Another Leave of Absence!

Hello readers, I am taking another temporary leave of absence from the blog. Life is so crazy that blogging has become another thing on my to-do list, instead of a creative outlet, so I've got to call it quits for the time being. I'll be back at some point.

Oh What A Beautiful Morning

I have had the most fabulous accidental morning. I forgot to set my alarm last night. Usually this is not a big deal, because I either wake up on my own when it would normally go off, or DH's alarm wakes me up. I like to get up a solid 45 minutes before the kids do, so I have time to get myself dressed, start their breakfasts, and have a moment to savor a cup of coffee before chaos reigns. No such luck this morning - I didn't wake up until I heard the pitter patter of little boy feet on the stairs. Yikes!! Let me tell you, there is nothing like an extra 45 minutes of sleep and the shot of adrenaline you get when you realize you've overslept to knock you into high gear.

And here's the best part: Carpool Mom was driving this morning. Usually I drive on Thursdays, but this has been a juggling week for her, so she was taking the kids in. This meant that not only did I have 45 extra minutes of sleep this morning, I also had a full extra hour to do what ever I wanted before sitting down to work. Let me tell you, once I got those kids out the door, I have been a crazy woman. I changed the duvet cover on the guest bed. I straightened some bookshelves that have been bothering me. I started laundry. I made beds. I packed up summer clothes and put them away. I put away dishes, wiped down counters, and responded to some overdue emails. Now a quick blog post. All without a second cup of coffee. Whew! I'm going to wear myself out.
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Our family is a big group of lasagna fanatics. I make 3 different versions, depending on what we're in the mood for. I've blogged spinach lasagna before, which is my go to version when I'm on a This Family Has Got To Eat More Veggies kick. I also have my mother-in-law's lasagna recipe, which is a classic, hearty, meaty version (I promise to post it down the road). And we love (of course) Ina Garten's turkey sausage lasagna. That's the one I made last week, and we dove into it so fast I didn't get to take a picture of it before it was cut. Which I do realize makes it appear as if I've posted a picture of our dirty dishes, instead of our fabulous dinner. Sorry. Here's the recipe. It does wonderfully if you make it the day before, and I've also made it ahead and frozen it (before baking). Love it love it.

Turkey Lasagna
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree (I like Muir Glen or Cento)
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound lasagna noodles
15 ounces ricotta cheese
3 to 4 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced (Fresh mozzarella can be tricky to slice. I've learned that a long serrated bread knife does the best job, just saw it back and forth very gently rather than trying to cut straight down. You'll get gorgeous thin slices this way.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a large (10 to 12-inch) skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork (I find it helpful to break it up with my fingers first a bit, before adding it to the pan), for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.

Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain. (Tip: The recipe will use 9 lasagna noodles. When you're prepping the noodles, put 2-3 extra in the hot water in just in case one tears or you have a corner of the pan that needs a little more noodle.)

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, the egg, the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozzarella, half the ricotta, and one 1/3 of the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and finally, sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.

Kiss My Grits!

I don't know what to do with myself. After school activities are in full swing now, and Mondays is karate day. The beauty of karate day is that our oldest takes karate at school. Which means no rushing to the car pool line and then rushing somewhere else (it also means his poor little brother is stuck in aftercare for a while longer, but an extra hour of playground time never hurt a kid). Which also means I have an entire extra hour on Mondays to do something incredibly productive, like write a blog post.

When I was in Atlanta last week (and DH and the kids were eating bagels for dinner), Atlanta Mom and I made this shrimp and grits recipe. Let me just say, I am a total and complete shrimp and grits snob. It's amazing how many people get it flat out wrong, and try to turn it into something fancy. But leave it to Paula Deen, she of Savannah fame, to get it just right. This is the perfect shrimp and grits recipe, quite possibly the best I've ever had. Sorry no picture - we inhaled it so fast no one thought to document it.

Shrimp and Creamy Cheddar Grits
6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped (might want to make it 7 slices if you can't help yourself from snacking on it once it's sitting there on the counter, all chopped and tantalizing...)
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning (Atlanta Mom got Paula's recommended Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning, and it had some serious kick to it. We decided we might dial this back a bit next time.)
1/2 cup dry white wine (Whatever you're drinking that night)
1 pound large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined (wild caught, not farmed!)
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives (I think we left these off. We didn't miss them.)
Creamy cheddar grits (recipe follows)

Cook your bacon, set aside. Once it cools, chop it up and force yourself not to just eat it then and there. Drain the pain, leaving about 1-2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings in the pan. Add peppers, garlic, and Creole seasoning, and cook 2 minutes. Add wine, cook 2 more minutes. Make sure heat is on medium-high, and add the shrimp until pink and firm. Do not over cook! They should take about 2-3 minutes to cook. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice and chives. Serve over cheddar grits and sprinkle with the bacon. Delish!

Cheddar grits
32 ounces chicken broth (either a box of Kitchen Basics, or your own homemade, if you have it)
1 cup water
1 cup stone ground white grits (All Southern cooks have their favorites; I love Bob's Red Mill Grits) (Do not use instant or any kind that are not stone ground.)
1 cup half and half
1 1/2 cups shredded extra sharp white cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper (Paula calls for white pepper, which is very popular when you use the white cheddar cheese with the grits, but I don't think it makes a bit of difference in cooking and wouldn't buy some just for this. Regular black pepper is fine.)

In a medium saucepan, combine chicken broth and water, bring to a boil. Add grits, stir until combined. Return to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently for an hour. Stir in half-and-half, cook for 45 minutes or until desired consistency. Remove from heat, add cheese, butter, and pepper. Stir well. Ladle into bowls, top with the shrimp, and ENJOY.

The Best Laid Plans

Dear Readers, I really, really do try to be consistent about my posting. My goal is always to post at least twice each week, and three times if I'm feeling especially verbose. But little things like work, sweet boys, DH, errands, household chores, socializing, and exercising always seem to get in the way of sitting down and writing about food.

This week is a classic example of the days getting away from me. For those of you eagerly following my menu planning, here's what the week was supposed to look like:
Sunday: Chicken stew with biscuits
Monday: Leftovers (chicken stew is even better the next day!)
Tuesday: Pan fried flounder, green beans, rice (or, in cold weather, chili on rice or baked potatoes)
Wednesday: Spinach lasagna
Thursday: Steaks, salad, potatoes (with hot dogs for the kiddos)
Friday: Pizza night

Here's what it really looked like:
Sunday: I left for Atlanta to work there for a couple days this week. DH fed the kids cereal for dinner.
Monday: Still in Atlanta. DH fed the kids bagels for dinner.
Tuesday: Walk in the door from Atlanta just in time for dinner. Thank goodness for my mother, who stopped by earlier in the day and put a casserole in the oven for us.
Wednesday: No one has gone to the grocery store for a week. The kids had waffles for dinner. DH had a peanut butter sandwich. I abandoned them all again and ate dinner with my book club.
Thursday: Today. Still no grocery store run. Thankfully we got a farmbox delivery today, so we at least have a few vegetables in the house and a nice fresh loaf of ciabatta bread. I hear a frittata calling our names...
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I am SO behind on posting recipes, and I have some good ones lined up! This one is from our friend (and one of my husband's partners) Jennifer. It is FABULOUS. She served this at a dinner party a few weeks ago with rice, roasted asparagus, and salad. So amazingly yummy.

Shrimp Dejonghe (a family favorite for at least 40 years now)

2 cups white bread crumbs
2-4 cloves garlic, minced (I use 4)
1/3 cup chopped parsley with extra set aside for garnish
1 cup melted butter
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Dash cayenne pepper
2/3 cup cooking sherry
7-8 cups shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails off (approximately 4 lbs)

Boil shrimp until just done (Editorial note: that should be no more than 3 minutes at the most) and spread on the bottom of a greased baking dish. Set aside.

Melt butter. Add garlic, parsley, paprika, cayenne pepper, and sherry. Mix well. Add breadcrumbs to the liquid mixture at the last minute. Toss gently with hands (do not stir with spoon because it will make the mixture too "pasty.") Spread this mixture on top of the boiled shrimp. Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley toward the end of the baking.

I usually do all of the chopping by hand just for the joy of preparing and cooking food but it can be easily and quickly done with the aid of a food processor if you're in a hurry. Just do the breadcrumbs first to keep them dry as long as possible.

Enjoy!

Week 4, Out the Door

Um, hello? Where did this week go? Here it is Thursday night, and I swear just a second ago it was last week. Labor day weekend totally threw me off, and this week has flown by (perhaps I should pretend I have another vacation coming up in a few weeks - that made time come to a screeching halt).

That means this post is too late to do anyone any good if you were hoping for dinner ideas for this week. Sorry. But now you've got a menu planned just in time for next week!

Here's what we did this week:

Sunday (a Labor day cookout, but since all of this can be made ahead of time, this is actually a great weeknight menu plan): Ribs, potato salad (since my sister-in-law and her family were visiting I made her mother's famous potato salad, but if it were a regular week I'd just do baked potatoes), green salad, watermelon

Monday: Shrimp stir fry (this was a new recipe for me and we loved it, I'll post it before too long)

Tuesday: I don't know what we did Tuesday. It was a blur. Seriously, I can't remember any details of that day, even though it was just 2 days ago. I'd be more concerned if only I could remember to be. My menu plan says we were supposed to have chicken burritos but I do feel fairly confident we didn't.

Wednesday: Lasagna, salad (another one that's easy to make ahead of time and just pop in the oven) (I have lots of lasagna recipes. One of our very favorite foods. I'll post these soon, as well. Wow, I'm feeling behind.)

Thursday: More lasagna. It's a big recipe. More salad.

Friday: Pizza night!
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I am well behind on my posting. Stay tuned for more...

Not Lost In Translation

This is one of those evenings when I'm so tired I am having trouble staying upright. It's only 8:30pm as I type this, yet I could so happily crawl into bed and fall asleep right this very moment. But, dear readers, I promised you shrimp pizza, and shrimp pizza you shall get.

This pizza is one of our all time, very favorite meals. I have been making this forever, and it's one of my husband's most requested dinners. But since we've been on this grilled pizza kick, I haven't made it. Honestly, I was worried it wouldn't do as well on the grill, since the shrimp needs time to cook, and all the pizzas I do on the grill are pretty quick-cooking. But we were missing it, and shrimp season will be over before too long, so I decided to try it last week.

Hello, fabulous.

It was so good. Better, even, than in the oven. The downside is that the prep for it is a smidgen time consuming. But I promise it's worth it. If you don't want to grill your pizza, this does great on one of the thin Boboli crusts you can buy at the grocery store.

Ingredients

12 large, wild caught shrimp, peeled and deveined, and cut in half horizontally (as if you meant to butterfly them and got carried away) (this makes the shrimp thinner, which helps it cook more quickly on the pizza)

3 Tablespoons butter

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro

1 shallot, finely chopped

pinch of ground pepper

1/3 cup of good white wine - whatever you're going to be drinking with the pizza that night

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 chicken boullion cube

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 white onion, finely sliced (the thinner the better so it will cook a bit on the grill)

Directions

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in sauce pan over medium heat. Add shallot, garlic, and cilantro and cook until light brown. Stir often so it doesn't burn! Add pepper, wine, and lemon juice. Cook approximately another 5 minutes, stirring often - you want the liquid to reduce down so it's a bit thick. Remove from heat, and whisk in the last 2 tablespoons of butter (now might be a good time to put your cardiologist on speed dial) (hmmm...I know a good one if you need a recommendation...)

Follow instructions for grilled pizza. Once you flip to the second side, quickly brush on your butter/wine/lemon sauce. Top pizza with the shredded cheese, then shrimp, then onion. Close your grill, and if you're using a gas grill, turn the heat down to low. Leave covered for 8 minutes or until shrimp are a lovely pink and no longer translucent at all. Do not overcook! You may want to check the pizza crust once or twice to make sure it's not burning and scoot it over to a cooler spot on the grill if it gets a little scorched.

Happy Labor Day weekend!

Week 3

Why oh why did I not do this years ago? I was always a Meal Planning Skeptic. Yes, if I was very organized, I would plan a week's worth of meals. And sometimes I would plan a week's worth, and Atlanta Mom would plan a week, and then we would swap so we each got 2 weeks out of the bargain. But whenever I heard someone say "I plan out a month's worth of meals at a time," my snarky little brain would immediately think, "I don't even know what I'll be doing in a month, so why would I know what I'm eating?"

Well, news flash. In a month, or six weeks, or whenever, I think I can assume with confidence that I'll be doing pretty much the same thing I'm doing now: Working. Driving carpool. Juggling soccer practice and sight words. Planning a small dinner party. Trying to fit in some exercise. Grabbing the occasional tennis game or lunch out. Meeting with clients.

In other words, my life is not quite as spontaneous and varied as I might lead myself to believe. Which brings me back to meal planning. I'm telling you, dear readers, having these meals planned out is a weight lifted off my Sunday afternoon shoulders. And here's the bonus: we are somehow saving about $100 per week, or more. Part of it is easy to understand - we have cut out the "I have nothing in the house let's just eat out" $50 meal. A smidgen more baffling is that for the past 3 weeks, my grocery bill is $50 - $75 less than usual. I don't know why this is, since I'm cooking more, but I'm guessing that I am throwing fewer random extraneous items in the cart in the hopes they'll magically transform themselves into dinner (impulse buying at the grocery store is admittedly a weakness of mine, so perhaps I've found a way to combat it?).

All that said, I'm sure you are now on pins and needles for this week's menu:

Monday: Pork chops and rice, salad
Tuesday: Roasted chicken leg quarters, mac and cheese, roasted vegetables
Wednesday: Spaghetti and meatballs, salad
Thursday: Roasted shrimp, pesto pasta, whatever veggies come in our farmbox
Friday: Pizza

Coming up next: Shrimp Pizza!

Thank You and You and You

This post is really a quick shoutout to my Mom, Gran, and Uncle Jon, who over the years have collected on my behalf the most gorgeous pieces and knick-knacks for my table. Unlike the three of them, I am not a collector (DH will attest that he tends to hide things from me so I won't throw them out) (seriously, what does one need with a box full of Boy Scout badges? I just don't get it). My eyes glaze over and my body slumps at the words "estate sale," "antiquing," or (shudder) "yard sale." But lucky for me, I come from excellent hunter and gatherer stock, and I am always appreciative when it means I can set a beautiful table with the pretties they have found me over the years.

Week 2

We are now into week 2 of my six weeks of menus. All I have to say is - wow. What a nice thing to have already done with absolutely no thinking required. Every once in a while I'll remember a family favorite that didn't make the six week plan because I just didn't think of it while sitting there on the plane, so I'm jotting those down. If I'm lucky I'll get a 7th week, and stretch the time between repeats even a bit more.

Here is this week's plan:

Monday: Greek lasagna, Greek salad (Last time I made the lasagna I froze half of it, so this is already in the freezer waiting for me. Just need to make the salad - perfect for a Monday).
Tuesday: Grilled shrimp, baguette, and salad or tomato soup and grilled cheese (this week it will be grilled shrimp, of course!)
Wednesday: Apricot pork chops and green beans
Thursday: Chicken and black bean quesadillas, with whatever veggies come with our farmbox delivery. (If I have to drop a planned meal, which often happens as unexpected things pop up during the week, this is the meal that we'll skip)
Friday: Pizza night!

Happy eating!

One Fish, Two Fish

Here we are in Week 1 of my fabulous meal planning, and I'm already making changes. I promised the recipe for fish tacos, and that's next, but I'm also including my recipe for black beans and rice, which I ended up serving with the tacos instead of the avocado. Avocados are temperamental little buggers, no? And lesson learned - not a good side to plan to serve with fish unless you buy them ripe the day you plan to eat them. I bought 3 on Sunday (at the ridiculously dear price of $1.29 each, ugh) but they weren't quite ripe on Monday. Any other meal I would just push back a day, but not so much fish...don't need that sitting around the fridge, waiting on a few fussy avocados to be ready for the party. But all's well that ends well, because I spied a can of black beans in the pantry and remembered how much we all love black beans and rice, and that worked out much better.

First, the fish tacos. (Side note: I love tacos for family dinners in general. Serving tacos lets me feed the whole family the same meal, but everyone can fix them exactly how they like them. Makes it easy to make everyone happy). These are so easy it's not even a real recipe. This is per taco.
Ingredients:
1 small flour tortilla
1 cod fillet (about an inch thick)
One generous pinch of taco seasoning (I just used good old McCormick)
One lime slice
Your toppings of choice: diced tomato, shredded Mexican cheese blend, shredded iceberg lettuce, sour cream, salsa
Directions:
Wash fish and pat dry. Sprinkle both sides of the fish with taco seasoning, squeeze lime juice over the fish. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add a small pat of butter and about one tablespoon of vegetable oil (not olive oil). Add fish, cook approximately 4 minutes. Flip, cook approximately 2 minutes on the other side. (Cooking time with fish is the hardest thing to get right. You want your fish cooked all the way through, to the point that it flakes easily but isn't dry). Remove from heat, let stand for a minute or two, and then flake with a fork. Build your taco as desired.

Next, black beans and rice. I've blogged a different recipe for these before here, which is naturally delicious, but after playing around with the recipe some more over the past few months, I actually like this one a bit better.
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 gloves garlic, minced
Red pepper flakes, according to taste. (I try not to make this too spicy so the boys will eat it, so I do just a pinch. If I weren't making it for little ones, I'd make it a generous pinch, or maybe 2)
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup long grain rice
1 teaspoon salt
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed.
Heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Saute onion until translucent. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 2 minutes more, stirring frequently. Add water, rice, black beans, and salt. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and simmer until all the water is absorbed. (Note - I often have to add just a bit more water to get the rice and beans to the slightly-overcooked-consistency that seems to make them taste just right).

Enjoy!

Barefoot in Bermuda

We have just returned from the most fabulous, relaxing, rejuvenating vacation ever. 5 days in Bermuda to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary, and we did nothing but move from restaurant to beach to restaurant to pool to restaurant to beach...you get the idea. I read 10 books, slept 9 hours each night, and occasionally stepped foot in the fitness center. I came home 5 pounds heavier physically but 20 pounds lighter mentally.

On the plane coming home I was a bit bored with my one remaining book, so I did something astounding. I planned a full 6 weeks worth of meals. It was surprisingly simple. Each week I really only need 4 dinner ideas, because we have pizza every Friday night, at least one night each week DH works and the boys and I eat sandwiches or leftovers, and we generally eat out at least one night. So I made a list of 6 each of my family's favorite chicken dinners, beef/pork dinners, pasta dinners, seafood dinners, and soup dinners (the seafood and soups will be alternatives for each other - right now when it's still hot there's nothing better than a light fish dinner, but when cold weather comes soup will hit the spot). Then using those lists I started making menus for each week, playing with the combinations so we had a good balance. (Ahh, the luxury of not flying with small children who require entertainment). And voila! Suddenly I had 6 weeks planned, and there's no reason at the end of the 6 weeks we can't just start right over at the beginning. If I am insanely organized, I can even double some of the recipes when I make them the first time, freeze them, and have them ready to go when their turn circles back around.

Here's this week's menu:

1) Atlanta Mom's Chick Pea Pasta, salad
2) Fish tacos with avocado slices (recipe to follow later!) OR butternut squash soup and cheese toast (this week we are doing the fish tacos, but on the next round we'll likely do the soup)
3) Cheeseburgers with oven fries, corn, salad
4) Roasted chicken, macaroni and cheese, peas.

Friday night pizza will be my favorite pesto and chicken pizza using the leftover chicken for the adults, and the usual pepperoni for the kiddos.

Happy eating!

This Post is Brought to You by the Letter B

Books, blueberries, and Bermuda...that's what's on my mind these days!

First, a confession. I have a been a complete and total failure at keeping my family fed this summer. I have no real excuse. Yes, our schedule has been crazy and a little unpredictable. And yes, with kids out of school I'm not driving by my favorite grocery store as often (conveniently located right next to their school). But the real problem is that not one single time this summer have I sat down on Sunday and planned out the week's meals. Have dinner fixin's on hand isn't so tough - between a well stocked pantry, a weekly farmbox delivery, and a babysitter who doesn't mind making a grocery store run, I have at least something on hand all the time. It's the thinking time that I've been lacking, because it doesn't matter how many fabulous things I have in the pantry and fridge; I absolutely cannot come up with how to put them together when it's 5pm, we're all standing around in dripping bathing suits, tired and STARVING. I really need that list on the side of the fridge telling me what to make so I can just do it on autopilot. Without it, we've either been eating sandwiches at the pool, or DH has been grabbing take out on the way home from work. I am vowing to change my ways when school starts back in 2 weeks.
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But between now and then, I am going from being barefoot in Savannah to being barefoot in Bermuda...DH and I are heading out sans enfants to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary.
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In the meantime, I leave you with this fabulous recipe for blueberry cobbler from my friend Stacy, who started our book club (where we talk about our books for approximately 37 seconds and then move on to a month's worth of chatting and gossip). Stacy brought this cobbler to our last book club and it was fabulous, fabulous, fabulous. I emailed her afterwards and asked her for the recipe. Here's what she said:

I'm almost embarrassed to send the recipe b/c it is so easy to make, but not so healthy to eat. But if you're only enjoying it a couple times a month, I mean year, then it can't hurt, right?

I've been making this cobbler (without a recipe) since I was probably 5 years old. I will do my best to put it into a recipe format for you. This is probably the basic cobbler recipe that every Southern cook follows.

True Southern Blueberry Cobbler

1 cup self-rising flour (has to be self-rising, NOT all-purpose b/c it contains the leavening agents)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup whole milk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 stick butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the stick of butter in a 13x9x2 dish and melt in the oven.
While the butter is melting, mix the flour, milk, and sugar together with a whisk just until it is combined. After the butter is completely melted, spread the berries in the pan. Then add the milk, flour, sugar mixture on top. The butter may rise to the top, but it will be ok after it bakes. It usually takes about 20-30 minutes to bake, but it will vary depending on what size recipe you are making. Sorry I can't give you an exact time. It is ready when the top is golden brown and (like other baked goods) a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
***
Enjoy!

It's Too Damn Hot

...to cook. But not to enjoy summer!

Savannah has hit 100 repeatedly this week, with heat indexes between 115 and 120 all week long. I've officially declared the kitchen closed, and we are eating dinner at the pool until further notice.

I'll be back when the heat breaks.

Everybody's Working for the Weekend

Just in time for the weekend, Attorney Mom blogs a fabulous menu. Get your grill on.
***
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!

Cravin' Oatmeal Craisin Raisin

This is crazy for me, just crazy, but I am posting two dessert recipes in one week. We had dinner at my friend D's house last week (aka Carpool Mom), and I wanted to bring something sweet but not too sweet. So I stared at my pantry for a while until inspiration hit - oatmeal cookies with both raisins and craisins. This is essentially everyone's favorite oatmeal raisin cookie recipe, but with fewer oats and more raisins and cranberries. Delish! Serve these with a shot of milk at your next dinner party, and your friends (and children) will love you.

Oatmeal Craisin Raisin Cookies

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened (Note - this ridiculously hot summer is good for something after all! If you didn't take your butter out of the fridge in time for it to come to room temperature, just stick it on your back patio in the sun while you get the rest of your ingredients organized. Works like a charm.)

1 1/4 cups brown sugar (light or dark, it doesn't matter, just remember to pack it firmly when you're measuring it)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 1/2 cups oats (the old-fashioned kind, not instant or quick cooking)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350. Cream together butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs to the butter mixture, one at a time, and beat well after each one. Add the vanilla and beat well.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir to mix.

Add the butter mixture to the egg mixture and stir until just barely blended. Add the raisins and cranberries and stir gently. Scoop onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 14 minutes.

This recipe made roughly 2 dozen cookies. So yummy!

Just Desserts

I have discovered the most perfect summer dessert ever. I've said it before, I'll say it again, I really don't have much of a sweet tooth. (This is not really such a blessing, as I have an incurable cheeseburger-and-french-fry-tooth, so I think it all evens out). But I do love a good key lime pie, and it is always my dessert of choice in the summertime. (For a great recipe for it, see Attorney Mom's guest post here).

Several weekends ago, we were having company over, and I really needed a dessert that could be made ahead of time (I like to spend my Saturdays on the boat, not in the kitchen, thank you very much)! Flipping through my cookbooks - all 43 of them - I came across Ina Garten's recipe for frozen key lime pie that I've been meaning to try forever. I should not have waited so long. This recipe is perfect in every way. Easy to do, made ahead of time, gorgeous presentation, and so delicious. Cool, crisp, the right balance of tart and sweetness. Ah Ina, you never let us down.

Frozen Key Lime Pie

Ingredients
First - The Crust
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (9 crackers)
¼ cup sugar
6 Tablespoons butter, melted

Second - The Filling
6 egg yolks
¼ cup sugar
1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 Tablespoons lime zest
¾ cup lime juice from 4-5 regular limes or 8-10 key limes

Third - The Decoration
1 cup cold heavy cream
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla

Directions

For the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl. Press into a 9-inch pie pan, making sure the sides and the bottom are an even thickness. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely. (Note: my crust stuck to my pie pan a bit. Next time I make it I might spray the pie pan just a bit with cooking spray.)

For the filling, beat the egg yolks and sugar on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for 5 minutes, until thick. With the mixer on medium speed, add the condensed milk, lime zest, and lime juice. Pour into the baked pie shell and freeze.

For the decoration, beat the heavy cream on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until firm. Spoon or pipe decoratively onto the pie and decorate with lime. Freeze for several hours or overnight.

FABULOUS.

Salmon by the Seat of Your Pants

Seafood and I have had a love/hate relationship. For the longest time, I hated it, and had a hard time even trying it be be polite. Seafood restaurants were nothing but a source of stress for me, as I sat there eating saltine crackers and ordering the overcooked chicken. But after years of living on the coast, I now love it. Shrimp, tuna, salmon, scallops, flounder...YUM. Still, I struggle with the sustainability issues and mercury problems, which makes it hard for me to know what to order, what to buy, what is generally okay to eat. These days we stick primarily to shrimp (OH!! Have I ever blogged my shrimp pizza? I don't think so...stay tuned for that...) and flounder.

For a long time we were on a big salmon kick. It was one of the first fish I learned to eat, and would order it at restaurants and make it at home once/week. But, as often happens when you get on such a food kick, both of us are a little sick of it. So when I made this recipe the other night, I must admit I didn't really have much enthusiasm for it. That said, it was good, and if you're currently on a salmon kick, it's worth trying.

Okay, one more salmon confession.

I lost the recipe.


I swear it was in the kitchen with all my other "to be tried soon" recipes, and then it wasn't. So when I made it, I had to do it from memory, which is always a little suspect. But still, it came out good, and I've been making salmon long enough and often enough that I wasn't worried about the method.

Salmon by the Seat of your Pants
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
A dash of olive oil
1 garlic glove, minced
A dash of dried ginger (actually, I do remember the recipe called for fresh ginger, but my goodness, what could be more high maintenance? I don't have the patience for that)
Pinch of pepper
Bigger pinch of kosher salt
2 salmon fillets



Whisk it all together. The sauce should be just the slightest bit syrupy, so if it's not, add a bit more honey. Pour over the salmon and let sit for at least 30 minutes, I think all day would be fine. Preheat your broiler, and put the salmon on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Pop the salmon under the broiler for 7-9 minutes. Voila! Dinner is done.

Like a Big Pizza Pie

Dear readers, I have been terribly, terribly remiss about posting. And I am sorry! I am merely living up to our family motto of It's Always Something (seriously, I'm pretty sure that's what is written under the old family crest I have) (our other family motto, from the Fraser side, is Je Suis Pret. But I can't live up to that one). I was finally recovered from the Cold From Hell, we had a fabulous weekend, and then BOOM. Literally, BOOM. Lightning struck our house Sunday afternoon, and we've been dealing with the aftermath ever since (Hello new phone line, new sprinkler system timer system, new hot water heater, and new tivo box - I just can't think of anything I'd rather be spending money on than all of you). On top of that, I flew to Atlanta Monday for a lunch meeting, and got unexpectedly stuck overnight due to more storms. THE FUN NEVER ENDS. (On the upside, I did get to see Atlanta Mom - gotta love a friend who greets you in the middle of the night with clean pajamas, Aleve, and a brand new toothbrush).
***
On to better things. I am so enamoured of our grilled pizza, that I took pictures of it last weekend, to show you just how easy it is. In case you've forgotten, here are the quick steps.

(1) Roll out your pizza dough, super thin (to the delight of my boys, I actually toss mine to get it this thin, rolling it doesn't seem to do it for some reason). Brush one side of olive oil, place on grill olive oil side down (medium heat). Quickly brush the side that is now up with olive oil.













(2) Let it cook for 2-3 minutes, then flip.

(3) Put on your toppings - this past weekend we had the best farm box delivery yet, so our pizza is topped with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, peppers, onions, olives, and some pepperoni (yes, green peppers only on one side - little compromises like this make for Marital Bliss). Close the lid and let it cook another 4 minutes or so, until the cheese is nicely melted.

(4) Enjoy the best pizza you've ever had!

Company's Coming

Quick: what's your favorite company dish? The one that you know is fool-proof and a show stopper each time?

I have two. The first is paella, if I know the company likes seafood. But I don't know if the company we're having Saturday night is as crazy about seafood as we are (Actually, let's be truthful here. I don't even know their names. The husband is a work colleague of my husband, and I've never met him or his wife). So I'll likely be pulling out my other favorite tried and true Company And Other Special Occasions Dish, lasagna. But I'm poking around my cookbooks, wondering if there's something else out there I should consider. Ideas?

Back in the Saddle Again

WHEW. I have returned to the Land of the Living, and not a minute too soon. I woke up Saturday morning feeling human again, for the first time in 2 weeks, and we had a great holiday weekend. I can always tell how much fun we've had over the weekend by the state of our laundry room...right now it is strewn with beach towels, bathing suits, pitiful American flags, empty sunscreen bottles, and 2 coolers that need to be cleaned out. Must have been fun.

Now, though, back to reality. I am attempting to regain the upper hand with the laundry, mail, errands, exercise, and, most importantly, food. There's something about being sick that makes me abandon all attempts at feeding myself and my family balanced meals. We've pretty much been living on sandwiches, chips, and honey nut cheerios, with the occasional Chinese or pizza take out thrown in. Ugh. Not satisfying and not particularly healthy. My shorts are protesting today.

So here's the meal plan for the week, to get us back on track.

Tuesday: Rotisserie chicken, tortellini salad
Wednesday: Honey/soy glazed roasted salmon, brown rice, peas (this is a new salmon recipe for us, I'll post it if it turns out good)
Thursday: Spaghetti (whole wheat!) and meatballs, salad
Friday: Pizza night, and we're loading up on the veggies

Hope you all had a good Independence Day!

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

I feel cheated. Summer is my favorite season, the time of year when we are supposed to be spending every free minute outside engaging in some sort of water activity - pool, beach, boat, water slides, sprinklers. Instead, we are all spending the afternoons inside in front of the TV, thanks to the Head Cold From Hell (cue the mothering guilt, but I am in survival mode). Aren't these things only supposed to hit in the wintertime? Holy smokes I've been miserable. (Of course the boys, who brought this thing home in the first place, had about 3 days of the sniffles and then they were over it, while DH and I have been completely taken down. Typical.)
***
While lying on the couch moaning about my aching head, aching throat, cough, and fever (this cold is apparently a better multi-tasker than even I am), I stared for a while at our bookshelves. And came to the realization I am a cookbook addict. Despite ruthlessly purging when we moved to this house 3 years ago, I am still the proud owner of 43 cookbooks. Is that excessive? It seems like it might be...but there are still at least 4 at Barnes & Noble right now that are on my wish list.
***
No recipe today, since my dinner tonight consisted of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and cold medicine. But I'm sharing my latest food discovery: BelGioioso's tiny fresh mozzarella balls (pearls, I think they're called on the package). These are WONDERFUL for using in pasta salads or on homemade pizza. Just the right size.

Easy Peasy

I'm typing this through the fog of a summer cold. Ugh! Even our 5 year old, who normally has the immune system of steel, is sniffling. We've been living on ham sandwiches and watermelon, since making anything else seems like WAY too much effort. I have chicken broth in the freezer, but there's something terribly unappealing about soup when it's 105 degrees outside.

Here's an incredibly easy and fast dinner idea, courtesy of my mom. And oh so good! Pick up from the grocery store: Alfredo sauce (we like Buitoni or Classico), rotisserie chicken, bow tie pasta, sundried tomatoes (in oil), and pitted kalamata olives. Cook the pasta according to directions. Heat Alfredo sauce and shred the chicken (or use leftover beer butt chicken!). Toss with the pasta, olives, and sundried tomatoes. If you want to add a veggie, broccoli would be great in this.

Happy eating!

No Butts About It

Want to get a 5 year old boy in the kitchen with you? Here's a surefire way: make a recipe that has the word "butt" in it. Works every time.

"Beer butt chicken" is actually a recipe I've been wanting to make for years, but for whatever reason never tried it until a few weeks ago. I am absolutely a convert now. There are lots of recipes out there on the internet for this, but ultimately I just decided to do it like I would roast it in the oven. Here are the steps:

1) Rinse and pat dry a whole chicken, approx 5 pounds.

2) Open beer can, drink a few big gulps (or, if beer is not your drink of choice, just pour a little out so the can is not completely full). Set beer can into fancy grill beer-holder and place in the middle of a disposable tin pan (see picture).

3) Wiggle chicken onto beer can.

4) Brush all over with melted butter, and sprinkle liberally with seasoning of your choice (I used herbs de provence)

5) Heat grill to medium high heat. Place pan on grill, close lid, and grill for one hour and 15 minutes.

6) Enjoy! Ours was fabulous - crispy skin but moist and rich meat. There was no actual beer flavor we could discern, but the meat was wonderfully smokey. And we had perfect leftovers to use the next day for a pesto, mozzerella, and chicken pizza. So good!!

Morzo!

(Get it? More orzo? Oh I do crack myself up!!)

I am currently packing for my 4th trip in 4 weeks - and by "packing" I mean I am glaring at my ever trusty packing list, wondering why the swim diapers, shampoo bottles, books, flip flops, groceries and other necessities can't just pack themselves. You'd think they would have enough practice by now. We are headed to Charleston with the boys for Father's Day weekend, and looking forward to it. I just have to find the energy to actually get us there.

Atlanta Mom sends her favorite orzo recipe today, courtesy of Giada de Laurentis (also known around here as the Skinny Italian). Super simple for summer. Enjoy!

Orzo with Tomatoes, Feta, and Green Onions
Makes 8 servings
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 t. honey
1/2 c. EVOO
6 c. chicken broth
1 lb. orzo
2 c. red and yellow teardrop or grape tomatoes, halved
1 7-oz. package of feta cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 c. chopped fresh basil
1 c. chopped green onions
1/2 c. pine nuts, toasted

Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, and honey in small bowl. Gradually whisk in EVOO. Season vinaigrette with S and P. Can be made 2 days ahead (cover and chill). Bring broth to boil in large heavy saucepan. Stir in orzo, reduce heat to medium, cover partially, and boil until tender, but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Transfer to large wide bowl, tossing frequently until cool. Mix tomatoes, feta, basil, and green onions into orzo. Add vinaigrette; toss to coat. Season with S and P. (Can be make 2 hrs. ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) Add pine nuts; toss. Serve at room temperature. **I usually add roasted or rotisserie chicken to make it a one-dish dinner instead of a side dish!**

It's Greek to Me (Part II)

It is so stinkin' hot here in Savannah that I almost hesitate to post tonight's recipe, because who can be bothered to be at the stove and then turn on the oven when it's 104 degrees outside? Not only that, this is NOT a quick, weeknight dinner - best to make it on a Sunday afternoon. But we had this for dinner last week (with the Greek salad), and it's so fabulous I've decided it's worth sweating over. Here are my two tips for it. First, forget the whole milk and cream - just use skim milk. It takes a little longer to thicken up but otherwise you'll never notice a difference. Second, once I get the pasta, meat sauce, and bechamel all ready, I assemble it in 2 smaller pans - one for dinner that night or the next, and another one goes into the freezer for a crazy week later this summer.

Ina Garten's Pastitsio
Ingredients
For the Tomato Meat Sauce
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 large)
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound lean ground lamb
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 large cloves)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes in puree
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Bechamel:
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan or Kasseri cheese
2 extra-large eggs, beaten
2/3 cup Greek-style yogurt, such as Fage Total
3/4 pound small shells

Directions
For the sauce, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add the beef and lamb, and saute over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until it's no longer pink, crumbling it with the back of wooden spoon. Drain off any excess liquid, add the wine, and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the garlic, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, and cayenne, and continue cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40 to 45 minutes. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the bechamel, heat the milk and cream together in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until simmering. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly for 2 minutes. Pour the warm milk and cream mixture into the butter and flour mixture, whisking constantly. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until smooth and thick. Add the nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Stir in 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of the tomato and meat sauce, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the eggs and yogurt and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Don't over-cook because the pasta will later be baked. Drain and set aside.

Add the pasta to the meat and tomato sauce, and pour the mixture into a baking dish. Spread the bechamel evenly to cover the pasta and sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake for 1 hour, until golden brown and bubbly. Set aside for 10 minutes and serve hot.

It's Greek To Me (Part I)

First, let me warn my readers - I am typing this on very, very little sleep. My husband was working this weekend, so I took the boys on a trip with friends to their weekend place in Florida. Where my 2 year old was having such a good time, he decided to to party the entire weekend.

As in all frickin' night long.

Both nights.

Not crying, not fussing, just good old fashioned partying. Singing, dancing, wiggling away...all right next to me in the bed. I'm not proud to confess it reduced both me and my 5 year old to tears around 10:30 last night...one of us was wailing I just want to go to sleeeeeep...and it's possible it was me. (Have I ever mentioned I don't do well with sleep deprivation?)

We are now home, it's 8:22 as I type this, and the boys have been asleep for 2 1/2 hours. I am waiting only for the last load of wash to finish before I fall into a coma myself. All of this is to say, I make no representations or warranties as to the quality of this recipe or blog post.

***
Since it's about a million degrees out there, here's a nice crisp salad to keep you cool.

Greek Salad

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 Tablespoons good extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt, bigger pinch of pepper
1 head Romaine lettuce, torn and washed (I don't know who I think I'm kidding when I say "torn." I cut my lettuce with a knife. Yup, I do. I don't know what horrors are supposed to rain down on you when you do that, but our lettuce always seems to be fine, even days later)
1 English cucumber, sliced (These are the really long ones that are wrapped in plastic wrap at the grocery store. Slice it in half lengthwise, and then use a grapefruit spoon to scoop out the seeds in the middle. Then slice for your salad.)
Cherry tomatoes, halved (Or fabulous little tomatoes from your backyard garden that do infinitely better when I am out of town and my Mom stops by to water them - thanks, Mom)
Kalamata olives, pitted
Feta cheese

Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, and salt & pepper together in a large glass salad bowl. Add the veggies, olives, and feta cheese. Toss, and marvel that a salad could be so delicious and so simple.

Off to sleep, glorious sleep...

Grill, Baby, Grill (Part II)

I wrote earlier this week that we've become reacquainted with our grill after taking a break from each other, and oh what a rekindling of love it has been (pun totally intended, thank you very much).

Friday night is our family's pizza night (pizza posts are here and here), and I've been wanting to try grilling pizza forever. I hear people talk about it, I saw Bobby Flay do it, but I've never quite had the courage to do it myself. I had visions of the dough melting through the grates of the grill and causing marital strife and countless I-told-you-so's.

I needn't have worried.

Let me first say, I do not have this method perfected, so if you, dear reader, have done so, please share your tips with the rest of us. But I have learned it is actually easier than you might think. Here's my method. Roll out your dough as you normally would, but perhaps just a smidgen thinner. Get the grill to a nice medium heat, and spray the grates with cooking spray. Brush one side of the dough with olive oil, and put it on the grates olive oil side down. Let it cook for about 3 minutes, brushing the other side with olive oil in the meantime. Flip the dough, and quickly add your sauce, cheese, and toppings of choice. Cover the grill, and the let the pizza cook about another 5 minutes or so, until your cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from grill, let stand just a minute, and then try not to devour it all in one sitting.

Note: pizza on our grill seems to cook more quickly than pizza in the oven. All times posted above are approximate! But I've learned not to top the pizza with things that actually need to cook through (like mushrooms or shrimp), only things that need to get nice and hot (cheese, veggies, pepperoni, etc.). Otherwise, the pizza dough may be cooked through and ready to come off before the toppings have finished cooking. Not ideal!

Grill, Baby, Grill (Part I)

I have to admit, our grill did not get much use last summer. We love food cooked on the grill, but our youngest son was 18 months old at the beginning of last summer and in that terrible search-and-destroy stage. We learned quickly that trying to grill on the back patio with him anywhere in the vicinity was a recipe for disaster, so we pretty much gave it up.

Oh, what a difference a year makes.

He's still has his self-destructive moments, but he takes a warning of "hot" with utmost seriousness, so we are back in business when it comes to grilling. Such a treat! We are having a delightful heat wave here in Savannah - the hotter the better as far as I'm concerned - so the mosquitos and gnats aren't too bad (wimps), making for fabulous evenings outside, grilling and letting the boys run around. This was tonight's dinner; a perfect summer meal.

1) Mixed green salad with homegrown tomatoes (my poor tomato plants. They're like little martyrs back there, all bent over and shriveled up under my neglectful watch, but still producing the most amazing fruit ever), cucumber, feta cheese, and Dijon vinaigrette made in my new salad dressing bottle. Here's the recipe for the vinaigrette. Note: I've discovered that after a day or two in the fridge the flavor intensifies, so just add another ounce or two of olive oil, shake, and it's perfect.

1 oz balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 ounce olive oil

Whisk or shake to combine. Excellent.

2) NY Strip Steaks. Coat with olive oil and rub generously with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Set them on the counter and forget about them for a solid 30 minutes. Grill over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes each side, depending on desired doneness. Bring them in, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and let them sit for another 10 minutes.

3) Roasted fingerling potatoes (these were delivered in our farmbox this week, and holy deliciousness Batman). Dice, toss with fresh rosemary, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast at 425 for 30 minutes. Mmmmm.

Serve with a slightly chilled red wine or a gin and tonic, and your taste buds will practically dance with delight. Happy eating...

Today was a Fairy Tale

Do you ever have such a wonderful day that the only bad part of it is the ending? The kind of day where wonder how you got so lucky? That was our Saturday. A picture perfect summer day, morning spent on the boat and beach with the boys and good friends, afternoon naps, a tantrum-free trip to Target, drinks with hubby at our favorite watering hole, and supper club. Life is good.

I consider myself a fairly good picnic packer, as I've had years of experience. But I look like a novice compared to our friends Lisa and Lee, who might have just packed the world's most perfect picnic to accompany our beach adventures on Saturday. Tomato and avocado sandwiches, fried chicken, orzo salad, and chocolate chip cookies. A perfect combination, and I'm not ashamed to admit I was digging into all of it by 10:30 am. Mmmm. (My contribution was tuna pasta salad and fruit salad that was promptly blown out of my hands by a wind gust the second I pulled it out of the cooler).

Lisa tells me the orzo salad was Ina Garten's recipe, which follows. Absolutely fabulous. You serve it at room temperature, so it's perfect party or picnic food.

Orzo Salad

Ingredients:
Kosher salt
Good olive oil
3/4 pound orzo pasta (rice-shaped pasta) (Lisa used 1/2 whole wheat orzo, and 1/2 regular, which was a perfect combination)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts
1 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
3/4 pound good feta cheese, large diced

Directions
Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well. Add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.

Happy summer to all...I didn't have a picture of the orzo salad, so I uploaded a picture of the view from my beach chair instead. Heaven.

Cheeseburger in Paradise

It is well known among my friends and family that while I do not have much of a sweet tooth, you stand between me and a cheeseburger at your own peril. (Atlanta Mom has endured years of heading off to Johnny Rockets the moment I arrive for a visit to get my cheeseburger fix there). My favorite cheeseburger is juicy (which is not the same thing as greasy, thank you very much), not too thick and not too thin (this is a point of contention between DH and me. He thinks the thicker the better, whereas I like a burger to be a burger, not a meatloaf), and accompanied by a nice sharp cheddar cheese, ketchup, lettuce, tomato (but only if it's a good one - mealy, pinkish ones need not apply), and pickles. Mmmmm.

We love making burgers at home. Over the years we've tried all sorts of variations, but - no surprise here - Ina Garten's burger recipe is, to me, hands down the best. It makes a perfect burger every time. Recipe follows, with my notes.

Perfect Burgers
Ingredients

2 pounds ground chuck
1 pound ground sirloin (A note about the meat: no doubt that this combo of chuck and sirloin is seriously fabulous. But I've also used this recipe with ground turkey, and it was great as well, and I've gone with just ground chuck when I was in a hurry at the grocery store. So - as is usually the case - don't feel too constricted by what the recipe says)
3 tablespoons steak sauce (recommended: Crosse & Blackwell) (That's Ina's recommendation, not mine. I've not been able to find this steak sauce here, though I keep looking. Last time I made these it was with good old A1.)
6 extra-large egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
Hamburger buns

Directions
Carefully mix the meats, steak sauce, egg yolks, salt, and pepper with the tines of a fork, but do not mash it. (Actually, what I do is first whisk together the steak sauce, egg yolks, and salt and pepper. Then I add the meat to the bowl and gently mix it into the sauce with my fingers. This seems to distribute everything a bit better for me.) Lightly form each hamburger and lightly press into a patty shape. (I get about 10-12 burgers out of this recipe - it will vary a bit depending on how thick you make the burgers.) Make an indentation and put a thin slice of butter inside each hamburger, making sure the butter is entirely encased in the meat. (Don't skip this step! I know it seems a bit over the top, but wow - it really brings out the meat flavor and adds juiciness without being too greasy.)

Heat a grill, broiler, or saute pan and cook the hamburgers for 3 to 5 minutes on each side until almost done. Remove to a plate and cover with aluminum foil. Allow the hamburgers to rest for 5 minutes and serve immediately on buns.

These go great with broccoli slaw and potato salad. Happy eating!

Choppin' Broccoli

Ah, nothing better than a holiday weekend filled with food, is there? I'm sure there are some fascinating cultural studies on why people all over the world make food the central part of any celebration - I don't know why, I only know I'm grateful. Our holiday weekend was also filled with boating and beaching, though on our return trip today the waves were so rough that as I sit here at my desk, I still feel like I'm rocking. Which makes me think I should join my husband and sons who are all napping away the afternoon and the vertigo...

Here's a new recipe we tried this weekend, as a side dish for our cookout. The original recipe for the dressing is from a recent Everyday Food magazine, which had it as a dressing for iceberg lettuce. I used broccoli slaw instead.

Buttermilk Broccoli Slaw (serves 8 - 10)

3 tablespoons buttermilk
3 tablespoons plain yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (I didn't have fresh dill so used 1/2 tablespoon dried dill)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (Cutting the parsley from my herb garden in front of my two year old was a big mistake. He wanted in on the fun, so the next thing I knew he was in the kitchen with a handful of green little tomatoes. That he had picked. From my revived tomato plants. Sigh.)
1/2 small shallot, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together all ingredients and then toss over two 10 ounce packages of broccoli slaw. Note: my Mom and I both thought the dressing was good, but lacked a little punch. Next time, I would add a handful of crumbled feta cheese to give it a little sharpness.

There's now a napping couch calling my name. Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend.

Eat This. With That.

This post is about eating, not cooking.

Does anyone else find it ridiculously hard to eat healthy while traveling? I don't have such a hard time when I'm traveling with my family - we often rent a house or condo, which gives us a kitchen on hand that I can stock with our usual foods. But when I'm traveling for work, at the mercy of other people's schedules and menus, I have a terrible time making the best choices.

This past trip I was determined to be better. So when I had a meal break with no obligatory dining partners, I took a 15 minute walk from my hotel to a great salad place, got a huge salad with lovely romaine lettuce, roasted chicken, carrots, tomatoes, chick peas, and cucumber, and brought it back to my hotel room to eat in my remaining free 10 minutes (all the while quite pleased with my 30 minutes of fresh air and healthy meal option). Only to find that I had returned with no fork (and no time to go find one). Dammit!!! And it's not like you can eat salad with your fingers, though I was so hungry I was about to. Until I looked around my hotel room and came upon the ice tongs. So there I sat, eating my frickin' healthy food, with hotel ice tongs.

Lesson learned. Because I've never met a cheeseburger that required a fork.

Happy holiday weekend to all, and a special thank you to our service members.

Message in a Bottle

Dilemma. I'm traveling (again), and writing this from a conference in Boston. Like any good conference-go'er, I skipped out on an afternoon session to spend some time walking outside and popping into some shops here and there. While poking around Crate & Barrel, I found this salad dressing bottle.

I. Want. It.

One of my real downfalls in the kitchen is that I am lazy, lazy, lazy when it comes to making salad and salad dressings. It's too much damn work!!! You have to tear and wash the lettuce, peel and chop the carrots, wash and slice tomatoes and cucumbers, destring the snap peas...I am exhausted just writing all of that. THEN to do a homemade dressing with all that measuring and whisking. And at the end of all that, you still have to do the main course. It's just too much of a hurdle for me, especially when I'm trying to get dinner on the table in less than 25 minutes (the length of Little Einsteins or Curious George).

In the winter this is not as much of a problem. Winter veggies are easy to roast right alongside your meat, or toss in a soup. But in the summer, there's just nothing that hits the spot like a nice fresh, crisp salad. So, in light of my New Year's resolution to serve more vegetables, I am determined to be better about making salads this summer with fresh salad dressing to go with them. And this little salad dressing bottle seems like just the perfect thing. It's cute, it's convenient (dressing recipes printed right on it!), and most of all, it's a kitchen tool. Totally my weakness.

But here's my dilemma. I'm flying back tomorrow. I wouldn't want to pack this in my checked luggage, because it's bound to be broken. So my options are to carry it home in my purse or order it on-line and pay almost as much in shipping as the price of the bottle. Or not have it at all. (But I'm afraid that, Dear Readers, is not an option.) Suggestions? Advice? Free shipping coupon for Crate and Barrel?

You Say Tomato...

...I say "Oh dear."


We had a great trip to the mountains, and the wedding was just beautiful (talk about good food!!!). But I returned to the most pitiful plants you've ever seen, including tomato plants that were doing so well (20 little tomatoes already) but apparently decided to give up after 3 days of no watering. Quitters. I'm not sure they can be resuscitated, but I'm trying.

Summer growing season is here, and our farmbox delivery is overflowing with Vidalia onions these days. I was staring at them this afternoon, trying to decide if I had the energy to make onion soup and just freeze it for the fall, when I remembered that Southern dinner party staple: onion dip. This recipe is so easy it can hardly be called a recipe, but it is always, always, the first to go.

Ridiculously Easy Vidalia Onion Dip

2 cups diced Vidalia onions

2 cups shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese

1.5 cups good mayonnaise (I like Hellman's)

Mix together in an oven-proof bowl. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until slightly browned and bubbling. Serve with Triscuits and stand back while your husband inhales.

Mmmm...

On the Road Again

This is how brilliant I am - I decide to start posting again right as I'm about to take back to back trips. Just smashing.

The first one is a road trip to the mountains with my boys (all four of them - sons, husband, and dog) (I'll be the crazy lady strapped to the roof of the car) for a family wedding. I think my packing list is longer than my senior thesis, and it has one very, very important section: food. We've rented in a house in a fairly rural area, and are schlepping four days worth of food on a 6 hour car ride.

So here's a question for you: if you had to pack knowing you couldn't get to a grocery store for 4 days (but also knowing your dinners are covered), what would make your packing list?

Here's mine:
Coffee + half & half
Diet Coke
Coke Zero (yes, caffeine is the secret to happy parents traveling with little boys)
Pumpkin bread
String cheese
Goldfish crackers
Yogurt
Milk
OJ
Eggs
Bagels & cream cheese (crap, as I write this I remember I completely forgot to stop and get bagels this afternoon. Guess we'll be picking them up on our way out of town tomorrow. See, this blog is good for something!)
Bread
Good NY sharp cheddar cheese
Pickles (because what good is a grilled cheese sandwich without pickles on the side?)
Apples
Strawberries
Blueberries

Things that have occurred to me that I forgot to get in addition to the bagels:
Peanut M&Ms
Wine
Wine
Wine
Cheese, crackers, good salami, grapes
Bottle opener

And on that note, I'm off to do one more grocery run and more packing...

Perfect is the Enemy of Good

First of all, where the heck did spring go? Just yesterday I was whining about the cold, and now we are smack dab into summer time.

It's been a crazy two months, filled with nothing but completely normal family and work activities, and yet the time goes by so fast...it's astounding (of course, I am sure that when I start potty training our youngest in 2 weeks, time will come to a screeching halt). I fully intended to just take a few weeks off from blog posting in order to figure out how to post better pictures, read other food blogs for inspiration, figure out Google Analytics, figure out facebook groups, and try a whole pile of new recipes to review and share.

Guess how much of that happened.

Yup, zilch.

As it turns out, it takes me about 5 minutes to do a blog post, and it apparently DOES take a rocket scientist to figure out the rest of it. Which I am not. Grrr! So, in the spirit of not allowing perfect to be the enemy of good, I am back to posting anyway.

Dinner tonight: Fresh Market pork potstickers. SO GOOD and I can thank Atlanta Mom for the discovery. They're in the deli section of fresh market. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium heat in a large, non-stick skillet. Drop the potstickers in the oil and allow to brown for 2 minutes (don't bother turning them). Add 2 tablespoons water and cover fast before the oil pops out and attacks you. Leave covered and cook for 2 more minutes. Serve over white rice with a bit of your favorite soy sauce, and salad on the side. These go beautifully, just beautifully, with a glass of sparkling wine (all the better to celebrate the return of the blog, yes?). Cheers!

A Brief Hiatus

Dear Readers,

All 5 of you? 50? 500? I have no idea...I never did figure out Google Analytics.

I am taking a brief hiatus from the blog. After a year of posting I'm finding have no new recipes to write about! Every time I've taken a minute to write in the past week, I realized I had already blogged that night's dinner in a previous post. Not to mention that life is generally crazy (with no more than the usual for a family with two working parents and two growing boys, but it's enough to require all of my energy and then some), and I need some breathing room. My creativity is running low.

So I'll be back in a month or two, and will let y'all know the same way you found me here (facebook, other blogs, etc. Oh, if you are one of the 20 people my husband talked to about my blog at the airport while we were trying to get out of the snowstorm, sorry for taking a break right as you found me, but check back at some point!).

In the meantime, happy eating!

Home Again, Home Again

Ahhh, there's just nothing quite like sleeping in your own bed, is there? We are home again after a wonderful trip to New York City (quite possibly my favorite city in the world to visit) and feeling so grateful to have beaten the snowstorm out. No doubt it helped that our pilot was from Atlanta and his wife was on our flight, so there was some extra incentive to get us out, even if we did have to wait 5 hours for our plane to be de-iced.
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Food lesson learned in New York: if you don't know what it is, don't order it without asking. Especially if it's sushi. And especially if there's any chance what you thought would be sashimi tuna might arrive in the form of eel. Ugh. (Yes, I did eat it, but regretted it).
***
As much as I've loved my travels of the past month, I'm happy to be back home for a while and back in the normal routine and rhythm of life. Including regular cooking and meal planning...

Which leads me to a question: what is your most versatile recipe? Mine, without a doubt, is roasted chicken. I know I've blogged it before, but it's such a workhorse in my food rotation that I thought I'd offer it again as the solution to one of your crazy nights this week. It's one of the few recipes that I've really memorized, and I vary it based on what I have around the house, which makes it incredibly easy. I also have no qualms about getting the chicken prepped and then putting it in the oven for up to 45 minutes ahead of time, setting the "delay start" on my oven so that it can cook while I'm at soccer practice/swim lesson/choir/whatever, and be ready for us when we walk through the door.

Roasted Chicken (the loosey-goosey version)

Rinse 4 to 5 pound whole chicken inside and out, pat dry. Sprinkle inside of chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Stuff chicken with any combination of lemon, garlic, and onion, depending on what you have around (I've even popped a couple shallots in there when I didn't have an onion). If you have fresh herbs like sage, thyme, or rosemary, throw those in as well (but in the winter, when I don't have any backyard herbs, I certainly don't buy the crazy expensive ones just for this). Place the chicken on rack in your roasting pan and tuck his little wings behind him, so he looks like he's taking a nap. Secure the legs together tightly with kitchen twine. Brush chicken with either 2 tablespoons melted butter or 2 tablespoons olive oil (butter would be my first choice). Sprinkle well with salt and pepper. Optional: add cut up winter vegetables to the roasting pan, like sweet potatoes, butternut squash, carrots, onions, yukon gold pototoes, etc. (whatever you have on hand is fine). Roast at 425 for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Remove from oven, cover loosely with tin foil and let it sit for about 10 minutes before carving. If you're really organized, do 2 at once so you'll have delicious leftover roasted chicken to use later in the week.

Enjoy!

And They're Off

I posted about a month ago that I was starting a stretch of 4 trips in 4 weeks. This is week/trip 4 - DH and I leave today for a conference, and the boys are staying home with their grandmothers. I've stocked the house with bananas, raisin bread, yogurt, eggs, milk, and apples, so everyone should be in good shape.

I'll be back to more regular posting next week.

Reliable Staple

A guest blog today from Atlanta Mom!

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My husband and I will celebrate our 15th anniversary in September. During our engagement and early in our marriage, I scoured my mother-in-law’s cookbooks for recipes since I had no collection of my own. Few of those recipes remain in my cooking rotation—except one that I made on Monday night. We commented on how long I had been making this dish, and how much (remarkably) we still enjoy it. And even better—it is easy and at any given moment, you likely have what you need to make it in your fridge and pantry. Perhaps this is why it is still around…

Chick Pea Pasta
1 T. + 2 t. of EVOO
½ c. chopped onion (1 small)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 19 oz. can of chick peas, rinsed and drained
¼ t. dried oregano (or 1 t. fresh)
¼ t. pepper
¼ t. red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes, with juices
2 c. penne pasta or bowties
1 t. grated parmesan cheese

Heat water for pasta. Heat oil in large skillet and sauté onions over med-low heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook one more minute. Add chick peas, oregano, black pepper, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes. Crush at least half of the chick peas with a fork (leave some whole, depending on desired consistency/chunkiness), and heat through, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices (may want to add a little additional water). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 10 minutes.
Serve over cooked pasta and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Makes great left-overs (yum—eating it for lunch RIGHT NOW!), and also freezes beautifully. Happy eating!