Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred Seventy-Nine (Let Good Prevail Over Evil)

Tell me it is not so.  I like to believe you don’t exist, that you are not so lost and disconnected from the beauty of life.  Please tell me that your choice is not to destroy it. 

But, you show me otherwise.

You rattle my psyche.  You unnerve my children.  You bring terror in a backpack.  I like to think you do not exist.

But you are there.

And, you rattle, unnerve, terrorize, and destroy.

But we are here.   And, we calm, comfort, protect, and create.

You almost silenced me.  But, I won’t let you.  If I am silent, you have won. I am here to tell a story – simple as it is, of family, love, and food; of good over evil.  

There are stories of hope, of sharing, of simplicity wedged in between the tragedies.

And one day, a simple meal was created with love, by cousins lost and found.  Strangers the day before, now forever entwined by blood.  They worked together to recreate the flavors of those who preceded them.  And the spirits of their common great granddads and great grandmoms danced in the crowded kitchen whispering secrets from 100 years past when they landed in the same City in search of a better life.

10, 10s have passed, and those great grandchildren have unknowingly returned to the same place to hear the stories, smell the scents, and taste the flavors that were brought here just for this moment.

And locked in time, cloistered from the noises from without, the stories unwind from within…..

“Kristen, did you know your granddad, my uncle, was a war hero, with his picture in Life Magazine?”

“And that your grandma, my aunt, was perhaps one of the best cooks on the planet?”

“Olivia and Spence, did you know your granddad, my dad, worked on airplanes during WWII…?”

“And that your grandma and granddad, my parents, had a big pool, where people paid to swim, and all the relatives visited, and laughed, and danced, and ate?”

“And all of you, did you know that your great great granddad was a slave to a sultan somewhere in the Middle East?  He was told he could win his freedom if he fought and killed a bear with his bare hands.   Do you think he won?”

“Are you here today because of the bear?”

“And, kids, please just keep chopping the onions, squeezing the lemons, and measuring the olive oil.”

We made quite a feast that night.  Enough to serve multiple generations.   We made fitayers with ground beef, fitayers with spinach, red-pepper pies, and tabouli (with quinoa – not something our ancestors would have recognized, but something we believe they would have appreciated.)

And here we share one of those recipes, Tabouli with Quinoa, that combines tastes and cultures from across the globe that weave in and out of generations.  Here is to good eating, and good people.

Recipe for Tabouli (with quinoa rather than cracked wheat)

2 bunches of fresh curly parsley – rinsed, destemmed, finely chopped

1 small bunch fresh spearmint – rinsed, destemmed, finely chopped

1 onion or 3/4 scallions finely chopped

2-3 red plump tasty tomatoes finely chopped

2 fresh lemons squeezed

1/4 extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 to 1 cup quinoa cooked and drained according to instructions (let cool)

Toss the parsley, spearmint, onions, and tomatoes together.  Add lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Toss.  Add cooled quinoa

ENJOY your favorite dishes, BROUGHT to you by your great grandparents, MADE by your parents (and first cousin once removed).   TOAST to family, food, love, and PRAY for GOOD over EVIL

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred Seventy-Eight (Forks Over Knives Gone Awry)

So, I came home zonked.  Really pooped.  Tired.  And, I still had emails to write.  The sales calls promoting my fantastic Spelt Right products were more exhausting than hauling 250 pounds of flour and lifting 500 pounds of dough.  Now it is my fingers and psyche getting the work out rather than my back and biceps.

With every call and email, I put on my armor and a smiley voice.  The method is working.  We are sending out samples and getting meetings.  Just got to keep up the energy.  So got to keep in the protein.  And, how am I to do this on our new found diet - plant based diet?

Enter the 15 year old.  "Spencer, can you figure out what to make for dinner without meat please?" Answer, "Umm, not really."  Shoot, I thought his intellect would have pulled me through on this one.  Thank goodness his cooperative nature is still intact so he agreed to help.  He just needed some direction.

I could pull it off without the meat.  But eliminating the egg, dairy and cheese was out of the question tonight.  Solution: potato, spinach, egg and cheese layered casserole.  Again, I had a "culinary vision".  This could work.  It would fill us up, and could be done in less than an hour.

I directed the kid with the basics.  He pulled off the rest on his own.  The dinner was stellar, but failed the "Forks Over Knives" test.  It did, however, pass "The Mom Is Really Exhausted and Thankful" test.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 medium sized potatoes, sliced 1/8 inch thin, cut with the precision of a mathematician. 
• a bunch of fresh spinach, rinsed, spun, and de-stemmed
• 3-4 eggs
• some milk (let's guess at 1 cup)
• 1and 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
• salt, pepper and garlic to taste
• extra virgin olive oil for frying the potatoes

Directions:

• Put 1/8 cup of EVOO in frying pan.  Pan fry the potatoes until soft on the inside and a little crispy on the out (we did this in two pans to get the process moving)
• Place layer of potatoes on 9-12 inch baking dish.  Layer with spinach.  Layer with potatoes.  Layer with spinach.  
• Blend eggs, milk, 1 cup of grated cheese, salt, pepper, (and chopped garlic if desired)
• Pour over layered potatoes and spinach.
• Top with remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheese.
• Bake at 400F for about 20 minutes or until tooth pick inserted in comes out dry and cheese is all bubbly and tempting on the top.

Enjoy, sit back, relax, and think not of anything but of eating good things.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred Seventy Seven (Forks Over Knives: Day Three, No Cheating)

Thanks to Netflix, we saw the documentary Forks over Knives.  It told us what we suspected.  Made us feel guilty for many foods we eat.  And, motivated us to make some dietary changes - at least until we can't stand them anymore or run out of ideas, or worse, get really grumpy.

So, the synopsis is this: meat is evil; red meat is the worst; animal based products are bad; give up your beloved cheese, eggs, and butter.  People who eat animal based diets have higher rates of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and all the horribles that haunt those who consume products made by or with fellow creatures that once breathed.

Man! That is a harsh pill to swallow.  What if we have just a little meat?  A little cheese?  Our beloved eggs in the morning and cream in our coffee?  What if we just cut out some, but not all those animal based products?

Apparently, the real deal is that we are supposed to go cold turkey.  Cold Turkey?  More like Cold Kale.

We were ready to introduce this change to our daily routine. Tim did the shopping.  I did the cooking.  Lots of green stuff, beans, rice, and veggies in our fridge and cupboards.  I cheated on Day One - eating my friend's baked chicken that he did not eat while visiting him as he was recuperating from surgery at the hospital.  How could I possibly admit to my family that, in my desperation, I ate chicken from hospital fare?   I cheated also on Day Two, even though I did make enough rice and beans the night before to last a week.

The rice and black beans were not finished until late night because I did not anticipate the 4 hours of cooking after the eight hours of soaking.   So, we had them for a late night snack, for breakfast the next day, and for dinner the following evening.  The family was being surprisingly cooperative at dinner facing beans and rice again, but were looking a bit forlorn.

Enter cheat number two.  More poultry.  We happened to have some chicken in the fridge so I sauteed it up with some olive oil, garlic, and wine.   Everyone was happy with the addition of the poultry because the steady diet of beans and rice was causing slight gastric distress in all of us.  Day two was a semi-success.

So tonight, day three, we all sighed at the thought of consuming anything that contained beans.  Yet, I was resolute not to cheat again.

As I looked at a beautiful bunch of dark green kale that Tim brought home like a bouquet of flowers (thanks honey, so beautiful!), I prayed for my culinary instinct to divine something to me.  My prayers worked.  All I needed was a little organic tofu, some nuts, and some tasty oils (probably against the diet...but, heck, I needed some tools).   Here it is. Forks Over Knives, Day Three - No Cheating.

Ingredients and Directions

Make a cup and half of rice, according to instructions - organic brown rice is recommended, but if you are pressed for time (as we were), use white rice.

One large bunch kale, de-stemmed, rinsed, and chopped and half chopped onion.  Saute onion and kale in frying pan with freshly minced garlic (crushed with a mortar and pestle), extra virgin olive oil (about 1/4 cup), 2-4 TBL of organic toasted sesame seed oil, and salt to taste.   Saute until onions are soft and kale is limp.  Set aside.

Take one pound of organic extra firm tofu, and cut into equal size chunks.  Coat thoroughly with organic spelt.  Heat about 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil in a separate stainless steel frying pan.  As soon as the oil is heated, add coated tofu.  Cook until brown on all sides.  Add about 2TBL of toasted sesame seed oil.  Add about 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts.   Add kale, onion mix, and toss together.

Serve over rice.   DELICIOUS.

We did it.  We accomplished Forks over Knives, Day Three...

As noted by Tim, "Served with red wine, thank god, that hasn't been eliminated..."

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred Seventy-Six (Blizzard Blues: Spelt Blueberry Banana Muffins)

Blizzard Blues.

Experiencing a major blizzard in coastal Maine is a different experience than in the Big Apple. 

In Maine, Tim would have shoveled the drive and walkway, shoveled them again, shoveled them again, loaded wood in the woodstove, and we all would have hunkered down to stay snug in the house all day.  I probably would have baked something too. 

In NYC, we had no shoveling (except for digging a car out), have no woodstove, and had tickets to see Blue Man Group.  So, we hailed a cab, met some friends, and went to a very bizarre off-Broadway production.  A little loud for my taste.

But, the habits of Maine linger.  So before embarking on the Blue Man adventure, I felt compelled to make blueberry muffins– appropriate for a snowy blue-themed day.

Problem #1, there was no organic sugar in the house, and I was not about to use bleached white sugar, nor was I going to pay $7.99 for a pound and half of organic sugar at our local grocery store.

 

Spelt Blueberry Banana Muffins with Honey

Problem #2, we had very few blueberries, and as with the organic sugar, I was not going to pay triple for the convenience of buying them in our neighborhood.

Solution #1: create a recipe with honey

Solution #2: use blueberries in combination with some other fruit we have in the house: bananas!!

Here is a recipe for Blueberry-Banana Spelt Muffins – made especially to prevent stormy day blues, and to keep you from going bananas.

Blueberry-Banana Spelt Muffins – with no sugar

1 and 1/4 cups white spelt flour

1 cup whole spelt flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 TBL baking powder

1 cup buttermilk (made with 1 tbl fresh lemon juice and 1 cup milk, mixed and set aside for 10 minutes)

7 TBL honey

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup blueberries

1 and 1/2 ripe bananas

Combine dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.  In a larger bowl (I used the Kitchenaid), combine all the other ingredients, except the blueberries, and mix the dry into the liquid until blended.  Stir in the blueberries. 

Scoop enough batter to fill the muffin pans 3/4 way either lined with muffin papers or in well oiled muffin pans.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred Seventy-Five (Terrific Truffles-But Stop Already)

Stop Already!  The kids have been obsessed this holiday season with baking.  My girth does not appreciate it.

On Saturday evening we picked up Spencer at the airport after he returned from Duluth, MN.  He and his cousin Charlie served as human couriers each way to help Grandma travel safely between their homes in NYC and Duluth, MN.  It's an incredible right of passage to have these teenage boys become the guardian over their 87 year old grandmother as she travels to visit her kids and grandkids.

In less than a decade, the roles of child and grandma, have morphed into something neither the grandchildren nor the grandparent could have imagined.  Besides adoring these boys, Grandma used to bathe, babysit, read and sing to them.

Now, what seems as nothing more than in a blink of an eye, the little boys have transformed into young men, aware, caring, and capable of taking on the role as guardian to help Grandma safely maneuver her trips through the Big Blue Sky.  And Grandma has transformed from a fierce individual ready to take on any travel itinerary to a fragile sometimes disoriented woman in her prime, who understands love, but sometimes loses track of the daily flow. Despite some confusion as she bustles through busy LaGuardia, Grandma has a certain calmness knowing that there is a trusting young man by her side to help her along her journey.

On the ride home from the airport, I mentioned that I planned on doing some baking.  Spencer chimed in somewhat disappointed.  "Mom, you plan to use the kitchen?"  I answered, "Yes, why?"  "Umm, well, I was planning to make truffles.  It's in the cookbook from the Duluth Grill where Auntie Carol works.  She got me the cookbook."

Both Tim and I smiled, "Truffles?"   What I wanted to say was "Stop Already!"  All this decadent food is, well, too decadent.  But, what could I say?  "The kitchen is yours kid."  As Grandma trusts him to courier her through her travels, I trust him to take on another challenge in the kitchen.

It was a two day and very messy project.  But the outcome was nothing less than devilish.  Here is a lovely photo.  We can't provide the recipe here, but suggest you buy the Duluth Grill Cookbook for this recipe and many more from the award winning restaurant.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One Hundred Seventy-Five (Carrot Cupcakes for Argument Sake)

The Joy of Parenting brought to you by the The Joy of Baking website.

We have been admonishing our ten-year old for too much computer time.   She reminded us that if we did more activities with her in someway, she might not be on the computer as much.   She suggested that she might spend less time on the computer if she were allowed to have some independence baking like her bigger brother has.

We reminded her that she often argues so much that we end up not doing an activity.

She disagreed.

So, her dad suggested that they make bread pudding at the suggestion of her mom.  (Dad is infinitely more patient than Mom is).

And, the kid thought the baking was a good idea, but the bread pudding was a bad idea.

So, after extensive negotiations, her dad agreed to help her make carrot cupcakes.

Dad then suggested walnuts, and the kids reminded him that nuts are optional in the recipe.  She vetoed that option.

And so goes the conversation.

And we must say that the 10 year-old carrot cupcake advocate won her case.  The confections were absolutely delicious.

This recipe is adopted from The Joy of Baking website, but modified to use spelt instead of wheat, butter instead of oil, bourbon vanilla extract instead of regular vanilla extract, and organic evaporated cane juice instead of white sugar.

For argument sake, we think the modifications make a better cupcake.

Well said, counselor.

Carrot Cupcakes: 1 cup organic white spelt flour 1/3 cup organic whole spelt flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional) 2 large eggs 2/3 cup organic evaporated cane juice 2/3 cup butter softened 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract - (we used bourbon vanilla) 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce 1 1/3 cups finely grated raw carrots  Cream Cheese Frosting: 1/4 cup butter, room temperature 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 2 1/4 cups  confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract l Carrot Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. In a medium cupcake pan,  line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. Fold in the chopped walnuts (if desired.  Olivia chose not to use nuts). In another large bowl whisk the eggs until lightly beaten. Then whisk in the sugar, butter, and vanilla extract until slightly thickened. Fold in the applesauce and grated carrots.  Then fold this mixture into the flour mixture until incorporated. Evenly fill the 12 muffin cups with the batter and bake 20 - 23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and let cool completely before frosting. Frosting:  In a separate beat the butter and cream cheese until very smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and beat until fully incorporated and smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add more confectioners sugar if needed. Pipe the frosting on the top of each cupcake. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate the cupcakes until serving time. Can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. Makes 12 cupcakes.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred Seventy-Four:(On Kids, College and Cakes)

Well, arriving home last night couldn’t have been any cuter. 

I came home slightly grumpy after a $300+ eye doctor bill because of some crazy astigmatism that I have – making the cost of the appointment and the contact lenses about a gazillion times more expensive than that for the normal far-sighted folks.

But, as I walked into the apartment, there was laughter and wafts of baking chocolate and perhaps an essence of alcohol?

This was truly a sight for sore eyes. 

My two oldest were in the kitchen baking together.  Emma wanted one of Spencer’s famous (at least in our household) cakes to bring back to college.  Spencer will use any excuse to make a cake, but this excuse was a good one, because he loves his big (albeit 6 inches shorter) sister.

What kind of cake for the college kids?  Well, of course it has to have chocolate, and maybe a little liquor.   Voila!  A spelt chocolate Kahlua cake.   

Tim, being the good dad and cautionary fellow he is, warned Emma not to give the cake to any of the drivers on the trek back to school.  I assured Tim that when baked, the liquor is baked off and so the cake would not be truly intoxicating, except maybe for its delicious taste.  Still, we got the assurance that the kids would not “eat and drive”.

Now, I was lucky to try the frosting, but the kids simply would not let me break into the cake to try it, so we will have to hear comments from the college kids way up North on how they rate it.

SPELT CHOCOLATE KAHLUA CAKE (adapted from cdkitchen.com and modified to be mostly organic, all natural, and without regular wheat)

INGREDIENTS:

Kahlua Chocolate Spelt Cake

3 eggs, separated

3/4 cup organic sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 cup light brown sugar packed

2 1/4 cups organic spelt flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 cup strong cold brewed coffee

3/4 cup Kahlua

Kahlua Frosting   (this was not the typical way Spencer likes to make frostings.  He usually does butter cream on the stove top, but he took the confectioners sugar short cut in order to make it in time for his sister’s departure to college)

6 tablespoons butter

1 pound of sifted powdered sugar

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tablespoons Kahlua

3 tablespoons hot coffee

DIRECTIONS:

Kahlua Chocolate Spelt Cake

Butter and flour 2 9” cake pans

(it is best to put fitted parchment paper on bottom of the buttered pan)

Preheat oven 350 F.

In a medium bowl, beat egg whites till frothy; then beat in sugar until stiff peaks forms. Set aside.

In a larger bowl (or in the KitchenAid Mixer if you have one), cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks one at a time.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking soda together. Add to creamed mixture alternately with coffee and Kahlua; blend well. Fold egg whites into batter.

Pour into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until done. Cool 10 minutes. Invert on wire rack.  Remove from pans. Cool before frosting.

Kahlua Frosting

In a large bowl, cream 6 Tbsp butter and a pound of confectioner’s sugar. Add 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, 3 Tbsp Kahlua and 2-3 Tbsp hot coffee; beat until smooth.

Gently frost.