sound, is she/he still breathing….etc. Rightfully so. Being a new parent can be….terrifying. 

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Lastly, breakfast. L helped me bake up this chocolate banana bread and as tempted as I was to steal a slice or two, it actually managed to get to the city in one piece. I hope it was delicious – I honestly think this is the first time I’m sharing a recipe I did not sample. I can say that it came together awesome and smelled out of this world. I’ll keep you posted when I make it again.

So, that’s that! A little care package for rock star new parents Becca and Stephen. We can’t wait to watch Reid grow up and can I just say this – I am SO HAPPY to (finally) have a bebe in the family that I am not responsible for 24/7! I can be that fun girl that visits, dotes on him, and…..leaves! 

Congrats again!
C

P.S. I forgot the most important item . L obsessed over what type of bracelet/charm to make Becca all morning. At one point we were trying to loom a baby. Let’s just say I’m glad he settled on a flower bracelet with a white/navy palate. Just a tad less creepy.

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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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