Daily Blue Plate Special

My Girl Paula! Hummingbird Cake

2009-08-04T09:44:00.005-04:00

This week's selection for My Girl Paula! was her Hummingbird Cake. Wow, what a great choice!! I made this cake for my Mother-in-law's birthday cake and everyone loved it!! Of course, our three-year-old thought it was HIS birthday! LOL!! He thinks every birthday is HIS birthday! :)

Anyway, I made the cake on Saturday. It came together very easily and didn't even need the mixer!! You do use mashed bananas in the cake, so here's a tip if bought your bananas and they haven't ripened just yet: Put them in a brown paper bag with an apple for 24 hours. The gases from the apple will ripen the bananas. Pretty cool, huh? The only small addition I made was to add 1/4 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia with the vanilla. After my cake cooled I wraped it in plastic wrap and refrigerated it until the next day. Sunday I made up the icing, which is a basic (but very good!!) cream cheese/powered sugar icing. The last time I made a three tier cake I decided I would only ice the insides and top, since it was hard to ice all three tiers and seemed like a lot of icing. I'm glad I did it this way, because the cake is so moist and flavorful, you really only need a little icing. I set the cake in the refrigerator for the day until the birthday party began. Everyone loved this cake. The recipe says it feeds 18, but I don't think so!! We ate over half of it and the rest went to my husband's office the next day. We offered it to my MIL, but part of her gift was a strawberry-rhubarb pie, so she thought she had enough sweets. Our verdict is this cake is a keeper and we really like it - even better than carrot cake!! If you'd like to see the recipe, click here.

***Tomorrow's Post (hopefully!!): Baking Gals Cookies for my Soldier***

Italian Penne Pasta Salad

2009-07-31T09:46:00.005-04:00

Oh my, this last week seems like a whirlwind!! We are getting ready for my Mother-in-laws birthday party this weekend (you'd think I was inviting the queen the way I'm acting. Oh, wait - I AM inviting the queen!! LOL!!), I've got the last push of my decluttering/organizing going, housecleaning I didn't do during swim team championships, and sadly, we had an unexpected death last week. A close friend of my husband's and business associated was killed last Sunday in a motorcycle accident. His children were friends with my children and they had gone to baseball games together. Our entire family was devastated. So with all this, I just haven't been my same "bloggy" self - sorry about that!!

I did make the My Girl Paula! Basil Chicken, but my heart wasn't in it and I don't think mine turned out very good. It got an "alright" from the family, but they were pretty down too, so maybe that was more the issue. After looking around at all the photos (major yum!!) of everyone's chicken, I think I'll have to give it another try. Not like that recipe is very "diet" friendly, though!! ;)

So, at my last post I said I would share my Italian Penne Pasta Salad. This one is Tried N True!! It is a favorite of my husband and his entire office staff. I've been known to make it for them when they are on a deadline and have to eat lunch in (heave forbid!!). I suppose the highest compliment is when they say it's good enough to sell in a fancy restaurant! I personally think it's better than restaurant food!!

I made this last Wednesday for my son's swim team awards banquet. You know the drill - People with last names ending in A-K bring a side dish. People with last names ending in L-Z bring a dessert. Seriously, I've been a side dish person my whole life!! I might just get daring and switch ranks one day on a whim!! LOL! I love bringing this dish because it makes a ton (which has never stopped us from eating it all), and it always gets requests for a recipe. Even last Thursday I got an e-mail from the coach's wife asking for the recipe (how cool is that!?!). I like to make it with my favorite chicken marinade if I remember to start a day or two ahead. In this case I was pressed for time, so I used my second favorite marinade and it turned out fantastic. This recipe comes from the Marzetti Salad Dressing website. Marzetti's is headquarted here in Columbus, so it's a popular brand at the grocery. If you are unable to get the same brand, look for a creamy Asiago dressing.

Italian Penne Pasta Salad

1 bottle Marzetti Asiago Peppercorn Salad Dressing

1 lb penne pasta, cooked, cooled

1 1/2 lb grilled chicken breasts

8 oz Feta cheese, crumbled

16 oz Kalamata olives, pitted and halved (or sliced)

1 t oregano or Italian seasoning

6 sundried tomatoes, packed in oil - rinsed and chopped

2 medium roasted sweet red peppers from a jar, sliced thin

Begin with 1 cup of salad dressing, and combine with all the rest of the ingredients. Stir to coat. If pasta salad seems too dry, add more salad dressing. Serve and enjoy!!

***Tomorrow's Post: Dried Fruit Scones***

Paula Deen's Broccoli Salad

2009-07-23T08:34:00.003-04:00

This is the first year I've had a vegetable garden, and it's been quite a challange for me. As you read my posts over the next several weeks, you'll come to understand just how ignorant I am about vegetables! Here's an example: I had no idea that broccoli produced flowers. If I had harvested my broccoli on time, I should still be as ignorant!! LOL!! I guess it makes sense, "broccoli flowerets" - flowerets has the word "flower" in it (am I making any sense??). Well anyway, I went out one morning to check my garden and there they were!! Honest, they weren't there the day before!! I quickly cut out my two heads of broccoli and brought them inside.

One thing I discovered is that the broccoli heads didn't get as big as the ones at the grocery store. I'd say they were about 1/2 the normal grocery store size. I didn't fertilize at all this year, so that could have been the reason. So now I had two heads of broccoli and needed to do something with them. I started looking at some recipes online and found a good one for Paula Deen's Broccoli Salad. It was a warm day, and I didn't feel like standing at the stove, so this was a good alternative. And we were grilling out that night, so this would be a nice side dish. After rinsing and trimming off the flowers, here is what my cut up broccoli looked like:

As you can see, it is just slightly yellow and some of the flowerets are not quite as compact (meaning, they were kind of spindly). This means I took too long to cut the head. I was probably off by about a day or two. Oh well, live and learn! Paula's recipe called for 6 - 8 slices crumbled cooked bacon, but I substituted Hormel's real bacon bits. Also, her recipe had cubed cheddar, and I substituted blue cheese, and added sliced sundried tomatoes for the cherry tomatoes (this was on the fly, so I used what I had on hand!) After putting that all together, here is what the dry part of the salad looked like:

For the dressing, you combine mayonnaise, white vinegar and sugar:Combine the dressing and the broccoli, and "WaLa!" - Broccoli Salad!! :)

This was an excellent side dish to a grilled dinner - a little sweet and sour. The homegrown broccoli was excellent - not as tough as grocery store broccoli and a little more flavorful. So for not knowing how to grow broccoli, and realizing last minute I needed a broccoli recipe, this was excellent and a keeper. Everyone in my family loved it and we had some leftover for the next evening! Here is the recipe with my modifications to the side. Hope you enjoy!!

Paula Deen's Brocccoli Salad

(with my adaptations for items on hand!!)

1 head broccoli

6 - slices cooked bacon, crumbled (I used 1/2 package Hormel Bacon Bits)

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup raisins, optional (I used golden raisins for their sweetness)

8 oz sharp Cheddar, cut into very small chunks (I used a handful or two of crumbled blue cheese)

1 cup mayonnaise

2 T white vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes (I used 1/2 cup thinly sliced oil packed sundried tomatoes, drained and rinsed)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Trim off the large leaves from the broccoli stem. Remove the tough stalk at the end and wash broccoli head thoroughly. Cut the head into flowerets and the stem into bite-size pieces (I only used the flowerets). Place in a large bowl. Add the crumbled bacon, onion, raisins if using, and cheese. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, stirring well. Add to broccoli mixture and toss gently. Serve and enjoy! (That last line was my comment!!)

***Tomorrow's Post: Italian Penne Pasta Salad***

Shopping Spree

2009-07-22T07:36:00.007-04:00

My mom use to go on shopping sprees for shoes. I remember her telling me, if my foot can fit in the shoe, then I just had to have it! LOL!! Well, I'm not quite that bad, but I do have a "thing" for spices. I don't have a "spice rack", I have a "spice cabinet" - yep 8 slide out drawers devoted to just spices!! I guess it's somehow genetic - oh well!

So last weekend I found myself with about an hour of free time - what to do? No kids, no laundry, no emergencies - I was basically helpless for a few minutes! But then it came to me: Penzey's Spices!! I beelined over to their store and for the next 45 minutes I roamed around studying all the unusual herbs and spices in those pretty little glass containers - I was beside myself!!

One of my favorite things to do is find an unusual spice, then begin "googling" it to find recipes. You'd be surprised what you can find and the tangents it will lead you on. Granted, this is only done when I have time (LOL!!), am bored (ha! never a dull moment around here!), or just plain lazy and don't want to do housework (you're best bet!!). Here are a few quirky spices I'm looking forward to working with in the next few months:

This was one of my more unusual finds. The back of the bottle says to simmer 1/4 cup of seeds in 1/2 cup corn oil or shortening for ten minutes, filter out seeds, then store oil in a clean jar. Gives a natural yellow color and flavoring to rice, seafood, fried chicken, fish, stews and casseroles. Here's another one that is a little different. The bottle reads, "Use for grilling or braising pork, beef and rabbit. Also for making poultry stews with wine, meat pies, and pork sausages. Add to white sauces, cream soups, and egg dishes." Well, I doubt I'll be fixing up any rabbit soon, but I did like something different to add to cream based soups and egg dishes, which I make a lot.

Exactly why do I think I need two types of paprika? Good question! I like the Smoked Spanish Paprika for grilling whole split chickens (I'll try to get to that post sometime soon!), and the traditional Hungarian Sweet Paprika for any dishes calling for "paprika". The sweet paprika doesn't have as much "bite" to it and gives a more subtle taste. I know many people haven't heard of Fleur de Sel, which translates from the French to "Flower of the Salt". It is a specialty salt mined by hand during a short period of time each year off the French Coast. Sometimes you can get it in different colors (pinks, sometimes a shade of blue - very rare), but mostly the white, which really has a tinge of gray. It is a wonderful salt to add at the very end of cooking, just before serving. This is not a salt to add to your cooking, since it doesn't hold up very well. One recipe I have that uses Fleur de Sel is a Christmas carmels recipe that is very good. Once August comes around, and we start thinking "back to school", I get a good hankering for bratwurst. No, I don't make my own, like this seasoning suggests. While you can make your own with this, I like to use it to make a broth to boil my bratwurst in first. Bratwurst seasoning and some fennel seeds, simmering in a pot of apple cider, make a great broth for the traditional bratwurst. Simmer about 20 minutes, then drain and grill your bratwurst. They plump up and have a delicious flavor!

Yep, pizza seasoning and pasta sprinkle - is there really a difference? Well, I think so. The pizza seasoning is a little stronger and is best sprinkled on an actual pizza, just before baking. The pasta sprinkle will be used to make my spaghetti/pizza sauces. After doing some research, I've discovered the best way to make these sauces is to first cook down my ripe tomatoes into almost a paste and freeze. When I want to make a spaghetti/pizza sauce, I'll use some of the cooked down tomatoes with this sprinkle and add ground beef, sausage, etc. I think I'll be using a lot of sprinkle this winter!! Here are some dried Ancho Chili Peppers. For several years now I've wanted to enter a local chili cook off, but just haven't been able to. Well, this is going to be my year - and these chilies are going to be my secret weapon! I'm going to dress my boys up in ponchos, sombreros and give them some morocco's to dance around my table - I'm a "shoe-in"!! LOL!! I know, dehydrated red and green bell pepper flakes don't seem unusual, but this photo doesn't do them justice. These are simply stunning!! Add a little water and it's magic - you've got wonderful red and green bell peppers, already diced up, to add to meatloaves, stews, you name it. They are even good in salads, just not as crunchy. My husband doesn't like green peppers, but he likes these. I think it's because the flavor is more intense and not as watery. In addition, I got some specialty salts, taco mixes, and some rib rubs. Basically, if it was a spice, I bought it! LOL!! I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree in my family!! ;)

***Tomorrows Post: Paula Deen's Broccoli Salad and a post about my home grown broccoli!***

My Girl Paula! - Gorilla Bread

2009-07-19T11:12:00.006-04:00

Well, if you're watching your weight, this recipe isn't for you!! Cream cheese, sugar, brown sugar and butter - oh my! It is very rich and ends up making quite a bit.

Basically, this was pretty easy to put together. You just press out the biscuits, add a piece of cream cheese and some cinnamon sugar, fold up and place in a greased Bundt pan. When finished, mine looked like this:

After baking for 30 minutes I removed it from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes. Place a plate on top of the Bundt pan and flip. To my surprise (and relief!) it popped right out! I was afraid the brown sugar and butter mixture would have made it stick. It formed a pretty "wreath" shape that I just put in the middle of the table and let every take what they wanted.

I was a little worried at first that the "undersides" of the biscuits didn't bake all the way. They sort of looked "doughy". But after trying one, we realized the cream cheese just kept them soft and they were completely baked.

My one son, who is ADHD and craves sugar, couldn't get enough of these. We finally had to cut him off and make sure he ate some bacon and eggs! Everyone else had 1-2 pieces and seemed very satisfied. The problem is there is a lot left over, which I ended up throwing away since it just won't keep and I'm getting a little tired of feeding all my neighbors!! ;) If you'd like a copy of the recipe, then click here.

So, my verdict: This is a good recipe if you are feeding a lot of people. Perhaps in a potluck or a school/church brunch. I have a mini Bundt cake pan, and I'd like to convert it over to that to try to keep the portions under control. While I liked it a lot, I'd have to say I'll probably stick to my original Monkey Bread recipe for my waist (and thighs!) sake!!

***Note: I'll be taking the next several days off due to my son's swim team championships - see you Thursday!!**

For All You Harry Potter Fans - Butterbeer!

2009-07-18T07:53:00.004-04:00

To honor the first weekend of the new Harry Potter movie - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - I thought I would share a summertime version of Butterbeer. If you've never heard of Butterbeer, chances are you're not really a Harry Potter fan. Butterbeer is a fictional drink that has appeared in all the Harry Potter movies. It is usually served in the village of Hogsmead to both the wizards and house elves. While it "warms" the wizards, the house elves have been know to get quite inebriated!! This recipe is a cool, summertime Butterbeer, with no alcohol, if you want a more adult friendly version, try butterscotch snaps!!

Summertime Butterbeer

This recipe is per individual serving.

8 oz ginger ale or cream soda (we like cream soda)

2-3 T butterscotch syrup

Mix in a tall glass and serve over ice.

If you are in the mood for a hot and frothy Butterbeer, give this one a try.

Hot, Frothy Butterbeer

2 1/2 cups of milk

2 T brown sugar

1 t vanilla

1 teaspoon butter

Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the rest of the ingredient. Blend with a small hand mixer to make it frothy. Bring the mixture to almost boiling. Pour into mugs and serve.

If you are considering a Harry Potter themed party anytime in the near future, head on over to Madam Rosmerta's site. She has recipes for melon brains, chocolate covered frogs, and mini dino eggs!! Enjoy!!

***Tomorrow's Post: My Girl Paula! Gorilla Bread***

Marinated Grilled Chicken Dinner Salad

2009-07-17T07:04:00.005-04:00

This is my new Weber charcoal grill - I just love it!! We had a charcoal grill when we first got married, but decided to get a gas grill about five years ago. A friend of ours owned a patio and hearth shop, and talked us into a very expensive gas grill. We both hated the thing. After doing some research, and watching a lot of Food Network shows, we decided to go back to the Weber. It seems the old kettle design just can't be beat!! If you're in the market for a good charcoal grill, I give the Weber Performance 5 stars!!

This recipe, for marinated grilled chicken, is pretty "tried-n-true" in our home. I probably make it a couple of times a month in various forms - kabobs, summer salad, with rice and vegetables - you name it. There's no real recipe, more just a method. So, Step #1: The Marinade: I love this marinade. I have several that I like that I make myself, but this one is awesome to just "have on hand" to whip together. It's McCormick's Grill Mates Baja Citrus. McCormick's makes other blends, but this one, in my opinion, it the best. Recently my grocery store ran a "10 for $10" special on the Grill Mates marinades - so lets just say I have enough to see me through Christmas!! LOL!! The chicken doesn't have to marinate all that long - maybe 30 minutes - which is a big help if you're running late. Just follow the basic directions on the back of the label, which is to mix the marinade with 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 2 Tablespoons water and 2 Tablespoons plain vinegar. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Place in the refrigerator about 30 minutes, as you begin to prep the other parts of the meal. If I'm going to make kabobs, I usually cube the chicken before I marinate it, so all the sides get coated. Step #2 - Grill Chicken Here's a picture of the chicken breast almost finished. Just grill as you normally would chicken breasts. For the Weber, that means grilling over indirect heat, maybe about 20 minutes total. I like to make sure the breast reaches an internal temperature of about 177 degrees. 180 degrees is considered done, but the breast will continue to cook after you take it off the grill a little.

Once you take the breast off the grill, allow it to cool for about 5 minutes to seal in the juices. In this recipe I sliced the breasts and added to a basic dinner salad. I like a Ranch dressing with crumbled blue cheese, but I'm sure this chicken would be equally as good with an Italian dressing too. My kids ate the chicken sliced and dipped in (yuck!) ketchup!! LOL!! Hope you enjoy!!

***Tomorrow's Post: Celebrating Harry Potter With Some Kid Friendly Butterbeer***

Barbecue Cups - Here's One For the Kids!

2009-07-16T08:26:00.004-04:00

My husband is off in Canada fishing this week. I'm happy because Canada doesn't let you bring back the fish you catch (they're kind of touchy about their fish, I guess!). But that means I won't have a whole week next week fixing fish! I guess that's what you call a "Win-Win"!!

So, this week my meals have been a little easier and "kid friendly". Of course, my three-year-old will only eat chicken nuggets, hot dogs, and yogurt - not much planning there! But for my older two I'm trying to make some of their childhood favorite recipes. One of those is barbecue cups. I found this in a cookbook years ago, and mysteriously the cookbook is now gone. I highly suspect my husband is slowly selling my cookbooks on E-bay to support my cookbook purchasing fetish! LOL!!

This recipe is very simple, and similar to sloppy joes, only in a biscuit. I had a hard time finding 10-count biscuits this week, so I used the Grands 8-count and divided them in half. I think they turned out just fine. They are very good served with Tater Tots or French Fries.

Barbecue Cups

1 roll of 10 refrigerator biscuits

1 lb hamburger

1/4 c brown sugar

2 t mustard

3/4 - 1 c barbecue sauce

1/2 c chopped onion, if desired

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 c shredded Cheddar cheese

Grease muffin tins and heat oven to 25 degrees. Brown hamburger and drain off excess grease. Add all other ingredients to taste except the cheese. Add 1 biscuit in each tin and spread out to form a cup. Divide meat mixture into each cup. Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. As soon as taking them out sprinkle cheese on each cup. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

***Tomorrow's Post: Marinated Grilled Chicken Dinner Salad***

What To Do With 12 Egg Whites

2009-07-15T06:37:00.007-04:00

So, here I sit with 12 egg whites after making buttermilk ice cream - it presents a dilemma! After a little "googling", I discovered an article on gourmetsleuth.com that has tips for using egg whites. It's pretty interesting - everything from angel food cakes to pear souffle. Egg whites can easily be frozen, either individually in ice cube trays, or in mass in a freezer bag. Just defrost in the refrigerator, and you are ready to go. One interesting fact that I did not know was that if you want the best volume for whipped eggs, you should use small eggs. Smaller eggs have less water content and the white is more concentrated. Also, when whipping egg whites, make sure everything is spotlessly clean and the egg whites are at room temperature. I finally opted for an angel food cake from pccusine.com. The original recipe was for an angel food cake with strawberries, but I decided on a plain angel food cake. It wasn't nearly as difficult as I imagined it would be. Just make sure when you are folding in the egg whites, you do it quickly and with as few strokes as possible. The more you "fold", the flatter (and denser) the angel food cake will be. You do need an angel food cake pan (a tube pan with a removal bottom). I prefer Chicago Metallic pans for baking - this one works perfectly and released the angel food cake without any problems. When cutting your angel food cake, use a serrated knife to keep the cake from flattening.

Angel Food Cake

(from pccusine.com - thanks!!)

1 c minus 2 T all purpose flour

1 1/2 c confectioner's sugar

12 egg whites (1 1/2 c), room temperature

1/4 t salt

1 1/2 t cream of tartar

1 c granulated sugar

1 1/2 t vanilla

1/2 t almond extract

Sift together the flour and confectioner's sugar and set aside.

Whip the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar together until foamy. Add the granulated sugar 2 tablespoons at a time. Continue whipping the egg white mixture until stiff peeks form and it gets glossy. Fold in the vanilla and almond extracts.

Sprinkle 1/4 c at a time of the sifted dry ingredients into the egg white mixture. Fold in just until it disappears. A large, shallow bowl works well for folding the dry ingredients in. Turn the batter out into an ungreased angel food cake pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes - until the top springs back to the touch. If your angel food cake pan doesn't have cooling feet, invert the tube pan onto the neck of a bottle to let cool. Cool completely in the pan before removing and serving.

Enjoy!

***Tomorrow's Post: Barbeque Cups - One For the Kids!!***

Buttermilk Ice Cream - Celebrating National Ice Cream Month

2009-07-14T06:59:00.009-04:00

I don't think I'd be shocking any of you when I tell you that July in National Ice Cream Month. Who would have thought it - 90 degree temperatures and they'd pick this month? LOL! In 1984 President Regan declared July National Ice Cream Month, and the third Sunday in July National Ice Cream Day. With all President Regan had to worry about in 1984 (the economy, Soviet missiles, tearing down the Berlin Wall), it's amazing the man had time for this!! That was one President with his priorities straight!! :)

Well, in celebration I've decided to make ice cream periodically during the month. Not too long ago I got an attachment for my KitchenAid stand mixer that allows me to make ice cream. It's a simple little gizmo with an insulated bowl I put in the freezer overnight. I was initially concerned the ice cream would be soft, but after a couple of tries I was surprised at the consistency - every bit of what I'd expect at the fancy ice cream shops!! I'd like to say at half the price, but ice cream really isn't that cheap to make. Cream, and all the good stuff you want to add to it, help to keep the price up there. But the positives of homemade ice cream - the fun of making it and the incredible taste you can't get anywhere else - make it worth every penny! Here's a recipe for Buttermilk Ice Cream I picked up over at SmittenKitchen. It's similar to a French vanilla, but with a "tang" at the end due to the buttermilk. It's a keeper in our home!!

Buttermilk Ice Cream

(recipe from SmittenKitchen - thank you!!)

2 cups heavy cream

1 1/4 c sugar

12 large egg yolks

2 c buttermilk

2 t vanilla

pinch of salt

In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the heavy cream and one cup of sugar and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar.

Remove the cream mixture from the heat and drizzle a small amount into the yolks, slowly, and whisking constantly to keep the eggs from curdling. Do this a few more times to warm up the yolks before pouring the yolk mixture back into the cream, whisking constantly.

Cook over low heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain the mixture and whisk in the buttermilk, vanilla, and salt. Cool completely and freeze according to ice cream maker's directions. **I cooled mine overnight in the refrigerator. You want it good and cold going into the ice cream maker.

**Tomorrow's Post: What to do with 12 egg whites???**

My Girl, Paula! - Taco Soup

2009-07-13T11:10:00.004-04:00

Awesome Mom! Yep, that's what my kids said last night when I made them Paula Deen's Taco Soup from My Girl, Paula's weekly cooking group. This was a very easy soup to put together in my crock pot. Hamburger was on sale last week, so that was another big plus. I began the soup early in the day, and let is cook on low all day long. The aroma was wonderful - mouthwatering!!

This does make ALOT of soup. Paula's cookbook says 12-16 servings, and I'd say every bit of 16 servings if not more. It looks like a lot of ingredients, but really it isn't that much - mostly canned beans and tomatoes. You don't add any chicken broth, water or individual spices. The soup gets all of it's flavor from the taco season pack and the Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix. By accident, I bought the Hidden Valley dip mix, and it still tasted great (I'm not sure there is that much difference!!). I did skip the green olives, since they were fairly expensive at our grocery and in a large jar - I don't know any other need I'd have for them. Overall, the soup is similar to chili, but more "soup" like - not as thick and not "hot" like chili - just very flavorful. It is a great soup any time of year, but extra nice since it can be made in the crock pot during the hot summer months.

I plan on freezing the leftovers in quart size freezing containers for quick lunches and fast dinners. That's a BIG plus with me!! Here is a link to the recipe should you want to try it (I highly recommend it!!). I put a few Frito Corn Chips in the bottom of the bowl, and some shredded cheddar and a dollop of sour cream on top and served it with cornbread on the side. It was a hearty meal for the little cavemen!!

Baking GALS - My July Contribution

2009-07-09T08:19:00.006-04:00

This month I joined Baking GALS (GALS = Give A Little Support) and baked cookies for two service people overseas. How it works is you log into their website, and during certain times of the month they have "teams" set up that you can join that support a certain serviceman/woman that is stationed overseas. The first group I joined is called "Team Capecrusaders". It's a mother-daughter team that is supporting a very young military policeman named John Odom out of the Nashville, TN area. Here's a photo of John (isn't he a cutie?) The funny part (well, sort of funny), is I have no idea if he is in Iraq or Afghanistan! I got the address to send him the goodies, but it's like written in code!! Something in one of the lines said "Palace", so I guess that eventually gets the box to him!! LOL!! I picked John because in the write up he said he would just like to know that they haven't been forgotten about. That just broke my heart!! Here's this 21 year old young man that has set aside his life to defend our country - how on Earth could anyone forget that!! Needless to say, I had to bake up some extra good cookies for him!! :) Originally I was only going to do one box since this was my first time, but I later stumbled on a post from Team East to West Bakers. This team was supporting Lt. Sarah Barbo who is originally from North Royalton, Ohio. I'm from Ohio, and our adoption agency we used for our two older sons is in North Royalton. I guess with my logic, that practically makes us family!! Sarah is the leader of a medical platoon in Iraq, and asked that we write because many never get any mail. Wow, that just amazed me. I mean, if you had a loved one overseas, wouldn't you write to them? Well, I had to sign up for Sarah's group too!! Remember, I've never done this before!! LOL!! The sign ups were from June 17th - 20th (but I think they let you sign up late if you just found out about the group), and you are expected to bake and ship sometime between July 1st and 17th. Around the 1st you get the mailing address for the service personnel you have signed up for. With the 4th of July holiday, I decided to bake on Monday/Tuesday for my groups. On Monday I went to the post office and picked up my boxes. I got two large flat rate shipping boxes. Because I'm mailing to military, the shipping is slightly reduced to $11.95 per box. I'm allowed to cram it full up to 20 lbs. I also saw on the post office website that I can get these same boxes sent to my home for free. I chose the "Support our Troops" boxes, set of 10. They will arrive in a few days, but will be good for future rounds. I also saw a post that if I called this toll free number the post office will send me the boxes, labels, packing material and tape for free because I'm shipping to military. That's darn nice of them!! :) I haven't called the number yet, so I can't verify. I also went to the grocery and picked up some "extras" that I thought they would like, based on my "little-bit" of research. By no means is this required, but I figured if my cookies crumbled, they'd have something other than a note about my family!! LOL!! So I got some gum, individual servings of Crystal Lite ice tea and lemonade, Mento, Tic-Taks, and some Easy-Mac macaroni and cheese. On Tuesday I began baking. These boxes are not all that big (like 12" x 12" I think and about 6" deep), so I had to get this packed in tight. I made Amish sugar cookies and peanut butter cookies. I wanted to make chocolate chip too, but honestly, I just got tired out. I know, what a wimp!! But I was also watching the Michael Jackson memorial, and I kept crying, and I think that wore me out too!! I decided to use my Food Saver and shrink wrap the cookies. I was able to get a dozen cookies in a bag, separated by some paper towel with thin apple slices tucked in for freshness (I sure hope they don't think I'm sending dried fruit too!! LOL!!). My kids took one look and said it looked like astronaut food! I'll forgo looks for (hopefully) freshness. I packed everything in, with crumpled up newspaper all around, and wrapped it all up in red-white-and-blue tissue paper. How creative is that? ;) Really, though, the hard part was the letter. It's hard to send a letter to someone you don't know. I told them about my kids (I'm always talking about my kids, so that comes naturally), and of course I thanked them for their service and told them I'd keep them in our prayers. I also attached a photo of my kids (just so they didn't think I was making it up!). I did give my e-mail, so we're hoping they might be able to e-mail us sometime after they get their package. I'm sure my kids would think that is really, really cool! It's always good to get a few "cool" points from your kids when you can!! So the final step was shipping. I managed to fill out the customs form, based on the help from the Baking GALS website, and off to the post office. Now most people are afraid of public speaking, the dentist, you know - the normal things in life. Not me. I'm mortified of the people that stand behind the counter at the post office. If I'm going to get yelled at, that's probably the spot. I remember one time getting a "next day" envelope to send a check that HAD to be there next day. In my world "next day" means just that NEXT DAY. Just to be sure, I asked the clerk only to be told there are no guarantees. For what I was paying, why not? Well, they do their best, but if they can't get it next day, they can't. Gee - then why don't you call it "maybe next day - maybe not". She wasn't amused and after a "heated" discussion we all decided it was better if I used Fed Ex!! So, here I go again. I stand in line for what seems like an awfully long time. One woman is working behind the counter (why do they only have just one person working behind the counter and not more? Where's the stimulus money??). She's giving some poor man an ear-full over filling out a "hold" card so he can go on vacation. Seems the poor fellow forgot a pen, and she's not about to loan him hers. I step over and give him my pen (he looks eternally grateful) and the clerk glares at me. Probably the wrong thing to do. By the time I make it to the counter my palms are sweating and I'm getting the customs forms clammy! She goes through the monotone questions "any-flammable-perishable-killeragent-substances"? Like I'd say yes to that! Duh! She looks at the label and groans. "Oh, no, military, I hate shipping these". Yep, you heard her right, that's exactly what she says!! Can you believe it? She studies the customs form like she's memorizing the numbers for the winning lottery. No joke. I feel my knees going weak, but I try to keep a brave face and my mouth shut. She finally starts typing something into the computer very slowly. She's muttering about having to get this just right, or the package won't get there. Uh..isn't that true of all packages? I keep that thought to myself. She finally gets to the part about "description". I had written "homemade cookies and toiletries", but wasn't specific about how many of each. She wanted exact numbers. Ok, 7 Crystal Lite ice tea packages, 5 packs of gum, 3 rolls of Mentos......on and on we go. Really. I can feel the people in line behind me burning a hole in my back with their glares! We're finally done and it's time to pay. She is gives me a three minute lecture on how my credit card has to have my name only on it, signed on the back by only me and not my husband too and something else (I tuned her out, but I swear she wanted my blood type!). I managed to pass and (Thank God!) the credit card was approved and I was out!! As I was walking away I turned back to watch her throw my boxes across the sorting area and into a large cart. I'm sure glad I sent the gum and Crystal Lite too!! Here's the recipe for my Amish Sugar Cookies. They are a crispy cookie, due to the oil, but are very flavorful. My kids and next-door neighbor ate up the extras in one night and proclaimed them "great"!!

Amish Sugar Cookies

From Recipezaar.com

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup cooking oil

2 eggs

4 1/2 cups flour

1 t cream of tartar

1 t vanilla

1 t baking soda

Mix granulated sugar, powdered sugar, butter, and cooking oil together.

Add eggs, mix again.

Add flour, cream of tartar, vanilla, and baking soda. Mix together.

Drop small balls of dough on cookie sheet.

Pour a small amount of granulated sugar in a bowl.

Dip bottom of a cup in the small bowl of sugar.

Then slightly flatten dough with the bottom of cup.

Bake in 375 degree oven about 10-12 minutes (I found 9 minutes to be the best for me).

Makes 36 cookies.

You Want Pies With That? - Simple Peach Pie

2009-07-06T12:21:00.008-04:00

This seems to be the week for baking challenges for me! Five weeks in July, and they all seem to hit this week!! LOL! Well, that's OK. Here is my entry for this month's You Want Pies With That? pie baking challenge. The theme this month was "What pie reminds you of summer". Well, for me, it's 100% peach. I love really good ripe peaches. I'm talking the kind that is so juicy it runs down your chin while your eating it. I love a good ripe peach that tastes like "captured sunshine". So for me, it had to be a peach pie.

The other thing that was important to me is that it wasn't "muddled up" with something else. I didn't want a peach-blueberry pie, or a mixed fruit pie with peaches in it. Summer to me is all about "simple" and "kick-back-relax". So I wanted a simple peach pie that tasted like summer sunshine! Hey, I'm easy - right? LOL!! We are not quite into peach season here in the Midwest, so I had to rely on my local grocery store. All I could find was white California peaches. I bought them a few days early and let them "ripen" in a brown paper bag. They were just fine this morning when I began the pie.

Well, it's not that easy to find a simple peach pie recipe. Everyone wanted to complicate it - from Ina Garten to even (gasp!) Paula Deen. After some searching and playing around, I found a nice simple recipe from Recipezaar that I only changed ever-so-slightly by adding a little almond extract. So here's my recipe - hope you take the time to enjoy the simple pleasures of summer!!

Simple Peach Pie

(modified from a Recipezaar recipe)

pastry for a double-crust 9" pie (I use the recipe from Hillbilly Housewife)

1 T apricot preserves

5 cups fresh peaches, sliced

1 cup sugar

1/3-1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4-1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t almond extract

2 T butter

2 T sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Stir together flour, 1 cup sugar, and cinnamon and set aside.

Wash, peel, and slice fresh peaches.

Mix together peaches with almond extract and combine with dry ingredients.

Brush apricot preserves onto pastry-lined pie plate. This will help keep the pastry from getting soggy.

Turn peach mixture pastry-lined pie plate and dot with butter.

Cover with top crust, cut slits in it, seal the edges.

Sprinkle top with 2 T sugar

Cover the edges with foil to prevent over browning; remove foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.

Bake 35 - 45 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through the slits in the crust.

Let cool then serve with vanilla ice cream.

WEDNESDAY MORNING UPDATE ON MY PEACH PIE:

Well, I've never "updated" a blog entry, but this one was needed. I was over on the You Want Pies With That? blog and looked at some of the recent entries for "Summertime Pies". I was shocked!! They are all so beautiful!! My "humble pie" was embarrassing!! People came up with pies based on favorite summer foods, one had a watermelon ice cream pie - one had a pie that was adorable, but I couldn't even pronounce the name!! They are incredible and the bakers are very talented. If you get a chance, hop over there and take a look at some of their entries. You'll really be inspired! So here I am with "simple peach pie" -YIKES!! I almost e-mailed the organizer to withdraw my pie. How could I possibly be so stupid? (well, don't ask my 12-year-old son that question - he thinks everything I do is stupid!!).

But before I withdrew my pie, I decided to have a bite. I know what you're thinking: "You haven't even tried the pie yet??" Nope. Hubby got home a little late last night after buying a boat (that's a whole other post), and after eating dinner everyone was too tired and too full to try my pie. My poor simple peach pie. So here I sit at 8:00 A.M. cutting into my pie. And let me tell you.......

That is the BEST PIE I have ever eaten in my whole life!! The peaches were "just right", the pie wasn't a bit running, and I could "taste" the sunshine!! I felt like I was sitting in a little diner in a small town eating some awesome pie. And the crust - WOW - the crust was perfect. Here's an updated picture for you. If you can get your hands on 5-6 really good peaches this summer then MAKE THIS PIE. You won't be sorry!!

So maybe my pie is simple and lacks creativity, but I'm not withdrawing. I probably won't win, but I sure hope someone takes a look at this easy-as-pie recipe and gives it a try. You sure won't be sorry!!

And one last note. I realized after reading some of the other blog entries that I neglected to mention the blogs of the creators of this month's pie challenge. By no means was this meant as a slight - just my complete lack of blogging social graces!! So without further adieu, I would like to thank Rebecca of Ezra Pound Cake and Mary of Alpineberry for coming up with this month's "Summertime Pie" theme (and check out their adorable pies! True talent!!)

My Girl Paula - Fruit Bowl

2009-07-05T21:53:00.005-04:00

Wow, has it been (almost) a whole week since I've posted??? Yikes! All I can say is that the holiday weekend and our swim team schedule really played a number on me!

Ok, I was all set on making this recipe for My Girl Paula's entry this week for the 4th of July, but I was vetoed. The "boys" wanted watermelon. I decided to make it tonight with our dinner. I fixed it up early in the day so it could sit in the refrigerator. So what did I think.....hmm..interesting. I think it's really, really sweet - Tang, lemon pudding, pineapple juice. That's a really sweet combination. The color is a little too "nuclear" for me too. I'm not sure you can really see it in the photo, but the "syrup" it makes is very orange and thick. My three year old loved it, though!! Fruit cocktail that is as sweet as candy!! My older sons and husband had a couple of bites and said it was "alright". That's not too bad, considering if they really don't like something they'll tell me!

So, what's up for this week? It's another busy week. Hubby is getting ready to leave on a big fishing trip to Canada at the end of the week. My one son has a swim meet again on Wednesday evening, and I've got to get my cookies baked to send out for Operation Baking Gals and my pie for You Want Pies With That? I'm tired just thinking about it all!! I'll post more this week as I get things baked! Enjoy!!

4th of July Menu

2009-06-29T14:16:00.006-04:00

This year we'll be celebrating the 4th of July at my in-laws home about 40 miles away. But before we get to and grill out - we have to go to a Spider Man Pancake Breakfast!! Yep, our local science museum, known around here as "COSI", is hosting a 4th of July Breakfast with Spiderman. How cool is that for a three year old? (Not very cool for my 12 and 14 year olds - but I enjoy watching them squirm!!). Anyway, here is a list, with recipes or links to recipes, for what I will be serving this holiday weekend.

4th of July Menu

Homemade Lemonade (recipe follows)

White and Blue Chips with (Red) Salsa (my favorite store bought)

South Street Tortilla Roll-Ups with Salsa and Guacamole (recipes follow)

Hamburgers and Hot Dogs (supplied by my in-laws)

Four Bean Salad (Costco - sorry - I really like their brand!)

Paula Deen's Fruit Bowl (recipe follows)

Barbecue Macaroni Salad (recipe follows)

Jazzed Up Baked Beans (recipe link)

Potato-Egg Salad (recipe link)

Barefoot Contessa's Flag Cake (recipe link)

Sorry I don't have a photo of my lemonade, but I'm sure you know what it looks like!! :) I love fresh lemonade, but I only make this a couple of times a summer. The price of lemons is just way too high. This is a slight modification of a recipe I got from Allrecipes.com a few summers ago.

Homemade Lemonade

1 3/4 cups white sugar

8 cups water

1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice

cherries with stems still attached

ice cube tray

In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil ans stir to dissolve sugar. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refigerate until chilled.

Meanwhile, rinse cherries, keeping stems still attached. Place one cherry in each compartment of an ice cube tray. Fill about 1/2 - 3/4 full with water and partially freeze. Cherries will "float" to the top. When frozen, add a little more water to cover cherries, leaving stems sticking out.

Remove seeds from lemon juice, but leave pulp. In a pitcher, stir together chilled syrup, lemon juice and remaining 7 cups water.

When serving, fill glass with regular ice cubes, but add one "cherry" ice cube at the top. Fill with lemonade and serve.

South Street Tortilla Roll - Ups

I like to make these for special occasions, like birthday parties and get-togethers. They are very simple to make, but taste fantastic!! Make sure you "pat dry" your chopped tomatoes so the roll-ups don't get soggy. Also, it's best to make these either early in the day or the day before, wrap in plastic and refrigerate. The cream cheese is much easier to cut.

8 oz pkg cream cheese

1 lg. onion, chopped

8 oz sour cream

1 1 /4 oz pkg. taco seasoning

8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

4 1/2 oz can chopped green chillies, well drained (and "patted" dry)

2 tomatoes, chopped and drained (and "patted" dry)

hot pepper sauce to taste (I like about 1/4 t)

10 flour tortillas

Garnish: salsa and guacamole

Combine cream cheese, onion, sour cream and taco seasoning until smooth. Fold in cheese, chillies, tomatoes and hot sauce, blending well. Spread mixture on tortillas, the roll tortillas. Refrigerate until cream cheese mixture is firm. Slice and serve cold with salsa and guacamole.

Isn't this picture a hoot!?! No, I didn't make it (I'm not THAT creative!!), but I don't have a photo of my homemade guacamole, and I ran across this one on the internet. Guess you really can find just about anything on the 'net!!

It's pretty easy nowadays to find good guacamole, but that wasn't always the case. I do like guacamole with the South Street Tortilla Roll-Ups. If you want a great recipe, heres one for you:

Homemade Guacamole

2 c (2 lg) avocadoes, mashed

2 T lemon juice

1 tomato, diced

2 green chillies, finely chopped

1/4 t Kosher salt

1/4 t chili powder

1 T onion, grated or finely chopped

1/8 t garlic powder

Combine all ingredients, chill, and serve.

Paul Deen's Fruit Bowl

This recipe is for this upcoming week's My Girl Paula recipe. I'm really happy it was chosen. I'm just wondering what I'm going to do with all the extra Tang!! ;)

3 T orange Tang drink mix

1 - 15 1/2 oz can pineapple chunks, drained, juice reserved

1 - 3.4 oz box instant lemon pudding mix

1 - 16 oz can chunky mixed fruit, drined

1 - 11 oz can mandarin oranges, drained

1 - 6 oz jar maraschino cherries

3 large bananas

Stir the Tang into the pineapple juice. Add the lemon pudding mix and stir well. Combine the pineapple, mixed fruit, oranges and cherries, then mix the fruit and pudding mixtures together; toss well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before servign, slice and add the bananas.

Barbeque Macaroni Salad

In the Summer Grilling edition of Cook's Illustrated I found an interesting recipe for Barbeque Macaroni Salad. It's a new twist on an old favorite, by adding barbeque sauce to a traditional macaroni salad. I especially like Cook's Illustrated because they test so many different brands of products to let you know which one "works" better than the rest. For this recipe, they highly recommend (drumroll please......)

Yep, good ol' Bull's Eye original for it's smokey flavor. I used it in this recipe and thought it was quite good. I've never heard of a barbeque macaroni salad before, and thought it was really, really good (so good I had to raid the fridge after everyone went to bed for a little more!!)

Barbeque Macaroni Salad

Table salt

1 lb elbow macaroni

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine

1 celery rib, chopped fine

4 scallions, sliced thin (I used green onion)

2 T cider vinegar

1 t hot sauce

1 t chili powder

1/8 t garlic powder

Pinch cayenne pepper

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Ground black pepper

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 T salt and macaroni and cook until nearly tender, about 5 minutes. Drain in colander and rinse with cold water until cool, then drain once more, briefly, so that pasta is still moist; transfer to a large bowl.

Stir in bell pepper, celery, scallions, vinegar, hot sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, and cayenne and let sit until flavors are absorbed, about 2 minutes. Stir in mayonnaise and barbecue sauce and let sit untl salad is no longer water, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve. (Salad can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Check seasonings before serving.) As the salad sits, it can become dry; just before serving, sir in a few tablespoons of warm water to bring back its creamy texture.

The remainder of my recipes are links (thank goodness - I'm getting carpal tunnel typing all this!!). For my baked beans, I'm going with Cookin' Mimi's Jazzed Up Baked Beans. For my potato salad I decided on Love at First Bite's Potato-Egg Salad. And (finally!!) for the dessert we are going with Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa's) Flag Cake.

Now if that isn't enough to keep you all busy - check out a great craft website that I just LOVE. Skip to My Lou is doing 4th of July crafts all week to get your table (and home) ready for the 4th!! But remember, if you run out of time (or energy!) you can always make a run to the Dollar store!

When Hubby Gives You Trout....

2009-06-28T12:25:00.001-04:00

Uhh...cook it within three days! No, really if you've read any of my previous posts, you'd know my husband loves to fish. I can't imagine the fascination, but whatever makes him happy!! Anyway, last week he came home with a lot of trout, and a lot more smoked trout. Now, the fresh trout I know how to fix, but what to do with all this smoked trout? I asked him what he wanted me to do with the smoked trout, and he said, "Feed it to me". Brilliant, isn't he? ;)

After a little thought, I decided to make a Smoked Trout Frittata. I've seen recipes for a Smoked Salmon Frittata, so I figured I'd just substitute the fish. After a little more rooting around in the refrigerator, I ended up substituting out most ingredients (except the eggs, of course!). I really think that's the beauty of a frittata - kinda rustic and use what you've got on hand! Heaven knows, with this egg CSA I've gotten myself into, I sure have enough eggs!! So, here's a photo of my Smoked Trout Frittata with the recipe:

Smoked Trout Frittata

3 T vegetable oil

Flaked trout from 1 -2 smoked trout fillets (1 if large, 2 if smaller)

6 green onions (1 bunch) chopped, both white and green parts

1 small container of mushrooms, cleaned and chopped

8 eggs

2 T milk

2 T heavy cream

1/2 (8 oz) package cream cheese, cubed

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Heat oil in a large, oven proof skillet (I used a 10" cast iron skillet). Add green onions and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring until onions are soft. Add the smoked trout , cook briefly to release flavors.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs together with milk and cream. Pour over the trout and vegetables and stir gently. Scatter cubes of cream cheese over the top. Cook over medium heat without stirring, until the edges appear firm.

Place the skillet in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until nicely browned and puffed. If you prefer, slide onto a serving platter. I just serve straight from the cast iron pan.

Just in case you've never cooked trout before, here's my favorite recipe (or really method) for serving it. Trout is excellent served with homemade coleslaw and cornbread, but last weekend we grilled a thick steak and had a "surf and turf" meal.

Pan Fried Trout

In a small dish, pour some milk (I like to use buttermilk). In another dish, pour some cornmeal. Season the cornmeal lightly with a dash of cayenne pepper and a pinch of salt. Dip cleaned trout in milk, then roll in cornmeal. Collect all your trout fillets and fry in about a 1/4" vegetable oil (again, a cast iron skillet is excellent for this). Fry about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove to a paper towel lined dish and serve immediately with fresh lemon wedges. Enjoy!

Garden Update

Wow, my garden is really taking off!! I've come to realize my tomato cages aren't big enough!! Uh-Oh! :) Anyway, here are a couple of fun update photos - hope you enjoy!!

My first zucchini (the part just behind the flower). I've learned alot about zucchini this year. The plant has both "male" and "female" flowers that need to be pollinated. Usually bees do this, but with the shortage of bees anymore, it may be necessary to hand pollinate them yourself (this is true of all the squashes). So each morning out I go with little cotton swabs. This is the first one I got to pollinate (I feel like a fertility doctor!! LOL!!)

Here's the beginning of my first cucumber. Isn't it adorable? (I'm such a proud parent!!). I didn't have to pollinate them - they know what to do!! I can't wait until I can make some bread and butter pickles!

Tomorrow I'm going to post my menu/recipes for the upcoming 4th of July. I don't have photos of all the recipes, but I don't think you'll be disappointed!!

Costco Chicken Salad

2009-06-25T08:02:00.001-04:00

I just love Costco's Rotisserie Chicken Salad Croissants. My husband thinks I make a better chicken salad - which is sweet of him to say - but I think Costco's beats mine hands-down. I knew my husband wouldn't be home until late last night (after fishing), so I decided to get a Costco chicken salad croissant. Problem was, when I got to Costco they were all sold out (bummer!). But as luck would have it, for the mere price of $14.95 I could buy a tub of their chicken salad. Slap on another $5.95 for a dozen croissants, and another $3.95 for a package of six Roma tomatoes (you can't have chicken salad without tomatoes on it), and I could have a Costco Rotisserie Chicken Salad Croissant. Ugh. And I wonder why I'm broke all the time!!

Now as much as I love Costco's chicken salad, I do have to doctor it up a bit. I like to add a little "dash" of Penzey's Sandwich Sprinkle to each sandwich.

This stuff is great on any kind of sandwich (OK, maybe not PB&J, but turkey, ham, you name it!). It's a combination of salt, garlic, black pepper, and a bunch of herbs. Really "picks up" a sandwich. Buy some, you won't regret it!!

So last night at about 10:00 pm when hubby finally shows up, we sit down and eat two (that's one apiece) chicken salad croissants. What to do with all this chicken salad???? I don't have my garbage-disposal older boys around to help rid me of this problem. Well, I got up early and made a big plate of chicken salad croissant sandwiches for my husband's office staff. I sure hope they stop asking for a raise!! ;)

Aren't they pretty? Just to give you an idea how big that plate is - it's my turkey platter at Thanksgiving!!

Now I couldn't just send sandwiches - they needed something to go with them. (I should start a catering business and actually get paid to do this!!) I dug around in my ever-filled pantry and came up with Veggie Straws.

If you haven't had these yet, you've just got to try them - they're "da-bomb" as my boys say. I don't know if they are actually "good" for you, maybe just a little less "bad"? I don't know. They're made from spinach, tomato, carrots and potatoes. Yea, and they taste great!! I guess they also make them in a "chip" form, but I've never had those. We like ours dipped in Ranch dressing, but they are great plain, right out of the bag too. So off went my bag of Veggie Straws :( But it was for a good cause I suppose. Guess that'll teach me not to buy a tub of Costco chicken salad!!

A Hodgepodge of Thoughts

2009-06-24T08:49:00.000-04:00

I found a recipe for Crab Meat Lasagna recently in a really good cookbook called Favorite Recipes From Quilters. I love to quilt, but that joy will have to wait until fall - when it's a little cooler out! Anyway, I thought the recipe would be a nice summer alternative to the traditionally heavy lasagna. But when I went to the cupboard to pull out my "crab meat", this is what I discovered: Yep, salmon, not crab. But that didn't stop me! I'm from Ohio and we don't know crab from salmon in these parts!! At least that's what I was hoping. So I proceeded with the recipe, just substituting. Well, it couldn't have been better!! My husband LOVED it and said he wanted it again tonight for dinner. That's fine by me - he can have leftovers!! :) I served it with some artisan bread and a tossed salad. I do recommend using "light" cream cheese and the fat-free cream of mushroom soup to keep the calories down. I couldn't tell any difference in taste using them.

Crab Meat Lasagna

(my version uses salmon)

1/2 lb lasagna noodles

1 t olive oil

8 oz pkg cream cheese (light), softened

2 cups cottage cheese

2 10 3/4 oz cans (fat free) cream of mushroom soup

1 egg

1 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 t basil

1 t salt

2 cups crab meat (I used two small cans of salmon)

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Cook lasagna in water and olive oil according to package directions. Drain.

Combine cream cheese, cottage cheese, mushroom soup, egg, onion, garlic, basil and salt in a large bowl, mix well.

Drain crab (salmon) and break into small pieces. Fold into cream cheese mixture.

In a lightly greased (sprayed) 9 x 13 baking dish, layer 1/2 lasagna noodles, 1/2 crab meat mixture and 1/2 of cheddar cheese. Repeat layers, ending with cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

I think there was some kind of ESP thing going on earlier this week with me and Michelle from Something New is Cooking. We both must have read Sandy's blog from I Love Sweet Treats and decided to make the taco ring. I know this photo does the recipe a disservice - I was suppose to have two cans of crescent rolls and I only had one. This is an excellent recipe and I'll be making it again (the right way!!) when my kids come home from camp. I served it with shredded lettuce, diced tomato, sour cream and guacamole, with Mexican Rice on the side. Click here if you'd like the recipe. Very yummy!!

About once every couple of months I like to fix a ham. They're expensive, but the leftovers are fantastic in scrambled eggs, omelette's, and breakfast casseroles. My favorite way to cook a ham (other than the holidays) is to get one that I know will fit in my crock pot and, well, just stick it in the crock pot. Yep. I don't do anything else. I let it cook all day and by evening it's made it's own "broth". In the winter I'll use it to make bean soup, but in the summer I like to use the broth when I fix rice. It keeps the house cool, too, which is a big plus in the summer!!

So, did you watch the "big show" last Monday with Jon and Kate? Honestly, I've never watched them before, but I couldn't miss that one. I have to admit I liked the first episode better - the one with the Crooked Houses

I was "googling" crooked houses for about an hour - I think the company had to take their website down because of all the moms and dads trying to find a crooked house for their kids!! I showed my husband this picture and he just laughed. He's an architect and said there is no way he'd have something like that in his back yard!! I should have married an attorney! ;)

I did feel sorry for them during the last episode, though. I'm glad the network decided to take them off the air for awhile. I really think they need to get their lives straightened out and forget the cameras. The funny thing is I hear there is talk of "Jon and Kate - The Musical"!! I've worked really hard not to have a completely messed up life, only to find out that's where the money is!! LOL!!

Well, I'm off to declutter the storage room in the basement - hope you all enjoy your day!

Garden Update

2009-06-23T08:44:00.000-04:00

Sorry this photo is so small and blurry - it's a picture of the cabins (called Ka-bens) at Camp Fitch, where my older sons are this week. They're really cool - open during the day and in the evening they have these flaps that come down and tie!!

Wow, it's been a busy week around our neck of the woods. From checking in to some of my friend's posts on My Girl Paula, looks like we're all pretty busy. Poor Alwayz Bakin' is studying anatomy - you go girl!! I just don't have it in me any more for that!!

My two older sons are off at camp! Praise God!! :) It was a long drive (3 1/2 hours each way!!), but the camp is incredible. On the shores of Lake Erie (really, right on the shore!!), and they are learning computer programming, web design, horseback riding, archery, you-name-it!! I sure wish I was a kid again!!

Our little guy is going to a local daycare this week. This week is "Bug Camp" and he's just loving it! He squeals when he sees the building and starts clapping his hands - he's just so cute!! Plus, it wears him out and he goes to bed early - yippee!!

So that leaves me - lonely? NO WAY!! I'm decluttering and organizing. I have my oldest son's room finished and today I begin my middle son's room. I'm about halfway done with the kitchen (and I'm amazed at the stuff I have that I'd completely forgotten about!!). I wish it went faster, but at least it's getting done. I'm not cooking a whole lot this week (well, maybe tonight - I want to try a crab meat lasagna), so I'll leave you with some pictures of my garden. I'm truly amazed at how well everything is growing in my boxes - just take a look:

These are my potted tuberous begonias with the herbs tucked in between. It's an early morning picture when the sun is the brightest in that area.

Here's a photo of my first pumpkin blossom. I think I'll have pumpkins in August!! Looks like there are a lot more coming just behind this blossom.

Here are some cucumber blossoms. I'm hoping to get a lot of cucumbers so I can make Bread and Butter pickles!

Here's an early morning photo of my first eggplant blossom.

Here's a zucchini blossom. Honestly, I had no idea zucchini leaves got so big!!

I just love this little orchid. I got it at our local Home Depot. It's a miniature orchid. I love this photo too - it's early morning, but it looks so soft. That's my composting bin behind the orchid. I'm composting almost everything!!

You know it's summer around here when the pansies begin to get spindly. I hate to see them go, but they just didn't look so good.

Here's their replacement - two varieties of coleus. This area doesn't get any direct sun, and these leaves give the front of my home a nice, neat look.

Hope you enjoyed the photos. I'll update on my progress a little later in the week!

I Won an Award!!

2009-06-15T14:53:00.000-04:00

How cool is this - I got an award!! A big "Thank You" to Alwayz Bakin' for nominating me!! That just made my day!! Here are the RULES of this award: 1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award. (Check) 2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog (Check) 3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award. (Check) 4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting. (Uh-Oh) 5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers (See Below) 6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate (See #5) 7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs, letting them know they have been nominated. (On my To-Do List for today). So, the seven people I am nominating for the award are..... Stacy Snacks Grin and Bake It Cooking During Stolen Moments Real Mom Kitchen Frosted Garden Closet Cooking The Food Librarian Now for my Uh-Oh. Seven things you "might" find interesting about me (good thing they used the word "might"!! LOL!) 1. I have three sons, ages 14, 12, and 3. All three of my sons are adopted. My 12 and 14 year olds are from Russia, and my 3 year old is adopted through our county Children's Services. 2. I hope (pray!) to live long enough to hear my now 12 year old son Christopher one day admit in wonder that I'm the smartest person he's ever known!! (As opposed to today when he thinks I'm the dumbest!!). *Note annoyed look on his face in this photo for my proof! 3. My favorite flower to grow right now is the tuberous begonia. I have three large pots of them on my back deck with herbs mixed in between. I hope to begin an heirloom rose garden next year. 4. I hold my breath when my son swims competitively. My lungs are grateful he is beginning to swim faster!! ;) I know, that photo's not really my son swimming, but I hold my breath when Michael Phelps swims too! LOL!! 5. I check Pioneer Woman's website each day to see how many comments she gotten (like some days are 17,000!!), then I check the recipe! (I also check out this photo of her husband in chaps!) 6. I just taught myself how to make a homemade pie-crust (and I'm 46 years old - see Christopher, you can teach me a new trick!!). 7. I made 93 coffee cup holders and Lemon-Blueberry Muffins for Teacher's Appreciation Day this year - and I refuse to ever drink another cup of coffee (but I'll keep eating muffins!! LOL!). Thanks again for my award - that was really fun!!

Blueberry Pie

2009-06-13T07:11:00.001-04:00

My neighbor is trying to grow blueberries in his backyard - and I don't think it's going very well. I'm not sure what he's doing wrong, but in the last four summers, we haven't seen any blueberries at all. I could tell yesterday he seemed pretty defeated, so I did the only thing I knew to do - I baked him a blueberry pie! He laughed when I brought it over to his house last night - and he came back telling me that was a pretty darn good blueberry pie. I'm glad I could cheer him up a little!!

Blueberry Pie

3-4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (without syrup)

One 9 inch deep-dish pie plate

5 T corn starch

2/3 cups sugar

1/2 t cinnamon

3 T water

1 T lemon juice

1 graham cracker pie crust

Topping:

1/4 c sugar

1/2 c flour

1/4 cup butter

Make graham cracker pie crust as per back of graham cracker crumbs box. Refrigerate one hour. Rinse blueberries and drain. Go through and pick out any mushy ones.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl combine 2/3 cups sugar and 5 T cornstarch and mix well. Add 1/2 t cinnamon. Add water and lemon juice.

Add blueberries to the piecrust. Pour the sugar/juice mixture over the blueberries.

In a seperate bowl, make the crumb topping. Mix together the sugar and flour, cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two forks. Sprinkle over the pie.

Place the pie on a large cookie sheet and bake for 50-55 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting.

I belong to an "egg" CSA. Kind of weird, I know. I use to belong to the traditional CSA, but it just wasn't that much fun. I never knew from week to week what I was getting, and half the time I didn't know what I got when I got home!! It made menu planning really tough. So this farmer has a traditional CSA, but he also has free-range chickens. Each week I get two dozen free range eggs, and every-other-week I get a whole chicken. This week was just eggs - and I think they're beautiful!! They look like something out of a Pottery Barn catalog. The farmer says that different kinds of chickens lay different color eggs. Each week I always have one green one, with the others varying in shades of brown. Here's a photo of this week's eggs:

Hope everyone has a great weekend!! I'm cleaning and decluttering, and looking forward to making Paula Deen's Strawberry Shortcake!!

Tried and True Macaroni and Cheese

2009-06-12T08:27:00.000-04:00

I'm not going to start this post commenting on how macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food - I'm sure you already know that. The sad fact is Kraft has all but ruined such a wonderful dish with their day-glow orange powder stuff!! I actually know kids that prefer that stuff to the original. Well, not my kids - thank heavens!! This is my T&T macaroni and cheese recipe. I love it to death - I can even mix it all up in the baking dish!! My photo doesn't do the dish justice. We like ours a little "brown" on top with sliced American cheese, but the original recipe calls for a breadcrumb topping. I'm sure that would be good too, but with kids around, you can't go wrong with American cheese!! I have no idea where I got the recipe, so I'm unable to give the original creator their dues. Whoever you are, I am eternally grateful!!

I think this photo says it all:

This is my son Chris giving me the "thumbs up" for my macaroni and cheese and Pioneer Woman's Chicken Strips. That was one good meal!!

Tried and True Macaroni and Cheese

8 oz. dry elbow macaroni

8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

12 oz cottage cheese

8 oz sour cream

1/4 c. Parmasean cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Additional sliced American cheese, buttered bread crumbs, or shredded cheese (your preference)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil macaroni for about 8 minutes or al dente. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Add cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream and Parmesan cheese to the baking dish. Drain macaroni, but do not rinse. Add to baking dish. Mix all ingredients, add salt and pepper to taste. Spread out even in baking dish. Top with sliced American Cheese, or buttered bread crumbs, or additional shredded cheese (your preference). Bake about 30 minutes, or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Finally, I'm finishing this post up with a non-food photo. I just thought it was so neat last night to watch this deer walk through the wooded area behind our home. I was so lucky to have my camera and be able to get this photo. There's a creek right by the deer that she was walking to. I hope you enjoy!!

Turkey Reuben Sandwich - Sort of...

2009-06-10T08:38:00.001-04:00

I'd love to say this is a photo of MY Turkey Reuben Sandwich, but it's not. Let's start with a couple of facts. First, I love reuben sandwiches. One of my first posts was about making corned beef and a corned beef reuben. A second fact, which you may not think is relavent, but it is, is that all my friends are drama queens. Honest, if the least little thing happens - clogged drain, dead car battery, etc., they're on the phone to me screaming and carrying on. I'm the oldest of the bunch, and sometimes I think I've been through that crisis and it's no big deal. Sometimes I think having three boys makes you a tougher chick. I don't know. So, last night I'm making up a batch of these wonderful Turkey Reubens and just about ready to get out the camera, when the phone rings. Let's just say the rest is history. The cavemen of my family scooped up the reubens - even mine! - and ran off to eat. My friend had another life crisis that wasn't, and the photo was never taken. (Insert heavy sigh). So for me, no photo and no Turkey Reuben. But all was not lost - I made a batch of Heath Bar Oatmeal Toffee Cookies. And this photo IS mine!!

They may not look like much - the first time I made them I thought I did something wrong - but they are a delicious cookie!! If you like Heath Bars or Skor Bars, these are the cookies for you!! An added bonus - they have oatmeal in them, so in my book that makes them an excellent breakfast cookie too! :)

Oatmeal Toffee Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

2 eggs

2 cups packed light brown sugar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups quick cooking oats

1 1/3 (8-oz pkg) Heath Bits 'O Brickle Toffee Bits

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets. Beat butter, brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; beat until blended. Stir in oats and toffee bits with a spoon.

Drop by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or edges are lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove to wire rack. Cool completely (yea, right!). Makes about 4 dozen cookies

My Girl Paula's Baked Spaghetti

2009-06-09T12:19:00.000-04:00

I admit it, I goofed! I didn't look at My Girl Paula's blog and see that we weren't suppose to make this for two more weeks!! Yikes! Last week was a blur and when I got to my menu/grocery list I just "assumed" this was the next recipe. Don't ask me why - no logical answer!! Anyway, I was going to hold off on posting it until the "correct" week, but I realized there are a couple of twists in this recipe that might deserve a "heads up" before making.

First, don't be like me and not read/comprehend the recipe. I go to make this at 5:00 pm last night, after fighting rush hour traffic and a screaming three-year-old coming home from the dentist (another stressor all to itself!!). So I'm feeling rushed and a little "snippy" (ya all know what I mean?), and I grab the ingredients and start reading. YIKES! It takes the sauce a full hour to simmer, then another 20 minutes after you add the browned ground beef, then 30 minutes to bake. Based on all this, I'm guessing my family won't be eating until 7:30 pm!! The cavemen will revolt! My husband, who was home early (figures, right?), said it would be fine to "order pizza". NO! (yep, I'm shouting now!!), I won't be defeated!! So I begin........

This is actually a very simple recipe. I really didn't know what to expect. I was thinking something like a lasagna, only with angel hair pasta. No, not really. More like "Cincinnati Style Chilli" - if you've ever had that. The sauce is really more chilli than "lasagna sauce". Got all that?

Now, here's a pet peeve I've got with a lot of recipes. If a recipe calles for canned, diced tomatoes, then it's a MUST they tell me whether or not to drain. I mean, don't make me assume anything. I can't tell you the recipes I've bombed because that was so obvious to the author. No offense, Paula, just my own ignorance. Luckily, this recipe is also on Paula's site - and based on the comments, I'm not the only one confused. While this recipe gets 5 stars, some said too watery, while others thought it was fine. After speed reading through the comments (I'm on a time crunch here!!), I decided not to drain the tomatoes, and I only added 1/4 cup water (not one cup). Just thought I'd let you all know that. You also add 2 bay leaves to the sauce. The recipe never tells you to remove them - but I think it's a good idea to remove them just before you add the hamburger (after the first hour). It's too hard to find them after you add the hamburger. Finally, I think you might want to add just a little more cheese - make sure you cover the entire top of the casserole or you will get some "crunchy" pasta! No one seemed to mind, though!

So, how'd we like it.........A big 5 stars with the cavemen going back for seconds and thirds (and I think one got a 4th!!). Really, it's rare that I make a 9 x 13 casserole and the whole thing is eaten up (with one son running his fingers around the pan!).

I served it with some homemade artisian bread and a tossed salad. I will make this again (and again, and again) for sure. But I do think I'll make the sauce up early so the dinner prep time is kept shorter.

No, that's not really my salad - but that's about how I felt by the time I got dinner on the table!! So don't stress yourself out, read the recipe, and give yourself plenty of time - just a tip from me!! :)

A Father's Day Dinner fit for the Fathers!!

2009-06-07T22:01:00.000-04:00

I know, it's not Father's Day yet, but we celebrated today, along with my Father-in-law's birthday, because our two oldest children will be at camp on Father's Day. I think my husband considers that to be enough of a gift!! So this morning I got up early and finished the preparations for the big feast. I boxed everything up and off we went!

We grilled London Broil at my In-laws home. I have to admit I didn't know what London Broil was until just last week. While checking out a new "favorite" blog, How to Cook Like Your Grandmother, I got a whole tutorial. Here in Columbus, Ohio we have a grocery store chain called Giant Eagle that gives weekly buy-on-get-one-free specials. I suspect they aren't that great of a deal, since when I leave the store I've way overspent, but they were running a special on top round for London Broil. I decided we'd give it a whirl, and I'm so glad we did. While our London Broil was not quite as juicy as Drew's on How to Cook Like Your Grandmother, I think it was up there as "excellent". We are in the process of switching out our grill and getting a charcoal grill (which we had when we were poor!!), and I think the charcoal flavor and cooking would have made this an absolute "10". Check out Drew's site and his tutorial for fixing London Broil - you won't be disappointed!!

So, to go along with our London Broil, I fixed Green Beans with Cherry Tomatoes. Not only were these delicious, but the colors were beautiful!! I found the recipe on Recipezaar.com (I love, love, love this site!!), and only modified it slightly by adding a tablespoon of Penzey's Spices Epazote. If you have a Penzey's Spices store in your area and you've never gone - you need to go soon!! No, I'm not a family member, but I swear by their spices!! You can get a small jar of a spice and try it for next to nothing!! Honestly, the grocery store spices are way overpriced and not nearly as good. If you don't have a Penzey's in your area, then you can order online. But finish reading my blog first!! :) Ok, back to the beans. These were a hit and everyone loved them. The colors were beautiful, too (bright green, red, brown of the bacon - major yum!!). The only thing is, these beans are ONLY for special occasions because you saute them in BACON GREASE! Yep, you read that right. These guys will kill you if you eat them regularly - really!! So maybe I'll make them again at Christmas after everyone submits a doctor's cholesterol screening!!

Finally, I added in Aunt Gert's Macaroni Salad from RealMomKitchen (from Paula Deen). We had this over Memorial Day weekend and it was wonderful. I wish I had a photo of the entire meal on a plate, but we were too busy eating!! All I can say is that the flavors were wonderful. My husband wanted everyone to tell them which part of the meal was their favorite - but we all said the whole thing combined was what was so good.

So now comes the moment of truth. My Father-in-law asked for cherry pie for his birthday. I tried to make a cherry pie back in the 1980's, but it was a total failure (like the filling never set and ran all over the plate). I never tried again. Too much stress. Makes me nervous. Also, my Father-in-law said he couldn't get a good cherry pie when he went out to eat, and wanted a GOOD cherry pie. Yep, not just ANY cherry pie - it had to be GOOD. Yikes!! My nerves were shot!!

After some "googling" (we use to call that "research") I discovered a "good" cherry pie was tart, and usually made with Michigan cherries. I placed an order and got my cherries in a couple of days. A little more "googling", and actually reading the back of the cherry can (same exact recipe) I discovered the best cherry pie recipe. Now this is a "sour" cherry pie - not a "sweet" cherry pie. I didn't know there was a difference, but after I tried this pie, I sure know now. It's great, but it pulls a pucker!! I want to try this again around July 4th with a combination of sour and sweet cherries, just to see how that tastes.

So, this was a really good birthday/Father's Day for the guys (and the gals!) - hope you all had a great weekend too!!

BLT Pizza and a new twist on the brown paper lunch bag

2009-06-06T16:02:00.000-04:00

Last night was pizza night, and as tradition would have it, we made one pepperoni pizza and one specialty pizza. I LOVE a good BLT pizza. If you've never had one, you are doing yourself a disservice. You need to get right out there and make one of these up tonight - the are delicious! I found the original recipe on AllRecipes.com, but mine's a little modified.

BLT Pizza

Slightly changed from the original on AllRecipes.com

6 slices thick cut bacon, chopped up (not diced)

1 recipe for your favorite pizza dough

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 Roma tomatos, chopped

2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce *

1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon mayonnaise (or to taste)

1 teaspoon Penzy's 4/S seasoned salt (or Lawry's or salt and pepper to taste)

*My grocery sells shredded iceberg in a bag, which is convienent. It is finely shredded, so I reduced my mayonnaise to this amount. If your lettuce is not finely shredded, I would suggest 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, or according to the directions for your pizza dough (we preheat our oven to 450 degrees, and we have a pizza stone).

Place bacon in a heavy skillet over medicum-high heat, and fry until browned, but not crisp. Drain on paper .

Stretch out pizza dough onto your pan. Brush the dough with olive oil. Spread the shredded mozzarella over the crust and arrange about 3/4 the chopped tomato over the cheese. Sprinkle chopped fried bacon over the pizza.

Bake pizza for 10 - 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the crust is golden and cheese is melted in the center. While the pizza is in the oven, toss the shredded lettuce with mayonnaise, and add seasoned salt (or salt and pepper). Top the finished pizza with the dressed lettuce and remaining 1/4 chopped tomatos and serve immediately.

Now today I've been working on preparing our meal for my Father-in laws birthday/Father's Day tomorrow. I'm marinating the London Broil, making Aunt Gert's macaroni salad (Thanks Laura at RealMomKitchen!!), and next I'll be rolling out my pie dough to start my cherry pie and custard pie (I'm tired just just typing all that!!). But in by spare time (LOL!!), I whipped up this cute twist to the traditional "brown bag" luch sack. I made one for my son this spring, and now the kids at his school are saving their Capri drink bags so I can make them one. This takes 14 drink bags, and really isn't hard to make (if you have some basic sewing skills). I wish some of my stitches were neater, but sewing a juice bag is a little different than sewing fabric!! ;) If you want the full tutorial, then click here. Hope you like it!!

Menu for the Week of 6/6/09

2009-06-05T17:56:00.000-04:00

Well, I sat down early this morning and made up my menu for the week beginning 6/6/09. I begin my "menu week" on Saturdays and end with a Friday night pizza. I hope to post my recipes and photos when the following day for you all to enjoy! Saturday 6/6/09 Grilled hamburgers and waffle fries Sunday 6/7/09 (FIL's birthday and Father's Day) London Broil Green Beans Aunt Gert's Macaroni Salad Homemade Cherry Pie and Custard Pie Monday 6/8/09 My Girl Paula's Baked Spaghetti Salad Artisian Bread in 5 minutes a Day Tuesday 6/9/09 Grilled Turkey Ruebens and chips Wednesday 6/10/09 Pioneer Woman's Chicken Strips Homemade macaroni and cheese Thursday 6/11/09 Grilled Bratwurst, pasta salad, chips Friday 6/12/09 Homemade pepperoni pizza Homemade BBQ chicken pizza

My Girl Paula Apple Crisp

2009-06-05T07:45:00.001-04:00

Well, things are really busy around here. It's the end of the school year, and with it comes all kinds of activities. One of my sons has a Scholastic Bookfair going on at his school, and I've been "asked" to help. I honestly don't know how to say "no" to those things, but I've got to figure it out!!

I'm a little late on this post, but I got the apple crisp made from My Girl Paula. I followed the instructions from Mommy's Kitchen and made it in a cast iron skillet. It took about 80 minutes to get good and bubbly, and the oatmeal topping to set, but Oh My Gosh - it was good!! Everyone loved it. I made mine with five Granny Smith apples. The apples with the lemon were tart, and the topping was sweet and crunchy - but not burned or dried out. Very, very good. I think we all had seconds.

I noticed the recipe for Paula's apple crisp on the Food Network site is a little different than the one in her book. On Food Network it's a recipe for a campfire, and the proportions are a little different. The one in the book says to make it in an 8 x 8 pan, and I just can't figure out how you'd get all the filling and topping into such a small pan. I used a 10 inch cast iron skillet and it was full. If anyone reads this and wants the recipe, leave a comment and I'll get it to you. Since I haven't seen this recipe posted yet from Paula Deen, I'm going to hold off.

My garden is growing - even with all the rain and cool temperatures we've had around here lately. I've got to get out there today and start digging around. I'm excited to get some green beans, beets and carrots that I planted from seed. I'm going to plant some lettuce in a new, clean cat litter box and place it in some dappled sun to see how it does. From what I've read I should be able to get it to grow over the summer. My herbs and container flowers are doing great too - the flowers are really blooming. I've got three strawberry planters and I'm getting some red strawberries on them. I doubt if I'll get enough for my own strawberry shortcake, but maybe a few for our cereal!

This weekend is my father-in-laws birthday/father's day party. We're celebrating them all together since my older sons will be at camp over Father's Day. I'm preparing to make a cherry pie for him tomorrow. He said he can't seem to get a good cherry pie when he goes out to eat. I did a little research, and discovered you need to use a tart cherry. I ordered some from King Orchard in Michigan, and they just came yesterday. I'm excited to make it - and to make a lattice top!! I'll post when I get it made.

I've got a little secret.....

2009-05-27T07:41:00.000-04:00

Shhhh....you can't tell anyone. Come on, lean in closer to your computer, I have to whisper. This is my little secret to moist cakes, feeding the birds, and wonderful appetizers. It's awesome, really. But I'm only gonna tell ya once. Now, do I have your attention? Good.

Simple Syrup

Blind sided ya - didn't I!! Well, here it is. It's not complex. Most secrets aren't. But I'll show you ways to make this stuff POP!

Take 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water. Place in saucepan and heat, stirring, over medium heat until sugar melts. Remove from heat and let cool until lukewarm. Pour into a jar with a lid and store in refrigerator.

That's it! Really. OK, so now what do you do with this stuff? That's where the secret comes in. If you make cocktails, such as the now popular Mojitos, this is the simple syrup they usually tell you to go to the grocery store and buy. I don't normally make cocktails, so that's not a recipe I keep. I don't have friends much more sophisticated than Miller-lite in a can! But Simply Recipes has a great recipe for Limeade that is a version of simple syrup and non-alcoholic. Just the thing on a hot summer day!

I bake a lot. Simple syrup is a great ingredient to keeping cakes moist. After you've baked a cake, but before you've iced it, sprinkle a little simple syrup on the top. I "flick" some onto the sides too. Not too much, because you don't want a soggy cake. Just a little. Go ahead and ice as usual. Your cake will stay moist a lot longer - really. That's a good thing in my home, since I can't let my three sons eat an entire cake in one night, even though they are more than capable!! LOL!

One thing I like to do is flavor my simple syrup, especially for cake flicking (hey, I've invented a new skill!). Often I add a drop of real vanilla to the simple syrup before I "flick", but sometimes I add a drop of Fiori di Sicilia. Never heard of it? Well, click the link and head on over to King Arthur Baking. It is wonderful. Very unusual - a little citrus and a little vanilla. Plus, the stuff lasts forever in your refrigerator. In addition to adding it to my simple syrups, I like to add it into my baking when lemon extract is called for. Mmmmmmm......

So, where do the birds come in? Ah, glad you asked. Simple syrup is the ingredient in hummingbird liquid. No need to go to the store and buy that expensive stuff. Make up a batch of this, then add one cup simple syrup to two cups water to your hummingbird feeder. I add a couple of drops of red food coloring to help the buggers find the feeder - but once they've found it, no need to even do that. Make sure you change the water every few days, because it can "go bad" - like grow weird stuff in it. I also try to make sure my hummingbird feeder is out of direct sunlight as much as possible.

I also have a wonderful recipe that is super simple for an appetizer using simple syrup. I'm sorry I don't have a photo right now, but here's a link if you'd like to see one. I few years ago I discovered a wonderful blog called 28 Cooks. It was the cooking adventure of a then 28 year old woman in New York City. She is very daring and is a great photographer. She came up with a great appetizer recipe using cherries - which is a little different. I like different.

Spiced Cherries

1 cup simple syrup

1 t pickling spice

2 star anise

2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved

Place simple syrup, pickling spice and star anise in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer about 5 minutes. Place cherries in a small bowl and pour syrup mixture over cherries. Gently stir and allow to sit until cooled. Cover and let sit in refrigerator 24-48 hours to blend flavors.

When ready to make appetizers you will need a nice serving cracker. I like water crackers. Spread a little goat cheese spread on each cracker and top with a drained spiced cherry. I've found it is best not to make too many of these. They are a nice little "tuck in" to an appetizer tray for a special treat

OK, that's my secret. Now it's yours. What you choose to do with it is up to you. If you sell it to Bon Appetit, then send me a royalty check!! LOL!! Enjoy!

Chicken Marinade

2009-05-26T07:26:00.001-04:00

This is my Tried and True recipe for chicken marinade. In the summer, when grilling season is at a peak, I like to double the chicken and marinade and freeze the extra. Summer is such a rush-rush season for us, it's great to have something quick in the freezer that tastes great!! The extra this week is going into my Italian Penne Pasta I'm making Thursday night. It's a hit at our house!

Chicken Marinade

from Menus4Moms.com May 2005

1/2 c red wine vinegar

1 C soy sauce

1/2 c vegetable oil

1 t basil

1 t Adobo

1/2 t pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Place about 6 lbs chicken breasts in large freezer style zip-lock bags (about 8 chicken breasts). Pour marinade evenly over chicken. Place in refrigerator to marinate for 24 hours (I put the bags in large dishes in case they leak). When ready to grill, discard marinate and grill as usual. Freeze any leftover chicken individually for use in various chicken recipes or to reheat and eat.

Decluttering - Week #1

2009-05-25T07:36:00.001-04:00

I'm on a campaign in my home to declutter. This isn't one of those "this place is a wreck" decluttering episodes. This is the real thing. I'm determined. I searched the web for a good photo to use as I update this topic - but they were too drastic. Honestly, my "clutter" isn't out of control - I just have too much stuff that we don't need. It's getting in the way of the stuff I do need. It's making me nervous, anxious and grouchy! I'm sure there are people who would argue that is my normal emotional state, but this is getting to me. Plus, I've been watching Oprah. If you've been watching Oprah since "The Greatest Economic Collapse Since the Great Depression" (that's what we're calling this recession right now, right?), well you'd know that Oprah is telling us to do more with less. I'd like to see her closet and compare clothes!! LOL! But, it's all relative, and I just don't need some of this stuff. So, the first thing I did was figure out my game plan. If I was going to tackle this, I was going to go about it systematically. This was going to be a lifestyle change. So I divided my house up into "zones". Each week I am working on a "zone" and only that "zone". Here are my "zones"

Caroline's Zones

1. Attic Storage Closet

2. Kitchen and laundry room

3. Basement Storage Room

4. Basement Playroom

5. Basement Bonus Room

6. Ben & Chris's Bedrooms

7. Dining Room/Living Room

8. Family Room

9. Garage

10. Area beneath deck and shed

See - 10 zones, nice and tidy. I began gaining confidence this was going to work! The zones are set up strategically for a certain reason (I would have made a great military stratagist!). The attic and kitchen/laundry had the most "upstairs" stuff to go to the basement. The basement was the real "culprit" of my clutter. Whatever someone doesn't know what to do with, they throw it in the basement, slam the door shut and its gone. Our basement had become scary. I imagined screechy violin music when I walked down the steps - like in an Alfred Hitchcock movie before the axe-slinger jumps out. See why I was nervous and anxious? Well, I figured if I got all the stuff that needed to go to the basement down there, I'd only have to deal with the basement once. I don't like the basement. Period.

But I also had another motive. I wanted the basement done before my two older sons, Ben and Chris, went to summer camp. If I got the three large rooms cleaned up in the basement, then I could spend the whole week cleaning out there bedrooms. I'm a gluten for punishment!! No, really, their rooms are not "awful", but they lack closet organizing. That's the biggie - so the week they are at camp, I'm cleaning out their closets. Makes me feel all tingly inside just thinking about getting that stuff out of here! They'll be in therapy for years getting over it, but I won't feel nervous and anxious!! LOL!!

After that it's all down hill. Our garage isn't cluttered, just could use a good cleaning/sweeping. We have an area under our deck, but we don't use it. I won't let my family store "stuff" (I call it "crap") under there. Our neighbors do that, and it looks awful. Who wants a raccoon making a home in all that stuff? Yikes! Makes me nervous just thinking about it!! Can you tell I'm the nervous type? LOL!! We have a storage shed, but the only extra stuff are some old pots. I figure once I get all this stuff out of there, I'd have a garage sale. Yea, that's a great idea! I'll sell my stuff to people who really don't need any more stuff, but think they are getting a great bargain, so they'll buy it! I might even e-mail Oprah. She can feature me on her show. Gail King will think it's great and write me up in O Magazine. The Obamas will invite me to dinner (I'm getting ahead of myself!). Politics make me nervous, I'll skip the Obama dinner!

So, back to reality. Week #1, The Attic. We store our Christmas Stuff in the attic, along with Easter, Halloween, you name it. If there's a decoration for a holiday, I've got the stuff. Plus suite cases, extra blankets, etc. Too much stuff. When Christmas rolls around, I miss half the decorations because the Halloween stuff is in the way. This Easter I gave up and put up a Christmas tree!! No, really, I didn't do that, but I could have. So out it came last week and I bagged up (30 gallon black trash bags) 35 bags of stuff I didn't need. Everything from a stuffed turkey that said "baby's first Thanksgiving" to old linen I was saving for cleaning rags. Gone to VOA. Now I go in to my attic and look around and smile. When hubby goes on his annual summer fishing trip, I'll know right where his sleeping bag is. When Fourth of July rolls around I'll be the first house with the red, white, and blue bunting up around my porch. The neighbors will sneer behind my back, maybe even call me "Martha". That's OK, it won't make me nervous one bit!!

Awesome Ribs

2009-05-24T22:24:00.000-04:00

I needed a good rib recipe for our Memorial Day barbeque. Yes, I've made ribs countless times on the grill - sometimes with rubs, sometimes with a homemade sauce. But I still hadn't found "the" rib recipe. I found this one on Recipezaar and I'd have to say it is a "keeper". This takes some work, or perhaps I need to say this takes a little time, but it is well worth the effort. Everyone at the barbeque thought my ribs were outstanding. They even put hubby into a "food coma" and he had to go to bed after our guests left. Ha! I know the truth - he didn't want to help clean up!! :)

Awesome Ribs

2 good quality rib racks (pork or beef - I used pork)

2 garlic cloves, just smashed

1 onion, quartered

2-3 stalks celery, broken in half

2-3 carrots, broken in half

1-2 t onion powder

1-2 t garlic powder

2 t liquid smoke

water or stock to cover

salt and pepper

1-2 T sugar (optional)

Clean and cut ribs in half (I cut into 3 rib sections). Put all ingredients to a large stock pot. I used a mixture of chicken stock and water to cover all the ingredients. Liquid should just cover the ribs and vegetables. Bring to a boil then reduce heat until just barely boiling (look for little "blips" in the water). Partially cover the pot and let cook for about one hour. Drain, discard vegetables and grill with your favorite sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays). Enjoy!

Burgers on the Barbie

2009-05-24T08:03:00.001-04:00

No, this isn't a photo of hubby and me right after we got married!! LOL!! It's what I post when I didn't get a chance to take a photo of my culinary creation! Last night was our "official" kick off to the summer season. It has to start with burgers. Now until Labor Day I will make burgers on the barbie at least once a week (no, I'm not Australian either - I just like the alliteration!). This week I made Laura's Tasty Burgers from Real Mom Kitchen. They are so simple and so good - even my one picky eater son wolfed his down and wanted more!! We paired it up with Aunt Gert's Macaroni Salad (see previous post). If you want to see an awesome photo of this burger, just click on the Real Mom Kitchen link above. Otherwise, you'll have to enjoy my adorable photo which I've named "Woman with Pearl Earring Barbecuing for Caveman Husband"!! Enjoy!!

Laura's Tasty Burgers

1 lb ground beef **

1 T McCormick's Grill Mates hamburger seasoning (this stuff is going next to my salt shaker - it's that good!!)

garlic salt (I used Adobo seasoning)

Mix the ground beef and seasoning mix together in a bowl. Shape into 4 patties. Sprinkle patties with garlic salt (Adobo seasoning) and grill.

I made 5 burgers with 2 lbs of extra lean ground beef and used 1 1/2 T hamburger seasoning. Just an FYI! We're carnivores!!

Thanks Laura and keep up the great recipes!!

Aunt Gert's Macaroni Salad

2009-05-24T06:52:00.000-04:00

Oh, my - this isn't your regular potluck macaroni salad!! It's sweet, it's tangy - it's really filling!! You can easily just make 1/2 of the recipe and have plenty!! But oh my, it is SO GOOD!! My photo doesn't do this recipe justice. I was in a hurry and didn't set the picture up well. You're just going to have to trust me on this one - it's a keeper!! :)

I was hanging out last week over at Real Mom Kitchen salivating over her recipes. I love her site - it's so pretty and the recipes are great. Well, she posted a few of her Memorial Day links, and I just happened to stumble on this one. Wow, she made my day!! Of course, it's a Paula recipe, so you know it's going to be good!

I'm normally not a macaroni salad person. I prefer a pasta salad, and one without mayo. But I wanted to make this one because the noodles were so pretty! Ha, how's that for a reason? I'm so glad I did. I made the full recipe, and ended up sharing a lot with neighbors. One called last night and asked for the recipe. That's when you know it's good! I'd trade one cousin Steve and one brother Tony for Paula's Aunt Gert!!

Aunt Gert's Macaroni Salad

2 (8 oz) jars mayonnaise

1 medium onion

1 cup diced celery

1 cup sugar

1 cup cold water

1/2 cup white vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (16 oz) box radiatore pasta, cooked and drained (can substitute rotini pasta)Optional garnishes: chopped hard boiled egg, chopped fresh parsley (or dried)

**Note** Unless you are cooking for a family reunion, it's fine to halve the recipe. The original makes A LOT!

In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, onion, celery, sugar, water, vinegar, and garlic. Add pasta, stirring to combine well. The mixture is really soupy, but thickens as it chills. Cover and chill overnight. I made this in the morning and chilled all day. I stirred the mixture every 2-3 hours to keep the pasta on top from drying out and mix in all the ingredients. Garnish with hard boiled egg and parsley, if desired.

South Georgia Caviar

2009-05-23T10:52:00.000-04:00

Did I mention I LOVE Paula Deen? If not, you know now!! I think she's awesome in every way!! She's overcome so much and is such a gracious lady, what's not to love? Plus, she's the mom of two boys - I'm the mom of three boys, so I have a very special place in my heart for moms of boys!! Anyway, today I made her "South Georgia Caviar". I'm the member of a great new blog called My Girl Paula. I just joined, so next week will be my first post. We make recipes from Paula's books, etc. and then we all post them. I thought I'd jump the gun and show off my "caviar". It's a great alternative to salsa and it's really easy to make. You need to refrigerate it overnight (or about eight hours). If you are going to a cookout this weekend and need something fast to take, this would be a great recipe!!

I checked online and the recipe is printed on Paula's Food Network site, so I figured it was OK to post it here. It's also in her cookbook The Lady & Sons, Too!

Paula Deen's South Georgia Caviar

2 - 15 oz cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1 - 15 oz can whole kernel corn, rinsed and drained

1 - 10 oz can Ro-Tel tomatoes

2 cups chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh jalapeno peppers (that's a little hot for us, I use about half which is maybe two peppers)

1/2 cup chopped onion

8 oz bottle Italian salad dressing (I use 1/2 a 16 oz bottle of Kraft Zesty Italian)

1 - 4 oz jar chopped pimentos, drained

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, stir gently to combine and refrigerate overnight (about 8 hours). Serve with corn chips. This recipe will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks (but it won't last that long - I eat it by the spoonful!!).

I hope everyone has a happy and safe Memorial Day Weekend - enjoy!!

Greek Pizza

2009-05-23T07:10:00.001-04:00

Friday nights are "pizza nights" in our home. It's been that way for over 20 years (yes, I've been married that long!!). But it use to be a "take out" pizza from a local shop. Well, about a year ago I began experimenting with making my own pizza. At first it wasn't anything fancy - I even bought the dough mix in a bag. But hey, you've got to start somewhere!! Well, I mustered up the courage one week to make my own dough, then a few weeks later I gave homemade sauce a try. Now you just can't stop me! Each week we make two pizzas - one is a traditional pepperoni and cheese for the kids, and the second is a specialty pizza for my husband and me. This week I made the Greek Pizza from For the Love of Cooking's site. It was wonderful - or as my three-year-old would say "awesome mom!" As you can see from the photo, it didn't last very long (so much for one pizza being the adults!!)

GREEK PIZZA

Pizza dough

Corn meal (to sprinkle on the baking tray)

Pizza sauce

Mozzarella cheese

Feta cheese

Frozen artichoke hearts, thawed*

Kalamata olives, slice in half lenghtwise

Red onion, sliced thin

Roma tomato, sliced thin

Dried oregano

*My grocery doesn't carry frozen artichoke hearts. You can use a jar of regular artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed. I had some marinated artichoke hearts I used which I drained and patted dry. They added a nice flavor.

If using frozen artichoke hearts, thaw and blot dry to remove excess liquid. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat a large pizza tray with cooking spray and sprinkle lightly with corn meal. Roll out dough and fit onto try. Evenly spread sauce, mozzarella, artichoke hearts, tomato slices, red onions, kalamata olives, feta cheese and oregano on top.

Place in the oven and bake for 10-14 minutes or until desired crispiness. Remove from oven and slice. Enjoy!

Old Fashioned Peach Cake

2009-05-19T08:41:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday my husband took our two older sons fishing at a friend's "fishing lodge". I've never been to a "fishing lodge", but it conjures up images of Teddy Roosevelt fly-fishing off a pier! LOL!! Anyway, they came home with quite a few trout. I seem to remember Benjamin Franklin saying fish and visitors smell in three days, so I decided to cook the trout up fast. I wanted a spring dessert to go with the meal, and was very happy to find the recipe for this Old Fashioned Peach Cake from Alwayzbakin It was amazing. I liked the fact the top has a crumble on it instead of the heavy frosting (which my kids don't need just before starting their homework!!). I think the cake could work just as easily as a brunch dessert too - or to take to a potluck. It is very versatile. Thanks Michele!!

OLD FASHIONED PEACH CAKE

1 pkg yellow cake mix

1 (21 oz) can peach pie filling

3 eggs

1/2 tsp. lemon extract

1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts, but you can leave out if you wish)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 tsp. lemon extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine dry cake mix, pie filling, eggs, and 1/2 tsp lemon extract. Blend at low speed until completely moistened, about 1 minute. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Fold in nuts if using. Spread batter in a greased and floured 9 x 13 pan. In a medium bowl combine sugar, flour, softened butter and 1/2 tsp lemon extract with a fork. Mixture will be crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over batter. Bake 40 - 45 minutes until center springs back slightly when touched.

What I've Been Up To

2009-05-19T08:09:00.000-04:00

Well, as you can tell, trying to post an entire week's menu with recipes just isn't going to happen for me! So, I'll go to the more traditional posts and try for one a day about a recipe or special ingredient. All I can say is the last few weeks were hectic! We had Teacher Appreciation Week for both my sons' schools, and I decided to make the gifts (what was I thinking?????). Two weeks straight I cut and sewed coffee cup sleeves, made lemon-blueberry muffins, and bagged up gift bags for the teachers. Oh, yea, then I decided to help with the luncheon and made a vegetable lasagna! Ugh, I'm glad that's all done.

I'm trying hard to get my garden and containers planted this week. We are expected to have beautiful weather, so I should be able to finish. I've posted a photo of some of my containers. I love to plant tuberous begonias with herbs tucked in between. These pots are not quite finished - I'm still on the look-out for some yellow tuberous begonias to add. I've got some oregano, rosemary, parsley, and thyme planted in with the flowers.

This year I'm also trying some square foot garden beds. I'm excited to get some tomatoes, peppers, and maybe even a watermelon planted this week - I'll keep you posted!

Caroline

Menu for the week of 4/13/09 - 4/17/09

2009-04-09T11:55:00.000-04:00

You will notice a couple of things about my menus that are similar each week. Currently, Tuesdays are a very busy evenings for me. Both of my two older sons are in activities and have to be on other sides of town at the same time, and we don't get home until 7:00 pm. So Tuesdays are an "easy" meal - generally soup and sandwich. Also, Friday's are family "pizza night". I'm beginning this week giving the basic recipe for pepperoni pizza, and next week I'll begin branching out with some of our favorite "unusal" pizzas. Pizza is so fun to make and inexpensive, you'll wonder why you weren't doing it sooner!! This is probably my last week making pork chops until September. Usually when we get into spring and summer in these parts, I'm all for grilling ribs and burgers! To view my menu and recipes for this week in printable form, click HERE Hope you enjoy! Caroline Monday, 4/13/09 Grilled Marinated Chicken Breasts Cheesy Potato Slabs Steamed mixed vegetables Tuesday 4/14/09 Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup Wednesday 4/15/09 Burrito Casserole Mexican Rice Mixed green salad with ranch dressing Thursday 4/16/09 Crockpot Ranch Pork chops with gravy Mashed potatoes Steamed green beans Friday 4/17/09 Homemade Pepperoni Pizza Tossed salad with Italian Dressing

I'm Home......

2009-03-29T22:37:00.000-04:00

We're home, and yes, so is our laundry!!! Actually, our laundry was lost for nearly 12 hours, and I wasn't one bit upset! Dirty laundry is lost, and the airline will pay me for it!!! Oh, yes, happy day! Now to finish the dirty laundry, get it folded and put away (yep, that's another couple of steps!) - but now I'm getting the blog up-and-running too. My goal is to give out a weekly dinner menu with recipes each Thursday. Then during the week I'll highlight a featured kitchen gadget, or a special herb, or anything else that seems cooking related. So for now, it's laundry baby!! Caroline

We're Leaving On a Jet Plane....

2009-03-19T18:54:00.001-04:00

We're out of here!! Our bags are packed, I've double checked (ok, triple checked!!) that I've got the airplane tickets, and we are heading for the beach!! I'll be back on 3/30/09 and begin my menus and recipes on 4/1 (no foolin'!!) Caroline

2009-03-18T09:09:00.000-04:00

Ok, I'll be the first to admit this picture is a little blurry. I'd like to blame it on my Sony digital camera, but I think the real culprit was the Harp's Lager!! Too much of a good thing - but hey, good times were had by all!! I hope you all had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day. I was planning a bigger meal than this, but our electricity went out for several hours, so the potatoes just didn't get done. The corned beef was perfect, and the Harp's was cold, so all was not lost! My corned beef recipe is to die for (so says my family - and I love them dearly!!). It's so simple it's almost embarrassing. Here it is for those that love a good corned beef sandwich:

Caroline's super easy corned beef recipe

2 - 3 lb corned beef briskets with pickling packets

2 bottles (12 oz. each) good Irish Lager (we like Harp's) Plus extra for drinking!!

1 bulb garlic, separated and peeled

about 10 (or a small handful) black peppercorns

1 can/jar sauerkraut (I like Vlassic in a jar)

Thousand Island Dressing

Swiss cheese

Your favorite rye bread

Dill Pickle

Rinse corned beef briskets with cold water and dry off. Cut off as much visible fat as possible. Place corned beef in a large crock pot. Cover with contents of pickling spice packets (if not available, about 2 tablespoons of pickling spice can be used). Add garlic and peppercorns and pour the 2 bottles of beer over corned beef. Add enough water to cover corned beef - almost to the top of the crock pot, but not quite. You don't want it to bubble over!! Cover and cook on low about 8 hours. Try hard not to peek!!

When done, remove corned beef to a cutting board and let sit about 10-15 minutes. Drain the sauerkraut and place in a microwave safe dish. Microwave about two minutes on high, stir, and microwave another two minutes or until warm. Lightly toast rye bread. On one slice spread some Thousand Island dressing. On another place a couple of nice slices of Swiss cheese and spread out some sauerkraut . Cut the corned beef against the grain and lay the slices on top. Put the sandwich together and add a nice dill pickle and you'reready to eat!

Hope you enjoy!

Caroline

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T06:37:00.000-04:00

I saw these cute little fortune cookies while surfing the web for some "Irish" ideas. How funny are these? I can't imagine having the creativity to think this up!! I'm in a rush today to run errands getting ready for our "Big Trip", so this St. Patrick's Day will be a little more subdued. We're trying to eat up everything in our refrigerator before we leave. Anyway, hope you enjoy your St. Patrick's Day!

Welcome to my blog!

2009-03-16T16:15:00.001-04:00

Hello and welcome to my blog! Please be patient with me for the next couple of weeks as I figure all this out. While I love to cook and bake, I have to admit I'm not a great fan of computers and editing Html!! Beginning April 1, 2009 I will post my family's menu for the day, any photos I have to share, and recipes. Some are frugal and others are not. I'm a mish-mash of all kinds of styles!! I'll try to stay on-topic with food, kitchen gadgets, cookbooks, and anything else kitchen/food related. I'll try hard not to bore you with my life, my children, and the mountain of laundry I never seem to have time to fold. And I imagine it's not going to get any better while I post blogs!! Oh, well, so be it! So check back soon and see the great menus and recipes I'll be sharing with you! Caroline