A Mom’s Kitchen

- heat your oven to 400F

- when the oven is hot, put half a stick of butter in the skillet and place the skillet in the oven for about 5 minutes - until the butter melts

- meanwhile, quickly beat 3 eggs with 2/3 cup of flour, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 3tbsp of sugar, 1/2 a cup of milk, 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon

- when the butter is melted in the skillet, pour the egg mixture in the skillet and return to the oven for 20 minutes.

- while the eggs bake, place 1/2 a cup of brown sugar and 2 tbsp of butter in another pan under medium heat.

- peel and slice an apple into thick slices

- place the apples in the sugar and butter, add 1/4 cup of heavy cream and cook until you havebantick sauce and the apples are softer. About 8-10 minutes.

There you have it!

These were so easy! You’ll need:

- pretzel sticks

- mini marshmallows

- chocolate chips

- strawberries

1- Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips (about 1 minute in the microwave)

2- Cut up the corners of the mini marshmallows and break the pretzel sticks in half. Stick a half pretzel stick through the narrower part of the marshmallow. Those are your turkey legs.

3- Use a bit of the melted chocolate to glue both legs on each side of a strawberry. Repeat. Put it in the fridge for about 10 minutes to set.

4- Then, using a skewer, dunk each strawberry into the melted chocolate. Gently hold it up so the excess chocolate drips. This is the most boring part because it takes a while for the excess to drip. I probably was less patient than I needed to be...

Now that I’m starting to feel like one myself, the focus of the blog changed, but not the desire to help others like me navigate busy lives as working moms and dads.

Every year around this time we do this very typical Brazilian meal of squash and shrimp. It’s indulgent, rich, and so right for this kind of weather. We had some very special friends to share them with; one just passed the bar and other is moving away to Singapore.

This was our way of saying “congratulations” and “we’ll miss you”. Fabulous time with great people and yummy food. That’s all I ask for.

Wanna save calories and time? This super simple, low carb dinner took me 20 minutes to put together!

1 yellow bell pepper (cut into strips)

1 orange bell pepper (cut into strips)

1 bunch of kale (chopped)

2 thick pork loin steaks (slide in half for 4 1/2 inch steaks) or 4 thin pork chops (center cut)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Lime juice to taste

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a non-stick skillet and saute the kale for about 6 minutes under medium heat. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper and reserve.

In a large skillet, heat the other tbsp of olive oil. Cook the bell pepper strips until tender (five minutes). Put it in the same skillet as the kale.

Season the pork loin with salt and pepper and pan-fry it for about 2 minutes on each side under medium-high heat (for medium). If you like them a little more done, cook them for an extra minute on each side. 

Squeeze some lime juice over the pork and you're done!

Was it a cheese and wine kind of night? You bet!

All these came from Valley Shepherd Creamery in NJ.  http://valleyshepherd.com/

Healthy, low carb dinner for friends coming from far lands (Brazil, to be precise).

Planning a visit there during Christmas, so you'll see a lot more healthier food coming out of the blog. Got get in shape in the next two months!

Pan fried scallops and arugula salad

4-5 sea scallops per person

2 cups of baby arugula per person

7-9 grape tomatoes per person

Olive oil to fry

Garlic infused extra virgin olive oil to drizzle

Salt and black pepper to taste

In a large skillet, heat about 2 tbsp of olive oil.

Pat the scallops dry and season them with salt and pepper.

Pan-fry the scallops for about 3 minutes on each side, under medium heat. Watch it so they don't overcook. They should be soft, but warm inside. 

For the salad, just mix the greens and the tomatoes and drizzle the garlic oil on top. I finished the salad with some red salt (just a sprinkle), but you can finish it with shaved Parmesan or just a pinch of salt and pepper. 

It's still grilling weather around here, and the heirloom tomatoes are still coming, so why not cook a simple, healthy and delicious meal this evening. 

The chicken drumsticks were seasoned with ginger powder, ground cumin, black pepper and salt, and just drizzled with olive oil so that the skin is crispy (remove the skin for an even healthier version). Ten minutes on medium-high heat over the grill (closed lid), turn them, ten more minutes and you'll be done!

Simple does it! Pan seared swordfish seasoned with salt, pepper and lime.

Sauteed kale with walnuts and Parmesan as a side. 

20 minutes to put it all together. 

Sometimes simple does it. Lightly grilled shrimp and red lentil with eggplant and tomatoes. 

Now for a REALLY easy Meatless Monday idea:

Rustic Veggie Tart:

1 pie crust, preferably whole wheat 

1 large onion, sliced 

20 asparagus spears, chopped

20-30 grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half

4 eggs

1/2 cup of heavy cream

1/2 cup of milk

3 tbsp of whole wheat flour

8 slices of cheese (provolone, cheddar or Swiss)

Salt and black pepper to taste

Press the pie crust around a 9-inch dish or cake pan. 

Sprinkle half of the onions, asparagus and tomatoes over the crust. 

Cover with half of the cheese.

Mix together the eggs, flour, heavy cream, milk, salt and pepper. Pour half of the mix over the veggies.

Repeat: onions, asparagus, tomatoes, cheese and the rest of the egg mixture. 

Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes.

Decadent and healthy? Yes!