Detox - it's not for the feint of heart. For reals.

So it turns out I'm an addict.  My vices include but are not limited to: coffee, sugar, gluten, dairy.  So basically everything except fruit, vegetables and lean proteins - why can't my body crave those things?  I was going to throw wine onto the list but I didn't want to mock what is obviously a serious disease.  I have started a detox and I haven't been perfect (Um, I ate a taco tonight complete with cheese and tortilla because I just couldn't will myself to eat a taco in a lettuce "tortilla" with no cheese.  That's just rude.).  I have successfully kicked sugar and coffee (for three whole days, which feels like 300 days) but failed at kicking dairy - I've had cheese every single day, I've not had any wine, but I've had one tortilla.  I've learned to love smoothies with hemp protein powder, avocado and kale along with chia seed pudding.  Seriously.  I get excited to eat breakfast.  But I'm left a little cranky and foggy because my body has survived for so long supported by caffeine instead of nutrient dense food.  I honestly just want to eat eight cupcakes and wash them down with some bubbly.

Anyfood, I've decided to accept I'm going to cheat a little bit but make better choices.  Like this delightful Tuscan Kale Salad - it has cheese and gluten, but in moderation.  And for the record, I hate kale. Or I used to hate kale.  Maybe the silver lining of this whole experience is learning that I like kale prepared certain ways.

Tuscan Kale Salad
~ Adapted from www.drweil.com~

{Ingredients}

4-6 cups kale, loosely packed, sliced leaves of Italian black (AKA "dinosaur" kale which I found at our farmer's market - it is smooth and looks like what I imagine dinosaur skin would look like.) midribs removed juice of 1 lemon 3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic, mashed salt & pepper, to taste hot red pepper flakes, to taste 2/3 cup grated Pecorino Toscano cheese (this instruction seems fancy - I just used my Costco sized parm.) 1/2 cup freshly made bread crumbs from lightly toasted bread (or, how about some Trader Joe's bread crumbs? Let's not reinvent the wheel here.)

{Instructions}

Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and a generous pinch (or more to taste) of hot red pepper flakes. Pour over kale in serving bowl and toss well. Add 2/3 of the cheese and toss again. Let kale sit for at least 5 minutes. Add bread crumbs, toss again, and top with remaining cheese. Happy Healthy Eating! Owen was stoked to stand by the pirate while Elliott couldn't handle the fact that he got the puppy - he was so stinking excited. And now for some family time.  We took they boys to mini golf and it was hilarious.  And hot.  Owen went after the ball like he was a baseball player - he hit that thing so stinking hard.  Elliott has a little work to do - I wish I had taken video.  He would squat, hold the club backwards and pretty much lost interest after the first whole.  The pictures will speak for themselves. A little lesson from daddy. So serious.  Too bad he has fully swung and the ball hasn't moved... I mean, he's got the follow through.  Now he just needs to make contact. He's like a little cave man. Whatever man.  He made contact and that is 9/10ths of the battle.

Zoodles for the Birthday Win

He's 5 and so pumped about it.  And also: he's now a SWAT member compliments of Mannah.

So we've had a busy couple of weeks counting down the days until my baby turned FIVE.  What the what.  I feel like we were just at the hospital (note: we were the ONLY ONES in the delivery wing of of Mercy in Manhattan, it was amazing and quiet).  Anyhow.  Everyday we counted down the days and discuss all the things he wants (ENTITLED MUCH?) and I think we nailed it and he had a great b-day.

Batman made it all the way from Gotham.  And so did eight thousand Legos.

We had plans to test his skills at mini golf but once he lined up all his lego sets, he wanted a "stay-at-home day."  So we stayed in jammies (or SWAT costumes, as the case may be) and built Legos ALL DAY.  It was awesome.  It was like Christmas morning, except for the fact that Elliott didn't get a gift and he was a tiny tyrant off and on all day long.

Owen took this picture.  Props to Aunt Katie and Uncle Zac because this has stayed by his side for a solid 48 hours thus far.

Ok, this is probs getting boring for everyone except my Mom (love you mom!) so I'll get to the food already!

For his birthday dinner we went to Brixx which is his #1 requested restaurant because they provide pizza dough for kids to play with at the table.  Winning.  So I told him I'd cook him whatever he wanted on Monday night as his birthday dinner at home; he chose shrimp (sometimes he calls them skrimps) and spaghetti because he wanted to try throwing the noodles on the ceiling to see if they stick.  They did.  (I distinctly remember my Auntie Val letting us throw noodles on the kitchen cabinets in their first house in Lafayette.  Cool aunt move that I need to tuck away for when my little lovies come to visit.)  So I made Greek Shrimp Scampi with Zoodles!

So zoodles were a total hit and we will be incorporating them regularly.

My cousins have been raving about zoodles and sending me links to recipes that I have yet to try.  I finally busted out my Gefu spiralizer and WHAT.  AWESOME.  It was a bit of a learning curve figuring out how much pressure I needed to use (esp'lly with little hands assisting me).  But our final product was awesome - one zoodle was about two feet long!  And the boys loved eating the left over zucchini pieces!  WIN!

 I married angel hair and zoodles for the winning birthday dish.

So I took the zoodles and tossed them in the last 15 seconds of cooking the angel hair (I detest the taste of uncooked zucchini.  Can't even handle it.) and the boys totally ate it.  Next time I'll add more zucchini and way less pasta.  Sneaky!  Next up: Chicken Zoodle Pho!

Greek Style Scampi with Zoodles
Recipe adapted from a dear law school friend Samantha Everette

{Ingredients}
1 t. olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
4 (14 oz) cans whole tomatoes, drained and chopped (I acutally used 2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes and tossed the whole thing in)
1 1/4 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup (4 oz) crumbled feta cheese
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (just realized I forgot this one, but we didn't notice it!)
1/4 tsp fresh ground place pepper
4 cups hot cooked spaghetti (8 oz uncooked)
2 zucchinis, spirlaized (next time I will do 3 or 4)

{Instructions}
Preheat oven to 400*.  Heat oil in large dutch oven or skillet over medium heat.  Saute garlic 30 seconds.  Add 1/4 cup parsley and tomatoes.  Reduce heat, simmer 10 minutes.  Add shrimp, cook 5 minutes (I didn't do 5 minutes because I was distracted by little people throwing spaghetti on the ceiling and cabinets but the shrimp turned out fine because you pop it in the oven for 10 minutes).  Pour mixture into oven-safe dish (I skipped this since a dutch oven is oven safe), sprinkle with cheese and bake at 400* for 10 minutes.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup, parsley, lemon juice and pepper.

Cook pasta to desired doneness.  In the last 15 seconds of cooking, toss in your zoodles for a light blanch.  Drain and empty into your serving bowl.  Toss with 1 tsp of olive oil to ensure nothing sticks!

Serve shrimp mixture over noodles and enjoy!

Hoondly, noondy, froondy, umm bork bork bork! (Swedish chef, anyone, anyone?)

Bon Appetit friends!

A Worthy Repost: The Other White Meat

We ran into some JAG friends on the hike and got a family pic other than a selfie - WIN!

 So we have been exploring a bunch this summer and it has been great!  (However, while I write this I am sitting on my couch, possibly still in my PJs because we are taking a knee this weekend!)  A few weeks ago we went for a family hike to Dark Hollow Falls in Shenandoah National Park.  It is a short hike down to the falls but it feels twice as long heading back up ALL THOSE STEPS.

Not Pictured: two teenage girls striking poses in bikinis for their father who was smoking an e-cig.  It was so amazing.

 
Owen has become quite the little hiker and only complained a little bit.  Ever seen "The Jerk?" He is my little Steve Martin because he insists on bringing along the treasure de jour on every adventure.  On this particular day it was a bug catcher and binoculars. 

He said he thought he saw *something.*

Am  I the luckiest girl or what?

Now for the food.  Oh the food.  We have been grilling a bunch this summer (doesn't everyone?) and one of my favorites is this tasty pork tenderloin from my BFF Ina.  I made this Herb-Marinated Loin of Pork from Back to Basics via the oven back in 2010 and blogged about it - I was actually wearing the same Kansas t-shirt in that post - HA! (check it out here!) and it was delish!  But I have worked out the kinks and it is so much better to grill as all the heat is outside and Jeremy does all the heavy lifting!  The key is marinating it overnight!  But I will pat my own back and let you know that I did in fact make this recipe on a girls weekend and did all the grilling to perfection.  Girls grill too!

Herb-Marinated Loin of Pork
~Serves 6~

{Ingredients}

1 lemon, zest grated

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 to 6 lemons)

Olive oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Kosher salt

3 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each - I only used 2 loins to feed my fam of four)

Freshly ground black pepper

{Instructions}

1) Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard and 2 teaspoons salt in a sturdy 1 gallon resealable plastic bag.  Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade.  Squeeze out the air and seal the bag.  Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight.  I cannot stress this enough, DO IT OVERNIGHT.  It makes all the difference.

2)  When you are ready to cook, build a charcoal fire or heat a gas grill.  Brush the cooking grate with oil to prevent the pork from sticking.  Remove the tenderloins from the marinade discard the marinade but leave the herbs that cling to the meat.  Sprinkle the tenderloins generously with salt and pepper.  Grill the tenderloins, turning a few times to brown on all sides, for 15-25 minutes (depending on the heat of the coals) until the meat registers 137* in the thickest part (and that, my friends, is the magic number - we always use this as our temperature gauge and it makes for perfect pork tenderloin!). 

3) Transfer the tenderloins to a platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil.  Allow to rest for 10 minutes.  Carve in 1/2" thick diagonal slices.  The thickest part of the tenderloin will be quite pink (its just fine!  Don't be scared of the pink!  It is SO MUCH BETTER PINK) and the thinnest part will be well done.  Season with salt and pepper and serve warm, or at room temperature with the juices that collect on the platter.  

Bon Appetit my friends!

What if?

These are my IF girls.  I love them so.  We do LIFE together.

In February 2014 I attended the IF:Gathering conference here in Cville that drastically altered the course of my life.  I'm not saying that to be dramatic, I'm just speaking truth. The basic premise: If God is real, then what?  It spurred me on to open my Etsy shop to raise money to fight against hunger (kind of perfect since: a) I'm always hungry, and b) food is my love language).  And it planted the seed for this little tribe of women.

During IF:Gathering they introduced the concept of IF:Table.  Now food.  I love it so anything referencing spending time eating with friends?  YES.  Just YES.  Shauna Niequist (also: LOVE) spearheaded this and my friends and I ended up starting an IF:Table.  The idea is that community happens around the table.  You go deep when you are sitting around the table.  I have always felt this when we have friends over - we spend most of our time languishing at the table, long after we have finished eating.  Have you read Bread & Wine? You should.  My friend Shauna (stalker much?) wrote it and it was beautiful and lovely and all the things I love about food and people.  I feel like it is our manifesto/bylaws for our little IF:Table.

This was the day Graham was supposed to arrive in my arms.  But he is instead in Jesus' arms.  My girls celebrated me and my baby with a beautiful lunch at Pippin Hill.

So we started our If:Table Spring 2014 and we meet once a month around the table and share life together.  These beautiful women have become such a huge part of my life: encouraging me, supporting me, crying with me, and praying with and for me.  I am honestly crying as I write this because I'm just so thankful and blessed by these women.  I want us all to move onto the same culdesac and live out the rest of our lives in community.

So one of our loves is moving.  I am so heart broken but I know this what her family needs and I know she didn't make this decision lightly.  I will miss her desperately but the Lord has built a friendship that will last despite the 2000 miles that separate us!  I love you Amy and here's to Fort Hood to bring us back together :)

And now for the food.  In celebration of Amy's Texas roots, to which she returns, we had a Texas inspired meal.  Alas, I don't have the recipes and or the pics of the brisket that Cari made (Pioneer Woman - it was amazing) but I do have Amy's sangria recipe and Mere's Brussels Sprout Hash.  This meal was DIVINE!  (During dinner, btw, I received a call that my dad had been rushed to the hospital with chest pains and they stopped everything and prayed over my dad.  I mean.  I honestly can't even figure out what to say here. BLESSED.)

Amy's White Sangria

{Ingredients}
750 milliliters  dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc) chilled
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2  Tbsp superfine sugar
1 1/2 cups  peach nectar (Knudsen) or passion fruit nectar, chilled
1/2 cup  brandy
1/4 cup  amaretto
16 ounces  frozen peach slices
8 ounces  frozen mango slices
8 ounces  frozen strawberries
1 1/2 cups  club soda, chilled

{Instructions}
Dissolve sugar in lemon juice, brandy, and amaretto.  Add chilled white wine, peach nectar, and frozen fruit slices.  Let sit overnight. Add club soda just before serving.

Horrible pic, but don't hold that against this dish!

Mere's Brussels Sprouts Hash with Sweet Potato and Bacon
Serves 2 - (I suspect Mere doubled if not tripled this recipe since there are 7 of us!)

{Ingredients}
4 strips of bacon cut into 1" pieces
1 small onion diced
1 small sweet potato cut into 1/2" pieces
1 clove of garlic, chopped (have you tried the frozen garlic from Trader Joe's?  It makes my cooking so much faster and my hands far less stinky!)
1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced
salt and pepper to taste
4 eggs (this was served as a side dish to dinner so we omitted the eggs but I bet this would make a yummy breakfast!)
**UPDATE** Mere just informed me she adds a splash of balsamic vinegar right before serving!  I'm going to try it with the divine balsamic glaze from Trader Joe's!**

{Instructions}
1.  Cook bacon in a pan over medium heat and set aside.
2.  Add onion and sweet potato to the pan and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. (Everything cooked in bacon fat is better.)
3.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4.  Add Brussels sprouts and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.  Let sit until the bottoms start to caramelize, about 5 minutes.  Throw the bacon back in and season with salt and pepper to taste. **Add the balsamic vinegar at this point, should you so choose!**
5.  Create 4 small wells and in the hash and add the eggs, and cook until desired doneness.  You can also finish in the oven!

Thank you Jen, Mere, Amy, Cari, Bethanyanne and Karen for enriching my life in so many ways.  We will miss you Amy but there is always IF:Gathering Austin 2016!

The Great Tennessee Adventure

The annual Old Navy Flag t-shirt photo with my guys!

So last year we went to Tahoe for the 4th of July to be with my family, so this year we headed to Tennessee to the Stephens Family Reunion in middle Tennessee (note: not central, but middle).  As some of you probably saw, we did a few pit stops along the way at Mabry Mill (OMG death to the GPS for taking us down a road that I promise was right out of Deliverance) and the Great Smoky Mountains.  Um, Gatlinburg is spectacular and I can't wait to go back.  So super cheesy and wonderful.  I wish we had an extra night there!

Last year with all the cousins in Tahoe - they have all grown WAY TOO FAST.

So I know these don't really speak to you, but they were spectacular.  This picture was taken from our balcony in Gatlinburg.

We drove all the way to the top and made a stop to watch the clouds move in - it was GORGEOUS.

We hoped to find some bears, but sadly, all we saw was a little teeny tiny crawdad.  Honestly, I was hoping at least for a deer. But we failed in our mission.  We did a tiny hike to a water fall and let the boys climb around a bit.  And then we were off to see "Gama and Gampa" as Elliott calls them.

Jamestown, Tennessee is seriously in the middle of nowhere.  And I stake that claim on the fact that I had ZERO cellular service the entire time we were there - including in town.  Now this was actually really great.  I think I need to take more cell breaks - leaving my phone behind was really freeing!

Coplen cousins (and Joel)!

We spent much needed outside time with cousins: lighting off fireworks, catching fireflies and frogs, roasting marsh mellows, playing in the jacuzzi, and just having fun outside!

Owen and Elliott were lucky to spend time with Aunt Katie and Uncle Zac along with G&G - spoiled much?

The cabins we stayed in were right by several horse farms.  The boys were so excited to feed them!

Okay, this post is really just for my mom so she can see what we were up to - sorry for the picture overload.  We ended our Tennessee adventure with a kid-free trip to Nashvegas!  We stayed at the Omni - the rooftop pool was totally worth it.  And ate on Broadway at Merchants.  YUM to all of it.  Except fried green tomatoes.  I just can't get behind them.

The tater tots were fried in duck fat.  I'm sorry but they really blew the Trader Joe tots out of the water.

Anyfood, this wasn't really a culinary adventure in Tennessee - we were feeding our souls full of family and our hearts are overflowing.

I can't even tell you how full my heart is.  These guys.  FULL.

IRC: Camping Edition

My guys on a morning walk to collect shells.

So we went camping.  Just for one night, but that was all we needed.  IT WAS HOT.  I can handle camping: the bugs, horrible sleep in a tent, the bugs, cooking in a *modified* kitchen, and did I mention the bugs?  What I cannot handle all that well IS THE EXTREME HEAT. 

Read it carefully: allegedly it was 88* but felt like freaking 102* because of the 75% humidity.  I mean, really?  I grew up camping at the beach, in San Diego, America's Finest City (their words, not mine, but I stand behind that moto 100%).  There is NO WAY the temperatures even came close to 102*.  I swear to you that my bathing suit was wet from perspiring, not from swimming in the Chesapeake.  Ok, I will move on.  I just wanted everyone to know how disgustingly hot and sweaty it was.

The boys got to try their very first campfire s'mores.  They hated them.  Obviously.  Despite how bright this photo is, it was like 8:30pm and we actually got them to sleep not long after this.  Melatonin for the win!

Love our little camp stove!

So this blog is supposed to be about food, so I'll get to it.  We made some yummy coffeee on our percolator - we haven't quite figured out how to avoid a final mouthful of coffee grounds.  We'll keep trying.  What I REALLY want to talk about is the cast iron breakfast.  First I fried the bacon - cast irons are amazing conductors of heat and that delish bacon was done in minutes!  And not pictured?  The divine scrambled eggs made with a mixture of butter and bacon fat.  WHAAAT?  It was so stinking delish!!!  Added some cheese and we were all quite pleased with our meal.

The lads enjoying some eggs and backey!

Overall, a fun sweaty adventure made even more memorable by a night in a hotel in Virginia Beach!  Honestly, best way to finish up camping is a nice cool hotel room with a shower that doesn't require shower shoes!  We took the concierge's recommendation and went to Waterman's on the strip and YUM.

Here I go again with the heat.  We walked 14 blocks, in 100* heat to...eat outside?! I was a bit miffed but whatevs.  The wine was cold, the view was beautiful and we had a fun family night.  Owen ordered fish tacos because he is my adventurous eater and I LOVE IT.  All of it.

I mean.  He is the most adorable.  I love him.

So that is camping/VA Beach in a nutshell.  We will definitely be camping again this summer but we might try a mountain lake with the hopes that it won't be as hot?!  We also *might* need to invest in a larger tent!

Sooo...is anyone still there?

So, I've been gone for a while.  Life has been really up and really down with a lot in the middle.  I still cook, but not nearly as much.  I find that it isn't really as cathartic as it used to be, which honestly bums me out.  However, I do occasionally come across a recipe that is just too good not to share.  This one my sister recommended and I made it for a very healing weekend spent away with dear dear girlfriends from our time spent in the DC Area.  We cried, we laughed, we sewed, we slept, and most importantly we ate delicious food.

I barbequed (or grilled if you aren't from California) these babies all by myself (with telephone conference from the hubs) and they turned out PERFECT.  Seriously, never had better grilled chicken!  So juicy and tasty and perfect for getting me out of my failure to cook slump!

Rosemary-Garlic Chicken with Lemon 
Zov: Recipes and Memories from the Heart ~ serves 8

Ingredients
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp olive oil
8 boneless chicken breasts (w/ skin on - however, I just use 4 boneless skinless from Sam's or Costco and I fillet them to make 8)
Italian parsley or rosemary sprigs, for garnish
Lemon wedge for garnish

Instructions
Whisk the lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup oil in a large bowl to blend.  Add the chicken and toss well to coat.  (I do it all in a gallon ziploc).  Cover and refrigerate, tossing occasionally, for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days (I do at least 24 hours.)

Prepare the barbecue for medium-high heat.  Grill the chicken breasts until they are just cooked through the golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.  Transfer the chicken to a platter.  Garnish with the parsley or rosemary sprigs and lemon wedges.

Cook's Notes (from Zov, not me)
When grilling the chicken, position the rack fairly close the the heat source to help seal in the juices that keep the chicken tender and succulent.  A chicken breast is cooked perfectly when it reaches 160*F (use and instant-read meat thermometer).  If you exceed the temperature, the chicken is considered overcooked and will most likely yield a stringing or rubbery texture.

The marinated chicken is also delicious when broiled

Try using bold flavors in your marinade such as lime juice, more garlic, or more fresh thyme.