Great Grandpa's 95th!!

Eli had made a special birthday card.

Photo books of the three great grands.

Such a BIG boy!

 My Aunt Simone

Not cooperating for pic!

Great-Mabel

Uncle Jesse shops for Baby Stubbs

Great Grandpa turned 95 on April 27th. Josh, Eli, Uncle Jesse and Bobonne flew out to KC to help celebrate with Aunt Simone and Uncle Mark.

Mustard Marmalade Dressing

This recipe was snatched from elana's pantry. The dressing is delicious and can be made in a matter of minutes. Love the Wonder Whisk to emulsify the olive oil. Top your salad with fresh orange slices and toasted pecans or walnuts. Great with fresh spinach or baby lettuce. To serve 2 people I typically halve the ingredients and this is enough for 2-3 servings.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:

Combine vinegar, orange marmalade, dijon mustard, agave nectar. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. You may use a blender if desired.

Gender Reveal & Josh's 31st Birthday

The Steinberg and Stubbs families were invited over for dinner at Jesse and Jessica's house. They had the ultrasound that morning, but did not know what the gender was till they bit into the pink-filled cupcakes.

The family got together for a lunch celebration. Menu included lasagna, Mexi Meatballs with Spicy Chili Sauce (blog 4/17/13) (made this because Valerie cannot have dairy and I cannot have wheat), Whole Foods Brisket (blog 4/18/13),  hot artichoke dip with vegetables (Jesse and Jessica brought) (YUM), deviled eggs, strawberry salad, garlic bread, potica bread (had one loaf left; a family favorite) and of course German Chocolate Cake... Oh, and we had plain chocolate cake for those who do not like coconut. I also made gluten free cookies (for me). Yes, I had cooked all week!

Citrus Scones

Delicious scones from Colorado Collage. Easy, receives compliments and has "Freeze Queen" stamp of approval. I am having a bridal shower in May and these are on the menu.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar (plus 1 tablespoon for topping)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (chilled, cut into 1/-inch pieces)
• 1 cup lemon yogurt ( I used Greek Gods brand)
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 teaspoons orange zest

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Grease a 9-inch round or square glass baking pan.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut butter into flour mixture with a fork. Dough will be lumpy. 

Add the yogurt, orange juice and orange zest. Stir to combine.

With floured hands, pat dough into prepared pan. Using sharp, floured knife, deeply score top of the dough into 3-inch squares. Sprinkle with remaining sugar.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven and cool in baking pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a rack.

Curried Chicken with Rice

This is adapted from Emeril on the Food Network. It was originally made with turkey and was a chilled salad. Great if you have leftover chicken and rice. Do not be intimidated by the chutney or curry powder. I just choose to make my own. Buy pre-made for less prep.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Black Mango Chutney (blog 4/15/13)
• 2 teaspoons Madras Curry Powder (blog 4/15/13)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups cooked chicken, diced
• 1 cup cooked rice (like rice combo with wild rice)
• 1/2 cup Roasted Spiced Carrots (blog4/17/13)
• 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a lightly greased baking dish; except the almonds. Sprinkle the almonds on top and bake for 15-20 minutes uncovered at 350-degrees.

Serve with a simple lettuce or spinach salad.

Curried Sauce

This is a simple sauce that is easily put together and versatile. Great on salmon and sea scallops.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon ghee or butter
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1-2 teaspoons Madras Curry Powder (blog 4/15/13) 
• 15 ounce coconut milk
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1-2 teaspoon fresh, chopped cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large skillet heat ghee over medium high heat. Add the minced shallot and jalapeno and cook until soft. Add the curry powder.

Add the coconut milk, broth, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Simmer on low for 15 minutes. Add the fresh cilantro.

*( Used 1/2 cup Green Chili Sauce (blog 4/12/13 ) in replacement of jalapeno and chicken broth. Also added 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice.)

Recipe Suggestion:

Make the curry sauce as recipe calls for; but increase the chicken broth to 2 cups.

Cube 4 Yukon Gold potatoes, peel and slice 4 shallots and coat lightly with olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Roast at 400-degrees for 15-20 minutes or till golden brown. Slice shallots and potatoes into bite size pieces.

Lightly coat 1 pound boneless, skinless thighs with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Grill thighs at 400-degrees till cooked through. Cut into bite size pieces.

Add the roasted vegetables and grilled thighs to the sauce and simmer for 1-2 hours.

Serve over cooked rice of choice.

Makes enough for four hungry folks.

Whole Foods Brisket

My family loves brisket. It is great served with BBQ sauce, but my daughter-in-law, Jessica, turned me on to eating it dipped in mustard. I was in Whole Foods one day and was handed a sample of this brisket. Been cooking brisket this way ever since. Nothing better than the crock pot.

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds beef brisket
• BAM (blog 4/15/13)
• 1 large onion
• 2 bay leaves
• 32 ounce box of beef broth

Directions:

 I lightly grease the bottom and sides of the crock pot to make for easier clean-up. Peel and slice the onion and add to the bottom of the crock pot. 

Pat dry the brisket and place on top of the onions and sprinkle the top of the brisket with BAM. Add bay leaves.

Pour the beef broth over the top. If does not cover the top of brisket add water. 

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Remove from crock pot and remove the fat. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Slice the brisket while cold and reheat in microwave.

Spiced Rice with Almonds

Love this recipe. Of all the onions varieties, the shallot, have more antioxidant phenols. With just a hint of garlic and a strong onion flavor, make sure you dice them finely. Store the shallots in a cool, dry area with plenty of room to breathe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice (I use Organic Harvest Medley from Costco)
• 1 tablespoon oil (I use ghee)
• 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 cup roasted almond slivers
• salt to taste

Directions:

Cook rice according to package directions. Cool for about one hour.

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the mustard and cumin seeds.

Heat until the mustard seeds begin to pop. 

Add the shallots and cook till soften. Add pepper and ground cumin and mix in cooked rice. Add almonds and salt. You may also add 6 ounces plain greek yogurt to the rice for a creamier texture.

YUM!

Roasted Spice Carrots

Adapted this recipe from Real Simple. Roasting vegetables brings out their best flavor in my opinion; whether it be roasted butternut squash, sweet potatoes, eggplant, zucchini, fennel... I like to use large carrots for roasting rather than baby carrots. A tad more prep, but the overall flavor will be better.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound carrots, cut into 4-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala (blog 4/15/13)
•  salt and pepper to taste
•  2 tablespoon fresh, chopped parsley

Directions:

Heat oven to 400-degrees.

Toss the carrots with the olive oil.  Sprinkle the Garam Masala, salt and pepper evenly. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the carrots evenly.

Roast for 20 minutes or until fork tender.

Experiment with other spices, add chopped garlic.

Salmon with Almond Herb Crust

Great fresh fish is hard to come by in land-locked Colorado. Salmon is so packed full of goodness; however, we have been disappointed with the quality of what we have bought locally. Our hair stylist, Karly, turned us on to a company out of the northwest. Vital Choice delivers fresh frozen salmon to your doorstep in about 3 days from ordering, protected with dry ice. The container can be returned for no charge to any FedEx location. The salmon and salmon burgers are wonderful. You can thaw the salmon fillets in 20 minutes in cold water and the burgers are placed on the grill frozen and are done in 8 minutes. Highly recommend the company. They also have other fish choices besides salmon. We have tried the albacore tuna, halibut and the scallops. All wonderful. Not inexpensive, but quality is unsurpassed.

This is one of my favorite recipes for salmon. As you can see love the lemon on top. It looks like overkill of lemon, but trust me, it is delicious! Obtained recipe from internet.

Ingredients:

• 2 salmon fillets
• 3 tablespoons roasted almond slivers, chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter (melted) ( I use ghee)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon peel, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lemon, sliced and seeds removed
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Rinse fish and pat dry. Place in an oven safe glass dish and add olive oil and coat salmon evenly. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Combine almonds, butter, Parmesan, parsley, lemon peel and garlic. Distribute evenly on top of the salmon and then the lemon slices.

Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 16-18 minutes depending on thickness. 

Squeeze the lemon on the salmon and enjoy!

Spice de Provence

Use this blend in anything you desire! Quantities easily halved. The recipe is from Healing Herbs and calls for 3 crushed bay leaves. I just add one whole bay leaf in what dish I am simmering and then remove upon serving.

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons dried marjoram
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons celery seed
• 3 ground bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crumbled

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight glass container. Will keep for 6 months.

Tomato Sauce

Yummy sauce and comes together quickly. Use high quality organic tomatoes and paste. I prefer Muir Glen brand.

Ingredients:

• 28 ounce crushed tomatoes
• 6 ounce tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Spice de Provence (blog 4/15/2013)
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

Directions:

In saucepan, bring all the ingredients to a boil. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes until sauce is slightly thickened.

Chicken Parmesan

I have been buying chicken cutlets at Whole Foods instead of cutting whole chicken breasts and then pounding to flatten. Lots less work! This chicken comes out tender and moist. The grapeseed oil is a very high temperature oil and there is practically no spattering. Great tip is to spread newspaper around the area you are cooking and the paper will absorb any oil that does spatter. Makes for easy clean-up.

This recipe is from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook. Love Elena's tomato sauce as well.

Ingredients:

• 6 chicken cutlets
• 1 1/4 cup almond blanched almond flour
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoon grapeseed oil
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups Tomato Sauce (blog 4/15/2013)
• 2 cups freshly grated mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Rinse the chicken cutlets and pat dry.

In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs. Dip each cutlet into the egg and then coat with the almond mixture.

Heat the grapeseed oil and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the chicken 3-5 minutes per side, until golden brown. Transfer to a plate.

Pour 1 cup Tomato Sauce in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Place the cutlets in a single layer over the sauce. Cover the chicken with the remaining sauce, then top with the mozzarella. (At this point may freeze. When ready to eat; unthaw and bake. May have to bake an additional 5-10 minutes if dish is cold.)

Bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and edges are bubbling. Remove from the oven and top with the Parmesan cheese before serving.

Herb Crackers

Another recipe from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook. They are easy and delicious. Bet you can not eat just one! Love being able to see my rosemary plant thriving. Perhaps one of my most favorite herb...

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups blanched almond flour ( Honeyville brand)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• 2 large eggs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Set aside 2 large baking sheets. Cut 3 pieces of parchment paper to the size of the baking sheets.

In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, rosemary and thyme. Whisk together the eggs and grapeseed oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture until thoroughly combined.

Divide the dough into 2 pieces. Place one piece of dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll to 1/16-inch thickness. Remove the top piece of parchment paper. Cut the dough into 2-inch squares with a pizza cutter. Transfer to the baking sheet. Repeat process with the remaining piece of dough.

Bake 12-15 minutes until lightly golden. Let the cracker cool on the baking sheets for 30 minutes. I turn the baking sheets halfway through the baking time to allow for more even baking.

Serve as you would any other savory cracker; with cheese, hummus or baba ghanoush.

Deviled Eggs

I wanted to put deviled eggs on my blog, not so much for the recipe, cause that is pretty much an "add to taste" thing. But to give some tips on how to make the perfect hard boiled egg and to share a terrific method of filling the egg whites with the mashed, prepared yolks; use a small cookie scoop. This is one food my entire family likes; well grandkids, not just yet. Giving a wedding shower brunch in May and thought we would serve deviled eggs with a sprig of dill. Something a little different and a great "finger food".

You want to start out with eggs that are not fresh, in other words, look at the expiration date and use eggs that are close to that date. Place eggs in a large saucepan and cover with 2-inches of cold water. Bring the water to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Cover the pan and remove from the heat. Allow to stand for 18 minutes. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place in ice cold water for at least 15 minutes. Refrigerate until you are ready to peel them.

Cut the eggs lengthwise and remove the yolk from the whites.
My mother-in-law taught me to mash the yolks with a fork on a plate, no need to get the mixer out. Add  mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, a splash of vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. This is where "add to taste comes in". Start with a spoonful of mayo and 1 teaspoon Dijon and go from there. You will know when you have reached that creamy consistency.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. May sprinkle sweet paprika on top.

Favorite Pesto

This recipe came from, Healing Herbs. We have a local company, Osage Gardens, from which you can buy fresh basil pretty much year round. Vitamin Cottage cares the brand. Love to eat pesto on toast, crackers, serve with pasta, chicken, fish or stir in 1 tablespoon into soups at the last minute; pretty much on anything! And it freezes beautiful, that is if you have any leftover...

Ingredients:

• 1 cup packed fresh basil
• 1 cup finely grated fresh Parmesan
• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions: 

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend. Slowly add the olive oil until of a creamy consistency.

Green Chili Sauce

The base: pureed chilies, tomatoes, garlic, cumin and oregano

Ingredients:

• 26 ounces fresh or frozen green chilies (skin, seeds and membrane removed)
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 (32 ounce) chicken broth
• 14.5 ounce can diced roasted tomatoes
• 6 ounce can tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon each cumin and dried oregano
• salt to taste
• fresh, chopped cilantro to taste

Directions:

In a food processor whirl the green chilies and garlic until smooth and place in a large saucepan. Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, cumin, oregano and salt. Bring mixture to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook uncovered for 1-2 hours. Add fresh cilantro.

Definitely "Freeze Queen" material!

Mexi Meatballs with Spicy Chili Sauce

These are SO good! I was thrilled to find chili sauce made with agave nectar, Organicville brand. You can find the sauce at Vitamin Cottage and Sprouts. Alternative is Primal Kitchen unsweetened Ketchup found at Vitamin Cottage; (2)-11.3 ounce jars, one Spicy the other regular. I do not brown my meatballs in the skillet but instead bake them in the oven. A lot less work. Serve as an appetizer or as your main protein.

Ingredients for meatballs:

• 1 pound ground round 90% lean
• 1 pound hot Italian sausage (love Boulder Sausage)
• 2 slice bread, cubed ( I used the gluten-free sandwich bread )
• 1/2 cup chili sauce (Organicville) or Primal Kitchen unsweetened Ketchup
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt to taste

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread cubes, chili sauce, eggs, shallot, garlic powder and salt. Add the ground beef and sausage and mix well. Easiest to use your hands.

Shape into meatballs and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350-degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Ingredients for chili sauce:

• 2 cups chili sauce (Organicville) or Primal Kitchen unsweetened ketchup (if using this add 1 tablespoon agave nectar
• 1/2 cup minced shallots
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

Directions:

Combine all the above ingredients in a large sauce pan and simmer 10 minutes. I like to add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

Naturally freezes beautifully.

Chipotle's Rice

I love the rice at Chipotle (the restaurant). So here is my version. Quite yummy and makes a great side dish. Of course, I freeze it with great results...

Ingredients:

• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime
• 1 teaspoons lime zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 

Directions:

In a heavy saucepan, combine the rice, broth, salt and ground cumin. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover with the lid and reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer 20 minutes.

Remove from heat, but keep lid on. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Remove lid and  add lime juice, zest and cilantro. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Chipotle Shredded Pork

This recipe was adapted from a site from Pinterest: White on Rice Couple. I changed up the sauce; using a pre-made local tomatillo sauce and reduced the amount of chipotle peppers. I freeze individual chipotle pepper in the adobo sauce. Flour was eliminated as a thickening agent to allow for a gluten free dish. This makes enough for 2-3 other meals and freezes well. Nothing better than to pull a dish that only takes 15-30 minutes to complete.

Ingredients for the pork:

• 2-(one pound each) pork tenderloin
• 1 (8 ounce) beer
• 1 bay leaf

Directions:

Place the pork tenderloins and bay leaf in a slow cooker; pour the beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork shreds easily; 6 hours.

Ingredients for the sauce:

• 1 can fire roasted diced tomato (14.5 oz)
• 1 can stewed tomato (14.5 oz)
• 1 jar White Girl Salsa Medium Tomatillo (16 oz)
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (more or less to taste)
• salt to taste

Directions:

Place all the sauce ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Add the sauce to the shredded pork enough to moisten well. I had about 3 cups of sauce left over to serve on the top of the dish.

This filling can be used for burritos, nachos or stacked enchiladas; which is my favorite. Simply lightly fry 3 corn tortillas per serving in canola oil. Layer each tortilla with shredded pork and cheese of choice. Bake at 350-degree oven until hot. Serve with extra heated sauce and a fried egg on top.

Garnish with greek yogurt.

Spring and the American Queen

On March 8th-16th, my sister, Simone and I took the American Queen steamboat down the Mississippi from Memphis to New Orleans. Not enough can be said about the wonderful staff on board, great regional food and sunny disposition of the weather!

We had a prenight stay in Memphis, TN. That night we strolled down Beale Street and ate at the Rendezvous world famous BBQ.

The next morning we took a tour of Graceland. Such emotion in the grounds and exhibits. The Lisa Maria airplane and the vintage cars were impressive. As you can see the home is unpretentious.

We set sail for Helena, AR. We took the city tour. The Pillow-Thompson house was a highlight. Built in 1896, was beautifully restored. Finest example of Queen Anne architecture in the South.

On to Vicksburg, MS. Beautiful, chilly day. We toured the Biedenharn Coca Cola Museum; which was  where Coca Cola was first bottled in 1894.

The next morning we woke up to Natchez, MS. Another beautiful, sunny day! We toured several magnificant restored homes; Rosalie, Magnolia Hall, and Stanton Hall. Many of the guides inside the homes were dressed in period costumes; which was very cool. The azaleas were in full bloom!

The next day we took a premium tour in St. Francisville, LA to the Louisiana State Penitentiary and the fifth haunted house in the United States, The Myrtles. The Penitentiary is the largest maximum security prison in the United States. Known as Angola and nicknamed the "Alcatraz of the South". The prison farm is 18,000 acres and is totally substainable. We had a wonderful, animated tour guide in the Myrtles. Very spooky!

Second to the last port - Baton Rouge. Unfortunately the American Queen had to dock at 1:00 pm rather than 10:00 am as planned. Go figure this was the port that had the most sites to see. We did make it through the Louisiana Art & Science Museum which was huge and very well done. We did not realize many of the sites close at 4:00, so we missed the rest of Baton Rouge highlights... I suppose we should have raised a stink about this, but hey why be unhappy on a vacation!


The last port before New Orleans was Houmas House, "The Sugar Palace". The 32-acre estate is home to centuries old oaks, some over 450 years old. The Gardens were spectacular. Our tour guide inside the house was equally spectacular; playing and singing at an old Steinway and keeping us laughing with her inside jokes. There is a three-story spiral staircase and was featured in the film "Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte" starring Bette Davis. The current owner had his two labs, King Sam and Princess Grace, married on the grounds complete with a pre-nup!

In New Orleans we took a city tour and then off to the airport and home.