Mongolian Beef with Broccoli and Jasmine Rice

Lunar New Year is annually linked to one of 12 zodiac animals – each possessing their own character traits. The animals consist of Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.

The animals are assigned based on a 12-year cycle, making 2022 the Year of the Tiger. The Tiger is known to be the king of all beasts, and is seated third in the Chinese zodiac order of animals.

February 1 marks the beginning of the new Chinese or Lunar year. To kick off the celebration I picked a classic American-Chinese dish, Mongolian Beef. I know it has no origins in Mongolia, but it's tasty nonetheless. You will find the dish served in a lot of American-Chinese restaurants. Have all the ingredients prepped ahead for fast and fresh cooking. It's a great family meal. The recipe serves 3-4.

Cook's notes: I used tenderloin for this recipe, but sirloin or another good quality steak would work as well. Since the meat cooks quickly, remains tender and doesn't curl, thinly slice the meat against the grain. Chili paste 

featured above can be found in the Asian section of the store. It adds a little kick to the sauce. Start out with 1 teaspoon first before increasing to 2 teaspoons. For me 1 was perfect. 

Mongolian Beef with Broccoli and Jasmine Rice

This dish is delicious served with noodles or rice. Garnish with cashew or peanut pieces and green onions.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced, or 1 teaspoon dried ginger
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce low-sodium
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 -2 teaspoon chili garlic paste also known as sambal oelek
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 LB. sirloin or flank steak, cut in strips and then recut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 3/4 cup carrots, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup onion, diced
• 2 cup broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, diced 

Directions:
Sauce 

• Combine soy sauce, sherry, vinegar. hoisin, chili garlic paste, brown sugar, ginger, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside.

Vegetables and Meat

• Add flour to a zip lock bag and dredge meat cubes in flour.
• Heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a large skillet with deep sides or use a wok. Add in beef cubes, cook until brown but still slightly pink. Remove and set aside.
• Wipe skillet clean add in the teaspoon of sesame oil. Sautee carrots, garlic, onions, and mushrooms until tender about 3-5 minutes.
• Add meat back into the pan with sauce ingredients and sautéed vegetables. Cook until sauce thickens, add in broccoli and chicken broth. Turn heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes more.
• Add in chopped tomatoes and sesame seeds, serve immediately over rice or noodles.

Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict

But maybe if offered Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict you'd rise and shine more quickly for this healthy meal choice. Eggs = healthy, salmon = healthy, avocado=  healthy fats. Serve this with a side of simple arugula salad or avocado slices for a healthy brunch win.
 

Cook's Notes: An easy meal under 20 minutes prep. The mock Hollandaise sauce is on the lighter side for calories. Whole wheat muffins were used as well as lite sour cream. The sauce is enough for 2 muffins. Recipe from BHG.

Cooking Tip: When you're nearly ready to serve your smoked salmon eggs benedict simply bring a pot of water to a gentle simmer in a frying pan. Crack one egg at a time into the simmering water. Cover frypan and cook for 2 minutes. Salt and pepper then remove them from the pan one at a time using a large slotted spoon.

Ingredients:

• Smoked salmon
• Eggs
• Whole Wheat English Muffins, split and toasted
• 1/4 cup lite sour cream
•  1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
• Squeeze lemon juice
• Fat-free milk as needed to reach desired consistency 
• Chives

Directions:

• Mix sour cream, mustard. lemon juice and use enough milk for correct consistency. Blend sauce until smooth and set aside. 
• Toast bread and poach eggs. 
• For each serving: Place salmon pieces on a toasted muffin.  Top with a poached egg, mock hollandaise sauce, and snipped chive pieces.   

Breakfast Salad

A breakfast worth waking up to with fresh greens, crispy bacon, eggs, and a tangy mustard vinaigrette. No time in the morning? No problem! Serve for lunch or supper, just as good. 

Oh, the possibilities 

• Eggs can be soft-boiled, hard-boiled, fried, or jammy
• Sausage or ham can substitute for bacon
• Serve on a platter for a larger group or individual plates
  

DID YOU KNOW? Jammy eggs, also known as “ramen eggs,” are a delicious treat that resembles hard-boiled eggs, but with a wetter texture. Think of jammy eggs as soft-boiled eggs, instead. Whereas hard-boiled eggs are solid and can be chopped into pieces, jammy eggs retain components of liquid in the center.

Cooking Tips: 

• Make the vinaigrette dressing the day before and store it in the refrigerator in a screw-type jar. 
• Pare boil potatoes before frying. 

Breakfast Salad-recipe serves 4 and was adapted from dammdelicious.net

Salad Ingredients:

• 8 slices bacon, halved
• 1 pound baby gold potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 1 bunch arugula, washed, dried, and torn
• 8 soft boiled, hard-boiled eggs halved. or 4 fried eggs
• 2 avocados, halved, seeded, peeled, and sliced
• 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan

Mustard Vinaigrette Ingredients: 

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2- 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey 
• 1 small shallot, diced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
Mustard Vinaigrette In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard, honey and shallot; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

Salad Directions:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Drain excess fat; transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold salted water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and simmer until just tender, about 7-10 minutes; drain well.

Frying Potatoes

• In the same pan bacon was fried, wipe free of grease. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the frypan. Heat and add cubed potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Add additional seasoning which can include garlic powder, chopped rosemary, parsley, a dash of chili powder, or cumin. Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes and then turn over and repeat until crispy fried. 
• Another alternative and a highly suggested one is Elote Seasoning. It has multiple uses for your cooking comprised of salt, chile pepper, cheese, chipotle, and cumin.

Assembling the Salad 

• To assemble the salad, place arugula in a large bowl; top with bacon, potatoes, eggs, avocado, and grated Parmesan. Pour the Mustard Vinaigrette on top of the salad and gently toss to combine.

Finish The Story! Harriet Tubman's Secret Raid

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2022 (1/28/22) is in its 9th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen, two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those books into the hands of young readers and educators.

MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves. Read about our Mission & History HERE.

*Be sure to check out the impressive list of free resources available for parents and educators at the end of this blog.

"Finish The Story! Harriet Tubman's Secret Raid" by Jeffrey Bensam blends a fast-moving, colorfully-illustrated adventure with a carefully researched, true historical backstory. The book's 20+ interactive challenges are hard to put down and great to share with friends. Free printable downloads of the challenges, puzzles, and budget sheets so that you can replay the story or make it a group or class adventure are also available. 

Jeffrey Bensam is an author and storyteller who creates (and lives) hands-on, multicultural adventures. After he failed to become the "Bagel King of Bangladesh," he graduated from Dartmouth College, University of California, Berkeley, and UCLA and spent the first two decades of his career helping international publishers bring their products and content to audiences across the Asia-Pacific region. During the past 10 years, Jeffrey has produced more than 50 programs covering history, world cultures, and STEAM topics for children from ages 5 to 15. He lives with his wife and son in Shanghai, China where he has entertained thousands of families with his kid's story podcasts. www.instagram/jeffreybensam/

Jeff Sprafkin, publisher from Storyopolis Press (Story-Based Learning Adventures) for gifting me this book to review.

Book Reviewer Sue Ready is a freelance writer, food blogger, book reviewer of all genres, and a former teacher. 

I knew I was "in" for this fun reading adventure just by the cover that advertised choose how to relive a real Civil War mission with all 20+interactive challenges and  3 possible endings. 

The book begins with a plausible story scenario. Danny and Kenna are watching TV at Danny's grandma's house when a storm knocks out the power. They're left with nothing to do but listen to another one of his grandma's "when-I-was-a-kid" stories. But this doesn't turn out to be an ordinary story for the two kids as they learn
firsthand about Harriet Tubman, an American Civil War heroine. With a bit of imagination on the reader's part, Danny and Kenna take the reader on a secret mission time travel adventure with Harriet for the Union Army. Through a series of interactive challenges, the reader is invited to help Danny and Kenna as they assist  Harriet on her secret mission. 

As a former teacher, I found this book to have the appropriate vocabulary for grades 3-6 with a high-level interest for that age group. The reader can choose to go on a solo adventure with Danny and Kenna or take their whole class along on the secret Civil War mission with Harriet. The possibility of time travel always generates interest among readers. This book is not intended to be read in one sitting but in several, as the reader/s takes on challenges that follow clues and hints, examines several interactive charts, learns how to manage a budget, and ultimately makes a prediction for a suitable ending. Many of the suggested activities cross several classroom disciplines. The idea of having 3 different endings to choose from promotes collaborative decision-making.  

Two bonuses for the reader are learning about an important time period in history and acquiring numerous historical tidbits. I thought the author was clever in how he incorporated today's technology in the book's introduction The reader is encouraged to scan a QR code for taking on an extra bonus challenge for the secret mission.  The introduction also provides information on how to use the book with an Ebook reader. The book offers a variety of possibilities to keep the reader engaged in a fun learning adventure.   

Two ideas if you're looking at using the book in a library, classroom, or in your home.

1. Watch the trailer  https://youtu.be/te33emCVBnE

2 There are free, downloadable printable challenges (the same ones that appear in the book) you can access by scanning the QR code at the end of the book's introduction.  These printables enable students to re-do the challenges and Beat the Budget worksheets as many times as they would like.  You can use this to create various group reading activities and challenges around the book, e.g. students can make different budget decisions and see who is able to finish the mission with the most remaining money.

MCBD 2022 is honored to be supported by these Medallion Sponsors!

SUPER PLATINUM: Make A Way Media
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BRONZE: Carole P. Roman, Patrice McLaurin, Dyesha and Triesha McCants/McCants Squared, Redfin.com, Redfin Canada, Redfin Mortgage, Redfin/Title Forward, Create & Educate, Star Bright Books, Vivian Kirkfield, Dr. Eleanor Wint, Kind World Publishing, Snowflake Stories, Lisa Wee, SONGJU MA, Melissa Stoller, J.C. Kato and J.C.², Crystel Patterson, Audrey Press, Pragmaticmom, TimTimTom, Wisdom Tales

MCBD 2022 is honored to be supported by these Author Sponsors!
Charlene Mosley (official MCBD2022 Poster Creator)
Illustrator Isabelle Roxas (Class Kit Poster Creator)
Alva Sachs, Brianna Carter, Ebony Zay Zay, Rita Bhandari, Gwen Jackson, Lois Petren/The 5 Enchanted Mermaids, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, Josh Funk, Afsaneh Moradian, Eugenia Chu, Maritza Martínez Mejía, Diana Huang, Kathleen Burkinshaw, CultureGroove, Sandra Elaine Scott, Dorena Williamson, Veronica Appleton, Alejandra Domenzain, Lauren Muskovitz and Sandfish Publishing, Tonya Duncan Ellis, Kimberly Lee, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher, Nancy Tupper Ling, Winsome Hudson-Bingham, Amanda Hsiung-Blodgett, Sivan Hong, Michael Genhart, Debbie Dadey, Elizabeth Cureton, Stephanie Wildman, Maryann Jacob, Sherri Maret, Rochelle Melander, Dia Mixon, Kiyanda and Benjamin Young, Shereen Rahming, Linda Thornburg and Katherine Archer, Rebecca Flansburg and BA Norrgard , Maxine Schur Natalie McDonald-Perkins

MCBD 2022 is Honored to be Supported by our CoHosts and Global CoHosts!
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Check out MCBD's Multicultural Books for Kids Pinterest Board!

FREE RESOURCES from Multicultural Children’s Book Day
Diversity Book Lists & Activities for Teachers and Parents
Homeschool Diverse Kidlit Booklist & Activity Kit
FREE Teacher Classroom Activism and Activists Kit
FREE Teacher Classroom Empathy Kit
FREE Teacher Classroom Kindness Kit
FREE Teacher Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit
FREE Teacher Classroom Poverty Kit
FREE Homeschool Diverse Kidlit Booklist & Activity Kit
FREE Teacher Classroom Raising Awareness on Systemic Racism in America Classroom Kit
Gallery of Our Free Posters
FREE Diversity Book for Classrooms Program

Join us on Friday, Jan 28, 2022, at 9 pm EST for the 8th annual Multicultural Children's Book Day Twitter Party! Be sure and follow MCBD and Make A Way Media on Twitter!
This especially fun and fast-paced hour includes multicultural book discussions, addressing timely issues, diverse book recommendations, & reading ideas.

#readyourworld

More Game Day Foods on the Lighter Side

 

Watching football can sometimes lead to mindless munching of excess calories. So load up your tailgate table with healthy snack options that won't leave you wanting more. Appetizers are a game day must! These cleaned-up appetizers are perfect, delicious, and indulgent in a guilt-free way!

23 Best Healthy Game Day Appetizers
https://whatmollymade.com/23-best-healthy-game-day-appetizers/
Includes recipes for
Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

Enchilada Dip 

Veggie Pinwheels

40 Healthy Game Day Snacks from Cooking Light
https://www.cookinglight.com/entertaining/menus-for-entertaining/healthy-super-bowl-recipes?slide=320856#320856

Recipes include: Chili Potpie with Cheddar Biscuits-(made with beef and butternut squash)  

20 Healthier Game Day Recipes

If you are looking for more GF recipes this is the site for you

https://cookieandkate.com/20-healthy-game-day-recipes/
Recipes include: Quinoa Broccoli Slaw with Honey Mustard Dressing 

Note to self: Game Day Half-Time does call for a bit of a splurge with a mini dessert treat.

You’ll need:

• Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches
• Wooden Spoons
• Sharpie
• Storage containers
• White cake icing
• Resealable bag
• Icing tip #4 and connector
• Knife
• Optional: Chocolate sprinkles

Simple steps:

• Using a Sharpie, draw football plays, referee stripes or team colors on wooden spoons.
• Unwrap your mini ice cream sandwiches and lay them on a sheet of wax paper.
• Pierce one end of the ice cream with a knife so that your wooden spoons can be inserted.
• Insert wooden spoons, sprinkle sandwiches with chocolate sprinkles along the side  (to finish the look).
• Cut the edge of the resealable bag, insert your icing connector and tip, spoon in icing, and pipe football design.
• Place in a container, freeze until guests arrive.
• Tip: If you serve them at halftime and they’re hard frozen, they should last the full 30 minutes!

Weekend Round-Up

EVER READY ROUNDS UP SOME OF THE WEEK'S BEST 

Never too early to think ahead for Valentine's Day

White and Dark Chocolate Covered Oreos

Previously posted recipes on the following links

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2020/08/iced-oreo-cookies.html

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2020/04/i-spy.html

Charcuterie Boards

One of the most creative food trends of 2021-2022-so versatile

Hot Chocolate Board 

Hot Chocolate Snowballs (Traders Joes) 

So easy...Heat your milk. Place a snowball into the mug and pour heated milk over the snowball. Stir and watch marshmallows appear and the milk turns into hot chocolate. 

Waffle Board

Heart-Shaped Cinnamon Rolls

https://www.ladybehindthecurtain.com/sweetheart-cinnamon-rolls/

Gouda Pear Puffs with Walnuts and Honey 

Cook's Notes: An unusual pairing of flavors and textures that make a mouthwatering appetizer for your next game day gathering.  The filling makes 12 appetizers. You will need one sheet and a half, thawed from one box of puff pastry. 

Ingredients:  

• One box of puff pastry, one sheet and a half 
• 3 oz. shredded Gouda cheese
• 2 cups pears, chopped
• 4 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Dash salt
• 1 beaten egg

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
• Lightly beat the egg mixed with 1/2 teaspoon water. 
• Thaw 1 and 1/2 puff pastry sheets. Freeze the rest of the pastry sheet for another time.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
• In a bowl add cheese, pears, walnuts, honey, mustard, and cinnamon.
• Lay one sheet out on parchment paper, keeping the other sheet covered so it does not dry out. Use a pizza cutter and cut the sheet into 9 squares.  
• Add a heaping tablespoon of the filling to the center of each square making sure not too much liquid goes on the pastry square.  
• Cut out 3 more squares from the second sheet and follow the same procedures with filling in the center.
• Brush outside edge of each pastry square with egg wash.  
• Spread squares out on the baking sheet and refrigerate the baking pan 10 minutes.
• Bake squares 16 minutes. 
  
  
  

GF Apple Walnut Quinoa Salad with Spinach

Apple Walnut Quinoa Salad with Spinach (GF)

Apple Walnut Quinoa Salad with spinach, dried cranberries, goat cheese, and a simple maple mustard dressing is the perfect winter salad and goes well with a bowl of Cheesy Bacon Potato Soup. The salad is filling enough to be a meal. You'll love all the flavors and textures of this salad. Recipe serves 4 and was adapted from  twopeasandtheirpod.com

Ingredients:

Maple Mustard Dressing

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon apple pie spice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Quinoa Salad

• 3 cups fresh spinach leaves
• 2 cups cooked regular white or Tri-color Quinoa, cooled
• 1-1/2 cups chopped Honeycrisp apples
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup red onions, diced
• 1/3 cup crumbled goat or feta cheese
• ½ cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

• Make the dressing ahead in a blender and refrigerate until serving in a screw-type jar. Taste test to balance ingredients. Reshake to use.
• In a large bowl add all salad ingredients except goat cheese crumbles. Toss until salad mixture combined. Add in cheese crumbles, drizzle with dressing and serve.
  
  
  
  

Looking for some healthy alternatives to Game Day Foods check out this site with 50 recipes.

https://www.fivespotgreenliving.com/thirty-3-healthy-appetizers-game-day/

Includes: 

Firecracker Beef Meatballs

Greek Phyllo Pizza Triangles 

Fruit and Veggie Board

Creamy Cheesy Potato Soup with Bacon

Still Cold?

Waiting for a January Thaw? 

Warm-up with a bowl of Cheesy Potato Soup with Bacon. Pair the soup with artisan bread and a light salad. 

Cheesy Potato Soup with Bacon 

Cook's Notes: Now I know there are a plethora of potato soup recipes around but this one is definitely a "shining star." The surprising add-ins spices give the soup a depth of flavor. It was "off the charts for me."
Yellow or Yukon Gold potatoes contain more moisture than high-starch potatoes (like russets), so they don't fall apart as easily. This type of potato is a good choice for this soup. Soup will be thicker on the second day so use more chicken broth to thin it out. The recipe serves 4-6 depending on the size of the bowl.

 Cooking Tips:

• Cut your potatoes into pieces no larger than 3/4″ and try to keep them around the same size so that they cook at the same time. Nothing worse than biting into a crisp, raw-inside chunk of potato!
• To make this soup nice and creamy, I recommend pureeing about half of it either by using an immersion blender or by transferring a portion of the soup to a blender, pureeing, and then stirring the pureed soup back into the pot. If you want a completely smooth soup you can puree all of it, but I prefer to have a few actual pieces of potato, so I think pureeing half gives it the best taste and texture.
• Don’t return the bacon to the pot until after you have pureed some of the soup. It’s best not to blend the bacon 😉.
• The ancho chili powder is, in my humble opinion, a must and gives this soup the most perfect depth of flavor. I blended it into the potato soup and also sprinkled it on top before serving. I recommend adding just a 1/4 teaspoon and then taste testing before adding more. 

DID YOU KNOW? Ancho chile powder is a staple in Mexican cuisine and is one of the most popular spices in the region, part of its ‘holy trinity’ -- this powder has a moderate heat and is made from dried and ground poblano chiles. This spice is usually used in sauces and salsa. Chili powder and a dash of red pepper flakes for the ancho chile powder can be substituted.

Ingredients:

• 5 strips (uncooked) bacon cut into small pieces
• 3 tablespoons butter unsalted or salted will work
• 1 cup each celery and onions
• 3 large garlic cloves minced
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 ½ lbs. gold potatoes peeled and diced into pieces no larger than 1 inch about 5-1/2 cups
• 1-32 oz. box of chicken broth, low sodium
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder or 1/4 tsp. chili powder with a dash of red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese 

Directions:

• Place bacon pieces in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and cook until bacon is crisp and browned. Remove bacon pieces and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.
• Add butter chopped onions and celery and cook over medium heat until onions are tender (3 minutes).
• Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
• Sprinkle the flour over the ingredients in the pot and stir until smooth (use whisk if needed).
• Add diced potatoes to the pot along with chicken broth, heavy cream, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and all spices. Stir well.
• Bring to a boil, reduce to medium and cook uncovered until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork (about 20 minutes).
• Reduce heat to simmer and remove approximately half of the soup to a blender (be careful, it will be hot!) and puree until smooth (half is about 5 cups of soup, but just eyeballing the amount will be fine. Alternatively you can use an immersion blender.).
• Return the pureed soup to the pot. Add cheddar cheese and bacon, allow soup to simmer on low for 15 minutes before serving. Top with chopped scallions or fresh chives.

UP NEXT:
Apple Walnut Quinoa Salad-perfect pairing for the soup.

Martha's Meyer Lemon Cookies

 Brighten your Monday with Martha's Meyer Lemon Cookies.

Since Martha has gifted me twice with these impressive-looking lemons (double the size you'd find in a grocery store) I thought I should name the cookies after her. I wish I had her lemon tree. 

DID YOU KNOW? 
Meyer lemons are thought to be a cross between regular lemons and tangerines or oranges. Once you know this, the color and flavor are pretty much what you would expect. A bright, yellowy-orange and a flavor that's zesty and tart but with a slightly sweet edge. They have a pretty short season but do pick some up when you see them. They're a great way to add a slight change to the flavor of things normally using lemons. Note regular lemons can be used for this recipe too. 

The recipe makes about 24 cookies and is adapted from mybakingaddition.com

Cook's Notes: The cookie when dusted with powder sugar is a bit reminiscent of Russian Tea Cakes and ever so GOOD! The lemon flavor is subtle so if the lemon flavoring is your thing I would increase the lemon liquid to 1/3 cup. 

Ingredients: 

• 2- 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Zest of 4 Meyer lemons
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• For Rolling:1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions;

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Toast coconut and set aside. 
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and very fluffy; about 4 minutes.
• Beat in egg, vanilla extract, Meyer lemon zest, and juice.
• Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients and toasted coconut into the butter and sugar mixture.
• Roll rounded 2-1/2 tablespoons of dough into balls and roll in powdered sugar. Place on prepared cookie sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart.
• Chill in refrigerator 20 minutes. 
• Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until very lightly browned.
• Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes before removing to cool on wire racks. Redust with powdered sugar. 

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Still cold? Need a warm-up? A comforting bowl of Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup is just what you need for the weekend.  

The recipe serves 4 and is an Ever Ready Special. 

Cook's Notes: Use a rotisserie chicken as a time saver.

Ingredients:

• 3 large pieces of cooked chicken, shredded or diced chicken
• 1 cup each sweet onions, celery, carrots, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon each parsley, thyme, rosemary, tarragon
• 1 container 48 oz. chicken broth (low sodium)
• 3/4 cup dried orzo
• 1 small-medium lemon (zest and juice)
• 3 cups torn spinach leaves, stems removed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Garnish: chopped fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Heat oil and sauté carrots, celery, onion, and garlic for 2 minutes. Then cover and sweat veggies on low, about 8 minutes. 
• Uncover and add in spices, broth, and orzo. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer just until orzo is al dente, about 5 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper, mix in lemon juice, and zest. Add in cooked chicken pieces and spinach leaves. Heat until spinach leaves are wilted.
• Optional adding in 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese right before serving.
• Since orzo will absorb liquid more broth may be needed to add to leftovers.

Suggested food pairings-fruit and cornbread

"I live on good soup,

not on fine words."

Moliere-French playwright, director, actor

1622-1673

Mix and Match Healthy Grain Bowls

You too can dwell in possibilities with Mix-and-Match Healthy Grain Bowls
Throw together a quick, good-for-you meal in a flash by combining any of these speedy ingredients.
Ideas from realandsimple.com

Customize your own bowl by keeping it simple choosing something from each category or max out with something from every category.
Grains
Quinoa
Brown rice
Farro
Barley
Bulgur

Greens
Romaine
Red leaf lettuce
Arugula
Watercress
Mâche
Radicchio
Kale
Swiss chard
Purple cabbage

Proteins
Steak
Chicken
Fish (canned, smoked, or freshly cooked)
Cured meats
Beans (black, cannellini, butter, chickpeas, kidney)
Eggs (hard-boiled, poached, or fried)

Vegetables and Herbs
Radishes
Snap peas
Snow peas
Tomatoes
Avocados
Scallions
Herbs (dill, parsley, cilantro, tarragon)

Cheeses
Feta
Goat
Ricotta salata
Gruyère
Parmesan
Aged Cheddar
Any creamy cheese (like Camembert or Humboldt Fog)

Wild Cards
Nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts)
Seeds (pumpkin, sunflower)
Kimchi
Marinated artichokes
Olives
Capers

Okay, let's get started with your empty bowl, fork, and spoon. Be creative in combining these ingredients into quick meals.

Vegetable Health Bowl
Ingredients: Roasted cauliflower, roasted squash, roasted zucchini, kale, cabbage, almonds, herb ranch dressing

Chicken Bowl
Ingredients: Shredded chicken, farro, carrots, marinated mushrooms, romaine, snap peas, avocado, Feta, walnuts, honey mustard vinaigrette

Salmon Health Bowl
Ingredients: Roasted salmon, barley, a sprinkle of smoked paprika, fennel, Swiss chard, chickpeas, basil, scallions