March 2018 Recap

Wooo! March wrapping up makes me think spring must be coming. Right? I’m pretty over the snow and I’m itching for local produce. Our chives are peeping through so let’s go! My birthday month was fun, and delicious. I redeemed a free birthday sundae just in time even though it hardly felt like ice cream weather! I’m excited for a quick Easter trip to Maine. Stay tuned for a post I prepped for your Easter leftover uses…you might need it!

My fav this month was this sausage burger with peppers and mustard. The pretzel bun makes it.
The Three Bite Rule - Sausage Pretzel Burger
I made a 15 minute, 5 ingredient flatbread with pesto and roasted tomatoes.
The Three Bite Rule - Pesto Flatbread
Everything Bagel seasoning is sold in stores…or maybe just Trader Joe’s, but I make my own. I sprinkled it onto over easy eggs. Day. Made.
The Three Bite Rule - Everything Bagel Seasoning

The Little One:

He’s seeming so big! Sometimes listening the first time isn’t happening, but we’re working on it. He’s still eating pretty much anything. He loved a take on these Peanut Noodles with Purple Cabbage & Edamame. Gnocchi has been a hit. We’re loving a few minutes to play outside when we get home. I’ve been totally on the dinner-prep-in-advance game so we can get out just for a few minutes. We have done a lot of play-doh and magna-tiles this month and boots crunching in the snow is his fav. We all built a snowman together during the last big storm and check on the melting process regularly. He got to spend a sleepover into a snow-day at the grandparents’ house so that was pretty exciting. We got a new kitchen table and chairs so we swapped him out of the high chair and into a booster on a real chair. Life in the crib is going strong 😉

This year’s goals: 

Year of the candle: This Salted Grapefruit one is so amazing!  I saved another birthday one for April. Stay tuned! 
Cook more appetizers/snacks: 
I whipped up just a few French Onion Deviled Eggs. Yum! 
Taking time to blog thoughtfully:
this speedy Pesto Flatbread was a chance to take-over the train table for some natural light.
Journal the cute moments of my little one: I realized jotting them into my phone was handier and getting them into the cute journal later is the way to go. He was adorably mystified when we lost power for a half hour. 
What I’m reading: 
 Ordinary Grace was so-so, and I’m onto my next. 
What I’m watching: 
American Crime Story Gianni Versace was fascinating, though the timeline was confusing. Project Runway All-stars is wrapping up soon and I’ve loved this bunch of designers.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

I’m not hosting Easter so I figured I’d bring a little dessert and these cookies could not be easier. Seriously, I’m no baker so the cheat is cake mix. I made the same with red velvet mix that are always such a hit and I was thinking this would be a fun variation. Since I don’t bake often, I like that the dough is always the same instead of my butter temperature vastly impacting the texture like in some doughs!

The Three Bite Rule - Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Lemon Crinkle Cookies (makes ~24 cookies)

Ingredients:

1 box lemon cake mix
2 tablespoons of flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla (or lemon) extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees.
Mix the cake mix, flour, eggs, oil, and extract with a stand or hand mixer until well combined.
The Three Bite Rule - Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Take heaping tablespoons of dough and roll into balls then roll in the powdered sugar.
The Three Bite Rule - Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Place onto a baking sheet ~2 inches apart.
Bake 9 minutes and let sit 1 minute out of oven, then cool on a cooling rack.
The Three Bite Rule - Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Enjoy!

I love how soft and lightly flavored these are! The lemon flavor would really be amped up with lemon extract (I used vanilla) and lemon zest but I took the seriously easy route. Also a box makes ~24 cookies so it is just 2 pans into the oven. I set 2 timers and didn’t leave anything to chance.

The Three Bite Rule - Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Pesto Flatbread in 15 minutes

I don’t know if there’s a legit definition or distinction between what constitutes a pizza versus a flatbread. To me, I use flatbread means fewer toppings, it might not have a sauce, or is on a puffy dough/crust. This flatbread has only a few ingredients and is on naan to be the crust. It also comes together in no time at all, but that’s just a bonus. Get ready, this recipe even will track the time for you!
The Three Bite Rule - Pesto Flatbread

Ingredients:
~1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
2 naan
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
3 tablespoons pesto

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400-degrees.
First 5 minutes: roast the tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper in the oven for 5 minutes. They should burst and be juicy.
The Three Bite Rule - Pesto Flatbread
Pop the naan into the oven for a few minutes too…maybe 3 minutes to warm through and begin to toast.
Take the naan out and spread with tomato sauce onto them, then top with shredded mozzarella and dollops of pesto.
Add the tomatoes on top. (you’re at about 7 minutes in at this point…we’re timing here!)
The Three Bite Rule - Pesto Flatbread
Return to the oven for 5-7 minutes to melt the cheese, warm the pesto, and ensure the naan has crisped a bit….this brings you to ~14/15 minutes!
The Three Bite Rule - Pesto Flatbread
Serve and enjoy!

I didn’t count your oven preheating time, but depending how crunchy you want the naan to be, or not to be, then there you have it, 15 minutes! Mine took longer for a few photo ops, and I’ll pop it into the toaster oven for lunch-time reheating, but it was a fantastic reminder how just a few ingredients can make really great food. I whipped 2 of these up to pack for lunch for work but I’d definitely eat them for dinner or as an app for a party!
The Three Bite Rule - Pesto Flatbread

If it isn’t snowing where you are (#overit) “roast” the tomatoes on the grill in a cast iron pan and grill these flatbreads! I had some jarred pesto, but I love this roasted kale pesto I’ve made before if you want to use that! Another alternative is to spread pesto all over instead of tomato sauce and just have tomatoes be the topping!

Everything Bagel Seasoning

I looooove everything bagels and am so glad Everything Bagel Seasoning is having a moment. I make it myself so I can have some for a few servings, or make a bunch to have around. It is so easy and customizable – go heavier on the flavors you like best! I use it on eggs, rice, toast, and anything breakfast! Just the other day I made a breakfast sandwich on an croissant with eggs, cheese, tomato, and sprinkled some everything bagel seasoning. SO good.

The Three Bite Rule - Everything Bagel Seasoning

Everything Bagel Seasoning

Ingredients (for ~2 tablespoons of seasoning):

1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
1 teaspoon dried fennel seeds (optional)
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Add everything into a small dry skillet over medium-low heat.
The Three Bite Rule - Everything Bagel Seasoning
Cook for 2-4 minutes, stirring regularly to ensure nothing burns.
Let cool and enjoy!

I like a mostly even ratio for the poppy/sesame/onion/fennel and half ratio for the salt/pepper/garlic powder. The toasty flavor is 100% necessary. The crunch it adds is also unparalleled.

Everything Bagel Seasoning is so breakfast, but is an ideal combo for anything. I’d totally top popcorn with it too! The dried minced onion & sesame seeds are what I keep an eye on in the pan to ensure nothing burns.

The Three Bite Rule - Everything Bagel Seasoning
This seasoning MADE this breakfast-inspired risotto and it took avocado toast with a poached egg to a whole other level.

Packing Lunch

I had a really awesome perk of lunch provided at my last job so I’ve re-entered the lunch packing world in this new role. Plus, the little one eats more and more for lunch now so here’s a round up of our favs. My lunches always seem to be some-assembly-required. I need more ideas. What am I missing?

For me:
leftovers- especially my beloved rice bowls that are sometimes paired down when in lunch form.
sausage_arugula_bowl_dress_590_390

Mexican-ish lunches- rice, corn, salsa, half an avocado, quesadillas are always things I look forward to mid-day. Trader Joe’s tamales & 60-second grain packs make easy-to-pack lunches.

I’ve stashed these soups as a handy back up and then pack up hummus & crackers, a biscuit, etc.

Quiche is pretty handy for a few days worth. I haven’t made one in a while, but need to!
The Three Bite Rule - Mushroom & Sun Dried Tomato Quiche

Discovering a toaster oven in another office kitchenette was game changing for a quesadilla, panini, individual pizza etc. The key is foil since who knows what others have warmed up!

For the three-year-old:
We found these Bento-ish boxes on Amazon that have made packing lunch easier. He eats it all cold so it all gets packed together. We were surprised & impressed by the quality.

He often has leftovers of a few things…quite similar to his dinner plate.
Bahn Mi Bowl - The Three Bite Rule
Sandwiches of salami/turkey or cream cheese & jelly or pita with hummus or a quesadilla. Or a bunch of things maybe some leftovers, some beans, with a cheese stick or yogurt put into a pouch

Plus a veg like tomato/carrots/tomato/edamame/broccoli and fruit like apples/strawberries/blueberries/clementines etc.

He can’t have peanut butter so that is his lunch of choice on the weekends at home. Wednesday is Pizza Day at daycare and is a wonderful mid-week break from packing up.

Mr. J is on his own for lunch but has his own pizza-day from his fav food truck.

What are go-to lunches for you or for a little one?