Poor Man's Steak, Veggie and Mozzarella Sandwich

Do you eat your meals together as a family? The kids and I eat dinner together nearly every evening, usually around our kitchen table. Shawn’s not home for dinner often because he has to work late and has a lengthy commute, but when he is, we all eat together as well. I’m dying to get a new kitchen island with adorable stools so that I can prepare and eat our food there when it’s just the kids and I, but I digress. We also eat breakfast as a family — with Shawn too — several times a week. Lunch is a free for all.

Eating together is a time for us to talk about our days — the silly antics of the boys in Will’s kindergarten class and the random tidbits about her classmates that Paige shares. We laugh and are sometimes silly. This past weekend, the kids and I had dinner outside followed by a rule-less game of baseball. It was so much fun.

According to a new study published in the May 2 edition of Pediatrics, our family dinners could be much more than just fun — it could be helping my kids avoid obesity. Kids who eat three or more family meals each week are 12 percent less likely to be overweight than those who don’t eat family meals or seldom do. If they eat five or more meals as a family each week, they are 25 percent less likely to have poor nutrition. If you want to raise healthy kids (I do!) then this is important and good news. Researchers developed the data after analyzing 17 earlier studies and comparing the data.

This all underscores our family’s commitment to eating together. Not only do we make family meals a daily habit (and that extends beyond just dinner), we also have a standing weekly family dinner with our extended family who live nearby. Some weeks (particularly at the holidays and sometimes in summer), that means upwards of 20 family members all together at once (Related: Tomato Bisque for 12).  It’s special, and we love it.

Today seemed like the perfect time to talk more about family meals, including some interesting results from the Sarah’s Cucina Bella Family Meals Survey 2011 that I conducted earlier this year.

Sandwiches like these are so easy, since the ingredients take so little time to prepare. Once they are laid out, all you have to do is build 'em.

First, a little background: Earlier this year, I started an intense research project for a book proposal. The book I am developing is a more in-depth, more useful version of the unpublished one that I wrote years ago. (Recap for newer readers: In 2007, I was contracted to write a cookbook by a very small publisher, handed the manuscript in on schedule and then … nothing. A year and a half later, a short email exchange between my publisher and I ended the contract and the book reverted to me.). The original book was fine, but after much consideration, I realized it was missing something. So, I’ve started afresh, researching and learning more about the eating habits of families. As part of that, I conducted a preliminary survey on family meals to get a better understanding.

There were more than 100 responses to the Family Meals Survey 2011, but I disqualified any incomplete surveys, leaving me with 94 completed surveys. Of those, 85.1% were filled out by mothers. One of the things I was looking to understand was what really matters to parents when it comes to eating family meals. I think that’s a personal thing, and not something where I could ever claim to have all the reasons. Everyone’s perspective is different, naturally.

So, what makes a family meal? For the majority of respondents (58.5%), having the whole family there is the most important aspect of a family meal. Also important is the happiness level of the table, said 40.4% of the respondents. Everyone being present in the moment (29.8%), being disconnected from technology (26.6%) and the quality of the food rounded out the top five responses (26.6%).

Some other interesting statistics from the Sarah’s Cucina Bella Family Meals Survey 2011:

• Nearly two-thirds of respondents do not have a standing date for family dinners. 37.2% do.
• Dinner is the meal most-often eaten together, according to my survey (91.5% of respondents said so!). The other 8.6% were split evenly between breakfast and lunch.
• 66% of respondents shop in advance for ingredients, and 48.9% create a meal plan. 17% shop that day for the ingredients they need.
• 59.6% search the internet for recipes, and 29.8% look through cookbooks.
• About a quarter of the respondents enlist their children to help plan the meal. 18.1% also involve their kids in the preparation of ingredients and 19.1% have their kids help with the cooking.

How important are family meals to you?

Poor Man's Steak, Veggie and Mozzarella Sandwich

Speaking of family meals, this sandwich is perfect for a family dinner. It’s a stuffed sandwich that starts with a grilled London broil rubbed with your favorite spices, salt and pepper. I chose London broil because it is — even now — one of the least expensive cuts available, and with this recipe 1 pound of it can feed 8 people (as long as you serve it with several side dishes). And these days, budget-friendly meats are a must for everyone. Once the meat has been grilled and rested (resting is so, so important so that it’s juicy), you slice it ultra-thin against the grain. Use your sharpest, big knife and sharpen it more just before slicing. It will make the whole thing a breeze.

Once the meat is all sliced up and ready, you layer the sandwiches with steamed bell pepper slices, thin slices of fresh mozzarella cheese (or thin slices from a block of mozzarella, if you want to save a little more) and tomato. The freshness of the veggies with the salty cheese and spiced meat will hook you. My son immediately asked if he could take the sandwich for school lunch too (and today he did — but I traded the tomato for lettuce so that the roll wouldn’t get soggy).

Read the rest of this entry…

On December 31, my mother eagerly asked what resolutions I was going to make for 2010. Honestly, I hadn’t even thought about it yet. Sure, it was New Year’s Eve, but I just wasn’t ready to resolve anything yet. I didn’t really give her an answer.

Now, it’s January 15. Whew. I guess I am off to a lateish start, eh?

Actually, I really am not. See, one of my resolutions (or goals, if you will) for this year is to focus. So, since the beginning of the year, I have been doing just that: focusing on the things that really matter. Resolutions? They fall pretty low on that list.

But, today I have a few minutes … so, away we go!

Read the rest of this entry…

Happy New Year!

Do you make resolutions? I do. Every year. I don’t necessarily keep them every year though. Wish I could say that I did, but honestly like most people I fall away from the resolutions after a few weeks or months.

But this year is different. My resolutions are grounded in things that I really want and need to do to lead a healthier, happier life. That’s really important for both me and for my family. So, here they are in no particular order:

• Lose 50 lbs.: I know, it sounds like a lot but really it’s about 50% baby weight (which should melt away with just a bit of effort). The second 25 lbs will be the real challenge.
• See that darned cookbook published (and the wonderful sales that will follow).: I don’t have a whole lot of control over this one. My draft is done and it’s a waiting game until the publisher/editor returns it to me for corrections and whatnot. But, once it’s returned, it’s up to me to turn it around and approve the changes (and make my own).
• Successfully pitch a second cookbook.: I already have the idea, though it needs to be fleshed out a bit. Read the rest of this entry…

I like vegetables a lot. But what I don’t like is boring vegetables — just steamed or boiled and thrown on a plate. I don’t think that does the flavor of any veggies justice. It’s just like cooking with any kind of meat or fish: sure, you could just grill it up and throw a hunk on a plate, but with a little bit of herbs and spices it can be a spectacular dish. So I rarely do just plain veggies (unless it’s corn on the cob … mmm … or I am really short on time).

This particular recipe I thought of while working on the first draft of my cookbook (and yes, it’s coming. I can’t say when, but it is. I will update you as soon as I have a certain do-or-die date from the darn publisher). However, it never made it into the manuscript because my attempts left me wanting: the flavor just wasn’t there and I didn’t have time to tweak it anymore. This time though, without the pressure of a deadline looming, I just did keep adding on the flavor until I thought it would be right. And it was. I’ll have to stock this recipe away for a future cookbook (way, way, way down the line … you know after Families Eat Together FINALLY makes its debut).

Anyway, this is a quick and easy one. I recommend making your own pesto, since it’s so much tastier than the store bought stuff. But in a pinch, that could easily be used too.

1 large head of cauliflower
1 cup basil pesto
sea salt
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Wash cauliflower and cut into florets that are about 1-1.5 inches (some smaller ones are okay too). Place into a large Zip-Loc bag. Add pesto. Seal bag, taking care to remove all the excess air. Now, shake, squeeze and toss to completely coat all of the cauliflower.

Line a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Spread cauliflower onto the pan in an even layer. Sprinkle with sea salt (to taste).

Cook for 15 minutes, turning once about halfway through.

Serve hot.

Here’s a quick recap, if you haven’t been keeping up on my refrigerator issues: my not-quite three-year-old fridge went on the fritz over the week of July 4th when I was away. First it stopped freezing and then it stopped refrigerating. We lost more food than I realized, including batch after batch of my homemade experiments for Families Eat Together. I can’t tell you how much that sucks.

So after fighting with the store (who weren’t too helpful), the extended warranty contract company, etc, etc, it was fixed about a week later. Or so we thought (insert dark and dreary music here). A little more than a week after that, it broke again. The repair company came back and got it running. A little more than a week after that, kaput . . . again. Repair company comes back and finally admits that they can’t isolate the problem (which is a leak somewhere in the system) and it cannot be fixed. Contract co. says that if that’s the case then they will cut us a check for the fridge so we can get a new one.

That was two weeks ago. The contact co. has since said that they will do no such thing since no one’s found the actual problem yet. Blah, blah, blah. I’ve gone nearly a month with a touch and go situation with this fridge, and you want to tell me NO?!? Well, I reached my breaking point and decided that they can answer to the Better Business Bureau and the Department of Consumer Protection. This is just asinine.

So we bought a new refrigerator. Hopefully this one will last more than three years. Guess where we didn’t buy this one? There is no way that I am EVER shopping in that store again, after the co-owner was so rude when I asked for the loaner we’d been promised (if it ever broke) when we purchased it. Yes, yes, love the truth in sales.

In the meantime, I have a beautiful new fridge and a broken one in the basement that we hope will either be fixed (so we can eventually sell it with the house and take the new one) or we’ll be given a refund for.

Say hello to my new friend! It’s spacious, and lovely and shocker of shockers: stays cold. Aaahhhh, the simple things in life. I love the style and design (sorry about the lackluster picture, haven’t been home during the day to take a good one).

The best features? Room for full platters of food, a water dispenser INSIDE the fridge, and room for many, many gallons in the doors (leaving the shelves for more important items). I am so in love.

Now, back to cooking.

No, I haven’t disappeared. Its just been a busy week. I had some work to do on the cookbook, which is coming along nicely and is due out in August (!). YAY! I cannot wait to see what the cover looks like and to hold it in my hands – a hard copy of a cookbook that I personally wrote. I am so excited.

Other than that, I am just working for the weekend right now. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job, I just need a break. But vacation is coming so that should be a good relief.

On another note, I stumbled on a bank statement from five years ago over Memorial Day weekend. Boy, have I changed in five years. Five years ago, I was just beginning my career in journalism. I was sure I knew it all (I didn’t, still don’t) and wanted to take charge (still do). Five years ago, I was unmarried with no children. My income, which was less than half what it is now (perhaps a third even), went primarily to three things: food, shopping and my car. I paid more for insuring my car then I do now for insuring both my husband’s and my own. I went tanning regularly. And all the time, I thought I was broke (I didn’t know what broke was).

I can’t help but let the if I only’s creep into my head once in a while – if I had only saved some money instead of shopping and eating out so much (I honestly rarely cooked, because I didn’t know how to cook for one and was afraid to cook with meat). If I had only had the foresight to plan for the future.

I’m older, wiser, married and a mother now. I still spend more than I should (particularly on food, but it’s ingrediants now), but I also make a conscious effort to save money too. In five years, I would like to look back and think how smart I was to start saving. I would like to be in a good, stable financial place in five years.

Where were you five years ago? Where do you want to be in five years?

It’s done. At least the first draft. Now, I have the arduous process of waiting for the edits to come back. But in the meantime, I can just bask in the knowledge that I have written the first draft of my first cookbook. How exciting is that?

Of course, after hitting send, I realized that some recipes that my husband and I really liked didn’t make it into the draft. Perhaps on the next cut. And some stories I wrote and rewrote, while others just didn’t make the cut.

I can’t help but worry. Is what I wrote enough? I love every recipe in the book, so I am not worried about that. But what about the stories? Are they detailed enough?

I worry. I can’t help that.

I am in the throws of finishing the first draft of my manuscript for Families Eat Together. My publisher was generous enough to give me a one week extension and the draft is now due tomorrow, instead of May 1.

But I wanted to take a few minutes from my frantic writing and editing to bring you this salad for Weekend Herb Blogging, a great weekly event started by Kalyn’s Kitchen. I’ve been developing this for the cookbook, but it was just too good not to share right away. And the dressing features oregano, making it a perfect fit for WHB.

A little about oregano: Oregano is a powerful herb that has antioxidant properties. It is used in Mediterranean cooking and comes originally from northern Europe. Did you know that in the time of Greeks and Romans, it was considered to be a symbol of joy and happiness?

On a side note, you have to make this salad. Really. You have to. It’s mouthwatering good. And Although I eat this salad as is, adding a little grilled chicken will make it a great protein- and vitamin-rich meal.

Greek Salad
serves 4

3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 ½ cucumbers, peeled and cubed
½ cup kalamata olives, halved
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup white wine vinegar (always use good quality)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small shallot, minced
2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
Salt
Pepper

In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, olives and feta.

In a separate bowl, beat together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Pour over the tomato mixture.

Serve chilled.

It was 4:45 on Monday afternoon when the phone call came. It wasn’t something shocking or unexpected . . . there had been forewarning. She was ready for the next chapter to open.

Still, to get that call that my cousin Grace Louise had passed on, I was caught without breath for a moment. Her words were alive in my mind. I had just been working on a chapter of the cookbook over the weekend that is based on our family cookbook, circa 1981. I had just been writing about Grace Louise, and other cousins.

Let me back up.

As a child, it was a yearly event. My family and I would pack into my grandmother’s station wagon and head north to the Cape (Cape Cod, that is). Each year, we would stay in the same blue motel across the street from the ferry landing. The Hyannis Holiday Motel. Each year, we would have breakfast at the dive across the street. And I would beg to swim in the motel pool (I love swimming . . . always have). But the point of the weekend trip wasn’t to check out the harbor or eat at the Hearth N Kettle (another yearly stop). The purpose of the trip was to attend our annual family reunion at Grace Louise’s home.

Our family reunion. It was a spectacular event. Family would fly in from the far reaches for the one day event. And my grandmother would be in her glory, surrounded by her beloved cousins. They were all close in age and had grown up together, living in the same house together from time to time. They were the epitome of close-knit. It was like they all really came alive together, sharing memories and stories of times past. And then there was the food . . . oh the wonderful food. Lobsters would be brought in, fresh off the boat, from Maine. And there would be hamburgers, hot dogs, salads . . . oh, the buffet seemed endless.

Grace Louise would make these adorable favors for everyone. One year, it was little clear jars with blue lids. A label read something to the effect of “Cape Cod air.” There were satchels and little pillows . . . I kept many of the favors for years and years (and think I might still have a few kicking around the beach house).

I was pretty young – maybe 10 or so – the last time we went. I think that was the year that I spent what seemed like hours playing volleyball with the cousins. Amid the sweat and exhausting, was the fun. It was so much fun.

It’s been ages since I last saw Grace Louise – at least 13 years (it was probably at my grandmother’s funeral, but I am not certain). In recent years, her memory began to fail, followed by her body. She was ready. It was her time.

How could I not take a moment of pause when I heard she was gone? My grandmother adored her and I adored my grandmother. You see the progression. I remember Grace Louise as a bouyant, happy, vibrant woman. That’s what she will be always be to me.

People come into our lives, and they slip away. But memories of your family built in childhood are precious and priceless because family is what you always have.

You may have noticed the change around here. I am in love with this new design, and am thrilled that it matches up with what I do: write about food. I thought the previous black and white look matched me, but after a year and a half of it, I realized things had changed. It was time for something new. You know – something happy and delicious. I think this design accomplishes that.

But I must ask that you bear with me while I revamp my recipe archives, update my blogroll (the old one was lost in the transition – mea culpa) and just get everything all set up. I will still be posting in the meantime, but it might take a few days to get my sidebars up to par.

On a side note, my deadline is looming. Eek. But it’s coming together.