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A Life From Scratch.

A Life You Adore Around A Table You Love.

C’s picks.

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c's picks6

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Our (long) weekend was filled with delicious food, decking the halls, playing peek a boo, and super Uncle Tyler playing Santa. That would be L inside the sheet.

Ok then! After an official three day break from my kitchen it’s time to get cooking again. Let’s keep this week on the healthier side, shall we?

I’m craving Mexican – here’s a healthy and unique spin on traditional fajitas: fajita casserole! We’ll enjoy it by the fire tonight.

A perfect roast chicken sounds wonderful for Monday night. Tender vegetables and crispy skin – it’s a classic! 

Tuesday M is leaving on a jet plane so I’ll be dining on some garden skinny soup – will be easy for lunches the rest of the week as well.

Wednesday night let’s go with a new recipe – skillet lasagna. Looks oh so good!

A healthier version of a Philly cheesesteak for Thursday night? Sign me up – extra mushrooms.

Well that’s 5 straight nights of cooking – Friday? I’d like to go out!
C

Zuppa Toscana.

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zuppa toscana

Alright – let’s reel it in a bit here.

Thanksgiving is always a day to indulge – no questions asked. I enjoyed seconds thirds with absolutely no remorse and as I sat on my couch later in the evening while starting season 1 of Scandal (UM – LOVE!) I could not have been a happier person.

And then it was Friday. I woke up with the best intentions – whole wheat bagel with peanut butter and fruit for breakfast. And then the neighbors delivered a massive tray of beautiful Christmas cookies (you guys rock!). Two three cookies later I thought, ‘lunch – I will be better at lunch.’ I met my darling sister Allie out and something happened. We both finished our veggie potato pancakes topped with two eggs smeared with hollandaise sauce and we said ‘um, let’s order more food.’

Yes, my tiny sister and I actually asked for the menu back. Not one of my finest moments but hey – a couple of fruit crepes later we were finally satisfied. What can I say? We can eat and we have no one but our mother to thank for her super human like metabolism. 

Yet there comes a time and a place where enough is enough and that would be now. This recipe is a great way to cut through the over indulgence that is Thanksgiving (and the day after apparently) and get some super productive and lighter calories into your system. You’ve got a lot of health in this bowl and it could not be more delicious or better for you. 

Eat up,
C

P.S. If you have had and enjoy the Olive Garden’s zuppa toscana this tastes exactly like it – but is a much healthier version. Win win, all around.

Zuppa Toscana
Serves 6
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
45 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
45 min
Ingredients
  1. 1lb lean Italian sausage (I used chicken sausage!)
  2. 2 large russet potatoes, cut into 1 inch thick sticks and then thinly sliced
  3. 1/2 onion, diced
  4. 2 garlic cloves, minced
  5. 1 quart (4 cups) chicken broth
  6. 2 cups water
  7. Salt and pepper, to taste
  8. 1 bunch kale, torn from stems
  9. 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
Instructions
  1. Brown Italian sausage in a Dutch oven set over medium heat (add a bit of oil if using lean meat).
  2. Cook, stirring often until cooked through. Drain fat if necessary.
  3. Add onion and garlic. Cook and stir until onion has softened.
  4. Add potatoes, chicken broth, water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
  5. Lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are cooked through (about 10 minutes). Add kale.
  6. Cook until wilted. Lower heat to the lowest setting.
  7. Stir in yogurt; cook just until heated through.
  8. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Adapted from Kitchen Simplicity
Adapted from Kitchen Simplicity
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

Happy Thanksgiving!

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photo-715
For those of you who can’t read 1st grade hand writing: (Miss Glantz – that would of course exclude you!):

  1. My house
  2. Mom and dad and Beckett
  3. Friends
  4. Ipad
  5. My toys
  6. Food
  7. Bed
  8. Knives
  9. Water
  10. My learning

L? You are definitely at the top of my list.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
C

wwww.

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wwww27Ok, this weeks wwww is all about the boys! We were able to get family pictures done this year and I had to share a few cute ones that didn’t make the cut for the Christmas card. I love how these few pics sum up my boys so well. Flinging off a tree, sticks in hand, climbing on each other – pretty much a typical day around here!

I am a firm believer in not dressing up for photographs so kept things pretty natural in terms of outfits. I did agnoize over the color scheme for weeks (clearly I am crazy) but finally settled on a pop of lime green to tie them together. I could not have been happier with how it all turned out. Thanks to Michael Jauch photography. We’ve used him for B’s newborn pictures and two sets of family pictures now and he has rocked it every time!

This week is easy – both boys are dressed in all Gap. Shoes on L are Crewcut mcalisters and B is sporting (extra wide) stride rides.

Enough of showing off my kids – let’s see yours! Comment below to link back to your blog or play along on Facebook.

C

Beckett’s beef stew.

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Beckett's Beef Stew

Something happened the other night – something that made me oh so happy. One of my sons gobbled up two bowls of my homemade beef stew(!!!) No, it wasn’t my 7 year old. He was crying at the table because I suggested he try a carrot – no joke. It was my chubby 15 month old. He kept saying a spattering of ‘yuuuuummmmm mmmmm hmmmmm’ which all means ‘more please.’ Music to my ears.

That gave us a 75% positive rating on this recipe from my family as M and I also loved it. Combine that with the fact that it was so easy to throw together, made the house smell incredible all day, and my bebe ate it? Well that’s a win all around.

Now we just have to get L on board. With something….!

Beckett's Beef Stew
Serves 4
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
6 hr
Total Time
6 hr 15 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
6 hr
Total Time
6 hr 15 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 3-4 pound chuck roast, cut into bite sized cubes
  2. 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  3. 2 teaspoons steak seasoning
  4. salt & pepper
  5. bay leaf
  6. 1 medium onion
  7. 2 pounds red potatoes, cut into chunks
  8. 3 carrots, sliced into 1-inch slices
  9. 3 stalks celery, sliced into 1-inch slices
  10. 1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes
  11. 3 cups beef stock
  12. splash of red wine
  13. 3 TBS flour
  14. 1 cup peas
Instructions
  1. Spray insert of slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. Add all ingredients to slow cooker except for the peas.
  3. Season generously with salt & pepper.
  4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
  5. Remove 1 cup of the cooking liquid and heat on the stove over high heat.
  6. Slowly whisk is the flour until smooth.
  7. Pour back into the crop pot, add the peas, and cook another 15 minutes or so. (This helps thicken your sauce!)
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

B wants to know – what do you think?
C

P.S. Locals – Heinens meat on this? To die for. Stayed so incredibly tender. Give the butcher a smile and ask him to cut it up for you – makes it so much easier!

P.S.S. I’ve been getting some awesome entries to my cookie recipe contest – thank you! Last day to enter is Wednesday, so be sure to email me now…! An adorable apron and a $25 Williams Sonoma gift card could be yours if you win. Ho ho ho!

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