Fun and Easy Snack

Last week was spring break for my 5 year old. He wanted to have crackers for snack so he asked if we could make some. Crackers are quite easy and can be very fun. Together we made rectangles, triangles, and squares. By then he was tired of making crackers so I finished them (and surprised him) with his name made from crackers. It was quite a treat. This recipe came from my friend's food blog Practical Preparedness and Healthy Eating (recipe here)

Wheat Thins

1¼ cups whole wheat flour
1½ Tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt (plus more for dusting top, if desired)
¼ tsp paprika
4 Tbsp butter
¼ cup water


1. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Cut in the butter until it is pea sized. Add the water and knead until smooth (I use the KitchenAid for about 5 minutes).

2. Preheat oven to 400°F.

3. Divide the dough into four pieces; keep other pieces covered while working with one. On lightly floured surface, roll dough into square about ⅛” thick. Cut into squares using rotary cutter. Repeat until all dough has been used.

4. Transfer to parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, if desired (it totally worth it). Bake for about 7-10 minutes or until they start to brown (be careful because they can burn quickly).

Makes 8 servings
975 total calories (122 Calories per serving)

Chicken Paella

About 2 weeks ago I was watching Martha and her guest made a yummy looking paella chock full of clams, octopus, shrimp, chicken, and more. It looked so good so I suggested it to my husband who knew much more about paella than me (until I saw that episode of Martha I had never even heard of paella - I took French in High School). We searched around the internet for a paella that was easy and inexpensive (as much as I would love to have tons of shellfish it is really not in our budget right now). We found two recipes that looked promising - this one and one from Martha. I went off of them and created my own recipe, which the whole family loved. I don't have a paella pan so I just used my large stock pot (my skillet doesn't have a lid). Go ahead and give it a try. (FYI I used basmati rice because that is what we like and have so if you intend to use something like brown rice it may need more time and liquid).

Chicken Paella

2 Tbsp oil
½ onion, chopped or 1 Tbsp dehydrated onions
½ green pepper, chopped
½ red pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup cooked chicken, chopped
3 cloves garlic (2 chopped, 1 smashed with the heel of your hand)
1½ cups uncooked rice
4 cups chicken stock
½ cup frozen (or fresh) peas
Salt
Pepper
1 tsp Paprika
1-2 tsp Turmeric
2 tsp dry Parsley


1. Heat oil in paella pan or large skillet (be sure you have a lid that fits well because you will need it later). To hot oil add onion and peppers. Sauté until peppers soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add 2 cloves chopped garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and chicken. Cook until tomatoes are soft and flavors meld, stirring occasionally to prevent burning or sticking to pan.

2. Meanwhile, in a mortar (bowl for crushing herbs) add 1 clove of smashed garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, turmeric, and parsley. Crush with a pestle to form a paste-like mixture.

3. To the vegetable mixture on the stove, add the rice and stir until the rice becomes somewhat translucent. Add the seasonings from step two, stir well. Add the stock and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Once the mixture comes to a boil cover, reduce heat, and simmer until rice is done, about 15-20 minutes. Finally stir in the peas and let cook for about 2-5 minutes to heat the peas through. Serve warm.

Makes 8 servings
1823 total calories (228 Calories per serving)

Lovely Little Snack

Last night my husband and 5 year old surprised me with a yummy little family dessert. It was sweetened peanut butter (peanut butter with honey) and jelly sandwiches on shortbread. Because you shouldn't eat PB&J without milk, you shouldn't have dessert PB&J with out a dessert milk (or Creme Anglaise in our case). It was a tasty little treat!

Stock - Chicken or Turkey

This is a recipe everyone should own - it will save you lots of money with minimal effort. Just buy a whole chicken (or turkey), roast it (or you could just pop it into a crockpot on high for 4-6 hours), then eat. After you are finished eating the meat, pick off the rest and store for future use. Keep the carcass and make stock. So easy, so rewarding. I freeze my stock by measuring 2 cup increments into quart sized freezer bags (be sure to label with contents and date). Seal the bags and lay them flat on a cookie sheet, place the cookie sheet(s) in the freezer overnight, then in the morning you will have easy to store bags of stock. To use the stock you can just place the bag in a large microwave-safe bowl, microwave for 1 minute, then add to whatever you are making that calls for stock. You could also plan ahead and let it defrost either on the counter or in the refrigerator (just be sure to place the bag in a bowl so it won't leak). After Thanksgiving I used the turkey carcass (in my roasting oven) to make tons of stock. Anyhow, here is the recipe:

Chicken/Turkey Stock

1 carcass, practically picked clean
2 bay leaves
1 onion, peeled and quartered (or a handful of dehydrated onions)
2 carrots, peeled and quartered (or a handful or so of dehydrated carrots)
1 sprig of thyme


1. Toss all ingredients into a large stock pot and fill with water (the water should cover as much of the carcass as possible).
2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about an hour.
3. Strain. It is easiest for me to pour everything except the carcass into a large measuring cup (with a spout) then pour the broth from there through the strainer. Freeze in quart bags in 2 cup increments.

Great Idea! You can also use the tops of carrots and the bottoms of garlic cloves (that would otherwise be thrown out or composted) to season the stock. Just pop them into baggies in the freezer and pull them out when you are ready to use them.