March 29, 2015
by Ashley
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Monster Pants

My little Finnegan is really hard on his pants. He loves cars and trucks…and running on his knees full speed along the carpet. Almost every pair of his jeans now have holes in them. I almost hate to go and buy yet another pair, because I know they will end up like all of the rest. I was thinking about throwing them all out, when I came across a post on a blog I read. It had one picture of a knee patched with a monster face…and I knew this was exactly what I needed to do to solve my problem.

I went through Finn’s drawers and came downstairs with 5 pairs of jeans. FIVE! So I pulled all of my felt out from my secret stash I use for my random projects, and started putting together these little faces. I think they turned out pretty well. I had to hand sew them, as I knew I wasn’t good enough with my sewing machine to even attempt.

He loves them!

To be a little different, since we have a lot of monster pants now, I created a crab & shark patch for this this pair.

Isla started to feel left out. She had a hole in one of her pairs of pants and so this is how I patched it. She is very excited!

If you do try out a patch or two…post a picture! I would love to see what your little monster knees look like!

March 28, 2015
by Ashley
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Prune & Apricot Bites

We have a need for fiber in this house. Actually…my daughter has a need for fiber, everyone else seems to eat enough. But for some reason my three year old has a different digestive system than the rest of us. It is a real challenge. I have tried adding flax to everything, eating raisins, prunes and we need to keep miralax in her diet frequently. What she seems to love are these lovely treats. She thinks that they are candy, and I am just happy she is eating something that is good for her.

Prune & Apricot Bites

1 1/2 cups dried, pitted prunes
1/2 cup dried apricots
1 cup almonds
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

In a food processor, blend almonds for about 1 minute. The almonds need to be broken down into tiny pieces, not left too large. Then add in everything else. Puree until mixture sticks together like a dough. Turn out onto a silpat or parchment paper, and flatten out. I usually use my hands, or fold the silpat over the mixture to create a large block. See above. Then cut small squares out of the mixture.

Store in an airtight container.

March 27, 2015
by Ashley
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Cheese Platter and Happy Hour

Cheese. I love cheese. My family has been in the cheese making business for over 130 years, and it is in my blood. My great-uncles were cheesemakers, my grandfather was a cheesemaker and my uncle is a cheesemaker still. There are even patrons still with my uncle that would send their milk to my grandfather all those many years ago. I didn’t realize my absolute love for cheese until I started working for my uncle in 2007. I was ready for a change in my career and was excited to start something brand new. I helped my uncle open a new store and run an existing store in Sauk City. I even had the chance to run his cooking school for two years before I was even luckier to have a beautiful baby boy. Finnegan changed everything for us. I didn’t stop working completely, but was able to bring him with me to work and meet of the people who love cheese as well. Surprisingly, Finnegan doesn’t love cheese. But his sister does…and she has expensive taste. After Isla was born, my cheese selling days basically ended except for December…when cheese is sent everywhere as gifts from Wisconsin. Who wouldn’t want cheese as a gift, right?

So this leads me to my favorite appetizer…the cheese platter. I choose the cheeses to compliment our meals and the other items served. It is my conversation piece, as well as my family history. I always have something from Carr Valley Cheese and sometimes other cheeses found around that Carr Valley doesn’t make.

On this particular day, we had Carr Valley Cheeses 4 year old cheddar, Penta Cream Glacier Blue, Big Mutton Button and Bessie’s Blend. We had made a family trip over to the Mustard Museum in Middleton and served two of our new mustards as well. Boetje’s Stone Ground Mustard made in Illinios is Paul’s new favorite and a Hot & Smokey Mustard from Shemps Food Works. We also had a Dijon mustard as well. All of these mustards with the pretzals and sausages were a great accompaniment to the cheese.

What is your favorite Wisconsin Cheese?

March 26, 2015
by Ashley
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Quiche Biscuit Bread Balls

I really love coming up with different breakfast options. I know this is not something that is fun for everyone, but there is something really rewarding to me. I also really like to eat something different everyday, even if it has majority of the same ingredients in it. I use up a lot of leftovers in this way.

I started working on new bread ball ideas for not only our lunches, but breakfasts as well. The kids didn’t seem to love these, but Paul & I did. A great grab and go breakfast. These could be made into muffins as well.

Quiche Biscuit Bread Balls

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup parmesan, shredded
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs
1/2 cup diced deli ham
1/2 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 tsp granulated garlic

Mix everything together. Preheat cakeball maker and put about 1 tbsp of batter into each hole. Let cook about 4 minutes until finished. I froze half and kept half ready for breakfast.

Can be baked as muffins as well. I didn’t try it, but I would put them in at 350°F for at least 15 – 20 minutes. Check to make sure the centers are done before you pull them out.

March 24, 2015
by Ashley
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Butternut Squash Soup

This winter has seemed to have lasted forever. I know it is spring now, but we just got 7 inches of snow and feel a little trapped. It would be great to take a walk, but it is only 11°F and I have four kids here today that would be REALLY cold. Oh well, kinetic sand and pretend ice cream cones for us!

I love soups while it is still cold out. Soup is comforting and so warming. A good combination for a cold winter day. This is the perfect start to a dinner or a great lunch option.

Butternut Squash Soup

2 tbsp butter
1 cup onion, diced
1 large butternut squash, about 6 cups
3 cups water
4 tsp chicken (or vegetable) stock, could use 4 cubes instead
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp cracked pepper
2 oz cream cheese

Cut butternut squash in half, length-wise. Microwave on a plate, cut side down for 10 minutes. Let sit until cool. Peel off skin, discard. Set peeled squash aside. In a large sauce pan, add diced onion and fry in butter, about 1 minute. Add butternut squash and let saute another minute. Add in water, stock and seasonings. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Transfer, carefully, into a blender (or use an immersion blender). Blend until smooth. Pour back into the pan and add cream cheese. Simmer about 5 more minutes stirring carefully to blend in cream cheese.

Based off of a recipe found on AllRecipes.

March 23, 2015
by Ashley
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Eggplant Patties with Creamy Polenta

I love these eggplant patties. I really do. Sometimes I will make these along with a pizza for my family and just top the eggplant with a little sauce, pepperoni and cheese. They turn into a little eggplant pizza. These turn out crispy and really delicious. Oh, and super this is really easy to make. Seriously, so easy.

Eggplant Patties

1 small eggplant
kosher salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash and cut the eggplant into 1/2 inch thick slices. Sprinkle with kosher salt and let sit for 15 – 20 minutes. Wash off the eggplant and pat dry. Dip in the milk and then breadcrumbs. Set on a oiled baking sheet. Continue with the rest of the eggplant slices. Drizzle a little olive oil on the top of the eggplant and bake for about 10 minutes. Flip and bake another 5 minutes. The eggplant should be golden brown and tender.

Serve with polenta. Paul loves polenta as an alternative to pasta and rice. I make this usually with these eggplant patties and it compliments them well. We did not make this recipe up, but this is how we like to make our polenta.

Creamy Polenta

2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup corn meal
2 tbsp butter
2 oz cream cheese

Add salt to water and bring to a boil in a large sauce pan, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the corn meal making sure there aren’t any lumps. Add in butter and turn stove down to low. Let simmer for about 10 minutes or so. Whisk in cream cheese and serve warm.

To put this dinner together, put polenta on the bottom of the plate. Arrange eggplant patties over it and cover with spaghetti sauce or cooked tomatoes. We preserve our tomatoes from our garden each year and freeze them. This is what we used that is pictured above, but sauce is great too.

March 22, 2015
by Ashley
Comments Off on Scotch Eggs

Scotch Eggs

Weekends usually mean more extravagant breakfasts. I try a little harder and we can sit a little longer to enjoy the fruits of my labor. Scotch Eggs are not a quick breakfast…but they are worth the work.

Scotch Eggs are something you don’t find everywhere. These are usually for breakfast for us, but can be served as an appetizer with different mustards. On wikipedia, they suggest that Scotch Eggs are a perfect picnic food. I hadn’t thought of this as an option before, but these will be served as a picnic item now!

We have made these quite a few times over the years. They are quite delicious. These were particularly wonderful because Paul made the breakfast sausage for them the night before, but any good breakfast sausage would work.

Edit – Dec. 2024 – I have updated our recipe according to how I make this now. Finn asks for them regularly and I typically use the pork sausage from Aldi rather than homemade. I also make more eggs and we have less sausage around them. See below for updates.

Scotch Eggs

1lb pork sausage
6 hard boiled eggs, shells removed
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Break the sausage into sixths. Pat down each sausage into a patty. Roll the hard boiled egg in flour then cover with the sausage. Try to make sure the sausage covers the entire egg evenly. Roll ball into breadcrumbs. Place on a foil or silpat lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining eggs.

Place eggs into the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Serve with a salad greens (spinach or Arugula) and good mustard.

March 21, 2015
by Ashley
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Broccoli & Pea Bread Balls

Having a healthy lunch is something I try to have available at all times for my kids. It is hard to get away from the regulars, and these little bread balls (or mini muffins) are perfect. I was able to incorporate greens into my kids lunches and having it be a little different than just the usual raw or cooked veggie. Both of my children seem to really like these bread balls and they are really easy to pack in a school lunch. Adding a dipping component to these with spaghetti sauce or ketchup will make them a lot more fun to eat as well. You could even spice it up a little more (crushed red pepper, paprika, pressed garlic etc) and serve them as an appetizer at your next party.

Broccoli & Pea Bread Balls

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
1 cup broccoli, cooked and diced
1 cup frozen peas
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
1 cup milk
1 egg
3 tbsp olive oil

Mix all of the dry ingredients with the vegetables. Pour in the wet ingredients and mix everything together. Heat up cake ball maker. Spray with cooking spray and add about 1 tbsp of batter to each hole. Let cook about 4 minutes before checking to see if they are done. I usually freeze them almost immediately and take out just what I need for lunches.

If baking mini muffins, bake in a 350°F preheated oven for about 15 – 20 minutes.

March 20, 2015
by Ashley
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Homemade Pasta

Having homemade pasta is quite a treat. The kids love to help with the process and if I am not in a hurry, I like the help. Pasta is a lot easier to make than I ever thought. I started making pasta after a Cooking School class I put together for Carr Valley Cheese. I used to work as a manager and organized a couple years of their cooking school classes. Two separate chefs we hosted in the school made pasta one year and inspired me to do the same at home. I have used different recipes on occasion, but this one is our favorite.

Here is a picture of our pasta dough resting.

Homemade Pasta

2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup water
2 eggs
2 tbsp olive oil

Level flour with a knife and put into a food processor. Combine the water, eggs and olive oil and slowly add to processor while pulsing. Once dough comes together, turn out onto a floured surface. Knead 5 times, wrap dough in syran wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.

Start to boil salted water in a deep stock pot. While the water is heating up, you can start cutting your pasta. Decide on what you want your pasta to look like or different shapes you want to create. We like Orecchiette the best, or “little ears”. They are really easy to make and you don’t need a pasta machine to roll them out. Cut a fourth out of the dough and wrap the rest while you work so it doesn’t dry out. Roll out into a long snake of dough about 3/4 inch thick. Use a dough cutter, and cut little bits off. (Each bit should be small, a little large then dime. Each little piece you need to roll on your thumb or finger in to create the “ear” look. See below.

You will need quite a bit of flour to make sure your orecchiette doesn’t stick to each other. Once you have finished cutting all of the pasta, you are ready to cook.

Boil half of the pasta in the water and let cook until they float. About 4 minutes. Remove from boiling water with a slotted spoon and drain. Add remaining pasta to boiling water and cook.

This can be served with a variety of sauces. What is your favorite way to serve pasta?

Serves 4 people for 9 points per serving.

March 19, 2015
by Ashley
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Carrot Cake Scones

Scones are one of my families favorite breakfasts. The kids love to not only help make them, but eat them as well. I make them on the weekend, so I can serve the left overs all week for breakfast. I don’t usually frost them, because we do like to use lemon curd or jams as a topping.

I came up with this version based off of my favorite scone recipe found on the Cooking Light website. I have made many different versions and find everyone equally wonderful. I will share them all, but it may take some time. Finnegan actually suggested using carrots one morning and I went with it. What could it hurt, right? More carrots for breakfast doesn’t seem to be a bad thing. So here it is, my newest version of scones.

Carrot Cake Scones

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
6 tbsp cold butter
1 cup shredded carrots, about 2 large carrots
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup 2% milk
3 tbsp Grade B Maple Syrup

Prehead oven to 400°F.

Mix together all of dry ingredients. Slice the cold butter thinly and mix into the flour mixture. Cut butter in with a pastry cutter until butter is in small pea sized bits. Add in carrots and mix. Mix wet ingredients together before adding to the flour mixture. Stir everything really well until the batter comes together. If the batter is too dry, add a little more milk and mix using your hands to incorporate. Move quickly so you don’t melt the butter.

Cut with biscuit cutters. We like the smaller cutters to make scones that are manageable for the kids as well. You could also just cut these into a triangle shape if you don’t have biscuit cutters.

Put scones on a lined baking sheet (we use a silpat but parchment should work well too) and place into the preheated oven for 16 minutes. Check to make sure the scones don’t look wet in the middle. Bake a little longer if you need to. See above for a picture of the baked scones.