It's summer!

Kids In The Kitchen

Cal getting down in the kitchen on ' his night'.

How do you spell motivated? A-B-C-s-o-u-p

I have no doubt the kids in our kitchen are motivated to cook because they have probably picked the meal! Tired of thinking of meal after meal, week after week (groundhogs day?), I implemented 'kids night'. Before I shop, I ask for their menus with the agreement that they help me cook it. Cal on Tuesday, Miles on Thursday.

Most weeks we remember, some weeks we don't. This week Miles said, "Soup! Chicken soup!" And Calvin followed with "Alphabet Soup!"

It was no wonder those two had soup on the brain. After a blissful week of sunshine, we were waylayed by a stretch of super chilly, rainy, windy days. We all needed a dose of comfort. I was psyched that the boys had their own home cookin' comfort food instincts, their emotional memories calling up steamy bowls of homemade soup.

I chose to highlight the ABC Soup here because it is a little less well known than a chicken soup and extremely simple to whip up last minute. It is basically a Tomato Soup from scratch, and around here, one pot is not enough. The recipe will feed 4 1/2 hungry souls. Double the batch after you get the hang of it and you'll be hugging yourself the next day at lunch, if there's any left!

We cut the carrots in half lengthwise for the kids to cut to prevent any roll away action.

The inspiration for ABC soup (loosely based on the recipe on the back of the box) and our favorite Tomatoes for any recipe. Side note, the acid in tomatoes eats away at the plastic lining inside the tin cans. nasty business. This bottle is such a great shape, we clean and save them for all kinds of uses. Now when will they put coconut milk in glass?

ABC SOUP

1/2 cup Alphabet noodles

1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 -3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 large carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 cups veggie broth

1 24 oz bottle strained tomatoes OR 28oz can crushed tomatoes

1 heaping teaspoon dried basil

1 heaping 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

S+P to taste

Cook pasta, rinse and set aside. Saute onions and garlic in oil 3 minutes. Add celery and carrots, saute 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, spices and salt & pepper. Mix, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Puree the whole things in a blender (in batches, if too much). Put back in pot. serve with Alphabets on top!

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Embrace the Fungi-side

I never liked culinary mushrooms. Weird slimy rubbery things.

I was not even mildly curiously as to their appeal...

that is, until I became pregnant with Calvin.

Somehow, I lived 24 years without having tasted the fungaliscious side of life!!!

Well, thanks to him, I can't seem to get enough.

My cravings come and go, but lately the desire has been so strong, I had to go BIG and so I got my hands on some enormously delicious Portabellos and we had ourselves a feast. Add some Shitake and... shizam!

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oooooo eeee, these babies are just beggin' to be stuffed!

With no breadcrumbs, just the goodness of the ever gracious walnut.

Stuff it, bake it, top it, DEVOUR it! If the fungi hankerin hits you hard, throw some of this together:

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4 large Portobellas

3 shallots, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup shitakes (fresh or re hydrated), finely chopped

cleaned, minced portobella stems

1 cup whizzed up walnuts (or more, to taste)

1 t dried basil

1 t dried oregano

salt & pepper

olive oil

cheese for melting on top (I used cheddar)

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Preheat oven to 375 degrees

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Clean portobellas and remove stems. Rub with olive oil, salt and pepper. Chop clean parts of stem and put in a bowl with shitakes, walnuts and spices.

Saute shallots and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add the mushroom mixture. Cook another 5-10 minutes. Stuff underbellies of the big caps with stuffing and cook for approx. 15 min., uncovered. Then add cheese and cook for 15 minutes longer.

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Note: for decadence, add a splash of white wine to stuffing while sauteing.

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