thought of the day

There are not many things cuter than your toddler trying (and succeeding) to teach your baby how to blow a whistle.  Until you realize that now you have two kids making very loud shrill noises....

pinto bean soup

As Jeff says, "It's like if a burrito was soup, or maybe it is like drinking a burrito.  Wait, but it tastes way better than that sounds..."

I'll get back to the soup in a minute.  Making soup started with us taking a nice family walk first.  We live just a few blocks from a park, so we see turkeys often enough, but usually they get nervous and run away if we get too close.  Not these turkeys!  We saw two of them close enough that I had to warn Liam not to try and pet them.

Jeff had to give Liam some leverage to see some turkeys across the road.  Ever find that you need to bribe your kids with snacks to take a walk with you?  Mine love waffles.

I always bring my camera for walks in case the boys do something cute, but this time I took more pictures of the sky than anything else.  The colors were just beautiful.  I don't think of myself as a very good photographer, and I didn't even have to edit these to get the lighting and colors.

I guess it was just the perfect time of day for photos.  I love photos of clouds.  Especially clouds with depths and several colors.

I honestly can't even pick a favorite scenery photo because I love them all.

I love when we see deer on our walks.  There were several deer here, but they were extra skittish because they had two babies with them, so this was the only shot I could get of them.

I call this the "I'm in a good mood but I still don't understand why you're taking my picture" face.

As long as this kiddo has his snuggle blanket with him to chew on he will stay in his stroller forever.  Unless you stop walking for a moment, then he will try to climb out over the side and crawl away.  Because he's a monkey.

Insert obligatory couple photo here...  Oh yeah, back to the soup.  It was a perfect evening, room temperature with a slight breeze.  But the air was still crisp like Fall.  I wanted to make something quick and easy for dinner that would also be healthy and make me happy (not all healthy and quick foods make me happy.  Like kale.  Gross...).

Pinto bean soup is great because it doesn't take all day, the ingredients are few and are basic pantry staples, and they are also healthy.  And cheap!  Even better.

Start out by chopping up a yellow onion and sauteing it with some olive oil and a big pinch of salt.  Stir it around over medium low heat until fragrant.

Add vegetable broth and pinto beans.  Stir around to incorporate and put the lid on.  Leave the soup alone for about 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes the beans should be very soft.  Use a potato masher to smash them a bit.  I like my soups very thick so I added a can of vegetarian refried beans.  At this point I also added the seasonings (black pepper, garlic, chili powder, and cumin).

Adjust the seasonings to taste, and take the soup off the heat when it reaches a consistency you like.

This soup is thick and hearty but still have large pieces of onion and pinto beans floating in it.  If you want a smooth soup just use an immersion blender at this point.

You can eat the soup plain, or dip things into it.  I almost made some polenta fries to dip into the soup, but then I forgot.  Yeah, I'm honest.

Jeff liked his with sharp cheddar and tortilla chips dipped in.

The soup tastes great alone, but there are so many ways to dress it up.  I can't wait to try some new add-ins next time I make this!

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pinto bean soup

by Liesl September-27-2014

like eating a liquid burrito (but better)

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 60 oz. pinto beans, cooked and drained
• 30 oz. vegetable broth
• 1 tsp garlic
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp refried beans

Instructions

1. Chop up a yellow onion and saute it in olive oil and salt on medium-low heat until fragrant and soft. 
2. Add the vegetable broth and pinto beans. Stir briefly and put the lid on the pot. Turn the heat up to medium and set a timer for 30 minutes.
3. When the timer goes off add the pepper, garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Then stir in a can of refried beans. Stir to get out any large chunks. Taste and check that seasonings are to your liking. When the soup is hot all the way through take off the heat and serve. Top with cheddar cheese and tortilla chips.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins 
Cook time: 40 mins 
Total time: 45 mins 

Yield: 4-6 servings

double chocolate coconut zucchini cookies

I love this recipe!  I adapted it from a recipe on Shape magazine's site, so between it that and the zucchini, oats, and whole wheat flour I generally feel okay lying to myself and saying they are healthy cookies.  Well, they are healthy for a cookie, but a cookie is still a rather sugary treat.  So what I'm saying is that I don't feel guilty at all eating two of these in a sitting and as I don't plan on doing that every single day its okay.  I love "logic" that allows me to do things like eat cookies guilt free, or buy a cute pair of shoes...

Mix together the ingredients, minus the zucchini, oats, and coconut flakes.  Then gently mix in the last three ingredients.  Use a packed cookie scoop to transfer the cookie dough onto parchment lined baking sheets.  The cookies must be tightly packed to insure the dough stays together.  These cookies are soft and might fall apart otherwise.

I always make sure to place my cookies (no matter the recipe) at least 2-3 inches apart.  Better safe than sorry.  No one wants cookies that are all stuck together.

Yum.  Fresh out of the oven.  This cookie holds its shape pretty well, but is soft.  LET IT SIT UNDISTURBED UNTIL IT HAS COMPLETELY COOLED.  Otherwise it might very well fall apart.

Doesn't that look delicious?  And if you want to serve them to people who might cringe at the thought of eating a "healthy" cookie, they honestly won't be able to tell.  The faint bits of oats and zucchini barely visible here are hard to see without bright direct light.  Just remember to tell yourself not to feel guilty eating these.

The longest these have lasted in our house is a week, and only because I made a double batch!  Store them in an airtight container in a dry cool place.

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double chocolate coconut zucchini cookies

by Liesl September-21-2014

let's pretend they are healthy, shall we?

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, room temperature
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 egg whites
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups zucchini, shredded
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, coconut oil, sugars, cocoa powder, egg whites, and vanilla until smooth. Add in the zucchini, oats, and coconut flakes until barely incorporated.
2. Use a cookie scoop to drop packed scoopfuls of cookie batter onto lined baking sheets. Leave at least 2-3" between cookies. Bake for 15-18 minutes until the cookies look just set. Be careful not to overbake. Leave the cookies cool completely before moving as they are very soft.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 15 mins 
Total time: 30 mins 

Yield: 2 dozen

homemade fruit leather

I was trying to use up all our fruit before we went on vacation last week.  I was also trying to think of treats for my snack loving Liam to eat in the car that wouldn't be messy.  The result?  Homemade fruit leather!  I had a bit of puree left over and was able to make some squeezy fruit too.  Bonus!

I used pears, pluots, and apples for this recipe.  I love the light sweetness of these fruits combined.  If you don't have these, don't worry, you can easily substitute other fruits.  Just be aware that you should taste your combo at least once during the process because you might need to adjust the lemon juice amount or add a bit of sweetener.

If you saw the word "pluot" and thought it was a typing error, that's okay.  So does my computer's spell-check.  I just learned about them fairly recently.  A pluot is a combination of a plum and an apricot (obvious once you know, right?)  They are very juicy and sweet with a golden interior.

Peel all your fruit and chop it up.  Size doesn't matter much, as long as the pieces are similarly sized.  Smaller chunks will cook faster.  Add the lemon juice and sugar and cook over medium-low heat for just a few minutes until fragrant.

Add the water and turn the heat up to medium.  Cook until the fruit is very soft and has begun to break down and the mixture has thickened.

Make sure to stir often to prevent sticking or burning.  Add in the cinnamon if wanted.

When the fruit has begun to darken and has mostly broken down it is time to take it off the heat.

I prefer to let the fruit cool down for a few minutes in the pot so it is easier to work with.  Then pour it in a blender and puree.

The fruit should be thick like a smoothie and soft as velvet.  Make sure to taste it at this point because from this point you can't add anything.

Prep a large lipped baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper.  Spread the fruit slowly onto the paper.  Don't dump it all out at once because it might be too much.  Spread the fruit out as you pour it.  The layer should be even and just thick enough to not see the paper underneath.

Make sure you get it as even and smooth as possible.  Place the pan into the center rack of your oven with the temperature set at 250 degrees F.  If your oven doesn't want to go this low try setting your oven to "warm".  The fruit leather should be ready in about 2 hours, but keep a close eye on it because not all ovens cook the same.  Check for burning several times, and turn the pan halfway through.

I had leftover fruit and wanted to make some squeezy fruit.  If you only want to make fruit leather you can either make 2 pans worth or lessen the fruit by a third.

I ended up with four pouches of fruit.  The boys sucked the, down so fast!  These never last very long at our house!

Between my oven acting up and terrible lighting (sorry) in this picture some of my fruit leather looks a bit dark.  It should darken a little bit.  Don't worry.  You know yours is down when it is solid and bendable.

Take the fruit leather (still on the parchment paper) off the baking sheet.  Use a pizza cutter or a knife to cut down longways on the parchment paper about 2 inches apart.  Roll the strips up and tie them up.  Store them in a airtight container in a dry cool place.  They will last for several months.

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homemade fruit leather

by Liesl September-20-2014

this recipe can easily be changed if you want to use different fruit every time.

Ingredients

• 4 pears, peeled
• 4 pluots, peeled
• 2 fuji or gala apples, peeled
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

1. Peel and rough chop the fruit evenly and place in a large pot with the sugar and lemon juice. Cook on medium-low for several minutes until fragrant. Add the water and turn the heat up to medium. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking, and to help break up the fruit. Mix in the cinnamon.  When the fruit has mostly broken up and thickened take the pot off the heat and allow to cool a bit.
2. Pour the fruit mixture into a blender and puree until smooth and velvety. Until you make two pans or also make some squeezy fruit, you will have leftover puree.
3. Pour the fruit mix onto a large lipped baking pan prepped with parchment paper. Pour the fruit evenly until just thick enough to the parchment paper cannot be seen and smooth. Bake at 250 degrees F (or on "warm" if you oven doesn't go that low) for about 2 hours, turning the pan halfway through. Be sure to check on the pan several times to make sure it isn't burning. The fruit leather is done when it is solid and bendy. The color will darken a bit.
4. allow the fruit leather to cool, then cut longways with a pizza cutter or a knife every 2 inches. Roll the fruit leather (still attached to the parchment paper) up and tie with kitchen string. Store in a airtight container in a cool dry place. Lasts for several months.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins 
Cook time: 2 hour 30 mins 
Total time: 2 hour 40 mins 

Yield: 8 rolls and 4 squeezy fruit pouches