Fiona wanted hearts on her cupcakes…
May 7, 2012 Food, Posted From My Phone
I might have gone overboard. But I think she’ll like them, and so will her classmates.
This is so easy to do, by the way. I piped melted dipping chocolate onto waxed paper, let it dry for about twenty minutes, then carefully peeled the hearts off and stuck them into the frosting.
I’ve even piped cursive words to place on cakes. As long as you’re very careful when peeling them from the paper, they’ll hold their shape. Plus, you can keep trying on the waxed paper until you get it right, instead of messing up your cake trying to draw with frosting.
So cute, so simple, so many different shape possibilities!
Originally posted on Selfish Mom, from Amy’s cell phone (so please excuse any weird formatting). All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 0. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
How to peel an avocado
Sep 16, 2011 Food
So who else knew that today was National Guacamole Day? I didn’t! Avocados from Mexico sent me some avocados as part of their avocados for breakfast campaign, so I was poking around a bit online and discovered that today is, indeed, set aside for lovers of guacamole.
I’ve been a huge fan of avocados every since I first tried guacamole. I didn’t try it, though, until I was 25! Think of all the years of guacamole I missed out on, just because I thought it looked gross. I’m having the same problem with Jake.
Tomorrow morning I’m going to try to coax him into trying a little before Tae Kwon Do. I do not expect to be successful. But I’ll keep trying. In the meantime, Fiona has promised to eat some guacamole with me.
So, in honor of making guacamole, here’s the method I use to peel avocados.
Oh, and yes, that is my cat meowing and sneezing in the background. Worse than a kid, I tell you.
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 1. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
Zucchini pancakes: quick & easy heaven on a plate
Aug 25, 2011 Food
I’m a huge fan of vegetables, but often lazy about making them. Vegetable preparation can be tedious and sometimes I’ll bypass perfectly good fresh vegetables in favor of some frozen ones, just to be lazy. So I’m always on the lookout for vegetable recipes that don’t involve a lot of chopping and care.
This recipe is great because the proportions don’t have to be exact and nothing has to look good. Plus, since you’re peeling the zucchini, it’s a great way to use up zucchini that’s a little past its prime. I quickly hand grate the zucchini, onion and cheese, but if you have a food processor that shreds this will be even quicker for you.
I developed this zucchini pancake recipe after trying about half a dozen online recipes, and taking what I wanted from each one. I was looking for something with the consistency of a regular pancake, that didn’t involve much oil and didn’t taste at all greasy. And if you use these awesome pans from GreenPan you can even skip the oil altogether.
As a bonus, I can keep the batter in the fridge for about a day and dip into it whenever I feel like a snack. Or, sometimes I cook the whole batch up at once and microwave the leftovers.
I happen to like my food oniony and cheesy. You can always lower the onion and Parmesan content if you like – just not if you’re making them for me. :-)
Zucchini Pancakes
Ingredients
2 c. peeled and grated zucchini (about 2 large)
1 c. Bisquick or Jiffy mix
2 eggs or 1/2 cup egg substitute
1/4 c. grated onion
1/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat griddle or pan to 350 degrees (med-hi heat). Carefully spread just enough oil to keep pancakes from sticking.
Mix all ingredients well. Batter should be on the thin side.
Spoon onto griddle and spread out to make very thin pancakes.
Cook on both sides until medium brown.
Keep warm on plate in 200 degree oven.
Serve with applesauce, sour cream, or tzatziki sauce.
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 1. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
Tags: cooking
My mom is awesome
Mar 4, 2011 Food, Posted From My Phone
Reason 749 that my mom is awesome? She read about my quest to make Thin Mint cookies and sent me some!
Reasons 1-748 are populated with things like she watches my kids whenever I visit her, gives me casino money even though she thinks I’m crazy for wasting money on blackjack, and has bought my kids pretty much every pair of shoes they’ve ever worn.
But tonight, it’s all about the Thin Mints. :-)
Originally posted on SelfishMom.com, from Amy’s cell phone (so please excuse any weird formatting). All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 0. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information. Amy also blogs at Filming In Brooklyn, Behind the Screen, and Momtourage, and podcasts with The Blogging Angels.
Tags: my mom, Thin Mints
Today’s lunch: quick & easy bean taco pizza
Mar 2, 2011 Food, Posted From My Phone
Today’s lunch was so easy and tasty I had to write about it. It’s what I call Taco Pizza, and it’s so quick to throw together I hesitate to call it a recipe. And you can adapt it to whatever taco ingredients you have lying around.
Start with a pizza crust (I always keep some in the freezer), pita or flatbread. Take a few spoonfuls of canned black beans (drained) and mash them with a fork. Spread them on the crust.
Drizzle on some Hidden Valley Light Ranch dressing. Add chopped tomatoes and shredded cheese (I use a taco blend).
Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees (less for a thin crust or a pita).
Crush a few tortilla chips and sprinkle on top.
Enjoy!
Originally posted on SelfishMom.com, from Amy’s cell phone (so please excuse any weird formatting). All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 8. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information. Amy also blogs at Filming In Brooklyn, Behind the Screen, and Momtourage, and podcasts with The Blogging Angels.
Tags: recipe
Lunch with Angie Harmon – and more veggies!
Feb 17, 2011 Food, Posted From My Phone
To wind up this two-day kick-off of the Hidden Valley Ranch Love Your Veggies Mom Panel, we just finished a nice lunch at 5/9th with Priscilla Tuan from Hidden Valley, and Angie Harmon (picture 1), and a bunch of magazine editors. Fiona impressed everyone with her drawing of one of the veggie trays set out for us (picture 2). Of course, she wouldn’t let anyone eat anything off of it until she was done. And since she’s blond and cute, people obeyed.
For the second day in a row, all of the children behaved wonderfully (pictures 3 & 4). I’m not sure how that happened. Must have been all the veggies.
I’m really excited for the next few months. I can’t wait until it’s warm enough to get my backyard container garden going again!
Please note that the mom panelist positions are paid and Amy is under contract with Hidden Valley.
Originally posted on SelfishMom.com, from Amy’s cell phone (so please excuse any weird formatting). All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 14. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information. Amy also blogs at Filming In Brooklyn, Behind the Screen, and Momtourage, and podcasts with The Blogging Angels.
Tags: Angie Harmon, Love Your Veggies
Loving my veggies!
Feb 16, 2011 Food, Posted From My Phone
I’m so excited to finally announce that I’m a Hidden Valley Ranch Mom Panel member for their Love Your Veggies program! I’m at the kick-off event right now with the other panelists, waiting for our celebrity spokesmom, Angie Harmon.
We all started off the morning with breakfast and meeting each other (picture 1) at the W Hotel. Then it was off to the kick-off event, where Fiona immediately found the tallest chair (picture 2), and I watched the chefs getting ready for the cooking demo (picture 3).
I’m so thrilled that my friend Jennifer Perillo is here (picture 4)! And I can’t wait to try the new (to me anyway) veggies they’ve got for us: romanesco broccoli, watermelon radish, rainbow carrots, and confetti cauliflower. With ranch, of course (picture 5)!
Please note that the mom panelist positions are paid and Amy is under contract with Hidden Valley.
Originally posted on SelfishMom.com, from Amy’s cell phone (so please excuse any weird formatting). All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 14. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information. Amy also blogs at Filming In Brooklyn, Behind the Screen, and Momtourage, and podcasts with The Blogging Angels.
Tags: Angie Harmon, Love Your Veggies
healthy butternut squash with chickpeas and couscous
Feb 1, 2011 Food
Tonight I made something for dinner that was so tasty I’m tempted to just leave it out on the counter and eat it for breakfast in the morning (wouldn’t be the first time). The original recipe for Butternut Squash Couscous appears here, but I made a bunch of changes. I took out some things that I didn’t like and some things that I didn’t have, and messed with the ratios for what was left.
It turned out so well that my husband told me not to change a thing – that’s never happened before for my first try at a recipe!
This recipe has great amounts of fiber, protein, and vitamins A and C. If you want to lower the already low calories even more, use less couscous – it will still be delicious.
Butternut Squash with Chickpeas and Couscous
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes, not drained
1 butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoons salt
15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 box Near East Parmesan Couscous (or whatever kind of couscous you prefer, enough for 4 servings)
DIRECTIONS
In a large pot, heat the oil over very low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, cayenne, nutmeg, and cinnamon and cook, stirring, about 1 minute longer.
Stir in the tomatoes (with the juice), squash, water, and salt and bring to a simmer.
Stir in the chickpeas and cook, covered, for 10 minutes.
Uncover and simmer 10-20 minutes more, until squash is tender most of the water has cooked off (moist enough to flavor the couscous, but not soupy).
Meanwhile, make the couscous according to the box directions, except leave out the olive oil (you won’t miss it). Serve squash mixture over couscous.
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information. Amy also blogs at Filming In Brooklyn, Behind the Screen, Momtourage, and podcasts with The Blogging Angels.
Tags: butternut squash, Recipes
