Southwest Loaded Sweet Potatoes

She's just a girl but she's on fire...Looks like a girl but she's a flame. So bright she can burn your eyes, better look the other way. You can try but you'll never forget her name. She's on top of the world. Hottest of the hottest girls. We've got our feet on the ground and we're burning it down. Got our head in the clouds, and we're not coming down. This girl is on fire!

Guess what? The other day when Isabella came home from school with girl problems, I actually had the emotional and physical energy, time, and calm to listen to her. I actually sat and listened. I was careful to hear her. I was careful to discern whether she just needed to talk or was asking for my advice. I sat with her for 30 minutes and I actually had valuable wisdom to share with her and I empowered her with the idea that she could do something about it. She could fix it. And I would be rooting for her.

I know, this what good mothers are "supposed to do". But you guys, I couldn't have done this before; not consistently anyway. I probably would have listened a bit and cut the conversation short with a "Oh, it'll be okay, sweetie. I'm sure you'll figure it out". When I am busy, hurrying about, and have lots of plans, even if it's "fun" stuff, it wears me out. I don't have the capacity for listening to my own daughter when I'm worn out, and I can get really annoyed with 10-year old girl drama. 

She's living in a world and it's on fire. Feeling the catastrophe, but she knows she can fly away...

Alicia Keys sings Girl on Fire and exactly how I feel in recent days. She also sings Brand New Me. Heard it? It's my current anthem.



I haven't changed. Quite the contrary. I read a book over a year ago that pretty much changed my perspective on a lot of things. It wasn't a self help book, but rather, incredibly startling in the truth it conveyed. Perhaps you've heard of Ann Voskamp?  The tagline of the book is:

"A dare to live fully, right where you are"

It sounds nice. I got it intellectually right off the bat. But, it's the kind of concept you don't really grasp until you just do. I have found the freedom to let myself be the person I already am but was not really living. The person who loves people and parties, but needs plenty of unscheduled quiet time. Someone who feels most alive while creating something alone, whether it be writing, reading, cooking, or folding laundry with intention. Quiet allows me that peace. Then, and only then and I more capable of being more fully alive when I am with other people. I need space. I need to not feel pressured to make plan after plan. This is me. And I finally love it. And I am proud to say it, because it's been a long time in accepting and adapting my lifestyle around it. Setting boundaries can do wonders for the soul. Spring has sprung.

She's got both feet on the ground and she's burning it down. She's got her head in the clouds and she's not backing down...

It may seem like cooking and recipes are not much related to this topic, but it seems everything that is woven through my life relates to this topic. This perspective shift has changed my cooking. I find more relish in cooking the simple things. This recipe for southwest loaded sweet potatoes might not have been something I blogged about before. Not because it's not really, really yummy, but because it's a no brainer food. It would normally be something I whipped up quickly, rushing through, opening a couple cans of salsa, browning some turkey or veggie crumbles, roasting a sweet potato. We're not creating anything particularly beautiful with this kind of food. Ah, but beauty and joy are found everywhere if you can see it. I didn't rush through. I noticed how perfectly orange the insides of the sweet potato were. I took time to breathe in the seasonings in the meat as I added each new spice. I didn't even have to try. It was a natural by-product of not hurrying and of not being overwhelmed of mind. This was the most intentionally crafted, made with love, loaded sweet potato that you will ever find. And, it was seriously delicious. More so than it should have been. I feel like this will be a staple in our household. I don't love stuffed sweet potatoes any other way I've made them. But that sweet flesh teemed with the subtle sweet-spiceness of the chipotle salsa, and salty green salsa, mixed with taco spiced meat (or veggie crumbles in our case) and finished with a cool dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream? Home run baby. In the simplest and most fulfilling of ways. It was a happy night.

This girl is on fire!

Southwest Loaded Sweet Potatoes
adapted from Biggest Loser (no, seriously)
serves 4

4 roasted sweet potatoes (one per person)
1 lb ground turkey (or 1 package Boca brand veggie crumbles)
1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoon chile powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt
1 container chipotle flavored red salsa
1 container salsa verde (green salsa)
Greek yogurt or sour cream

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add turkey and brown, or cook veggie crumbles according to package directions. Add Worcestershire sauce, dijon, chile powder, cumin, garlic salt, onion powder and a pinch or two of Kosher salt to the meat and stir to combine. 

When sweet potatoes are roasted, split each in half and fill with a layer of the red salsa, followed by a heaping spoonful of meat or veggie crumbles, top with green salsa and Greek yogurt.

Crockpot Beans- How to cook, store, and freeze beans for later

Secret? I do this without the crockpot most of the time on my good ole fashioned stove top. Either way works very well. We cook with a lot of beans in this house. Just this week alone we are having white chili (white beans), Minestrone soup (kidney beans), and balsamic lime stew with beans and veggies (kidney, black and white beans). I actually have to watch the amount of bean dishes I make in a single week and purposely try and not go overboard. And, while I don't pretend to be an expert on the matter, canned beans freak me out a little in their tin cans. You hear about BPA and metal and the word toxic gets thrown around. I still use canned products but I try and use dried beans whenever possible. Since learning how to cook up a big batch then freezing the cooked beans for later use, it's become a lot easier. Dried beans that you cook yourself are creamier. They are also slightly starchier I've noticed, which I love because it helps to thicken up my chili dishes ever so slightly. If you use them in a dish without broth, you'd never notice this so don't worry.

Crockpot Method for Cooking Dried Beans:

Step 1: IF you live at high altitude, you must soak your beans in a bowl of water overnight. If you don't live at high altitude, you can skip this step. Just cover your beans with about two inches of water and leave it on the counter.



Step 2: Place your beans (straight from the bag and dried if you live at lower elevations) in a crockpot

Step 3: Fill your crockpot with water about two inches above the beans



Step 4: Set crockpot to high and cook beans for 4 hours for lower altitudes and 6.5 hours for high altitude. Check to make sure your beans are tender. If not, set your timer for another 30 minutes and walk away.

(To make on a stove top, pour your soaked beans in a large stock pot and cover with 2-3 inches of fresh water. Simmer with a lid partially covering the pot for 6 hours, checking every now and again to make sure there is enough water in the pot and adding more if needed. At lower latitude you could probably get away with cooking for only 4 hours.)

Freezing and Storing Cooked Beans for Future use:

Step 1: Drain cooked beans



Step 2: Place beans in a Freezer safe ziplock bag and store in the freezer. (I measure out 1.5 cups for each bag since it equals what would be in 1 can of canned beans. See "additional tips" for more info) The beans don't need any additional liquid in order to freeze properly.



Step 3: When you need your beans, you can take them straight out of the freezer and add them to your dishes. They will thaw and break up easily.

Additional Tips:

1 15-ounce can of beans equals:
- 1/2 cup dry beans, before cooking
-1 1/2 cups beans, after cooking

1 pound dry beans equals:
-2 cups dry beans, before cooking
-6 cups beans, after cooking
-4 15-ounce cans of beans

I buy two pound bags of beans from my health food store for a couple bucks and make what would be equal to 8 cans of beans! It's simple, easy and affordable.

How Handicapped Children Make Us More Fully Human

A beautiful article was written and posted today by my friend, Jonalyn, who writes the blog Ruby Slippers, and is the co-founder, along with her husband Dale, of Soulation where she publishes her writtings.

She asked us a while back if she could interview Jeremy and I about Olivia and how she has changed our perspective on life, God, the handicapped, and how she makes us more Fully Human. I'd like to share with you in case you'd like a peek behind the curtain of "real" in our lives.

Fully Disabled: Fully Human -click here for the article-


The Velveteen Rabbit. A beautiful reminder of what it means to be Real:

"Real isn't a bout how you are made", said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but really loves you, then you become Real."
"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. 'When you are Real, you don't mind being hurt."
"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"
"it doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. that's why it doesn't often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out, and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real, you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."


Getting her EEG to test for seizures. That was fun -not-



In real life I talk about more than just food and myself. ;)

Cloud Frosting and Baby Announcement!

When we shared this photo on Facebook, my husband's comment was "bring on the hormones!" No kidding. Wow- another girl. Here we go. We should have expected it. My family has girls. The fact that I have a boy at all is somewhat shocking.

Our doctor had to be a bit discrete while telling us since the kids were in the room and we all had said we think and hope it's a boy. Oops. Of course, every ultrasound I've ever been in (4) I had been wishing for exactly the opposite of what they tell me it is. With Isabella I had wanted a boy. I wanted to name him Ryan Shawn. With Jeremiah, Jeremy and I were hoping for a girl. We were going to name her Scarlett. With Olivia we were rooting for a boy. No name picked out. I guess we knew better. And with this one, it happened all over again. Who knows what we would have named this baby had it been a boy (we currently were liking Maddox a lot) but now we need to start shifting our minds to more feminine names. Sigh. I'm extremely happy for a healthy baby, obviously, but I was really hoping that once, just once, we could all just hoot and holler upon hearing the gender right away instead of having to adjust to the news.  Do you know how annoying that is? I kind of want to have another one after this and try again for that. I'm just kidding. Kind of...



I am super excited about naming another girl though! I love girl names. My top two favorites up till now have been Emily and Kate - but Jeremy is not thrilled with either - so it's not going to happen. Plus, I'd really like to name this baby something other than what's in the top five most popular girl names, (Emily always is, and I can imagine Kate will be working it's way up because of the Dutchess) especially since my other two girls are already in that category. Something a bit different, sweet, and very girly. That seems to be my aim. But we'll see. I also like cool names like Brooklynn. And the meaning of names means a lot to us, so that will definitely play a major factor in deciding.



I love being pregnant. I'm on cloud 9, which is why I choose cloud frosting for this post and gender reveal picture. It was too perfect. This frosting is like a cross between marshmallow and whipped cream. It's light and airy and pipes up beautifully. I can be used for cupcakes or cakes. I prefer to eat this frosting within an hour of making it because I like it really soft and wet almost. It's heavenly - hence the cloud name. But many people prefer it as it stiffens up and becomes more like spongy marshmallow texture. I tinted a portion of my frosting blue and pink for the picture, but the other were white. I prefer the clean softness of it. This frosting goes with any flavor cake - chocolate, pumpkin, vanilla, strawberry, you name it.



You don't even need a piping tip to create this look. Just snip off the end of a piping bag or ziplock bag and press down in the center of your cupcake and squeeze in one continuous motion. You'll get a beautiful mound. Continue squeezing very lightly as you pull up to create the peak.

Cloud Frosting
adapted from Martha Stewart
frosts 24 cupcakes or 1 cake

• • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 6 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• • Make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine sugar, egg whites, water, and cream of tartar. Whisk until foamy. Set bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and whisk until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer bowl to stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until frosting forms stiff peaks, about 12 to 16 minutes (mine only took about 6 minutes). Add vanilla and beat until combined.

  Frost cake or pipe onto cupcakes immediately and serve asap for fluffy, soft frosting. Serve 2-3 hours later for more marshmallow like frosting (sticky and spongy).

French Toast Bread Pudding and A Valentine's To Remember

I can't remember the last time my heart felt so full. Today I woke at 5:30am, put on my red pants with a lacy white top and ventured downstairs to make this outrageous breakfast for Valentines Day.

That's French Toast Bread Pudding, people. And I actually made it last night. After I got done beating the custard, I poured it all over the fat slices of Brioche I had layered in my baking pan. I covered it with foil and stuck it in the fridge to soak overnight. I did this purposely after the kids went to bed so it would be a surprise in the morning. We don't eat like this for breakfast often.

I baked it, and while the house was filling with the aroma of buttered custard bread, the kids came trickling downstairs to find what Valentines treats awaited them. Daddy didn't disappoint with chocolates and stuffed animals and hot wheels for Jeremiah. I got them things to wear (typical). Valentine shirts/scarfs, etc.

They opened their gifts and ate



Then we all felt a little sick. Not because the food was bad. Oh, no, this stuff is glorious. Probably just because we've been on a cleanse and we're weenies and hyper aware of how food makes us feel.

My three little Valentines



Then we headed to drop Olivia off at pre-school and take Isabella and Jeremiah with us to our ultrasound appointment. Did we find out the gender of baby number four? Yes! But you are going to have to wait until another post for the reveal...

I'm so mean.

Then we dropped the kids off at school and Jeremy and I went to Winona's to have breakfast together. We ate healthy things that wouldn't make us sick.

Olivia got this sweet Valentine from Emmett (remember from yesterday's post?) His mom was quick to explain that he was in no way proposing to Olivia. Isn't it the sweetest? 4 year olds...







Then, my gifts came. Jeremiah, my 6-year old boy, brought me these by his own prompting.



Then, this happened.





Jeremy usually gets me red roses on Valentines Day (if he goes the flower route---always a safe choice, men) but he said this year it didn't feel right. It felt more light, more spring-like, more celebratory and joyful. It's where we are in our lives and I couldn't have picked a more appropriate bouquet. Plus, knowing he actually walked through the flower shop pointing at colors and flowers he'd like included makes it extra-special in my book. He made sure to include my very favorite flowers in the whole wide world, ranunculus. It's the first time I've received a bouquet with them in it because their growing season is so short. They are the spindly little flowers that resemble a cabbage rose, almost. They have character. I can't wait for them to fully bloom.

*an after published note: my friend Kel says this picture looks nothing like me* 

My gift to Jeremy this year was a love letter. He's not a huge material gift guy.



Now? I'm settling in to read one of the best books ever while Olivia naps. Tonight brings a hot date with my husband at our restaurant. We received this picture from our chef showing us what awaits. :)



Gah- You guys, I'm so happy and it's only 1:40pm...

"Expect nothing, and appreciate everything"



French Toast Bread Pudding
adapted from Ina Garten
serves 8

1 challah loaf, sliced 3/4 inch thick
8 extra-large eggs
5 cups half-and-half or milk
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Confectioners' sugar and pure maple syrup, for serving
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange the bread in two layers in a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish, cutting the bread to fit the dish. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, honey, orange zest, vanilla, and salt. Pour the mixture over the bread and press the bread down. Allow to soak for 10 minutes.

Place the baking dish in a larger roasting pan and add enough very hot tap water to the roasting pan to come an inch up the side of the baking dish. Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil, tenting it so the foil doesn't touch the pudding. Make two slashes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes, remove the aluminum foil, and bake for another 40 to 45 minutes, until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.

With a small sieve, dust lightly with confectioners' sugar and serve hot in squares with maple syrup on the side.

Homemade Sign-Language Valentines

No recipe here today. Just some sweet pictures of my oldest girl helping my youngest girl make some homemade valentines for her class tomorrow.

Olivia has special needs (Angelmans Syndrome - see my friends and family page) and goes to a school that integrates typical children with special needs children. These valentines were perfect for her class, don't you think? Olivia can't talk, so she uses signs and although she can't actually sign "I love you", she would if she could -especially to Emmit, her "boyfriend" who has Down's Syndrome and is the cutest little boy you've ever seen. She really does have an affinity for Emmit, and I do too, and Emmit's mom once told me that he had eyes for Olivia, so yeah, it's unofficially officially her "boyfriend." You know how these preschool romances work.

Emmit and Olivia


Big sister helping little sister make the Valentines




We slipped cute pink lollipops through a slit in sturdy paper and Isabella traced a hand and proceeded to cut it out 12 times and color them all. Melted my heart.



Tomorrow is Valentines Day and as if it couldn't get any better already, it's also the day we go in for our 20 week baby appointment for our ultrasound! We're taking the kids and finding out together. Be looking for a gender reveal post next week! I'm not excited at all.

Easy Lemon, Garlic and Kale Pasta

Kale. It's what's for dinner. Okay, so I fess up, I saw this recipe on Pinterest and swooned over it for a couple months until I decided it was time to make it. Although the original recipe sounded lovely, I knew I needed to add significantly more garlic, lemon, and salt, plus a little crushed red pepper flake in order for it to pass my taste test. I was right on the money. The amounts can be tweaked to fit your preferences but I found this recipe to be perfectly garlicky, without being overpowering (it takes more than you think it will), and very lemony. We like lemon in our house. I thought this was perfect for us because the brightness along with the silky olive oil and background garlic balanced the earthiness of the kale. If you are not overly thrilled by lemons, cut down on the juice by a 1/2 lemon, and don't add the lemon slices to infuse your oil. That should do it.



This girl gobbled her pasta down with great enthusiasm, although we did catch her picking out a few ribbons of kale and tossing them to the side. I think they made their way onto the floor where the dog ate them. He lives for moments like that.



Right now, that very same girl is squealing at the TV in the background where the Price Is Right is on. What is it with that show? Kids love it. The bright colors, the commotion. Have you ever noticed that? I swear, next time the kids are driving you crazy, play an episode of Price Is Right and walk away. You don't even need to draw attention to it. The kids will just naturally flock to the TV and become entranced. It's so strange. When Jeremiah is home sick and it comes on he'll yell at me if I try and turn the channel. I had no idea the showcase showdown could be so entertaining.



Easy Lemon, Garlic and Kale Pasta
adapted from The Cilantropist
serves 4-6

1 head dinosaur or black kale, thick stem removed and chopped into thin ribbons
1 lb. shell pasta (we used brown rice pasta - Tinkyada brand, which is gluten free)
2 lemons
7 fat garlic cloves, chopped and divided
1/2 cup olive oil + 2 tablespoons
pinch red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
Toasted pine nuts (optional)

Heat a large pot filled with water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.

Zest and juice one of the lemons in a bowl and set aside for later. Slice the remaining lemon in half and squeeze the juice out of one of the halves into the bowl of juice and zest. Slice the remaining half a lemon into thin slices and reserve.

In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add 2 of the chopped garlic cloves and saute for 1 minute. Add kale and saute until it wilts nicely, about 5 minutes and add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Transfer wilted kale to another bowl (or sheet of foil, like I do) and set aside.

In the same pan used to cook the kale, heat 1/2 cup of olive oil over medium to medium-low heat, once warm, add the remaining 5 cloves of garlic, pinch of red pepper flakes, and lemons slices, and saute until garlic is cooked and oil is infused, about 3-5 minutes. Add in the lemon juice and zest and remaining teaspoon of Kosher salt. Continue to simmer everything together for 1 minute. Add the kale and pasta to the sauce and toss until combined. Top with toasted pine nuts and serve hot.