A Fruitful Weekend

What a sweet weekend we had. 

I picked up a papaya at the market last weekend,

but with no idea what to do with it....it stared at me for a week straight.

I finally decided to give it a go and WOW! was I pleasantly Surprised.

I decided on a Papaya salsa that we topped on our steak that evening. 

It was delicious.

I cubed the rest and froze it, eagerly awaiting the day I can give tiny a bite....

but I couldn't wait to get my own lips on it again.

The salsa was so delicious, I went in for seconds and tried out a Papaya smoothie.

YUM.

Both these recipes have only 4 ingredients and the best part,

I never even used a measuring cup.

In my eyes, it's one less thing to clean.

Score.

Give them a try. You won't be disappointed.

 Papaya Salsa:

Half a Papaya, seeds scooped out

Ginger

Lime Juice

Cilantro

1. Dice the Papaya. You may use more than half, depending on your desired amount. 

2. Add some grated ginger

3. Squeeze the juice of half a lime into the bowl

4. Add your desired amount of cilantro. I personally could eat it by the handful so I added lots.

5. Mix it together and enjoy.

Try it with chips or use it as a topping on nearly any meal. It's that good.

Papaya Smoothie:

3/4 cup of cubed Papaya, Fresh or frozen

1/2 cup of Orange Juice

1/2 cup of Ice

Honey to taste

*Amounts are listed for all you type A personalities. I eyeballed it all and it came out perfect!

1. Place papaya, Orange juice and honey into a blender. Blend until smooth.

2. Add Ice. Blend until ice is well incorporated or until you reach your desired consistency.

3. Serve cold and enjoy.

*If your in the mood for some fun, this would be great as an "adult" beverage*

A Satisfied Heart

Since I was a wee one I have LOVED artichokes.

Whenever I had to share my favorite food I would proudly say artichoke,

and all the other kids would quizzically look at me wondering what in the world an artichoke was.

They had no idea what they were missing out on.

If you are still living in the dark about these amazing veggies,

I am here to change your world.

Behold the artichoke.

Prickly leaves cover the outside, 

but don't let if fool you. 

What lies beneath is a hidden treasure.

 To prepare: simply cut off the bottom

 and the prickly tops

 This allows for them to sit nicely into the pot.

Once in place,

steam them covered on medium high heat for 25 minutes.

I had all intentions of taking a picture on how to eat them,

because it can be tricky,

but I found it hard to put the leaves down and pick the camera up.

It. was. delicious.

As you can see, you only eat the bottom part of the leaf.

Peeling away each layer until you get to the "heart' of the matter.

The artichoke heart. 

I applaud the first person who picked up the artichoke,

peeled back its prickly outer layer,

revealing its heart.

Even the heart can be misleading with its furry top,

but once it's cut out,

HEAVEN. AWAITS.

It is a true delicacy

and I promise this is a heart that will never break yours.

And just because I love artichokes so very much,

I picked up this awesome candle on our recent NC trip.

I wonder if there's a hidden treasure awaiting me on the inside?

 

Lady Granola

Somewhere along the way I proudly got the name granola among my friends.

I suppose it's because I'm a wanna be hippy.

I love all things natural, healthy, and holistic, 

so when I came across this lactation granola recipe at a recent mommy's group,

I couldn't wait to give it a try...and wow is it worth it.

It's seriously the easiest thing to make and it makes your home smell delicious.

*don't let the name fool you, even if you are not breast feeding, it is worth making*

 Begin with your ingredients. The fun part is creating your own.

 I added chocolate chips to satisfy my elephant sized sweet tooth.

 Mix the dry ingredients together, then add the honey and olive oil.

 Pop it in the oven at 275 for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Store in a container and impress all of your friends.

Just be careful not to eat too much at a time, it is loaded with fiber.

Below I have listed the recipe in its entirety. 

ENJOY granola friends.

Granola Recipe

 4 cups old fashion oatmeal

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/2-1 cup almonds or favorite nuts

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1-2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup olive oil

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large flat pan

 (I used a jelly roll pan and it kept everything in place nicely).

Once mixed well, pour honey and oil over top and mix in until mostly coated.

Bake at 275 for 18-20 minutes or until light golden brown.

Cool on pan then crumble and place in an air tight container.

 If you are making a large batch, place it in the refrigerator if keeping more than a few days.

*side note: I do NOT recommend using aluminum foil. I had a very hard time getting the granola off of it. Learn from my mistakes!*

Slow Cooker Sunday

Sunday has always been one of my favorite days.

The slow pace of of the day is something that I have always cherished,

especially now that I get to share it with the little one.

Before she chose us as parents, the hubs and I would enjoy dinners on the town,

or just enjoy each others company over a home cooked meal.

I haven't given up on home cooked meals,

but I have embraced a new tradition, slow cooker Sunday.

Not only do we get to relish and savor each precious moment,

 but so does our food.

Check out this Taco Soup recipe. 

It will have you singing "La Bamba" all night long.

Slow-Cooker Taco Soup
(Serves about 8)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1 pound ground meat (beef, turkey, chicken)

1 (16 ounce) can black beans, with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, with liquid
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies, drained
3 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix

Begin by sauteing your onion and garlic until soft.

Next brown your meat of choice.

Once the meat is done, add it to your slow cooker

and top with the remaining ingredients.

Mix all the ingredients together and set on low for 8 hours.

Dinner is served and Sunday just got a little bit better.

Blueberry Monday

Dinner has always been a meal that I love preparing.  I delight in the hunt for a delicious recipe, but now that we have added a third family member, I haven't quite figured out how to master both a hungry husband and baby. As I was scouring through my pantry last night, I came across our favorite weekend pancake mix and thought...hmm, we both love pancakes, they are easy, and I don't even have to go to the grocery store. 

JACKPOT.

The hubby and I L-O-V-E to make pancakes on the weekends but there was no reason I couldn't surprise him with a favorite weekend tradition during the week, right?

I started with our favorite pancake mix. Our family prefers these buckwheat beauties.

Of course no pancake is complete without a dash handful of chocolate chips and blueberries.

I added the goods and mixed it all together.

Placed them on the piping hot griddle. 

At this point we were dancing around in delight as the kitchen was filled with the sweetest aroma.

And Voila...delicious blueberry, chocolate chip pancakes for dinner.

Dinner in 10 minutes. Beat that Rachael Ray.