Reunion Food

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every summer my immediate family gets together for a week near some mountains and water. This summer it was Lake Tahoe and it was beyond perfect. I think the search is over, I would happily have this be our location for reunions each summer.  Flawless.

With the number of adults and kids (this time: 18) we have, it is almost never makes sense that we go out to eat. Luckily all the girls in the family enjoy cooking, so we take turns for each meal. (ok, my mom does MOST the work). I heavily document reunions with my camera and make notes in my phone so I can journal and blog later, and many of those photos and notes include the food---it's just that important to us. :-)

I'm documenting it here because you may find it helpful to see what our meals look like for a week with a big group.

Monday//
Breakfast: acai bowls with Nova Granola
Lunch: hot dogs and sides
Dinner: pizza at a restaurant

Tuesday//
Breakfast: crepes
Lunch: sandwiches
Dinner: pasta Italian

Wednesday//
Breakfast: breakfast burriots
Lunch: make your own
Dinner: fish tacos

Thursday//
Breakfast: oatmeal
Lunch: bagels and sandwiches
Dinner: ribs and chicken

Friday//
Breakfast: ableskivers
Lunch: make your own
Dinner: chicken and coconut rice

Saturday//
Breakfast: acai bowls
Lunch: make your own
Dinner: pizza takeout

Breakfast /// Acai Bowls

 

 

For our family reunion this summer we had acai bowls with Nova Granola twice. Each time was a hit. They are fast, easy, and simple to make and everybody is happy. No real recipe to follow, but play around with measurements till you get the consistency you want. To make it "acai" you should get the frozen packets from Whole Foods.

In blender:
greek yogurt
acai frozen packet (whole foods has them in the freezer section)
pineapple and orange juice (i noticed that Banzai Bowls in Laguna Beach asks for soy milk or apple juice, so you could really pick any liquid you like here)
frozen banana
frozen mixed berries

Top with:
Nova granola
coconut
chocolate chips
sliced banana
sliced strawberry
drizzle of honey

Try // Fat Almond Pancake

I must be on summer break because all I care about is breakfast, running, and going to the pool.
One morning I made a giant pan of this and I was the only one around. This girl (me) needs mouths to feed. Any takers?

I used Green Kitchen Stories recipe for Fat Almond Pancakes. Think German Pancake or Dutch Baby. I promise, this healthified version is just as good. (my brother-in-law is going to roll his eyes at me for saying that)

The recipe calls for buckwheat flour but I subbed fresh ground wheat flour and it tasted just great.

I topped mine with powdered sugar and strawberries and I didn't need any syrup at all. Probably because there was some syrup in the batter and it was perfectly sweet.

In other news. I got an ipad and it makes cooking and baking THAT much better. Spotify and podcasts and pinterest right at hand.

 

Dinner // Fancy Sandwiches

 

To celebrate Maggie's birthday we had a "fancy sandwich" dinner. We had a spread of colorful options and everyone could build their own. The paradox of choice!!!!!

Options:

peppered bacon

lettuce

avocado

tomato

 peppers

cucumber

fig butter

champagne mustard

fancy pickles

basil
balsamic vinegar
olive oil

more photos over on JaneSays

Dinner // Vietnamese sandwiches

Do you like Vietnamese sandwiches? I've only had them a few times, but never made them myself. Egan and I decided to give them a try for Sunday dinner. We followed the recipe/assembling at Oh Dear Drea blog.
I really loved the combination of flavors. (mint, sriracha, basil, pickled mango/radish/carrots, marinated tofu, lime, cucumbers) It was an easy meal and they were so good.
Another plus, all the colors! Just how I like my food---fresh and colorful.

California eats

I was in California a few weeks ago and there was no shortage of delicious food.

Went to Nekter Juice Bar for acai bowls and fresh pressed juice. Utah, are you listening?

 

Milk and Honey in Costa Mesa. Teen and I shared a PB & berry sandwich. gimme.

 

Got all fancy huh at Nick's in Laguna Beach. I ordered meatloaf! I haven't had meatloaf in YEARS! no regrets. so good.

Breakfast at Banzai Bowls one morning in Laguna Beach. Utah---pretty please?!

  

and Costco pizza. that. hit. the. spot.

 

Breakfast // Pancakes with no syrup

 

We made pancakes one morning while I was visiting my twin sister in California and she didn't have any syrup. No problem, I warmed up some frozen berries, gave them a mashing, and drizzled some honey to sweeten it up.

Healthy Wholewheat Pancakes
adapted from Favorites cookbook
1 cup wholewheat flour (I used freshly ground)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sucanat
1/2 teaspoon real salt
1 cup almond milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

Combine all ingredients and mix. Bake on hot griddle.

Dessert // Angel Food Cake

It's my favorite spring dessert---Angel Food Cake. I've only made it once, but that's because Whole Foods or Costco sells such delicious ones. I really oughta make it again though, just for fun.

We had this for Easter dessert and it's an easy and light way to end a meal.

I really love how angel food cake is super easy to make look pretty. Taking a big slice of angel food cake and with a scoop of strawberries and a large dollop of whipped cream it is presentable and delicious. Nothing tricky to it.

Easter Dinner

Looking at these pictures from our Easter dinner is making me hungry! It was a flawless meal.

turkey with cranberry sauce

ham with mustard+relish

roasted asparagus

raw rainbow carrots

citrus ginger salad

bunny rolls (our only food tradition for Easter)

scalloped potatoes (not pictured)

Eat // waffles

I can't quit the overnight waffle recipe! I've been a huge fan of it lately because it makes a soft, filling waffle and has no flour, no oil, and no butter. It's got great flavor and a little bit of succanat sugar which means I didn't need any syrup. I like to top these with applesauce or mixed berries. You must try.

Drink // Perrier

My mom ALWAYS has citrus fruits and Perrier on hand. That drink with a side of popcorn is my favorite nightly treat.

I don't drink other carbonated drinks, but this I totally love. Simple, no chemicals, no sugars added.

Perrier + how ever many citrus fruits you can handle = my drink of choice (besides water, of course)

I do think Perrier/club soda/plain seltzers are an acquired taste. Can you drink them plain? What do you like to drink?

spring side dishes

I love being in the kitchen with my mom. She has a fully stocked kitchen, great lighting, and all the great kitchen tools. I love how adventurous she is in the kitchen, pretty much never makes the same meal twice. While we were at Pike Place Market we over heard a lady saying she likes to cook her artichokes in the pressure cooker. We were intrigued and had to try.

This is what we did:
Snip off all the pointy tips from the artichoke leaves. Place in a normal size pressure cooker with a little salt, a cut up lemon, and fill with water about half way up. Put lid on and turn on to high until pressure cooker lid starts to rattle. Turn down and continue to cook for 15 minutes. Take the pot over to the sink and run cold water over the pressure cooker until the valve goes down. Serve with a little melted butter and olive oil to dip in.
Normally it would take 45-60 minutes to cook an artichoke in a regular pot, but with a pressure cooker it took only 25 minutes. Wonderful!

Another side dish we tried was mashed cauliflower.
Here's what we did:
Cut cauliflower in florets and steam in a large pot. Once the cauliflower is tender drain the water and mash the cauliflower. We added some cream cheese and mashed until combined. Salt and pepper to liking.

a trip to the market

 

 

Every time I make a trip home to Seattle,  I visit Pike Place Market. This latest trip home was no exception. My mom and I stopped by the market on Friday to pick up some produce for Easter dinner. We walk the whole market every time and always have to share a "half dozen assorted" mini donuts from our favorite stand.

I couldn't resist taking a few photos because nature is amazing. Can you get over the shapes and colors that come from the earth?

Sourdough Pancakes

 

I'm a big fan of Cookus Interruptus and Cynthia Lair. I have her 2 cookbooks and love reading the articles posted on the blog. She's passionate about feeding families well and she's pretty quirky which is great too. Did I mention she's a Seattleite? Bonus.

Cookus Interruptus has a great article about the benefits of sourdough. I found it interesting that a lot of people who have a gluten intolerance can eat sourdough and the article explains why.

Read 10 Reasons to Eat Sourdough HERE

In the jars are the sourdough starters. Can you believe that sourdough is started with unwashed grapes, some flour, and water?!

To get their recipe, you'll have to make a donation. Pictured above are the Sourdough Yogurt Pancakes and they were delicious. It was just a hint of sourdough flavor and they made perfect pancakes.