A Polish Girl's Take on Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono)

Yesterday I started making plain old, boring chicken noodle soup for dinner.  About an hour in, I realized, "I really don't want plain old chicken noodle soup."  So, I ended up doctoring my soup to my own version of Greek Chicken Soup (Avgolemono).  Check it out!

Not so bad for not following a recipe, if I do say so myself!  Here's how I made it:

Ingredients
1-2 lbs chicken backs
12 c. water (approx.)
1 med. onion (chopped)
3 large carrots
3 stalks of celery
1 box acini di pepe pasta (normally you use rice, but this is what I had on hand)
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
4-5 bay leaves
10 (approx) whole allspice
1/2 tsp. ground thyme
2 lemons (zested and juiced)
3 eggs

Put chicken backs, onion, celery, carrot, allspice, bayleaves, thyme, carrot and water in a large pot.  Bring to a boil.  Let boil about 20-30 minutes.  Bring down to a simmer.  Simmer for about 2 hours.  While simmering, skim the scum off the surface.  (Nice alliteration, I know.)
Remove from heat.  Once cooled, remove the chicken.  Pick off as much meat as you can from the chicken backs.  About 30-45 minutes before you're ready to serve, add lemon zest, salt and garlic salt and acini di pepe.  Bring to a boil for about 12 minutes. 
While this is boiling, juice the lemons into a bowl.  Add the three eggs, whisking constantly until it is frothy.  Remove about 2 cups of broth from the soup.  Very slowly add the broth to the lemon/egg mixture while whisking constantly.  This will temper the eggs. 
Reduce heat to about medium on the soup.  Add tempered egg mixture to the broth, slowly and stirring constantly.  Heat through for about 20-30 minutes to allow flavors to develop.  Do not allow the soup to go above a simmer or the eggs will curdle. 
I served each bowl as 2 ladles full.  At this serving size, you will get about 11 bowls. 

 

-Kelley-

Stuffed Cabbage- Yum!

I get so excited when I find something healthy that my kids like to eat.  Last night, I made stuffed cabbage.  They ate it all up, and asked for seconds!  Yes, they actually ate it all up!  So, I thought I might share the recipe with you!



Ingredients:
12 cabbage leaves
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. quinoa, rinsed (I didn't precook it and it was fine, but next time I will parboil it) (Or you can use rice in the same amount)
1/2 c. finely chopped spring onions
1 (4 oz.) can mushrooms, drained and finely chopped 
1 tsp. salt
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. water


Directions:
Cover cabbage leaves with boiling water.  Cover and let stand until leaves are limp, about 10 minutes.  Drain water, set aside.

Mix ground beef, quinoa, onion, mushrooms, garlic, salt pepper and 1/2 of the tomato sauce.  Place about 1/3 c. beef mixture at stem end of each leaf.  Roll leaf around mixture, tucking in sides.

Place cabbage rolls seam side down in an ungreased 11x9 in. baking dish.  Mix remaining tomato sauces, sugar and lemon juice.  Pour over cabbage rolls.  Cover and cook in 350° oven about 45 minutes, or until beef mixture is fully cooked.  

Mix cornstarch and water in saucepan.  Stir in liquid from cabbage rolls. (I used a turkey baster to get the juices out.)  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir 1 minute.  Serve sauce with cabbage rolls. (I like to put it over mashed potatoes.)

-Kelley-

"Fruitcake"

I saw this quote today in the book my husband was reading, "Father to Daughter: Life Lessons on Raising a Girl." I thought it applied very well to my 9 1/2 year old as well.

"Healthier" Apple Pie

Mmm.  There is absolutely nothing better than fresh apple pie.  Last weekend my husband really wanted some.  We are both attempting to lose weight, so this was kind of a what-to-do situation for me.  So, I decided to healthify it with pure, non-GMO cane sugar and whole wheat flour.  I figured it would be slightly healthier if I reduced the processed white flour and sugar.  Neither the kids nor the hubby could tell the difference!

Here is my "Healthier" Apple Pie:

Crust
2/3 c. Vegetable Shortening
2 Tbsp. Butter
2 c. Whole Wheat Flour
1 tsp. Salt
3 to 4 Tbsp. Cold Water

Cut butter and shortening into flour and salt using a pastry blender until the mixture looks like a bunch of small peas.  Sprinkle in the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork until all the flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans the side of the bowl. 

Divide pastry in half.  Form each half into a ball.  Roll out (on a floured board) the first ball to the desired size (about 2 inches larger than your pie plate).  Put in pie plate.

Once you've added your filling, roll out the second half.  Place on top and crimp together the edges.  Prick several times with a fork to let steam escape.  Sprinkle about 1/2 Tbsp. of sugar on top for decoration.

Filling
1/2 c. Pure Cane Sugar
3 Tbsp. Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
Dash of Salt
6 c. Sliced Granny Smith Apples
1 Tbsp. Butter (cut into pieces)

Put the sliced apples in a large bowl.  Mix in sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.  Pour into pie plate (with the crust already in it).  Put the pieces of cut up butter all over the top.  Now, finish up putting on your crust.

Bake at 425° for 40- 50 minutes.  If the crust gets too brown, you can put foil on it to prevent burning.  

Road Trip Scavenger Hunt!

This year for Spring Break, we are headed to Disney World.  Now, for us Disney is about a 7 hour drive.  While this is not the longest drive we generally make, it is still plenty of time for the kids to say "Are we there yet?"  This time, I'm prepared!  I made a scavenger hunt that I printed off for each child.  Then, I laminated it so that the kids can re-use it. (I despise wasting paper.)  Bring a couple cheap dry erase markers from the dollar store, and an old sock as an eraser. You can also use oil crayons, but I'm sure they would make much more of a mess.

*Don't have access to a laminator?  Use clear shipping tape in overlapping strips and just create your own laminated paper!*

This is the scavenger hunt I came up with-

You can download it here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/qlq390v7xmdhpmm/Road%20Trip%20Scavenger%20Hunt.jpg



 

I hope your kids have as much fun as mine with this!

 

-Kelley-

Marbled Easter Eggs

I hate to spend money, not that I don't like to shop or do fun things, I just don't like to spend money.  When we were at the store, looking for Easter Egg dye, the kids (of course) wanted the most expensive kit out there.  I wasn't going to have it (as usual), and we ended up buying the cheapest kit. 

Now, just because it's cheap, doesn't mean it can't be fun!  Here is how to transform a cheap-o kit into fancy, marbled eggs.

The secret it......... Vegetable oil!

All you have to do is put a few drops in each cup along with the Easter Egg dye.  Simple as that!  Just drop the egg into whichever color you want, let it sit a while, then when you pull it out, because of the oil, not all the parts will be dyed!  Simply drop it into the next color, and if desired, the next and so on!  (My kids will get a little slap happy about this whole process and keep going until all the eggs basically look about the same... a weird ugly green...)

-Kelley-

Snickerdoodle Muffins

Nothing is better than the smell of cinnamon and sugar in the morning.  What a smell to wake up to!  Well, this morning I woke up early and thought, "Why don't I treat the kids to some muffins for breakfast?"  So, I whipped some up!

This recipe is one I've been handed down from my Mom.  It was originally just called "Muffins," but my daughter re-named it this morning when she said, "These muffins taste like Snickerdoodles!"  Thus, they are now called, "Snickerdoodle Muffins!"

Here you go!

Ingredients:
1/3 c. soft shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar (divided)
1 egg
1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 c. milk
6 Tbsp. melted butter or margarine
1 tsp. cinnamon

Cream 1 cup of the sugar and shortening.  Add egg, beat well.  Mix and sift flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.  Add milk and flour alternately to the egg mixture.  Fill greased or lined muffin tins 2/3 full.  Bake at 350° for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown (until a toothpick comes out clean).  Melt the 6 Tbsp. of butter.  Mix together the 1/2 cup of sugar with the 1 tsp of cinnamon. Remove from pan at once and roll in melted butter and then in cinnamon sugar mixture. 

 

 

-Kelley-