Recipe Report - April 11

Turnip Slaw
The coop provided us with turnips awhile ago. Since I can't name another time I have eaten turnips, I had to find a recipe for how to serve these. A lot of the recipes were for au gratin style (cheese, cream, etc.). Not that there is anything wrong with that but I wanted a healthier alternative. I settled on this turnip slaw recipe. It was delicious. This was a great way to start out with turnips. Considering PE and I do not generally like cole slaw it was surprising that we both enjoyed it. My Auntie C. REALLY enjoyed it as well.

Sour Cream Noodle Bake
I don't think I need to mention again how much I love the Pioneer Woman but I will anyway. I LOVE Ree! She makes me laugh and she always provides good recipes. This was a big hit. I made it one weekend for lunch. I added a little garlic powder and garlic salt (we love garlic in our house) but other than that I followed her recipe.

Teriyaki Honey Chicken
Oh my goodness was this delicious! I really loved the flavor of this. We cooked it on the indoor grill and I CANNOT wait to grill them outside. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Oh the deliciousness. We served it with coconut rice. Yummy.

Lentil and Wild Rice Soup
I have heard from several coworkers how delicious lentils are. I had also read about how nutritious they are. So I purchased some then set to work finding recipes. As soon as I saw this one I had to try it. . . .I love wild rice. As it was cooking it smelled so amazing. Even with the fantastic aroma I was a little concerned that PE and Moo might not enjoy it, but they both devoured it.

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Click links below for printable recipes:

Turnip Slaw
Sour Cream Noodle Bake
Teriyaki Honey Chicken
Lentil and Wild Rice Soup

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And You Thought You Didn't Like. . .

sweet potatoes. Well, you aren't alone in that thought. I have friends and family that will claim they don't like sweet potatoes. What do you do with that information when you have a bunch of sweet potatoes to use up? Well, if you are like I am, then you hide them. No, I don't mean hide them around the house or under napkins or anything. In this instance, I mean mashing them up and adding them to 1- mashed potatoes and 2 - Sweet Potatoes Crescents.

Come to think of it. . . hiding is a misleading term. The sweet potatoes turn whatever they are in orange so it isn't as though someone wouldn't be able to see something might be amiss with their orange mashed potatoes or orange crescent rolls. I guess I could tell people I like to randomly color food using food coloring, but that really would make me look crazy and I don't need any more help (ask KLB or her sister).

Two weeks in a row I received sweet potatoes from the food co-op. While Moo and I enjoy them, PE does not, Bug thinks they make his stomach feel funny, and Bob won't touch them because they are orange. In both instances (mashed/rolls), PE really enjoyed them. They weren't overpowering in the mashed potatoes and there was no hint of sweet potato flavor in the crescents. Bug ate A LOT of the rolls and I don't know if he was ever informed that they had sweet potatoes in them. Bob also ate some of the rolls and just opened his eyes wide when we told him why they were orange.

For the mashed potatoes I made mashed potatoes as usual (scrub potatoes, cut into large chunks, boil until soft, mash), I just added four or five peeled and diced sweet potatoes to the boiling potatoes and carried on as usual. I served the mashed potatoes with Unstuffed Cabbage (recipe to come in a future post). The rolls we sort of just ate for "dessert". I didn't get them finished until later in the evening so we each a had a couple rolls fresh out of the oven then everyone snacked on them for the next couple days and they were finished off when we took them to my mother's for dinner on Sunday.

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Sweet Potato Crescents
from Tasty Kitchen
Print Recipe

2 pkgs (4 1/2 Tsp) Active Dry Yeast
1 cup warm water (110º - 115º)
14 oz mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cups shortening
1 1/2 Tbsp salt (use entire amount)
4 1/2 - 5 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup melted butter

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water and let stand for 5 minutes. Then add remaining ingredients to the yeast mixture (everything except melted butter). Beat to form a dough. Knead on a well-floured surface for 6 – 8 minutes. (Or use the dough hook on your stand mixer). Put in a greased bowl and turn.* Cover and let rise until doubled in size for 1 hour. Punch down and allow to rest for 2 minutes. Separate dough into thirds. Roll out each 3rd into a fairly thin circle and brush on the melted butter. Using a pizza cutter, cut into twelve pieces (should be like a pie with twelve wedges). Roll into crescents, starting at wide end, rolling up to the point. Put onto GREASED baking sheets. Repeat with two other sections of dough. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes. Place on greased or silicone mat lined baking sheets. Bake in a 375 oven for 13 – 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top as well as the bottom.

These can be made ahead, baked, and then frozen. Defrost for about an hour, then bake in a 350 oven for 8 -10 minutes on a greased cookie sheet. Place sheet as high up in oven as possible.

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Brussels Sprouts - Three Ways

About a month ago, after receiving tomatoes from the co-op for several weeks and not eating them, I decided to freeze them. I blanched them, quartered them, used my fingers to remove the seeds, put them in a freezer bag and put them in the freezer. I froze them with the specific intention of PE making Meat Sauce. We all enjoy it when he makes this. To go with the Meat Sauce and spaghetti, I made Roasted Brussels Sprouts with the second batch of Brussels sprouts received from the co-op. The second batch consisted of small Brussels sprouts (similar in size to the frozen ones I was accustomed to) whereas the first batch from the week prior had been the size of a small plum.

With the larger Brussels sprouts we (PE) grilled them. Both versions were tasty and could be made with large or small Brussels sprouts. It is good to add more preparation methods to our regular Parmesan Brussels Sprouts. It was also great to learn I can handle using fresh versus frozen Brussels sprouts.

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts
from Redhead Recipes
Print Recipe

1 lb Brussels Sprouts
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese
balsamic vinegar

Cut the ends of the Brussels sprouts off. Peel away any yellow or brown leaves. Cut in half. Place in baking dish or cookie sheet and toss with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place in 400 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Top with grated Parmesan cheese or a light drizzle of balsamic vinegar (or both!).

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Grilled Brussels Sprouts
from Food.com (formerly Recipezaar)
Print Recipe

14 oz fresh OR frozen Brussels sprouts, thawed
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp onion powder

Mix butter, garlic salt and onion powder together and set aside. Thread Brussels sprouts onto metal skewers. Grill sprouts on medium low heat until they start to soften (about 10 minutes). Turn frequently and brush with the butter mixture every few minutes.

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Fourth of July 2010

Only 20 days later. That works for me. We really didn't do anything for the Fourth of July--that is how we do things. . . we just don't. I did want to have a traditional type dinner for the day that we technically "celebrated" on the fifth. In my mind a good Fourth of July meal is grilled hamburgers/hotdogs, macaroni salad, and ice cream. But before the meal came some fun with KLB.

Since it was a day off KLB and I spent the day making decorative balls. I believe that was the first day of three or so that we spent making those damn things. Truthfully, overall they weren't too bad. There were a few however that decreased the enjoyability of the process. The worst one of all was the braided twine balls. If you have never braided LONG pieces of twine. . . DON'T. By LONG I mean like 10 feet or more and by DON'T I mean never, at no time, not under any condition, forget it. I am not even joking about this. Ask KLB. She is NEVER going to braid twine again either. Sure the balls came out nice looking but not sure if the nice-looking factor outweighs the pain-in-the-butt factor. I will post more about the decorative balls another time.

Our day of decorative ball making had a big, bright, fun middle. The bright spot in the day was dinner. PE grilled hamburgers, Carrots with Thyme & Onions, and green beans. I had made Macaroni Salad and then Vanilla Bean Ice Cream for dessert.

The hamburgers were delicious as usual. The carrots and green beans were crisp tender and perfectly done. The macaroni salad totally fulfilled my craving for a creamy, not sweet, relatively plain macaroni salad. The ice cream was a three day process--not a difficult process but a waiting process. I made the custard on day 1 then put it in the refrigerator. I made the ice cream day 2 then put it in the freezer to harden. On day 3 we enjoyed the creamy goodness with Oreos and M&M's.

It was fun to have KLB over for the delicious meal and sad that her sister and dog couldn't join us. Hopefully they will both be able to join us for dinner another time.

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Macaroni Salad
adapted from Food.com (previously Recipezaar)
Print Recipe

2 cups macaroni
3 hard-boiled eggs
1 cup celery
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons dried red pepper
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 cup mayonnaise

Boil the macaroni and the eggs together in the same pot. Let cool. Dice the eggs. Throw it all in the bowl and mix together. Add chicken, tuna or shrimp to turn it from a side dish to a meal.

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Grilled Carrots with Thyme & Onion
from BigOven
Print Recipe

1 lb small carrots
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
4 tsp butter
2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
salt and pepper

Divide carrots between two pieces of foil large enough to fold into packets. Sprinkle evenly with onion, butter and thyme; season with salt and pepper to taste. Loosely wrap foil over vegetables, sealing tightly. Place on grill over medium-high heat; cook, turning once, for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender-crisp. Makes 4 servings

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Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Print Recipe

1 whole vanilla bean, split and scraped
3 cups half-and-half
2 cups sugar
8 whole (up To 9) large egg yolks
3 cups heavy cream

Heat half-and-half and 2 cups sugar in a saucepan over low heat, adding vanilla “caviar” to the mixture. (You can also drop in the scraped vanilla bean, just to extract all the flavor. Make sure to discard the bean before moving to the next step.) Turn off heat when mixture is totally heated. Beat egg yolks by hand or with an electric mixer until yolks are pale yellow and slightly thick. Temper the egg yolks by slowly drizzling into the 1 1/2 cups of hot half-and-half mixture, whisking constantly. After that, pour the egg yolk/half-and-half mixture into the pan containing the rest of the half-and-half mixture. Cook over low to medium-low heat (depending on how hot your stove gets) until quite thick, stirring constantly. Drain custard using a fine mesh strainer, then pour into a bowl with the heavy cream. Stir to combine. Chill mixture completely, then freeze in an ice cream maker until thick. Place container in freezer to harden for at least eight hours. Serve with something chocolate such as M&M’s or Oreos (chopped).

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Standard Summer Fare

Last night we ate the Simple Caribbean Jerk Chicken. In addition to the chicken we ate grilled green beans and salad. I decided I wanted to try a new salad dressing but since I decided to do that after the chicken was already on the grill I had to find one that didn't require hours of refrigeration. I settled on Yogurt Herb Salad Dressing. Dill is not PE's favorite; however, he ate it without complaint. The salad was a mixture of swiss chard (from the food co-op), lettuce from the garden (ours and the neighbors), and romaine lettuce (also, from the co-op).

For the grilled green beans I placed the fresh green beans in aluminum foil, drizzled them with sesame oil, minced some young garlic, and sprinkled some sesame seeds and kosher salt on them for good measure. I then wrapped the aluminum foil into a packet and PE put it on the grill for 10-15 minutes. Yummy, yummy in my tummy.

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Yogurt Herb Salad Dressing
adapted from allrecipes
Print Recipe

1 cup fat-free plain yogurt
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 Tbsp dried minced onion
1 1/2 tsp sweet & hot mustard
3/4 tsp dill weed
3/4 tsp Italian seasoning
3/4 tsp prepared mustard
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
1/8 tsp pepper
garlic powder, onion powder, and additional seasoned salt to taste

In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt, vinegars and honey. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

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More Co-op Goodness

A couple weeks ago I received 14 baby bok choy in my basket from the co-op. I have seen regular bok choy. I have heard of bok choy in Asian cooking. Maybe I have eaten it in some Asian food I have consumed. I have never prepared bok choy. I can't say I have even thought of preparing it. Once you are confronted with 14 heads of baby bok choy you quickly try to figure out different ways to prepare it. Two or three heads you probably only need one way to prepare it as they are small but 14 heads. . . you could get sick of it pretty quickly if it were prepared all the same.

For those of you wondering, bok choy is also known as Asian cabbage and can be prepared and eaten the same way you would eat cabbage. I found several recipes for salads but found the easiest way to get the bok choy eaten was to add it to our romaine salads or grill it. The first time we grilled it we cut it in half, washed it thoroughly, dried it, brushed half with olive oil and half with peanut oil, and PE then grilled it until the edges started to char. They were okay prepared that way. They seemed to be missing a little something. The second time we grilled them using the recipe at the bottom of the post. Much better. Very delicious. I think we could use the oil method and add some seasonings and it would turn out better.

One week later and we only have four heads left. I consider that quite the accomplishment. I guess I could freeze it and save it for soups (I heard it was good in soups) but we will probably just continue to eat it with our salads.

This last week was the first time we purchased a basket two weeks in a row. Previously we have been purchasing a basket every other week. With the warm weather and an attempt to eat better we had eaten most of the items from two weeks ago within that week. In reality, if our family of 4 1/2 (Bug is only at our house on weekends during the school year and every other week during the summer) were to eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables daily we should have no problem eating everything in a basket each week. I am willing to guess we would need to purchase additional items to supplement the basket.

In addition to the introduction of new fruits and vegetables I have really enjoyed the variety of fruits and vegetables we receive. Here is a listing of what I can remember receiving the last two weeks.

Week 1
Bok Choy
Romaine Lettuce
Tomatoes
Russet Potatoes
Apples
Blackberries
Peaches
Bananas
Red Grapes

Week 2
Romaine Lettuce
Red Potatoes
Apricots
Apples
Coconuts (Yes, plural. No, I am not going to cut myself.)
Celery
Broccoli
Green Beans
Bananas
Red Grapes

This was the first week we didn't eat out of the tote I bring the fruits and vegetables home in. (I am lazy sometimes.) As soon as we got home I washed the romaine lettuce, tore it into bite-sized pieces, and put it in a container with some bok choy. I washed the celery, cut the leaves off, cut the bottom off, cut the celery into 3" sticks and placed it into a container with water (Moo was very excited). I put the leaves in a freezer bag (we will use it when we make chicken stock) and put the ends in a container for the chickens. I washed the broccoli, removed the stems, and put the heads in a container. I put the stems in a freezer bag (not quite sure what I am going to do with them). I could have made broccoli slaw (like you can purchase in the grocery store) from them. I washed the green beans, snapped the ends off (put them in the container for the chickens), and put them in a container. All of the vegetable containers went in the refrigerator for quick and easy preparation and eating later on. I washed the grapes and put any gross looking ones in the chicken container and put them in the refrigerator. I didn't wash the apples or apricots figuring PE and I take ours to work and would wash them after transporting them and the kids can wash them as they eat them.

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Grilled Bok Choy
from allrecipes
Print Recipe

1 (2 lb) head of bok choy
1/4 cup melted butter
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp seasoned salt (such as LAWRY'S®)
1 tsp ground black pepper

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate. In a bowl, mix butter, garlic powder, paprika, and 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper. Slice the bottom off the head of bok choy, and remove and clean the stalks. Sprinkle seasoned salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper over both sides of the stalks. Lay the bok choy stalks on the preheated grill. Brush with seasoned butter mixture, cover the grill, and cook until the bok choy stalks show grill marks and the leaves are crisp at the edges, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the bok choy, brush with butter mixture, cover, and grill the other sides. Brush with any remaining butter mixture, and remove to a platter to serve.

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Thansgiving Contributions

We joined PE's family at his sister's house for Thanksgiving. Of his six siblings and their families only one niece was missing from the get together--that is amazing. We had a great time hiding in the corner visiting. The kids really enjoyed seeing their cousins. Our contributions to the dinner were Sweet Potatoes, Petite Corn with Wild Rice, Cream Cheese Cranberry Cake, and Honey Butter (in separate post).

The Sweet Potatoes are always a big hit. The leftovers reheat nicely. The Petite Corn with Wild Rice was a new dish and it was a nice change. I will make it again. The Cream Cheese Cranberry Cake was a hit too! The combination of the lemon with the cream cheese was wonderful. It remained moist for several days after.

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Sweet Potatoes
adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Print Recipe

4 whole medium sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 whole eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup flour
3/4 stick butter

Preheat oven to 375. Wash sweet potatoes. Peel and cut sweet potatoes into large pieces. Bake until fork tender, about 30-35 minutes. Add sugar, milk, eggs, vanilla extract and salt. With a potato masher, mash them up just enough—you don’t want to be perfectly smooth. In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, pecans, flour, and butter. With a pastry cutter or fork, mash together until thoroughly combined. Spread the sweet potato mixture into a regular baking dish and sprinkle the crumb mixture all over the top. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

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Petite Corn with Wild Rice
adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Print Recipe

2 cups cooked wild rice
3-4 cups frozen petite corn
1 cup heavy cream
6 Tbsp butter
2 whole eggs beaten
1-2 tsp kosher salt
cayenne pepper to taste
1/2 - 1 cup milk, for thinning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook wild rice according to package directions until almost done (use chicken broth or a mixture of chicken broth and water). Rice should still have a firm (but not crunchy) bite. Drain rice and allow to cool. Pour corn kernels into a large mixing bowl. Add in cream, butter, beaten eggs, salt and cayenne pepper. Stir together. Add in cooled wild rice, stirring gently. Splash in milk so that mixture is stirrable, but not overly juicy. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt or cayenne pepper if needed. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until just turning golden brown on top and the mixture is somewhat set.

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Cream Cheese Cranberry Cake
from Confections of a Foody Bride
Print Recipe

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 (8 oz) cream cheese, room temp
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp salt
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, tossed with 1 Tbsp flour
Whipped cream, optional

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a bundt pan with baking spray, coating well. Beat butter and cream cheese until combined. Add sugar and turn mixer to med-high and cream for 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time until combined. Add lemon juice and zest, almond extract, and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Turn mixer to low and add salt. Add the cake flour in two batches. Fold in the cranberries. Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake 60-70 minutes, until the cake has browned and a skewer inserted in the center comes out with only moist crumbs attached. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a rack and cool completely. Cover tightly overnight and enjoy the next day.

Three Words. . . Brown. Butter. Glaze.

I know I mentioned the Bananas and Cream Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Glaze in yesterday's National Bundt Day post. But I posted the post before making the cake which is just sad for you because I wasn't able to rave about the glaze. While I have several recipes for brown butter this and brown butter that, this is the first time I have made any of them which is just sad for me. Brown Butter Glaze is amazing. I could eat it on almost anything. Heck, I could eat it plain.

Before we ate the cake, I made dinner. We had grilled Marinated Chicken and Au Gratin Broccoli & Cauliflower. The Meat Marinade we used for the chicken has been a favorite in our family for years. The Au Gratin Broccoli & Cauliflower was a new side dish I decided to try.

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Meat Marinade
from Sparky
Print Recipe

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp lemon
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp oil
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce
2 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine. Let meat marinate over night. Great for chicken, steaks and stir fry meat.

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Au Gratin Broccoli and Cauliflower
adapted from The Sister's Cafe
Print Recipe

16 oz frozen broccoli and cauliflower florets
1/2 cup mock-mayonnaise
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tsp dried minced onion
1/4 tsp dried minced garlic
1 Tbsp sweet hot mustard
2 Tbsp panko breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 350. Stir together mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, minced onion, minced garlic, and mustard; set aside. Cover and steam florets 6-8 minutes until crisp tender. Drain well. Arrange florets in baking dish. Spoon cheese mixture over florets. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and Italian seasoning. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

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Then we ate cake. Today. . .the cake is now gone.

Our Favorite Enchiladas

We really enjoy enchiladas at our house. Whether they are beef, chicken, or shrimp. Corn tortillas or flour tortillas. Cream sauce, red sauce, or green sauce. We enjoy them all. Our favorite enchiladas by far are Honey-Lime Chicken Enchiladas. De.lic.ous.

I made Easy Creamy Corn to go with it and for dessert Moo made No Bake Cookie Bars.

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Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
from My Kitchen Cafe
Print Recipe

6 Tbsp honey
5 Tbsp lime juice (1 large lime)
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded
8-10 flour tortillas
1 lb. monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 oz green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream

Mix the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour. Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

++I didn't have any monterey jack cheese so I used cheddar and mozzarella--still delicious.

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Easy Creamy Corn
adapted from Cooking During Stolen Moments
Print Recipe

2 Tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 small onion, diced
2 cups frozen corn
season to taste with salt, pepper, cumin and garlic powder
2 Tbsp cream cheese
1 Tbsp sour cream

In a small skillet, melt butter or margarine. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add corn, season to taste and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in cream cheese until melted. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and serve immediately.

In a small skillet, melt butter or margarine. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add corn, season to taste and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in cream cheese until melted. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and serve immediately.

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No Bake Cookie Bars
from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures
Print Recipe

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups instant quick oatmeal
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup chocolate chips

Bring first four ingredients to a boil and cook 1 minute. Add vanilla, oatmeal, and peanut butter and stir until combined. Then stir in chocolate chips. Spread into a jelly roll/bar pan. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into squares.

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Boom Boom POW

For dinner last night we had Meat Sauce served over tortellini (from the freezer) with Parmesan Brussels Sprouts (recipe below) on the side. It was delicious.

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Parmesan Brussels Sprouts
from Sparky
Print Recipe

1 sm. bag frozen Brussels sprouts
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 - 1/4 cup Kraft Zesty Italian or Kraft Tuscan House Italian Dressing

Steam Brussels sprouts until tender (7-10 minutes). Place Brussels sprouts in a bowl and stir in Parmesan cheese and dressing. Serve. (Moo and Bug both enjoy when I serve this as the vegetable. No surprise that Bob won't touch them with a five-foot pole.)

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That is all I accomplished last night as I had a headache (hence the Boom Boom POW) that did not want to let go of my head. I have high hopes for tomorrow evening being productive as I have fruit that won't last much longer than that and tonight I have my weekly "date" with KLB and the kids where I will be serving another meal from the freezer meal swap (really, I will tell you about it on or after Saturday).

A Cheesy Day

The kids and I had a pretty laid back day. We worked on chores, visited the local and University library for Bug. All in all, a pretty good day. (Hunting W. is bonding with nature while trying to get a deer.) This is what we had for dinner. We ate early so I think I may find a yummy dessert to make.

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Yellow Squash Puree Macaroni and Cheese
from Everyday Food Storage
Print Recipe

2 cups elbow macaroni
1/3 cup Magic Mix
1/2 cup water
1 cup yellow squash puree
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
4 oz cream cheese (can be reduced fat or non-fat)
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the macaroni and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander. while the macaroni is cooking, combine Magic Mix and water in a saucepan. Stir rapidly over medium heat until it starts to bubble and thicken. add the squash puree, cheddar, cream cheese, and seasonings, and stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Stir in the macaroni and serve warm. Tomatoes can be added. Garnish with a little paprika and grated cheese.

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Broiled Zucchini with Cheese
from What's for Dinner?
Print Recipe

1 zucchini, 10-12 inches long
seasoned salt
finely grated cheese, enough to cover zucchini

Preheat broiler and put rack into middle position. Wash zucchini and cut off ends. Cut into crosswise slices (the thinner the slices the shorter the cook time). Spray a large round or rectangular baking sheet with non-stick spray. Cover baking sheet completely with zucchini rounds, putting them as close together as possible. Sprinkle with season salt. Completely cover top of zucchini with grated cheese. Broil until cheese is browned and zucchini is tender, about 5-10 minutes depending on thickness of slices. Serve immediately.

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I may be back later with another recipe.

Birthday Menu

Randomness ensues on birthdays around our house. When Moo was younger we would have Cheese on Top of the Mountain (hotdogs, mashed potatoes, cheese), Homemade Macaroni and Cheese, and Peaches and/or Pears bottled by Auntie Cooking W. (very specific on that point). Moo has transitioned from the foods of youth and has already requested her "dad's steak" for her birthday and since she has the day off from school I will be taking the day off and making Aebleskivers for her for breakfast. I will write more about those when the time comes (September 30).

For now we will concentrate on the randomness that was Bob's fifth birthday.

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Ham Fried Rice
from Sparky
Print Recipe

2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
4 cups water
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 – 2 cup cubed ham (you can also use shrimp, chicken, or a combination of all 3)
diced veggies or peas (optional)
3 eggs, beaten
soy sauce

Cook rice according to package directions (with long-grain white rice it is usually 2 cups rice to 4 cups water, but if your package directions are different, cook it accordingly). Heat sesame oil and vegetable oil in a LARGE skillet over medium-high heat and stir in onion. When onions become clear and light brown, add garlic. When garlic is lightly browned, add ham and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until ham is nice and hot. Add veggies (optional) and cook until veggies are tender. Stir in beaten egg and cook until egg is scrambled and firm. Add cooked rice to skillet and mix in thoroughly. Stir in soy sauce (use just enough to get it LIGHT brown more can always be added later). Serve immediately.

++We don't add veggies to the fried rice because this happens to be Bob's favorite meal and I have to take what I can get with that kid. If he only knew he was eating onions. We serve veggies on the side and that is just as good for the rest of the family.

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Crock-Pot Rotisserie Chicken
from Sparky
Print Recipe

1 whole roasting chicken
olive oil
season salt (or other desired seasonings)

Make 4 or 5 loose balls of aluminum foil and place in bottom of crock pot. Clean chicken inside and out. Rub with olive oil inside and out. Sprinkle generously inside and out with seasoned salt. Put chicken back-side down in crock pot (on top of foil balls). Cook on high 4-6 hours. Transfer chicken to a baking dish and place under your broiler for a few minutes until the skin looks nice and crispy. Reserve leftover juice, bones, and chicken for chicken soup (recipe to follow in a different post).

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Steamed Broccoli with Lime Dressing
from The Sisters' Cafe
Print Recipe

1 1/4 lbs broccoli (1 large bunch)
1 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp sesame oil
coarse salt

In a large pot fitted with a steamer basket, bring one inch of water to a boil; add broccoli in a single layer. Cover and steam until tender, about five minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together lime juice and sesame oil; season with salt. Add broccoli to dressing, toss lightly to coat. Serve immediately.

++This was delicious. The combination of lime juice and sesame oil was wonderful.

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Fluffy Yellow Layer Cake
from Annie's Eats
Print Recipe

2 1/2 cups cake flour, plus extra for dusting pans*
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp table salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
10 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature**
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 large egg yolks plus 3 large egg whites, at room temperature

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°. Grease two 9-inch cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper. Grease paper rounds, dust pans with flour, and knock out excess. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1 1/2 cups sugar together in large bowl. In 4-cup liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and yolks. In clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites at medium-high speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. With machine running, gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar; continue to beat until stiff peaks just form, 30 to 60 seconds (whites should hold peak but mixture should appear moist). Transfer to bowl and set aside. Add flour mixture to now-empty mixing bowl fitted with whisk attachment. With mixer running at low speed, gradually pour in butter mixture and mix until almost incorporated (a few streaks of dry flour will remain), about 15 seconds. Stop mixer and scrape whisk and sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium-low speed and beat until smooth and fully incorporated, 10 to 15 seconds. Using rubber spatula, stir 1/3 of whites into batter to lighten, then add remaining whites and gently fold into batter until no white streaks remain. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans. Lightly tap pans against counter 2 or 3 times to dislodge any large air bubbles. Bake until cake layers begin to pull away from sides of pans and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 20-22 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen cakes from sides of pan with small knife, then invert onto greased wire rack and peel off parchment. Invert cakes again and cool completely on rack, about 1 1/2 hours.

*Cake flour substitute - For one cup cake flour, sift together 3/4 cup all purpose flour and 2 Tbsp cornstarch. If you are interested in the difference between the types of flours, read this.

**Buttermilk substitute - For one cup buttermilk, pour 1 Tbsp into glass measuring cup, then pour milk in to measure one cup.

++This cake was pretty easy. Baking it the day after the Vanilla Cream Cheese Cupcakes worked out great because that recipe called for the other three egg whites that weren't used for this recipe. While I could freeze the whites, I am pleased that I didn't have to.

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Easy Vanilla Buttercream
also from Annie's Eats
Print Recipe

20 Tbsp (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp heavy cream

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add confectioners’ sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds. Scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds. Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice. Add color if desired.

++Oh. my. goodness. The frosting is fabulous!! The cake was quite good but oh, the frosting. I might be able to eat it plain. (I didn't try because if I actually could that would be a very bad thing.) I have had/made buttercream before and this completely put anything I have eaten or made to shame. Of course it is pretty easy to put store purchased icing to shame. . .ick.

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Everything turned out great and we enjoyed Nana's company. One more post to wrap up a few loose recipes and then I will not be behind anymore.