Eats and Drinks

Easter Bird Nests

Filed under: Eats and Drinks — Posted by Jami Leigh at 9:57 am on Wednesday, March 19, 2008

I thought it would be good to share a few of last years left-overs. Remember when we made these cute nests for Easter? The kids loved them. I’m going to try a dairy-free version but until then here’s the old recipe. Which, by the way, was link to by the Food Network website. Fun huh?

Edible Bird Nest

Bird Nests

4 cups Crunchy Chow Mein Noodles
1/4 cup Butter
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 pkg Mini Robin Egg candy
Package of Peeps
Cooking Spray

Use a 6 or 12 cup muffin tin depending on desired size of
nests.  We made only 6 nest with this recipe so we could overlap the top
and give an "edge" for our bird to sit on.

1.  Heat butter and marshmallows over medium heat

2.  Stir till melted

3. 
Add noodles and stir till completely coated

4.  Spray muffin tin then
hands with cooking spray.

5.  Place mixture into muffin cups and
shape with hands to form "nests".

6.  Refrigerate approximately 30
minutes later, gently remove nests from muffin tin and perch a Peep on the side. 
It helps if the nest is still a bit sticky, this will "glue" the peep on.

7.  Place nests on a tray and put back
in the fridge till completely set.

8. Fill with candy eggs.

 You could serve these right away or
wrap them in a pretty cellophane bag and give them as a gift. 

Actual work time: 6-8 minutes

Total time:  45minutes

Edible Bird NestThese
nests are a great project for kids!  There are many various recipes
including chocolate and peanut butter but this is the one Joshua thinks looks
the most realistic.  It also happens to be the easiest and least time
consuming which makes mommy pretty happy too. 

Dairy Free - Chicken Pot Pie

Filed under: Eats and Drinks, Dairy Free/ Milk Allergy — Posted by Jami Leigh at 1:23 pm on Monday, March 10, 2008

What’s for Dinner?
Last Friday we had this fabulous comfort food for dinner. The kids loved LOVED it! Minus Joshua of course who is scared of green foods. He asked if next time we make it we could leave out the veggies and only put in mushrooms. Which might actually be pretty good. . .except Kaleb is scared of mushrooms. But I digress; this recipe worked superbly! The filling set up fabulously and the flavor was great. Kaleb and Charleigh went back for seconds and thirds and even the critic, Joshua, ate all his. You’ve got to try it.

In an effort to trick the 5yr old into eating his veggies I let him use a star cookie cutter to dress up the crust. I also gave him a fork and let him pinch the edges together. We called it “Rock Star Chicken Pie”.

Dairy Free Chicken Pot Pie

1 package (10 oz) frozen mixed veggies
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup fresh spinach thinly sliced
2 garlic finely minced
1/3 cup chopped onion
½ cup flour
1 can chicken broth
2/3 cup soy milk
1/4 tsp Ground Pepper
½ tsp Salt
2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
3 cups diced cooked Chicken
Prepared Pastry for 9-inch two crust pie

Heat oven to 425
Thaw veggies and drain.
In a heavy bottomed sauce pan bring olive oil to medium heat then, sauté onion, garlic and spinach till tender.
Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute.
Slowly pour in chicken broth and soy milk whisking the whole time.
Bring to boil. (continue whisking)
Cook for 2 minutes or until thick (still whisking)
Mix in veggies and chicken; remove from heat.

Roll 2/3 pastry into 13 inch square.
Gently press into ungreased 9×9x2 inch square pan.
Fill pastry-lined pan with chicken mixture
Roll out remaining pastry into 11 inch square.
Cut out a few designs with a mini cookie cutter.
Arrange the cut outs on top of pastry.
Top chicken mixture with pastry and flute edges.

Optional: brush with an egg wash for a shiny golden finish

Bake 35 minutes or until golden brown


The last piece standing. Joshua might have been right, I may have put to many veggies in. They are colorful though.

Personalize It
You can leave the spinach out if you choose. Lately I’ve been adding it in to almost everything. Once sautéed with garlic and onions it can easily be sneaked into almost any dish with out a single kid noticing.

Choose your family’s favorite veggies. We had a mixture of carrots, peas, corn and green beans

No time to make a crust?
A pre-made Pillsbury crust straight from the store works great. Simply line the square pan and cut off the over hang. Use the extra dough to fill in most the gaps in the corners. Before filling the pan with the chicken lay the second piece of pastry over the top and trim off some of that excess. Remove the top and use those trimmings to finish covering the sides of the pan. Fill the pan with the mixture then cover again and flute the edges.

If you’re making this recipe because of milk allergies or sensitivities make sure to double check the ingredients of the store-bought crust for allergens.

UN-adapt it?

If you’re not dairy conscious simply replace the soy milk with regular cow’s milk. If you’re not cholesterol consciouses I guess you could replace the olive oil for butter. Though you really shouldn’t. . .

Dairy Free, Milk Alergy, Recipes

Dairy Free- Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce

Filed under: Eats and Drinks, Dairy Free/ Milk Allergy — Posted by Jami Leigh at 12:17 pm on Monday, February 25, 2008

Charleigh and I put our heads together and with a few pointers from Joshua we came up with this delicious cream sauce.
We grilled up some chicken breast seasoned with an Italian blend then tossed it all together with DreamFields spaghetti. Yummy! We ran out after each of the kids had 3rds. There were no left overs.

Dairy Free- Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce
1 bulb roasted garlic (smooshed up) If you need tips on how to roast garlic first look towards the end of this post
2 TB Olive Oil (or non-dairy butter substitute)
4 TB flour
1 can chicken broth (14 oz)
4 oz Tofutti brand imitation cream cheese.
1 TB freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

In a sauce pan, heat oil or melt butter with flour over low heat. Stir rapidly and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Gradually stir in chicken broth while stirring. Bring to boil and cook for 2 minutes. Continue whisking.
Cook till mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Thoroughly mix in the “smooshed up” garlic.
Stir in imitation cream cheese one spoon at a time till melted and smooth.
Add Nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Enjoy.

This sauce is so basic you could use it a hundred different ways. It would be easy to double or triple.

With the advice of Joshua we included roasted garlic but you could customize and tweak it anyway you want.

A dash of red pepper flakes would liven in up. Some fresh basil and thyme would be great. Maybe even a combo of sage and mint could come in handy. For the tex-mex inclined I’d throw in some thyme, cumin, and green chilies for a great enchilada sauce maybe I’d even throw in some Tofutti Sour Supreme

If you want a thicker sauce just let it cook a while longer before you add the “cheese”. If you want it thinner, add more liquid.

Oh, and for the vegan out there, just replace the chicken broth with some veggie broth or maybe some soy or rice milk.

For you regular folks, go ahead and replace everything with the real stuff if you feel so inclined.
__________________________________________________________________________
How to roast garlic:

Remove papery outer skin from garlic bulb (do not peel or separate cloves).
Cut top off bulb; brush with 1/2 teaspoon oil.
Wrap in heavy-duty foil.
Bake at 425 for 20 minutes
When garlic cools remove from papery skin and enjoy.
You can spread this on toast, mix it into potatoes, stir into dips and sauces or just eat it straight like Joshua does.

Roast up a bunch and store it in a jar covered with olive oil. It’s alway good to have some sweet garlic in the fridge.

milk allergy, dairy free

Dairy Free- Cakes, Cookies, Brownies

Filed under: Eats and Drinks, Charleigh, A Mother's Life, Dairy Free/ Milk Allergy — Posted by Jami Leigh at 9:39 am on Thursday, February 14, 2008

It’s easy to alter most recipes into milk free delights. It’s a bit more difficult however to find the quick convenience of the beloved boxed cake mix. I’ve found a few good mixes to keep on hand for those “Charleigh” safe treats. Here’s a few we’ve found.

Note: Before you email me and tell me how incredibly unhealthy these all are let me tell you this:

I already know all about the poly, mono, tran, saturated, sugar, processed goop they all contain. Some days a kids just gotta have a treat, and today is one of those kinda days. I know it’s better to make from scratch but sometimes I run plum outta “scratch”. On this Valentine’s Day there absolutely no “scratch” left in the house so I’ll be making mini brownie cupcakes to take to the class party. I’ll also be baking a few safe sugar cookies. And yes, I’ll be watching like a hawk to make sure no milk derived molecules make it on to my daughter’s plate. Because I am officially “That Mom”.

dairy free brownie cupcakes

DUNCAN HINES®:

Family-Style Brownies Chewy Fudge

Moist Deluxe Swiss Chocolate Premium Cake Mix

Cookie Dough:

Pillsbury® Sugar Cookies

Pillsbury® Peanut Butter Cookies

Frostings:

Pillsbury® Creamy Supreme Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Duncan Hines® Creamy Home-Style Classic Chocolate

(Most of the Pillsbury® and Duncan Hines® Frostings are Dairy Free.
Check the Labels
)

Other Convenience Foods:

Pillsbury® Refrigerated Pizza Crust

(This is not nearly a compete list, only a few examples of easy to find easy to use dairy free products)

Alert!!! Manufacturers can change ingredients with out notice so if you are dealing with food allergies Always check the label!

Milk Allergy, Dairy Free, Packaged Foods, Cake Mixes

Dairy Free - Girl Scout Cookies

Filed under: Eats and Drinks, Dairy Free/ Milk Allergy — Posted by Jami Leigh at 2:44 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2008

It’s Girl Scout Cookie Season!
Charleigh’s not a girl scout but her friend, Anystin, is and we wanted to be supportive.

I checked the website and found 3 Dairy-Free varieties.

lemonade cookie
Lemonades
“Savory shortbread slices with a refreshingly tangy lemon icing make any day feel like a sweet summer break.”

Cinna-Spins
Cinna-Spins
“Crispy cinnamon snack swirls in a convenient 100 calorie pack.”

Thanks a lot
Thanks-A-Lot
“Heart-warming shortbread cookies dipped in fudge and topped with an embossed Thank You message in one of five languages.”

milk free cookies, girl scout cookie allergy info

Dreamfields Low Carb Pasta

Filed under: Eats and Drinks — Posted by Jami Leigh at 11:18 am on Thursday, January 31, 2008

For 5 years Dreamfields Pasta has been top choice in our house. I found them in my carb-phobic days and we’ve stuck with them since. This is a truly great tasting pasta. The family has no idea they’re eating something healthy. With only 5 grams of digestible carbs per serving and twice the fiber of regular pasta I have no qualms feeding this to my hypoglycemic Kurt and Charleigh. As the low-carb craze fades into yesterday it seems harder and harder to find our beloved brand. Then enters Amazon. All varieties are available either in bulk or in single packages. I recommend getting the six box pack. It qualifies for FREE Super Saver Shipping and the single boxes come with a hefty 4.99 shipping a piece. Ouch!

Dreamfields Healthy Low Carb Living Pasta, Penne Rigate, 16-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6)
Dreamfields Pasta, Healthy Carb Living, Elbow Macaroni, 16-Ounce B<a href=Dreamfields Healthy Low Carb Living Pasta, Linguine, 16-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6)Dreamfields Pasta, Healthy Carb Living, Rotini, 16-Ounce Box (Pack of 6)Dreamfields Pasta, Healthy Carb Living, Lasagna, 16-Ounce Box (Pack of 6)Dreamfields Pasta, Healthy Carb Living, Spaghetti, 16-Ounce Box (Pack of 6)

Diabetic, low glycemic, high protein pasta

Dairy Free Recipes

Filed under: Eats and Drinks, A Mother's Life, Dairy Free/ Milk Allergy — Posted by Jami Leigh at 1:00 pm on Monday, January 21, 2008

I had planned on posting some diabetic friendly dairy free recipes for Charleigh. So far none have turned out worth repeating. Here are a few links on Dairy Free Recipes I plan on researching.

All Recipes-Dairy Free Recipes

Go Dairy Free Recipes

Here are a few links to some dairy alternatives.
Perhaps the Vegan Gourmet might have something for us.
The VeganStore also has some Dairy switch ups.
I never thought I’d be shopping “Vegan” but hey, my baby needs some cheese!

Oh look, I just found some local spots as well:
Fountain of Health Natural Food Market in Amarillo

I also found this book:

678823: The Dairy-Free Cookbook The Dairy-Free Cookbook

This book contains - a detailed introduction with expert advice on Dairy-Free diets, lactose intolerance and milk allergy. -Nutritional notes for each recipe. -Over 50 enticing and delicious dairy-free recipes. -Nutritional Notes for each recipe. -Stunning color photographs of each finished recipe with easy-to-follow step-by-step techniques to help you prepare each dish. -Cook’s tips throughout and ideas for planning balanced meals.

I’m working on a mock alfredo sauce. I’ll let you know how that works out.

La Panaderia Potosina - Dumas, Texas

Filed under: Photos, Eats and Drinks — Posted by Jami Leigh at 9:32 am on Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Another reason I love living in Texas.
With a high Hispanic population we are blessed with a rich selection of traditional Mexican fare. I recently found a fabulous Panaderia (mexican bakery) in Dumas.

La Panaderia Potosina
715 E 1st St, Dumas, TX
Phone: (806) 934-1424

I was first overwhelmed with the large selection. Having never tried most of the sweet breads I didn’t know where to start. Here’s what we finally came up with.

sweet bread

Delicioso

The service at this panaderia was fabulous, they were very helpful and friendly. They even gave Kurt and I both a pocket calendar as well as a wall one. If you’re in the area you’ve got to stop by.
Our family gave it a definite thumbs up, with the churros and the conchas ranking up top.

While we’ve sworn off sugar for the time we will be sure to return for our next special occasion or carb-filled indiscretion.

Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Filed under: Eats and Drinks — Posted by Jami Leigh at 9:24 am on Friday, December 21, 2007

Here’s whats cooking in my kitchen today.


Contest Winning Recipe
Chocolate Truffle Cookies

From Taste of Home

“Here’s a snack for serious chocolate lovers. These enticing cookies are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, somewhat bittersweet and very chocolaty. I usually make them to share at get-togethers…otherwise, I’d eat them all myself! I’m always asked for the recipe.”
-Delaine Fortenberry, McComb, Mississippi

INGREDIENTS

* 4 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate
* 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips, divided
* 1/3 cup butter
* 1 cup sugar
* 3 eggs
* 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 tablespoons baking cocoa
* 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* Confectioners’ sugar

DIRECTIONS

In a microwave or double boiler, melt unsweetened chocolate, 1 cup of chocolate chips and butter; cool for 10 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, beat sugar and eggs for 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and the chocolate mixture.
Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; beat into chocolate mixture. Stir in remaining chocolate chips. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours.
Remove about 1 cup of dough. With lightly floured hands, roll into 1-in. balls. Place on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly puffed and set. Cool on pan 3-4 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Repeat with remaining dough. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Yield: about 4 dozen.
Copied from tasteofhome.com Dec 21, 2007
Copyright Reiman Media Group, Inc © 2007

holiday carnival of recipes

Filed under: Eats and Drinks — Posted by Jami Leigh at 10:15 am on Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Speaking of yummy treats, these weeks Carnival of Recipes: Holiday Gift Giving Edition is being hosted at Jennie’s Rambles

In the spirit of the carnival I thought I’d offer up a few click-thru giftings

For Nae I give Chai Tea Mix
For Kurt and Dad a dozen or soDouble Chocolate Cherry Thumbprints
For Julie a few of Kelly’s Super Yummy Sugar Cookies for decorating
For Mom a few of these beautiful homemade tea packages
For Joshua a bowl full of Mushroom Dumplings mmmmmyummmy I’m going to have to spend a little more time perusing over at Katy’s Sugarlaws

Check out the carnival’s home page for future themes and dates.

Next week we’ll have a Christmas Tea over at Everything and Nothing. You can submit your own post to recipe.carnival@gmail.com

Next Page »
 

Hosted by Gentle Whisper

Log In

Email me