What’s going on….

Hello! In case you all were wondering…”Where is lil’miss Wholesome gal??” Well if you didn’t get my Facebook update, I’ve been busy moving! Moving can really make your life even more chaotic  than it already is! Okay let’s be honest…….moving is the equivalent of  having to go to the dentist everyday, then once done getting a route canal, you had to pack up your Docs office and then load the boxes in your car. Yep, that sounds about right. I’ve added up the amount of times I’ve moved since I turned 18. Not even counting how many times I moved growing up as a kid – (around 11 times by the way). So I added it up – since I graduated high school, and counting this move now, I’ve moved……13 times!  And I’m only 30 years old. I guess technically I’m an American gypsy. Except I don’t wear a beaded skirt around my waist or a scarf around my head. I wear pearls and Tory Burch boots:)

Right after I move all my stuff into my new place I’m going straight to Israel for 3 weeks. Yay!!! I’m super excited about going, but it is right in the middle of us moving…timing was great on that one! haha.

So I’m not doing “daily”posts for a couple of months. I really don’t have a kitchen right now, nor do I have the brain capacity to think up good articles to write. I’m all about the packn’, getting settled, finding a new job, new clients, you know…the easy things in life :) But don’t fret! Don’t cry! I’m still going to be doing WEEKLY posts and when I’m off in Israel, I’ll still be doing posts. And they’ll be really interesting ones, I can’t wait!

My gluten-free diet may have to go out the window (depending on what happens!) once I get to Tel Aviv, Israel. If you only knew all the wonderful bakeries that will be surrounding me, you’d go crazy too!  A lot of the bread is made in old wood-fired ovens, HEAVEN!!  The aroma that fills the air every morning is such a delight. So hopefully I can indulge without the horrible reactions:) But if not, whatever, I’ll be on the beach with a Vodka Limonana soaking up the rays. So you know what,  I think I won’t mind missing the freshly wood-fired baked, soft, old-world style, wonderful, warm, cheese-stuffed, Za’atar spiced, olive  specked, sesame seed crusted, meat-filled, types of breads………..ok crap, yes I will.

 

fresh flat bread

 

za’ atar spiced bread

 

 

cheese bourekas, a popular choice for breakfast or a snack in Israel. Can be filled with cheese, meat, or vegetables.

cheese-bourekas

 

meat bourekas

meat bourekas

 

freshly made famous Druze pita bread, in the Druze Village high up on the slopes of Mount Carmel.

famous Druze pita bread.

 

sesame crusted bread

Jerusalem Souq 4 bread

 

I don’t know how this turned into a post about bread in Israel…but whatever! All I wanted to do was just tell all my beloved readers that I won’t be posting daily, but weekly cause I’m wicked busy moving, and that somehow turned into a bread fest!

Kelly

Moving=Limited Cooking

Slow Cooked Lemon + Garlic Chicken

Your right, this isn’t a picture of a meal….it’s my life right now:) I’ve been busy packing, organizing, getting rid of things, storing, reminiscing…. but mainly, packing up my apartment the last couple of days, and will be doing this for a couple more weeks. So when your place looks like that above, aka, CHAOS, then what you need is here below…..

…..a Crock Pot. This is your best friend until you move :D

slow cooker mealsGood ol’ Crock Pot. So underrated, so under-used, so misunderstood, so…….simply marvelous!!

The best things about using a Crock Pot is:

  1. You only use one pot.
  2. It’s SLOW COOKED…need I say more?
  3. When you get home from work the aroma of food hits you in the face as you walk in the door and no one is cooking in the kitchen except for Mr. Crocker!

 

Here’s my quick recipe for Slow Cooked Lemon + Garlic Chicken:)

 

  • All you need is your choice of chicken. (I used the thighs with the skin on).
  • Good Homemade or organic Chicken Stock. (Enough to cover the chicken once in the pot).
  • 2 Lemons. One thinly sliced and thrown in. One cut in half, juiced into pot then thrown in as well. **(You eat the thinly sliced lemons, they are marvelous! And throw out the lemon that is cut in half when it’s done cooking).
  • 4 heads of Garlic. That’s right! 4 heads, cloves peeled and thrown in whole. (Or buy already peeled garlic cloves).
  • salt + pepper to taste.

Crock Pot Lemon and Garlic Chicken(I used all my stock left over in my freezer as you can see. I used beef and chicken stock..don’t want to be packing all that away!)

 

**Don’t worry about the amount of garlic cloves. Because they are slow-cooked, they develop this fantastic mild garlic and sweet taste to them. It’s not overly garlicky at all!**

To peel a clove, you simply use the flat part of a chopping knife to slightly crush the clove (enough to crack the skin) and peel the skin off. That’s it!

peeled garlic cloves for slow cooker

 

Put everything in the pot on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with fresh Thyme or parsley on top on…what else? Paper plates!..because all of mine are all packed up!! Fine dining :D

slow cooked lemon chicken

Happy packing to me…..ugh :wink:

Kelly

 

Get Creative with your Pops

mint pops

MINT POPSICLE

Mmmmmm. Creamy, minty, refreshing.

I love Popsicles! Especially creamy ones….chocolatey creamy ones are even better! I’m not much of a fruity, sorbet kind of girl. The creamier the dessert, the better. You can put whatever you want in a Popsicle mold. I have a TON of mint growing on my balcony, and I love, love  mint! Making your own Popsicles is super easy and super healthy for you and your kids…well, depending on what you put in them! Plus it’s a fun little project to do with your kids in the kitchen. Buy a whole bunch of molds and see what kind of creative, crazy concoctions they can come up with!! Raspberries with Cheerios, Cinnamon Gram crackers, and Peanut Butter Popsicles….sure kids!!

For mine I used Greek plain yogurt, organic honey, lemon zest & juice, milk, and mint. I blended it up in my blender, poured into a mold, waited 2 hours and presto….creamy dessert for me!

 

mint from my balcony garden

mint

 

these are actually jello shot molds haha:)

What kind of pops are you going to make this summer?

Kelly

Father’s Day

The Best Father’s Day Dinner

Want to cook for your dad this year? As I always say, making something with your own two hands is always the best way to go! Even if it doesn’t turn out perfect:) I came up with the most delicious menu to cook up for your dad ever! Well, for my dad at least. So here’s a dinner plan that I know my dad would love and hopefully yours too! Continue reading