Brent grew up in Santa Maria, California. Santa Maria is known for its unique and delicious style of BBQ and Brent’s barbecuing skills are no less impressive than the BBQ from town where he grew up.

He was destined to be a GRILL Hero from birth.

Just look at that confidence at the grill!

Traditional Santa Maria BBQ is tri-tip, a specific cut of beef, but there is an equally amazing and easy way to barbecue chicken. The key to amazing Santa Maria BBQ chicken is not in the ingredients, they are ridiculously simple, but in technique. Get the technique down and you will be on your way to becoming a Grill Hero too.  

Santa Maria BBQ Style Chicken

• Chicken Breasts (Bone In)
• Bottle of Beer
• Italian Dressing Seasoning Packet
• Garlic Salt
• Pepper

We buy a whole chicken and quarter it ourselves. If you are quartering your own chicken leave the skin on.

1. Rinse and dry chicken.

2. Mix one packet of Italian dressing seasonings with half bottle of beer (about 6 oz). Brent prefers beers with stronger flavor. (Firestone and Bluemoon are two of his favorites.)

3. Generously sprinkle both sides of the chicken with garlic salt and pepper.

4. Place chicken on the grill bone side down. Let it cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until the skin starts to get golden brown.

5. Flip over the chicken and start basting heavily. The idea is to dry out the meat when you are cooking it boneside down and rehydrate with the beer baste. Cook for another 10-20 minutes depending on the size of your chicken, basting the entire time.

6. You can tell when it’s done because the meat starts to get firm and it’s no longer pink on the inside.

My favorite thing to eat Santa Maria BBQ chicken with is grilled artichokes. Heavenly! I will have to post how Brent makes these soon.

The best part of Santa Maria BBQ chicken is that I don’t have to listen to my kids complain. They love it! Almost as much as I do.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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Journey with our family on the road at New School Nomads as we take a year long RV road trip through the United States!

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Whole chickens are one of the most economical sources of protein. I buy them in bulk every few months from Azure Standard. To get the most out of a single chicken, I’ll first, cook and serve it as the main course.  Then that night I’ll make chicken broth from the bones.  The next day, I’ll make chicken salad, burritos, sandwiches, and soups with the broth.  Often there is enough left over to freeze for future use.  Usually, I get 3-4 meals for a family of four out of one chicken.  This chipolte lime chicken is one of our favorites!

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Our CSA box this week.

Seriously, 24 artichokes, albeit, they are small but still…24!

We also got English peas, apricots, lettuce, bell peppers, Tokyo turnips, cauliflower, potatoes, parsley, and  summer squash.

It’s the Motherload.

Today, I made the English Peas recipe that I had on my meal planner for yesterday.  I’m all about flexibility.

First, Thing 2 and I shelled the peas.

(I wish I would have little hands to work hold forever.)

Creamy Basil Peas with Chicken (or Pasta)
Adapted from my CSA’s, Abundant Harvest, Flyer

1/4  Cup Chicken Broth
1/4 Tsp Sea Salt
2-3 Cups English Peas
2 Cups of Whole Milk
1/2 Cup of Basil Leaves
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1 Tablespoon of Butter

1. Cook half of the peas in the chicken broth until soft.

2. Put the peas, broth, and basil into a food processor and process until creamy.

3. Put the rest of the peas, milk, and salt in a pot. Let it boil over and make a mess and then get super irritated Bring to a simmer and cook until peas are soft stirring periodically.

4. Once peas are soft stir in the heaping 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese…

…and pea puree and butter.  Of course.

My kids and husband ate it over whole wheat spaghetti WITHOUT complain I might add.  Nothing short of a MIRACLE.  Okay, so there was a little fuss from the kids about the “green” until they had a bite.  Yum!

I ate it over a piece of grilled chicken.  I’m not a big pasta fan although my hips like it quite well.

This recipe is a keeper for sure!  I loved it and the kids loved it.

Now what about the 24 artichokes!!!!  I’m leaving town tomorrow night for Fitbloggin’ and we certainly won’t be able to eat them by then.  The apricots are already in the dehydrator but not sure about the artichokes???  Any suggestions???  Can I freeze them?  Do I need to steam them first?

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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A few weeks ago, I was on a list to take a meal to a friend who had a baby.   As I was skimming the list to make sure I wasn’t bringing a duplicate meal, I saw “sloppy lentils”.  Since, I already had a bunch of lentils from my last Azure Standard order, I set to work making some sloppy lentils or vegetarian sloppy joes.  Lentils may be little but they have a large nutritional content with many health benefits.

I was very happy with how the sloppy joes turned out and my two ridiculously picky boys even liked them.  When I prepare legumes I prepare them in bulk so I made two variations.  The first variation tastes like a classic sloppy Joe and the second has an almost (very) mild Indian flavor.

Classic Vegetarian Sloppy Joes

3 cups cooked lentils*
1/2 red onion – chopped
1 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tbs  mustard
1/4 cup bbq sauce
sea salt to taste  (I didn’t need any using the store bought ketchup and bbq sauce.)

1. Sauté onion in a bit of oil until soft.

2. Add lentils, tomato sauce, ketchup, mustard, and bbq sauce.  Mix well and cook until sauce is thick and warmed through.

Vegetarian Sloppy Joes Variation 2

3 cups of cooked lentils*
1 small onion – chopped
1 garlic clove – minced
1 cup of tomato sauce
2 tbs of mustard
1/8 tsp dried mustard powder
1/8 tsp cumin
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
1 tbs molasses
dash of cayenne pepper
sea salt to taste

1. Sauté onion and garlic in a bit of oil until soft.

2. Add lentils, tomato sauce, mustard, mustard powder, cumin, apple cider vinegar, molasses and cayenne.  Stir well and cook until sauce is thick and warmed through.

*I presoaked the lentils all day (about 8-9 hours) in filtered water and 2 tablespoons of whey.  Then I boiled them in twice as much water until liquid was absorbed.  It doesn’t take long.

Serve on a bun of your choice with some simple sweet potato chips, perhaps?

Or if you are watching your grain intake maybe you would prefer Sloppy Lentil Lettuce Boats?

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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If you can see past the smog, keep your sanity in traffic, avoid gangs, and don’t mind earthquakes then southern California is a pretty great place to live.  Not only do we have amazing weather but in our smallish town, we have almost two Trader Joe’s (I say almost because one is being built), multiple CSAs, numerous farmer’s markets, a locally owned but large health food store, and we can buy fish right off the boat.

Even if you are not out of touch with the majority of the country (I can say that I’m from Indiana.) can’t buy fish off the boat, you can still make this delicious and light grilled halibut that my husband, who from now on will be referred to as, Grill Hero, made last week despite the mayhem moving has caused.

Grill Hero’s Sweet and Tangy Halibut

2 Pounds of Halibut (or other white fish)
2 Tbs Butter
2 Large Garlic Cloves
2 Tbs Soy Sauce
1 Tbs Maple Syrup
Juice of 1/2 Lime
1/2 Tsp Ground Pepper

1. Fire up the grill.

2. While the grill is getting hot, melt butter and mix together all the rest of the ingredients.

3. Grill fish over a medium/hot grill basting like crazy.

Fish is done when it is solid to the touch, opaque, and flakes easily.

Delicious.

Serves 4

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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So I’m a little late to the game. Pumpkins are so like last October.  Duh.

But this evening while trying to organize my photos I came across these pictures and remembered how much I had enjoyed this dish.  Then I looked in my recipe notebook and saw I had actually scribbled something that resembled written down the recipe.   No small miracle.

Coconut Squash Stew

1 large squash of your choice
(We used what I think is called a Fairy Tale Pumpkin)
1 Red Onion (coarsely chopped)
1 Orange Bell Pepper (coarsely chopped)
1 Clove of Garlic (minced)
1 Can of Coconut Milk
2 Ripe Bananas
1/2 – 1 of Jalapeno
1/4 Tsp Turmeric
Sea Salt to taste

Optional Topping Ideas
Raisins
Cilantro
Spanish Olives
Shredded Coconut
Apple
?

Directions

1. Put small slices in the squash with a knife.  Bake in the oven at 350º until easily pierced with a fork. (I bake everything at 350º) About 30-45 minutes.

While the squash is cooking…

2. Sauté the onion, bell pepper, and garlic until soft in a large pan.

3. In food processor combine the coconut milk, banana, jalapeno, and turmeric.  Process until fairly smooth.  A few lumps are fine. Add this to the onion mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer over low until squash is done.  Add water a bit of water if stew is too thick for your liking.

4. Once squash is done cut into pieces and add to coconut stew mixture.

5. Serve in a bowl and add toppings.
(I topped it with raisins, cilantro, and olives.)

Anyone know if that was a Fairy Tale Pumpkin?  Any topping suggestions?

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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One of my favorite foods is stuffed grape leaves or dolmas.  Problem is I don’t get grape leaves in my CSA box but I do get collards.  A lot of collards.  Which leads to my second problem,  I’m not crazy about collards.  Which leaves me with two options throw them out or get creative.  I scored when I made my I Can’t Believe They Are Collards Veggie Patties because, well, I still can’t believe they are collards.  I scored again with this recipe.

Stuffed Collards

1 lb of Ground Beef (I prefer organic grass fed)
1/2 Large Onion (finely chopped)
2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
1 Tbs Fresh Mint (minced)
2 Tbs Tomato Paste
1/3 Tbs Dried Oregano
1/4 Cup Water
Sea Salt
Pepper
Fresh Tomato – Optional
Feta – Optional

1. Put water in a large pot and bring to a boil.

2. While you are waiting for the water to boil, sauté the onion, garlic, and beef in a separate pan.  I suppose if I  wasn’t always looking to cut corners was a real cook, I would sauté the onion in some olive oil  or something like that until it began to soften.  Not me . I throw it all in a pan together and go!

3. Add the mint, tomato paste, oregano, water, salt, and pepper to the meat mixture. Lower the heat and let it continue to cook. Stirring occasionally.

4. While the meat is finishing up cook the collard leaves by dropping them into the boiling water 2 or 3 at a time.  Let them boil for about 30-60 seconds until they are slightly wilted.  Place on a plate to drain.  Continue until all the leaves have been blanched.  (Is that what this is called?)

5. Put cooked meat in a bowl.  Fill the collards with the meat mixture by scooping some of the meat into the lower center of the leave, rough side of the stem facing up.

Then fold up the bottom.

Followed by the sides and roll.

Like a mini burrito.
Or sushi.
Sort of.

6. Return, fold down, to the pan (the one the meat was cooked in).  Cook over low heat a few additional minutes .

7. Remove and top with fresh tomatoes and feta.

Yum.

I can’t believe they are collards!

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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I don’t often post “this is what I did today” type of posts but this year Christmas felt so special that I can’t help but want to share it and capture it to keep in my memory.  Even if it was two days ago.

There was nothing extraordinary about this particular Christmas.  Maybe it felt special because my grandparents came to visit.  Maybe it was because it had been raining for a week.  Maybe it was because this will be my last Christmas in this house until…we don’t know.  Maybe it was just because I made an effort to slow down and just be.

Christmas Eve Day was spent in the kitchen with Brent.  He making dinner.  I making sweets.  (Those deserve their own post.)  Brent is part Swedish and it’s a family tradition of his to have Swedish meatballs on Christmas Eve.

Meow Cow sits at the table with us and may or may not enjoy Swedish meatballs.

That evening we went to church.

Christmas morning, Brent and I stayed in bed listening to the boys discuss the contents of their stockings.  Much to my amazement they didn’t complain that there was underwear in their stockings.  Now that Santa’s out of the bag, I no longer have to keep up the charade by filling their stocking with junky toys that start collecting dust under the couch a few hours later and answering, “Why does this say made in China.”  My answer was always Santa’s elves no longer sit at tables making toys.  They sit at computers placing orders most likely from Amazon.

A bit later, my grandparents came back over and we had waffles.  My family’s Christmas tradition.

Then presents and building.

Before getting too involved in dinner Brent and I slipped away for a walk.

They white space behind us is a view of the ocean.  I love my town.

After our walk we went to visit our friend, Lucille, at the nursing home.

Up until recently, the boys and I used to deliver groceries to homebound elderly.  We became friends with one of the ladies, Lucille.  A few years ago her health started deteriorating and she ended up in a nursing home.  She doesn’t have any family aside from one brother who lives far away and whose health isn’t much better than hers so we make an effort to visit her regularly.

When we got home and I we finished cooking dinner, roast lamb.  That has become our family tradition.

Roast Lamb with Potatoes
(Adapted from Cooking A to Z: New and Revised Edition (Cole’s Kitchen Arts Series)

1 leg of lamp
4-6 Garlic Cloves
6 Tbs butter
1/4 Tsp Dried Thyme
Multi Colored Potatoes
1 Purple Onion
Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450º.

2. Slice two cloves of garlic into thin slices.  Remove as much fat as possible from the lamb and make small slits in the meat.  Insert garlic cloves into the meat.  Season with salt and pepper.

3. Roast the lamb at 450º for 15 minutes.  Then reduce heat to 350º and roast for another 20 minutes basting the lamb with its juices.

4. While the lamb is roasted cut the potatoes and onion into 1/4″ slices.  Mix both with butter, thyme, salt, and pepper.

5.  Remove lamb from oven.  Remove lamb from pan and mix the potatoes and onions with the lamb juices in the pan.  Lay the lamb on the potaotes and continue roasting (until the timer pops out) until the thermometer reads 130º-140º rare, 145º medium, or 160º well done.

6. Test the potatoes and if needed roast them a few additional minutes until tender.

7. Carve lamb and serve on a platter with veggies.

The rest of Christmas dinner included..

Sweet Potato Casserole
Green Bean Casserole
Cranberry Chutney  (Brent adapted this recipe.)
Brussel Spouts with Walnuts and Cranberries
French Bread
Pesto

I forgot dessert.  That’s what happens when you don’t eat it for two years.  It just slips your mind.  Thankfully, I had made plenty of treats from the day before.

If you want you can see more pictures from Christmas on our Like Legos blog.  There is a funny one of Meow Cow and I having a moment.

I hope you had a great weekend whether you celebrated Christmas or not!

The New Year is just around the corner.  I’m excited!  It’s one of my favorite times of the year even when the kitchen in our rental house floods when we are 2000 miles away.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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Did you know there are two types of persimmons?  I didn’t until a few weeks ago when my husband saw that one of our friends on Facebook had gotten more persimmons than she could use from her CSA.  Brent quickly commented telling her how much I looooove persimmons and a few hours later we had a big bag of persimmons on our counter.  Excited, I pulled one out and noticed it was of a different shape.  Interesting.

CHOMP.

AAAACK PUUUHEY!!!!  I was being poisoned.  My mouth felt like it was turning inside out.

Google to the rescue.

Fuyu Persimmon

As it turns out there are two kinds of persimmons, Fuyu and Hachiya.  Fuyu is squatty and looks sort of like a tomato. They can be eaten firm or soft.  I like them firm and sliced across their “equator”  so I can look at the pretty star before devouring them.

(source)
Hachiya Persimmon

Hachiya persimmons look like acorns and, despite their taste when unripe, cannot be used to poison people.  Hachiya persimmons take some patience as you have to wait until they are really soft to lose the astringent quality therefore becoming edible.  Once they are squishy scoop the insides out and purée it to use in cakes, cookies, or, as in our case, pancakes and ice cream.

Persimmon Pudding* Pancakes
2 Cups of Whole Wheat Flour
2 Cups of Filtered Water
2 Tbs Whey
1 Cup of Hachiya Persimmon Purée
1 Tbs Maple Syrup
2 Eggs
1 Tbs Melted Butter
1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
1 Tsp Baking Soda

1. Soak the flour in the water and whey overnight.
(This neutralizes phytic acid allowing for better mineral absorption and easier digestion.)

2. Add rest of the ingredient. Slowly add water until batter is thinned out a bit.

3.  Pour batter onto a hot greased skillet making sure to spread batter out thin to help reduce cooking time.

4. Top with maple syrup and chopped Fuyu persimmons.

*I called these Persimmon Pudding Pancakes for a reason.  Now matter how long I cooked them they were still squishy on the inside.  I’m not sure if this was result of soaking the flour or adding the persimmon purée.  I don’t bake or cook with flour that often because of the soaking factor so maybe one of you will have some advice for me.  Regardless of the texture, they were really good.

We still had a lot of persimmon purée left but not a lot of patience so Brent used the rest of the purée for ice cream.  We adapted this recipe from Sally Fallon’s book Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats.  This is my favorite cook/reference book.

Persimmon Ice Cream

3-4 Cups of HachiyaPersimmon Purée
2 tbs of Lemon Juice
3/4 Cup of Maple Syrup
3 Egg Yolks
2 Cups of Heavy Cream

1. Mix everything together using a hand mixer and put it in the ice cream maker following manufacturer’s directions.

I topped mine with fresh Fuyu persimmon and bee pollen.

Brent is a master at making homemade ice cream.  He makes a maple ice cream that gives Haagen Dazs’s Dulce de Leche a run for it’s money.  This persimmon ice cream was no different and came out near perfect.  Rich and creamy.  Sweet but not too sweet.

___

This week is the last week to enter to win a $100 Visa Card.  Check out my V8 V-Fusion Review and leave a comment to enter!  Sweepstakes ends December 10th.

___

Do you like persimmons?   (I find it tragic that every fall the pumpkin steals the show from the persimmon.)   What is your favorite fall produce?

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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I’ve not kept it secret that I enjoy the taste of junk food, especially pizza. I’ve also shared my food ideals and reality.  Most days, I pass on junk food including traditional pizza.  However, deprivation isn’t any fun (and can lead to a binge) so to satisfy my junk food cravings I make healthier substitutes.  Not long ago I used an Ezekiel tortilla to make a grilled southwest pizza.   It turned out so well that I’ve been using it to make all sorts of pizzas since.  Not only does this BBQ Chicken Pizza satisfy my California Pizza Kitchen craving, it’s also so easy it can hardly be called a “recipe”. It’s perfect for the all to often “I’m too tired to cook” last minute dinners or quick lunches.  It helps to keep some plain grilled chicken in the freezer to pull out for this purpose.

Classic BBQ Chicken Pizza

1 Ezekiel Tortilla
1 Tbs BBQ sauce
1/2 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
4 oz Grilled BBQ chicken
Cilantro
Red Onion (thinly sliced)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.

2. Top the tortilla with BBQ sauce, cheese, chicken, cilantro and red onion.

3. Set on the oven rack and bake until tortilla is crisp and cheese melted.

463 calories, 32 g of carbs, 49 g of protein, 17 g of fat.

Speaking of substitutions, I recently tried the V8 V-Fusion +Tea and decided it makes a good substitution when I’m craving something with more flavor than water or tea but don’t want to grab a soda.  If you haven’t already you can also enter to win a $100 Visa Card.

Last but certainly not least, thank you for all the kind comments regarding my mom’s diagnosis.  Your encouragement means more than I can say.
Love you guys!

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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