Bacon, Quinoa and Kale Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash 
• 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 12oz of thick cut bacon, cut into small pieces
• 2-3 cups loosely packed kale, chopped small
• 2 cups cooked red quinoa
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 pound extra sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1-2 teaspoons dried thyme
• thinly sliced green onions (1-2) to garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut squash lengthwise and remove seeds. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 40 minutes to an hour or until the flesh is tender. 
2. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, cook bacon until crispy over medium-high heat. Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease and saute kale in bacon grease over medium heat until wilted.
3. When squash is cooked through, remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Let squash cool slightly so it is cool enough to handle and then scoop out flesh, leaving a half-inch border around the edges. Place flesh of squash in a large bowl and mash up with a fork. Add cooked quinoa, bacon, kale, nutmeg, cheese, and thyme. Mix until well combined. Return this mixture to hollowed out squash and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Let sit for about 5-10 minutes and then cut into slices and serve, garnished with sliced green onions.

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

1. 1 large zucchini, grated (about 1 3/4 cups)
2. 1/2 - 3/4 cup packed brown sugar or coconut sugar
3. 1 tablespoon organic cane sugar
4. 2/3 cup organic coconut oil
5. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6. 2 large eggs
7. 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour, (I use sprouted wheat)
8. 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
9. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
10. 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
11. 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
12. 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 
13. 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
14. 3/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan, and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugars, vanilla, and eggs.
3. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, and stir to combine well. Stir in grated zucchini, and coconut oil.
5. Pour batter into greased pan, spreading evenly. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean.
6. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Then cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Roasted Cauliflower and White Cheddar Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 1 head cauliflower
• 4 whole cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced yellow or white onion
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 2 teaspoons fresh), finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 2 teaspoon fresh), finely chopped
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 6 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Wash and trim the cauliflower into bite-size pieces. Toss with the cloves of garlic and one tablespoon of the oil. Scrape the mixture onto a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes until the cauliflower is crisp-tender and golden in spots (it will cook a bit longer in a later step). When the cauliflower comes out of the oven and has cooled a bit, give it another rough chop so that the pieces are even smaller.
2. Remove the garlic cloves and toss into food processor. They will just hang out there for a minute.
3. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the remaining one tablespoon olive oil and add the onion, cooking until the onion is translucent, 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Add the thyme and rosemary. Cook for another minute.
4. Stir in the cauliflower and broth; bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
5. Carefully ladle about half the soup (in batches, if needed) into the food processor with the garlic that you set aside earlier and puree until smooth. Stir the pureed soup back into the pot. Add the milk and the cheese.
6. Stir and cook on low heat until the cheese is melted. Do not allow this to boil or get too hot because you don't want the milk to separate and to curdle. Gag. Just thinking about that makes my stomach turn. Add salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
7. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Curry Apple Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

½ cup homemade mayo

¾ teaspoon curry powder

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 

½ teaspoon sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper

½ medium lime

1 granny smith apple, cored, peeled and diced small

½ cup cilantro leaves, diced

3 scallions, diced

1-1 1/2 pounds cooked chicken breast, shredded

Instructions:

In a small bowl, combine mayo, curry powder, cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste.

In another small bowl, combine diced apple and juice of lime.  This step ensures that the apples won’t oxidize (or turn brown).

Shred chicken and add to a bowl.  Toss in apples, cilantro, and scallions and toss to combine.  Add curried mayo and stir to mix well.  Serve on a bed of salad greens or in a pita (we like these). Enjoy!

*I've never gotten salmonella from homemade mayo.  :) I always get high-quality eggs from pastured chickens though.  If raw eggs scare you then just use store-bought mayo. Homemade mayo keeps in the fridge for about a week longer if you add whey. 

Roasted Chicken Sausage & Sweet Potatoes

Ok, so I NEVER cook without a recipe, like EVER but I guess I was feeling daring because today I whipped this tasty little number up and it was a hit with the whole family. I got the inspiration from this recipe which I made a few nights ago for company and served with a crusty sourdough loaf. I wanted something sweet and savory and Fallish so this was the end product. You could definitely add whatever veggies you like best besides sweet potatoes like parsnips or carrots. I thought next time I might try adding some brussels sprouts to add a little green to the mix.  You can also use whatever types of sausages you like best. Trader Joe's has like 10 different types so I went with their Roasted Apple Chicken Sausages. I thought it would pair well with the sweet potato. If you want to experiment with the flavor at all you could also add a tablespoon of mustard to the sauce. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 packages of Chicken Sausages with Roasted Apples, cut into 1" pieces (I use Trader Joe's brand)
2-3 large sweet potatoes, cut into large chunks
2 red onions, cut into large chunks
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
salt & pepper

Directions:
Cut up Chicken Sausages, sweet potatoes and red onion and toss in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl whisk together olive oil and maple syrup and then pour it over the chicken and veggies. Stir to coat. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish or onto a baking sheet. Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 425 for 30-40 minutes until cooked through and golden. If you like it to have a more grilled taste then you can broil it for a few minutes at the end.

Serve with a green salad and crusty bread.

BLT Chopped Salad

This is my favorite lunch salad hands-down because it is loaded with protein so it keeps me full until dinner. It serves two people so it is our grown-up lunch while the kids eat something simpler. I double the recipe and then save the other 2 servings in glass containers in the fridge to take for lunches when I'm teaching. I just add half a lime and the avocado later. This is a fresh and super enjoyable lunch!

BLT Chopped Salad

Ingredients:
2 cups Romaine or Butter Lettuce, chopped
2 cups Arugula
handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 ear of fresh bicolor sweet corn, kernels removed with a knife (Yep, you eat them raw, uncooked!)
1/2 cup feta cheese
4 slices of applewood bacon, cooked and chopped
1 or 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped (optional)
1 avocado, chopped
1 lime
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:
Divide all of the salad ingredients between two plates. Cut the lime in half and squeeze half the lime over each plate. Drizzle with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Grilled Rosemary Chicken Skewers with Berry Sauce

Ingredients:

For the chicken:
4-6 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup white wine (I used T.J.'s $2.99 Chardonnay)
1 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For the berry sauce:
2 cups frozen blackberries, thawed
1 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp of jelly or jam
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

Combine the rosemary, wine, pepper and oil in a large glass dish. Add chicken and mix to cover. Marinate in the fridge for an hour or so.

Remove chicken from marinade and thread onto skewers. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve marinade. Grill chicken on grates brushed with olive oil for 8-10 minutes, turning to cook evenly. Remove from grill and let rest under foil. Meanwhile, place marinade and blackberries in a sauce pan and simmer gently until the berries are soft.  Once soft press through a mesh strainer and discard the pulp. Return the marinade/berry mixture to the pan and whisk in the vinegar, jelly and nutmeg and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered until it has reduced to a syrup-like consistency. Pour over chicken and enjoy!

Easy Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb ground beef or lamb
1 onion, chopped
2 cups frozen vegetables-corn, carrots, peas (I use Trader Joe's Organic Quatro)
1 1/2-2lbs russet potatoes
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup beef broth
2 tsp naturally fermented soy sauce
2 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
salt & pepper to taste
splash of cream

Directions:

Peel and quarter the potatoes and boil in salted water for 20 minutes or so until soft. Meanwhile, melt half of the stick of butter in a large frying pan. Cook the onion until soft over medium heat. Add frozen veggies and cook for a few more minutes. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Add thyme, roesmary and salt and pepper to taste. Add soy sauce, tomato paste and beef broth. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer beef and onion mixture to one 9x13 greased baking dish. Mash the potatoes with the remaining 1/2 stick of butter and some cream or whole milk and distribute on top of the beef and onions. Use a fork to smooth out the potatoes.

Bake at 400 for about 30 minutes until bubbling and brown.

*I sometimes make two 8x8 dishes instead of a 9x13 and then freeze one for later. If you decide to do this then freeze the second one before baking it in the oven. When you are ready to eat it then just thaw it in the fridge and then follow baking instructions.

Three Bean Salad

This one is good for a cheap dinner when you are broke as a joke. Its also a good side-salad to bring to a BBQ. It whips together in like 5 minutes. You can half the recipe if you are using it as a side dish. I use organic beans and raw organic apple cider vinegar but you can use whatever you like. If you want to be super awesome you could soak and cook all of the beans ahead of time. . .but that kind of defeats the purpose of this being both QUICK and easy. You have to cut corners sometimes, right? There are only so many hours in the day.

Ingredients:
2 15 oz can kidney beans
2 15 oz can garbanzo beans
2 15 oz can cannellini beans
5 celery stalks, chopped finely
1 red onion, chopped finely
1-2 cups fresh parsley, finely chopped
1-2 Tbsp fresh finely cut rosemary (optional)
2/3 cup  apple cider vinegar, raw unfiltered (I use Braggs)
2/3 cup organic pure can sugar or pure maple syrup 
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.Cover and refrigerate for at least 20-30 minutes to let flavors meld. High five yourself for making something so yummy in less than

Black Beans and Brown Rice

So my next few recipes fall into the "I'm broke and need to stretch my groceries until the next paycheck" category.  They are meat-free, cheap and you might even have the ingredients already in your pantry. You can fancy them up or simply them to meet your tastes.  Sometimes I make just plain old beans and then add a little onion and garlic to the rice. Sometimes I make it a little more involved. If I am being honest I am the only one in my family who happily eats this meal BUT that being said it is really good(and did I mention cheap?)! Brad just thinks its a side dish and my kids think it looks funny. :) Doesn't that entice you to make it? It's good. I promise. :)

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE BEANS
8 cups water, plus more if needed 1 bag
1 lb dried black beans, picked over, rinsed, and drained
1 jalapeno chile, halved and seeded (optional)
2 medium onions, quartered
5 garlic cloves, smashed
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

FOR THE RICE
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups short-grain brown rice
1 1/2 cups water
3 cups chicken stock

DIRECTIONS

To make the beans: Bring water, beans, jalapeno, onions, garlic, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to a simmer in a medium pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, about 3-4 hours. (Add more water, 1/4 cup at a time, if needed.) Season with salt and pepper.

To make the rice: Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion and garlic until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside. Cook the rice in the water and broth until all of the liquid is absorbed. Fluff rice with a fork and stir in the onion mixture, and season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with beans.

*Serve beans and rice with fresh cilantro, diced red onion, chopped tomato, cubed avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese, or hot sauce. Whatever you like!

Carrot Cake Bites

CARROT CAKE BITES

10 dates
 handful raw walnuts
1 cup rolled oats
1 medium carrot, finely grated
zest from one lemon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash of ground ginger
1/8 tsp salt
finely chopped walnuts for rolling, opt.

Rough chop the dates and walnuts and then put them in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade. Process until date pieces are about the size of raisins. Add the oats and process until the oats are ground.
Add grated carrot, lemon zest, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and salt and process until the ‘dough’ comes together in a ball. Use clean hands to form into balls. Roll in chopped walnuts, if desired and store in the fridge. Makes 12-15 balls.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BITES

15 pitted dates, rough chopped
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/3 c. shredded unsweetened coconut
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp chocolate chips

Place the dates in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade and process into smaller pieces. Add the remaining ingredients and process until thoroughly combined and ingredients form a “dough.” Roll into balls.

Fresh Summer Salsa

Ingredients:

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/4-1/2 of a medium sized red onion

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 large tomato, seeded and diced or cherry tomatoes, halved

2 ears of fresh sweet corn, cut off the husk (If you've never tried uncooked, fresh corn you are in for a treat!)

olive oil

1 lime

apple cider vinegar

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, squeeze the lime juice on and add a splash of apple cider vinegar. Stir it up and enjoy with tortilla chips. I also sometimes add cilantro or fresh avocado. 

Sausage Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches

This is a simple recipe for a hearty make-ahead breakfast for busy mornings. We use either pork sausage patties or bacon but you could really use any meat you want. You may also want to scramble your eggs or add chopped up veggies like peppers or spinach. I like to make a batch of 10 and then freeze a half dozen for later. We just reheat them in the oven right in the aluminum foil for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees while we get ready but you could definitely microwave them for 2 minutes or so if you like. You may not want to toast the muffins if you plan on microwaving because it might make the muffin too chewy or hard. Just don't put the aluminum foil in the microwave! :)

Ingredients:
10 large eggs
10 slices of sharp cheddar cheese (I cut mine into circles but you don't have to do that)
10 precooked sausage patties, ham or bacon (I use Wellshire Maple Pork Patties from Whole Foods)
10 English muffins (I used the Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Wheat Muffins from Whole Foods)
Salt & Pepper
Butter
Aluminum Foil
Small ramekins

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease ramekins with butter. Crack one egg into each ramekin. Drag a knife through the egg to break the yolk. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake until eggs are set, about 15 minutes. You may need to do this in batches depending on how many ramekins you have. While the eggs are baking, toast each English muffin and lightly butter each side.  Slide the eggs out of the ramekins and allow to cool briefly. Place a sausage patty, egg and then the cheese on the English muffin to make a sandwich. Either enjoy immediately or wrap in aluminum foil and freeze.

Baby Boy Lucht

We've been on a roller-coaster ride this week. We want to keep our friends and family updated on what is happening so that people can pray and grieve with us but we don't want to have to relay the same information over and over.  Here is a copy of the email Brad sent out yesterday:

Friends,

Many of you know that we had a very important doctors appointment yesterday to learn more about what is going on with our little boy in Jessica’s womb.  If for some reason you aren’t up to date, you can find the previous email we sent out below...

We had our appointment at Cardinal Glennon yesterday.  We were there from 8:30 in the morning until after 2PM.  They were great to work with.  They were very kind and gentle with us as we received some hard news.  The bottom line is our boy has been diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease.  

The good news is the amniotic fluid levels were stable so that the baby’s lungs can develope and Jessica won’t need to have any inutero surgeries.  It looks like the blockage is only partial at this point so the baby can pass urine.This is important because this means there is no indication as of now that Jess won’t be able to go full term with the baby and she should be able to have a normal birth.  That could still change but as of now we are hopeful.

In the afternoon we met with a Nephrologist (kidney specialist).  He confirmed what already knew that the right kidney is completely non-functioning and will remain that way.  That is the multi-cystic dysplastic kidney.  The new bit of information we received was that the left kidney is likely cystic dysplastic meaning it partially has the same problem the right kidney as but has not been affected fully.  At this point the doctor believes the left kidney will have some function at the time of birth.  How much function is the question.  Unfortunately we will not know the answer until the baby is actually born.  Right now, the baby is relying on Jessica’s kidney/placenta to do the work (just like a normal baby) and his will not kick in fully until he enters the world and his little body will have to take over for itself.  At that point the doctors will keep a very close eye on him to see how much function that little kidney will have.  

The doctor gave us two ends of a spectrum where our baby could land.  No matter where on the spectrum he lands, one thing that is almost certain is he will need a kidney transplant at some point in his life.  

Best case scenario:  The baby is born and his partially functioning kidney outperforms expectations and does the job well.  This is our prayer. The baby spends a week or two in the NICU to have a catheter put in his bladder to drain fluids and also likely a surgery to remove the partial blockage, then comes home.  We would continue to have regular appointments to keep an eye on things.  The kidney will then eventually decline because it is being overworked at which point he will need a transplant.  The Nephrologist told us that kids with this condition can go up to two decades before needing a transplant.  Most likely it will happen sometime in adolescence.  

Worst case scenario:  The baby is born with very little or no kidney function and will need to go on immediate dialysis.  We would spend many months in the NICU and eventually we would be trained how to do home dialysis which the baby would need every day until he is big enough to receive a transplant.  He would need to reach at least 22 lbs before a transplant is possible.  For a kid with this condition that usually takes about 1.5 - 2 years.  The doctor told us that about 50% of babies reach that point.  The ones who don’t make it usually die from infections or other complications.  

So right now the hardest part is the waiting.  Jess is about 26 weeks now which means we have over three months to wait before we will have answers.  We are convinced though that God is good is constantly proving himself faithful to us.  We know God will be glorified through the life of our son no matter what happens.  While we wait on the Lord to teach us and guide us, we pray humbly for a miracle.  We know God, who is the giver of all good things and the source of love itself, loves our little one infinitely more that we do so move forward the only way we know how, trusting in Him.  We are also praying that we would grow closer as a family through this.  I am not going to sugar coat things, we feel like we are in a wilderness right now.

Thank you for your support and love.


Hey friends,
We are writing you all this email to let you know what is going on with our littlest one. We really covet your prayers in the next few weeks. We went in today for an ultrasound to check on the baby's kidneys. 4 weeks ago we discovered at our 20 week ultrasound that the right kidney was multi-cystic and not functioning at all so they wanted me to come in for monthly ultrasounds to monitor the healthy kidney and the rest of the baby's development.  If we understand all this correctly, a kidney becomes multi-cystic when there is a blockage of some kind and fluid builds up in the kidney which damages healthy tissue.  The doctors originally thought the blockage was at the entrance to the kidney and only affecting that one kidney.

Today when we went in we learned that the left kidney now has some fluid built up in it as well. This leads the doctors to believe that there is some sort of blockage in the urethra that is not allowing the urine to pass properly. The bladder looked very full as well. This is what they think is causing the fluid to build up in the second kidney.  If the second kidney is fully blocked, it will cause a decrease in amniotic fluids which are vital for the baby's development. Today my amniotic fluid levels were good so they said it is possibly only a partial blockage, not a full blockage. They want me to come back in two weeks, when I am 26 weeks, to check my fluid levels. At that point they will be able to know more clearly how serious of a situation this is. If the amniotic fluid levels have dropped then the situation could be very serious. If the levels are stable, then the prayer is that the second kidney won't have permanent damage from the fluid buildup. Regardless of what happens we will be working with a pediatric urologist and there is a good chance that I will be switched to a high-risk neo-natalogist.  Some of the possibilities that we discussed with the doctor today were extremely serious and concerning so we are feeling sad and scared.

Please pray that the amniotic fluid levels stay stable and that if there is a blockage that it would miraculously be removed. Pray that we'd be able to understand what the doctors are communicating to us correctly and that we'd have wisdom as we move forward. Thanks friends. We will keep you updated.

Canadian Bacon and Egg Cups

This is a great way make a usual breakfast a little more fun, it is super easy, and takes only 20 minutes start to finish to prepare and cook. You can tweek it however you like to meet your tastes. Add veggies (I would saute them first) and you can either soft-cook or scramble your eggs. This is also a great dish to bring to get togethers because it is individual servings. We do breakfast for dinner almost once a week at our house and this is always a crowd-pleaser. Also, now that I'm pregnant I'm always looking for ways to add protein to my meals. :)

Canadian Bacon Cups

Ingredients:

 1 pack of Canadian Bacon (We get the Celebrity brand from Trader Joe's which comes with 10 slices)

10 eggs

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Green onions (optional), finely chopped

Butter

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.  Grease a muffin tin with the butter. Place one slice of Canadian bacon in the bottom of each muffin, pressing it into the bottom of the muffin cup. You can either just crack the eggs directly into the the muffin cups on top of the Canadian bacon or crack them into a bowl, add a splash of milk and whisk them before pouring them into the cups. Sprinkle each muffin with cheese, green onions, salt and pepper. Bake for 15-17 minutes until the eggs are firm and no longer runny.

Pickled Cucumbers

1 English cucumber

1/2 cup white-wine vinegar

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cut cucumber crosswise into very thin slices (preferably using a manual slicer). In a bowl whisk together remaining ingredients until sugar is dissolved and add cucumber, tossing to coat. Marinate cucumbers, covered and chilled, stirring occasionally, 4 hours.

Whole Roasted Chicken

Roasting a whole chicken is so simple and so delicious but a little intimidating if it is your first time. Depending on the appetite of your family it can last you several meals. It typically lasts our family of 4 two full meals because we have big eaters. We eat roasted chicken one night and then use the rest for salads, sandwiches, pizzas, etc. the following day.  If I'm feeling extremely lazy I just remove the giblets, toss the chicken in the crock pot, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, pour in a little broth and cook it on low for about 6 hours. If we are having company or I want something crispier and prettier then I use this method. It is fool-proof and one of my favorite meals.  If you don't have or don't like rosemary then you could use other herbs like basil, majoram, oregano or thyme or even dry herbs de provence. If you aren't down with butter something is wrong with you  then you could substitute the butter for a 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil.  I got this recipe from Pioneer Woman's blog.

Whole Roasted Chicken

1 Whole Chicken, rinsed and patted dry (I use an Organic Free-Range Chicken from Trader Joe's for about $10-14)

1/2 - 3/4 cup of butter, softened

3 Whole Lemons

4 Sprigs of fresh Rosemary

Salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Put the softened butter into a bowl. Zest two of the lemons and stir the zest into the softened (not melted) butter. Finely chop 1 sprig of rosemary and stir into the butter mixture. Give the mixture a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet that is lined with aluminum foil. Rub the entire chicken with the butter mixture making sure to get in all the joints and crevices. Rub butter in the cavity and under the skin.  Cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice of one or tow of them on top of the chicken. Stuff the six lemon halves into the cavity of the bird. Stuff the remaining 3 sprigs of rosemary into the cavity of the bird as well. Roast in the oven for about an hour and 15 minutes. Skin should be golden and the juices sizzling.

Serve with fresh green beans and roasted potatoes. Yum!

Roasted Sausage, peppers and potatoes

This is the easiest, no-brainer meal ever and it only takes a few minutes to whip together. I've made it several times now and have tweaked it to meet the taste of our family. I like extra mustard and Brad likes extra onion so feel free to play around with it. We prefer the taste of the hofbrau brats over italian sausages but use whatever you like. This is a new Lucht family staple. :)

Ingredients:

1- 1 1/2lb  raw sausages, cut into 2" pieces ( I've used both italian sausage and brats from Trader Joes)

1 lb baby potatoes, quartered

2 sliced bell pepper, 1/2" wide and 3" long (I used green but red would be good too)

1  large or 2 small sweet onions (sliced in chunks the same size as peppers)

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

1/3 cup olive oil

1-2 tablespoons dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoon grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

extra-virgin olive oil, for serving

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Add the sausage, potatoes, peppers, onion and rosemary to an extra large mixing bowl.
2. In a separate small bowl whisk olive oil and mustard together. Add garlic, parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper, whisk until well combined.
3. Pour over sausage mixture and toss well until everything is coated.
4. Grease a large, thin cookie sheet with sides and pour out the mixture. Spread evenly over the baking sheet. Bake 40 minutes until sausage is cooked through and potatoes are golden and tender.
5. Serve with parmesan and crusty bread

Ruby's 2nd Ice Cream Birthday

We celebrated our sweet little Rue turning two by having lots of friends over for ice cream sundaes.  We had a full sundae bar complete with glass ice cream dishes that I found at Goodwill, a pretend ice cream parlor, a coloring station, a make-your-own ice cream hair bow station and last but not least an ice cream cone piñata.  Party favors were scented ice cream cone bubbles from Hobby Lobby and balloons with brown craft paper cones in the shape of ice cream cones.  We had so much fun and I really can't believe my baby is this big!