Seasons Change

I have absolutely loved being a part of Citrus this past year and a half. But, admittedly, it is becoming too much for me right now. I did not know that life could become this busy :), but it has. It is becoming more and more difficult for me to find a minute here or there to write up a post (let alone check my email!:), as you have probably noted from the lack of consistent posts lately.

I am not alone in my time scarcity issues. My good friends who have joined me at Citrus are experiencing welcoming new babies, preparing for major moves, and making major life changes. It is time for us all to take a break, and focus closely on priority number one: our families.

I want to thank my friends Holly, Dinah, Rachel, and Sherie (my sister!) for their contributions to Citrus. I have always looked forward to your book reviews, recipies, product reviews, and project ideas. I have learned so much from you all. Thank you!!

So, now it is time to focus more on these guys:

Who wouldn't want to spend more time with these lovelies?

I will keep Citrus up for you to reference back to, if needed. Also, feel free to leave Citrus in your Google Reader. If any of us decide that the time is right to start up a new project/blog we will let you know here. Who knows, maybe Citrus will be reborn at some later date.


Thank you for reading!!

Read it: Pssst!

by Adam Rex

New in 2008

This book was quite unexpected. The art is very different, but I love it (Recognize it from another of his books: Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich?)! There are so many things to look at on each page as a girl makes a trip through the zoo. As she approaches each cage, she is asked by each of the animals to bring them back an item. My little guy couldn't stop laughing when a sloth fell out of a tree onto his head (after the girl asked him why he wanted a bike helmet).

As for me, I can't stop laughing every time I hear my little 4 year old boy use the phrase, "Psst!" now when he wants to get someone's attention on the sly.

Enjoy the artwork and the story that "comes together" in the end.

image via contentcafe.btol.com

Sweets when you are on a Sugar Fast

Sugar controls me. I crave it after every meal and I can never stop at one bite or even one serving. So I decided it was time to go on a sugar fast. I have still been eating fruit and peanut butter (that is my next hurdle haha) and other things that may have a bit of sugar. But overall, for two weeks we have been doing no treats, no artificial sugars, desserts or afternoon Puppy Chow binges (Jack and I could make a batch in record time). I was so proud that I only had a taste of those pancakes from last week. The boys had syrup and pancakes, I had an egg.

So this evening I looked at my browning bananas and thought about how Banana Pudding sounded nice. I googled low sugar recipes, low fat recipes etc.. I decided it wasn't worth the sugar or the run to the store for pudding, wafers, whipping cream etc.. But I did attempt my own low-sugar "Banana Pudding". My husband I think was expecting something closer to the real thing and thought whipping cream or cool whip was a must "Otherwise its just mashed up bananas" But to me I thought it was a great low-sugar, whole food, alternative to the fake pudding and cookies.

Here is the idea:

3 Bananas
1 cup yogurt (mine was plain but I bet vanilla would be best)
1 cup milk

Blend in the blender

2 packets of Knox gelatin
1 cup hot, hot water

Whisk quickly to dissolve gelatin. Then pour in the blender and blend with the banana mix.

Pour into serving bowls, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for an hour or two until it jiggles a bit.

Meanwhile, take about 3 cups of some semi- sweet variety of cereal (Mine was Special K Almonds) and crush finely. Top the "puddings" with crushed cereal.

If you have whipping cream you can serve it with some sweetened whipping cream.

The gelatin will make it like a pudding- but don't worry its not like Jell-o.

I think the idea could work with a bunch of different fruits. Can you think of a good combination?

Here is what else I have been doing with those bananas, sweet, dairy free, protien and omega packed:

1 banana
1 cup frozen berries
3/4 cup oj
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup soaked flaxseed (soak the flaxseed in some water for a couple hours to help release the nutrients)
2 scoops protein powder

Blend and enjoy!

OKAY now for those of you that can control yourselves or you just don't care or you just are so naturally slim it doesn't matter, check out these recipes. Someday I will make and partake:

Jimmy Carter Cake- chocolatey, peanuty, creamy pudding yum!

Homemade Girl Scout Cookies- Samoas, Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Patties!

Lemon Meringue Pie- Tart!


Chocolate Fudge- Okay drooooool!

Read It: Guess What I Found in Dragon Wood

by Timothy Knapman

illustrated by Gwen Millward

I don't want to tell you much about this book, except that you'll read the first couple of pages, then go back and read the first page again.  I love books that aren't what you expect.  I think school-aged kids will really get a kick out of this one (especially when they "get it" all by themselves.)

image via ecx.images-amazon.com

Illustory Pt.2

We received our published Illustory books in the mail the other day- just in time for Father's Day! The girls are quite proud of their work, and love seeing it all bound up and looking "professional."

I think we have read these books 100 times since the package was opened. The girls are giddy with excitement.

Now we just have to keep it a secret until the big day. If we succeed, this may be the longest kept Father's Day present secret to date.

For more information on Illustory, go here.

The Best Buttermilk Pancakes

I am not so good at making them pretty, but these babies 3/4 inch thick and light and fluffy.

I have never really thought much about pancakes. I know I don't like them to be dense or soggy, or to taste like too much baking soda (ie IHOP pancakes). With those requirements alone you would think I would have put some thought into what makes a pancake just right, right?

Well, I didn't have to. I opened up my latest issue of Cook's Illustrated and a test cook basically experimented and went back and forth trying to make the "Perfect Pancake". After reading the "experiment" I realized I had no idea the intricate dance each ingredient plays in making a pancake.

Buttermilk gives a unique taste that makes regular pancakes boring (and tasting like too much baking soda). But the acid in the buttermilk causes the baking soda to rise too rapidly which leads to deflated pancakes that are dense and soggy. Too much butter milk and you basically have two crusts mashed together with no light and fluffy insides. Lower the baking soda content and your pancakes are bland and pale. Lower the buttermilk and you don't have enough of that good flavor. So after a few tests the experimenting found a secret ingredient- sour cream!

Then I learned that the more you stir the more gluten forms in the batter and gluten makes baked goods tough. So to make the ultimately light and fluffy pancakes, whisk briefly (yep, its okay to have a few lumps) and then let the batter sit for 10 minutes so the gluten can relax.

After making these pancakes. I must agree, they are perfect. Now my next step is to work on making my pancakes "Look" perfect. My burners heat a little uneven and I am not good at pouring perfect circles. Oh well, my toddler and my husband eat em right up before they can even notice those details.

Best Buttermilk Pancakes
Marcus Walser

This recipe was tested using a lower protein flour like Gold Medal or Pillsbury. If using a higher protein flour like Kin Arthur, use an extra two Tbsp of buttermilk.

On an electric griddle, cook at 350 degrees.

Recipe says it makes 16 four inch pancakes. But mine must have been a little bit bigger since I only had about 10 and my toddler ate about 6 of them. So double up!

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
3 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled slightly
1-2 tsp vegetable oil

Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In a second bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, sour cream and melted butter. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. Gently stir until just combined and do not worry about lumps. Let sit for 10 minutes

Meanwhile, add 1 Tbsp oil to the griddle or skillet and heat over medium heat. After a few minutes, wipe the oil out with a paper towel so just a thin film remains. Repeat after you have used half the batter for pancakes.

Test one very small pancake on your griddle to get an idea of how long a side needs to cook and if the temperature needs to be turned up or down.

Then, pour batter from a measuring cup into 4 inch circles on the griddle and cook about 2 minutes or until the sides begin to look cooked the bubbles about the size of a pencil eraser in the middle of each pancake are just beginning to break.

Serve with cut fruit, pureed berries, syrup, preserves, whipped cream, chopped pecans or caramelized apples Yum!

Read It: Good Night, Gorilla

by Peggy Rathmann

The zookeeper says goodnight to gorilla, who silently slips the keys off the zookeeper's belt.  As the zookeeper says goodnight to all the animals, gorilla walks behind him, quietly opening the cages as he goes.  All the animals follow the zookeeper home where his wife is already asleep...

This is one of those books you can't imagine anyone would dislike.  But, with an average of 5 stars (as I suspected), out of 184 reviews on Amazon, three people gave it one star.  One of them reasoned that they didn't like seeing the animals in cages (seriously?), others that there wasn't much to the written story.  It's true, the writing is very simple, but the story that's being told goes beyond what is being said.  I would be very disappointed if every book spelled out exactly what is happening in the story.  And when I see my pre-reader proudly "reading" the book, I'm not complaining one bit. 

I highly recommend buying the boardbook version of this story.  It will be well used (especially if there happens to be a little "Goodnight Gorilla" in your family).

image via hellobigbook.com

Draw Write Now

My kids are right at the age where they love to draw, but are starting to realize that their skills are still pretty primitive. Lately, I have been getting a lot of requests to "show me how to draw a _____." Fill in that blank with any member of the animal kingdom, and it has probably been requested in our house.

I am definitely no Van Gogh, so I quickly realized I needed back-up. I found the program Draw Write Now on Amazon, and it had good reviews, so I thought we would try it out.
I like that each art lesson also has a handwriting exercise. We homeschool, and my little ones typically aren't brewing with excitement over handwriting practice (who is?) but they don't mind a bit when it ties in with their art practice.

My 7-year-old loves these books. Last Saturday she disappeared for an hour and reappeared with a book of farm animals she had created. I am loving that she is growing more confident in her drawing skills, and that she is no longer turning to me as the art authority :).

There are many books available from Draw Write Now. You can purchase them separately from Amazon, or you can purchase them as a set.

You can also purchase them directly from the Draw Write Now website.

These lessons are intended for children 5-10.

Quick and Cinchy Parmesan Chicken Dinner

For how moist and flavorful this recipe for Parmesan Chicken is, its surprisingly easy to prepare and feels like a full meal with a simple salad.

The Chopped Salad is not the easiest salad to make but its tasty. If you are short on time just make a green salad from any veggies you have in your fridge. The one pictured is spinach, carrots, snap peas, green onion and sun dried tomato.

Use your leftover yogurt and some fruit for a yogurt parfait afterward.


Parmesan Chicken

2 Full Skinless, Boneless chicken breasts
2 cups Ritz crackers, smashed fine
3 Tbls. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 cup wheat germ
16 oz. plain yogurt

Put the chicken between two layers of plastic wrap and beat with a tenderizer. I like to use the back of an ice cream scoop. Dip chicken in yogurt or just spread yogurt over with your fingers on both sides. Mix crumbs, cheese, salt and wheat germ. Roll chicken in mixture until well covered on both sides. Place in a backing dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

The yogurt and cracker crumbs keep the moisture in the chicken so it is soft and flavorful. You could use a whole wheat cracker as long as its a fine, buttery cracker. Like the Stoneground Flaxseed Crackers from Costco.

Note the breast on the left has been flattened to about 1/2 inch

Ready to go in the oven

Chopped Salad

1 head of lettuce (romaine, green leaf or red leaf) shredded
Optional 2 handfuls spinach leaves washed and cut
2 tomatoes diced
1 cucumber diced
3-4 Tbsp Bacon Bits
1 cup cooked pasta
1 chicken breast cooked and diced
1/2 cup feta cheese (or Gorgonzola)
4 scallions chopped
Creamy Dressing like Ranch, Blue Cheese, Cesar etc... (to taste)

The idea of this salad is that you chop everything into small pieces and mix it together with your favorite creamy dressing. You will forget you are eating salad mmmmmm.
Use spinach leaves too if you want to get an extra healthy boost :)

Yogurt Parfait

Plain Yogurt
Powdered Sugar
Vanilla or Almond Extract
Cut Fruit or Berries
Granola or crushed cereal

Mix yogurt with powdered sugar to your taste. Layer in a glass or bowl with some cereal or granola and fruit for a simple and low fat dessert!

Read It: Miss Nelson is Missing (and Cookie Bouquets)

by James Marshall

Seriously, is there anyone who hasn't read this book yet?  

Remember your teacher as the end of year approaches.  He or she is such a big part of your child's formative years.  Thank your teacher.

We've been getting together everything for the end of the year, making things for the end of year gift for my kindergartener's teacher.  We're doing things a little different this year because of what happened this winter.  The day before Christmas break it snowed over a foot.  School was cancelled, so of course the class Christmas party was cancelled, and our gift to the teacher went undelivered and moldy (I'm lying.  It never got moldy because I ate it the same day I found out there was no school.  I needed it.).  The teacher really gets a hefty load of gifts at Christmas, and school being out meant she really missed out (on the appreciation and the tasty treats).  So we really put some extra effort into this end of year gift to make up for it.

This isn't exactly what we did, but it's the closest picture I could find.  Our flowers weren't frosted quite as ornately.  I know she likes scrapbooking, so I tucked in a gift card to JoAnn's.  

To let my sneaky side show through, part of the reason why I liked this gift so much is because it was actually our church's young women's camp fundraiser.  Dads could buy the "flour bouquet" for Mother's Day, or moms could buy it as an end of year teacher gift.  We also sold individual cookies on a stick.  All thanks to Holly's sister, Kristin, who got the good idea together with a useful purpose.   

It was a very successful fundraiser, especially because we would have otherwise been selling hotdogs in front of Sam's Club with the Boy Scouts.

images via lee-knight.com and T-Woods through flickr.com

Times Tales

We have been looking for a fun way to learn times tables, and after a few people passed this program along as a recommendation (and I found it recommended in the latest edition of the Well Trained Mind) I thought we should try it out.

Essentially, Times Tales uses stories (mnemonic devices) to help children master their math facts. Each number has a new identity. For instance, the number three is a butterfly. Then a story is created with that number, to guide your child to the correct answer.

I wasn't sure what I was going to think about this. It almost seemed more confusing to turn all of the math equations into stories that my kids had to memorize, but truth is- it totally, absolutely works.

In fact, my 5-year-old sat through the lessons with her older sister and now has all of her times tables down. I don't think she quite understands the concept of multiplication yet, but when she does she will be ready with her times tables already memorized.

If you use the program, make sure that you follow all of the steps carefully. Do not move faster than what is recommended. Be aware that the program does not teach facts 0x, 1x, 2x, and 5x. These are considered to be easy enough to master without mnemonic devices, so you will still need to drill these separately. It will take about 2 weeks of work (about 10 minutes a day) for your child to memorize the times tables in this program.

One more plug....my kids don't usually get super excited about working math problems, but whenever I would tell them it was time for Times Tales they would cheer, "YAY! Times Tales!" Now that was weird....but a good kind of weird.

Not Your Average Burger and Potato Salad

Last Monday when I brought up grilling I wasn't thinking about all the grilling people would be doing today. But my sister found these recipes which reminded me- oh ya! Memorial Day!

So, if you were like me and weren't thinking (i.e. you still have to run to the store this morning) I hope you are reading. But if you are a good planner then save this meal for later cause its gonna be good.

I mean I haven't made it yet- I am doin it today- but my taste buds are just watering. Does it gross you out when I say that? For some reason the word "taste bud" gives me the heebie jeebies.

Anyway:

Flank Steak Pinwheels- Steak, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and Boursin cheese- need I say more? ** My mother made this and rather than kabob sticks, she used wet cooking twine and tied the steak roll every inch and cut between the twine so that each roll is held together with a piece of twine.
Aida's Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad- recipe name explains it all- except who is Aida?


Lower Fat Strawberry Shortcake- Ladies- if you are still doing "shortcake" without the shortcake and buying that dry, store bought "cake" you have got to try this. Real shortcake does have lots of butter in it so, I want to try this one that substitutes low fat cream cheese for some of the butter and low fat sour cream for some of the whipping cream. ** I made this without pastry flour and it was too dense. So use pastry flour or do the whole butter, white flour version that I like.



Also if your kids are handy at pushing the button on the food processor, you can make some of these yummy popsicles to eat outside.

Read it: Planting a Rainbow

by Lois Ehlert

I just got back from buying all kinds of flowers that I will inevitably kill.  Just being realistic here.  

My adventures in gardening reminded me of this book.  The colors are brilliant, and everyone can learn a little because it lists the names of the different flowers in the "rainbow."  My kids now love identifying the different flowers in our own flower garden.

So, it's memorial day weekend.  Have you finished planting your rainbow yet?

image via syndetics.com

How To: Clean Up A Broken Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb

We have all become aware of the push for households to switch out their regular, incandescent light bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs or CFL's. Organizations like Energy Star and Companies like GE drone on about how they are 75% more efficient and last 10 times as long as traditional bulbs.

But what you hear little to nothing about is that when a CFL breaks in your house you should treat it like a small toxic waste situation. After all, CFL's have Mercury in them. Before the alarm bells start ringing- rest assured, its a small amount. In one light bulb there are 4 milligrams of mercury compared to those old thermometers with 500 milligrams of mercury.

Nonetheless, its important that people know how to properly clean up after a break as well as how to dispose of broken and/or old CFL's. I decided to find out more about this since I have a boy with a penchant for knocking over lamps... First tip: Go ahead and leave the incandescents in lamps easily knocked over. I use the CFL's only in overhead lighting fixtures.

Clean Up

Here is what the EPA recommends for household clean up of broken CFL's:

Before Clean-up: Air Out the Room

• Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.
• Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
• Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.

Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces

• Carefully scoop up glass pieces and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
• Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
• Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place towels in the glass jar or plastic bag.
• Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.

Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug

• Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
• Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
• If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
• Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.

Clean-up Steps for Clothing, Bedding and Other Soft Materials

• If clothing or bedding materials come in direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from inside the bulb that may stick to the fabric, the clothing or bedding should be thrown away. Do not wash such clothing or bedding because mercury fragments in the clothing may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage.
• You can, however, wash clothing or other materials that have been exposed to the mercury vapor from a broken CFL, such as the clothing you are wearing when you cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as that clothing has not come into direct contact with the materials from the broken bulb.
• If shoes come into direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from the bulb, wipe them off with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels or wipes in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal.

In summary, its sounds like a lot of airing out and only clean the mess with things that can be thrown away, sealed in a ziploc bag. Gotta love those ziploc bags.

Disposal

Some states allow broken bulbs and clean up materials to be thrown away when sealed in two zip-lock bags. But, the best way to dispose of broken and old, unbroken bulbs is to take them to a nearby recycling center. I was surprised to find that I can conveniently take my bulbs to a nearby Home Depot. For information on where to take your broken or old bulbs go to Earth911.org After cleaning up and disposing make sure to wash your hands and then your done.

I know it sounds like a lot of work. When I first read about proper clean up of CFL's I rolled my eyes and committed to only use incandescent. However, even though I have never classified myself as a tree hugger type, I can see the value of using a more efficient light bulb to light our homes. Using CFL's in areas where they are less likely to be broken and knowing how to properly clean them up is something I can get used to, for the trees.

xoxo leafy, green, shady trees.

Don't like the way CFL's light up yor home? Read this article.

Illustory

We have been hard at work creating our surprise Father's Day present for dad. With the help of Illustory by Creations By You, we are giving dad a published gift of love.

With Illustory, your child can create their own custom book. What child doesn't dream of being published? Your child designs the cover, all of the page illustrations, and the text on pages enclosed within the box. Then, you mail your pages off to Illustory (in a pre-paid envelope included in the kit) and about 4 weeks later you receive your creation in the mail in published hardcover form.

There are templates included in the box to help your child create their own fiction story, or to help them compose an autobiography. For this Father's Day, we are creating a book which contains our top 1o favorite things about dad. The girls are sooo very excited about this. So excited in fact, that I don't know if they will be able to keep it a secret for about a month- judging by past experience.

Things to be aware of:

• You can only draw in the illustration space with water based markers. There are markers provided in the kit, but they were a little thicker than what my daughters were used to. Also, my 7-year-old likes to draw her pictures with pencil first, and then color them with markers when she was done, so this was a little difficult for her.
• You can only place 20 words on a page. This was not a problem for my 5-year-old. She didn't have much to articulate, and told the story mostly through her drawing. However, it was a little limiting to my older daughter. To avoid this, you can create an online creation instead of the traditional paper form. Your child can go online and create their story (complete with computer graphics), and their text is less limited. I think that the next book we create with my older child will be online.
• The kit provides extra paper, so you can start over when mistakes are made. This was a big deal to my girls.
• You get to choose the color of your book cover, dedicate the book to someone, and there is even an "about the author" space at the end of the book to tell about your little one.
• There are several add-ons available (for a price, of course! :) if you so choose after you purchase the kit. You can have the book printed on archival paper, add pages, add your child's picture, and even print multiple copies of the same book- which would be a great idea for gift giving to grandparents.

We just recently sent our books off to the publisher, and are crossing our fingers that they will make it back in time for the big day. I will post again with how the finished products turned out. So far we have been very impressed with the product- and the price is really quite reasonable. The kit sells for $19.99 on Amazon + free super saver shipping.

Also, check out some other offerings by Creations By You. I love the idea behind My Masterpiece, and My Watch.

Patio Dinner Without The Patio

I admit it, I don't know how to grill. Growing up my father manned the grill and since I have been married my husband and I have never owned a grill or even had a patio to put one on! So, when we want to have "summer grill" type food I make this:

Oven Fried Buttermilk Chicken
Creamy Coleslaw- Shred your own cabbage and carrots or buy the pre-shredded mix
Baked Beans- If you don't want to buy Baked Beans from the store try this recipe.

Serve those dishes up with some watermelon and an ice cold drink and you have got yourself a quick and easy patio dinner.

Read It: Nothing

by Jon Agee

Otis has sold everything in his antiques shop and is about to close up when a wealthy woman walks in and asks what's for sale.  Otis simply replies, "Nothing."  He has nothing left.  When the woman hears this, she replies, "I have a lot of things, but I've never had nothing.  I'll pay you three hundred dollars!"  

Otis believes it is a ridiculous request, but the words of his father come to his mind, "The customer is always right."  So Otis packs up nothing and the town's richest woman drives away with $300 worth of nothing.

News of her stylish purchase travels fast and soon everyone will do anything to get nothing.

I love this book.  It's a great story to talk to kids about how the latest trend may not be worth what we think it is at the time.  And maybe it's a good lesson for us, too?

image via hyperionbooksforchildren.com

Aqua Sphere Goggles

These are the best kids goggles out there. Seriously. We have come to this conclusion after trying our luck with several brands and styles- and these goggles by Aqua Sphere are by far our favorite. I bought my first pair about three years ago, due to the advice of a employee of a local swim gear shop. She touted the UV protection on on the lenses, and the durability of the silicone frame- but really, what I cared most about at the time was whether or not they would fit my child's head....and actually stay on in the water.

My daughter has been the proud owner of these ultra comfy goggles since she was three. These are easy to put on, and easy to adjust, and most importantly, they stay on *without leaking*! If they do need fit adjustment, your child can adjust them easily by pulling slightly on the side straps.

Find them at your local swim gear shop, or here.

Lemon Linquine

With the warmer weather I am getting excited to un earth my summer recipes. Here is one of my all time favorites.

Lemon Linguine
By Jeanne Dunbar

2 pound uncooked linguini noodles (fresh noodles if you can find them are
the best)
1 Whole Chicken Breast
1 cup Olive Oil (the kind good enough to eat lots of)
Zest from 2 large lemons
Juice from 5 large lemons
1 cup chopped green onion
1 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Freshly grated parmesan cheese, to taste about 2/3 cup

Boil linguini until al dente; drain well. (But make sure the olive oil
mixture is ready for the pasta to be mixed in so your noodles don’t cool and
stick together) Pan Saute the chicken breast with some (1Tnsp) olive oil
until it is a little brown on the outside and cooked through.

Meanwhile, in bowl, combine olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, green onion
and parsley. Add pasta and chicken; toss well. Season to taste with salt and
pepper. Toss in Parmesan cheese to taste. Serve warm or chilled. I think
chilled makes a great summer time meal.

I like to pour the whole mix into another serving bowl as the good
stuff likes to settle at the bottom even when you have tossed it.

Serves…well depends on how much your guests like it…I would say it serves
10-12 with some leftovers.

photo from Technicolor Kitchen

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

I have a thing for peanut butter. Its a diet breaker. My house can be free of all sugary treats but if I have peanut butter I will manage to make a treat with it (honey nut cheerios, chocolate chips and peanut butter mmmmm). I like peanut butter cookies right out of the oven, but within a few minutes they are flat and crunchy. Just recently I tried a recipe for Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies. The oatmeal keeps the cookies thick and chewy- perfect!

Feel free to use crunchy or smooth peanut butter or add chocolate or white chocolate chips.

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

1 cup peanut butter

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup quick-cooking oats

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter, both sugars, and peanut butter until smooth. Beat in the eggs until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in the oats until just combined. Pick up a 2-3 tsp of dough and roll in your hands into a ball. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. It’s hard to tell when they are done since the dough is already brown. I think they are done when the cookies are crackled on the top and in between the dough will have tiny bubbles. Don't over-bake! Cool and store in a ziplock bag with the air sucked out of it.