A New Year, A New Plan

During my work holiday party, a colleague and I were discussing how we planned to change our diets with the new year.  She's going vegan and I reported my husband and I are going vegetarian but eating eggs, dairy and fish.  Both knowing there is a moniker for such eating, but both unable to remember the name, I did a google search when I got home.  "What is a vegetarian that eats fish?"  Yahoo Answers gave me many options but the funniest was "A liar."  We are, it turns out, becoming Ovo-Lacto Pescatarians or vegetarians that eat eggs, dairy and fish.

Basically, we're eating everything but not poultry, pork, beef or other animal meat. We have agreed to try it for 30 days and see if it's manageable with our house and lives.  If so, we'll continue.  If not, we won't die trying. The kids will remain omnivores (with an accent on the carnivore) but will increase their fish and reduce their overall sugar and wheat intake.

Our new menu is 4 days Ovo-Lacto Vegetarain with 3 days Ovo-Lacto Pescatarian.  I love my new vocab words.

Seven "essential", "ultimate" and "complete" vegetarian cookbooks are on my shelf.  All the authors agree that the best vegetarian diet is a balanced diet that provides enough protein.  So how much protein do we need?  I found a great protein calculator at http://www.healthcalculators.org/ which, based on our age, height and activity level, said I need 72 g of protein and my husband needs 92 g of protein.  How many beans am I going to have to eat?  Maybe I should retitle this post "Beans Beans the Magical Fruit..."

Typically when I plan a menu, I focus on dinner only.  Since eating ovo-lacto-vegetarian/pescatarian requires paying attention to a balanced menu, I have to raise the bar. I can no loger worry what's on my hot buttered toast or slap some turkey on bread and call it lunch.  So I've planned 93 meals for the month, and it wasn't easy.  Plus some desserts with reduced sugar and fat.  I was on a roll.  I have no idea what the kids are eating for half the month, but I have pinto beans soaking and plan to make 30 bean and cheese burritos on New Years Day.  They won't starve. I don't think we will either.

We are being more conscientious eaters. Call me vegetarian or pescatarian or ovo-lacto whatever, just don't call me a liar.

To your health!  Happy New Year!

C is for Christmas Cookie, Candy and Clementines

The letter of the season is C.
C is for Christmas, Cookie, Candy and Clementines.

Yes, Clementines.  As in tangerines...that start with a C.  I could have gone with Citrus or Cutie. 

I give gifts of food at Christmas.  I'm a better Cooker than a shopper by far. 

With Citrus in season, I am adding Tangerine Marmalade to my gift giving and personal stash.  My family LOVES tangerines.  We easily go through 15-20 lbs a month.  As I type this and think about the math do I realize I need to add 'plant a tangerine tree' to my to do list!

Giving marmalade is new for Christmas.  Our tradition is to give cookie plates with a variety of cookies and candies.  Typically we make 12 different types of cookies.  This year, I can't seem to shorten the list lower than 14.  To be fair, 12 cookies, 2 candies. We give around 20 plates of cookies every year.

I'm going to use this recipe for my marmalade, looks good, sounds easy:
http://dorisandjillycook.com/2009/12/16/tangerine-marmalade/

The cookie list is made. The shopping list is ready to go.  I need to get busy.

The cookie list:

Chocolate Marshmallow Clouds (Mrs. Fields recipe, the boys love these)
Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread (Martha Stewart recipe, my favorite)
Sugar Cookies (Martha Stewart recipe, the best sugar cookie recipe, hands down)
Anise Almond Biscotti (Martha again)
Cinnamon Maple Rings (Mrs. Fields cookbook recipe, my daughter's favorite)
Peppermint Meringues (12/2011 cover of Bon Appetit recipe, my 7 year old loves meringues, when he saw the cover, we had to add these to the list)
Slice and Bake Lemon Cookies (another 12/11 Bon Appetit recipe, this looks easy - replacing the tried and true lemon bar)
Baklava (http://www.grouprecipes.com/2307/best-baklava.html but I remove the lemon and add rose water)
Cranberry Noels (Martha again, a new addition)
Gingerbread men (Martha again, I love gingerbread.  I decorate with lemon frosting....yummy)
Almond Crescents (Martha again, another newbie)
Hrostule - Croatian cookie - tastes like funnel cake - (Around our World, Around our Town San Pedro Cookbook, this is my husband's traditional holiday cookie.  Its tricky but worth it.)
Fudge (I'm an Alton Brown fan - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chocolate-fudge-recipe/index.html)
Buckeyes - I'm from Ohio, hello.  My cousin Heather's recipe.

Here's the thing.  My mom sends us a box of cookies that she's baking so I can't make the same ones.  Luckily for my decision making process, she has made the same ones for years.  I like to change up my list.    We both make the sugar cut outs, we love to decorate them with sanding sugars.

My cookie list isn't randomly selected.  There is a balanced plan.  Fruit (cranberry and lemon), spice (2 gingerbread, cinnamon), chocolate (clouds, fudge, gingerbread, buckeyes), nuts (baklava, crescents), anise (biscotti), peppermint (meringues) and sugar (hrostule and cut outs).  A little heavy on the chocolate, I realize.  No complaints here.

Can you tell I'm a Martha Stewart fan?  Her recipes, though labor intensive sometimes, are consistently great.  My kids love the Mrs. Fields cookbook that I have. A picture for every recipe.  They want them all. 
For a cookie to make the list is one thing, to remain on the list year after year, it has to be one special cookie.

I love giving and recieving food as gifts.  In my cul de sac, we receive homemade tamales, home grown oranges and lemons and hand rolled sushi from our neighbors!  The first year we recieved the sushi plate, the look on my boys faces was priceless!  You could read their minds - wait, I just gave up my cookies for fish and seaweed?  To their credit, they ate it and loved it!  Now the challenge is to make sure we all get our fair share!

Let the baking and gift giving begin!  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from my kitchen to yours.

Breakfast Extravaganza!

The other day I posted on Facebook:

Up at 4:30 today, just because. I accomplish so much before everyone rises. Making waffles (homemade, not eggo) for breakfast before heading into the office today. Good morning!

First, I don't wake up that early often, it was great to have time to myself.  Second, I work full time, from home, as a corporate recruiter for an international design firm.  Going into the office is a rare, maybe monthly occurence. So to be up, ready, getting stuff done and making waffles - I was on a roll and feeling awesome.   My son was sick so I never made it into the office that day but the waffles were great.

I received a request for my waffle recipe.  Like most everything I do (at least cook), there is prior proper preparation involved.

Instead of buying Bisquick or other prefab baking mix product, I make my own. I have a designated 3.9 L Tupperware container for my pancake and waffle mix. I multiply the dry ingredients of my 1963 McCall's cookbook recipe (below) for bulk storage and write the needed wet ingredients on the side of the container to make a small batch.  Super easy. 

All Purpose Pancake/Waffle Recipe - single batch recipe:

Dry ingredients:
1 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp brown sugar

My container holds 8 batches of these dry ingredients - enough pancakes/waffles for a month for my family.

On the side of my container I write the following wet ingredients to make a single batch:

3 eggs
1/2 c. buttermilk (or use regular milk)
2 T. butter, melted

Mix, cook - either on griddle or in waffle maker, serve. 

Variations:
My family enjoys the following variations that I add, in any combination, prior to cooking:
- protein powder and ground flax seed
- bananas
- chocolate chips
- toasted pecans
- blueberries or blackberries

Most waffle recipes I've used call for stiff egg whites.  The stiff egg whites make the waffle crunchy, and is nice if you have time.  I don't always have time so the above recipe works great.

The beauty of the container of pre-made mix is that it's a DIY for the hubby and kids.  Sure, you can buy a box of Bisquick for the same effect.  But you could by frozen pancakes and waffles too.  It's so easy to DIY, why not?

A couple of my "friends" joke that I tap the maple tree in my backyard for maple syrup.  Though it is true I only use pure maple syrup (Aunt Jemima doesn't live at my house), I don't own a maple tree.  I am a DIY-er, I cook, sew, bake and craft. but I don't distill - syrup or alcohol.  I know my limits.  Today.

DIY, you can do it!