Easter

We spent Easter with Pop's Cousin Charlie and Teri again this year. They have a great yard for the kids to play in. Rocco and River alway pick up where they left off and enjoy playing with each other.

I made a pull apart orange bread for my first time that was a hit. I knew if they were like my mom's orange rolls I couldn't go wrong. I left with a empty plate and a smile on my face knowing I brought something everyone enjoyed.

Bread recipe - http://www.giverslog.com/?p=10998

Homemade Waffles - Pecan Style

I love making pancakes and waffles from scratch. The recipes are easy and quick and healthy. Here is Rocco helping me make Pecan Waffles. You beat an egg white to make the waffles come out extra fluffy and light.

One of my favorite parts in a old video of Rocco is back in Campbell when he was scared of the hand mixer but still wanted to play with it. He just didn’t like it when it was turned on. So he was making the sound of the machine himself and at one part he says, ‘scare-a me.” He was referring to the mixer when it is on and it scares him. It is just too precious.

The Umami Egg

Yes, a different kind of deviled egg. Wasn't sure how it was going to taste, but the combination works. That is good for me because I brought them to a girl's lunch and used them as my taste testers.

I will defiantly make these again. I need to find the rice seasoning though. My store didn't care it so I ended up buying organic black sesame seeds. It worked, but I think the seasoning would add a little bit more flavor.

Need to bring an appetizer to a party - bring these!

Recipe from Tastespotting the blog

Maple Rosemary Ribs

The sause on this recipe smells so good when you are making it. If you like sweat, then you will like this recipe. The last couple of times I made it, it started tasting a little too sweet for me. Yet at the same time tastes so good.

Gets 3 thumbs up from the Milazzo's.

1-2 racks pork ribs
Marinade:
1/2 cup maple syrup


1/4 cup soy sauce


2 Tbsp. Dijon or grainy mustard


1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary


1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Put the pork ribs on a rimmed baking sheet and cover with foil; bake at 300F for 2 1/2-3 hours. When cool enough to handle, separate into ribs. Meanwhile, combine the marinade ingredients in a medium-large pot.

Add the ribs to the pot and let sit for half an hour or so, or refrigerate overnight (or for up to two days, if well covered so they don’t dry out). When ready to eat, set the pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer.

Simmer for about 20 minutes, tossing them around in the pot so that the ribs absorb some of the sauce, get glazed and and sticky, and heat through.
Serves 4.

Recipe from Babble

Pumpkin And Meatball Risotto

YUMMY!!

I never have cooked with a REAL pumpkin before. This dish was a great one to start out with. Why? Because it turned out yummy. Just in time for fall and cold weather. This dish is perfect.

Gets 3 thumbs up from the Milazzo's. (Jared is not a huge pumpkin fan and he still liked this dish because it was just a hint of pumpkin.)

(from Matthew Evans book ‘Winter On The Farm’)

200g pork sausage meat
40g butter
200g (about 1 large) leek, white part only, rinsed and finely chopped
200g pumpkin, grated or cut into 2mm dice
400g risotto rice
200ml good quality white wine
1.5 – 2 litres chicken stock, simmering in a saucepan
80g Parmesan, finely grated

Break up the sausage meat into little meatballs about 1.5cm in diameter.

In a large, heavy-based saucepan (I used a 30cm non-stick pan that worked a dream) melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the mini meatballs and let them sizzle and brown all over.

Reduce the heat and add the leeks. Cook, stirring often, for 4 -5 minutes or until leeks are soft then add the pumpkin and rice. Stir for a couple of minutes then add the wine. Increase the heat and stir until the wine has all been absorbed.

Then add a ladle of the simmering stock to the risotto and keep stirring the risotto. Once the stock has been absorbed add another ladle of stock. Continue until 1.5 litres of stock have been used. Check if the rice is cooked, it should have just a slight, slight bite to it. If it needs more cooking just continue with one ladle of stock at a time until the rice is perfect.

Take the risotto off the heat and stir through half the rice. Allow the risotto rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with the remaining cheese and a good grinding of fresh black pepper.

Recipe from Tea for Six

Pumpkin Nutrition Facts

Alpha-carotene and beta-carotene both work as antioxidants in the body and are pro-vitamin A carotenoids, meaning they’re converted to vitamin A by the body. Carotenoids boost immunity and reduce heart disease risk. Beta-carotene may help reverse skin damage caused by the sun and act as an anti-flammatory. Alpha-carotene is also thought to slow the aging process, prevent tumor growth and is very good for your eyes, helping reduce the risk of developing cataracts.

Pumpkin is a great source of fiber, with one half cup containing 5 grams of fiber. We all know the benefits of fiber; it reduces bad cholesterol levels, protects the body against heart disease, helps control blood sugar levels, promotes healthy digestion and may also play a role in weight loss.

Pumpkin is rich in Vitamin C, which boosts immunity, reduces the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease and aids regulation of cholesterol levels. A good source of Vitamin E, pumpkin promotes healthy skin by protecting the body from sun damage and may also reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and certain cancers.

Pecan Waffles - YUMMY!

Jared said he wanted waffles this morning. I went on the hunt for a new recipe that included things I already had in the kitchen. No buttermilk in the fridge, that is ok, I found this great easy recipe and boy were they good. Both Rocco and Jared give this a thumbs up. I want to make these for my Mom the next time she is in town. She likes pecans and these waffles are sprinkled with them. Come and get it Mom!

Light 'n Crispy Pecan Waffles

2 eggs, separated
2 cups Milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola or other vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat waffle maker.

In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Set aside.

Put egg yolks, milk, flour, baking powder, salt, oil and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl. Beat until smooth. Gently fold in beaten egg whites.

Pour 1/2 cup batter into waffle maker. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chopped pecans. Close waffle maker and bake until golden, 2-1/2 to 3 minutes.

Click here for recipe from >> All That Splatters

Dinner Items

Tonight we had tofu, broccoli and carrots over coconut rice. I saw the coconut rice recipe on Weelicious the other day and my mouth started to water. Sometimes rice just needs a little kick to keep it interesting. This was the magic touch. Again, this was easy because I look for quick easy and healthy recipes. I like to spend my time with Rocco rather than hours in the kitchen.

Coconut Rice (Serves 4)

1 14 oz Can Coconut Milk, unsweetened (low fat or regular)
1/4 Cup Water
1/4 Tsp Kosher Salt
1 Cup Brown Jasmine Rice

1. Place the coconut milk, water and salt in a medium size pot and bring to a boil.
2. Add the rice, stir until combine, bring back to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer.
3. Cook for 30 minutes, turn heat off and let sit covered for 10 minutes.
4. Serve.

Milazzo - Like Pizza with two zz's!

We love TJ's wheat pizza dough. We made ham and pineapple pizza on Sunday. Sometimes we don't use pizza sauce and just use olive oil with leeks, red onions, tomatoes and cheese. So many combinations options!

Wow oh Wow - made Alfredo sauce for my first time. Wow oh Wow is right. Had it over lobster raviolis with a side a green peas from TJ's. Both Rocco and Jared were in love. It was really good. This one doesn't go on the healthy recipe side, but it does go on Wow oh Wow that was good!

Pie of Oats and Other Healthy Stuff

Made this for breakfast this morning. I haven't made anything new in a while and this week it was time to get to some new recipes. It had 6 simple ingredients and was a quick and easy item to make. I will defiantly make this again.

I added blueberries to the top of it during the last few minutes of baking. I think it would be yummy to add peaches, apricots, prunes and so many other ingredients with the banana. Rocco liked it and I have some left over for breakfast tomorrow.

Recipe from Kath Eats Real Food

1) Bananas

Slice 2 bananas. You can add these however you like – in with the wet ingredients or arranged in a pattern on the top (and/or bottom!) of the dish. (You’ll need an additional mashed banana for the wet ingredients below)

2) Combine the dry ingredients:

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

3) Combine the wet ingredients:

• 1 egg, beat
• 1 mashed banana
• 1.5 cups skim milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

4) Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Mix well.

5) Line an 8″ pan (square or round) with parchment paper (for easy removal and cutting!).

6) Layer some banana slices on the bottom. Pour batter into pan. Top with remaining banana slices.

OR just use cooking spray – or a pie dish (which is harder to get out in one piece but saves having to use parchment)

7) Pop into a 375* oven for about 26 minutes.

After 26 minutes, increase heat to broil, sprinkle oatmeal with 1 heaping tbsp brown sugar and broil for 3-4 minutes. = bubbly caramelized sugar topping!

Makes 4 portions about 275 kcal, 6 grams fiber and 11 grams protein each. We saved one portion to reheat tomorrow!

Family Recipe - BBQ Spareribs

One of my favorite dinners that my mom made was Spareribs. We usually had them on Sundays. I can't believe I have never made them before. So I called my Mom for the recipe. She was traveling and said my sister Stacie makes them and to ask her for the recipe. When I called she looked the recipe up in the book that my sister Stephanie made for the both of us. This book was given to my sister Stephanie from my Aunt Lynn when she married back in the early 90's. Stephanie was kind and loving enough to us copies. This book is so big and filled with so many recipes, I asked her what section was she looking at, so we could look at it together.

Long story short, the frozen meat that Jared took out that I thought was the spareribs was baby back ribs. So I made them anyways with the sauce that I already made. I baked them for just under three hours at 225. I had left over corn bread from the night before and steamed some broccoli for the greens. I always forget to take the picture before I start eating, so some of the broccoli is missing. I swear, there was more on the plate when I started. Rocco liked the dinner and I think the corn bread was his favorite. Next time, Spareribs!

1 cup soy sauce

1 cup catsup

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 tsp salt

2 garlic gloves, minced

2 tsp powered ginger

Sweet Potato In What?

I have been on a sweet potato click lately. I love making baked sweet potato fries with coconut oil and a few spices. YUMMY! So I made these the other night and thought, gosh I don't want Rocco to get sick of these, how can I switch this up. I had fresh corn tortillas and marinated flank steak in the oven and ended up making a special quesadilla filled with flank steak, sweet potatoes and cheese. They turned out so good. Rocco did his usual turn and look at me with a "It's Good."

The sweet potato: This food is low in Sodium, and very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin B6 and Potassium, and a very good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Manganese.

Pizza Pinwheels

Made these last night for dinner and served it with some pea's. Rocco and Jared both really liked them. They would be perfect for a party. Easy to make, quick to bake and fun to eat. You should try them. Or just wait until we have our next party and I will serve them.

1 16 oz Pkg. Ready Made White or Wheat Pizza Dough *Let dough come to room temperature before you roll it out.

2 Tbsp Dijon or Yellow Mustard

1 Cup OR 8 Slices of Ham, without the rind, chopped fine

1 Cup Mozzarella or Cheddar, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. Roll out pizza dough until 1/4 inch thick and the shape of a large rectangle (about 18 x 12 inches).

3. Evenly spread 2 tbsp of mustard on the dough.

4. Sprinkle the ham and cheese on top of the dough.

5. Starting with end nearest you (the long end of the rectangle), roll the dough away from you, creating an even cylinder as you go (similar to a jelly roll).

6. Lightly sprinkle some flour on top of the roll (so it’s easier to cut) and using a serrated knife, cut the roll into 1/2 inch discs (pinwheels).

7. Place pinwheels on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and lightly press them with the palm of your hand to slightly flatten and bake for 12-15 minutes.

8. Serve.

Recipe from Weelicious

White Chicken Chili

Made this for dinner tonight. A one pot, quick and healthy dinner that was really tasty. Everyone loved it and it is going on the make again list. I was really kind of surprised how yummy it was.

Jared told Rocco that Mommy loves them both because I make yummy healthy meals and I want them to be healthy. I love when Jared enjoys what I make. This is pretty easy for me since Jared eats everything. So far Rocco has liked everything I make as well. He defiantly takes after his Daddy.

White Chicken Chili (Makes 6-8 Servings)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 Small Onion, diced
2 lbs Chicken Breasts, bone-in, skinless (about 2 large breasts)
1 Qt (32 Oz) Chicken Stock (I use low sodium chicken stock)
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Ground Cumin
1 Can White Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Cup Frozen Shoe Peg White Corn
1 Jar Diced Green Chilies (They are mild.)
The Juice of 1 Lime (about 2 to 3 Tbsp Lime Juice)

Accompaniments: Sour Cream, Tortilla Chips, Cheddar Cheese, Monterey Jack Cheese

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook onions for 4 to 5 minutes or until translucent.
2. Add garlic and cook an additional minute.
3. Add the whole chicken breasts, stock and salt to the saucepan, cover, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
4. Cook for 18-20 minutes, remove chicken to a plate and allow to cool.
5. While the chicken is cooling, add the remaining ingredients to the pot.
6. Remove the chicken from the bone, chop into bite-size pieces, and add to the pot.
7. Serve.

Recipe from Weelicious

Chicken-Butternut Tagine

I have been lucky with a lot of the new recipes I have made lately. I love butternut squash so this caught my eye. Found it on Cooking Light. Blended it for Rocco and he loved every bite.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 cups chopped onion

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

• 2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

• 8 ounces peeled cubed butternut squash

• 1/3 cup halved pitted picholine olives (about 3 ounces)

• 8 pitted dried plums, chopped

• Fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (optional)

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion; cook 8 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Stir in cumin and next 7 ingredients (through chicken); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, squash, olives, and dried plums; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 minutes or until squash is tender. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Parmesan Crusted Fish with Lemon Dill Sauce

Made this new recipe the other day. It was really simple and once again yummy. The dill sauce was easy to make and both items only had about 3 ingredients each. For the choice of fish, I used red snapper. Rocco ate it all up. I had to make him seconds. This is something I will be making again. You should try it.

Parmesan Crusted Fish (Serves 4)

1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Cup Bread Crumbs
1/2 Tsp Salt
4 Fish Fillets (you could use Tilapia, Red Snapper, Halibut, Barramundi or any white flakey fish)
Olive or Canola Oil Spray (I use Spectrum Canola Spray)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix the parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and salt in bowl or on a plate.
3. Coat each fish fillet in the cheese mixture.
4. Place on a spray-lined baking rack on top of a cookie sheet, coat the fish with spray and bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish (about 12 minutes for tilapia and 15 minutes for something thicker like halibut).
5. Serve with lemon and dill dipping sauce.

Lemon & Dill Dipping Sauce

1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt
Juice of 1/2 a Lemon
2 Tsp Fresh Dill or 1 Tsp Dried Dill
Pinch of Salt

1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
2. Serve.

Recipe from Weelicious.com

It's The Little Things

Took these pictures of Rocco playing with his Great Grandma Shelley's garlic press. It is something so simple yet I love that I have it. I love to look around my house and see things that have been passed to me by my Grandparents. From a bottle of nail polish, kitchen bowls, book ends, mirrors, jewelry and more. I am blessed to be able to live among these things.

Made Rocco some cottage cheese blueberry pancakes this morning. They were healthy and quick and both us enjoyed them. I will be making these again. Just like the blog says, sounds a little bizarre, but they were yummy. We are also working on using silverware.

Blueberry cottage cheese pancakes

Sounds a little bizarre, I know, but give these a try, no syrup needed!

Ingredients

• 1 cup cottage cheese

• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

• 1/4 cup blueberries

• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

• 2 tbs vegetable oil

• Cooking spray

Instructions

1. Combine cottage cheese, flour, blueberries, beaten eggs and oil in a large bowl and mix well.

2. Heat lightly sprayed skilled over medium heat.

3. Pour 1/3 cupfuls of batter in to the skilled. Carefully flipping when bubbles appear on the surface.

Recipe from Vanilla Pumpkin

Get In My Belly

Rocco's menu this week so far. I love cooking healthy meals for him. This week he had blueberries and raspberries for his first time. He loves the blueberries, he just pops them in his mouth and doesn't stop until they are all gone.

Wednesday
Baked Chicken with slices of lemon
Roasted butternut squash with olive oil (first time I cooked one of these)
Steamed spinach
Dessert – blueberries

Tuesday
Pork tenderloin with dry rub
Steamed vegetables (carrots, corn, peas, green beans)
Dessert – cottage cheese with banana, raspberries and blueberries

Monday
Daddy’s famous pot roast with carrots, potatoes, celery and onions.
Dessert – cantaloupe

Sunday Dinner

Rocco had fish for his third time tonight. He had wild red snapper with steamed carrots, asparagus and kale. He loved it. I think the kale helped with the strong asparagus taste. No pictures to share, just full bellies. For dessert, cottage cheese and kiwi.

What a great eater I have. I thank Daddy for that.

My Pumpkin Love

Found this great recipe the other day and knew I wanted to make it. As I was getting ready to leave Jill's house, I was talking about what I should make for dinner. Jill said, breakfast. Well that is not uncommon in the Shelley house, so breakfast it was for tonight. I remember the pumpkin waffles and that I had all but one ingredient for. So, Rocco and I did a quick stop for cream cheese and breakfast was about to be severed.

Again, this recipe was simple, easy to prepare and yummy. It got my attention because the author of this blog talked about "The 11 Best Foods You Probably Aren't Eating" and canned pumpkin was on the list (A low-calorie vegetable that is high in fiber and immune-stimulating vitamin A) and a link to the waffle recipe. Of course half of mine ended up with peanut butter on it, but boy was it yummy. Rocco enjoyed it as well and ended the waffle dinner with peaches.

I had left over mix and made more to save in the freezer for the mornings where I just might need something on hand, Sunday sounds good.

Recipe:
Pumpkin Waffles (Makes 12 4 inch Waffles)

2 1/2 Cups Flour

1/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar

2 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

1 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp Salt

2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

1 Tsp Ground Ginger

4 Eggs

1 Milk

1 Cup Buttermilk

1 Cup Pumpkin Puree

6 Tbsp Butter, melted

1. Preheat waffle iron.

2. Sift first 7 ingredients into a bowl.

3. In a separate bowl whisk the remaining ingredients.

4. Whisk the dry ingredients into the liquid mixture and whisk until smooth.

5. Pour about 1/2 cup of the pumpkin batter into a waffle iron that’s been buttered or greased and cook according to manufacturer’s directions.

6. Serve with maple syrup or make into sandwiches filling with cream cheese and whatever other fillings you desire.

Recipe from Weelicious.com

Wait, I just read this recipe again, and I did not use buttermilk. Just one cup milk. Wow, must of been focused on Rocco and what he is getting into in the kitchen and not the recipe. Also did not use ginger because I didn't have any.

Low-Fat Jam Muffins

I went to a brunch the other morning and needed something that I could make quick and with things that I already had in my kitchen. After about an hour of searching for a recipe, I found "Low-Fat Jam Muffins." I wanted to make something light because I knew there would be a lot of food there.

The end results were light, fluffy, yummy and a recipe keeper.

Low-Fat Jam Muffins

Cooking Light, March 2004

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup vanilla fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons 1% low-fat milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1/4 cup jam
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375º.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 4 ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Make a well in center of flour mixture. Combine yogurt, butter, milk, and egg in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add yogurt mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Place 12 foil cup liners in muffin cups; coat liners with cooking spray. Spoon 1 tablespoon batter into each liner. Top each with 1 teaspoon jam. Top evenly with the remaining batter. Combine 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 375º for 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan; place on a wire rack.

Sweet Potato Minestrone

Made this wonderful soup yesterday. It was a healthy warm meal that hit the spot for such a cold night. It was quick to prepare and easy to make. We really enjoyed every bite and had the rest for lunch today. I put some in the blender for Rocco and he loved it. There was also enough to blend and put in ice cube trays for additional meals for Rocco. You have got to try it, trust me.

Recipe - Vanilla Pumpkin