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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: Vegetarian
Lemon Terragon Pasta with Zucchini and Summer Squash
This is a light and simple dish that looks elegant and is easy to prepare. Lemon can be adjusted to suit any taste. NUTS and BOLTS Vegetable Stock 1-2 tsp Vegan Margarine 1 cup Small Dry noodles (Orzo, Alphabet pasta, … Continue reading
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
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
Thank You Laurie!
Have I mentioned how wonderful my friends are? This lovely lady was actually a friend of my husband’s at first. They both teach classes at Ascend Training and Consulting here in Chicago-land. We have a little in common, both being … 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
Prune and Pumpkin Puree’ (for the little ones)
This recipe was sort of a spur of the moment, last ditch effort to get my twinkies to eat prunes. The smallest has been holding it all in with a stubbornness to match my own and is now in serious … Continue reading
Chocolate Surprise Cake
Dessert is a true weakness of mine. I could eat it after every meal, every day. I am always trying to find ways to make desserts that are wicked in flavor and high in satisfaction but low in fat and … Continue reading
Whole Grain Cinnamon Pancakes
Who loves pancakes? I don’t – not usually, anyway. If I am going to eat a pancake, it would have to be interesting. If I am going to make pancakes, they would have to be worth it. They would have … Continue reading
Caramelized Onion, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Pizza
This recipe was initially developed last year as we tried to come up with pizza ideas that did not require huge amounts of cheese and utilized some of the beautiful vegetables from our farm share. The heavy black pepper makes … Continue reading
Garlic and Herb Crostini
I have a confession to make. I am addicted to garlic. Garlic and salt. If you do not share my passion, cut all my garlic measurements in half. I said I wanted happy dinners where we all enjoy the same … Continue reading
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