Oatmeal Pancakes

I made these for breakfast a few months ago and now we have them every week! My kids don't especially like plain oatmeal, so this is a great way to serve it to them- they never even noticed!

Oatmeal Pancakes

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oats
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup milk
1 cup water

In a mixing bowl, stir together dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine eggs, vanilla, milk, and water. Add liquid to dry ingredients. Stir mixture until well blended.

Pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake onto a hot, lightly greased griddle. Cook both sides of pancakes until golden brown. Makes 16-18 pancakes.

Cantaloupe Granita

Cantaloupe is now in season! I was browsing through some old Martha magazines when I came across a recipe for cantaloupe granita and I knew just what I was going to do with the cantaloupe in my fridge. It's light, refreshing, and my kids loved it!

Cantaloupe Granita

1 cantaloupe (about 3 pounds)
1/4 cup sugar
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 T. water

Using a sharp knife, cut melon in half lengthwise. Remove seeds with a spoon and discard. Slice off and discard skin and pale-green flesh. Cut melon into large chunks.
Puree in blender or food processor. Transfer to bowl and set aside. Combine sugar, lemon juice, and water in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture has thickened slightly. Remove from heat; let cool completely. Stir sugar syrup into melon puree; place in freezer uncovered until mixture is chunky, about 1 1/2 hours. Whisk every 20 minutes to keep it from becoming too solid.

March 22 Menus

Candice's
S- ribs and smoked pulled pork (prepared by the Smiths in their backyard smoker... OUT of this world good), baked potatoes, steamed broccoli, crudites and homemade strawberry ice cream

M- jerk chicken, pineapple rice, steamed carrots

T- tostadas

W- TJ's mac n cheese, steamed yellow squash

Th- lettuce wraps

F- green pizza

Sat- out

Mark Your Calendars

April 21: Ben & Jerry's- one free cone
April 29: Baskin Robbins- a scoop for 31 cents
July 11: 7-Eleven- a free 7-ounce Slurpee
September 24: Coldstone Creamery- a free ice cream treat (a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation is encouraged.)

Thanks for the heads-up, "Real Simple".

Petite Watermelons

As Grandma Dorothy would say, "OH, for CUTE!!" I must try these at once. Recipe from Chocolate on my Cranium.

Petite Watermelons

2 limes
1 small box of red Jello
mini chocolate chips

Cut both limes in half lengthwise. Scoop out all the fruit with a spoon. Place the limes in a muffin tin to keep them from tipping over. Make the box of Jello according to the Jiggler directions. Carefully spoon Jello into the limes halves. Chill until almost firm. Using a skewer push the mini chocolate chips into the Jello for "watermelon seeds." Chill until until firm, then cut into slices.

The Lady and Sons

Jealousy!! Mom and Amanda (and Dad, Mason and Jonah) went to Paula Deen's restaurant in Savannah, Georgia last week. Their report included a most delicious buffet dining experience at the Lady and Son's, and that Paula was just as jolly in person as she comes across on screen. ;) They have each decided to fast for a week to balance out the calories consumed during that one meal, but they said it was worth it. Maren, Kelli and I have decided we have to go before the year's up. See here for the dinner menu.

Rainbow Jell-O

It worked! Yes, it took about 8 hours, start to finish (not constant attention, of course) but once a year? I say worth it. Start the laundry, make a layer. Empty the dishwasher, make another layer. Blog, make another layer. Read to the kids, another layer. :) I'm making it a tradition for St. Pat.'s day from now on. Nevermind that after we enjoyed a few pieces from it during a leprachaun lunch, I left the remaining 2/3s in the car and it melted to a cloudy slop. At least I got the picture first, eh?

Here's the recipe one more time:

Rainbow Jell-O

3 oz grape jello

3 oz berry blue jello

3 oz lime jello

3 oz lemon jello

3 oz orange jello

3 oz red jello (cherry, raspberry)

2 cups sour cream

Boil 1 cup water. Pour into a bowl and add 1 box of jello (starting with the grape). Mix until jello is dissolved. In another bowl place 1/3 cupsour cream. Add 1/2 cup of the jello water to the sour cream. Stir untilcombined. Pour sour cream mixture into 9x13 pan. Place in fridge for 20 minutes or until firm. Add 3 T cold water to the remaining 1/2 cup of jello water. Pour over sour cream mixture in the 9x13 pan. Continue with all the other jello ending with red. Serve with whipped cream on the side and rolos for the pot of gold (or any other candy wrapped in gold foil, such as almond kisses or gold coins).

The Best Ever Chocolate Cake

I made my first cake from scratch for Enrichment Thursday night and it actually turned out! Everyone that had a piece said it tasted like cake their mothers or grandmothers used to make. That's a compliment right? It's very rich so you'll want some cold milk to wash it down! Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens.

Best Ever Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• Chocolate-Sour Cream Frosting (see recipe below)

Directions

1. Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly grease bottoms of three 8-inch round baking pans or two 8x8x2-inch square or 9x1-1/2-inch round cake pans. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper. Grease and lightly flour waxed paper and sides of pans. Set pans aside.

2. In a mixing bowl stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder; and salt; set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until well combined (3 to 4 minutes). Scrape sides of bowl; continue beating on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition (about 1 minute total). Beat in vanilla.

4. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to beaten mixture, beating on low speed just until combined after each addition. Beat on medium to high speed for 20 seconds more. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pans.

5. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes for or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake layers in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Peel off waxed paper. Cool thoroughly on wire racks. Frost with desired frosting. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Chocolate-Sour Cream Frosting: In a large saucepan melt 1 12-ounce package (2 cups) semisweet chocolate pieces and 1/2 cup butter over low heat, stirring frequently. Cool for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream. Gradually add 4-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar (about 1 pound), beating with an electric mixer until smooth. This frosts tops and sides of two or three 8- or 9-inch cake layers. Cover and store frosted cake in the refrigerator.

March 15 Menu

I am in love with a cheese grater. From Ikea, naturally. It comes as a two-pack, one with larger holes, one fine. Non-slip rubber grip ring on the bottom. Lids to store grated cheese in that same container. Two graters, for $6. A single, 1-cup capacity grater of a similar style at Target is $8. I checked. Everyone I know that has one is in love as well.

Now for a menu for the real week of St. Patty's Day.

(Candice's)
Sun- Curly pasta in lemon cream sauce, banana muffins, lemon bars, lime bars, and chocolate gingerbread cookies (Three desserts? Maren had a time of it trying to decide on just one, so all three it was. No one complained. :)
M- leftover lemon pasta
T- green stuff (Happy St. Pat.'s Day for reals)
W- trying Jerk Chicken and pineapple rice
Th- trying Best-ever Chinese Chicken Salad
F- first, a Hip-hip-hooray-Kelli-is-visiting!-breakfast-party, then tin-foil dinners 'round a campfire
Sat- a catered wedding dinner, hoorah!

Mini S'mores

As previously mentioned, we love Mini-S'mores. And we especially loved Amanda's post documenting their FHE treat.

Mini S'mores

Golden Grahams
mini marshmallows
chocolate chips
votive candle
toothpicks



Mandy, you are a genius.

Lemon Blossoms

Maren just informed me that St. Patty's Day is NEXT week, not this. Tee Hee. I just assumed that Maya's green preschool party on Thursday meant that was the day. Whoopsies. St. Pat.'s Day= Tuesday the 17th. :) I'll adjust my menu accordingly.

Anyhow, Lemon Blossoms! These are one of my most oft-requested recipes. Laurel is the one who introduced me, and Paula Deen is the one who introduced her. If I could describe these, I would have you imagine a bite-sized, lemon Krispy Kreme. OUT of this world good. Just give them away and only allow yourself two or three, or else you could be in trouble.

Lemon Blossoms

18 1/2-ounce package yellow cake mix
3 1/2-ounce package instant lemon pudding mix
4 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
Glaze:
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray miniature muffin tins with vegetable oil cooking spray. Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs and oil and blend well with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour a small amount of batter, filling each muffin tin half way. Bake for 12 minutes. Turn out onto a tea towel.
To make the glaze, sift the sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, zest, oil, and 3 tablespoons water. Mix with a spoon until smooth.
With a fork, dip the cupcakes into the glaze while they're still warm, covering as much of the cake as possible, or spoon the glaze over the warm cupcakes, turning them to completely coat. Place on wire racks with waxed paper underneath to catch any drips. Let the glaze set thoroughly, about 1 hour, before storing in containers with tight-fitting lids.

St. Pat.'s Menu

I've wanted to try this Jell-o recipe for a while now, and this is the week. I pulled the pic off the internet many moons ago, and I will follow up and let you know if it works.

Rainbow Jell-o

3 oz grape jello
3 oz berry blue jello
3 oz lime jello
3 oz lemon jello
3 oz orange jello
3 oz red jello (cherry, raspberry)
2 cups sour cream

Boil 1 cup water. Pour into a bowl and add 1 box of jello (starting withthe grape). Mix until jello is dissolved. In another bowl place 1/3 cupsour cream. Add 1/2 cup of the jello water to the sour cream. Stir untilcombined. Pour sour cream mixture into 9x13 pan. Place in fridge for 20 minutes or until firm. Add 3 T cold water to the remaining 1/2 cup of jello water. Pour over sour cream mixture in the 9x13 pan. Continue with all the other jello ending with red. Serve with whipped cream on the side and rolos for the pot of gold (or any other candy wrapped in gold foil, such as almond kisses or gold coins).

Menus:

(Candice)
S- dinner at Chris' brother's house, I'm bringing layered salad and Lemon Blossoms (recipe coming)
M- Burgers and dogs at the park for Clarie's b-day celebration
T- balsamic glazed chicken
W- grilled cheese and tomato soup
Th- green noodles, green grapes, green salad and Rainbow Jell-o
F- Kalua pig and pineapple rice
Sat- another birthday BBQ- hoorah!

Happy St. Pat.'s day, one and all!

Home-made Samoa Bars

Amanda P., no need to worry that Girl Scout cookies are gone for another year.
Have a try at it by following the instructions from Baking Bites.

Or you could try the Thin Mints, Do-Si-Dos, or Tagalongs.

(Kelli, you should definitely try the Do-Si-Dos. Just don't tell Mom n Dad.)

Lasagna Primavera

This is such a great recipe- I want to start making it often so I can master it- and be able to prepare it in my sleep. It has a white sauce, not tomato. It is so jam-packed with vegetables, I love serving it to my family who would otherwise turn their noses up at all the carrots, spinach and peas. Perfect springtime dinner. When I make this again, I will prep the veggies in the morning to save time during assembly, and I will divide the recipe in 1/2, baking one half for dinner that night and freezing the other half.

Lasagna Primavera

Serves 8

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for foil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups whole milk
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas
1/2 pound carrots (4 to 5), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta (about 2 cups)
1 large egg
1 package (9 ounces) no-boil lasagna noodles (12 to 16 noodles)
1 pound part-skim mozzarella, shredded
1 cup grated Parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium; add flour and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes (do not let flour mixture darken); whisk in milk. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add spinach, peas, and carrots; season with salt and pepper. Set sauce aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper.
In the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, spread a thin layer of vegetable sauce. Layer noodles, half the remaining vegetable sauce, another noodles, half the ricotta mixture, half the mozzarella, and half the Parmesan; repeat.
3. Cover dish with lightly oiled aluminum foil, and place on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes, uncover, and bake until bubbling and browned, about 20 minutes more. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

To Freeze: Assemble lasagna but do not bake. Cover lasagna tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil; freeze up to 3 months. To Bake From Frozen: Remove plastic wrap; cover baking dish with lightly oiled aluminum foil, and place on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil, and bake until bubbling and browned, about 30 minutes more. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Linguine with Spring Vegetables

This might be my new favorite pasta. Does anyone else subscribe to Everyday Food? The latest issue has 10 different pasta recipes which all look delicious, but this was first on my list to try. It's also a one pot meal- my favorite! I did add a little parmesan cheese because doesn't everything taste better with cheese?

Linguine with Spring Vegetables

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3/4 pound linguine
• 1 pound asparagus (tough ends removed), cut into 1-inch lengths
• 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise (quartered if large) and thinly sliced
• 4 ounces sugar snap peas (stem ends trimmed), halved
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon butter, cut into pieces
• 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 4 minutes short of al dente; add asparagus, zucchini, and snap peas. Cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta mixture, and set aside.
2. In the same pot, bring cream and butter to a simmer. Toss in pasta mixture and enough pasta water to create a thin sauce (it will thicken as it stands). Season with salt and pepper, and top with tarragon.

Birthday Dinner for Amanda and Leah

Two of my good friends have birthdays just three days apart. I wanted to celebrate by making them dinner. I poured over recipes and finally assembled this menu:

BLT Salad
Filet Mignon with Balsamic Syrup and Goat Cheese
Glazed Carrots
Mashed Potatoes
Italian S'mores

(These are all links, and are also found below this post.)

Everyone loved dinner, especially me. :) And Chris is still talking about it- especially the steak (from Costco!). If you try one of these recipes, make sure it is the filet. But try all of them- you will be so glad.

BLT Salad

You can't know how great this salad is 'til you try it. (Just stating the obvious.)

BLT Salad

1 head romaine lettuce
3 Roma tomatoes
1 lb. bacon, fried crisp
1/2 a baguette, for croutons
olive oil, salt and pepper

Dressing:
4 T. bacon drippings
4 T. mayonnaise
1 T. sugar
1 T. red wine vinegar
1/4 C. chopped fresh basil
milk as needed to thin dressing

I like to cook the bacon on a cookie sheet in the oven, 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes (don't forget to save the drippings). In the meantime, wash and tear the lettuce, wash and chop tomatoes, slice and cube the baguette for croutons. Toss baguette pieces with 1/4 C. olive oil, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. After bacon is done, on another cookie sheet, spread baguette pieces and toast in oven for about 15 minutes. Cool. Crumble bacon, whisk together dressing ingredients, and toss all together. Serve immediately.

Brown Sugar-Glazed Carrots

This was an easy choice- a winner every time.

Brown Sugar-Glazed Carrots

1 pound medium carrots, peeled
1 T. butter
1 T. brown sugar

Cut the carrots in half, crosswise and lengthwise. In a medium saucepan, cook the carrots, covered, in small amount of boiling salted water for 8-10 minutes, til crisp-tender. Drain and remove from pan. In same pan, combine butter, brown sugar, and dash of salt. Cook and stir over medium heat til combined. Add carrots and cook for two more minutes, stirring frequently. Season with a little black pepper.

Filet Mignon with Balsamic Syrup and Goat Cheese

When deciding upon this menu, I went back and forth between two steak recipes for a long time. Ultimately, Giada won out, and holy smokes am I glad she did. THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST RECIPES I'VE EVER TRIED. I can't say enough about the amazingness of this filet and the flavors of the cheese and balsamic syrup, so I'll just say- please try it. Please.

Filet Mignon with Balsamic Syrup and Goat Cheese

1 1/2 C. balsamic vinegar
3 T. sugar
2 T. butter
6 (5 to 6-ounce) filet mignon steaks (each about 1-inch thick)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces soft fresh goat cheese

Boil the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/3 cup, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400. Melt the butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper. Sear the steaks for one minute per side- on top, bottom, and sides. Transfer whole skillet to the oven for about ten minutes. Remove from oven and preheat the broiler. Crumble the cheese over the steaks and return to oven to broil just until the cheese melts, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with pepper.
Transfer the steaks to plates. Drizzle the balsamic sauce around the steaks and serve.

Sugar Cookies

I'm kind of ashamed to admit this was my very first time making sugar cookies. Sad! But I found this recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine and they turned out so great! Crisp around the edges, soft in the middle, and just a hint of salty- you'll like that Candice. I let the kids spend the afternoon decorating with frosting and sprinkles. They were in heaven!

Sugar Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In mixing bowl, cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Mix flour, baking powder and salt; add to butter 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Do not chill dough. Divide dough into 2 balls. On a floured surface, roll each ball into a circle approximately 12 inches wide and 1/8 inch thick. Dip cookie cutter in flour before each use. Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet 6-7 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Makes about 3 dozen.

The Best Pot Roast

I realize this isn't much to look at, but this is hands down the best pot roast ever. I'm not a big meat eater, but I could eat this all the time! You must try it. I shredded mine to put in tacos and it shreds so easily with one fork because it's so tender. You could also serve it as is with a side of mashed potatoes. Yum!

Pot Roast

• 1 (3-pound) boneless chuck roast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons House seasoning, recipe follows
• 1/4 cup oil (vegetable or olive would do)
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 or 4 beef bouillon cubes, crushed
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

Sprinkle roast on all sides with house seasoning. Using a skillet over high heat, sear roast until brown in oil. Place roast in a slow cooker, and layer onions, bay leaves, crushed bouillon cubes, garlic, and cream of mushroom soup. Add enough water to cover all of the ingredients. Cook on the low setting for 8 hours.

House Seasoning:

• 1 cup salt
• 1/4 cup black pepper
• 1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months

Alfredo Cheese Fondue

Saturday night we had a few dental school families over for a hulabaloo. Lots of kids and lots of mess- and so worth it. Dinner was fondue, and I was very happy with how it turned out. I have made Martha Stewie's Swiss cheese fondue before- and it is super thick and not really that well suited for dipping?! So I found this recipe that had alfredo sauce in it... and that was the answer. DElicious, and just the right consistency. The one thing I did learn about fondue is, unless you have multiple pots and a table large enough to seat all in attendance, it isn't really a large crowd kinda food. Because we weren't sitting and dipping right at the table, we ended up ladeling it on top of our skewered food and then sitting around on couches and chairs to eat. It got a little cold. Still tasty, just would have been better hot from the pot. :)

Alfredo Cheese Fondue

1/2 C. chicken stock
1 10-ounce tub refrigerated Alfredo sauce
2 C. shredded Swiss cheese
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

In a saucepan on the stovetop, heat chicken stock til boiling. Reduce heat to low and add the Alfredo sauce, Swiss cheese, and nutmeg. Stir constantly until the cheese is melted and very hot.
(I quadrupled the recipe. The more the better!)

Accoutrements included: roasted chicken, brown sugar ham, roasted potatoes, carrots, heirloom cherry tomatoes, olives, apples, pears, breadsticks, endive, asparagus, and cheese-filled tortellini. Dessert was chocolate fondue with strawberries, pound cake, little chocolate chip cookies, fresh pineapple, and giant marshmallows. It just doesn't get any better.

North

Derek, Maren, Kelli, J.D., Candice and Chris jumped at the chance to enjoy a Valentine's dinner at North. Our meal began in the early evening. It was a fun atmosphere, and we ate at the prettiest table- with a really beautiful linear chandelier above. Great company, rose petals, candles, a multi-nosed vase, a waiter that wished us multiple "Happy Valentimes Day"s, and a single rose gifted to each female at the end of the meal- all made for a memorable and enjoyable evening. Onto the food!

We each tried to order something a little different, then shared around. That is, until the main course, when all the guys got seafood (bleh).

Favorite starters? the mushroom, arugula and parmesan pizza and the bruschetta.
Favorite mains? the herb-crusted pork tenderloin, the chicken parmesan and the braised shortribs with marscapone polenta
Favorite sweets? the nutella/banana crepes and the sour cherry bread pudding.

We could have passed on the mozzarella/tomato/bread appetizer (chalk full of red onions- and also soggy), the calimari (just OK, not great), and of course the fish dishes.

All in all it was a really delicious meal and I would recommend it. But of all the Fox Restaurants tried so far, Olive and Ivy is still my fave. There are still, however, a couple I haven't been to and will have to before I can give a final report.

Bowls of Chocolate

As previously documented on Maren and Kelli's blogs, our Sunday-after-Valentine's family dinner was extra fun. That is always the case when Kelli comes to town. We thought an attempt at chocolate bowls would be a fun way to celebrate the holiday of love. The process involved lots of laughing, and a good amount of frustration as well. Here's the how-to:

Chocolate Bowls

10 ounces finely chopped dark chocolate, divided
Small balloons, filled with air

Grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper.
Place 5 ounces of the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until completely melted. Remove it from heat and stir in the remaining 5 ounces chocolate until thoroughly smooth. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon melted chocolate onto prepared pan to form a small disk. Dip the balloon into the bowl of chocolate, coating about a third of the balloon. Place the dipped end of the balloon on the chocolate disk. Repeat with remaining chocolate and balloons. Place in the refrigerator to set, about 30 minutes.
In order to release the air from the balloon, pinch the balloon just under the knot and cut a small hole in the surface between fingers and knot. Very gradually release air; if air is released too quickly, the bowls may break. Carefully peel the deflated balloons from the chocolate bowls.

And here's what we learned through the process:

*These are best suited to be made for a smaller group. Eight? Yes. Six? Even better. Thirty? We won't be doing that again.
*The chocolate canNOT be too hot- the balloons pop easily. It must be barely melty and barely warm. It will be thicker this way, too, which is good because the balloons will come out easier if the chocolate is thick and sturdy.
*

Green Chile Burros

Filled our freezer with these last week (Marilee style) so on the days I don't make Chris a lunch he can grab one of these and still have something half-way decent. He comes home telling me how for lunch he had a giant slice of somebody's birthday cake, or a couple candy bars or something, and it makes me ill. Just trying to give you options, dear.
Recipe from friend/chef Tatum.

Green Chile Burros

1 large can refried beans
about 2 cups leftover shredded pork or roast beef
1/2 C. salsa
1 C. green chile sauce
1/2 C. grated cheddar or jack cheese
tortillas

On stovetop or in crockpot, place beans, beef, salsa, sauce and cheese. Cook on med-low for a couple hours til warmed through. Place tortillas with some grated cheese under broiler for a few seconds. Fill with green chile mixture. If eating right away, add sour cream and guacamole before rolling tortilla up.

Really, I just wanted to make these so I could purchase a 7 pound can of beans from Costco. (Note, the flat of small cans of beans from Costco costs about $7, this 7 pounder cost $3.29. Great one!)

When making lots to freeze:

I didn't really do exact measurements when doing 24 burritos, just used lots more of everything. I used all 7 pounds of beans, 2 small pork roasts from Costco, 1 jar salsa, 1 large can green chile enchilada sauce, and 2 small blocks of cheese, shredded. It filled 24 large tortillas with some to spare. I just froze the extra (2 cups) in a separate ziploc for another time. Wrap finished tortillas in tin foil and freeze. When Chris leaves for work, he grabs one, leaves it out for the morning, and then by the time lunch comes around, it is defrosted enough to zap in the micro and eat. Hope you can follow the haphazard directions. :/

Menus, Feb 22, 2009

But first, a tip. Binder clips make great bag clips. Maybe this is news to none, but it was a great realization for me. I use them constantly, and I have a hunch that 24 binder clips are a more economical route than 24 patented Chip Clips.

This week's menu... with a couple repeats as I followed last week's pretty loosely. :)

Sun- Lemony chicken over mixed greens, carrots, asparagus, blueberry muffins, Jell-o and warm chocolate chip cookies by Chris

M- Chicken pot pie

T- Breakfast for dinner

W- Spinach proscuitto lasagna

Th- leftovers

F- Steak, potatoes, BLT salad (recipe a comin'), and a yet-to-be-determined dessert

Sat- dunno yet

Strawberry Shortcake

I might as well add another strawberry recipe since we're on a strawberry kick. This is definitely one of my top 5 favorite desserts. I've had plenty of strawberry shortcakes with the cake, the strawberries, and the whipped cream, but this is SO much better!

Strawberry Shortcake

2 packages cream cheese, softened
2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. sour cream
1 tub cool whip
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. almond extract
1 pound cake, cut into cubes (angel food cake would work too, but we like pound cake)
2 packages strawberries, sliced

Mix first 6 ingredients in large bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Layer pound cake, cream cheese mixture, and strawberries in a large bowl or trifle dish and top with remaining cream cheese mixture.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

One of Chris' favorite things in the world is homemade bread. Unfortunately, I am rather bread-challenged and haven't practiced enough to master it. So the bread was just OK, but the freezer jam Maren and I made to go with it is super. We went with the low-sugar variety, not to say there isn't still PLENTY of sugar in there. The original recipe is 2 cups fruit, 4 cups sugar. Low-sugar calls for 4 cups fruit, 3 cups sugar. Still very tasty and a little more peace of mind when scarfing it down. We started the process at 10 am and were done by 11:05, when I had to go pick up Maya from preschool. I was even on time. I used the tiny ziploc containers this time (1 cup), because there are no preservatives or anything and when you pull it out of the freezer to refrigerate, you must use within a couple of weeks. Our first container lasted a day and a half. YUMMY. I really like freezer jam as opposed to cooked jam because it has a really fresh fruit taste.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

4 pts. strawberries
3 C. sugar
1 pkg. Sure-Jell low-sugar fruit pectin (the pink box- found by the Jell-O)

Wash and rinse plastic containers with tight fitting lids. Wash and de-stem strawberries, then crush, one cup at a time, using a food processor or potato masher. If using a food processor, pulse to chop, don't puree. Measure exact amount of stawberries into a large bowl. Measure exact amount of sugar into large saucepan. Mix Sure-Jell with the sugar. Stir in once cup water. Bring sugar/water/Sure-Jell mix to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute. Remove from heat. Quickly stir fruit into hot sugar-pectin mix. Stir for one minute. Pour into prepared containers, leaving 1/2 inch space at top for expansion during freezing; cover. Let stand at room temp 24 hours til set. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks, or freeze for up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator.

Friends: you can do this. If you are intimidated, don't be. The only problem is, once you've tried it, you will never want store-bought jam again. If that is going to be a problem, don't make this.

2-15-09 Menus

Sunday- OH. We had a Valentines feast fit for royalty. Maren set the most beautiful table, Kelli made her unbeatable mashed potatoes and perfect rolls, Maren made Tatum's famous salad (recipe to come), I made chicken cordon bleu casserole, and we collaborated on dessert- chocolate bowls filled with Maren's chocolate cake, fresh whipped cream and strawberries. Completely and utterly delicioso- all of it. Wish I could turn back the clock and have it again tonight.

(Candice's)
M- Chicken Caesar Sandwiches (recipe coming)
T- Green chile burritos (en mass... recipe to come)
W- crazy day... I'm thinking In-n-Out
Th- Chicken pot pie
F- leftovers
Sat- pizza

The others....?? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?