Adventures in Cooking, Part Quattro (and an explanation)

I started this (and a few other) blogs right after we had been in Illinois at the beginning of July.  When I went to upload pictures, my camera stopped working.  I finally have worked it so that the pictures are loaded onto my computer and I can continue to show you how cute and adorable my children are.  So, the series of blogs to post in the next week will essentially be summer-in-a-nutshell.  Enjoy.

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This week's challenge?  Isa's Garden Pasta Salad.  Gizmo decided one morning this is what she wanted for lunch, and luckily I had the ingredients to make a (slightly) modified version.

Gizmo loved mixing the dressing for the salad in the food processor.  She loved trying a bite of the pasta before it was cooked.  She even started devouring(!) half of a yellow pepper while I cut the other half for the salad.  Success!

Did she eat it?  What do you think?

Of course not.  Not even the yellow peppers.  Not the chicken.  Not the pasta.  What gives?  I might be done with Dora and Diego.  They are currently on my shit list.

Gonzo, however, devoured hers.

Poolside Salad Recipe

When Mitch and I were in Vegas, we ordered the summer salad when we were lounging poolside at Mandalay Bay.  It was easily one of the best salads I've ever eaten in my lifetime, and I've been able to re-create it at home.  I forgot to take pictures of the salad tonight when I made it (I don't know how I would forget, seeing as I had two kids who were nipping at my heels the entire time), but the next time I make it I'll post them.  It is light and refreshing, perfect for a summer brunch, lunch, or dinner.  I've served it with hamburgers and with quiche, would be good with bacon (what isn't?) or chicken to make it more of a meal.

I don't measure anything when I make it, so everything is approximate.  Use your best judgment.

Poolside Salad


Salad:
1-container or bag baby greens
1/2 tub crumbled blue cheese
1 cup candied walnuts
1 cup blueberries
1 cup raspberries

Dressing:
1/2 cup blueberries
1/4 cup raspberries
2 Tb. honey
1 Tb. vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil


Mix all ingredients for dressing in blender or food processor.  Refrigerate dressing until ready to use.

Mix all ingredients for salad together in bowl.  Coat with dressing just before serving.  Stir and serve.

Enjoy!

Summer Fun

Adventures in Cooking, Part Dos

Today's cuisine?  Pirate pizza coins (also known as pizza on cut-out tortillas).

                                     

And yes, Dora was an observer during this process.  

Gizmo and I got all of the ingredients assembled and began the (much easier than the empanadas episode) process of making our little pizzas.  We topped them with pepperoni, mushrooms, red peppers, and cheese.

They looked pretty good going onto the oven, and looked almost like the book when they came out.  (How can you mess them up, really?  They're pizza.)

But would they pass the taste test?  I let Gizmo try them before lunch to make sure.

A winner!  "Mom, these are pretty good!"

To be fair, she did pick off the mushrooms initially, and then picked everything off but the cheese and pepperoni at lunch, so I'm not calling it a total success.  We did also make a "rainbow smoothie" with mango and strawberry that she only received lukewarmly at lunch.  Her reaction to the smoothie?  "It's not very smooth."

I think we might try a breakfast frittata next week.....Gizmo's been awfully picky about veggies lately, so I'm trying to get them into her any way I can.

Adventures in Cooking, Part One

A few weeks ago, I ordered the "Dora and Diego" cookbook so that Gizmo and I could cook up some mean (and healthy) breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.  I let her choose the first item to create, and she picked Dora's Empanadas.  

In my opinion, this recipe was entirely too in-depth, as we had to cook the broccoli, grate carrots, then roll out dough, cut out circles, fill them with broccoli, carrot, and cheese, then fold over and seal.  Gizmo had a great time, as the rolling out of dough was her favorite part. 

After 12-15 minutes of impatient waiting, our final product was finished -

We had them for lunch with dipping sauce (Dora calls for salsa, but we only had sour cream - a much finer dipping sauce, I believe).  After all that work, here was Gizmo's reaction:

She was underwhelmed, and after one bite, she declared, "I don't like empanadas".  Gonzo, however, thought they were the greatest thing since her rice cereal earlier that morning:

Today's cooking adventure was much simpler - chocolate pudding with crushed up chocolate chip cookies and whipped cream on top.  Gizmo didn't have much trouble eating that for a snack today....