at home with ann

In this steamy weather, I'm craving cold, refreshing drinks.  Smoothies are a mainstay of our lunch menu, and these cucumber coolers were super hydrating.  We've been getting a lot of cucumbers from our CSA, and while I like salads and pickles as much as the next girl, it's good to change it up.  Plus, a certain 3yo I know claims not to like cucumbers.  His younger brother, on the other hand, will eat anything he can get his hands on- food or not.  I'm happy to say both of them happily drank these. The blueberries were also fresh from Tangerini's Farm.  I dragged the kids out to pick in the 90 degree heat one afternoon last week.  The aisle we walked down was next to an anti-bird machine which periodically screeched to deter birds from eating the berries.  A relaxing sound.  Colin's basket was perpetually empty, and I had to supply James with a steady stream of berries, but we came home with a few pints and have been enjoying them all wee...

In my pantry I have two large mason jars with grains in them.  I'm fairly certain one of them is hard red wheat berries.  I determined this after comparing them to a bag I had, and getting really close to stare at them.  For a while, I thought the other jar held barley.  But then I got some barley and it looked different.  Instead of just cooking them and figuring it out, I ignored them for several months, and complained about the space they took up.  Finally, I used them for this recipe and determined they are soft white wheat berries.  Mystery solved.  The mystery of why I can't be bothered to label my jars is still out there, however.  Now I feel like I may have told you this boring story before.  Sorry. This salad is great on it's own, but we had some leftovers from a roast chicken so I added it for some protein.  Chickpeas are a good vegetarian option. Wheat Berry Salad with Chicken 1 cup wheat berries, soaked and then si...

You know how when you order take-out Chinese food and you get way more fortune cookies than the number of people in your party?  The highly sophisticated formula for food per person used by takeout Chinese restaurants is a mystery to me.  Since we always order enough for leftovers, it's ok  to get four cookies for two people.  A few weekends ago we ordered from a new-to-us place that turned out to have extremely generous portions.  Our order of two appetizers and three entrees (we like variety) came with seven fortune cookies.  Seven.  We ate the food for three meals, Jon even had some for extra breakfast and we still ended up throwing some away, along with five of those fortune cookies.  The shame of ordering nearly enough food for a football team prompted me to make a little healthy salad for us to detox on Monday. Wheat Berry Salad 1/2 cup dried wheat berries, steamed - I soak mine overnight, and then simmer in fresh water for about an hour...

As far as I'm concerned, you can never have too much quinoa.  At the market the other day I was trying to decide between buying barbecue ribs for dinner or a giant bag of quinoa.  While I like ribs, I knew I'd get much more mileage (and nutrition!) out of the quinoa, so I did the virtuous thing.  This hasn't stopped me from dropping not-so-subtle hints to Jon about the barbecue stand I want to try, however.  I'll wear him down eventually.  Add anything you want to quinoa, stir in some sort of sauce or dressing, and you have a meal.  Perfect for summer.  This is a combination of fresh summer vegetables topped with the amazingly delicious Lemon Tahini Dressing from Oh She Glows .  We had this on it's own as a light entree one night, and the leftovers as a side dish for burgers.  And, you know me, I topped mine with goat cheese, but that's entirely optional.  Summer Quinoa 1 cup dried quinoa, rinsed 1 3/4 cup vegetable broth 1 larg...

Another recipe from Cooking Light.  Another keeper.  Jon and I both agreed these were delicious, and I'll be making them again soon.  I especially liked that I could prep them in advance and then pop them into the fridge so Jon could cook them up quickly after Colin went to sleep.  I actually enjoyed eating this slowly and drinking a glass of wine, instead of slamming down my food as quickly as possible while holding a wiggly, bouncing person on the verge of an exhaustion induced meltdown in one arm.  Hoisin-Glazed Salmon Burgers with Pickled Cucumber recipe from Cooking Light Pickled Cucumber: 1/3 cup water 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (I used one clove, grated) 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger (I grated this as well - keep your ginger in the freezer) 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 24 thin slices English cucumber (I sliced a whole cucumber on the mandoline) In a saucepan, combine first six ingredients (...

I love salads.  Everything from greens dressed with just olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice, to giant piles of everything in the fridge.  That being said, we all burn out on greens occasionally, so here are a few ideas for lettuce-free salads.  One great thing about these salads, you can make them in advance without worrying about everything getting wilted and sad. Cucumber, Corn and Tomato Salad The title pretty much sums it up. Cucumber, chopped Tomato, chopped Corn, raw, shucked off the cob Avocado (add this at the last minute to prevent browning) Fresh basil or parsley, or both, chopped Olive oil Red wine vinegar This was great as-is, but I also served the leftovers over a bed of lettuce (I know, I promised no lettuce), and added chickpeas to make it a little heartier. Roasted Sweet Potato and Beet Salad Also, self-explanatory. Sweet potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes Beets, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch cubes Onion, roughly chopped Olive oil Balsamic ...

As you have likely noticed, I like main course salads.  They can be made in advance, and usually get better a day later. This was my first time cooking barley.  I thought it would be with the grains like rice and couscous in the market, and had nearly given up hope and gone to Whole Foods, where you can always find everything, when I found it with dried beans.  So if you want to make this and can't find barley, check with the beans. Peach Cucumber Barley Salad slightly modified from Good Housekeeping Ingredients: 1 cup pearl barley 2 cups water, vegetable broth, or a combination (I just used water) 1 cucumber 2 peaches 1 pint cherry tomatoes 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves 2 Tablespoons vinegar (cider or red wine) 1 Tablespoon olive oil salt and pepper 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed Place dry barley in a saucepan over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring, until toasted. Stir in water/broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, c...

Before we get started today, I need to jump on the royal wedding bandwagon. I've actually always been on the royal wedding bandwagon.  In 1981, my mother and I watched Charles and Diana's wedding together.  I was too young to remember watching, but I do remember that dress.  I visited St. Paul's Cathedral when I went to England at age 15, and hoped I'd run into William around London and he might decide that I'd make a good princess.  If it wasn't going to be me, Kate makes an excellent choice.  I confess that I haven't seen all the coverage yet today (although of course I DVR'd it), however, my first impression is that she looked lovely and they seem very happy.  It has been reported to me that they had the same hymn at their wedding as we did at ours, and also my mother said Kate didn't look as beautiful as I did on my wedding day, but mothers are supposed to say things like that. I should have made scones.  Instead I made couscous. This salad ...

I love seafood, especially fish, and I'm making an effort to incorporate more into my diet.  All those good omega-3s and all that.  While canned tuna can be high in mercury, canned salmon is all good.  Of course, you can use fresh if you have some leftover from dinner the night before.  I liked this salad so much I'm planning to stock up on canned salmon next time I go to BJ's.  And also the huge multi-pack of Sharpies, because those are obviously necessary. Inspired by Kath Eats and her Super Salmon Salad , this can definitely be a dish where you throw in whatever is in the fridge and strikes your fancy. Ingredients: 1/2 cup dried wheat berries, cooked according to directions.  I soaked overnight, and then drained, rinsed, covered with fresh water, and simmered for 45 minutes. 1 can salmon, drained 1/2 lemon, juiced 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1/2 - 1 teaspoon dried dill, or 1 Tablespoon fresh Vegetables - these are just what I had around, use whate...

It's not all hors d'oeuvres and pasta around here, folks.  While we did a pretty good job last week keeping vacation indulgences to a reasonable level, I'm still feeling ready for a bit of a detox.  Maybe a break from the rum for a few weeks.  And a few meals including whole grains and plant based protein.  And gallons of water. I've had my eye on this recipe since January when I saw it on Oh She Glows .  I've never cooked with wheat berries before, but based on my love of couscous, quinoa, and good old brown rice, I knew this would be another favorite.  I used Bob's Red Mill Organic Hard White Wheat Berrie s and I am happy to report they were very easy to cook.  I sort of want to go to the Red Mill and meet Bob.  He looks kindly. Wheat Berry and Chickpea Salad based on Oh She Glows and Bob's Red Mill Ingredients 1 cup dried wheat berries 1-2 cups cooked chickpeas, or one can 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped 1/2 large English cucumber, chopp...