Cranberry Sugar Cookies

So, it's been a little while. I have lots of good excuses though! In the past year I've moved three times (once across the country), become a full-time student, and a become an aunt to an unbearably cute 2-month-old who lives only a mile away from me (daughter to Naomi, who had just found out she was pregnant when we made this ravioli).

Excuses aside, it's been way too long. I thought these cookies would be the perfect thing to break the silence. A bit out of season, yes, but the 5-month-old bag of cranberries in the freezer was calling my name. I'm actually cheating a little bit, since this is the exact recipe I used for these lemon cookies, but with added cranberries that I thawed and sent through the food processor.

A Family Dinner

a joint effort by Naomi and Amy

Goodness, gracious, where have the months gone? After the big cross-country move at the end of June, everything has been a complete blur. It's been ages since we've posted anything, but I assure you it doesn't mean we've stopped cooking! (Though I admit that the hot, sticky summer months weren't terribly inspiring)

Our family has a delightful tradition of getting together for dinner every Friday night. The two of us, our mom and dad, and our husbands all go out for dinner, then come back to drink tea and talk and play games or watch movies for the rest of the evening. One particular Friday over the summer we decided we wanted to cook a big dinner from scratch instead, since we'd been doing so little cooking lately. Ravioli was on the menu.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Zucchini Bread

by Naomi

Got zucchini?

My garden is overflowing with zucchini right now. Yours is too or if not your local farmer's markets is and the grocery store has piles of them local, fresh and cheap!

So far this week I have made zucchini boats stuffed with chicken sausage, tomato sauce and cheese which Amy's husband ate and enjoyed. My mom then made them the following night for my dad as the main dish and they were a hit!

Then I made whole wheat calzones stuffed with shredded zucchini and spinach (squeeze well!!), chicken sausage, olives, sauce and cheese. I could eat that twice a week no problem.

I have also shedded and frozen some and chopped, steamed and frozen some zucchini for breads and soups this winter.

Honey Roasted Almonds

After a long absence, I'm happy to report that I'm back on the east coast, back with my family, and back in the kitchen! Although, today's recipe comes from the Montana kitchen, not this one. This was a recipe I'd been meaning to make for weeks before I actually did, but it ended up being a perfect road trip snack! It was also super easy to make, even in the craziness of our last-minute packing the day before we left.

Strawberry Rhubarb (whole wheat) Coffee Cake

by Naomi

Sorry for the long delay, Amy is traveling across the country and I really should have been more on top of things and gotten a post out sooner. Tis the season for strawberries and rhubarb. I have tried to go strawberry picking a couple times this year but they've been picked out both times. Luckily I have Tuttle's (America's oldest family farm!) to provide me with their very own strawberries and rhubarb. Not quite as fun as picking my own but it will have to do.

Italian Dressing

I can hardly express how many unusual circumstances that contributed to the making of this dressing. But alas, I'll attempt it, since I have a food blog and all. The first order of business is to assure you that I've eaten salad only once in the past four (or more) years. So you can imagine how very strange it is indeed that I made or ate salad for dinner.

I've spent the last 9 months cooped up inside, studying my life away. My escape was pumpkin muffins, which means that escaping came with a few unfortunately side-effects. One point for the "you should have a salad" motion.

I also had hot dogs and cheetos for lunch yesterday. Make that two points for the salad.

I miss my mom, and this is the recipe she always made growing up. It's from a cookbook of hers that falls open to this page--Joy of Cooking if memory serves me correctly. I hardly ever ate salad as a kid, but she also used this on pasta salad, which I ate PLENTY of. Sentimental value definitely warrants a third point.
I've been crazy busy the past few weeks, and will continue to be right up until next Friday morning, when my husband and I will hop in our car and drive across the country and move back to my hometown. I needed something simple and fast and that didn't require any special dishes or kitchen tools. At the moment all of our things are boxed up in our trailer, and we're just borrowing essentials until we leave.

The answer to all of my problems: a big chunk of iceberg lettuce (because I'm apparently afraid of vegetables that actually have vitamins in them) with Mom's Italian dressing drizzled over it!

But don't worry, I also pulled out some chicken breasts strips that I'd baked yesterday and dipped those in the dressing too! Ah, such a well-rounded meal. Someone please get me a nutritionist.

Italian Dressing
1 1/3 cups vegetable oil (or other oil, but don't refrigerate the dressing if you use olive)
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a container with a tight-fitting lid, so you can shake it vigorously before use. Commercially-made dressings must have some sort of added ingredient that help everything stay mixed longer, because this stuff separates almost faster than you can pour it out. So shake well!

And please remember that dressing is mainly oil, so you probably don't want to drown your attempt at a healthy dinner in the stuff. 

Shrimp slaw

by Naomi

I've been really into shrimp lately, especially the recipe I found for "Zippy Summer Shrimp" on AllRecipes.com which is presented below as part of a take-off on cole slaw. This is similar to those slaws with ramen noodles except without the ramen. Perfect for a hot summer night!

We will begin with the shrimp. Peel and rinse.

 

Melt coconut oil in skillet

 (sorry, blogger insists these two pictures are centered....)

Saute garlic

 

Add in paprika and cayenne

 Add shrimp and lemon juice

 When shrimp is cooked, season with salt and pepper (pay no attention to how I used 1/2 instead of 1/4 teaspoon salt. I have made this several times and of course the time I photograph is the time I messed up. Don't make the same mistake, it was awful!)

Set shrimp aside to cool.

 Toast sunflower seeds in skillet, stirring constantly

When they look like this, remove from heat and allow to cool.

While the shrimp and seeds are cooling chop up some cabbage, shred some carrots and wash some bean sprouts

Mix up the dressing: sesame oil, olive oil, honey, soy sauce, lemon juice and water

 

Mix shrimp, seeds, veggies and dressing. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200. Refrigerate at least 2 hours to allow flavors to mix and dressing to soak in. This is perfect for me since 95% of our dinners I make ahead (we get home from track practice or the gym starving and with no patience for cooking).

 Ta da! This would be a great side dish at a cookout (even w/o the shrimp if you're worried about it sitting out).  Noodles would make it a fuller meal but that wouldn't adhere to my paleo diet. Mind you the dinners I make are often just one course of a proper meal. And that is not because we don't eat much, ha! The post-meal snack is equally as large- PB&J or eggs for the man of the house and trail mix or some baked good for me. Maybe someday I will master making more than one dish as once!

Shrimp Slaw Recipe

Shrimp:
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 pound of shrimp (peeled)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Heat coconut oil in skillet, add garlic and cook until translucent. Sprinkle in cayenne and paprika. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Pour lemon juice on top of shrimp. Continue stirring until shrimp are pink and opaque. Season with salt and pepper. Allow shrimp to cool while preparing the rest of the slaw.

Toast 1/4 cup sunflower seeds in skillet, stirring constantly. Set aside to cool.

Mix together the following in a large bowl:

1/4 large cabbage (about 3 cups) shredded
2 carrots shredded
1 cup bean sprouts

 Dressing: Whisk all ingredients together

 2 Tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 c olive oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons soy sauce
 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons water

Combine vegetables, shrimp and dressing, mix thoroughly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.