Trick #7: The Best Easy, Fancy Meal Ever

          If you like to cook - or like to eat - there are probably times that you wish you had a plate of fancy, delicious food on the table. Problem is, who has the time or money to collect strange or expensive ingredients or use time-consuming cooking methods to put together something really gourmet? Well, here's a solution: a fancy french meal that you can make from what's probably already in your kitchen, with about 30 - 40 minutes of prep time. For real.

Chicken Cordon Bleu, Steamed Asparagus, and Roasted Garlic Potatoes 

with Hollandaise Sauce 

Don't freak out and stop reading. It sounds difficult, but I promise it's easier than pie. Easy ingredients, easy cooking methods, short prep time. Here's how you do it.

Roasted Garlic Potatoes

Ingredients

3 lb. small red or white potatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 Tbl minced garlic (6 cloves) - Optional. Also, a warning: if you use the garlic, your house will smell pretty intense. So cut the garlic down or entirely if that's gonna bug you.

2 Tbl fresh parsley - Optional

Method

1. If you want to use two ovens to make this meal: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If you are using one oven: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

2. Cut potatoes in halves or quarters (so they're about 1" cubes). 

3. Toss potatoes in olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. 

4. Spread potatoes onto sheet plan. 

5. Two ovens: Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour. One oven: Roast for 40 minutes. Reduce heat to 350, and roast additional 30 minutes (along with chicken, below). 

6. Flip potatoes once or twice so they get nicely browned.

7. Sprinkle with parsley before serving. 

Easy (Un-rolled) Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

6 slices ham

6 slices Swiss cheese

1 cup bread crumbs (store bought, or blend up about 2-3 slices of bread in the blender)

2 Tbl melted butter

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 pan. (If you're making the potatoes and they're going in the same oven, then congrats! You're oven's already hot!)

2. Slice the chicken in half length-wise, so that you get two thin breasts. Lay chicken in pan with a bit of space between them.

3.  Layer the following on each piece of chicken: ham, swiss, bread crumbs.

4. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes.

5. Remove from oven. Opt: if you've got enough parsley and Hollandaise around because you're making the other two recipes, then top with a dollop of Hollandaise and a sprinkle of parsley before serving. (Seriously, that's it. Told you this one was easy!)

Steamed Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients

Asparagus - preferably thin so they cook faster

1 cup mayonaise

2 tsp mustard

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp lemon Juice

Method

1. Cut or break the dry ends off of the asparagus. Lay asparagus down in a steamer, or a covered sauce pan with just enough water to cover the bottom. Steam for 3 - 10 mintues (depending on thickness of asparagus). Tip: You know it's ready if it's nice and green, and just starting to get wobbly when you pick it up. If it's stiff it's underdone; if it's like a noodle, it's overdone.

2. While the asparagus is steaming, whip up your sauce by whisking together the remaining ingredients. Note: you can adjust the amounts of mustard, sugar, and lemon to change the flavor of the sauce. If you want something really tangy, use more lemon and mustard. If you want something sweeter, cut the mustard and lemon and add more sugar. 

3. Serve asparagus with a drizzle of Hollandaise. Enjoy.

I hope you enjoy my all-time favorite easy-fancy meal!

Trick #6: How to Make a Better Boxed Cake

I've tasted a number of from-scratch cakes in my life and I'll be honest - I think cakes taste better from a box. At least, they do if you cheat! Here's how you make a boxed cake that actually tastes GOOD. I mean, real good.

Cheat Cake

Ingredients:

1 Boxed Cake Mix

Eggs

Milk

Butter or Coconut Oil

Method:

Assemble the boxed cake mix almost as directed. Here's the changes you need to make:

          1. Add an extra egg - the required number of eggs, plus one.

          2. Add milk instead of water. 

          3. Use butter (or coconut oil) instead of vegetable oil, and double it. For example, if it calls for 1/2 cup of oil, use 1 cup of butter, instead. (If this seems like a lot of butter, it's because it is! Yum!) 

Then, bake the cake as per package directions, but note: it will probably take longer to bake because of the changes we've made. Just keep an eye on it. 

Finally: Frost and enjoy your moister, more delicious boxed cake!

Trick #5: 4 Things to Know about Trader Joe's

I have recently become a huge fan of Trader Joe's. I used to stay away because I assumed that it was a specialty store that charged a ton for their food - but I was wrong! (The produce is pricey, but the rest is pretty reasonable). So, as a recent convert to the franchise, I thought I would share a little testimonial with y'all that might make your lives easier.

1. Herb Goat Cheese + Rosemary Raisin Crackers = Easy, Delicious Appetizer

Now, I generally do not like Goat cheese. It's pretentious. But this cheese and cracker combo gives a 1-2 punch of flavor that I love - the sweet, cheese, and herb blend is like a holiday in your mouth. And all you have to do is buy it and put it on a plate, and you look like Martha Stewart before the jumpsuit. It's fantastic.

2. Peppermint Joe Joe's Taste Like Oreos and Thin Mints Got Married & Had a Baby.

If you have not had this seasonal TJ's treat, then get yourself there between Thanksgiving and Christmas! It's completely yummy and costs less than the Girl Scout's Thin Mints, but will totally solve your Thin Mint Fix. 

3. TJ's Dark Chocolate Deal

Alrighty, now I am a big fan of dark chocolate - and I don't mean that pretend dark chocolate. (I'm looking at you, Hershey's!). But normally any label with a cacao/cocoa content of 60% or more costs quite a bit. But not at TJ's! They have a three packs of 1.65 oz chocolate bars near the check stands that are only a couple bucks, each. They have everything from dark to white chocolate, and some even with nuts. Knock yourself out!

4. Green Cleaners & Soaps That Don't Cost an Arm & a Leg!

If you're trying to reduce the number of crazy chemicals in your house but still like that clean, fresh

smell, then TJ's "Next to Godliness"cleaner is a great solution. (Get it - solution! Ha!) The Cedar/Pine version smells like Yosemite Valley. I'm not kidding - my mom and I smelled it and had to call "Jinx!" because we said, in unison, "It smells like Yosemite!". They also have green dish soaps, hand soaps, and natural hard soaps. I'm definitely going to be giving more of them a try!

Trick #4: Three Things You SHOULD Cook in the Microwave.

I used to despise microwaved food. Always soggy, nuclear-hot in the center, and icy cold at the edges. Then I discovered the microwave's true potential. I'm not talking about frozen pizzas and hot pockets here, I mean real food! So here's 3 things you should absolutely cook in the microwave.


1. Homemade Egg McMuffin

Why load up on chemicals and sodium for your favorite breakfast sandwich when you can make it at home in less time than it takes to get through the drive-thru? Here's what you need...

They look like this. For real.

Ingredients:

1 English Muffin
1 Egg
1 slice of bacon cut in half (turkey bacon if you want to be like that...)
1 slice cheese
Water
1 small glass bowl - like a small custard dish
1 small glass plate



Method:

1. Pam spray the bowl. Crack eggs into it and lightly scramble. Add 1 Tbl water, but do not stir. Place your small plate over the bowl. Microwave 30 seconds on High. 
2. Put your English Muffin in the toaster.
3. Remove small plate and rotate the egg with a fork. Replace plate, and put your bacon on top. Microwave for 30 seconds on High.
4. Assemble your sandwich: bottom of muffin, your (now perfectly poached) egg patty, slice of cheese, bacon, and top of muffin. 
5. Ta-DA! Now eat it :)


2. Corn on the Cob 

The only caveat here is that you probably only want to cook 4 cobs this way, otherwise it will take longer than boiling - but so long as you only need a couple pieces of corn, this will save you a BUNCH of time, and I find you end up with fewer hairs on your corn.

Method:

1. Put your corn, HUSK AND ALL, in the microwave.
2. Microwave for 4 minutes, PER EAR.
(Example: 3 ears of corn, 12 minutes. Capiche?)
3. Remove from microwave WITH HOT PADS - trust me - and place on cutting board. Cut off the bottom of the ear, including the last row of corn kernels.
4. Shake/squeeze the top of the ear until the corn pops out.
5. Voila! Eat your corn.

*If you don't believe me, watch this lovely gentleman do it on YouTube - if he can do it, you can do it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzYtMeIFH8o


3. Chocolate Mug Cake

Believe you me, I was a HUGE skeptic of the cake in a microwave phenomenon, but I have since seen the error of my ways. I've also discovered that having only 5 minutes between me and a hot, fresh mug of chocolate cake is a dangerous thing. So, reader beware!

Ingredients: 
1/4 cup flour
2 Tbl cocoa powder
1/4 Tsp baking powder
2 - 3 Tbl sugar (depending on if you like a dark, bitter cake or a sweeter one)
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup + 1 Tbl milk
2 Tbl coconut oil (you can use regular vegetable oil but coconut oil is better for you and definitely adds to the flavor, here)

Method:
1. In a large mug (about 14 oz capacity), stir ingredients together until it has no clumps.
2. Place paper towel in your microwave and set the mug on top of it. (This is to catch drips)
3. Microwave 70 seconds on high.
4. Enjoy! Perhaps with a dab of nutella, or some berries, or hot fudge, or powdered sugar, or a scoop of ice cream, or... you get the idea :)

Conclusion

Now, go forth! Unlock the delicious power of your humble microwave! And share the good news with your friends and neighbors. 

Trick #3: Meal Planning

I strongly believe in having a family dinner time as often as possible - no matter what your family looks like! There's tons of research on the benefits of family dinnertime (google it!). Whether it's roommates, a couple, or a whole family, dinner is when we get to relax and enjoy each other and share about our day. But it's tough to have home-cooked meals with today's fast-paced lifestyle. Here's where the meal-planning comes in.

Check out thefoodnanny.com!

First, I must give credit where credit is due. I started meal-planning because I was inspired by Liz Edmunds, "The Food Nanny". This woman is incredible - raised a gaggle of kids while her pilot-husband was away from home. She credits her "Nanny Plan", or 2-week meal-planning strategy, for keeping her family close together. She preaches what she calls "La vita vera", or the true life - an Italian ideal which stresses the importance of good food and family time around the dinner table.

How to Meal-Plan

Step 1: Make a table.
You can make your own table like I've done here, or go on thefoodnanny.com to download a form.

Step 2: Decide on food themes.
Notice that in my meal-plan, above, each day has a designated food "theme". It's much easier to think up recipes for each night if you have a designated genre of food to choose from, instead of trying to choose from every recipe in the universe. This also ensures some variety in your diet, so you don't end up eating tacos every night.

Step 3: Decide what days you'll cook.
Let's be real - you probably will not be making meals every night - some nights you'll be too busy or will be eating out. Decide based on your schedule the nights that you will actually be cooking. Planning any meals is better than planning none - if you can start by planning just 3 MEALS A WEEK, this will save you time and money. Strive for at least 3 days, and work your way up from there if you can. 

Step 4: Pick your recipes.
Assign a dish for each night that you plan on cooking. If you know that you'll get leftovers from a particular recipe because it is large, schedule in a 'leftovers' night. This is a handy trick when you know that you're going to be really busy!

Step 5: Make your grocery list.
As you can see from my menu plan, the bottom row contains my grocery list. I look at my recipes, then compare what the recipe calls for with what I've got in my kitchen. If there's something I need but don't have, it goes in the list.

Step 6: Post the list and carry out your plan.
Put your list somewhere that you can see it. Follow the plan as best you can, but be flexible if needed. Swap recipes if you are in the mood for something on one day, or make another leftovers night if you have too much in your fridge.  

Conclusion

If you think you don't have time to meal-plan, think again! It takes half an hour once a week, and then you don't have to spend twenty minutes every night wondering what to make. Plus, when you make your meal plan, you also make your grocery list for the week, so you end up spending less time and money at the store. There are literally NO DOWNSIDES to trying this, so just do it!!!

Trick #2: The Five S's

My mom, aka "the baby whisperer" (a labor & delivery nurse for 15 years) taught me a number of tricks when I had Lincoln last year. One of the biggies is what she calls "The Five S's". (It's really 4 S's and  1 J, but Five S's sounds better...) She credits a video called "The Happiest Baby on the Block" for this knowledge.

Problem: You have a fussy baby. 

Solution: If you know that the baby has been fed, burped, and changed, and they are still a mess, then implement The Five S's. Do all of these, in order, and continue until the child is calm. Works every time.

1. Swaddle. 

Little babies (say, 7 months and under) like to be swaddled. Most people will swaddle using the diamond method, probably because that's what most swaddle blankets recommend on their packaging. But I found that this swaddle always fell to pieces. I like the rectangle swaddle, the one they use in the hospital with your newborn - this swaddle has staying power. Here's how to do it.

 2. Side

Pick the baby up and lay them on their side, facing outward, so that their back is against your tummy, and your arms are supporting them. This is soothing to baby and also helps their tummies due to the pressure of your arm on their belly. Like so:

3. Suck

Give the kid a pacifier. Babies are incapable of forming bad habits until age 4 months. (Cite: My favorite baby book, Baby 411.) Pacifiers will help you both get through these first few months a lot smoother, then they can disappear before the teeth show up. And don't let yourself feel guilty about it! Parenting is hard enough without the guilt - use all the tools that you can that will help you be successful.

4. Swing & Jiggle

Swing baby from side to side, and
jiggle your arms up and down to gently bounce the baby. 

5. Shushing

Imitate the sounds baby heard while in the womb, by making long,  loud whooshing sounds.

Conclusion
Now you, too, are a baby whisperer! Go spread the good news of The Five S's. Trust me, it works like magic!

Trick #1: Easy, Healthy, Low-Cal, Low(ish)-Sodium Veggie Soup

This soup is heavy on flavor and light on calories. I didn't think it could be done, but 3 cheers to Alton Brown for coming up with this one! (I love that man - Good Eats is definitely a guilty pleasure of mine). I took Alton's original recipe and made a few tweaks, and it was a big hit. One major tweak I made here, and that I'm making in most other soup recipes lately, is cutting the amount of chicken broth or bouillon by half in order to cut the salt in the soup. Soups have the potential to be really healthy, but are often held back by too much salt. Unleash their full potential - load 'em with veggies and herbs and hold back the salt!

Bre's Garden Vegetable Soup a la Alton Brown

Ingredients: 

4 Tbl olive or coconut oil

2 cups chopped leeks (Cheat: onions or shallots instead)

2 Tbl minced garlic

Salt

2 cups carrots, chopped into rounds

2 cups diced potatoes

2 cups fresh green beans broken in 3/4 inch pieces (Cheat: go with frozen or canned)

1 quart chicken or vegetable broth + 1 quart water
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

4 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes (Cheat: go with no-salt-added canned, diced tomatoes)

2 ears corn, kernels removed (Cheat: frozen corn, 2 cups)

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (DO NOT cheat and use dried - use fresh if you can!)

Juice of 1/2 a lemon (again, no cheating here - you get a big flavor pay-off from the fresh lemon)

PLUS: Any other veggies as desired - I added zucchini. Kale or spinach could even be added in at the last-minute for an extra boost of greens.

PLUS: Chicken or beef if you don't want to keep this a veggie-only dish.

Steps:

1. Put a stockpot on medium-low heat. Add oil. Add leeks (or onions) and garlic, and a bit of salt. Sweat the onions and garlic until softened, about 7-8 minutes. 

2. Add carrots, potatoes, and green beans and cook for 4-5 more minutes.

3. Add broth and water and bring to a boil.

4. Add the rest of your ingredients. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until veggies are fork tender. 

5. Enjoy!