Evil Food Craving: Navajo Fry Bread

This is so easy and yummy and that is what makes it evil.  I had this in high school when we used to go to missions trips to the Navajo Nation and do a VBS week with the children there.  There was a trailer on the land where we stayed and in it older women would make food and sell it daily.  The Fry Bread was awesome especially when it was fresh out of the pan.  This bread can be a side dish.  It can also be used as a tortilla for Navajo tacos (drooling already.)  People also put powdered sugar or honey on it for a sweet snack.

Here is the recipe.  It makes 4-5 small 6 inch or so bread rounds.

1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp powdered milk
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup water
oil for frying (I use canola but the Navajo would most likely use shortening)
extra flour for your hands

1) mix all the ingredients in a medium sized bowl.  While you are prepping put about 1 inch of oil in a skillet.  I just use my 10 inch pan but a cast iron one would be good.

2) Separate the dough into 4-5 balls.  I like doing 5 because I make the kids slightly smaller and have an extra to nibble on :).

3) flouring your hands, work the ball (not kneading it) into a flat-ish circle about the size of your hand fingers to palm.  Its kind of like a pizza dough so stretch press and turn it to get it to the size you want.  Make sure there is at least 1 small hole in the center somewhere (about an inch or so) this helps it not puff up and the oil gets to the top side.

4) Check your oil and see if its hot enough.  I don't use a thermometer I just see if it sizzles when I drop a little bit of dough in.  Place your dough in carefully and let it cook for about a minute on each side until it is a nice golden color.

5) Place on a paper towel and sprinkle with some salt.  These are best when you eat them right away but are still good it they are made ahead and served with the meal.

Evil Craving Food Series: Peanut Butter Pie

peanut butter pie

or Peanut Butter Cheesecake

1 premade cookie crust or graham cracker crust

1 c. creamy peanut butter

1 c. sugar

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese at room temp.

1 tbsp vanilla

3/4  c. whipping cream (I used extra creamy cool 

whip.

Beat peanut 

butter, sugar, cream cheese, 2 tbsp 

butter and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth 

and creamy. 

Beat cream until soft peaks form. Fold in 

whipping cream into peanut butter mixture. 

Spoon into crust. Refrigerate 6 hours. Add extra 

whipped topping if you want. Other options are 

chocolate sauce drizzled on it or chocolate chips 

either on top or in it. :)

"Extra Holiday- Ham & Cheese Pasta"

Sorry for the small picture, I forgot to take one and there was barely any left to photograph. :)

Ingredients

1 lb shell pasta
1/2 block of cream cheese
salt
pepper
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
2 cups milk
1/2 c cheddar cheese
1 -2 tsp dried basil
leftover ham (about 4 good size slices just eyeball it for the amount you want and chop it up the size of the pasta)

1) boil water for pasta
2) saute garlic in large pan for 1-2 minutes.
add milk about 2 pinches of salt, 8-10 grinds of pepper, basil,  and cream cheese.  Stir on medium-low heat until the  cream cheese seems melted in.
3) Cook pasta
4) add in ham and peas, let simmer on low for about 5 minutes.
5) drain pasta and add it to the sauce (if your pan isn't big enough transfer to a big serving bowl/dish
6) add cheddar and stir to melt in.

Serves 6 adults depending on portion size, goes a lot further if you have little kids eating. :)

TWIRLY WHIRLY PIZZA

image source

Ingredients

• 1  tube (13.8 ounces)  refrigerated pizza dough
• 1/2  cup  pizza sauce
• 1/2  cup  shredded Italian-mix cheese, divided ( used more like 1 cup)
• 1  cup  fresh baby spinach leaves (I used 3/4 box frozen WELL thawed and squeezed out)

Directions 1. Heat over to 400°F. Unroll dough from tube. Spread pizza sauce on top.
2. Sprinkle with half of cheese and top with spinach leaves. Roll up, starting with short end.
3. Cut into 8 pieces, then lay pieces flat in a greased pie tin. (They will not be all touching but will touch when its done.) Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake 22 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Both kids enjoyed this and I liked the pre-portioned feature.  It was much easier for my almost 3 year old to hold than a slice of pizza would be.  I could see changing this and adding other ingredients as well.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I subscribe to Weelicious and get her emails daily.  Her recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup came up and it sounded fairly easy and tasty.

Picture from Weelicious.com

I followed the recipe with a few modifications.  I used 2 garlic cloves, 1.5 tsp of cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, and instead of corn I used a package of frozen "southwest" veggies (corn, broccoli, bell peppers etc), I added 2 tbsp of quinoa, and a can of roasted garlic tomatoes.  Having no chips on hand, I fried up some corn tortilla strips to use.  To finish it off I added avocado slices and some cheddar/jack shredded cheese.  It was all really good.  Everyone liked it (10 month old and Toddler included.)

  I would say that this is really satisfying and simple to make, its also easily adjustable to your likes and needs.  I will definitely make this again.

Pasta with Ricotta and Peas

From Parents Magazine

12 oz whole-wheat pasta (I used a 13.5 oz box of rotini)
1/2 cup part skim ricotta
3 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic chopped (I used 2...I would consider using 3 next time)
1 cup fresh peas (I used about 1 1/4 cup of frozen)
1 tsp. salt (plus salt for pasta water)

1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup halved yellow grape tomatoes (I used red grape tomatoes)
1 lemon, zested
1 c pasta water.

1.) Boil large pot of salted water and cook pasta as directed on package.  Drain and save 1 cup cooking liquid. In a bowl, toss pasta and ricotta until combined.

2.) In a large skillet, warm olive oil over med-high heat add  garlic saute for about 4 min.  Add the pasta water and cook until the peas are bright green and tender about 4 more min.

3.) Add the ricotta pasta and toss of low heat.  Add tomatoes.  Put in serving dish and sprinkle with Lemon.  Makes 4-6 servings.

I think this is a good mild, kid friendly pasta recipe.  For adults is not bad but not hugely flavorful either.  I might add more lemon or even other ingredients next time and set aside some for the baby of the family.

323 calories /serving (for 6), 11 g protein, 10 g fat, 5 g fiber, 68 mg calcium.

Rice and Bean Salad

Adapted from THIS  recipe


Ingredients:
1 can kidney beans (rinse and drain)
1 can Black beans (rinse and drain)
1 can Garbanzo Beans (rinse and drain)
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 lime (juice)
1 avocado chopped
1/4 red onion (a big one) finely chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1/2 c mexican blend cheese
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt.

Mix beans, lime, onion, bell pepper, avocado, salt and cumin.  Follow by the rice and the cheese.  Toss and put in the fridge to chill before serving (not really needed but it is good if its a warm day and will keep awhile before serving if needed)

This was really good with tortilla chips on the side.  I used it as a main dish and my toddler loved it and my 9 month old did too (I eliminated the onion and bell pepper because of size and texture from his bowl.)  I think this would work in a lot of different combinations of veggies and beans.  It could be a base for a burrito or served as a side with tacos or quesadillas.  Its a quick and easy meal that can be made ahead of time.

Ridiculously Easy Fudge

***WARNING: DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE ON A DIET OR IN A WEAK EMOTIONAL STATE***

I came across this post and had to try it.

Basically you get a bag of baking chips (chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter, etc) then get a can of frosting.

Put the chips in a microwave safe bowl and put it on for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until it is all melted.

Add in the frosting and stir.

Microwave for 30 more seconds.

Put in a greased 8x8 or 9x9 pan, place in the fridge until it is set.

The flavor combos that seem to work best involve chips that "out-flavor" the frosting.  I've tried  Ghirradeli's bittersweet chocolate chips with cream cheese frosting and it was VERY chocolaty and good.  I've also tried the Chocolate/Peanut butter chips with Betty Crocker chocolate frosting with Hershey's Chocolate and it tastes like a peanut butter cup. :o)

I haven't tried adding nuts yet but I'm sure there are some really cool mixes you could make adding nuts or candy chunks.

For gift giving purposes, this would be great for a neighbor or teacher gift.  Each batch is less than $5 and you could easily package them up for several people with a gift tag or card. :)

Easy Fish Dinner

I'm not a big fan of fish.  Tuna is about as adventurous as we got as kids.  I think most of this has to do with the fact that my parents never cooked fish and I'm pretty sure their parents didn't either.

I want to break the cycle of anti-fish eating behavior and try to make fish about 2 times a month.  So far the only fish I have liked have been the ones that aren't "fishy"  Tilapia fits that bill pretty well so that's where I went in the market when my 2.5 year old daughter asked if we could get some fish to eat (weird request, I know.)  I looked online for an easy recipe and found this:

Easy Baked Tilapia

	Prep Time: 5 Minutes	Ready In: 35 Minutes
	Cook Time: 30 Minutes (25-35)	Servings: 4

Ingredients:

4 (4 ounce) fillets tilapia (I used a whole package that was 1.18 lbs and 6 or 7 small fillets) 3 teaspoons butter 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning TM, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, or to taste 1 lemon, sliced  Juice of 1/2 a lemon 1 (16 ounce) package frozen mixed veggies (I used cauliflower, broccoli, and carrot blend)

Directions:

1.	Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2.	Place the tilapia fillets in the bottom of the baking dish and dot with butter ( I also coated with some evoo). Season with Old Bay seasoning and garlic salt. Top each one with a slice or two of lemon. Arrange the frozen mixed vegetables around the fish, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
3.	Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until vegetables are tender and fish flakes easily with a fork. I also uncovered it and baked about 10 more minutes.

Prepped and uncooked

Cooked and Plated

It was very easy to make and did not require being "watched", which is a must with 2 little ones.  I made a side of brown rice with some chicken broth added to the water and some Old Bay sprinkled in the rice cooker at the beginning.  The verdict....we all liked it!!! By all I include a 2.5 year old a 9 month old and 2 adults. So this will go  into the rotation of recipes and I will try some more with Tilapia in the future.

Placemat Crochet hook Roll

Using the same basic method as my Crayon Pouch you can make a Crochet Hook Roll.  Just fold up 5 inches from the bottom and sew every inch (or about that much, some may be a little bigger/smaller to adjust for the length of the mat.)  Fold the top down to meet the opening of the slots and stitch the top fold right at the edge.

For the closure, I used 2 decorative buttons and some round black elastic, but you could do the ribbon method from the Crayon Pouch, just make sure to sew the ribbon on first (before the pockets are sewn) and to only attach the ribbon as far as the pouch will roll, not the whole length.  There is probably also a way to do buttons or Velcro closure of some kind. 

Bib from Dad's Shirt.

I got this idea from another blog, but I didn't use a pattern or their tutorial so I don't remember where I saw it.  If you saw something like this somewhere else, I'm not taking credit for the idea, just sharing my version of it.

My husband was getting rid of a shirt that didn't fit him well anymore.  Aside from some wear in areas from age, the shirt was still good and I thought I could make something out of it.  My first thought was a dress for my 2 year old but seeing as how I was swamped with Christmas stuff, I wasn't willing to commit my time to that.

Therefore we have the Shirt Bib.

All I did was get a bib that I liked the shape and size of and use it as a pattern.  I pinned it  to the front of the shirt where it buttoned and cut it with about 1/4 inch seam allowance.  I bought a coordinating hand towel (probably $1.50) and cut out the same pattern.  I stitched the two together (right sides facing each other) and left a 2-3 inch opening to allow me to turn the bib.  Then I top-stitched around the whole thing which closed the opening and helped the bib to "sit" flatter when on.  Because of where I cut the shirt, there was only one button attached so I cut off another one and it helped to keep the two layers from shifting.  I cut some Velcro for the neck and sewed it on.  The whole thing took a couple of days on and off (like 5 minutes here and there) and I think it looks pretty cute. :)

Sorry for the lack of step by step pictures.  I wasn't sure it would work the way I wanted and didn't think to take any pictures as I went.  But its pretty easy I swear.

Poinsettia Hair/Hat Clip

Using the tutorial from Infarrantly Creative I made my daughter and niece some hair (or hat) clips.  I didn't print out the template ,but used my daughter's head as a starting point for a good size clip.  I didn't have (or remember to buy) a button making kit, so I just used a circle of felt for the top to cover the stitches.   I also added some grosgrain ribbon around the clip so it didn't pull the girls' hair.

My 2.5 year old actually "helped" by pulling the needle through after I had pushed it most of the way, so it was nice that she felt like she could participate in the sewing. 

How to make a travel crayon pouch

 
I made this for myself and my daughter to eliminate a frustration I had.  She loves to color and will do well coloring at restaurants and places where we have to have her sitting for awhile, but keeping crayons in a diaper bag is not practical.  I had seen many crayon case tutorials online, most of them were rolled up in little spirals and tied with ribbon.  I thought about it and realized I would need something for her to draw on and the paper will get mangled and lost in the diaper bag. So I made a slight modification to what others had done and made this pouch. This way I can keep a small notepad or even folded coloring pages in there and not worry when I get somewhere that she needs paper.   


Difficulty = Easy
Minimal sewing skills are required, just basic knowledge of your machine.  Must know how to make a straight stitch and back stitch, thread and load a bobbin and thread the machine.  Depending on the material of the place mat, mistakes can be easy to disguise.  The type I used is great for hiding flaws.  It is ribbed in texture which helps provide guide lines to follow when sewing and mistakes are not evident if the thread matches.

Materials:
*A cloth place mat, the kind I've been using is available at Walmart (sometimes) and Target (in solid colors)
*A 16 count box of crayons
*a small note pad (I got a 3 pack of Mead 4"x6" memo pads from the grocery store for about $1)
*Grosgrain ribbon in a coordinating color in 1/4" to 1" width depending on preference or what you have available (black works well for most and a small roll would be under $2)
 *Thread that blends with the place mat
* sewing machine
*Ruler or tape measure
* pins

Steps

 1. Fold up the long side of the place mat 3 inches.  Sew along the existing seam or as close to it as you can on both sides.

2. Measuring from that first seam, mark four 1 inch sections for the pockets. 

3. After the 4 pockets measure 4.5 inches from the last seam.  This will make your notepad pocket. 

4. From the end of the 4.5" pocket continue measuring every inch to the last seam on the right side.  If the place mat isn't measuring perfectly within the inches adjust each one slightly to make the pockets look about the same size.  Also, I noticed with the first pouch I made, my place mat was not as long as the subsequent ones I bought and I had to eliminate a whole pocket from it.  It doesn't matter too much because fitting 12-14 crayons will be enough variety for most kids.

5. Sew each line from the top of the flap down to the fold.  Make sure to back-stitch at the beginning and end of the line.  If you're fast and did all your measuring/pinning,  this should only take about 10 minutes..

6. Pin the ribbon tie to the back of the pouch just above the slot openings (about 3 1/4" up from the fold.)

7. If you can, adjust the width of  your stitch to the narrowest width so you can get close to both edges of the ribbon.  Sew ribbon staying about 4 inches from the edge going to 4 inches from the other edge.  Flip around and sew again if you are using a wide ribbon.  For 1/4 inch, one pass will be fine.

Sorry I just couldn't take a clear picture here but you see how close the needle is to the right side (sort of.)

8. Fold the top flap down to meet the slot openings.  Pin this to secure.  Sew right along the top fold to make a permanent crease (less llikely crayons will fall out and more likely it will easily fold to put away.)

9. Insert crayons and pad and fold up.  You're ready to color on the go. :o)

P.S. Suzanne, if you read this, Zach is getting that blue one for Christmas. ;o)

Porridge

Isabella likes the idea of porridge more than oatmeal.  I made a Quinoa version and I played with it and did an easy oatmeal version.  It is REALLY tasty and all of us really like it.  It almost doesn't seem like a meal but like a treat.

Serves 1 toddler and 2 adults (adjust accordingly)
I would say 4 servings if you had fruit or toast on the side.

2 cups plain oats
2 tbsp quinoa (optional)
1 1/4 c water
1 c milk
1tsp pumpkin pie spice
a little bit of vanilla extract (forgot to measure)
1 tbsp butter
a pinch of salt
3 tbsp sugar (or less to taste, honey or maple syrup are other options)
raisins or other dried fruit (optional)

1) bring liquids just to a boil in a pot.
2) add oats, quinoa, spices, and sugar. Mix
3) bring back to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
4) add butter and let sit for 5 minutes.
5) stir and serve with raisins (unless like my husband you prefer no raisins.)

Earring Holder

Thank you to my sister in law, Lizzie, for having so many earrings and inspiring me to make this project.  I walked into Lizzie's room about a month and a half ago and saw over 30 pairs of earrings laid out on her dresser top.  She couldn't see them in the jewelry box and therefore never worse some.  So my brain went "!!!!!!!!!"  She needed a solution and her birthday was coming.  I searched the internet and found a great tutorial for exactly what I wanted. Check out the tutorial HERE.

I made some more for my Mother in Law who wanted them backless.  This added the option for her to put in some dangle post back earrings too, not just the hook post kind.  Also this one would let the wall color show through.

Instead of a picture hanger, I thought the grosgrain would look cute as a hanger.

Here are the earrings organized on the holder.  Told you she had a lot :o)

CHICKEN COUSCOUS WITH RAISINS

 1 c. couscous

1 chicken breast (1 big or 2 small)
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
1/4 c. raisins
1 tbsp. canola oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped (4 medium or 3 large)
2 c. low sodium chicken broth
Optional: 2 tbsp. slivered almonds

1.) Put the chicken breast in a medium pot with the broth and cook until its done (soft and easily shreaded).  If you want, put 2 breasts in and save one for another meal during the week.

2.) After chicken is done, remove from pot and remove broth and save in a cup or container. Put in oil and onion cook until translucent.  Add garlic, cook another minute or two.  Add in the broth back in.  Add the spices back in.  Check for saltiness and add some if needed.  Cut the chicken into small bits, because it is so tender it will cut and shred really easily.  Add chicken to the pot.  Bring to a low boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

3.) While that is happening, microwave a cup of water to boiling hot (about 1 min 30 sec is fine).  Add this to a good sized bowl with the couscous and raisins and cover for 5 minutes.

4.) Uncover the couscous and fluff with a fork, put on a large plate or serving dish.  Scoop chicken and onions onto the couscous in the center (I like to make a hole in the middle of the couscous for the stuff to sit in).  Pour the broth over the whole thing and let the couscous absorb the flavor for a few minutes before serving.

OPTIONAL sprinkle chopped almonds on top.

Serves 4 if you have a side dish with it.  For us it feeds 1 hungry husband, me,  and one 2.5 year old who eats a lot.

Baby Legs

Tutorials for DIY Baby Legs are in abundance online.  So I'm not trying to add to the noise.  I am, however, using this tutorial, which I was directed to by Make It and Love It.   The directions are so straight forward and easy I am upset I never made these for my daughter.  She was forced to be stuck in pants or leggings during her crawling months and I missed out on such a cute accessory option.  Real Baby Legs cost more than I'd like to pay and they tend to be patterned which, in my opinion, can limit their usability.

So, I bought 3 pairs of socks in neutral "boy" colors.  It probably took less than 30 minutes total to make all 3, but that's a hard estimate because I did it over a couple days since I don't have a sewing room ready at hand.

I am anticipating the mobility of my little guy who I am sure will crawl much sooner than his sister did.  Also with the cooler weather coming I may have need for more cover up options in the house as well as outside.  With my Ergo I have noticed his pants pull up and don't cover his calves so I'm hoping this will be one solution to that as well.

Pumpkin Ricotta Pasta

I may/will tweek this recipe because I just did it and didn't measure anything.  I had about 2/3-3/4 a container of ricotta from another recipe I made.  I had a can of pumpkin in the pantry and I figured I could make a sauce out of it.  So I apologize if its not exact.  My advice would be to taste as you go and add a little at a time to suit your tastes.

Ingredients

1 lb pasta (I would suggest rigatoni, penne rigatte, fettuccine, or linguine but any will do)
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree (using about 2/3 a can)
1 15 oz carton ricotta (using about 2/3 a carton)
1.5 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1.5 tsp salt
.5 tsp pepper
.5 tsp nutmeg
1.25 c milk

Mix it all in a sauce pan and let simmer for about 10 min.  Serve over pasta. Done :o)

Cool Summer Chicken Wraps

I made this for a couple reasons. 1) I wanted to make hummus and needed a reason to use it 2.) It was hot and I didn't want to cook anything.  So out of desperation with a fussy (possibly teething) baby and a ever busy 2 year old I could make this in between the craziness of the day. We all loved it!

Ingredients
hummus either store bought or use this recipe
tortillas or "wraps"  I like the whole wheat kind but whatever you got is fine, burrito size works best
1 medium zuchinni, julienne
1 Red Bell pepper, julienne
about 1 breast of cooked, shredded chicken*


*I roasted a chicken earlier in the week and its great for using for several meals I usually can get 3 meals out of 1 chicken.

1. ) Heat tortilla/wrap on the stove until its warm to allow for easier folding so it won't break.
2.) spread about 2 tbsp hummus on the wrap
3.) put a handful of pepper, a handfull of zuchinni, and a small amount of chicken on the tortilla.
4.) Roll and fold burrito style, cut on the diagonal and serve.

Makes 4 Wraps (serves 1 dad, 1 mom, and 1 toddler) If you made a side dish it would be enough for 4 adults.