When the kids meal just won't do

What to do you do when the kids are begging for Kraft Macaroni and cheese but you know you can't stomach the powdered cheese and pasta? Last night it was actually pancakes that the kids wanted and don't get me wrong, I like pancakes, but they're more like a Sunday morning breakfast treat. Anyway when I don't have the time or desire to make two different meals, a salad is always a fast and easy "grown up" dinner that can be prepared in minutes. Last night's salad was mixed greens, thin sliced granny smith apples,  red onion, dried cherries, candied pecans, blue cheese crumbles and my homemade balsamic vinegarette, YUM!! Ladies, don't let anyone tell you that a salad isn't a meal, with a little creativity a salad for lunch or dinner can easily fill you up and include a number of food groups. Rice, couscous or pasta are also great salad mix-ins and don't take any time at all to prepare and add to a salad.

Day After

[Voluptuous] After 2 days of feasting with family and friends, today was a pale comparison, gastronomically speaking.  However, you just can't go too wrong with farm fresh eggs from Aral Peak's Happy Chickens and ciabatta from Stone House Bread.  After perfectly poaching the eggs (if I do say so myself) and toast with Land of Goshen Feta Cheve Spread with Spicy Arugula Pesto, I sat down and gave thanks for such simple beauty and, after my first bite, gave thanks again for beauty that is delish!

Eggs are practically perfect food! The goodness is not only in their taste and versatility, but from a nutritional perspective, farm fresh eggs pack a serious punch!

Thanks to a 2007 study by Mother Earth News that took egg samples from 14 different flocks, there is some pretty good data to back up the claim that free range or pastured eggs are better for you. Here are some of the benefits:

1) Less Cholesterol: According to the study there was 1/3 less cholesterol in the free-range eggs. This is good news for an egg lover like me who also has a family history of high cholesterol.
2) Less Saturated Fat: Mother Earth News found 25% less saturated fat in the pastured chicken eggs. Saturated fat is a buzz word in the food world now, with reason, so anything with less is always a plus.
3) More Vitamin A and E: Vitamin A helps in all sorts of areas including vision, skin health, immune function, and so much more. There isn't as much information out there on Vitamin E, but I think we can assume it does have a purpose.
4) Extra Omega-3s: We are constantly learning more about the Omega-3s, but there has already been a lot of research pointing to benefits for people with heart concerns. Double the Omega-3s is a good thing!
5) They Just Taste Great: I suppose this is more of an anecdotal thing, but I believe pastured eggs just plain taste better.

100% of this meal was locally produced in the great mitten state.  Even better? Aral Peak eggs were hand delivered and 'made' in Honor,MI, Cheve made by Chris & penny Halpin in Manistee County and Ciabatta from Stone House Bread made in Leland, MI and purchased at Oryana food Co-op in Traverse City, MI.

empty pantry punt

(Voluptuous) I havent been shopping since getting back from house & dog sitting for Skinny while she was surfing in Costa Rica, so the options for dinner seemed pretty scarce. 
I took the last large handful of baby portobellas, a white onion, tamari, garlic, soy free Earth Balance, nutritional yeast, almond milk, and mustard greens and capellini and made a fantastic meal!  i sauteed the onions, shrooms, garlic in the earth Balance until the onions were translucent, then added the almond milk and nutritional yeast and whisked with Fleet Foxes playing Mykonos in the background.  Right at the end I put the tamari in and whisked a little more.  As this simmered, I flash wilted the mustard greens with about a TBSP of flax oil, a dash or two of sea salt, and fresh ground pepper.  Voila, in about the time it took to boil the capellini, i had a tasty and nutrient dense meal for 2.

So we decided to take the first step together....

Last night, inspired by champagne, Skinny's recent trip to Costa Rica, and the new year presenting us with an upcoming opportunity for transformation, we finally decided, after years of talking about our food dreams, to begin a blog.  We will be sharing recipes, reviews, photos, and inspiration. We will also be sharing the rituals of sharing food with family, friends and during travels; the history and psychology of our personal relationships with food, and the determination to manifest our cocreated dream of being the proprietors of a foodie's dream cafe.  Thank you for joining us and let us hear from you!