Best Smart Phone Apps for Greener Living

Since joining the 21st century at the beginning of the year and getting a smart phone, I discovered a lot of apps that help me live a greener life.

1. Dirty Dozen - This app lists the "Dirty Dozen" aka the dirties, most pesticide-filled produce in the market, along with the "Clean 15" or the least pesticide-filled produce. The information is provided by the Environmental Working Group Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce. The list is updated yearly. I like this app b.c while I have most of the Dirty Dozen memorized, it is still nice to be able to check and make sure I avoid buying the most pesticide laden produce by buying organic.

2. Fooducate  - This is a great little app that allows you to scan a barcode on any food item and it will give that food a grade from F for unhealthy to A for healthiest. It will offer healthier alternatives for poor food choices. It was created by dietitians and it tracks fat, sugar, food dyes and high fructose corn syrup. It has a large database of food but the great thing is, if a food you scan isn't in their database, you can add it.

3. Honest Label Food - Similar to Fooducate, this is another barcode scanner. I have found that sometimes if one product is not in one database, it might be in the other.

4. Locavore - This app tells you what produce is in season currently, and what is about to be in season. It is depressing, for me at least, to see nothing in season in winter, but such is the case for living in Illinois.

5. Seafood Watch - This app is from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program helps consumers and businesses make choices for healthy oceans. Our recommendations indicate which seafood items are "Best Choices," "Good Alternatives," and which ones you should "Avoid."

6. Seasonal Harvest - Similar to Locavore, this app tells you want is in season as well.

7. True Food Network - This app was created to help you find and avoid genetically engineered ingredients wherever you shop. Our guide gives you valuable information on common genetically engineered ingredients, brands to look for, and look out for, and common sense tips to keep you in the know.This one actually took me a minute to find the actual guide, but if you click on the menu button on the bottom on your phone, you will have the option to view the guide. But you probably aren't as stupid as I am and figured that out quickly.

If you know of any app, let me know!

Cherry Limeade Cupcakes and exciting news

First the exciting news! I am going to be a Good Mom again. The Good Fetus is due at the end of July. 

So to commemorate the growth of TGF, I thought I would make some pregnancy cupcakes to honor the little parasite currently sucking out all my nutrients. At 11 weeks, the fetus is the size of a lime. The only lime flavored thing I really wanted was a margarita and frankly, I get funny looks when I drink in public while pregnant. So I decided to make the next best thing - cherry limeade cupcakes.

A lot of the recipes I found called for a shitton of sugar. Aside from the fact that all that sugar will kill my diabetic ass, I just don't like my cupcakes to be super sweet. I modified the sugar content in the recipe and it made for a tart, lime heavy cupcake with an accent of sweet cherry. The reviews were mixed. Some people loved them and some thought they were a little too tart. (I ate two cupcakes and thought they were a nice balance of sweet and tart, but since I can't eat them all, I gave the rest to family and neighbors.)

 So change the sugar content according to your taste.

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:

3 cups cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoon limeade concentrate

3 eggs

3/4 cup milk

For the lime syrup:

3/4 cup limeade concentrate

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

For the frosting:

3 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 teaspoon (or more) maraschino cherry juice

For decorating:

fresh lime slices

maraschino cherries

Directions:
To make the cupcakes:

~Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line two muffin pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl sift together the cake flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the limeade concentrate and vanilla extract and mix to combine.  Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between additions.  Add in the flour mixture in thirds along with the milk.  Mix until combined. Do not overmix.

~Fill each cupake 3/4 of the way full.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pans for 5-10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack over wax paper to cool completely.

~When the cupcakes have cooled slightly, whisk together the limeade concentrate and confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl to make the lime syrup.  Brush syrup over the top of the slightly warm cupcakes, allowing the syrup to soak in. Repeat until the syrup is gone.

To make the frosting:

~Combine the confectioners’ sugar, butter, vanilla extract and maraschino cherry juice in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Mix on low speed until sugar is incorporated, then increase to medium-high speed and beat until smooth.  Add more maraschino cherry juice as needed to achieve desired texture.

~Frost cooled cupcakes.  Garnish with lime slices and maraschino cherries, if desired.

recipe modified from: Annie's Eats

Thansgiving Day Foods

You know you are a fucking adult when it is your turn to host Thanksgiving. Now I know why my grandma was always pitching a huge bitchfit for the holidays and why the normally dry house had 3 boxes of wine. This is the second Thanksgiving I have hosted and last year was such a mess that we ignored it. This year we hosted for my mom and dad, so it was a small affair. We had stuffing and taters and gravy and green bean casserole and rotisserie turkey breast. I like doing the turkey breast on the rotisserie because you can just turn it on and walk away and don't have to bother with basting. 

Everything is fairly typical and boring.

For sides, we had the ever popular Cowboy Sushi, homemade french onion dip and stuffed mushrooms.

My Mom's Stuffed Mushrooms

This is one of the dishes that I can actually remember my mom making. But I know she hasn't made them in years. I thought it would be nice to make them for Thanksgiving. 

(and yeah I know I am just getting around to a fucking Thanksgiving post in January, but I have been a lazy heifer lately)

The white wine and mustard provide a sharp bite to the mushrooms while the cheese gives them a soft texture. My mom had forgotten just how good they were.

Ingredients:  

24 large button mushrooms

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 gloves of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoons dried basil

1/3 cup dry white whine

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

18 Ritz crackers, finely crushed

4 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

~Remove stems from mushrooms and reserve and roughly chop.

~In a large skillet, saute chopped mushroom stems, onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Ass parsley, basil, wine and mustard. Simmer for five minutes.

~Remove from heat and let stand five minutes. Stir in cracker crumbs and cheese. Fill mushroom caps with mixture. Place on baking sheet and bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes or until done. Serve warm.

recipe by: my mom

Homemade French Onion Dip

I like to make simple, homemade versions of traditional Thanksgiving foods. One of the easiest things to make was onion dip. The Good Husband will eat an entire container and bag of chips in one sitting, if allowed. So instead of buying a container at the store, I wanted to make my own this year.

With everything else I had to cook this year, this one was actually one of the easier ones.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 

2 cups thinly sliced onion 

2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves 

3/4 cup mayonnaise 

3/4 cup sour cream 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon ground black pepper 

Potato chips, for serving 

Directions:

~Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onions and sage. Cover and cook until onions are deep golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

~Remove from heat and let cool. Whisk together mayonnaise and sour cream in a medium bowl to blend. Stir in the cooled caramelized onions, salt, and pepper. Cover dip and refrigerate until flavors blend, about 2 hours. 

recipe by: The Food Network

2011 - A year I didn't shut the hell up

It seems like now is the time when everyone likes to recap the year and make a list of hopeful goals for the coming months. I do have some big plans for the next year but I will save that for upcoming posts.

So now, let's take a look back, shall we, in the same way that we watch the VH1 top 100 of the year and say," 'Sing' by My Chemical Romance came out a year ago? It seems soooooo long ago."

 In January I talked about my kid and how I am fat. Not spectacular.

In February I made a list of all the ways you can be environmentally friendly while having a kid.

In March I remade mashed cauliflower, with better success.

April saw everyone lose their motherfuckin shit in the face of the looming government shutdown.

In May I created a series of Household Binder, aka The Brains of the Operation posts which everyone seemed to love. I posted about Party Planning and Menus and Shopping Lists and Daily and Weekly Dockets and Important Account Numbers and Contact Lists and Cleaning Schedules and a Calendar and a Budget Worksheet and an Automobile Log.
 

Heading into June, I almost lost my motherfuckin shit as The Good Daughter turned two!

In July I made some kick ass pretzel bites. Thank you Pinterest!

August made my ass get fatter (you knew I wouldn't keep up with the fat camp, didn't you?) when I made twice baked 'tater casserole.

In September I coped with the stress of my last semester in grad school with a sweet grilled cheese. 

And I swallowed that bitch down with some copycat Chick-Fil-A chicken nuggets.

In October I revealed that Target is crack for suburban chicks. 

In November I talked about my CSA. Again.

And finally, in December, I generally slacked off while finishing up school and posted about this mushroom and leek gratin.

It looks like 2011 was the year when I didn't know when to shut the hell up and to date, was the most post-whoreish. I hope that is a good thing. I can't make any promises that 2012 will be just as exciting, but I hope it will be. I have so much to post about if only I can find the motivation.

Lastly, I want to thank everyone who has read anything on this little dog and pony show. Most of the time I imagine writing these words and sending them out into the great black void of The Internets. But the fact that I do have and continue to get readers amazes me everyday. Thank you guys for being awesome!

Winter Squash Soup with Gruyère Croutons

This was a great addition to our Thanksgiving dinner. I wanted something light to have as a first course along with salad and I needed to use the last of the squash from my CSA.

Overall, I was happy with the soup. My mom, however, LOVED it and got the recipe before she left. 

Ingredients:

Soup

1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 large garlic cloves, chopped

3 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth

4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)

4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh sage

1/4 cup whipping cream

2 teaspoons sugar

Croutons

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

24 1/4-inch-thick baguette bread slices

1 cup grated Gruyère cheese

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

1 teaspoon minced fresh sage

Directions:

For soup:
~Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, all squash and herbs; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.

~Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Return soup to same pot. Stir in cream and sugar; bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.) 

For croutons:

~Preheat broiler. Butter 1 side of each bread slice. Arrange bread, buttered side up, on baking sheet. Broil until golden, about 1 minute. Turn over. Sprinkle cheese, then thyme and sage over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil until cheese melts, about 1 minute. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with croutons and serve.

recipe by: epicurious

Mushroom and Leek Gratin

A while back I picked up the newest edition of Everyday Food by Martha Stewart. In it were several recipes I wanted to try out. The one for mushroom and leek gratin stood out to me and the next day at the holiday market, I made sure to pick up some leeks.

The end result was far less pretty than the dish in the magazine because, honestly, I wasn't going to line up all the mushrooms in a pretty little row. I just wanted to EAT it. 

The dish turned out amazing! It was hearty but not heavy and it made a great dinner with a salad and some bread and butter and a glass of wine. The Good Daughter ate almost half of one dish. This is going in my recipe rotation.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 pounds large portobello mushrooms (6 to 8), stemmed and sliced 1/2-inch thick

2 leeks (white and light-green parts only), cut into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons and rinsed

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup dry white wine

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 ounce Parmesan, finely grated

Directions:

~Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high. Working in batches if necessary, add 2 pounds large portobello mushrooms (6 to 8), stemmed and sliced 1/2-inch thick, and cook, tossing occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes to 15 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

~Wipe out skillet, return to heat and add 2 tablespoons oil. Add 2 leeks (white and light-green parts only), cut into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons and rinsed, 2-3 cloves garlic, minced and season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add 1/4 cup dry white wine, such as chardonnay, and cook until almost evaporated, about 2 minutes to 3 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves.

~Transfer leek mixture to a 2-quart baking dish. Top with mushroom slices, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with 1 ounce Parmesan, finely grated (1/4 cup) and bake until edges are bubbling, about 20 minutes to 25 minutes. Serve warm.

recipe modified from: Martha Stewart

Holiday Farmer's Market

With my CSA this year, I didn't get to go to as many Farmer's Markets as I normally do. But I always make sure to go to the holiday market. I have been all three years now and it gets better each time, even if they put it in a smaller building each time. 

This year I came home with 'taters (of course), organic all purpose seasoning, broccoli, beef jerky, green onions, leeks, turnips, carrots, celery root, tomatoes and rolls. Not pictured - brats.