Breakfast: Cheating at 7am

The picture really says it all. You know of my love affair with Nutella. But did you also know that it is insanely healthy? Ok, maybe not for those of us who have stopped growing. But for little ones, a few tablespoons of Nutella packs a nutritional punch. That is good news because Pops (as in child #4) is nowhere near the weight chart. We take him in for routine weight checks (his doctor is worried) and whenever we succeed, we chalk it up to Pops' daily allowance of Nutella. For breakfast in a hurry, I shmear nutella on an eggo waffle, then add fresh strawberries. The kiddies love it, and I love watching them eat it.

Dinner: Slow Cooker Extravaganza

Most of you know how much I love my dear slow cooker. My good friend, LD, has a fancy-pants crock pot from All Clad that I covet. Someday. Anyway, I've enjoyed looking at these slow cooker recipes and think I'll try a few. I'll start with the Slow Cooker Chocolate Chip Cookies. Can't wait for those babies.

Dinner: St. Patrick's Day Meal

Several of you have asked me to post this. We do make this every March17th, although my sister informed me that Corned Beef and Cabbage is not really eaten in Ireland. Oh well, I tried. My absolute favorite part of the meal is the soda bread. I usually use this recipe. But after talking with a few foodies, I am really tempted to try this one. I'll let you know which one I use and how it turns out. Either way, this meal really is not complete without fresh butter on soda bread. And you may be scared of the caraway seeds, but they really make the bread. Happy St. Patrick's Day. Even if my beloved Irish technically don't eat Corned Beef and Cabbage, it is and always will be one of my very favorite things to eat.

Dessert: Banana Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Have old bananas lying around? Make these. You will die. We can't keep the dough around long enough to have many cookies. And if you're worried about the butter and sugar, all of the good stuff (whole wheat flour, rolled oats, bananas, walnuts) makes the guilt melt away. Yummers.

Breakfast: Whole Wheat Waffles

Last week I found an extra gallon of milk that had to be used, and fast. So, I made a double batch of whole wheat waffles. I cooked them, cooled them, piled them into ziplock freezer bags (each one separated by little squares of parchment paper so they wouldn't stick together). Wha-La-our very own homemade, whole wheat eggos. In the morning, I grab a few, toast them for a few minutes, and the school girls are very happy.


Whole Wheat Waffles (Large Batch)

2 1/2 cups sifted whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
6 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons sugar, brown or granulated (I use brown)
2 1/2 cups milk
6 eggs, well beaten
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir together dry ingredients. Combine eggs, milk, oil, cinnamon, and extracts. Stir in flour mixture. Bake in waffle iron.

Cooking Website: Yummy Food Blog

This is my favorite food blog. I just love that girl and I hope she and I can laugh over a cup of hot cocoa someday.

Cookbook: Wooden Spoon Kitchen--Meat and Potatoes

Lately I have been thinking about my roots; about the farm I grew up on until I was twelve. I think about that farm all of the time, but lately I wonder why my connection to that land is so strong. Occasionally I ask other people what places they feel connected to, and why. D, for example, feels a strong connection to his grandparents' home, not the place where he was raised. A few weeks ago I dined with a lovely women who still calls Tooele, Utah her home, even though she left over fifty years ago and raised her family on the East Coast. What connects us to different places? What places mean something to you, and why?

I truly loved my childhood. For the past few summers, I have taken my children to this land--to let them walk around it, and offer them a sense of what my childhood was like. Last summer, while visiting this place, old friends offered to take us to my elementary school. I showed my girls all of my classrooms, the cafeteria, the gym. D had just gifted himself a camera and was busy documenting the experience. I lost track of him. Weeks later, he and I were reviewing the trip's photos, and one picture in particular made me gasp. D had taken a picture of the landscape as seen from my elementary schoolyard. His picture captured the view I saw as I rode the school bus home everyday. For Christmas, D presented me with the framed photo. Everyone in the room (my parents included) gasped when they saw it. The random visitor may not think much about the photo now hung in my dining room. But every time I pass it I am reminded of who I am and where I come from.

Why am I writing this? Because I think we are defined by what matters to us. When I think about food, I love it all. But at the end of the day, I am always inextricably drawn to food that is more comfortable than fancy, more meat and potatoes than foie gras and dark chocolate. As much as I love to cook, I want to eat simple things; many of which are in Marilyn M. Moore's book "Wooden Spoon Kitchen: Meat and Potatoes and other Comfort Foods". Moore is most famous for her book about bread, but in this book she reveals her family's basic dishes. You know how I always say I love to curl up with good cookbooks? Well, this is the one I always imagine when I say that. There is nothing fancy about Moore's book, just a lot of straightforward recipes that are yummy and comforting. I love this book. I suggest you find yourself a copy. The only place I could find it was here (mine was given to me several years ago by a very dear Aunt). And if it doesn't speak to you, I hope you find a book that does. If you do find that one special book, tell us what it is and why it is dear.