Eggs-tra

I opened the fridge this afternoon to take stock and start thinking about dinner tonight. Whereupon I discovered we had 4 dozen eggs in there, tucked away in the back. This confused me for a bit. I love eggs, and I can be a bit impulsive at the grocery store, but even I don't usually buy that many. Then I remembered - we spent Easter Sunday running around like maniacs trying to save front teeth instead of dying eggs in the backyard. Good times.

The upside was that the discovery inspired an incredibly easy but yummy dinner - ham biscuits, deviled eggs, and salad. Which, incidentally, goes perfectly with a G&T. Who knew.

Everybody's Working for the Weekend

Just in time for the weekend, Attorney Mom blogs a fabulous menu. Get your grill on.
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It really WAS good advice! When I was growing up, my mother had two maxims about eating. First, make sure all of the food on your plate is colorful. Second, enjoy dessert, but just a little. Those two rules have stood me in excellent stead throughout my life, and of course while I try to follow them each meal, there are exceptions, like my current favorite summer dinner! (If, dear reader, you can’t sleep at night for the lack of color and true vegetable, just add your favorite green thing!)

Here is what is making my family happy this summer- for my husband, who likes to grill, my two kiddos, who love anything that takes a squirt of ketchup, and my two big dogs, who get the leftover burgers for assisting so admirably with the grill duties:

Hamburgers: I mix a pound of ground beef, 3 mild Italian sausages (take out of casing), 1 t. dry thyme, 1 t. dry oregano, salt (1/2 t.), pepper (1/2 t.) and an egg together, and voila! They just taste SO good! (Editor's Note: OMG. This is essentially a sausage burger. Genius. Because it is my firm belief there is nothing in this world that can't be improved with a little sausage. Can't wait to try these.)

Corn on the cob: We learned this secret while we were honorary Texans living in Austin! Prepare fresh corn (Place corn in water, just to cover the ears. Do NOT add salt. Boil water for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes. Done!) and lightly coat each ear with butter, garlic salt, and Parmesan cheese. Now, those fearless Texans may also add a light sprinkle of Cajun spices to this mix- yeehaw, right?

Baked beans: To be honest, there are a million ways to gussy up a plain old can of baked beans, but I really really just like Van de Camps original! So that is what we do.

Fruit: Cherries, pineapple, or any other delicious fruit in season! Here is a delicious dip for your fruit: ½ cup sour cream, 2 tbls. brown sugar (or more or less to taste), and a dash of vanilla.
Enjoy!

A Menu For You

I was talking to Atlanta Mom today, and she commented that she finds it much harder to cook in the summer than the rest of the year. I totally agree. Not just because it's so hot that it's hard to make yourself turn on the oven or stand over a stove (side note: I've never understood how grilling outside solves this problem. It's just as sweltering outside, and then you stand over a fire?! I don't get it. I'd much rather grill in the spring and fall.), but also because our routine is completely thrown off. We make more weekend beach trips, we have more company, we meet friends for impromptu dinners at the pool. We're outside more often, which means I have less time to be inside cooking, and I'm not searching as hard for activities for the boys, which means I'm not planning meals or foods they can cook with me as our afternoon entertainment. Overall, it's just harder to plan.

That said, here's a great summertime menu for you. It just feels like summer to make and eat it, which I love.

Oven roasted shrimp: 1 lb wild shrimp (please! no farmed shrimp!), peeled and deveined. Toss with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast on baking sheet in oven at 400 degrees for exactly 8 minutes. (If you peel and devein your shrimp the night before, put them in a resealable baggie and then on top of a bowl of ice in the fridge. Then when you come home from work the next day, it's the easiest and fastest thing in the world to toss them with the olive oil, salt and pepper, and throw them in the oven)

Serve with sliced tomatoes and fettuccine tossed with pesto. Given my over-achieving basil plant, I've tried a lot of pesto recipes out there, and this one is truly the best. But that said, the high quality jar stuff can be pretty darn good as well.

Happy eating!

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Whew. I am a traveling fool these days. Miami for 4 days last week, Atlanta for 3 days this week, and then Charleston this weekend. Not much time for cooking! But I did get to play sous chef this week at Atlanta Mom's house, which was so much fun. Since I don't have a husband who cooks, I rarely cook with someone else. It was a real pleasure to pour some wine, chop some veggies, marinate some shrimp, and catch up for a bit. Here's what we have determined is the absolute perfect summer meal:

Barefoot Contessa's grilled shrimp served over mixed greens tossed with mustard vinaigrette
Crusty french bread
Sliced tomatoes with fresh mozzerella and basil
Crisp and well-chilled white wine
Blondie brownies

Load up with bug spray, head outside, and enjoy. Heaven.

Off to unpack one bag and pack up another. Happy eating!