Spinach Rice Casserole

 So far, this is a favorite!  It makes a ton so I was able to eat it for lunch all week, it has lots of good stuff in it. I am not a huge fan of spinach however I chopped it up so finely, and there is so much other good stuff in it, that the flavor was not overpowering. This is going into my vegetarian hall of fame!

 This recipe called for a lot of ingredients. I am trying to cut back on my dairy so I used almond milk and subbed half the cheese for dairy free "cheese".  I also used brown rice as always.  The eggs and "milk" are listed as optional. Unless you want to make this a vegan dish, I would go ahead and add them. It makes for a  more moist dish. I also used a lot more sunflower seeds than the recipe called for. This was a great move. It added some crunchiness and additional texture to the casserole.

 2 lbs of spinach sounded like a lot. I bought two bags and each bag was 9oz so I used a lot less than it called for. I do think that 2lbs might be a bit much but I may try it next time since spinach is such a great source of iron.

 Elijah was a great helper in the kitchen as always. :)  He loves being worn when I am moving around....not so much a fan when I am sitting still....like now....I am in front on the computer wearing him and he is not thrilled.

This was a great recipe and my in laws and neighbor came over for dinner the night I served this. Everyone enjoyed it and had seconds!

Curried Butternut Squash and Mushroom Soup

 The Squash Soup called for Butternut Squash. I did not take into account that Acorn Squash is not available in Houston the heat of the summer....so I substituted yellow squash. I think the soup would have been a bit better if the correct squash had been used. Still it was not too bad.

 I used my Ninja for the blending. I LOVE my Ninja! It is perfect when you need to get soups really smooth. I think yellow squash has a higher water content than Butternut squash so the consistency was thinner than I would have liked.

 As usual, I added more of each spice than the recipe called for. I always think this is necessary. Also, the Moosewood recipes tend to be a little flat so I added some additional salt to taste....to too much. Just enough. Chip and I both thought that the orange juice in the recipe was a little overpowering. This could be due to the substitution of squash. I am looking forward to making this again and using butternut squash.

Orange Cake

 The last Girl Vs. Moose blog entry for me was in August, right before I found out I was pregnant! It is no coincidence. I took a hiatus from housework, including cooking due to the high risk status of my first trimester and the insistence of my husband. Well I am back....with a helper! 

 Our son, Elijah will be continuing my cooking journey with me. First, as a passenger in his baby carrier, and later, hopefully he will be my little helper in the kitchen. At least, that is my vision. Now, back to business!

I made Orange Cake from the Moosewood Cookbook! I made a number of substitutions to try to make this recipe healthier and it worked like a charm. Even my toughest food critic, my husband, LOVED it and had a second guilt-free slice!  I used Splenda in place of sugar. I also replaced 2/3 of the butter with applesauce. This produced a low fat and MOIST cake.  The recipe recommended a bake time of 40-50 minutes. I baked it for 50 and this produced a really nice, sweet outer layer.

 I also made 50% more glaze than the recipe called for. The glaze was orange juice, sugar (Splenda) and lemon juice. I recommend using the larger amount because I think this helped make the cake that much more moist!  I did get slightly concerned when I was "fluffing" the butter/applesauce and Splenda because it looked like it was not mixing well, but it turned out beautifully!!! Also, I did not sift the flour....basically because I don't have a sifter....but it did not seem to make a difference. I HIGHLY recommend this recipe!~