salad suppers

what's your go-to meal?  i think for us it's salad.

no matter the season, no matter the toddler meltdown, i can usually manage to throw a bunch of stuff in a bowl and toss it together with a simple vinaigrette. typically a squeezed lemon + good healthy drizzle of olive oil and s&p is standard, sometimes i toss in grated parm, chives, a little garlic, what have you, vigorously whisk to emulsify the dressing, then grab a big stainless steal bowl and layer greens, veggies {chopped fresh or steamed/sauteed & left over from the night before} toasted nuts, seeds, canned beans, quinoa, orzo, berries, crumbled cheeses, deli meats, even chopped pickles, *whatever i can find* and tada, dinner :) 

we've hardly met a combo we don't like.  plus it's a colorful way to get lots of variety in our diet and even emory (22 months) says yummy!  how good is arugula by the way.  growing some now and love the peppery kick. so thankful my family loves salads.

french bistro

sometimes i just need puff pastry in my tummy.  it's flaky buttery goodness calls out to me from our freezer.  plus, it makes the most insane 'frenchy sandwich' with on-hand ingredients {fun for lunch, to take as an appetizer, or as an easy dinner during the week} in just 25 mins, if you've let it defrost in the fridge ahead of time, of course.  eat it piping hot or even at room temp like many a french bistro might serve.  we do it with sauteed broccoli & fresh fruit.  i might be kidding myself that broccoli cancels out puff pastry. 

here's ina's famous recipe, which we've enjoyed lots of different ways including the above pictured version with cheddar jack, roasted turkey, spicy mustard & green onion from our garden.  a simple egg wash and grated parmesean + garlic salt on top, cut some slits in the top to let it vent while baking, and into the oven at 450 for 25 mins.... uh-mazing.

tasty toms

we love tomatoes in  our house. all year round. then again we tend to enjoy really anything with a twinge of acid {lemony vinaigrettes, citrus marinades, quick fresh salsas etc}, and you can't beat tomatoes for a pop of cheery color & flavor.

i dress them with a simple vinaigrette of lemon & olive oil or a dollop of dijon mustard, red wine vin + olive oil, salt & pepper and toss with feta and fresh herbs {basil, chives, parsley, thyme, whatever} as an easy everyday side.  tasty toms. yum.

*and don't forget, these little cancer-fighting powerhouses pack a punch of lycopene and other antioxident nutrients benefiting cardiovascular, bone & joint and overall health... read more about their benefits here.

snapshots

my sous chefs

life with 2 under 2 has been an adventure :) we still cook all the time & love hanging out in our kitchen, which has become an extension of the nursery with a playhut, em's toddler table for crafts & tea parties, grey's bouncy chair and french doors to the great outdoors...  emory is forever pulling out bowls, silverware, muffin tins for pretend baking... we just don't get around to posting food pics lately.  

so, in an effort to not lose track of this blog all together (since i tend to update this blog if i have any free time), i'm going to begin posting quick unedited iphone pics {maybe i'll add a fun instagram filter} to help me remember recipes, good ones & ones-in-need-of-tweaking. this is really more for me than anyone who might stumble upon merrymousse, but that's ok... as always, if you do happen to stop by, you're welcome to leave a comment or share your recipe tips, i'd love it :)  

*more to come... the little ones are waking up... pancakes & one-eyed sailors on this rainy saturday morning!  happy eating to you & yours!