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Monkey #3
Who are the 3 Munching Monkeys?
Hi! My name is Allaina, and the aforementioned monkeys are my darling daughters. The eldest is currently 9 years old and the twinkies just turned 4. They all love to help in the kitchen and our family's love of food and cooking has inspired the eldest to strive toward owning a bed and breakfast when she grows up. I call my girls my monkeys because they all shriek, climb things and generally spend much of their time tumbling around. Often I feel like I run a zoo, not a household!
Who is in Charge Around Here?
I am a 35 year old Mother to 3, deliriously happy wife of 10+ years, graphic designer, singer, artist and quadriplegic. I find such joy in preparing delicious food and sharing that love with friends and family. I also can not resist the challenge of using difficult ingredients in new and resourceful ways and I strive to create irresistible flavors with much of what I have on hand - who has time to always run to the store?
Nutrition is very important to me. When we started receiving our organic CSA share a few summers ago, I was overwhelmed by the number and variety of vegetables we were receiving. I didn't know what to do with half of them. I despaired at my children's suspicious glances into the bags. I began in earnest to try to create recipes that would entice the kids to the table but allow me to feel good about what they put in their mouths. In this process, I discovered quite happily that I have a knack for being sneaky in the kitchen.
This blog is my attempt to share my recipes and observations, empower other parents in the kitchen and have more happy family dinners throughout the nation.
Category Archives: Main Dishes
Vegan Bolognese
So, I love a challenge. I think veganizing recipes becomes more fun for me the more ingredients that need reworking and replacing. Today, I did a Vegan Bolognese – I mean, other than the mirepoix, conventional recipes basically contain butter, … Continue reading
Mexican Style, Creamy Taco Chicken Salad
So, someone I know brought over some chicken they had previously grilled for me to make dinner with. Everyone knows I love to use leftovers creatively. Immediately I thought of chicken salad. I do get tired of the same old … Continue reading
Super Sneaky Garden Vegetable Frittata
A frittata is your friend in the sneaky kitchen. Much like quiche, it functions as a Trojan Horse for all kinds of veggies. I had a lot of fresh produce and needed to find a way to get it into … Continue reading
Quick Chicken Noodle Soup with Kale
I am apparently raising a little chef. My oldest has been coming up with recipes lately. We finally had the opportunity to try one out. You know what? It was fabulous!! This is a great way to get a homemade … Continue reading
Breakfast Quinoa
My twinkies love oatmeal, particularly the flavored instant oatmeal sold in individual packages. There is a lot of unnecessary junk in those, however. Oatmeal made from scratch is nice, but I was striving for something with more rounded nutrition. Some … Continue reading
Garlic Chicken and Veggie Pasta Sauce
This recipe was inspired by a Lean Cuisine dish my mother in law was eating, Garlic Chicken. While I admire the ease of a microwave meal and am no stranger to the frozen foods section, I still recognize that there … Continue reading
Quiche in a Basket
I love quiche. I don’t love how fattening it can be. This is a slimmed down version that I made appetizer / child size. I added all kinds of things to my batter – broccoli, mushrooms, chicken, red peppers, green … Continue reading
Lemon Tarragon Salmon Fillet
This is sort of a guest blog. I’ll do the typing, but someone else is cooking this one. I can not cook meats like my husband. I just don’t have the ability to patiently wait for things to sear. I … Continue reading
Products I Love – Ancient Grains, Heritage Grain Blend
I have decided I will occasionally post entries about pantry items I love and feel are really useful for when we have no time to make everything from scratch. I wish I could not use any processed ingredients, but convenience … Continue reading
Turnip Casserole
Ok, this is not a sexy, pretty dish. I tried and tried and this was the most beautiful picture I could take. It doesn’t plate pretty or look nice in the pan. What it does do, is taste fabulous and … Continue reading
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