Blueberry Salad

Look at that: I was able to do something with blueberries other than eat them all as soon as they entered the house.  I really do love blueberries, so this was a real act of restraint.

We had a light dinner one night, and this seemed like the perfect side.  Of course, the boys picked off their blueberries and ate them before dinner, then complained about the blandness of the salad.  Sorry guys, sucks to be you.

BLUEBERRY SALAD

Mixed baby greens or spring mix
blueberries
slivered almonds
Vinaigrette dressing

Divide the greens among bowls; sprinkle generously with almonds and blueberries, and serve the dressing on the side.  No mystery in salads.  Sorry.

But it was beautiful!  So I get a point for that, right?

Happy Thursday!

Chicken-Veggie Stir Fry

This was a fast and easy dinner on a hot night.  Oh, sure, it didn't require much imagination, but I'm not that big on imagination these days.  And it was healthy and good, so 2 points in my favor

CHICKEN-VEGGIE STIR FRY

3 Pounds boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1" chunks
Vegetable Oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion
2 summer squash
1 zucchini
2 tomatoes
1 bunch broccoli
1 can mini corn
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cold water
2 tbsp cornstarch
sesame seeds

Cut all of the vegetables into bite sized chunks.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet and add the onion; cook for a minute, then add the minced garlic and cook until lightly browned.  Add the chicken and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often.  Add the squashes and broccoli and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring so they don't scorch..  Add the broth and soy sauce, bring to a boil, then whisk the cornstarch into the water, and stir into the mix.  Cook until it thickens, add the tomatoes and mini corn, heat for another 2 to 3 minutes, then taste and add salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over a bed of rice.

The boys liked it, it was easy, enough said!

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Pasta with Kale

I'm not a huge fan of kale.  I find the taste a little bitter, and the edges a little sharp.  Nevertheless, I get kale periodically in my Misfits Markets boxes, and want to make the best of it.  What to do?  Well, how about adding it to a pasta side?  After all, sneaking more veggies into our food is never a bad thing.

PASTA WITH KALE & TOMATOES

1 pound rotini (or your favorite shape)
1 bunch kale
1/2 box grape tomatoes
1 clove garlic
olive oil
salt & pepper

Cook the rotini according to the box directions; pour into a strainer and cover to keep it warm (really! use the pot lid!).  Return the pot to the stove.

Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons, as needed, in the pasta pot.  Mince up the garlic, and saute it in the olive oil over medium-low heat until soft.  Cut the stems out of the kale, then coarsely chop the leaves.  Cut the tomatoes in halves or quarters, depending upon their size.  Add to the olive oil, turn the heat up slightly, and cook until the kale begins to wilt and the tomatoes soften a bit.  Add salt and pepper to taste, then return the pasta to the pot, stirring to combine, and adding more olive oil if necessary to make sure everything is coated.  Leave it on the heat for a minute to be sure everything's heated through, then serve.

My boy loved this.  Patrick announced that he likes kale better than spinach; Ryan announced that Patrick's a little nuts.  In other words, a normal dinner here in our little corner of the world.

Happy Weekending, everyone!

PS: My sewing blog is live, in case you're interested: Marjie Ann Sews!

Roasted Radishes

This recipe, or at least the origins of it, comes to me courtesy of my oldest daughter.

A while back, I had a large bunch of radishes in my produce box, and, let's be honest, you can only eat so many radishes in your salad.  She mentioned to me that she roasts them, and I decided to give it a try!

ROASTED RADISHES

1 bunch of radishes, washed well
2 cloves garlic
6 scallions
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil to coat

Wash the radishes, remove the tops and cut them in half.  Mince the garlic, and chop the scallions.  Put all 3 in a bowl, add a little salt and pepper, then enough olive oil to coat them.  Stir together thoroughly, then turn onto a greased baking tray and spread in a single layer.  Bake at 350F for 20 minutes or so, until the radishes are tender.

The peppery flavor of the radishes greatly mellows with roasting.  This made a great side dish with steak, because it had enough flavor to stand out.  And I believe I added the radish greens to soup in lieu of spinach, which was another win!  Sadly, no pictures; I so often forget to take them nowadays.

I'm going to try to remember to write more often.  In order to (maybe) make it easier to decide what to do, I've started a sewing blog: Marjie Ann Sews!  So, food, family and pups here, sewing and such things there.  Maybe I'll be more organized and less indecisive that way.

Edited to add: Sewing blog is live; here is the link: Marjie Ann Sews!

Happy Thursday, everyone!

Veggies!

I've been lazy.  Actually, stuck for inspiration.  Plus, I flew to Knoxville to visit my daughter for 5 days.  That was nice.  We went to a place called AR Workshops and did some woodcrafting.

I know they're franchised, and I think there are outlets in a lot of states, if that's something that floats your boat.  It's a fun afternoon activity with family or friends.

We also went to the zoo.  In honor of the fact that students were filtering back for the start of school, I wore the university's colors.  I'm not actually that big a fan of orange, myself.

I stopped my veggie shipments for 2 weeks while I was gone, so this morning was my first one after my return!

There's a fair amount of fruits in here, plus 5 beets with the greens still attached.  Presumably, you can used beet greens like spinach and all of those other greens.  I guess time will tell.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Spaghetti Squash: It's What's for Lunch

Last weekend, I went to visit my friend GMarie at her Carriage Corner B&B.  It's always a nice getaway.  When I left, she gifted me with 2 spaghetti squash which her husband had grown.  Of course, I roasted one after quartering it, coating the cut edges with olive oil, and sprinkling it with garlic salt.  When it was finished, I shredded it, mixed it with diced tomatoes and freshly shredded parmesan, and we had it with steak.  Talk about a great side!

So, since there was some left over, I carefully saved it for my lunch.  I reheated it in the microwave for 2 minutes, then chopped up a small (maybe 2 ounce) piece of steak, and stirred it into the spaghetti squash.  What a lunch! (And my pretty, last-one-in-the-store bowl makes it all the better!)

Thatcher was jealous, so I gave him about a tablespoon of my squash.  Can't spoil the little guy, after all (ha.....)!

Happy Thursday, everyone!

Shopping With My Boys

So, I went to Jeff's house last weekend, and we went shopping for some electrical supplies and windows.  Here's what happens when you let men into their favorite toy store:

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Monday Miscellany

When your puppy-o's are so delicious that you just need to lie down and savor every bite....

Thatcher wishes everyone a happy Monday!