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Archives for September 2016

C’s picks – week of September 25th

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Another week another kitchen line up! Lots of fun flavors going on this week and some old recipes and some new ones I’ve been dying to try. Can’t get any better than that. Let’s do this.

Sunday let’s go with a quick cooking super healthy version of an old favorite: homemade chicken cacciatore. Garlic bread on the side for the boys because, well, that’s how they roll.

Haven’t made our favorite grown up mac and cheese in awhile (AKA Cacio E Pepe). Oh so easy and when it comes to pasta – pretty light! Delicious.

Can’t wait to try this new recipe on Tuesday night: bbq chicken potato casserole from my new cookbook, Fed & Fit. Sounds like a perfect recipe to keep the whole family happy. I will plan on making during the day and baking off come dinner time. Warming up leftovers post football for L.

Wednesday let’s go with an oldie but goodie, we can’t get enough of this grilled shrimp and asparagus with a lemony shallot vinaigrette. So light and healthy!

Oh my goodness, how good do these cheddar jalapeno burgers look? Top with fresh guacamole, well, it doesn’t get any better than that. Can’t wait to try these out.

And that brings us to Friday. With roughly 70 people coming by to celebrate L, it’s time to get my butt in gear! Let’s par-TAY!

Happy cooking everyone – have a great week! And hey, be sure to stick around ALFS this week. I have the most darling of giveaways happening with the most darling Nicole Cicak!
C

Everyday Moms: Meet Julie

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Do you ever wonder other moms secrets? Like actual real beautiful day to day hard working moms? So often I see a darling one at the park and think wow, she looks so great! I wonder what she is doing so well. With that in mind I thought I’d begin a new series on A Life From Scratch: Everyday Moms. These are moms I know, moms who have been recommended to me, moms who inspire and are beautiful inside and out. Let’s peek into their lives just a bit, shall we? 

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Meet Julie!

Location: Barrington, IL

Job: Event Planner/Owner of international incentive travel company, Aces Abroad.

Kids: Ryder (10) and Meadow (8)

You’re in your closet – what do you reach for first? Usually lululemon and I probably won’t change until bedtime whether I hit the gym or not! And I may not even change for bed.

Hands down the one beauty product you can’t live without. Only one! Hair conditioner, specifically Schwarzkoph.

Your daily moisturizer. Are you happy with it? Kiehls Ultra Facial Cream.

Your nightly moisturizer. Are you happy with it? Same as daily… I love it but wish it smelled yummy.

Something in your shopping cart online right now that you want to buy – budget is no limit. Two dark brown tufted leather chairs for my fireplace. 

How do you feel your beauty routine changed when you became a mom? It went to hell in a hand basket… I now fall asleep without brushing my teeth sometimes. I know. Ewwww.

Biggest indulgence you allow yourself. Horseback riding on Wednesday nights.

Tell us about your kid(s). My 100lb 10-year-old, tackle football playing, Mandarin speaking, rough and tumble son still calls me Mommy because I won’t answer to anything else. My equally rough and tumble 8-year-old, horse riding, frog and cricket collecting, water skiing daughter still tears up when she’s going to a sleepover because she will miss me. Though they are two years apart, they share birthdays. They both want me to sing “Silent Night” to them every night… I have sung this song approximately 6,500 times since they were born. For some reason, with all that practice, I haven’t gotten any better. WTH.

What is your biggest struggle as a mom day to day. Meal planning…. I can only ever think to make tacos (with the packets). Thank God for ALFS.

What is your biggest happiness as a mom day to day. The kids still argue over who gets to sit next to me at meals.

Snap your fingers – you could have a magic fairy help you with one thing around the home every day. What is it? She would brush my hair and massage my feet and fetch me icy cold La Croix. 🙂

Because you are oh so pretty, tell us about your favorite feature! Probably my height…. I can get away with more shenanigans than others who are more vertically challenged.

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Thank you, Julie! I am absolutely honored to call you not only my neighbor and close friend but a partner in crime in raising our crew. I admire and am inspired by your sense of adventure whether it’s galavanting around the world or driving 100 miles for heirloom tomatoes for cooking club. Your kids, no doubt, will have that sense of adventure instilled in them. Love it. Thank you for sharing your time with A Life From Scratch! 

My Big Fat Greek Salad

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The moment I saw this My Big Fat Greek Salad recipe, I knew I would be in love. All I had to do was wait for a night M was traveling and it was so going to happen.

See, it’s basically all my favorite things thrown on to a salad: you’ve got romaine lettuce, olives, cherry tomatoes, peppers, grilled chicken all tossed up with a greek dressing that is used both as a marinade for the chicken and to dress the salad.

All that was missing was cucumbers, which, the recipe called for but someone forgot to grab one at the store even though it was on the list.

Don’t you hate that?

Like, it’s ON THE LIST. That is why you MAKE THE LIST. Every time prior to check out I go item by item, make sure I grabbed it, and then proceed to check out. I did this and did not come back home with a cucumber. 

I swear, kids made me dumber. Literally. I used to consider myself an actual kind of intelligent person but mom brain never really faded with me. Or it could be the fact that B was half hanging on the cart half hanging on the cart while smearing a doughnut all over his shirt, trying to grab a bag of popcorn, and asking for gum all at the same time. Just a tad distracting.  

Oh well, I can still make a killer salad. On an evening that might just have been the most perfect 70 degree and sunny evening. I had my cooking playlist going on the deck, B was hitting balls, L was working away at football, and the chicken was on the grill. It was a great night to photograph and eat something nice and light and healthy that made you feel full and satisfied in all the right ways.

Huge bonus that the jeans slid on pretty darn easy in the morning.

My Big Fat Greek Salad
A delicious and satisfying salad filled with all the Greek flavors
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Cook Time
8 min
Cook Time
8 min
Salad
  1. 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast strips
  2. 1 head romaine lettuce
  3. 1 large cucumber (don't forget!), chopped
  4. 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
  5. 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
  6. 1/4 purple onion, thinly sliced
  7. 1/2 cup pepperoncini peppers
  8. 2 TBS flat leaf parsley, chopped
Greek Marinade/Dressing
  1. 1/4 cup capers, finely chopped
  2. 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (2 lemons)
  3. 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  4. 1/2 cup evoo
  5. 2 TBS dried oregano leaves (I used fresh)
  6. 1 tsp salt
  7. 1/2 tsp ground pepper
Instructions
  1. Make the dressing by combining all ingredients and whisking together. Pour half over the chicken to marinade, reserve half to dress the salad.
  2. Let the chicken hang out - at least 20 minutes or so, and up to 4 hours.
  3. Prepare a grill over medium high heat. Grill chicken strips roughly 3-4 minutes per side, let cool, and slice into chunks.
  4. Shred up your romaine and top with olives, tomatoes, chicken, peppers, cucumbers, onion, parsley and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Pour remaining dressing over it all and toss together.
  5. Enjoy!
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

Martha Stewart Remix

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Alright friends, it’s officially back to school for all and that hopefully means a bit more structure is taking place for you and your family. Bedtimes, routines, healthier eating and meal planning. Love – no – crave it all. And now that fall is right around the corner I thought there would be no better time to introduce some wonderful new basics for our kitchens. I teamed up with Martha Stewart Living (I know, so fun!) for a ‘recipe remix’ to hopefully inspire and freshen things up for your own kitchen. I so loved these ideas all made with such high quality products: Bumble Bee Tuna®, TRISCUIT crackers, and Barilla® Gluten Free Pasta. Wonderful brands that your family can trust and reach for over and over and over again in the store. Now, let’s break these ideas down!triscuits

To start, it’s snack time. You know the scene….the kids practically tumble into the door and before their backpacks are off their backs the words ‘I’m STARVING’ come out of their mouths. Huh, that’s odd. Did you not eat the wonderful well balanced meal and snack I lovingly prepared for you today? Who am I kidding. My kid is a chatty Cathy, I wouldn’t be surprised if only about 30% of his lunch was consumed. It is what it is. Yet now we’ve got homework and football on the agenda so time to get something filling, healthy, and hearty in his tummy. I love the idea of a kids antipasto platter. TRISCUIT crackers, sliced applies, sharp cheddar, and PB&Jams but butters. It’s the perfect way for kids to mix and match different flavors, or, L’s favorite….all piled on top of each other! Inspired by Meghan Gibson at PB&Jams this oh so delicious idea should, hopefully, keep your kids full through dinner time. 

Snack Smart with Triscuit
A hearty and healthy snack perfect for keeping your kids full until dinner time.
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Prep Time
10 min
Prep Time
10 min
Ingredients
  1. Original TRISCUIT crackers
  2. Peanut Butter, we love PB&Jams nut butter
  3. An apple, sliced (we love honeycrisp!)
  4. Sliced cheddar (we lean sharp)
Instructions
  1. Arrange on a platter or stacked all on top of each other and enjoy!
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

And now, what about mom? This will be the first year my youngest will be eating his lunch at school. Granted it’s only one day per week (I’d miss him too much!) but Friday is officially mom gets to lunch on her own day. I have visions of meeting up with friends on pretty patios and chatting the day away but we all know that’s not exactly what goes down. Or is it? Who knows. Yet what I do know is that I have a bit more time to be bit more creative about what I get to eat and hopefully serve a friend or two. Straight from the kitchen of Martha Stewart Living, this Tuna Nicoise Sandwich recipe is just the thing to make you and any of your girlfriends happy come lunch time. Light, refreshing, and oh so pretty all that’s missing is a glass of wine. Yet hey, we’ll leave that for post pick up. 

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Tuna Nicoise Sandwich
A perfect light lunch that comes together quickly!
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 cans Bumble Bee Solid White Albacore Tuna in water, drained and chunked
  2. 1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
  3. 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  4. 1/4 cup plus 4 tsp olive oil
  5. 2 TBS red wine vinegar
  6. Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  7. 1 TBS fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
  8. 4 small ciabatta rolls, split
  9. head of bibb lettuce
  10. 1/2 cup nicoise olives, pitted
  11. 4 hardboiled eggs, peeled and thinly sliced
Instructions
  1. Put onions, 1/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, and 1/4 tsp salt in a medium bowl. Season with salt & pepper. Toss to combine and let chill for 10 minutes.
  2. Add Bumble Bee Solid White Albacore Tuna to onion mixture. Add lemon juice and 1/4 tsp salt, season with pepper. Gently toss to combine.
  3. Cover bottom halves of rolls with lettuce. Top with olives, eggs, and tuna mixture, dividing evenly. Drizzle each with 1 tsp olive oil. Cover with top halves of rolls and serve with lemon wedges.
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

Finally, you’ve made it through the end of your day. Homework is out on the counters, the husband is starving, you’re starving. Let’s get a glass of pinot noir going and this Barilla® Gluten Free Spaghetti with Tomatoes & Pine Nuts in the works. With only 10 minutes to prep, and 30 minutes or so of cooking time it comes easily together even for a busy week night. And hey, a big time saver hint to start: roast those tomatoes earlier on in the day and just let hang on the stove. Cuts the cooking time down, deepens the flavors, and gets dinner on the table even faster if needed. Who am I kidding, that is always needed.

I have to say, I was skeptical about serving the husband gluten free pasta so…..I didn’t tell him. Ha. I had so many people swear it tastes the same yet I was concerned. If anyone were to notice a difference it would be my meat and potatoes Mike and frankly, I just didn’t want to hear it. Well, it helped that this recipe has some killer key ingredients he loved. I mean caramelized onions and parmesan go a looooong way in this home. As it was coming together though I have to admit, I was a bit nervous. With no plan B this was dinner.

The end result? I loved making it and he – and the kids – loved eating it! So delicious. Yeah for a win all around. He didn’t even comment on the pasta and I didn’t say a word. We all have little tricks up our sleeves, don’t we? And some things are just better left unsaid. 

I hope this recipe is as much as a win for your family as it was for mine. Bon Appetite! img_0580

Barilla Gluten Free Spaghetti with Tomatoes & Pine Nuts
Serves 4
A light summery gluten free pasta dish!
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
40 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
40 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 box Barilla Gluten Free Spaghetti
  2. 2 pints cherry tomatoes
  3. 4 TBS olive oil
  4. 1 cup red onion, sliced
  5. 1 TBS parsley, fresh chopped (I threw in some basil too)
  6. 1/4 cup Pecorino cheese, grated
  7. 1/4 cup pine nuts (I toasted mine quick)
  8. salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 and bring a large pot of water to boil.
  2. Toss the cherry tomatoes in 2 TBS olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until blistered brown, roughly 10-15 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, in a skillet, caramelize the onions in 2 TBS olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
  4. Add the roasted tomatoes to the skillet.
  5. Cook pasta according to package directions, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.
  6. Drain and toss pasta with sauce and cooking liquid, stir to combine.
  7. Remove from heat and toss in fresh herbs, cheese, and pine nuts.
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

“This post is sponsored by Meredith Corporation and I have been compensated to promote their recipes and products. I never recommend or write about anything I don’t truly love and believe in. ”

C’s picks – week of September 18th.

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Yippee – another week, another line up! Lots of fun things on the agenda this week, let’s do this: menu planning made easy.

Sunday night we are off to our darling neighbors for a little boy’s three year old birthday party. She insists on bring nothing but it pains me to show up with no food so I’m thinking a batch of my go to homemade chocolate chip cookies are in order. Obviously wine too.

After taking the summer off, cooking club is back in action and I am SO excited! I am the head chef this time around and can’t wait to host all the lovely cooks in my new home. On the menu? My salmon nicoise platter. I can’t wait to see what everyone else cooks up. 

I’ve been eyeing this slow cooker pork recipe for a few weeks. Let’s get it going Tuesday. Love the flavors in this one and it could not be easier. 

Wednesday night let’s go with a chicken thigh and veggie dish from Whole 30. Super light and healthy. Keep it carb free by serving over cauliflower rice (my new obsession). 

I didn’t get to make Cassy Joy Garcia’s chicken and sausage gumbo last week even though I really wanted to try it so it’s back on the agenda for Thursday night. Yippee for one pot (healthy) meals!

And Friday I am off with a Jeep full of boys to the apple orchard to celebrate our favorites birthdays. Wish me luck! 

Have a great week everyone – happy cooking.
C

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