Oodles of Zoodles with Avocado Basil Pesto and Farmer's Market Tomatoes

Are you in on the spiralizer craze?  With enough machines and gadgets in my kitchen, this is one craze I was going to let pass me by.  Who needs to clog up even more valuable counter space with another big gadget?

But after a spontaneous substitution of Zoodles (spiralized zucchini noodles) in place of pasta at a local restaurant, I'm unquestionably hooked.  Losing the pasta carbs and adding even more vegetables to my veggie dish was good enough, but the glorious texture of the par-cooked zucchini noodles pushed me over the edge.  I totally get the craze and I simply MUST have a spiralizer!

As timing often works when it needs to, days later OXO sent an offer to to try their new Hand-Held Spiralizer .  Hmmm... hand-held??  Not cluttered counter space?  And does the same job as one of those bulky spiralizer machines bringing glorious spiralized zucchini (and beets... would those be Boodles?  and carrots... Coodles?) with the twist of a hand?  If I didn't know better, I'd say OXO had read my mind.

Seriously only a few inches tall and with an equally small circumference (but perfectly sized for even large zucchini!), the OXO Hand-Held Spiralizer fits in my gadget drawer yet spiralizes like a workhorse.  Add to it the fact that the spiralizer is BPA-free AND dishwasher safe, and I think I just may have a new favorite gadget.

But would my family like spiralized foods as much as I do?  In a word... yes.  Well, except for the "Boodles" (beet noodles).  Apparently I am the only one with a taste for beets no matter the shape (I promise that recipe including beets, balsamic, goat cheese and sugared walnuts is coming for beet lovers like me!), so today we bring you a new family favorite... Zoodles with Avocado Basil Pesto and ripe summer tomatoes, a bowl of fabulousness bringing together many of our all time favorite ingredients (avocado anyone??  ;).

I'll admit it took a bit of convincing, but when a carb-loving kid hesitantly takes a bite of a dish filled with only vegetables, turns your directions and utters, "Glorious... simply glorious.", a mom can't help but smile.

Thanks also to OXO for making me smile and reading my mind to making my spiralizing dreams come true with the twist of a hand (and not clutter on my counter).  I see twirly carrots, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, beets etc,. etc., etc., in my future!

Mary's Favorite Summer Pasta Salad with Grilled Vegetables, Lemon and Basil

You think you are prepared for the phone call.  In fact you may have even hoped for it.  But when the phone rings unexpectedly and the caller identifies as the hospice nurse caring for your Mother-in-law your heart plummets with fear.  Then when she says, "The time is near..." you know you aren't as prepared as you had thought.

My husband's mother, Mary, took us on an amazing journey these past four years as she entered a continuing care home after a fall broke her pelvis.  Suffering through the break brought her advancing dementia to the surface, and psychosis soon followed.

Born in June of 1936, Mary grew up in New York and graduated from the University of Rochester with a degree in nursing.  There she met her husband and the two spent the next 60 years together as they married and had two sons.

Mary's Sunset - July 15, 2015

A woman with amazing strength, she suffered from bi-polar disease her entire life.  But it wasn't until these last few years that my husband learned how much it truly affected her.  Holding everything together as she raised her boys, the kids never knew how much Mom was suffering.  Her husband helped her through the rough times and she remained a strong presence while leading the kids into adulthood.

Age though, has a way of catching up to us, and Mary's disease evolved after her broken bones.  Dementia and psychosis are truly horrific and break the hearts of those watching a loved one live through it.  Witnessing a loved one live through fear, confusion, anger, and complete despair can be one of life's most difficult experiences.

But with love and compassion, we along with a team of nurses, caretakers, doctors and finally members of hospice, helped her as best we could through her journey.  And the strength shown by this woman amazed us all.  She fought through in the early days and had moments of clarity with her family.  The joy on her face as her son entered her room is a memory I will carry forever.

As she slipped further into the darkness her team told us it was time for hospice.  They gave her 6-12 weeks and we set to planning for the end.  However that was some 18 months ago!  Mary simply wasn't ready to end her days, and she kept us on our toes for the next year and a half.  Nurses have commented that the strength she carried was like nothing they've seen before.

While many of her days were very dark, she was surrounded by love and had moments of joy along the way.  We've enjoyed stories from some of the nurses relating that she loved Nacho Friday.  Apparently she let it be known that she preferred a massage before the Nachos, and arriving to dinner very relaxed she promptly asked for a beer to celebrate the nachos.  Becoming even more relaxed the nurses showed us a photo they had taken after she had had the massage, nachos and then the beer when she returned to her room in her wheelchair and asked for cucumbers to cover her eyes so she could complete her relaxation.

As difficult and scattered as Mary's life journey may have been, she left this world last Thursday amazingly peaceful.  Surrounded by loved ones, we spent four days after receiving that dreaded hospice nurse phone call at her side.  She had moments of awareness and my son had the opportunity to say goodbye and we could see in her eyes that she was there, if only for a few moments.  But then she slipped into a coma.

The nurses said they thought she could still hear us and we talked to her and chatted amongst ourselves with reminiscences and current life events.

Then on Thursday as most of her loved ones surrounded, her breathing began to slow.  We continued talking to her and telling her how hou much she was loved and her husband and my son held her tight as she took a final sigh.  The noise in her head that she had complained about her entire life finally ceased... and she was at peace.

Mary Elizabeth McGinn Kelly  June 23, 1936 - July 15, 2015

While I only knew Mary in the later years of her life, the incredible strength she carried with her didn't always follow when it came to food.  Someone with an incredible sweet tooth, she's been known to clear half a plate of cinnamon rolls without really realizing it and then laughing as she apologized for polishing off the treats!  But something I always made for her was this salad.

Filled with veggies and the tang of lemon, she said it was the fresh basil that set her tastebuds alive and asking for more.  And as such, I always doubled the recipe when I knew she was coming.

Rest easy sweet Mary.  This salad will always be served in your memory... the extra basil is for you.

Coconut Cauliflower Curry

In our everyday attempt to fill our meals with a rainbow of colors, the vegetable shade green unfortunately often finds itself left out.  As babies, the kids gobbled their green beans or peas in a jar, but once we moved to "real" food, green somehow lost its love.

Pure and white cauliflower though has always been a favorite, and everyone down to my two little Maltese pups never turns up a nose at this cruciferous offering.

Hence, a meal including cauliflower can usually be counted on to please everyone, and this Coconut Cauliflower Curry is no exception.  With fragrant spices and our beloved coconut milk, this bowl of comfort brings not only happiness but a healthy meal to the table that also reheats leftovers beautifully.

Featuring ginger in addition garam masala, coriander and cumin, a fragrant curry flavors the simmered vegetables and creates a sauce that seeps into a bowl of brown rice and has you sopping up every last drop.

Zucchini Banana Muffins - Dance Mom Approved!

Our girls lit up the stage!!!

Dance Photos: Kit Chow - San Diego Photographer & Dance Dad

I'm a Dance Mom. And I'm proud of it.  However, while Liv and I can't get enough of the Dance Mom show on tv, I'm happy to say that my reality is far different from their reality show.

Our two worlds do combine with closets overflowing with fancy costumes, rhinestones littering the kitchen floor and talented dancers whom we try to keep healthy and strong.  Not in our world though, are the backstabbing comments, ridiculing teachers, and moms who are above nothing to see their daughter get a better spot in the line up.  

Dance Moms meet Twitch!

I'm lucky to be surrounded by Dance Moms who have proven to be some of the most supportive friends a Mom could ask for.  We are the girls' personal planners for their weekend competitions, we dress them during quick changes, change hair styles and put together costumes.

And it was last week that brought costuming to a whole new level with:

 The Boots

Our own Miss Abbie decided that she wanted boots for her small group tap number.  Not just any boots, but colorful boots.  Neon colors, at that.  I'll spare you the creative details as we tried and failed and then tried again with different tools.  Lets just suffice to say that my husband didn't eat well last week, Liv Life didn't get updated and the house is still a bit messy.

Luckily, Miss Abbie liked them.  But like any good dance teacher, she knew we still had more in us and she asked for embellishments.  Several trips to multiple craft stores and even more hours later we had a finished product.

The transformation.... Paint on, paint off, new paint on, glitter on, embellishments on, laces on.  Taps... on.

My husband laughed at the long hours Liv and I put into these babies (more he grumbled at the lack of homemade dinners...), but Liv and I smiled when we finished and thought, "They look good".

Liv & The Boots rock the stage!

Packing our treasures ever so carefully, last Friday we hit the road for beautiful Upland, California for the team's first competition.  Lacing up our creations, the moms stood back and thought "I sure hope nothing falls off... but damn, those boots look good!"

And they did.  The girls nailed the number, garnering compliments back stage from other studios on the "cool tap boots" and cheers from the audience for their performance.

Apparently the judges liked the boots too.  Well, perhaps it was the performance, but I'm thinking they might have been blinded by the beauty of the boots while they awarded the girls not only a 1st Place overall but also named KixMix the top scoring number of the day.  Way to go girls!!

The boots rock.

Photo credit:  Kit Chow

And these muffins rock too.  Healthy, delicious and fuel providing for the girls, they didn't last long and I've even had requests to bring more for the next event.  Thanks to Savoring the Thyme for a wonderful recipe, I'm thinking these beauties will be traveling often with The Boots.

Ina's Orzo with Roasted Vegetables - My Grilled Veggie Version!

Growing up, vegetables were not really high on my list of favorite foods.  My mom would make dad stuffed bell peppers frequently and I would always turn up my nose with a resounding "EEEwwww!", sort of like my kids do now.  However, last year I stuffed my own Poblanos and loved it.  I've also been grilling zucchini and asparagus and I actually find myself craving arugula and spinach salads.  Ina's Orzo with Roasted Vegetables, which I tweaked using my own veggie favorites and turning to my trusty grill, became a favorite after the first try.

Filling the salad with grilled zucchini, onions, and asparagus has me even making extra veggies so that I can nibble as I put the salad together.  A few sprigs of basil from my garden, a zesty dressing with lemon and oil and a handful of crumbled feta complete the salad while my mouth waters in anticipation.

Serving the salad along with our grilled fillets yesterday, my Mother in Law literally skipped dessert in favor of two extra salad helpings!  If that isn't a testament to its wholesome goodness I'm not sure what is.

An ideal salad for spring and summer with versatility being key.  Out of zucchini?  How about eggplant instead?  Have a few roasted red peppers on hand?  Toss 'em in!  Cherry tomatoes make a nice addition when those little red fruits overload your summer garden and any sort of summer squash fits nicely with that lovely lemon dressing.

Chocolate Wave Zucchini Bread

Summer always equals Zucchini!  While it might not actually feel like summer here in Carlsbad (we are deep into our annual June Gloom...), I am already receiving zucchini from neighbors.  My husband and kids are not big zucchini fans and will only do the side of grilled zucchini a time or two before I start hearing about it.  As such, I'm always on the lookout for zucchini recipes that are friendly for my family and that don't actually look like squash is an ingredient.  This combo bread fits the bill and is a hit with family and friends.  It has been a favorite in our household since 2001 and no one even knows zucchini is in it.   That means no complaining for me! 

The bread is a nice combo of regular zucchini bread with a layer of rich chocolate down the middle enhanced with a few chocolate chips.  The original recipe, that I have long since lost the source for, calls for walnuts, but the bread is just as wonderful with out them if you have some picky bread eaters like I do!  When I am in the mood for a slightly lower calorie count I substitute 1/4 cup of yogurt for some of the oil, and frankly I enjoy the tang that the yogurt adds.  All in all, the recipe is fairly healthy and a good use of all that ever present zucchini.