Peanut Butter Cookies: All the Yum minus Flour and Sugar

Life as a Mom is hectic. With Kid 1 in Middle School and Kid 2 in Elementary, we have to do daily pick-ups and drop-offs at two different schools. This also means two different sets of school programs, meetings, and projects. And, you have to factor in all the extracurricular after-school activities -- swim classes, archery, scouts etc. There is a short amount of time (about an hour) between the last school pick-up and first activity drop-off. Frazzling? Yes! Needless to say, both Mommy and the kids need a treat.

For a while, we found ourselves at our favorite local eateries almost every other day -- donuts from Donutopia, boba tea from Lotus Cafe. While this helped my popularity as a mom, it definitely didn't help my waistline. So I started looking for snack ideas that were quick, easy, healthy and passed the family's taste test.

One of the best answers I found are peanut butter cookies! Made without flour and sugar, the cookies are high in protein and full of that wonderful nutty peanut butter flavor.

When #Letslunch, the online foodie group that meets once a month for a virtual potluck, suggested 3-ingredient recipes as the April theme, I was ecstatic. Not only did I have the perfect share, but I'd find new simple recipes to add to my kitchen.

Without further ado, here's the Peanut Butter Cookie recipe:

1 cup creamy peanut butter (you could use the chunky if you wanted)
3/4 cup Splenda or Stevia (OR if you're not worried about sugar, go for brown sugar)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Garnish: dark semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking tray with foil (for easy clean up).
2. Mix the peanut butter, sweetener, egg and the vanilla extract (if using) in a bowl until all ingredients are well melded.
3. Scoop out a tablespoon of the dough and plop it on the prepared tray.
4. Using a fork, roll the scooped dough into a ball, flatten it to create the crisscross pattern.

5. Bake for 9 minutes.
6. If using chocolate chips, press them into the warm cookies gently.
7. Let cool a bit, then enjoy...of course, with a glass of cold milk!

I hope you like them as much as we did! Now here are some of the other 3-ingredient #LetsLunch recipes:

Roasted Asparagus with Truffle Oil by Glass of Fancy
Turkish Sesame Sweets by Monday Morning Cooking Club
Filipino Sticky Rice Logs by Asian in America
Mac'n'Cheese & Peanut Butter Cookies by Tea and Scones
3-Ingredient Thin Mints by Free Range Cookies (Our hostess for April)
Easier Chicken and Dumplings by A Cook and Her Books
Trinidad Mango Chow by Spicebox Travels
Gluten Free Almond Cookies by The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook

Curried Roasted Veggies For An All American #SundaySupper

My husband and I have a Cowboy & Indian (the sub-continental kind) marriage. I often joke that I traveled halfway across the world to marry my Texan. While that's very adventurous and romantic, it does get a bit dicey making sure our mixed-heritage family learns and appreciates both our cultures. Our kids need to appreciate mixing together curry spices and making sausage, their heritage of cotton farming and adventurous immigration. Our two worlds come together most often at the family table.

Summer in Texas mean firing up the grill every chance we get. My darling husband in the grill master, and I'm happy to put him to work. Here's a picture of a recent #SundaySupper grill out:

To balance the meal out, I added in Curried Roasted Veggies. Right now we have a wonderful abundance of produce at our local Farmers' Market and there's nothing easier than throwing together a variety of vegetables with some oil and spices and roasting them. I could have threaded the marinated veggies on skewers and grilled them to make smoky vegetable kababs, but since I didn't want to compete for grill space, I opted for the oven.

Also, slow roasting brings out the depth and sweetness of the vegetables. Here's what the finished dish looked like:

Once everything was served my husband took one look at the table and declared it an All-American Meal.

Thanks for joining my family at our table and sharing a typical mix-n-match meal with us. This is my first #SundaySupper post, an initiative started by Isabel at Family Foodie. Her mission is to bring back Sunday Supper around the family table in every home. Every Sunday on a twitter a group of bloggers share Sunday Supper recipes, tips and stories.

Renee from Magnolia Days is hosting the theme for this week, which is Celebrating Family Heritage.

Curried Roasted Veggies

1 large red onion, cut into eighths

3 large red potatoes, cut into large cubes,

2 red bell peppers & 2 green bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch thick strips

16-oz package of baby carrots

4 large yellow squash cut into chunks

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes

2 cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup olive oil or ghee (clarified butter)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon turmeric

3 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon sugar

a handful of dried cranberries

Garnish:

A handful of cilantro, chopped

A small bunch of mint, slivered

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, toss together all the ingredients.

3. Lay the vegetables out in a large roasting pan, preferably in a single layer.

4. Roast for 30 minutes, stir and then roast for another 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

5. Once done, let cool for 10 minutes. Top with mixed herbs and toss together.

Serves 12

Q & A with Lisa Fain and giveaway of The Homesick Texan Cookbook

Homesickness is a such a powerful yearning of the soul that it can connect two strangers across a great distance. Even if the strangers had never met. Even if one lived in Texas and the other in New York City. Even if they were each pining for homes left behind in different parts of the world.

I found the Homesick Texan blog when Lisa wrote these words: "When I first moved to New York City and discovered that the Tex-Mex was seriously lacking in this town, I embraced Indian food. Now, if you’re not familiar with Indian cuisine that may seem bizarre. But Indian cuisine is rich with ingredients familiar to Texans, such as cumin, chiles and cilantro." You can find the rest of the post here.

Her words mirrored my experience. When I first moved to the U.S. and Texas, when I found myself missing Bangladesh and my mother's curries, sitting around the family table for meals full of flavors and smells I'd grown up with...I sought out Tex-Mex food.

Over time, I grew to appreciate Tex-Mex food for itself (you couldn't find avocados or guacamole anywhere in Bangladesh, but I absolutely love both!), enjoyed other Texas fare and learned to make curries and other desi foods myself. But I still continue to keep up with the Homesick Texan. And when she published her cookbook, I was overjoyed.

It's more than just a cookbook, it's the words and recipes of a sister traveller. To celebrate her debut release, one lucky person will win a copy of her cookbook. All you have to do is leave a comment about what food takes you home. A randomly drawn winner will be announced Wednesday, September 21.

Here's a Q & A with Lisa. Enjoy!

1) Who inspired you to cook?

Everyone in my family enjoys cooking, and some of my earliest memories are standing in the kitchen with my mom, my dad or my grandparents, watching them prepare dishes. Sometimes they’d even let me help if I wasn’t too busy licking the bowl.

2) What inspired you to write a cookbook?

Writing books has always been a dream of mine, and when enough people suggested that I write a cookbook, it seemed like a natural progression from the work I’d done on the blog.

It’s funny, I started the blog simply to share recipes and photos with friends and family, and never in my wildest dreams did I believe I’d end up writing a book. It’s been a joyful journey!

3) How have you changed since you started blogging?

The blog showed me that there are homesick Texans all over the world—so I felt less alone with my obsession. It’s also revealed to me the power of home cooking as a means of connecting with those that you love.

4) Who is this cookbook meant for?

This cookbook is meant for everyone. Seriously, Texan cuisine is warm and welcoming and I say everyone’s invited to the Texas table!

5)When you miss Texas, what is the one food or flavor that can always comfort you?

A big bowl of homemade Houston-style green sauce.

(Photo Credit goes to Jan Cobb)

To know more about Lisa, check out her Homesick Texan blog. Remember, leave a comment and a way to get in touch with you, and you might win a most drool-worthy book! :)

Of Picnics & Expotitions

"Oh! Piglet," said Pooh excitedly, "we're going on a Expotition, all of us, with things to eat. To discover something." -- Winnie the Pooh

My son adores Winnie-The-Pooh. In fact, his constant companion is this soft, well-loved Pooh that's got his stuffing totally redistributed and flattened. We've tried to tempt him with newer, shinier versions. His answer is to clutch that old Pooh tighter. As it should be.

The first time my son called me "Mom" was when I baked him a Pooh cake for his second birthday. Actually, what he called me was: "Mommy Cake Maker." Made me feel like the best mom on earth that day. :)

We, as a family, are partial to picnics and explorations Pooh-Style. As long as the weather is favorable, we're ready for an impromptu picnic. The only must-have at a picnic: Fun.

So this Mother's Day, why not go on a family picnic? My column in this week's Standard-Times shares 10 Tips for a Successful Picnic.

An early Happy Mother's Day to all the moms who happen to read this!

A dying fridge, Signs from the Universe & Meatless Monday

My this week's Family Table column is a reflection about surviving a minor crisis and surviving it well. The breakdown of the refrigerator helped me put panic in its place, move my family toward a healthier life, and to Meatless Monday.

Better outcomes than I expected at the beginning of the experience. Life's funny like that.

If you read the post, leave me a note and share what you think.

My Thanks: winner announcement, agent interview

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break. Mine was absolutely great. We traveled to Houston to be with my side of the family, so instead of turkey and dressing we had chicken biryani (a rice and chicken dish flavored with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, mace). Hey, we kept to the fowl-theme and the food was delish and the blessings were many.

Some of the highlights of my 2010 Thanksgiving weekend:

1. Waking up early and sneaking off to a neighborhood playground early Thanksgiving morning with the cowboy and the kids. We collected leaves along the way and talked about what we were thankful for. We swung on swings, slid down the slides and listened to happy giggles.

2. Spending time in the kitchen with my mother and sister, learning family recipes and stories. Watching the family try the end results. The verdict was uber kind: "It's even better because your hands touched it."

3. Finally telling people that I signed with an agent. For some strange reason, I needed to relish the news privately and accept it was real before I could share it. Here's an interview with my agent Nalini Akolekar.

4. Launching the blog and then checking back at every opportunity on the comments section. Unfortunately, my internet connection was spotty and that limited my visits. However, I'm absolutely amazed by the response. Thank you all so much for your kind words, great suggestions and follows. I will be adding a few more things to the blog: recipes, blog schedule etc.

5. Meeting up with a writing buddy I hadn't seen in ages, catching up face-to-face, talking writing. Visits with writer pals always refresh and inspire me.

6. Realizing what a great support system I have, made up of family, friends, and writing groups. I love you all!

Okay, enough of the sentimental stuff. Are you ready for the book giveaway winner? Drumroll please. The lucky person who won a copy of Monica Bhide's Modern Spice is...Deborah Blake. Congratulations! I'll be e-mailing you for details.

Thanks for reading y'all!