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Tag: vegetables

Weekend Bites: Sneaky Veggies

Share your recipes with the hottest weekend food party. This week featuring recipes kids will love with sneaky veggies!

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New to Weekend Bites? Here’s the run down

Visit my co-host Debi at Practical Parenting Ideas

1. Link up your any food related post below

2. Browse the linky, visit some new blogs, and share if you feel so inclined.

3. Please only link up 3 posts. This lets us visit as many of you as possible.
4. By linking up you give me permission to feature your photos on Home Maid Simple (always linking back to you of course!)

5. Each month I send out a newsletter with the most popular links from that month – you may be featured!! This is a once a month newsletter, every first Friday of the month, no spamming involved. Subscribe!

I did it. I sat down Sunday afternoon and made an actual menu plan for the week again. It’s been so long since I’ve really planned out our meals. I couldn’t tell you what we’ve been eating lately because most days I whip something together that night and hope the kids will eat it. Most of January I’ve been working on tidying up the house, and making our home a place that I can truly work from home better in. So most of everything else, including bringing you awesome content, has been pushed to the side while I get back on track.

I feel like I was finally back to a mostly clean house, and so when Sunday came I had time to actually sit back and really relax! What better way to relax then flipping through my stack of recipe magazines and planning a menu? The kids weren’t too thrilled with my activity until they started flipping through too. Venice was the most helpful in finding recipes she’d like to try, but all the kids contributed at least one recipe to our menu this week – and surprisingly they are not all desserts!

It had me thinking how I need to sneak some more veggies into our meals. So while browsing weekend bites, I found these fantastic recipes that I know my kids would love. Do you have to sneak veggies into your kids diet?

Sneaky Veggies Features

Slow cooker Chicken Taco Lettuce Wraps

from Honey & Birch

My kids LOVE tacos. When served in a lettuce shell, they rarely complain about this veggie they usually avoid in a salad.

Taco Dippes

from Nap-Time Creations

Speaking of Tacos. Give kids anything to dip, that they can hold in their little hands, and we usually have a winner. You can sneak all kinds of veggies in these.

Cheesy Zucchini Spinach Quesadillas

from Dizzy Busy & Hungry

Quesadillas, similar to tacos rarely bring complaints from kids. While perhaps not as sneaky putting veggies in a quesadilla, the kids will usually sitll try it.

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

from Healthy Helper

I love squash, but as a kid I didn’t. My mom always came up with ways to hide the squash, and I can easily see myself trying this one soon!

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January 28, 2016
Foodie Friday Featuring Asparagus Sides

I would love it if you took a moment to visit my co-host Diane at Simple Living and Eating.

If you’re new to Foodie Friday, here’s the run down

1. Link up your recipe or any food related post below

2. Browse the linky, visit some new blogs, and share if you feel so inclined.

3. Please only link up 3 posts. This lets us visit as many of you as possible.
4. By linking up you give me permission to feature your photos on Home Maid Simple (always linking back to you of course!)

5. Each month I send out a newsletter with the most popular links from that month – you may be featured!! This is a once a month newsletter, no spamming involved. Sign up over there ——>

Happy Almost Easter

We’re headed over to my mom’s this weekend for our Easter dinner. She’s purchased a lamb, which is something I’ve never had, and she’s never cooked herself! It should be a lot of fun. I tried to find lamb last Easter but couldn’t find it. So we enjoyed a more simple Jerusalem dinner to remind us of Christ and what He may have eaten.

This week instead of featuring 1 blogger, I wanted to feature some of your Easter recipes. They were so overwhelming though, I decided to narrow it down to one of my favorite Spring sides – Asparagus! I’m sure you’ve already got your main dish planned for this Easter, but perhaps are looking for a godo side. I’d suggest giving one of these a try!

Warm Asparagus Salad with Lemon, Parmesan, and Breadcrumbs

from Farm Flavor

Asparagus with Crispy Garlic Prosciutto

from A Palatable Pastime

Salmon and Asparagus Bundles

from My Carolina Kitchen

This would make more of a meal than a side 🙂

An InLinkz Link-up

April 18, 2014
Foodie Friday Featuring Meatless Mediterranean

Welcome back to another Foodie Friday

I would love it if you took a moment to visit my co-host Diane at Simple Living and Eating.

If you’re new to Foodie Friday, here’s the run down

1. Link up your recipe or any food related post below

2. Browse the linky, visit some new blogs, and share if you feel so inclined.

3. Please only link up 3 posts. This lets us visit as many of you as possible.
4. By linking up you give me permission to feature your photos on Home Maid Simple (always linking back to you of course!)

Phew, what a crazy and fun week it’s been! Last week I launched the monthly Foodie Friday newsletter. I hope many of you received it and enjoyed the look. If you’d like to sign up you can do that here, or over in the side bar. For those of you that did get one, I would love some Feedback! What did you like? Didn’t like? Do you want me to tell you if you’re going to be featured in it?

Today alone has been a rollercoaster of a ride. It was going pretty good, until right when I started to work on this post. Then my husband calls to tell me he got a call from our bank about some possible fraud. Yep, sure enough someone thought $900 in starbucks was a good purchase to make using our card. People, we don’t drink Coffee, which means just about any Starbucks purchase is going to look suspicious (though I admit I do like their caramel apple cider). Anyways, so when I was supposed to be writing this, and making my family dinner, I was on the phone getting it worked out with our bank. Fingers crossed there’s no problem in returning our money. You can expect a post on lessons learned about identity theft in the coming month.

Enough about me – today I want to feature a long time Foodie Friday participant – Please welcome Mary from

Mary is a Philadelphia based writer that specializes in gourmet cooking from the Mediterranean regions of Spain, Greece, Israel, France, Morocco and more. As her tag line says “a vegetarian diet doesn’t have to be boring!”

Although we aren’t vegetarians, it also doesn’t mean we don’t like to cut out our meat periodically either. If you read last week’s feature, you’ll know I’m seriously falling for some tasty vegetarian looking meals, that aren’t just sides! I have loved visiting Mary’s site over the years, and trying to recreate her delicious looking recipes at home.

Last week she shared a more traditional recipe for garlic bread, and I have to say, I’m going to try it! No garlic salt, no loads of butter. Just some bread, a little oil and real garlic.

Garlic Toast

Lentil, Potato, and Veggie Sausage Stew

This is an older recipe Mary shared with us last year, but one I just love! Her soups always look delicious.

Connect with Mary

Facebook * Twitter

An InLinkz Link-up

January 24, 2014
Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
The first year I planted a large garden, I wasn’t sure how much I could get to grow. So I planted 6 zucchini plants, and they all grew and produced. We ate zucchini in one form or another every week for the rest of the year. This Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread was one of the good recipes that came from that gardening mistake. This post contains affiliate links. I will receive compensation when you click through and make a purchase.

See how to preserve zucchini

My sister in law had given me her recipe about a month ago, so I was going to use that. It seems to be common though for me to misplace written recipes. I seriously need a better system! So I started going through my cookbooks, and then thought to myself – it can’t be much different than Banana Bread, right?

That’s when I pulled out my mom’s Banana Bread recipe and decided to make a few alterations – like adding some cocoa – and created a Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread.

I love quick breads like this one. They’re pretty easy to change up to your preference without messing it up. Since this recipe makes 2 loaves, I like to garnish the top of one loaf with some chopped walnuts. It adds that extra bit of goodness but leaves one loaf nut free for those friends and family members who prefer it that way.
Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

2017-04-24 09:51:05

Yields 2

Add more veggies to your diet with this zucchini bread – just don’t forget the chocolate too!

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Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

1 min

Total Time

1 hr 20 min
Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

1 min

Total Time

1 hr 20 min

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup Zucchini, shredded – about 1 medium zucchini

1 1/2 cups Sugar

1/2 cup Shortening

4 eggs

4 TBS Cocoa Powder

4 Cups Flour

1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Salt

1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Chopped Walnuts (optional)

Instructions

Preheat Oven to 300° F

In a large bowl combine zucchini, sugar, shortening, eggs, and cocoa.

In a small mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt.

Mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Combine well.

Spray 2 loaf pans with cooking spray.

Separate and spread batter into the pans.

Optional – top with crushed walnuts.

Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Walnuts

Add walnuts to one zucchini loaf and please both nut lovers and non.

By Home Maid Simple

Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/
Of course, not everyone enjoys chocolate in their bread. I have my days where I prefer a healthier zucchini bread too. If that’s you try this Zucchini Bread recipe.

What’s your favorite way to eat Zucchini?
October 28, 2013
Veggie Pizza #FoodieFriday

I am so mad at myself right now! Someone linked up a BLT Pizza a few weeks ago, and I based this recipe off it, but now I can’t find who it was! So if you shared a BLT pizza with us, would you let me know? Thanks!

Life is finally settling down around here. We can actually live a normal life in our kitchen and living room. Bedrooms are a work in progress still though. Eventually we will be all unpacked, and purged thoroughly to feel like real people again. Just slowly making this a home.

I think my least favorite part of moving into a new home is trying to get the kitchen organized. You need everything unpacked, but it takes a while to get things right where you want them, you know? So far I like our set up, but our big downside is no pantry. That means I have to figure out how to put dishes and food in the cupboards. Turns out I have too many of one or the other…..I’m not sure which though.

Veggie Pizza

Ingredients

Pizza Dough:

1 pkg active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp Olive Oil

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Sauce and Toppings:

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup ranch dressing

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tbs Augason Farms Vegetarian Meat Substitute Bacon Bits

1/2 large tomato, chopped

1 cup lettuce, shredded

1 cup cheddar, shredded

Directions

For the crust: Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add salt, oil and 2 1/2 cups flour. Mix well. Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until all mixed together. Let rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled. Punch down.

Press dough onto the bottom of a pizza pan – I used my stone cookie sheet. Bake at 450 F for 15 minutes.

For topping: mix together cream cheese, ranch and garlic until smooth. Spread across baked crust. Add tomatoes, lettuce, bacon bits, and cheddar cheese. Slice and serve.

~FEATURES~

Scrambled Egg Breakfast Pitas with Zucchini and Peppers

from Meatless Mediterranean

I love this twist and added veggies to breakfast.

Greek Panzanella Salad

From This Silly Girl’s Life

This looks so refreshing to a regular green salad. The dressing especially sounds so flavorful.

S’mores Empanadas

From Just Dip It In Chocolate

I think my waist grew a few inches just looking at these. But so irresistible!

COHOSTED by Diane at Simple Living and Eating

Link up your food recipes, and hop around. Enjoy a table full of new ideas, fun twists on old classics, and tips and tricks for cooking.

An InLinkz Link-up

August 23, 2013
Spring Gardening: Time to Prep!

I can’t believe I’m already thinking about my garden. I always thought I had to wait until the snow melted and it was more spring like to get started in the garden. Obviously, I’m pretty new to this gardening thing. Last year was our first gardening attempt, and we had minimal success with it. I’ve been itching to get started since Christmas this year though. Thanks to my awesome present from my parents – basket, tools, and tons of seeds – and the Craftsy Gardening class I’m taking.

When getting ready to garden, you want to start by deciding what you want to plant. For me, I’m going with the seeds my parents gave me –
~Corn
~Sweet Peas
~Zucchini
~Green Beans
~Onions
~Cucumber
~Tomatoes

These are all veggies I love, and know we’ll be using plenty of. As I go, I may toss in some peppers and herbs to make our own salsa come harvest, but I have a little time to figure that out still. Right now I need to get my onions and tomatoes started indoors. Thanks to pinterest I found this handy website that tells me when to start the seeds – SproutRobot – you just tell them your zip code and it does the work…er the easy work of giving you info, you still have to do the planting.

I don’t really have the money to invest into an indoor grow center, so I found some other great ideas to start my seeds indoors. I’ve been fishing toilet paper tubes out of our bathroom trash all week, and trying to use all our eggs so I can have the cartons as well.

Via Someday I’ll Learn

via Tracing Terroir

What I love about both these ideas, besides being frugal, is that I can plant the “carton” with the seed, and not worry about disturbing the seeds. I’m pretty sure that’s how I killed my watermelon last year..although maybe watermelon shouldn’t be started inside either…

I purchased the Garden Fresh class from Craftsy (affiliate link) back in the fall, but just started watching the lessons. Lesson 1 is over, and I feel very overwhelmed, but also extremely excited to get started. We have very clay like soil here in Utah, so I need to find a good top soil to till into it. I’m also really hoping a neighbor has a rototiller I can borrow – doing our garden space with a rake and pitch fork just doesn’t sound fun…It’s a huge space!

This is going to be worth it though! Fresh vegetables every day, I can’t wait!

Are you putting in a Spring Garden?

February 12, 2013