Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Ninety-Five (BLT Spelt Right Style)

Here is an easy favorite, but not for our vegan or Kosher friends.  Bacon (all natural), lettuce and tomato with mayo on Spelt Right Artisan Bread.   Simple and delicious, but limited to special days.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Ninety-Four (Enjoying the Last of Summer Bliss - Homegrown Basil, Walnut Pesto on Spelt Right Pizza Dough)

End of the summer bliss, on to too much homework!

School is upon us along with so many other obligations and distractions that this every day blog is becoming more like a once a week blog.

But we are still here.  Still talking about healthful and tasty foods for your kids.  Still sharing our recipes, albeit at a slower pace as the pace around this house kicks in to high gear.

Just to pose a question out there to other parents, do you think your kids are getting too much homework?  Spencer still is befuddled by the idea of being in school for 8 hours and then having 2 to 3 hours of homework piled on after school.  When is there time for a kid to be a kid?   I tend to agree with my kid.  Enough is enough.

For our end of the summer treat, we picked the remaining basil from the garden and made a pesto with walnuts, evoo, garlic, sea salt, and grated parmesan cheese.    We placed the wonderful pesto on Spelt Right pizza dough, along with slices of garden tomatoes, and a bit of grated mozzarella, and baked at 450 for about 10 minutes.   The result was a yum, and a longing for the summer that is soon to be fall.

A Day of Remembrance - Blog Dedicated to the Goodrich Family

I have little to say on baking today, but much to say in few words about a remarkable family, the Goodriches of Bennington, Vermont, who have touched more lives in a positive light, spanning more miles and more cultures, than anyone I know.   You can begin to learn their story here The Goodrich Foundation

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Ninety-Three (For this Labor Day, Dessert First Please, Pure Decadence with a touch of Maine Style)

Recipe: Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) of butter - REAL BUTTER (let sit at room temperature)- no margarine no way no how
1 and 1/2 cups organic cane sugar (this stuff has sooo much flavor)
2 TBL pure molasses
1/2 teaspoon baking SODA (whoops, I said powder earlier)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon REAL VANILLA - no fake stuff here
1 and 1/2 cups VITA SPELT organic or nonorganic white spelt flour (I use organic)
1 cup VITA SPELT organic or nonorganic whole spelt flour (I use organic)
1/2 cup Trader Joe's Just Almond Meal
6 ounces, Ghiradelli semi sweet chocolate chips
6 ounces, Ghiradelli milk chocolate chips


Recipe: Chocolate Milk

Oakhurst 1% White Milk
Trader Joe's Organic Midnight Moo - Chocolate Syrup
Angela Adams Lulu rock.

Directions for cookies:

Preheat oven to 375F. In a large bowl, beat butter until smooth.  Add sugar and  molasses.  Keep beating until smooth, add in eggs and vanilla.  Keep mixing.  In separate smaller bowl, mix together spelt flours, baking soda and almond meal.    Beat flour mixture into butter mixture, slowly adding in the flour.  It is great to have kids doing this by hand because it gives them a work out.   Stir in chocolate pieces.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake in 375 oven for about 10 minutes.  Because these are spelt, they tend to flatten out.  Done when edges are slightly brown.  Transfer to a wire rack for cooling.   YUM!!


Directions for Chocolate Milk:
Pour milk in Angela Adams Lulu designer rock (that means glass in designer lingo).  Add in desired amount of chocolate syrup.  Stir.

Suggested serving:  Perfect project for bored 8 and 9 year olds on a beautiful Maine Labor Day Weekend:  Serve two cookies each to two mischievous girls with chocolate milk delicately poured in an Angela Adams Lulu rock.  And for a special treat, serve BEFORE lunch or dinner, AND THEN, send girls outside to play until lunch (Spelt Right Pizza) is ready.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Ninety-Two (Goat Cheese, Fresh Basil and Tomato Fitayer)

What's with the Eight Ball?  Well, late August and early September have been record breakers for heat in Maine and we simply could not stand eating in our kitchen.  It was too darn hot!  So, after making some lovely fitayers and heating up the kitchen a bit with the oven, we headed down to the basement and had dinner on our pool table.   Much cooler down there.

Preheat oven to 450 F

Ingredients: One Spelt Right Pizza Dough (fully thawed and risen inside of bag), fresh basil, 1-2 fresh tomatoes, soft goat cheese.



Divide dough, make 6-8s, stretch or roll to 1/4 inch thick, place on lightly oiled baking pan. About 4-6 will fit on pan. Spread about 2 teaspoons of goat cheese in center of dough, add chopped tomatoes and basil, make triangle with dough. Bake at 450 for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Ninety-One (The perfect breakfast prepared the night before for hectic school mornings)

It's been a while, but I am back!!!  I had every intent of posting a recipe a day.  I cook everyday, right?  So, why can't I post a recipe a day?  Well, it is not that simple.  Life gets in the way of great intentions.  This summer has been a crazy and HOT one and I am happy that it is winding down.  I made more trips to Boston than I can count on two hands, Emma is off to college, Olivia started 3rd grade in a new school, Spencer is now at the "top of the food chain" being an 8th grader in middle school, Grandma may or may not be moving in, I am a student again - as a member of the Maine Center for Economic Development's Top Gun class, I completed my continuing legal education courses so I am a lawyer in good standing of the Maine Bar, we continue to grow Spelt Right Baking Co., and my house is a MESS!

Here's a great recipe for mornings.  Scrambled eggs with whatever else you want stuffed inside of Spelt Right Dough.   Thaw and fully rise one Spelt Right dough.  Preheat oven to 400F.   Divide dough into 8-10 equal size balls.   Scramble 6 eggs anyway that you like the best on pan on stovetop.  We use a little milk in with our eggs, added some grated cheese, and sliced mushrooms, though spinach would be great too.  Be creative here.     Make small rounds about 1/4 thick.  Scoop egg filling in center.  Make triangle shape (or calzone shape if you prefer).  Place on lightly oiled baking pan.   Bake until brown on top.  

Can be placed in fridge covered in plastic for 2-3 days.  Take out as needed in morning and put in toaster oven.  Also can be frozen and then microwaved.   Great protein boost and quick breakfast