Category Archives: Uncategorized

Mother of Dragons Summer Cocktail

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So.. yes, I read the first two books and am working my way through Game of Thrones season two. Am I part of the craze? Maybe. Let’s put it this way, when Vanity Fair motherofdragons_cocktail_blog (3)published a drink “fit for a Khaleesi” this weekend to celebrate the Thrones Finale, and Seattle was bathed in 80+ degree weather, I felt inspired.

So there I was in the liquor store asking the associate for help finding some very specific ingredients (including Bittermans Hellfire Habanero Shrub, a certain type of Sherry and Tequila Dragones) and he finally asked WHAT I was making. “Um… Mother of Dragons Cocktail” I said. Several store associates had gathered now, giving me some blank stares. “I’ll take anything close to these ingredients. Doesn’t need to be the Tequila Dragones!” Sound spicy? Yes, but not really. I added some slices of jalapeno pepper. But then I do like fire!

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Ingredients

  • raspberries, blackberries, lime wedges
  • .5 oz agave syrup
  • 1.5 oz tequila or white or spiced rum
  • .75 oz sherry
  • 10 drops Bittermans Hellfire Habanero Shrub
  • 2-3 slices of jalapeno pepper (optional for added heat)

Directions

  • Muddle one raspberry, one blackberry and one lime wedge with agave (+jalapeno if you are using that)
  • Add tequila, sherry and Bitterman’s shrub
  • Shake with ice and strain into glass of ice cubes
  • Garnish with tiny “dragon eggs”: one raspberry, one blackberry, and peel of lime to make 3rd dragon egg 😉
  • Enjoy!

Thanks Vanity Fair for this crazy fun concoction!

dit-elle-Esther

Blue, Cream and Gold.. Distressed Jeans and Sweater Weekend Wear

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I rarely do fashion posts.. time, setting up the camera takes a *little* more time and effort than snapping a selfie on a cell phone.. and my pro camera skills are (very) limited. Lauren was able to get these a few weeks ago before I had to whisk the kids away for a nap.

Because I dress up for work and dress down for time at home (read sweats and PJs!), it can be hard to find ‘in between’ clothes – for example when I actually want to look somewhat put together on a weekend. Because my kids are at that wild toddler stage (2 and 4) – where they constantly seem to be either covered in food and reaching little blueberry stained or applesauce covered hands towards me.. or running from me.. my “on duty” mom clothes have to allow for sprinting and chasing, tumbling, sitting on the ground, and getting food thrown on me. Maybe this cream colored knit sweater wasn’t the best choice, BUT it takes a heavy duty wash just fine, as do the jeans, so it worked out..

I can’t wear much jewelry around the kids because Anders is a little monkey and reaches for anything shiny or colorful and wants to play with it.. so I just avoid long necklaces and earrings for now. I did add a little sparkle to the outfit with some gold sneaker flats. Super comfy, super fun.

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This little nugget was ready for his nap!

 

On me..

Sweater – Gap cream knit sweater from a few years ago.. (similar here Gap Open Knit Sweater)
Jeans – Banana Republic Distressed Skinny Jean in Tall (I’m ~5’11” and it was a little long even for me, but perfect for rolling up into a cuff)
Shoes – Banana Republic Brenna Slip-On Sneaker (super comfy)

On the kids..

All thrifted clothes.. I’ve been having good luck finding little button down shirts and jeans for Anders at ThredUP.com.

dit-elle-Esther

Raw “Tapioca” Pudding

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Blog chia tapioca pudding

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (raw) cashews
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract
  • pinch celtic sea salt
  • ¼ cup chia seeds
  1. Place the cashews and water in a blender and blend on high speed until smooth
  2. Blend in the agave, vanilla, almond extract and salt
  3. Place the chia seeds in a large mason jar (½ gallon size), pour the cashew mixture into the jar and shake well (very well!) – or just whisk well in a bowl.
  4. Place in the refrigerator overnight
  5. Serve

Serves 4

Thanks Elana’s Pantry!

dit-elle-Esther

Banana Almond Raspberry Frosty

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I wanted to make a single serving of Lauren’s pure deliciousness “ice cream” frosty – Paleo Chocolate Almond Banana Ice Cream Shake // Healthy Wendy’s Frosty so here’s the recipe with some minor modifications.

Blog Banana Almond Raspberry Frosty

Ingredients

  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1 Tbsp almond butter
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1/4-1/2 cup water (adjust for desired consistency)
  • handful of raspberries for topping
  • Shredded unsweetened coconut for topping

Directions

  • Mix up first four ingredients
  • Garnish with raspberries and coconut shreds

Serve immediately! This totally tastes like ice cream!

dit-elle-Esther

Tossed Salad & Scrambled Eggs

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Need a quick go-to meal that includes protein and veggies? My quick fix meal is tossed salad and scrambled eggs (yes, I’m a fan of Frasier..:-)). You can add all sorts of veggies, cheeses, or leftover cooked meats for a delicious quick meal!

Here’s a my super fast recipe for scrambled eggs. Basically you put some oil in the pan and add whatever raw veggies/meats you wish, cooking for a few minutes, then crack the eggs directly into the pan stirring occasionally until no longer runny. Add cheese at the end, and mix it in by fluffing a bit with fork and serve!

Blog tossed salad eggs

Ingredients

  • Eggs
  • Oil for cooking
  • Veggies (my favorites include chopped asparagus, fresh spinach, artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes)
  • Cheese (my favorite is goat, but try cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan or pepper jack or others)
  • Fresh herbs, spices, salt & pepper (to taste)
  • Cooked meats (bacon, chopped ham, etc)

Directions

  • Heat oil and saute herbs and veggies (onion until it’s translucent and garlic until fragrant if using either) for a few minutes
  • Crack eggs directly into pan and stir occasionally until eggs are no longer runny
  • Add cheese and salt/pepper to taste
  • Serve with tossed salad (salad greens + oil + balsamic vinaigrette)

Enjoy! 🙂

dit-elle-Esther

Oat Nut Raisin (or Chocolate!) Balls

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I wanted to make a low sugar variation of Classic Oatmeal Cookies – something I could give to the kids for breakfast or as a snack – without the sugar rush and totally spoiling appetites!

These are high protein, low glycemic (low sugar) and my kids approved of these big time! Make them with raisins or mini chocolate chips for some added sweetness!

Blog Oat Ball Bites-2

Ingredients

  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 Tbsp agave syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup coconut flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup coconut, shredded and unsweetened
  • 1/2 cup raisins, currants or chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, broken up in pieces (optional)

Directions

  • Beat eggs, agave, vanilla and eggs
  • Mix all dry ingredients
  • Mix all together
  • Roll into balls and place on baking sheet
  • Bake @ 350 for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown

Super Mom Tip: a fun cooking project for tots – they can measure and help mix! 🙂 Also these cookies freeze really well in a sealed bag or container!

dit-elle-Esther

Polenta Torte

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Like gorgonzola? Then you will love this dish! Don’t like it? Then simply omit and stick with the parmesan cheese. This is a wonderful polenta & greens dish, spiced with some hot chili flakes and pepper and topped with cheese. Not really a kid dish, given the spice, but you could make a dish of plain polenta and top with cheese – a favorite in our house!

Blog polenta torte with greens

Ingredients

  • 4 c lukewarm water
  • 1 c stone-ground coarse cornmeal
  • salt to taste
  • 1-2 lbs mixed tender greens (spinach, kale, arugula)
  • 3 Tsp olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • ground black pepper
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/2 c grated pecorino cheese (like parmesan)
  • Crumbled gorgonzola

Directions

  • Heat olive oil and add pepper flakes, ground pepper and garlic – sauté until fragrant but don’t let the garlic brown or it will turn bitter
  • Pour half of the oil in a large glass baking dish
  • Add water & cornmeal & salt and bake, uncovered, for ~50 minutes
  • Add greens to skillet with leftover oil and cook for 10 minutes (covered) stirring frequently, removing lid at end and raising heat a bit to just evaporate any liquid left
  • Remove baked polenta from oven and with a spatula, scrape off the top 1/2 layer of polenta, set aside
  • Add cooked greens to the baking dish with polenta, sprinkle gorgonzola and half of the parmesan, and then cover with the rest of the polenta
  • Top with parmesan and return to oven for 10-15 minutes
  • Serve warm!

dit-elle-Esther

Rhubarb Sauce

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Rhubarb sauce is probably the easiest rhubarb dessert recipe to make! Rhubarb + something sweet + top with coconut milk, cream and optionally crushed almonds or something crunchy = totally yummy goodness!

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Ingredients

  • Rhubarb – select hard crisp stems, remove leaves (very poisonous) and chop up in bite size pieces
  • Water
  • Some sweetener – honey, agave, maple syrup, cooked and pureed dates, or good old white sugar
  • Splash of vanilla
  • Coconut milk or cream (optional)
  • Toasted nuts or seeds (optional)

Directions

  • Put rhubarb and water in a pot and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until the pieces are starting to come apart and are soft
  • Add sweetener and stir until well blended
  • Remove from heat and add vanilla
  • Serve warm or cold with cream and any toppings you fancy
  • Enjoy!

Super mom tip: raw rhubarb pieces and rhubarb sauce both freeze very well! Make a batch of sauce and freeze in small or large containers for easy re-heating later! 🙂

dit-elle-Esther

 

Strawberry, Mint and Goat Cheese Salad

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Strawberry season is in full swing – ripe, sweet, juicy strawberries. Love strawberry salads? We do too! Add some roasted chicken to make it a meal!

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Ingredients

  • 3 cups quartered strawberries (about 1 lb)
  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • salt/pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese (tip: chill goat cheese in freezer for five minutes to make crumbling easier!) (omit cheese for dairy free and paleo)
  • 4 cups mixed greens or spinach
  • 1 cup cooked chicken (optional)

Directions

  • Combine quartered strawberries, mint, vinegar, salt & pepper and toss gently to combine
  • Cover and chill for an hour
  • Divide mixed greens on to four plates with strawberry mixture and sprinkled with crumbled goat cheese
  • Serve immediately
  • Enjoy! 🙂

dit-elle-Esther

Five Ingredient Baked Chicken Curry

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OK, this recipe was inspired because my cupboards were (almost) bare one day and I did not have many ingredients available. This turned out DELISH! The sweet raisins balance with the heat of the curry, creaminess of the coconut milk and tomatoes. Yum!

Blog five ingredient curry chicken

Ingredients

  • 4 Chicken breasts or 6 thighs
  • 2 Tbsp curry powder
  • 1 can coconut milk (full fat)
  • Handful of raisins
  • 1 can diced or crushed tomatoes

Directions

  • Heat tomatoes, coconut milk and curry powder in a saucepan over medium heat.
  • When warm and combined pour over chicken and raisins in glass baking dish
  • Bake (covered in tinfoil) for ~45-60 minutes or until chicken registers done on your cooking thermometer
  • Serve with shredded carrot or other salad and fresh cut cucumbers. Voila!

dit-elle-Esther