Family Bites

The Family Road Trip (and our favourite sandwich recipe)

 

The Griswolds we're not, but we do love us a good road trip.

We began road tripping when the boys were quite young (2.5 and 4 yrs).  Our first trip took us eight hours away and since then we've done yearly getaways taking us six to twenty-six hours on the road.  While I wouldn't consider myself a road-tripping expert, I do think we've mastered a few tricks I'd love to pass along.

Essentially a good road trip comes down to three things - The Forethought, The Fun and The Food.  Oh my, how important is the food!  We've learned, the hard way, that it is almost essential to have good food on a road trip.  But first things first.

The Forethought 

Or in other words, the planning.  The organization of a road trip is essential to a positive experience. Detailed maps and directions, designated pit-stops, plenty of gas, necessary papers (passports) in an easy to locate spot.  Predetermined time of departure and estimated time for arrival are also important aspects to plans.  Lots of forethought equals lots of fun.

The Fun

Crucial to a good road trip, is lots of fun.  When the boys were little I would pack "bins of fun" for our trips. Small baskets filled with an assortment of entertainment would be placed between them.  The bins were meant to last two hours and I would pack as many as were needed for the duration of the trip (eight hours on the road = four bins).  We would stop every two hours for a leg-stretch, trip to the washroom and a bin swap. Each bin would contain one small surprise (something new I purchased or borrowed for the trip), and the anticipation of the swap was almost as fun as the packages themselves.

We don't do movies in the car unless we're travelling for more than three hours at a time.  If that's the case we pack some favourite movies and individual DVD players for the road.  Often I will add in a new movie (bought or borrowed) and that guarantees almost two hours of quiet.  Lastly, we make a family music CD. Each person chooses five songs and I make a compilation of the tunes for the road.

The Food

For us, the most important part of the road trip.  Hard experience has taught us that nothing good can be found on the road somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Too often we've been forced to face the villains of the vending machine and as such we rarely travel without a nice supply of good food.  

Fruit and veggies are always a must-have but they can get a little boring after a while.  Muffins, pretzels, sandwiches, drinks, granola bars, cheese and crackers, breads and meats are just a few of the options we now include.  

Ben and I are road-tripping from Toronto to New York City today and here is what we're packing:

Lemon-Poppyseed Muffins

Yogurt

Chocolate covered strawberries 

Grapes

Assorted sandwiches

Carrots, celery, cucumber and hummus

Granola bars

Cheese and chocolate

I expect we'll be on the open road for eight hours, over both breakfast and lunch, so we'll be well supplied of good, REAL food.

Have a good week friends...I'll be back next Monday.  But tell me, are you a road-tripping family?  What are your secrets to success?

Avocado, Bacon and Goat Cheese Sandwich

• 1 baguette
• 1 avocado
• 1 tbsp mayo
• salt and pepper, to taste
• lettuce
• tomato
• 10 slices of bacon, cooked
• goat cheese

Scoop out the insides of the avocado into a bowl and mash with the back of a fork.  Add the mayo and salt and pepper (to your taste) and mash together to create a smooth spread.

Slice open the baguette, lengthwise.  Spread one side of the sandwich with goat cheese and the other side with the avocado mash.

Layer the lettuce, bacon and tomato on one side of the bread.  Close it up and and slice into four sandwiches. 

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

 

How did I not read this book until now?  I've certainly heard of it and observed the large display in my local bookstore , yet, somehow it escaped me, despite being a fan of Barbara Kingsolver's other novels. Until now that is.   And let me tell ya...it was so worth the wait. 

I'm only halfway through the adventure, but I'm completely and utterly enthralled with this tale of a family uprooting their lives in Arizona and re-locating to Virginia in search of the locavore lifestyle.  Foodies will delight and devour this book, and foodies with a family should consider this an essential read for sure.

Next to food, books are my main source of entertainment.  So when I read something that marries my two loves, I'm delighted.  Do you have any foodie favourites?  Please leave your recommendations and I'll compile a list for another post.  Wouldn't it be great to have an online foodie book club?  Now, that would be fun.

Thirst Quenchers!

 

Today I offer you a drink recipe.  Something I've been working on for these active boys of mine.  Always in need of a thirst quencher, but periodically bored of plain water, Ben loves to grab a Gatorade.  We don't keep them on hand at home, but almost every arena and sports facility he visits sells this energy drink, so he isn't often without.  

Like most packaged or pre-made goods, I have a few issues with some of the ingredients.  So I made my own. Close in taste but a healthier option, our homemade gatorade has been the requested drink of late.  I'm pleased as punch that's it's been a success and the kids are pleased with the variety of options we now have at home.

 

Lavender lemonade and Lady Grey iced tea are now in the works as well.  Warm weather, we're ready for you!

What are you drinking up these days?

Homemade "Gatorade"

• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 6 cups cold water
• 2 cups orange juice
• 1/2 cup agave
• 2 lemons, juiced

~ Combine the salt and warm water and stir until the salt has dissolved.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.  Chill in the fridge and serve cold.

Saturday Mornings with English Muffins

 
I adore Saturday mornings.  When I was a child those precious hours of weekend time were spent lazily in front of weekend cartoons, noshing on that week's must-have breakfast cereal.  Thankfully our weekends are a little tastier and more productive these days.

Spring Saturday mornings are the best, as far as I'm concerned.  We stuff ourselves silly with homemade goodness and then head out to a farmer's market, garage sale or antique market, or a combination of all three. We add in a bike ride or a trip to a park, some good coffee and tea and everyone is happy.  But the part we all look forward to the most is the breakfast.

I know some cultures prefer the idea of a long and loungy brekkie on Sundays, but for me it's a Saturday thing. I love to bake or cook up something bright and early and devour everything slowly.  A small reward for making it through the rushy weekday mornings.

Today we're indulging in homemade English muffins.  Easily created on the stovetop, I did some research and discovered they can also be baked.  I had no idea though, for I thought it was only possibly to create these with a cast iron skillet.  I prefer the original method.  The resulting golden crust that envelopes the bread is brilliant and really only achievable with a skillet.

What's tasty about your weekend mornings?

Honey Whole-Wheat English Muffins, adapted from Country Living

• 1/2 cup warm water
  
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  
• 1 tablespoon honey
  
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
  
• 1 tablespoon salt
  
• 3/4 cups buttermilk (warmed)
  
• 2 teaspoons cornmeal
  

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.  Combine the water, yeast and honey and let stand until bubbly - about 5 minutes.  

Combine the flours and salt and spread evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Warm in the oven for 5 minutes.

Place the flour mixture and the yeast mixture in the bowl of an electric mixer and combine.  With the motor running, slowly pour in the buttermilk and mix until the dough is smooth.  If needed, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the dough comes together and is supple.

Place the dough in a large, oiled bowl, turning to coat all sides.  Cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let rise for 1 hour.

Punch down the dough, knead it on the counter for 3-5 minutes, cover with a damp towel and allow to rise for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle a baking sheet with the cornmeal and set aside.  Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape into round patties.  Place on prepared baking sheet and coat both sides lightly with the cornmeal.  Allow to rise for an additional 30 minutes.

Lightly coat a cast-iron skillet with oil and heat over low heat.  Place 4 muffins in the skillet and cook until the bottoms are golden brown.  This will take 15-20 minutes per side.  Repeat with the remaining muffins.

Serve toasted with butter or your favourite breakfast condiment.

Peas Please

 

Happy Earth Day!  In the spirit of "eating green" I took to the kitchen yesterday and made my family an emerald-hued pea soup.

Pea eaters typically group into one of two camps: those who like and those who loathe.  I happen to fall into the former, and I eagerly look forward to spring and the abundance of pea recipes that come my way. 

Around these parts, fresh peas don't appear in the garden or the markets until June or July,  but I always keep a bag of frozen peas tucked away in my freezer for frequent use through the spring months.  They are economical and good for you and easily transformed into something more than a buttered spherical seed used to accompany a piece of protein.  

Peas seem as though they were almost designed with kids in mind.  Easily pureed for baby meals, bite-sized enough for toddler fingers and mild tasting for the pickiest of palates there are more than enough ways to incorporate peas into your family meals.  For those who would rather roll their peas into a napkin then into their mouth, there are also plenty of tasty pea puree options sure to please.

Tell me, which camp do you fall into?  

Pea Soup with Thyme

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 leek, cleaned and roughly chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 celery stalks, trimmed and diced
• 1 baking potato, not peeled and diced
• 4 cups frozen peas
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1.5 cups heavy cream
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot set over medium-high heat.  Add the leek, carrot, celery and potato. Season lightly with salt and pepper and cook until the leek and celery are softened but not browned.

Add the peas, thyme and chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes.

Remove the thyme and, using an immersion blender, puree the soup until completely smooth.  Add the cream and heat thoroughly.  Season with salt and pepper if desired and serve warm.

Turning Ten

  

Ben is ten today.  Ten!  Hooray for double digits!  This birthday means I have been parenting for an entire decade, and while I quite can't believe it's been ten years, when I say the number out loud it does seem like a long time.  A wonderfully long time.

(Ben on the left, Jackson on the right - 2003) 

Ben was born when I was twenty-four.  When I say it now it seems so young, but at the time it felt so right and I wouldn't change it for anything.  He was born on a Thursday, sixteen days after his due date, weighing in at almost ten pounds.  He was easy, sweet and so fun to be around.  I'm happy to say not much has changed.  

We're celebrating in a small way today with a few friends, driveway hockey, pizza and a homemade football birthday cake. Next week Ben and I are hitting the open road for a mama-son road trip.  We're off to New York City for a few days of one-on-one time to mark this milestone birthday.  I will do the same with his brother when he turns ten.

 

Happy Birthday, Ben.  I can't wait to see how you grow over the next ten years and I'm certain I will be just as proud of you then as I am today.

Meal Planning Monday and a Query

                                       
   

Yesterday morning we sat down, en masse, to discuss our meal plan for the week.  I thought it might be fun to include the boys in the process and I requested that they each plan our week's worth of food, as they would like to be fed.  Their versions of our meal plan are below, but I assure you we aren't eating quite as they suggested (pasta with corn and roasted carrots?).  But, being a democratic family and all, I did take some of their requests into consideration. 

We have this weird week going on, in which all of us are out of the house at one point or another on almost every evening, so we're eating light and easy.  The pea soup was overlooked last week in order to use up some forlorn-looking kale, so it's back on the plan this week.

In addition to meal planning, I've also been thinking a lot about produce bags, and more specifically re-usable produce bags.  Do you use them?  If so, which ones did you buy?  Or can they be made?  I'm thinking they can be, but I'm not quite sure how.  I'm tired of all the plastic ones that come home with the groceries and despite the possibilities for reusing them, I would just prefer not to have them at all.  Please share any thoughts you have on this.  

What are you cooking up this week?

Monday - Avocado, bacon and goat cheese sandwiches (we're all out and on the road so these are to-go)

Tuesday - Pizza Party (Ben's 10th Birthday!)

Wednesday - Minted pea soup with garlic toasts

Thursday - Balsamic and Dijon Salmon with roast potatoes and green beans

Friday - Pasta with veggies and leftover salmon

Jackson's (Age 8) Meal Plan

Monday - Chicken, rice and green beans

Tuesday - Mac and Cheese with peas

Wednesday - (consults his Star Wars cookbook for this day) Hamburgers

Thursday - Grilled cheese with bacon strips

Friday - Homemade pizza with potatoes (multicoloured), sausage, pepperoni and bacon

Ben's (Age 9) Meal Plan

Monday - Roast chicken with peas and baked potato

Tuesday - Rice with corn on the cob

Wednesday - Fish (no sides - just fish)

Thursday - Pasta with corn and roasted carrots

Friday - Homemade Pizza with bacon and potatoes

Bread Love

If I could only bake one thing for the rest of my life it would, unequivocally, be bread.  I realize that's a bold statement to make, but I'm confident it's the absolute truth.  

I love bread and the many creations that can come from this leavened (or unleavened) goodness and I enjoy that despite differences in race, religion and culture we all enjoy and appreciate the role bread has played in our history and in our day to day life.  In fact, I love the idea of bread so much that I even take pictures of it when we travel.

(Paris, '08) 

(Paris, '08)

Since December 2008 I have been making most of our bread.  Not all, but most.  It started with the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day phenomenon and has now advanced to Jim Lahey's No-Knead Bread recipe. With nothing more than flour, water, salt and a tiny (and I mean tiny) bit of yeast, a hot oven and a pot, this golden, crispy bread is ours a few times a week.  This is my staple recipe and while I do make other loaves, and try other recipes, I find myself coming back to this one over and over.

I'm now venturing into other breads, mostly artisanal, and I look forward to sharing them here.  But for now I will leave you the link to the recipe for the bread you see above.  I did not change one single thing and it was absolutely perfect. And easy-peasy.  Enjoy!

Recipe here

Red Pepper and Leek Pasta with Peas and Feta

Are you busy?  Silly question, I know, because I'm sure are you.  That's okay though, because I'm going to help you.  See, this dinner only takes fifteen minutes to make so it's perfect for us busy folk.  And it's tasty. Really tasty.  See, we've been having so much fun doing things like this.....

 

:learning to skateboard

: learning to rollerblade 

...that we haven't had much time indoors.  Less time indoors mean less time to cook and when we arrive home from all of this good outdoor fun, the boys (all three of them!) are hungry and looking for food.  

I can't even really offer a recipe for this because it's so easy and adaptable.  Simply bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta (you can see here I didn't have enough rotini or farfale so I used both!).  While the water is coming to a boil and the pasta is cooking, dice some red pepper and a few garlic cloves.  Clean and chop up two leeks and throw all the veggies into a saucepan with some oil (I used olive).  Add salt and pepper and stir around in the pan.  When the veggies are cooked and softened throw in a few cups of frozen peas.  Cook a little longer.  Drain the pasta, add to the pan with the veg and stir together.  Toss in a cup or so of feta cubes and some fresh or dried oregano.  Done and delicious.

I need a few more fifteen minute meals in my repertoire.  What are your favourite creations for those really busy nights?

Dirt Dessert

Did you know that April 22nd is Earth Day?  I'm sure you did, but in preparation for the day, which is celebrated quite heavily at my boys' school I might add, we've made dirt dessert.

I have to admit I was quite surprised to learn that this year is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day - were you aware?  It began in 1970 by a U.S. Senator who thought it would be a good idea to have an education forum on environmentalism.  How forward-thinking was he?  I'm happy it's stuck around and that my kids are celebrating the day, because I can say with certainty that when I was in Grade 2 I was not so well informed. 

 

And, of course, every celebration needs a bit of food, right?  If your kids or school plan on having a little Earth Day party, these could be just the treats for the occasion. Nothing more than three ingredients required and the pots can be customized with worms for boys and flowers for girls and using the terracotta is also an eco-friendly way to serve it up.  Hurray for springy sweets!

PS - I think these would make a great alternative to a traditional cake for a spring or summer birthday party, don't you?

Dirt Dessert

• Small terracotta plant pots, washed well with soap and hot water
• Ice cream, any flavour
• Oreo cookies crumbs
• Gummy worms

After washing and drying your plant pot well, fill to the top with the ice cream of your choice.  Cover the ice cream with Oreo cookies crumbs and stuff with gummy worms.