Brisket is one of those things that I love to eat, but hardly ever make because it just seems like too much work.  But trimmed brisket was on sale Memorial Day Weekend, so I grabbed one and stuck in in the freezer.  I prefer buying trimmed brisket (on sale) instead of untrimmed brisket because the trimming is just so much work, and you wind up trimming off about half of your brisket!  In my quest for a great new brisket recipe, I decided to try a crockpot method.  It’s already in the upper 90s here, and the last thing I wanted to do was keep my oven on for hours on end as is typical of most brisket recipes.  I had this recipe for Tangy Spiced Brisket from Smitten Kitchen bookmarked in my Google Reader.  Smitten Kitchen is one of my favorite cooking blogs, and so far, I’ve had nothing but success with Deb’s amazing recipes, including that 4 ingredient tomato sauce.  I loved everything about this Tangy Spiced Brisket: most notably the juicy brisket, flavorful sauce, and a crockpot cooking method.  There’s still a lot of prep work involved (and a long marinating time), so get started the day before you’re going to serve it and cook it overnight, like I did!

Tangy Spiced Brisket

recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 3 large onions, sliced
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (adjust to your heat preference)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 cups beef stock (unsalted or low salt)
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup chili sauce (I used Heinz)
• 1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
• 8 to 10 pound brisket

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and sauté onions in vegetable oil, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and most of liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Add halved garlic cloves and saute for 3 minutes more. Stir in spices and seasoning (paprika, salt, garlic and onion powders, black pepper, cayenne, oregano and thyme) and cook for 2 minutes. Set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together the beef stock, ketchup, chili sauce and brown sugar. Don’t worry if your brown sugar is lumpy (mine always is), the acidity of the ingredients will quickly break it down.

Place brisket in a slow cooker, spread onion mixture over the top, then pour sauce mixture over the entire dish. Cover with the lid and cook it on LOW for 10 hours. (I like to start it before I go to bed, and process it in the morning to rest over the course of the day in the fridge.)

Rest the dish: When the brisket is cooked but still hot, use a spoon to scrape off any large fat deposits adhered to the top and bottom of the brisket. (This part is easiest to do when hot. The sauce will be de-fatted after it has chilled.)

Transfer the brisket and all of its sauce to a baking dish.

Chill entire dish in the fridge for several hours and up to one day; this resting time will significantly enhance the flavor and texture of the meat.

An hour before you’re ready to serve it: Preheat your oven to 300°F, and remove the dish from the fridge. Remove all of the fat that has solidified with a slotted spoon for a less oily finish.

Carefully remove the meat from its sauce and place on a large cutting board. Cut the brisket into 1/2-inch slices.

If you like a smoother sauce, this is a good time to run it through a blender or literally just smash up the onion and garlic strands with a wooden spoon. They’ll be so soft, that’s all it takes.

Carefully place the sliced meat (moving it in large sections with a spatula helps keep it together) back into the sauce and spoon the sauce over the meat. Replace the lid or cover the dish tightly with foil and reheat in the oven until it is bubbling at the edges — this usually takes up to to 30 minutes.

Our art playgroup has been growing in numbers now that summer is here.  And while I love having so many little artists to paint with, our house doesn’t exactly have a ton of space.  If only I had an art studio!  But as I’ve said before, I’m trying very hard to open my home to others, even though it isn’t the “perfect” house with the “perfect” decor and the “perfect” spot for art group.  Nor is it “perfectly” clean!

Right now, our “studio” is the kitchen table (and overflow on the kiddie table and breakfast bar, when necessary).  Last week I felt like it was a little too crowded inside.  This week, with the potential for even more kids to show up,  I decided to change things up and move to our “summer studio” in the backyard.  I’ve got quite a few extra messy projects I’ve been reserving for outdoors, so I thought this week might be the perfect week for one of those.  In addition to painting, I set up 2 kiddie pools, a sprinkler ball, and our sand and water table.

The kids all had a really great and messy time, and the splatter paint on canvas went well.  I thought using canvas would be better for this age group so they could each have their own space.  You could also splatter paint on a large sheet, drop cloth, or roll of butcher paper if you wanted to make it a group project.

We had some beautiful paintings, especially from the 3 year olds, who really seemed to get the hang of the splatter painting technique.

HOWEVER, we have absolutely NO shade in our backyard, and even at 9:30 in the morning, it was close to 90 degrees with no breeze.  Fun for the kids painting and splashing in the pools, but not so fun for the mommies and little babies.  We’ll be moving back inside next week.  For future outdoor projects, we may meet in the afternoon (when our backyard is shaded and breezy), or move to a nearby park with a large covered pavillion.

I’ve been cooking and baking up a storm the last couple of days, and I’ve got SO many new recipes to share!  This year, more than ever before, I’m appreciating all of the wonderful, local produce available in early summer here in Texas.  This salad uses two of my favorite summer good eats: corn and blueberries.   I’ve never seen them used together before, have you?  Here, corn and blueberries are mixed with a dressing of lime juice, honey and cumin.  A fresh new side dish for your summer menu!

Corn and Blueberry Salad

from Better Homes and Gardens, June 2010

Ingredients:

• 6 ears fresh sweet corn, husked
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 small cucumber, sliced (omitted)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion (omitted)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

In a Dutch oven bring salted water to boiling.  Add corn.  Cook, covered, 5 minutes or until tender.  When cool enough to handle, cut corn from cobs.

In a serving bowl, combine corn, blueberries, cucumber, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno.  For dressing, in screw-top jar combine lime juice, oil, honey, cumin, and 1/2 tsp. salt.  Cover; shake well to combine.  Add to salad; toss.  Cover and refrigerate overnight (up to 24 hours).

I haven’t shared my menu plan lately, but I am particularly looking forward to to this week’s menu.  I’ve got lots of new recipes on the menu, and I’m hopeful that at least a few of them will be keepers.  I’m experimenting with doing all of my baking on one day.  I’m planning to involve The Littlest Apple in this, so I hope I’m not being overly ambitious!

Baking Day: Tortillas, Apple Pecan Flaxseed Bread (new recipe), Chai-Spiced Granola (new recipe), Grammy’s Chocolate Cookies (new recipe)

Sunday: Tangy Spiced Brisket (new recipe), Corn and Blueberry Salad (new recipe), Beer Bread, Watermelon

Monday: Chopped Beef Sandwiches, Green Beans, Oven Fries, Strawberry Ice Cream (new recipe)

Tuesday: Chimichangas, Mexican Rice, Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Wednesday: Sweet Peanut Chicken Stir Fry, Basmati Rice

Thursday: Chicken & Corn Chili (new recipe), Cornbread

Friday: Baja Fish Tacos, Refried Beans, Coleslaw, Watermelon Margaritas (new recipe)

Saturday: Dine Out

I’m sharing this post with Menu Plan Monday at I’m an Organizing Junkie

Have you ever been to Cafe Rio?  I haven’t.  Apparently it is a chain of restaurants in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, California, Colorado and Idaho.  All places I’ve either never been or haven’t been to since I was really young.  Lately I’ve been seeing lots of bloggers talking about how amazing Cafe Rio’s Sweet Pork Salad is, and I’ve seen more than a few copycat recipes.  I decided to see what all the fuss was about by trying out one of the copycat recipes.  I took some shortcuts, left out a few ingredients (including the dressing, which I definitely plan to try next time), and it still turned out amazing!  As you can see below, there are quite a few components to this salad (and though it looks like a big mess, it is so yummy!).  Each of the main components (the rice, the beans, and the pork) are all delicious on their own, but together they make for an amazing meal!  I haven’t had the real thing from Cafe Rio, so I have nothing to compare it to, but I’m certainly going to make a stop at Cafe Rio next time I’m near one!

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad

recipe from Favorite Family Recipes

Ingredients:

• Large Tortillas
• Shredded cheese, Mexican blend
• Cilantro Lime Rice (recipe below)
• Cafe Rio Black Beans (recipe below)
• Cafe Rio Sweet Pork (recipe below)
• Lettuce (NOT iceberg, use leafy green or Romaine)
• Diced tomato, onion, and cilantro (pico de gallo)
• Sour cream
• Tortilla Strips (or crumbled tortilla chips)
• Cotija cheese, crumbled (or you can use Parmesan)
• Cafe Rio Cilantro Ranch OR Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Assemble in aluminum deep-dish pans or simply use a plate. Lay a tortilla in the bottom of the pan, sprinkle Mexican blend cheese on it, and put in the oven at 375 for about 5 min or until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven, add beans, rice, pork, then lettuce and a little scoop of diced tomato and onions (pico de gallo). Add guacamole and sour cream. Add crushed tortilla chips, a shake of Cotija or Parmesan cheese, and top with a few cilantro leaves. Serve with the cilantro ranch or vinaigrette dressing and there you have it! (makes about 6 salads)

Cilantro Lime Rice

I LOVE this rice!  It’s a great alternative to Mexican Rice.

Ingredients:

• 1 c. uncooked rice
• 1 tsp. butter or margarine
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

Cafe Rio Black Beans

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/3 c. tomato juice (I used a few tablespoons of tomato sauce instead)
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

I was a little skeptical about using Coke in this recipe.  I don’t normally buy it, but I decided just to try it out.  It turned out great!  This pork is definitely on the sweet side (my husband would like it a little less sweet next time) but I loved it.  We made 1/2 a recipe, and still had more than enough.  I may experiment in the future with other ways to sweeten the pork.  I’m thinking that you could make a big batch of the pork (and maybe the beans and rice too) to have in your freezer for quicker salad assembly in the future.

Ingredients:

2 pounds pork (I used pork tenderloin)
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced green chilies
3/4 can RED enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness)
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty Ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinate for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don’t let it get TOO dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crock pot and cook on low for 2 hours. That’s it!

Tuesday, by David Wiesner: I requested this book from the library because it was on a list of books about frogs, which my son has been interested in lately.  This is such a neat book!  There aren’t many words, other than the introduction of “Tuesday evening, around eight,” but this is a beautifully illustrated, mysterious journey of frogs that ride lily pads like magic carpets.  There are several eyewitnesses to their night-time adventure, all equally befuddled.  As the sun comes up, the magic of the flying lily pads fades, and the frogs must head back to the pond.

Jamberry, by Bruce Degen:  This is the second time we’ve borrowed Jamberry from the library, and we still love it.  Beautiful berry filled illustrations, and magical, rhyming text follows a bear and a boy on a berry picking adventure, beginning with “One berry two berry pick me a blueberry” and on to “Raspberry Jazzberry Razzamatazzberry.”  The perfect accompaniment to your own berry-picking adventures!

A Good Day, by Kevin Henkes: This was a surprise hit at our house.  It begins as a bad day, when the little yellow bird loses his favorite tail feather, and the little white dog, little orange fox and little brown squirrel encounter similar difficulties.  But then things start looking up, and the story ends with a little girl discovering a yellow feather and yelling “Mama!  What a good day!”  I absolutely love the message of this book….developing an attitude of gratitude for children!

Trouble at the Dinosaur Cafe, by Brian Moses: Picked out by The Littlest Apple himself, this book is really cute!  A bullying T-Rex interrupts snack time at the Dinosaur Cafe.  Terry Triceratops is called (via “mobile phone”) to help out.  They jump on T-Rex’s belly and tickle his feet until he leaves.

Disclosure: Some of the links above are Amazon affiliate links. I have not been asked to review any of these books.  These were just some Good Reads I wanted to share!

Yesterday was The Littlest Apple’s first GI appointment since his NG tube placement, so I figured I might share a little update.  It’s been a while since I talked about the latest happenings with The Littlest Apple’s gastroparesis.

Even though I didn’t share an update, we did finally get the pump and home health care, about 2 weeks after the tube placement.  Due to the delay getting that started and the NG tube getting pulled out while we were on vacation, we’ve only been administering the night-feeds for about 14 days total.

At his appointment yesterday, The Littlest Apple weighed 24 pounds.  That’s a gain of 1.5 pounds in 2 months.  I’m guessing most of that has occurred in the last couple of weeks, since starting the night feeds.

His gastric emptying study showed that even with the newest medicine he’s taking, domperidone, The Littlest Apple still has severely delayed gastric emptying.  That wasn’t exactly news to us.

So, the night feeds have been going relatively smoothly.  Here are a few thoughts on that:

• By smoothly, I mean that he’s not vomiting it all up, and not waking up too much at night. There have been some other issues I’ll discuss more in a minute.
• He has gotten tangled up in the tubing at night a few times, though not in a scary tubing-wrapped-around-his neck-sort-of-way, though that is a concern of mine since he’s a very squirmy sleeper.  I just go in, do a quick reset (the pump has an alarm on it that beeps when something goes wrong), and he goes back to sleep.
• Even though he’s more than old enough to be in a big-boy bed, he’s still in a crib for now because we don’t want him getting up and wandering off while still connected to his feeding pump.
• Normally an early riser, he’s waking up even earlier (if not in the middle of the night) because he has to go to the bathroom.  A logical result of “drinking” 10 ounces of liquid all night long.
• His daytime eating has decreased.  Most days he doesn’t eat more than a couple of bites of fruit or a pretzel stick or two before 3 pm.  He’s eating more at dinner though.  And since he’s gaining weight, I guess it still works out.  But obviously, the goal is for him to get used to eating more and discontinue reliance on the feeding tube.  I’m a little concerned on this front, but I guess we’ll get his weight up, then fight that battle.

Now for the biggest change of all–The Littlest Apple’s behavior.  Since beginning the night feeds and increasing his caloric intake, his energy level has also increased.  Significantly.  And while this makes sense in most other children who weren’t previously getting enough calories, The Littlest Apple has NEVER been lacking in energy.  While having a spirited, high-energy child has been challenging at times, I’ve come to embrace it and enjoy his extra zest for life.  But the last 2 weeks of night feeds also changed our previously spirited-but-happy-high-energy child to a complete unmanageable hyperactive, tantrum prone nightmare.  The last 2 weeks have been really awful.  Our parenting “A game” wasn’t enough.  We suspected The Littlest Apple was reacting to something in the Boost 1.5, but we weren’t sure what.  The third ingredient is SUGAR, but there are also a whole bunch of unpronouncable chemicals.

We discussed this with the doctor, and big kudos to him, because he actually listened and observed.  He didn’t dismiss us by saying “well, I’d have lots more energy too, if I was getting the calories I needed,” which is what I’ve heard from several other people to whom I expressed my concern.  The doctor, who has already been somewhat taken aback by The Littlest Apple’s energy on prior visits (given his ill-fitting Failure To Thrive label) saw The Littlest Apple literally bouncing off the exam-room walls.  He suggested we try a different formula, and switched us to Compleat Pediatric, which contains pureed chicken, green beans, peas, peaches, and cranberry concentrate.  I can actually pronounce many of these ingredients, and honestly, it seems a little more wholesome to me.  Real food in pureed form.  Now, I will admit that the third ingredient of this one is corn syrup.  And there are a few less calories and fat grams per ounce.  But we’ve used this new formula for the last two days and seen a MARKED difference in The Littlest Apple’s behavior, and I don’t think it is just a coincidence.  We have our happy-spirited child back!  Thank goodness.  I can handle this boy.  Usually.

Yet another long (albeit descriptive) recipe title.  This is such a delicious homemade pizza, and the crust really takes it up a notch from a regular pizza crust.  This makes enough dough for two thinner crusts or one thicker crust.  I prefer thick, The Picky Apple prefers thin.  So far, I’ve been the winner of that little battle, but next time I’ll make thin crust for The Picky Apple.

Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Pizza with Garlic Rosemary Foccacia Crust

For the crust:

• 1 package (or 2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 3 cups flour, divided
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic

For the Alfredo sauce:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 dash ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup grated Romano cheese (I’ve also used Parmesan and Cotija cheese)

Other toppings:

• Chopped rotisserie or leftover Perfect Roast Chicken
• 1 1/2 cups fresh spinach
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
• Peppers, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, Parmesan cheese (optional)

To make the crust: Combine yeast and water; let stand 5 minutes. Whisk in the olive oil and salt. Stir 2 cups flour, garlic, and rosemary in a large bowl; make a well in the center. Add yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 50 minutes.  Add remaining 1 cup flour and knead until flour is incorporated into dough. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.   Let rise in a warm place for 35 minutes.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees F with a pizza stone on a rack in the top 1/2 of the oven.

Divide dough in half, if you’re making the thin crust version.  On a floured surface, roll each portion out into rounds just under 1/2 an inch thick.

To make the Alfredo sauce:  Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Blend in salt, pepper and flour, then stir in the milk and cheese. Simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.

To finish pizza: Spread Alfredo sauce over crust.  Top with spinach, chicken, rosemary and any additional toppings.  Bake for 20 minutes on the preheated pizza stone, then let pizza cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

I’m trying so hard to keep the number of blogs I follow in check, but it’s difficult.  I love reading blogs about cooking, home decor and DIY projects, gardening, children’s art and activities, parenting, and books, just to name a few of my favorite topics!  I think reading blogs has opened my eyes to so many new possibilities and ideas that I wouldn’t have otherwise explored.

Here are some things that caught my eye recently:

Ice Cream Roundup on Tasty Kitchen.  The photos collages alone are beautiful (and divided into convenient groups of custard-style, egg-free, dairy-free, sorbet, and even frozen yogurt), but some of the recipes look divine.

10 Keys to Patient Motherhood from Passionate Homemaking.  As this post says, there’s nothing like motherhood to magnify your impatience!  These are some great tips!

A gorgeous california beach house from Velvet & Linen.  This home is stunning!  I love everything about it!

Summerize Your Home from The Nesting Place.  Something I’ve been thinking about lots lately as our downstairs leans heavily toward fall colors and dark wood that feel too warm for summer!

Creating Rhythm and Routine at Home from Childhood Magic.  I just discovered this blog last week, and it is one of my new favorite reads.  Creating rhythm in our home (without making a rigid minute-by-minute schedule) is one of my goals in the next couple of weeks.  I’ll share more of my thinking on this sometime soon.

Korean BBQ Beef from Sweet Basil.  I’ve been craving an Asian-inspired beef dish lately.  Hoping to make this one soon!

Gack and Water Wall.  Both of these ideas come from a wonderful Australian preschool blog, Irresistable Ideas for Play Based Learning.  This is EXACTLY the kind of stuff I love doing with The Littlest Apple.  If we lived closer, I would totally send him to this preschool.  We’ve got a fence that’s just screaming for a Water Wall.  Can’t wait to make one!

Start Making Vanilla for Christmas from Heavenly Homemakers.  I had every intention of doing this last year, but completely dropped the ball.  Hoping to get mine started this week!

Summer List of Activities from 5 Orange Potatoes.  I’m loving this list of things to do outside with your kids.

To Be More Joyful: Simplify Your Life by Life as Mom.  This whole series on being more joyful has been wonderful, but this list of 50 ways to simplify your life was particularly inspiring.

Today was a really hard mommy day.

The Littlest Apple was in full meltdown mode all morning (and off and on the rest of the day too).  We butted heads big time this morning, and wound up canceling our morning excursion as a result.

Since his caloric intake has increased by about 50% as a result of the night feeds via feeding tube, he’s gone from extremely active to even more active.  It makes sense, I suppose.  He wasn’t getting enough calories before, and now he is, so he’s got more energy.  But if you knew him before, then you know that he was never lacking for energy in the first place.  And now he’s just full-throttle energy.  The 3rd ingredient of his special formula is SUGAR (as I learned this evening), so I can’t help but wonder if that’s causing these issues.  If this is just our new “normal” when he’s actually getting enough calories, then I’m going to have to bring my parenting A game.  We’ll definitely be discussing this with the GI at our appointment next week.

Sugar rant aside, it was a really hard mommy day, and I didn’t cope very well.  There may have been some tears and a pity party or two.  I wasn’t expecting to need to refer back to my post on Gratitude so quickly, but today was definitely a day for it.  Today was a day to put my Pessimism Prevention Plan into action.  I only wish I had implemented it earlier in the day…like around 7:00am.  That’s about when things headed south.  This afternoon during nap time, I took a few moments to re-read the Gratitude post and to sit down with my Gratitude Journal and 14,000 Things to Be Happy About.  Oh, and I took a bubble bath during The Littlest Apple’s naptime.  Because I like bubble baths.

Here’s a peek at my Gratitude Journal from the last few days:

What are you grateful for today?