Eat Like a Rabbit

I was reading up on the qualities of spinach in The Full Plate Diet, when I learned that the term "a la Florentine" came from Catherine de Medici's love for spinach. This may not mean much to most people, but it hit a cool note with me as my brother- and sister-in-law met at an old Medici Villa, that has been turned into a college, where they both worked.

And that inspired me to use the leftover quinoa and braised spinach to make an Italian version. Sadly, I was in a hurry as we only had an hour before an appointment at some friends' house, and I forgot the tomatoes. Plus, I would have loved to add pine nuts, but we're out. Paul saw nothing much connecting the dish to Italian dining except for the parmesan cheese topping. That was a mistake on my part. However, I stand by my original idea and claim with the additions it would have been a better presentation. Either way, I thought it tasted just yummy.

Below is the recipe as I would have made it with more time and more supplies.

Quinoa a la Florentine

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup onion, sliced
• 1 pound fresh spinach, rinsed
• 1/8 cup Parmesan Cheese, finely shredded
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, chopped and toasted
• 2 Campari Tomatoes, quartered

Sautee onions until soft in 1 teaspoon olive oil then add garlic to cook briefly. (Don't let the garlic brown.) Add the broth and allow to heat up. Add spinach and cook until just wilted. Serve spinach over quinoa topped with pine nuts and parmesan. Garnish on four sides with tomatoes.

I always said I wouldn't post my child all over the internet, but sometimes you just can't help it!

We're very excited to have my Aunt, Uncle and Cousin in town seeing Nora for the first time. So, all dinner plans are subject to quick change based on what the rest of the family is doing. However, it never hurts to have a plan just in case.

Last week, a reporter from iReport at CNN wrote with a "Weekend Assignment" story request for a video of a signature dish. Eggplant Bruschetta is one of my classic dishes, and today Paul and I visited the same stall at the Maitland Farmer's Market where we picked up our first eggplant. You can check out the video of making Baked Eggplant Bruschetta and learn the recipe at ireport.com.

Paul and I are sorry the photograph leaves a lot to be desired, and I promise it does not do the recipe justice.

During my last trimester, I think I did some pretty good shopping. One thing I crazily purchased (but Paul agreed to buy it!) was Organic Quinoa at Costco. Naturally, I can't find the receipt to tell you how much the giant bag cost, but aside from it taking up a good deal of space in the pantry, I've decided it's well worth it.

The quinoa itself is a bit time-consuming to cook. Boil water, watch for 15 minutes, fluff and cook for 5. it has a very earthy flavor and may be an acquired taste, but as I told my mother last night: When you find out something is good for you, you just have to make a commitment to make it work.

The first time Paul bought couscous and served it to me, I was so underwhelmed. I even threw most of the remainder of the container away. (Yes! And I believe in no waste!) But I learned it was just because I didn't know how to cook it. Now, granted, I only know three ways to use it now--this one, tabouleh, and Mexican-style. But I know that I'm broadening my horizons, and each time we eat it we are doing our bodies good.

I've made this recipe before, but with "white" couscous. The recipe in Mollie Katzen's Eat, Drink, and Weigh Less called for whole wheat. Because this is an effort to lose baby-weight, I'm all for sticking to the more healthy option. surprisingly, I couldn't tell a difference in the taste--unlike when we tried whole wheat pasta. I'm all for switching to whole wheat couscous permanently, even in my tabouleh.

Our life is changing rapidly. It's quite the merry-go-round. We think we're lucky enough to finally have Nora on a bit if a schedule, which means I can finally think about something other than sleep. Paul's going back in to work more this week. So, everything I make will have to consume as little time as possible since I'll be on my own taking care of the baby. Luckily, I have a Moby Wrap to carry her around in and still leave me with two functioning hands!

About a week ago, Paul cooked us up a big batch of pinto beans. We froze some, had haystacks/taco salads one night, and quesadillas another night. Then we must have had burritos for lunch all week. Don't get me wrong. We like burritos. And the beans were realy good; so, we didn't mind the lack of variety. However, the whole concept inspired me to be a little more creative with an overabundance of beans. In our brainstorming, I came up with the idea to serve chili baked potatoes when my folks came over during the week. The idea went over well, and it spawned the creation of the recipe below. I tried to keep it simple, and would say although it's very good the way it is, there's still a number of ways to change it up. If you are the simpler, don't-confuse-me, indecisive type, stop reading here. (Can you tell I've been reading parenting books?)

1. Add Morningstar Farms Grillers Starters for a chunky, meatier flavor.

2. Don't drain the pinto beans if you're a fan of a juicier chili--or stew!

3. Use Muir Glen Adobo Seasoned canned tomatoes for a hotter base.

4. Mix your beans or choose black over pinto.

5. Make a chili pie with leftovers by scooping chili over Fritos, topping with cheese, and baking.

Recipe for Chili Baked Potatoes

Serves about 6

• 1 can Muir Glen Fire Raosted Tomatoes, chopped slightly in a food processor if your guests don't like chunky tomatoes
• 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, diced
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 3 cups cooked pinto beans
• 3/4 t ground cumin
• 1/2 t chili powder
• 1 T olive oil
• 6 medium baking potatoes
• Cheese as desired
• Cilantro for garnish

Saute onions in olive oil on medium heat until translucent. May undercook for a stronger flavor. Add garlic and pepper. Stir and cook until just before garlic browns. Add tomatoes, stir, and simmer (until my frozen beans had defrosted enough in the microwave to remove them from their bowl). Sprinkle in cumin and chili powder. Stir in beans, cover, and turn fire to low. Continue to stir occasionally and monitor for 20 minutes or longer (depending on when the potatoes are done).

Spoon chili over potatoes, allow cheese on top as desired. Garnish with cilantro. Salt and hot sauce should be available at the table.

Our best results for baking potatoes in the oven is wrapping them in aluminum foil to keep them from drying out and setting them on the rack in a 450' oven for about an hour. You can also microwave them (max of about 3 at a time), but Paul claims that's technically steaming, not baking.

Possibly my favorite non-chocolate dessert recipes is Sauteed Bananas from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home. I highly recommend the recipe. Once when I served it to a guest, he looked at Paul and said "Do you eat like this all the time?" Paul said "Yep, pretty much."

I can't even tell you how long or how many times I've made sauteed bananas. And yet, somehow, we always seem to be in such a hurry to dive in that we fail to take a picture of it. Tonight, I had planned on making the dessert when my folks were over, but I had one too ripe banana and a slew of too green bananas. Paul recommended I do the Asian Pears instead. Yum! It's safe to say the base syrup for the dish must be good with any fruit. Our dessert wasn't quite as successful because the pears were warmed, but not softened. A softened fruit the texture of pie-sliced apples would have required more time and likely a different cooking method (like slow cooking). Anyway, we thought it was a nice light dessert and were happy for it, but I think I'll always prefer it with bananas, the original way.

Three of the magazines I subscribe to: Parenting The Early Years, Parents, and Bon Appetit, had falafel recipes in their March 2010 issues. (Sorry, only Bon Appetit seems to have their recipe on line.) Is this some special month or just falafel screams "SPRING!"? Either way, the stories brought back great memories of our research of "The Best Falafel in the World" when we were a couple weeks away from a trip to Paris last year. The difference being, we are in Sunny Florida and no where near the Stravinsky Fountain. I knew I just had to give one of the recipes a shot.

After a little comparison, I chose the Parents recipe, and was quite happy with it. Just for kicks, I may try the others. . .or I may track down someone who has a secret ingredient that will make it out of this world.

Notice what I looked like only three weeks ago. I'm four weeks away and although I generally move well, I lack much energy.

Last week, I had no menu plan. I wasn't sure what I was going to do. I just knew I had items that needed to be used up. When most people hit their third trimester, I hear they start stocking-up. I appear to have been doing the opposite. I've been cleaning out the cabinets and freezer. My thought process is to do a whole new complete restocking just before I deliver. Why? I don't know. Apparently, not much about this pregnancy has been normal or average. Why should I start now?

It's warmed up to over 70 in Orlando. So, now, we don't have the opportunity to play with soup any more. I did acquire some fresh veggies and have great plans (as salads at work) for them this week. Paul lands late tomorrow night; so, I don't know that we'll get dinner together. If he's underfed when he lands, we'll get some form of take-out after leaving the airport. Thursday night is my first baby shower. It will go late; so, if Paul works late he'll have dinner at the hospital or eat the snacks at his desk. Otherwise, I'm sure we'll both get plenty of food at the party. That leaves me with really just three meals to worry about for the week:

I have a confession to make. I'm not as much of an adventurer when it comes to food as most people think. In fact, I'm really boring and conservative. So much so that I thought about adding to my New Year's Resolutions that I would try a new food every month or so, but was too chicken to do it. Well, maybe I should have added that resolution because already in one week I've tried two new foods! First were the cheese curds that I used in a recipe on Sunday. Then came the lentil stew pictured above. I based it on the gluten-free recipe from Lisa Hardinge, but couldn't follow it explicitly because I lacked potatoes, etc. As proud as I am of these successfully delicious creations, I cannot take all the credit. After all, I didn't go out and buy the items myself. The cheese curds were a gift from my aunt and uncle. The lentils were acquired when Paul's parents were here. I guess that means I still have a long way to go in the "adventurous" department.

Lentil and Rice Stew

• 2 cups cooked rice, I used a mixture of brown and red
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 1 cup lentils, uncooked
• 1 cup onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons McKay's Chicken-style (vegetarian) Seasoning
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cups water

In soup pot, warm olive oil and add onions. If the onions are frozen, they cook faster, so add the celery and carrots pretty quickly after the onions are coated in oil and warmed. Add the water mixed with the McKay's, then the lentils. Bring all to a boil, turn down to medium and simmer about 30 minutes. That's what it took for me, and they were still a little crunchy. Add the rice and warm through. Add less rice or more water for stew.

The sides are not gluten-free. Worthington Skallops are from a can and pan-fried in just a touch of oil to keep them from sticking. The biscuit recipe came from Smitten Kitten and tasted so good dipped in the broth.

The weather has definitely been a topic in the news. So, why should it be any different on a cooking blog? After all, you gotta stay warm! Soup is certainly key to warming up the inside--not to mention, it's often a great assistant in losing or maintaining weight if that was part of your New Year's Resolution.

But if you're reading this post in the summer, the recipe card says you can eat this soup cold, which Paul did with the leftovers at work the following day. He said it was fine. I thought it was almost better cold. I assure you it's good to have such a versatile soup in your collections.

Now that it's really cold in Florida, I feel like I can share these creative plasticware snowflakes from New York and fit right in. Especially since this morning it was about the same temp as it was in New York early December. What's up with that!

We're still eating up food from Paul's family being in town last week. The only thing I'll run out of is milk and bananas, I think. So, I will have to take a quick trip to some grocery store soon. Meanwhile, I have a list of likely dinner options that will be eaten in the expected order in which it might go bad. Also, I have a number of potential lunches lined up and will share those, too.

Two great stories seem quite appropriate as kitchens all over the country seem to be gearing up for some spectacular activity. I hope you will find them entertaining and inspiring. And truthfully, I can see them as being useful long past the holidays.

Lynne of The Splendid Table posted a menu where turkey is optional because she felt sorry for vegetarians. I laughed out loud at that because I never feel sorry for myself.

Planet Green has 50 Ways to keep from wasting food. I thought they were brilliant and creative. I would have never thought about freezing eggs! Next time we're about to travel somewhere and I fear something will go bad, I'll be consulting this source for what to do to save my food.

This week we'll be taking off for Mississippi Thanksgiving Morning. I only need to make dinner Monday and Tuesday nights because Wednesday we're taking my dad out for dinner as his birthday is Thanksgiving Day.

For one meal, I have some beautiful sweet potatoes and want to make some mashed potatoes for dinner. I'll add some fresh tomatoes, perhaps a veggie-meat with gravy and some green beans topped with chopped Tamari-flavored almonds we stashed from a trip to Trader Joe's. The next meal will be a great salad with some fabulous veggies and maybe even some homemade croutons. I'll work on that one a little more.

I stocked up on some foods hoping that I can return from Mississippi and not have to shop next week. Although I know I have plenty of food, I just have to get the creative juices flowing in order to make them all come together in reasonable meals.

We only ate one spaghetti squash this year. Somehow, it didn't seem like a top priority with all the butternut squash around. Not to mention, cooking squash can be more time-consuming and my feet don't enjoy long stretches of use.

I got the idea for this recipe from a friend of my parents last year. What I appreciated was how simple it was to cook, plus with the simple seasoning, the leftovers had a variety of uses. In our case, we made spaghetti squash primavera. Basically, that's seasoned vegetables and sauce served over the squash instead of pasta. It makes a great gluten-free vegetable dish with lots of nutrients.

Cooking a Spaghetti Squash

Stab a few holes in the squash and microwave for 60 seconds to soften skin. Cut squash in half from stem to base. Seed the squash. Place face-down in a microwave-safe dish, add 1 inch of water, and cover with a dish towel. Microwave for about 8 minutes, depending on the size of the squash and the power of the microwave.

Let the squash cool upon removal from the microwave because it will burn your hands. Turn the squash over and scrape the inside out with a fork and scoop into an oven-safe bowl. The "strings" resemble spaghetti--hence the name.

In the bowl with the squash, sprinkle 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp. sea salt (or more to taste), 2 Tab. unsalted butter (or margarine of choice), and 1 Tab. dried parsley. I only needed to "bake" my squash in the oven just after I turned it off from the 400 degrees it was heated at to cook muffins. You can cook the squash at about 350 until the garlic is cooked and the edges of the squash brown, which is great for color.

For the primavera, I cooked fresh and frozen veggies (like julienned carrots, sliced onions, broccoli florets, and bell pepper sticks) in oil and added the leftover spaghetti squash to cook through.

"Wasting" time before a concert that we were accidentally an hour early for thanks to the time change (and our not being diligent about changing all the clocks in our house) we took a side-trip to Whole Foods. We rarely shop at Whole Foods because a) of its reputation as "Whole Paycheck" and b) it really isn't near anywhere we go regularly. Strolling down one aisle just for kicks, we came across a few varieties of Joe's Oat's organic soy- and gluten-free burger mix. It was expensive. Over $1 a burger! But, we thought it would be worth a try because as I've mentioned before, we do know people with allergies to wheat and always appreciate knowing of delicious dinner alternatives. We also acquired some mini-pitas (whole wheat) from the bakery that were quite yummy and were a perfect size for the burgers.

The burgers themselves were really good. A big selling point is that I could read and even have in the average kitchen every ingredient on the list. Unfortunately, I thought the directions for cooking weren't very clear. It's definitely a good idea to read the entire label before starting the cooking process. Hot water is required. I don't recommend a broth because it adds additional sodium, but I can see adding some onion and garlic powder to the water. Also, I highly recommend greasing the skillet before cooking up the burgers.

Sometimes, the best laid plans aren't enough. Remember how my menu plan for the week included pre-cut vegetarian turkey and zucchini to make a second batch of soup? Well, tonight, for some reason, soup wasn't a good idea. It is a bit warmer in Florida, and I grazed on goodies all day at the office. So, it didn't take me long after getting in my car and starting the drive home to evaluate what was in the fridge and to change my mind. What I loved about the fajita idea was that everything had been prepared already. So, it was a cinch to cook, and I had two huge fajitas on the table within 15 minutes. Moreover, my only dishes were two plates, the sauteing skillet and spatula, the cutting board and knife for the onion (they were only in rings), and two knives and forks to eat with. Thanks to an empty dishwasher, clean-up was even faster than cooking!

Recipe for Veggie Fajitas

• 2 Large/Burrito Size Flour Tortillas
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
• 1/4 large onion, diced or sliced
• 1/4 bell pepper, sliced
• 1 cup vegetarian turkey, cubed or sliced
• 1/2 cup zucchini, cubed
• 1 T Oil, olive or other preferred sauteing

Note: Proportions of veggies and veggie-meat were what I had on hand. The beauty of such a recipe is that you can always add or take away or exchange. There is no wrong as long as you like what you are putting in the dish!

Place a medium to large skillet on medium-high heat. Pour in oil and add onions. Stir until onions soften. Add bell pepper, zucchini, and turkey. Stir to coat with oil. Let sit occasionally to brown sides of veggies and stir again. Veggie-meats do not have a minimum cook time. You only need the food to be cooked through (and the veggies tender, of course). Place tortillas on microwaveable plate. Spread vegetables evenly in center of wrap. Sprinkle with cheese and roll. Microwave 30 seconds to melt cheese OR while the veggies are cooking, place the tortillas on top of the skillet so they catch the heat from the cooking. Turn often to make sure all sides are warmed. Then, you don't have to microwave the finished product.

Please excuse the dent in the can. My overly-packed-not-sure-what-I-will-be-hungry-for lunch box isn't the safest place to be sometimes.

We learned about these drinks at this year's PumpkinFest. (Sorry, no story, yet, but you can access pics on Paul's Flickr account.) Anyway, then another friend shared that they were available at Costco. I asked Paul if we wanted some and he said "Sure. I like anything made by Pellegrino." For about $14, I brought home 24 cans of flavored water--12 orange, 12 lemon. I took an orange for lunch.

My opinion: I thought aluminum foil over the top of the can was fancy, I also thought it might be a waste. However, the scientist in me wondered if it kept the top of the can cleaner, which I know can pick up dust and dirt so easily. At the moment I don't have the energy to take the study any further. The taste was nice, and I thought it wasn't as sweet as soft drinks, which I don't drink because I don't like sugar water. In fact, I wondered if people who need to wean themselves from soft drinks wouldn't benefit from the orange-flavored water. Again, I don't have the energy to do that research myself, especially since these will only be a luxury in our house. We just don't do soft drinks.

Honestly, I'm happiest with a bottle of straight Pellegrino.

Last Friday, I pulled out one Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheet to defrost for apple turnovers. But, by the time I was done making the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffins, I realized I had over a cup of pumpkin puree left. So, I decided to use the sheet for a mini-pie instead. There wasn't enough filling to fill a normal pie, but a 6-7 inch pie was perfect. My only mistake was not greasing the bottom of the pan before cooking because the crust stuck pretty well to the glass. Perhaps had I used a foil pan, it would have gone better, too.

I didn't have much time and had no idea where to find a good pumpkin pie recipe quickly. So, I used the ingredients in the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe and threw in a handful of oatmeal for texture. Then, I prayed that it wouldn't be a botch. Yes, God does even answer prayers in the kitchen because the pie turned out exactly how I imagined it (minus the crust sticking to the bottom.)

Cost to Make Pumpkin Pie

• $1.02 Pumpkin Puree (Freshfields Farm)
• Free Oats (Mom bought the wrong ones and gave them to us.)
• Free Vanilla (Gift)
• $0.16 Cinnamon (Publix)
• $0.14 Brown Sugar (Costco)
• $1.50 Puff Pastry (Pepperidge Farm Thrift Store)
• $2.82 Total for 6 slices

Pumpkin Pie Recipe

• 1 cup pumpkin puree (homemade instructions here.)
• 1 Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheet, defrosted (They come two to a box.)
• 1/2 cup Oats
• 1 t Vanilla Flavoring
• 2 t Cinnamon
• 2 cups brown sugar

Grease 6-7 inch pie plate. Open puff pastry sheet flat and lay inside plate. Shape crust and cut off corners as you wish. In bowl, mix remainder of ingredients together and pour into the pie plate.

Bake on center rack according to Puff Pastry package directions (400 degrees about 12 minutes) until top of crust is golden brown. You may need to cover the top of the pie once it is cooked with aluminum foil to keep it from burning while the bottom of the crust cooks. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Obviously, the dirty dishes pictured aren't from this past week. We dirtied very few additional dishes in our effort to empty out the fridge, which was lovely for my aching feet and tough work schedule this week.

Finally, on Friday, I spent 5 hours in the kitchen cooking up some lovely goodies for the weekend. Photos and stories will be coming up in the next few days. That being said, I never made it to the grocery store last week and will be cooking from my increasingly (but intentionally) dwindling selections in the pantry and freezer. That being said, my Monday menu plan seems sparse, but as always, is subject to change if a) the temperature in Florida goes down enough for me to get away with making a soup or b) a surprise comes with a tempting idea at the grocery store. Luckily, these are items we haven't had in a while (even if they were originally on the menu).

These were the deviled eggs I made to be the protein with our leftover salad pieces last week. You can see a much more detailed story with cost to make from the first time I made these using The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper on this previous post. Although, I should point out this salad also had carrots, bell peper, and cucumber. Obviously, if you find these foods on sale, it's still a great price for a fancy salad.

Yesterday, I served the leftover eggs cold with a variety of sauteed vegetables over baked potatoes. I was a little nervous that they wouldn't be good cold, but they actually tasted quite good--possibly even not as strong in garlic and onion flavor.

This may be the last time I make these eggs because I haven't figured out what to do with the leftover stuffing. We weren't particularly fond of turning the stuffing into the salad dressing. We would have been much happier either just sprinkling the stuffing over the salad as well or using it to make an egg salad sandwich for lunch the next day. I guess we'll wait and see. Still, it made a pretty addition to what otherwise would have looked and tasted like a traditional and rather boring salad (if you traditionally find salads boring, that is).

It seems like everyone is still talking about the shocking end to Gourmet Magazine. The topic is still getting business at CNN.com. In fact, Reporter Lila King posted a story with photos, captions, and a link to the iReport page where fans of Gourmet shared their stories. Guess whose photo was on the CNN homepage and is the second feature photo on the story page? Ironically, the photo is of the garlic-almond pasta sauce over egg noodles that I planned on serving this week. I invite you to see the story for yourself and view some of the other amazing photos featured.

Thanks, Lila, for being such a fun reporter to work with.

Click on the photograph to go to Paul's Flickr page for a closer-up view of the monkeys. There's nothing like sitting in a boat having a picnic lunch and watching the monkeys watch you and wonder how they can get across the river to partake, too. We had quite a show. One of the best times was when a piroux came by with a dog and three adults. The dog watched us 'til he saw the monkeys. He got in really big trouble for barking and scaring them. Thanks, Connie and Jack for a great day!

We first learned about Muir Glen Organic Tomatoes when we were doing our "Pasta Taste Test." I didn't have a coupon at the time and had no idea how much I would fall in love with them. I have since quit buying pasta sauce--even when it's available for a great price. I love making my own with these full-flavor tomatoes, a little onion, garlic, and basil from our herb garden. However, I have become a serious believer in couponing (Especially when it comes to stocking up on diapers!) and love finding links to print $1 coupons for 1 Muir Glen Product ($1/1). I can buy 8 oz. cans of Tomato Sauce at my local Publix for $0.89 a can. With the coupon, the tomatoes are free! If I get a can of diced tomatoes, I end up paying about $0.40. That's a great price for organic-anything! Below are a few links to $1/1 printable coupons. You can print two per computer. You can also find notes to get an additional coupon by becoming a fan on Facebook in the Recommended Links in the right hand column.

I got my November Gourmet Magazine this week. The fact that I found this edition meeting my vegetarian creativity needs head-on makes the receipt of this last issue of the famed 60-year-old magazine more distressing.

For the first time, I came across a vegan dish-Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake. There's even a complete menu for a vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner. I'm intrigued by the carrot and beet soup that is made with water instead of chicken stock "so it's a delicious alternative to your vegetarian guests." And totally unrelated to Thanksgiving is the tempting pizza topped with yellow potatoes, yellow onions, and rosemary.

The November Gourmet will find itself being used often over the holidays and likely for many winters to follow. Might I suggest either researching some of the recipes on Gourmet.com or actually acquiring a copy of the mag at the newsstand? Keep in mind not all the recipes in the magazine are available online, and I am not sure I've seen all online recipes in the magazine. Do your research now as the website may not be available someday.

So long, Gourmet. What a fabulous finale!

I have passed this photo a few times on flickr.com and finally remembered the stories that went with this photograph.

The recipe for the main course came from The Occasional Vegetarian, a cookbook that is out of print. My mother-in-law acquired it for me used because she new how valuable it would be in my kitchen. The recipe originally called for rice, but I had couscous; so I used couscous. My mother and I both have been having indigestion (only one of us has a more positive excuse and will eventually have something to show for it) and actually appreciated the basic, but bland, flavors: sweet pine nuts, slightly bitter spinach, salty Parmesan. Next time, I would try it with rice and add some additional flavor to the rice itself--maybe some onion and garlic powder. Will have to think on it. Luckily, I have plenty of spinach and rice on hand for the coming week. Maybe I'll find the time to try it again.

I love to take photographing opportunities to highlight special gifts we have received. I found this olive wood tray that Paul's folks brought us from Greece to be a perfect way to display the cookies. . .although as good as the cookies are, the tray would constantly need to be replenished.

My mom has been making these cookies for years. She's practically famous for them. I remember my folks coming home from a party once saying a gentleman said he reached down and took one cookie, but two more jumped on his plate. My experience with this recipe is equally successful. They truly are habit forming. When I took them to work, one of my EMTs frowned and said "How could you? I'm on a diet." I pointed out that the cookies had no flour in them, which makes them gluten-free and makes them less fattening. Stunned and curious how the cookies manage to stick together without floor, they became more exciting. Also being naturally dairy-free, one of our house guests ate three straight out of the oven because he didn't have to worry about the butter in them. In my opinion, these cookies fall under the "not-quite-20-percent-bad" category.

There are two recipes--one is the original version and the second is the lower cholesterol version. This is also the same recipe my mom uses for her homemade granola.

OATMEAL COCONUT CRISPIES #1

• 2 C quick oats
• ¾ C brown sugar
• ½ t. salt
• ¾ C coconut
• ½ C chocolate chips
• ½ C chopped nuts (generally almonds)
• ½ C oil
• ½ t. vanilla
• 1 or 2 eggs, beaten

Place dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Make a well in the middle of the mixture. Stir oil and flavorings together and pour into the well. Add egg whites and mix until dry ingredients are moist. Using two soup spoons, form ball of cookie dough in bowl and place onto oiled cookie sheet and pack tightly to shape cookie. Bake in a 350 degree oven 12-15 minutes. The number of eggs depends upon amount of added ingredients, such as raisins, nuts, chips, etc. I usually make a triple batch as these cookies are habit forming.

OATMEAL COCONUT CRISPIES #2

• 6 C quick oats
• 1 ½ C brown sugar
• 1 ½ t. salt
• 2 ¼ C coconut
• 1 ½ C chopped nuts (generally almonds)
• 1 ½ C chocolate chips (opt)
• 1 ½ C Smart Balance oil
• 1 T vanilla
• 2 t. almond flavor
• 5 egg whites

Place dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Make a well in the middle of the mixture. Stir oil and flavorings together and pour into the well. Add egg whites and mix until dry ingredients are moist. Using two soup spoons, form ball of cookie dough in bowl, place onto un-oiled cookie sheet, flatten and pack around edges to shape cookie. Bake in a 350 degree oven 12-15 minutes. Cool cookies in pan for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack. Push cookies back together if they break apart when taking them from the cookie sheet. They usually set okay. Variations: Try using other foods you might find in granola. Raisins tend to burn. Yield: about 50 medium cookies.

Sometimes, it's really hard to think of dinner. Sometimes, it's even harder to think of an entire week's worth of dinners! This is what happened yesterday. I had a lot going on. We had salad for lunch and leftovers and peanut butter and honey for dinner. (Hey, it's what the baby wanted!) However, today my mind got back on track surprisingly quickly as it all came to me while I was at work, and I actually have a meal plan for the week that isn't 100% salad and ice cream.

Dinner Menu for October 12

• Tonight we had the butternut squash pasta bake/lasagna that I took from last year's post and tweaked. I'll have an alternate recipe up as soon as Paul edits the pictures. There's still enough left for another night.
• Butternut squash soup--again trying to perfect a recipe, but suddenly we're in record highs of 90's! May have to come up with an alternative.
• Dilled roasted potatoes and green beans maybe cornbread, too. (High in iron.)
• Salad (just in case the baby rabbit doesn't want anything else as has happened of late.)
• Burritos

We have some great-looking fruit that my be a night's meal with peanut butter and honey toast or cereal or maybe just for desert.

Although you can get a wheat pasta for cheaper sometimes, I purchased a box for $1 when it was on sale and thought it was a good idea to try it since we do like pasta a lot. Our first use was with a basic spaghetti sauce. I like to always make a basic spaghetti sauce when I am tasting a new pasta product. Our spaghetti sauce doesn't change much since I fell in love with Muir Glen brand of tomatoes. This allows me to focus on just the pasta and not on evaluating the entire dish. The second night, I used the leftover pasta and leftover fresh veggies from the shower I hosted to make a pasta primavera.

Our final decision is that whole wheat pasta tastes very robust (although the pictures look just like regular pasta). It doesn't work well for a delicate pasta sauce, but is more appropriate with hearty veggies. Still, it wasn't a favorite. We are content eating enriched semolina flour pasta instead.