Veggie Cream Cheese

     Oh boy! We made bagels again this weekend. In fact, we experimented with a new recipe we are trying to perfect. I'm sure it will make it's way here eventually. Today, though, I decided that if I were going to be eating bagels again, I'd make them "healthier".

     Of course this notion is comical. I still ate the bagel, that doesn't get any healthier (but it is worth every single calorie) and I still topped it with cream cheese. In my opinion a bagel can not reach it's full greatness without cream cheese. The cream cheese is where I decided to make my improvement. Veggie it would be!

     Veggie cream cheese is a great way to sneak some veggies into a place where they don't typically get to be. Naturally I prefer homemade. The pre-made veggie cream cheese tastes so artificial and processed. Not only does the cream cheese cease to taste like any sort of cream cheese, but none of the so-call vegetables actually resemble the vegetables they are alleged to be. I can't stand it. Really, how can a carrot be made to taste so funky and almost plastic?! Homemade is much less expensive too.

     I still buy the off-brand cream cheese. I will scoop out the desired amount and make only enough for that one sitting. I am the only one in the house usually who will eat it so I'll only make a couple of tablespoons at a time. Already this saves money, I don't have to waste a tub of pre-made because I don't eat it all, nor do I have to waste a bunch of veggies and cream cheese making a huge batch.

     I finely chopped (though you could use a grater instead) the small end of a peeled carrot, half a thin slice of red onion and large pinch of mixed spring greens. It really doesn't take much at all. After my ingredients were ready I added them to the bowl with my cream cheese and mixed it up.

     All done. Super simple, super cost effective and probably the best veggie cream cheese in the city (if I do say so myself). The best part is that I can vary my veggie cream cheese seasonally. When I have my summer garden in full swing I'll be able to make one with red and green peppers and onion, or chives and dill, or maybe even chili peppers and kale. The sky is the limit.

 

It was so delicious I let myself have two bagels (and an extra long workout)!

Simple City Sam

Get Dressed!

     If you have kids you know getting them dressed is a royal pain in the bum. If they are very small you have to thread their fragile bones through the straight jackets Carters tries to pass off as onesies. If they are toddlers you have to clothe a beast more slippery than a eel and more flexible than an Olympic gymnast. Once they hit the "young kid" stage you have to beg and plead for hours to get them to even put socks on and when they do, they'll complain about them. What's the deal?! Get dressed already and move on with your day! But alas, they do not. 

     After going insane trying to get my 2 and 4 year old dressed every morning I realized I needed a new strategy. They both are wildly independent (which is how we train them 'round here) and have opinions they don't mind voicing. However, they are still kids and don't actually want to accomplish anything requested of them. Dressing in the mornings used to be a battle where I would choose clothes and the girls would vehemently reject them. They would shout and cry and the sight of outfits I chose, refusing to put them on. Or they would emerge wearing bathing suits in November and I would be forced to go in and dress them myself in the 11th hour anyway. GAH!

     Finally I figured it out. I sat them down and talked it out with them. I explained that taking 20-30 minutes in the morning to dress was unrealistic and wasting valuable time. Time when they could be playing or doing other activities they like before dropping my oldest at school. I'm not sure that resonated though. I also explained that I did not particularly want to spend my time choosing clothes that weren't going to be worn. Still, they didn't seem to really mind. I even pointed out that it made them unhappy to wear clothes I chose for them. That they agreed to whole heartedly. My proposition was this: dress yourself.

     That's it. Dress yourself. There was no catch. If they got up, picked out their clothes and put them on- to the absolute best of their abilities-then they could wear whatever they chose (seasonally appropriate). If they didn't, I would choose their clothes and dressed them myself, like babies...dun, dun, duuuun! The first few days it didn't quite click. My oldest still protested getting dressed so I went in, chose an outfit and dressed her. My youngest still went straight for the bathing suits and dance costumes with no under garments, so again, I took over.

     On the 3rd day my oldest came from her room wearing peace sign multi colored leggings, a brown polka dot long sleeve, green Tinkerbell socks, and her fanciest purple sequins dress. She was upset because she couldn't zip the back and thought I'd make her take it off. Instead I zipped her up, told her I thought she did a great job, and that I am always there to help as long as she tried her hardest first. In that instant she got it. The look of understanding was profound and plastered all over her face.

     From that day forward I have had to lend minimal assistance to either of my girls when dressing. I help with zippers, shoe tying and dress reaching (if they ask with manners and have all other components on already). They have been able to express themselves through their clothes and are even helping each other out in the morning now.

     It has made my mornings infinitely easier. It has also allowed them to feel 100% confident and comfortable in dressing themselves. My job is only to make sure that they are appropriately dressed for the season and weather conditions. Otherwise it's all up to them.

May sparkly dresses and play construction goggles abound in your home too!

Simple City Sam

Potato Leek Soup

     There are few things in this world as satisfying as a warm, delicious bowl of homemade soup. There are so many kinds to make and experiment with. They are somewhat fool-proof, in that there's really no wrong way to make soup and no wrong ingredients to use. They can be made to fit any diet or health plan: vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, Paleo, you name it. Top it all off with the fact that they can be very inexpensive to make and it just makes me love them even more.

     Potato and leek soup is my 4 1/2 year-old's favorite soup, and one of her favorite meals. She gets a kick out of "drinking" it from a mug, so I let her. Hey, why not? When I asked everyone what my next recipe post should be she immediately jumped up and down and screamed, "POTATO LEEK SOUP!".

    

     So here you are, by request of my oldest.

Ingredients

(Will make 4-6 servings)

2 medium sized leeks

4-5 medium sized potatoes (roughly 2 1/2 lbs)

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups water

1 cup (or less) milk or cream

salt, pepper, desired seasoning

Step 1: Chop the tops off of the leeks. Slice the white stalks into long thin quarters, then chop the quarter stalks.

 Step 2: Place the chopped leeks into a bowl of cold water to rinse them.

TIP: Leeks are notoriously dirty throughout the entire vegetable. After soaking them briefly, remove them from the bowl with a pasta spoon, or small strainer. Do not pour them into a colander or pour the rinse water over the pieces. This would re-introduce all the dirt you just got off.

Step 3: Place the leeks into a hot saute pan with a little butter or oil (to keep from sticking), salt, pepper and any other spice you want to add to you soup. Saute the leeks for 20 minutes. They will be very soft and almost translucent when ready.

 

Step 4: Add your chicken stock to the pan. As you know I always make my own and it's a huge money saver.

TIP: If you add the stock to the pan frozen it will gradually thaw, which is ideal. Also it will allow the leeks even more time to break down further. The stock will take only about 10 minutes to thaw. This really simplifies everything. I never remember to pull the frozen stock out to thaw in time, and I'm often too impatient to let the leeks go as long as they should. This is a simple solution!

Step 5: Peel and chop your potatoes.

 

Step 6: Once the chicken stock has completely thawed, add the potatoes to the pan. Add up to 2 cups of water to ensure that all the potatoes are fully covered by liquid. Simmer on high until the potatoes are soft and easy to brake in the soup with a spoon.

Step 7: Turn the heat down to low and blend the soup. I recommend an immersion blender (I bought this one at T J Maxx for $15 and it's perfect) to save on dishes and keep it simple. If you don't have one, transfer the soup to a food processor or blender in small amounts and blend that way.

 

Step 8: Gradually add the milk or cream. Cream will make it richer and thicker, but also higher in fat. Milk will still make it smooth and creamy but be a little healthier at the same time. We almost always use milk. Add only enough milk to achieve your desired consistency. This may vary each time depending on the amount of stock and water used and your mood.

TIP: Anything that is being added as a consistency changer (thinner or thickener) should always be added as the very last step. Do not try to guess how much liquid will be needed to thin out a recipe until you see the finished product. It could be perfect. It could only need a dash, or maybe a whole cup. You will never have an accurate baseline to gauge off of if you try to thin or thicken before it is done. Let it show it's true colors before you go trying to change it.

Step 9: Let simmer on low for 5 minutes to fully incorporate any milk or cream added. Taste and add any seasoning necessary before serving.

  

     I bought a 10 lb bag of local potatoes for $5.49. Using roughly 2 1/2 lbs, I spent about $1.38 on potatoes. The 2 leeks cost $3.98 and the 1/2 cup of milk cost roughly $.25. The chicken stock, seasonings, and water are all pantry items I have on hand or were frugal byproducts, so they all cost me nothing. So for a total of $5.61 we made a hearty a delicious meal that pleased everyone. I even had enough left over for lunch the next day. In the fall this is even more economical because leeks are in season and less expensive.

Viola! Super easy and super simple.

Simple City Sam

Re-Group...& A Bonus

   

  Today I wanted to take just a few minutes to re-group with everyone. I have to say that I feel truly thankful to have all of you as followers. I consider you the "beginning crew" and I am humbled and honored. So I want to ask you all: What do you want to see from me?

     I've noticed that most of the comments come from food related blogs. I want to make sure I cover many avenues of simplifying life but also want to help where needed. Are there specific recipes or meals you'd like to see? Are there other aspects of domesticity or family city life you'd like covered?

     I of course have tons of ideas myself, and that may be the problem. I have almost too many ideas floating around in this noodle of mine. This spring/summer we will go into detail about my urban garden. While visiting my brother, sister-in-law, and new nephew I will be blogging a lot about homemade baby food and newborn (and new parent) tricks. I have some favorite meals, including a thrifty and delicious leek and potato soup coming up soon. And, it's almost time for me to make another batch of laundry detergent, so you can bet that will make it too!

     But that still leaves me wondering "what ails ya?". Leave me suggestions here or on the Simple City Sam  Facebook page. Either way I'll do my best to hit on all of them, no idea too big or too small. Also, please share this blog with your friends. The more followers we have, the better the resources, so let's see what everyone has to say!


     I don't want to leave you empty handed today so I'll leave you with this instead. This is my wildly talented and handsome hubby. This cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" is one of my most favorite things ever. This was a few years ago but he never seems to age. Love you HB! I hope you enjoy it!

Thanks for the help and support, as always!

Simple City Sam

From Wet Boots To Dry Boots

     If you live in Maine, like me, you've been out shoveling, or playing in the snow, or brushing off your car today. In any case your boots and feet are probably wet. If you got the lion's share of the outside duties, those boots may be soaked through entirely. Most of us put them near the heater, if available, but that only works from the outside really. The inside of the boots still tend to be damp and cold.

     Fear not! Here's another quick tip: Stuff your boots with paper. Use old newspaper, used wrapping paper, recycled fliers, anything. Crumple the pages up and stuff them all the way down into the toe of the boot, filling it with paper. Then place them near the available heater. The paper will absorb the moisture from the inside out, acting like a sponge. The heater will then be able to actually warm your boots instead of working to dry them.

     Trust me this works! I spent years doing archaeological field work which almost always left my boots soaked and muddy. This method was tested and proven fool proof. Each night I'd stuff my boots and let them sit overnight. The hotels rarely had heaters that were helpful with this cause but the paper was all that was needed!

May your feet be happier in the morning!

Simple City Sam

My Beloved Crown Of Thorns

     Today's post comes from a heavy heart. I have had to say good-bye to a 10 year long member of the family. I have had the most beautiful Crown Of Thorns plant for roughly the last decade. Though a plant, it has always brought me such comfort and joy. I truly love this plant and have cultivated it from a clipping. I wish I had an actual photo of it...healthy, anyway.

     Many people would plant this in a standing pot. Being that this will actually climb and vine though, I have always opted to hang it. In reality, this may not have been the best choice. Those that stand tend to have thicker, stronger branches I have come to find. But, it blossomed the most beautiful, delicate little yellow flowers every spring and summer and has always had vibrant green leaves.

     Until about 4 weeks ago...

     It was then that it took a rapid turn for the worse. Though I tried to trouble shoot and figure out what was going wrong, I couldn't. I literally watched it worsen daily. I even sought help from my extremely knowledgeable mother and grandmother (who've had green thumbs since before I was born) to no avail.

 

     The only thing left to do was to try to salvage whatever we could. I tried to remind myself that everything has a life cycle. And really, how poetic would it be for a Crown Of Thorns to be resurrected?! Poetic or not, it was what I needed. I was confident I could do it, after all I did raise it from a clipping the first time.

     We clipped about 8 small branches, everything left that had any green -life- left to it. We made sure only to keep the healthy parts of the stalk. We planted them, watered them and fed them. I then cut the entire plant at the base and planted the only remaining pieces of root to see if anything good could come from them. That will be a long shot, though.

     My once giant, twisting, thorned plant was now 8 wispy stalks in 6 pots. It was the next generation of my plant. I was sad  but a little hopeful too. It's been 3 days now and the stalks are doing pretty well. One of the smallest has already gone, but 4 others have already begun generating new growth. This is exciting!

                                    

     I hope to be able to cultivate these all into even stronger,  healthier plants than their parent ever was. I am up for the challenge. I can't help feeling too, like this is a tangible metaphor in some way. As I take on the new adventure that has become Simple City Sam I feel newly awoken in so many ways. I like to look at this as both of us having a rebirth of sorts and a beautiful new beginning to life. I find it truly fitting for this plant.

Onward and upward.

Simple City Sam

Beer Can Chicken

     Admittedly, beer can chicken isn't my genius idea. That doesn't make it any less genius. We started making beer can chicken years ago and it's become one of our favorite ways to prepare chicken. As with all our favorites, we've tried this in many of our own variations and perfected the best ones. Typically it is a summer meal for us. We will tent the chicken with foil and stick it on the grill. It didn't take us long to start making this dish in the winter, though. It is even easier to make in the oven and, for us at least, is a wonderful reminder of summer.

     First, make sure your chicken is ready to go. Again, we buy ours at the Farmer's Market so we need to remove the organs they left packaged for us and check for any stray feathers. Next, season your bird. We rubbed ours down with garlic, dried sage, salt, pepper, and olive oil.

     Tip: Separate the skin from the bird, without removing it entirely. Take your rubbing mixture in your hand and massage it into your bird under the skin. This will allow all the flavors you've chosen to really integrate into the bird while still allow the skin to get crispy and flavorful too. No longer with all the flavor be stuck on the skin alone.

     Now you're ready for the beer can. Have a big sip (or pour some off), you only need about 1/3 of a can. Add to the can the same spices with which you chose to season your bird. Our can had pieces of rubbed sage, chunks of garlic, salt and pepper. Lastly, sit your bird right on top of the can (all on a roasting pan). The whole thing should stand up nicely. 

 

     Roast it the way you normally would. This chicken was at 350 deg F for around 1 hour 45 min. The can essentially steams the bird from the inside. Again infusing the bird with the flavors you've chosen, this time from the inside out. The steaming also keeps the bird moist, more moist than any other preparation we've found. If you've got kids, don't worry, as with any alcohol, the actual alcohol is cooked off so it's safe for the whole family.

     We served ours with a beautiful spinach and feta salad and a side of couscous. Of course after it was all said and done we also picked the remaining meat for another meal and made a stock from the carcass. I mean really, would you have assumed anything else? Just look at what we accomplished in "Getting The Biggest Bang For Your Cluck". 

     Any beer, in any can will work. So grab a bird and grab a brew!

Simple City Sam