New Lunch Gear

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I'm so excited. Gladly (or sadly, depending on how you look at it) it doesn't take much to excite me. A little new lunch gear is all it takes.

I was thinking about lunches last week and realized school was about to start and I would be packing lunch every day again. I would also be preparing a quick lunch during our home school day. I don't know about you but thinking about lunch just wears me out. If we had loads of money and nutrition was not an issue, I could easily succumb to driving through a fast-food window every day. But I don't, I can't, I won't. And if I give high school boy money for lunch, he'll buy pizza, fries and soda. Blech.

I resorted to investing a little bit of money in some new gear and motivated myself for a new year of making lunches.

For high school boy, I purchased an inexpensive Bento box. Until recently I had never heard of such a thing, but I must admit it's pretty fun. Basically it's a Japanese style lunch box, with little compartments to hold a variety of foods. There are many websites and blogs out there filled with ideas (I like this one for ideas for little kids and this one for all ages) and there is an endless combination of foods I can pack for lunch each day. It's really very motivating if you allow yourself the freedom of packing whatever you want.



The first day I used it was Thursday and I packed orange slices, a deviled egg, and sweet pickles in the Bento box, and then a turkey and cheese sandwich and some Fudge Cocoa Cookies on the side. Josh didn't eat all the food at school, but he scarfed down the deviled egg when he got home because I had packed cold packs in his lunch box and the eggs were still cold.

Here it is all packed in his lunch box.

I probably won't use the Bento box every day, but it provides the opportunity to pack foods that don't really work in plastic baggies (like deviled eggs), and I think it promotes thinking outside the box to avoid the monotony you run into when you pack lunch every day. (I also think he might feel a wee bit more loved when he opens his lunch box, but that's probably just the wishful mother in me.)


Now, the home school kids also got a little boost in their lunch program with the purchase of two new muffin tins. "Wow, muffin tins!" you say. "What do muffin tins have to do with lunch?"

Ta, da!



Introducing Muffin Tin Munchies. I know, it's fairly lame, but for the under, say, 10-year-old crowd, it's fun. Noah, who is 13, said it was pretty lame, but that may have just been his age talking. I thought it was fun. Using the tins (which are jumbo tins by the way, because that's all my discount grocer had, and they were $2.99) forced me to offer more than sandwich and chips, and also provided some portion control. Clockwise from the top left we have: green grapes, Swiss cheese cubes and a string cheese cut in quarters, sliced carrots, onion dip for carrots and chips, chips and some Wheat Thins, and two Oreo cookies.


Peach thought they were very fun, and she ate almost all of her lunch, which she never does. Surprisingly both kids left their cookies behind. I guess they got full on good food instead.

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Weekly Menu

When we were at Fripp earlier this month, I noticed a cookbook that the homeowners had on the shelf in the kitchen. It was filled with recipes typical of low country cooks, using many ingredients found locally. I scanned through it and saw quite a few recipes that sounded wonderful. I didn't want to spend time copying them, so I grabbed my camera and took pictures. I'm going to make one of those recipes on Sunday-- chicken is on sale this week and a recipes for Lemon Chicken with Artichoke Hearts and Mushrooms sounds really yummy. I'll be sure to let you know what we think.



This is our first week of home schooling, so I'm going to try to limit my new recipes to the weekends, keeping week nights as simple as possible.

Saturday
Lunch: Skyline chili
Dinner: Marsala Burgers, baked potatoes, salad, Peach Pie

Sunday
Lunch: Ham and egg cups, Caramel Apple Sticky Buns
Dinner: Lemon Chicken with Artichoke Hearts and Mushrooms, Copycat Olive Garden Salad, Garlic Parmesan Orzo, bread, Applesauce Molasses Cake

Monday
Lunch: Lunchtime Calzones
Dinner: Porcupine Meatballs, mashed potatoes, steamed cabbage

Tuesday
Lunch: Hot dogs with coney sauce
Dinner: Buttermilk Waffles with fruit sauce, sausage links

Wednesday
Lunch: Muffin Tin munchies
Dinner: Crock Pot Chicken Lickin' Pork Chops (you can find it here at the July 30, 2008, post), Rice and Roni, Roasted Corn

Thursday
Lunch: Lunch pizza
Dinner: Slow Cooker BBQ Beef sandwiches, oven fries, cole slaw

Friday
Lunch: Clam chowder

* Tried and true
* New to me
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Oh pooh!

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Don't you hate it when the gas grill runs out of gas halfway through your Buttermilk Brined Chicken Legs? Argh. It's just not the same cooked in the oven.

But the good news is, I consoled myself (we consoled ourselves) with Graeter's ice cream. Any Grater's fans out there? Raise your hands!

I chose a new flavor -- Elena's Blueberry Pie. Oh my! Real bits of flaky pie crust and whole blueberries. Why, I've never. Honestly. And as if it could get any better, a portion of the proceeds from my scoop (and waffle cone) went to The Cure Starts Now, a foundation established to help fight childhood cancer, which appears to be quite the worthy cause. Kudos to Graeter's.

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Chocolate Revel Bars

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Margaret, a very dear long-distance friend, recently sent me a lovely cookbook for my birthday. I have said before that "collection" cookbooks are some of my favorites because each person who contributes always gives their best, their favorite. I just love spending time looking through them because they reveal so much about the community that contributes to them. This one is especially lovely to look through because many of the dishes appear to be regional favorites. The book was published by St. Anthony Catholic Church in Mooretown, North Dakota, and many of the recipes, at first glance, appear to be ethnic -- German, French and Polish is my guess. I also noticed that a full third of the book is desserts -- those are my kind of people!

The first recipe that I chose to make, mostly because of ingredient availability (and a hankerin' for something chocolate) were the Chocolate Revel Bars. They also happen to be Margaret's sister's recipe! They were fabulous. I admit that I was somewhat stumped about halfway through the recipe, when I couldn't figure out what to do with the filling (I'm lost without pictures, folks!). But I remembered that I had seen this same recipe in one of my older Betty Crocker cookbooks. I checked and saw that I was supposed to melt them all together -- I'm a little thick sometimes.

This recipe makes a buttload of bars (pardon me, but it really is a unit of measure -- it's a lot). You may be tempted to hide them in the pantry and eat them for breakfast before the kids get up (even though they have three cups of oatmeal in them, they are not breakfast food). They are very rich, and I'm sure very fattening. So make sure you have someplace to take them. I wrapped a good half of the pan and sent them with Doug to work. I cut mine into 30 large bars, but you could easily get more than 50 if you cut them smaller.

Chocolate Revel Bars

1 c. butter or margarine (I used butter)
2 c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
3 c. oatmeal (I used quick-cooking rolled oats)
15 oz. sweetened condensed milk (my can was 14 oz.)
12-oz. package chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)
2 T. butter
1/2 t. vanilla

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Mix in eggs and first measure of vanilla. Add flour, soda and salt. Stir in oatmeal and mix to combine.

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine 2 T. butter, sweetened condensed milk, and chocolate chips. Heat on high in microwave for a minute, remove and stir. Heat again, for 30 seconds at a time, until completely melted. (This step could also be done over low heat on the stove). Stir in second measure of vanilla.

Press two-thirds of the oat mixture into the bottom of a greased and floured 15 x 10 jelly roll pan. Spread chocolate mixture over the oat mixture. Using your fingers, dot remaining oat mixture over the chocolate (I think I probably used less than 2/3 on the bottom and I had an abundance of topping -- it was all good).
Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 20-25 minutes or until top is lightly browned.

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Twice Baked Potatoes

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Twice Baked Potatoes are a popular side choice at our house. All of my children love potatoes, but Twice Baked are a real treat. Noah chose them to go with steak on his birthday and they were delish. I wouldn't make them everyday because they are so rich and buttery, but they are wonderful as a treat.

Twice Baked Potatoes
serves 6

6 medium sized baked potatoes
Crisco
5 T. butter, softened, plus about 4 T. for dotting the tops.
1/2 c. sour cream
1 c. sharp cheddar cheese
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Scrub potatoes and prick each with a fork. Lightly rub the exterior of each with a little bit of Crisco. Bake at 375 degrees F. until a fork can be pushed in easily -- about an hour. Remove from oven and cool until potatoes can be handled.

Cut the top off of each potato and, with a spoon, scoop the pulp out into a mixing bowl, leaving a thin shell. When the pulp has been removed from all the potatoes, mix it with a stand mixer or portable mixer until potato pieces are completely broken up. Add butter and sour cream and mix until incorporated. Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Add cheese and stir to combine.

Scoop mixture back into shells and place on a large baking sheet. Dot the top of each with an additional teaspoon or so of butter. Bake at 400 degrees F until golden brown and the bottoms are crisp, about 25 to 30 minutes.

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Frosted Cranberry Salad

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I have said before that the best foods, in my opinion, not only taste good, but evoke emotion. For me that means they bring back a memory. I have very few recipes from my grandma, my mother's mother, but those that I have do just that. I think about her while I'm cooking, and I think about her while I'm eating. And I think that's just a beautiful thing.

My grandma made this salad for many special events when I was growing up, but most memorably at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's a pretty salad (although my picture isn't great) and its flavors go well with holiday meals. For some reason I like to eat it with my Crunchy Chicken Casserole -- the two are linked in my mind, like Salmon Patties and Macaroni and Cheese. This is a fruit salad that most kids enjoy -- the bottom is sweet and tangy, and the top is sweet and creamy -- a great combination. You could even serve it for dessert.

Frosted Cranberry Jello

13 oz can crushed pineapple
7 oz . bottle ginger ale
2 - 3 oz . boxes lemon Jell-O
16 oz. can jellied cranberry sauce
8 oz. whipped cream cheese
2 c. whipped cream
1/4 c. powdered sugar
½ c. chopped nuts, optional


Drain pineapple, reserve syrup. Add water to syrup to make 1 cup. Heat to boil. Dissolve Jell-O in hot liquid. Cool. Gently stir in ginger ale. Chill until syrupy and partially set. Whip cranberry sauce with a whisk. Blend in pineapple and fold into Jell-O. Turn into mold or 11”x7” dish and refrigerate until set.

Whip cream with powdered sugar. Blend in cream cheese. Spread over Jell-O; sprinkle with nuts if desired.

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Weekly Menu

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This weekend is the last before school begins. My high school boy goes back on Monday and the homeschoolers begin a week from Monday -- next week I'll be busy getting ready. This weekend we have Noah's family party -- on Saturday night. We're having several varieties of pizza, none of which are standard pizza fare -- hopefully my crowd will not find them too weird. Next week I will try to keep our meals simple, as we all adjust to having the daily drive to pick up from school, and the homework load after school and in the evening. I'll try to fit in some of the kids' favorite foods, too, to make the transition happier.

Saturday
Lunch: sandwiches
Dinner: BBQ Chicken Pizza, Cheeseburger Pizza, Cucumber Tomato Salad, Red, Green and Black Salad, Cream-filled Chocolate Cupcakes, ice cream

Sunday
Dinner: Roast turkey, mashed potatoes, Candied carrots
(Doug fell into some Columbus Clippers tickets this week, so the turkey didn't get roasted -- I just moved it to Sunday)

Monday
Lunch: bagels and cream cheese
Dinner: Cajun Burgers, Roasted Corn, fresh fruit

Tuesday
Lunch: veggies and dip, cheese cubes
Dinner: Continental Beef and noodles, green vegetable (whatever the co-op brings), Dinner rolls

Wednesday
Lunch: Lunchmeat Sandwiches
Dinner: Ham and Potato Hash, poached eggs, toast

Thursday
Lunch: Pancakes
Dinner: Buttermilk Brined Chicken, Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Scallions, fresh fruit

Friday
Lunch: Quesadillas
Dinner: Cheese pizza

* Tried and true
* New to me

Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Bars

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Every time I clean out my pantry I find no fewer than six bags of mini-marshmallows, opened, with a rubber band around the top, a mere handful of mini marshmallows removed. No matter how many times we eat them, there is always a half dozen bags floating around in there, popping up when I'm looking for that lost bag of rice or oyster crackers.

The other day Peach opened yet another bag. I decided to do something with them and found this recipe when I did a quick Internet search for "marshmallow bars." I found many recipes for those ooey gooey bars that have sweet chocolate frosting and a sort of chewy Texas Sheet Cake base, but I wasn't in the mood for something really sweet, I just wanted to use up some marshmallows. This recipe was perfect for my craving. They were buttery, but not too rich, and sweet, but not too. They were crisp-chewy, just how I like bars cookies to be. They look like the surface of the moon or some distant planet, don't they?



I subbed half the shortening for real butter, and I found halfway into making them that I only had about a cup of chocolate chips (what kind of mother am I?), but I am recording it the way I made it, because I wouldn't change a thing. You can add an additional 1/2 cup chocolate chips if you want them extra chocolaty. I omitted the nuts for allergies, but I'm sure they would only be improved with the inclusion.

Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Bars

20 - 30 bars (depending on how small you cut them)

1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 c. miniature marshmallows
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 c. chopped walnuts

In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in marshmallows, chips and walnuts. Spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Source: modified from allrecipes.com

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Tomato, Basil and Artichoke Baked Pasta

When we arrived home from vacation late last Thursday night, I had a big van full of duffel bags to unpack and laundry to sort and wash. I had pretty well emptied the refrigerator before we left, and except for a few things we bought home with us on ice (Did I tell you I abhor waste? Yes, I though I did.) I didn't have much in terms of fresh food. I did have canned goods, however, and boxed pasta, and fresh basil in the garden (my herbs are about the only thing producing this year). To avoid a trip to the grocery before I planned my menu, I put this dish together using what I had available. I was in the mood for something comforting and homey and this fit the bill. It turned out wonderfully and I'm happy to add it to my list of meatless dishes I can make on Fridays. With the addition of the artichokes we didn't miss the meat at all. And I can honestly say it was just as good (maybe better) the next day.

I used a can of tomato puree to make my own sauce, but if you already have some stashed away, use it. Or sub with a jar of good sauce. The sauce is crucial, though, so use something you'd eat by itself.

Just add some crusty bread for a fulfilling meal.

Tomato, Basil, and Artichoke Baked Pasta
serves 8

28 oz. can tomato puree
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. olive oil
1/2 t. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
2 T. sugar
3 T. chopped fresh basil
3/4 pound bow-tie or other shaped pasta
14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
6 T. butter
¼ cup flour
2½ cups milk
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Heat a medium saucepan over med-high heat. Add oil and garlic and lower heat. Heat garlic for just a minute or two until it is fragrant -- do not cook it, you're going for a lightly roasted flavor. Add puree, sugar, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook on med-low for about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. When seasoning is right, add basil and turn off heat.

Heat water in a large pot to boil; salt and cook pasta to al dente. Drain pasta and pour into a greased 13 x 9 pan. Arrange artichoke quarters on top of pasta.


Make bechamel sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour and stir, but do not brown. Add milk and bring to a boil, stirring until bubbles and thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan.

Pour bechamel sauce over all the pasta and artichokes, but do not stir.
Pour red sauce over bechamel sauce and spread to the edges. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, until bubbly in the center.



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Putting up Produce

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The week before we left for vacation, I found myself with much more fresh produce than we could possibly eat. Our co-op had skipped us on fruit the week before, so we had double the peaches we normally get, plus a bumper of green beans -- some from the farm and some from the store. This time of year the beans always look so beautiful that I sometimes get carried away buying them. We also had a bumper of tomatoes from our garden and some jumbo zucchini from a variety of sources.

Since I have not yet overcome my fear of canning (is there a support group for us?), I resorted to freezing. Among all the things I had to do to get ready for six of us to spend a week in a house a 12-hour car ride away, I had to do prepare and freeze all this produce -- it would have been a sin to waste. I admit, though, I also freeze produce just because I find it for a good price at the grocery store -- like when green beans go on sale. They freeze especially well. Berries, too.

Fortunately, freezing produce is not quite the process that canning is. In fact, it's really quite simple. I share here the basic steps for freezing some vegetables and some fruits. You can easily find this information at any state extension service (this one from my great state is a good one -- download the ones you need, print out, and keep with your cookbooks). Your extension service will tell you which foods need to be cooked before freezing, which need special treatment, etc.

For beans and other foods that need to be blanched before freezing:

Trim the ends of the beans and rinse in cool water. I cut mine into more bite-size pieces, but you can leave them whole, too. I also only do about a pound at a time -- it's just easier for me to handle. I did a total of 3 pounds in about 20 minutes.


Bring a pot of water to boil. When it boils, drop in cleaned beans and bring back to boil. Boil for one minute.


With a slotted spoon, remove beans from water (you'll want to continue using your hot water for more beans) and drop them in a large bowl of iced water. Let sit for about as long as they were in the hot water -- this depends on how long it took for your water to re-boil.



Drain and remove any remaining ice cubes. Dump beans onto paper towels to air dry.



Place in freezer bags (or plastic containers, but I like freezer bags because: 1) they are cheap; 2) I can remove the extra air) and remove all of the air with a straw before sealing. Label and freeze promptly.

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For foods that can be frozen without cooking, like squash, onions, or peppers.

Normally when I find myself with too many zucchini, I bake. The week before vacation I just couldn't fit it in (other than some Chocolate Zucchini muffins which we took in the car). It took just a few minutes to wash, grate (in the processor on small shred), and bag up several large zucchini and yellow squash. Now I have a stash for winter baking. Use the same process as above for green beans to bag and suck out the air. Label and freeze.

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For fruit, those which require peeling and syrup pack:

The peaches I froze were some of the best peaches I've ever eaten. It was almost a sin to freeze them, they were so good fresh. But other than eating 10 in one day, I had no choice. I am hoping that they will be almost as good when I thaw them. These peaches were perfectly ripe. When I cut them, the slices fell away from the pit. That's a perfectly ripe peach. I had my Peach take a picture of how they fell apart in my hand.


I processed about 5 really large peaches at a time -- filling two quart-size freezer bags with each batch. I didn't get pictures of every step, but you're a smart girl and I know you can do it.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. When it boils, drop in the peaches. Boil for one minute. Remove from pot and when you can handle them (but don't let them cool), peel them. The skins should fairly easily slip off. If not, you didn't get them hot enough.

Slice peaches into a large bowl. Add the juice of half a lemon, or if you are slices more than about 5 large peaches, a whole lemon. You could also use ascorbic acid, but I prefer lemon juice. This step is only for fruits that brown -- berries, melon, grapes, cherries don't need it.



Make syrup -- I used a light syrup, about 1 cup sugar to 3 cups water (you can find the recipes for heavier syrups at the extension service website). Bring sugar and water to a boil and cook until sugar dissolves. Cool.

Place fruit slices and any juices into freezer bags. Pour in syrup until fruit is pretty well covered. Zipper the bag closed almost all the way, stick in the straw and suck out any remaining air. Zip closed completely. Label and freeze promptly.



Just as lovely as the thought that I have yummy fresh foods in my freezer, is peeking in and
seeing them. The night after I placed the peaches in, I could be seen opening the freezer door just to look at them. Silly me.

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Baked Shrimp Scampi

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I mentioned in my menu post on Friday that we spent our vacation week in southern, coastal South Carolina -- low country. Low country, according to folks who know, is a geographic region south of Pawley's Island (just south of Myrtle Beach) and north of the Savannah River. The cuisine is based on a lot of seafood, especially shrimp and crab, and southern style sides like simmered greens and baked macaroni and cheese.

I planned my menu ahead for several seafood dishes to take advantage of the super fresh food. Based on the recommendation of homeowners from low country, I picked out a fish market and visited it the second day we visited. It was right on the edge of an inter coastal waterway and the shrimp boats were floating behind the shop, just 10 feet from the back door. They had fresh shrimp for $3.50 a pound. I could have cried. And they were so fresh they still had their color -- something you miss out on when you buy shrimp in Ohio. I bought 3.5 pounds and for dinner prepared Ina's Baked Shrimp Scampi. It was truly like food of the gods. After my mom and I spent one and a half hours peeling and deveining them, we teased the kids that no one would get to leave the table until every last shrimp was consumed. We didn't even have to twist any arms. It may seem like a lot of work for a dish that normally has about four ingredients, but it was worth it. Just pour a lovely glass of wine and enjoy the process. If you can get fresh deveined shrimp, bully for you. Sorry, no picture of my own. I did borrow Ina's and mine looked exactly the same (except there was even more!). I did broil mine at the end, which apparently Ina did too to get that extra browned top. I also omitted the wine because I bought a Gewürztraminer, which would have been too sweet.


Photo: Food Network

Ina's Baked Shrimp Scampi

2 pounds (12 to 15 per pound) shrimp in the shell
3 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 extra-large egg yolk
2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
Lemon wedges, for serving


Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and toss gently with the olive oil, wine, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature while you make the butter and garlic mixture.

In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until combined.

Starting from the outer edge of a 14-inch oval gratin dish, arrange the shrimp in a single layer cut side down with the tails curling up and towards the center of the dish. Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the shrimp. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and bubbly. If you like the top browned, place under a broiler for 1 minute. Serve with lemon wedges.

Source: Food Network

Weekly Menu

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We're back from vacation. We just spent five days in sunny South Carolina low country. What a culinary delight! Seafood galore and loads of dishes we don't normally see in the Midwest -- fried okra, creamy cheesy grits, buttery tender lima beans, simmered greens. Yum. We only ate out twice -- once on the way and once there, but both in South Carolina. The rest I cooked in, and all the food was quite a treat with local ingredients. One night we had Shrimp Scampi made with the freshest shrimp I ever ate. It was so fresh it was alive just the afternoon before. I will share the recipe with you because it was truly the yummiest shrimp I have ever eaten, but unless you can get really fresh shrimp I fear it won't quite be the same.

Now we're back to real life and I just registered the kids for homeschool and am moving into back-to-school mode. This week we'll be busy getting high school boy outfitted, and writing up lesson plans and study guides and all the rest for the two younger children.

My Noah has a birthday tomorrow -- my Assumption baby -- he will turn 13! Of course, he's already as big as a man, is taller than his mama with size 11 feet, so he might as well catch up in years. He has requested a steak dinner, twice baked potatoes and flan, and I will oblige him. The rest of the week I'm keeping it simple and cheap. I have a few things in the freezer (pulled BBQ pork, some packages of chicken pieces, and a whole turkey) to give my grocery bill a break. I spent over $300 at the grocer in S.C. -- quite a shock for five days worth of food -- so I'll really watch it for a while.

Saturday
Dinner: Steak, Twice baked potatoes, Corn, Avocado and Tomato Salad, Flan

Sunday
Lunch: Skyline Chili
Dinner: Crunchy Chicken Casserole, Ambrosia Salad, sweet muffins

Monday
Lunch: pizza
Dinner: Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Cabbage Slaw, Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Tuesday
Lunch: creamy tomato soup and grilled cheese
Dinner: Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore, pasta, green beans

Wednesday
Lunch: hamburgers
Dinner: My Mother's Chili

Thursday
Lunch: bagels and cream cheese
Dinner: Roast turkey, mashed potatoes, Summer Succotash

Friday
Lunch: tuna salad
Dinner: Black bean Burritos, Cabbage Lime Salad, yellow rice

* Tried and true
* New to me

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Chicken Fingers

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Well, now that we got all that cake out of our system we can focus on real food.

Except chicken fingers aren't real food.

Every time we eat chicken fingers my kids recite that line from Napoleon Dynamite, "Do the chickens have large talons?" I laugh every time. It just reminds me that "fingers" are a really strange thing to call pieces of chicken.

These chicken fingers are one of our favorites. Of course the kids love them. Technically they are kid food. But they are tasty enough to keep the adults happy, too. With the addition of the Cane's Sauce, they are pretty yummy. These fingers don't get really crunchy, but I like them that way. They are reminiscent of the softer fingers at Cane's that we love. If you like them crunchy, use panko instead of bread crumbs.

Chicken Fingers

1 c. Italian bread crumbs
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, crushed
¼ c. vegetable oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a plastic bag or a bowl, mix bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese; set aside. In a small bowl, combine garlic and oil. Cut chicken breast into 1-in. wide strips. Dip strips into oil; coat with crumb mixture. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

"Cane's" Sauce
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. ketchup
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. Tony Chachere seasoning
dash Tabasco
pinch black pepper

Mix sauce ingredients thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Chill until ready to serve.


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Chocolate Covered Oreo Cake

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We had quite a chocolate cake weekend a week ago, now that I look back. Chocolate Zucchini Cake on Friday, Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cupcakes Saturday and Oreo Cake on Sunday. I certainly didn't plan it that way -- it just happened.

We went to dinner at my in-laws on Sunday and I asked my father-in-law if he wanted a fruit dessert or chocolate. He picked chocolate. I picked this cake because even though it's chocolate, it's light. I didn't say not fattening, it's light tasting. And it doesn't feel like you ate a lead ball.

The recipe for this cake originally came from Kraft. I make it almost as they published it -- I use a boxed cake and I make the ganache as directed, but I don't use Cool Whip. That's where I draw the line. Actually, I think Cool Whip is o.k. for some things, but I actually would rather eat butter fat from a cow that partially hydrogenated whatever that they make Cool Whip with. So I have made my substitutions below. If you want to use Cool Whip, the recipe is published here.

Chocolate Covered Oreo Cake

1 pkg. (2-layer size) devil's food chocolate cake mix

4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

1/4 c. butter

1 c. heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar

12 Oreo Cookies, coarsely crushed

Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour two nine-inch cake pans.

Prepare cake batter and bake as directed on package. Cool cakes in pans 10 min. Invert cakes onto wire racks; gently remove pans. Cool cakes completely.

Microwave chocolate and butter in small microwaveable bowl on high 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Cool 5 min.

Beat whipping cream and 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Set aside.

Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Gently stir in whipped cream and crushed cookies. Stack cake layers on plate, spreading cream cheese mixture between layers. Spread top with chocolate glaze; let stand until firm. Keep refrigerated.

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Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cupcakes -- Recipe Review

We were headed to dine with some dear friends over the weekend and I offered to bring dessert. I wanted it to be special and I remembered these cupcakes over at Annie's Eats. I read through the directions and almost chickened out. I just didn't want to spend hours making cupcakes. Seems contrary to the spirit of the cake -- it's just a little cupcake. But I did want it to be special.

It turns out they weren't so difficult, and they were darling. I made a few changes, one of which was to substitute the raspberry frosting for chocolate ganache on some of them. I had quite a bit of ganache left after filling the berries and what a shame to waste. So I halved the frosting and used the ganache. I know my husband appreciated the substitution because he is a chocoholic.

I also made a few technical changes which I have noted in italics below. My ganache was too runny as directed so I added more chocolate (hence the abundance of ganache). I recommend either using less cream or adding chocolate. I did not use the jam in the truffle mix, which I think would have made it more runny, but I could be wrong.

Have the kids help you with these cupcakes to make the job easier. Peach filled all the raspberries and did a great job. It kept her busy while I filled the cupcakes with jam and made the frosting.

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cupcakes

9 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 c. cake flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. baking powder
8 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 c. strong coffee (or water)
1/2 c. milk

For the filling:
Seedless raspberry jam

For the raspberry truffles:
2 pints fresh raspberries
5 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/3 cup heavy cream

(I used 1/3 cup heavy cream and probably 9 oz. chocolate by the time I was done fooling with it)

For the frosting:
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
Pink icing color (optional)

(I halved the frosting because of my ganache switcheroo, and added a few drops red food color)

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a small bowl sift together the cocoa powder, cake flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions.

In a liquid measuring cup, combine the coffee and milk. Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixer and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Stir in the coffee-milk mixture and mix until combined. Add in the remaining dry ingredients, again mixing just until incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling the cups about 3/4 full (I filled my 2/3 full and some still popped over the liners and stuck to the pan -- I hate that!-- I recommend somewhere between 1/2 and 2/3 full). Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, heat some raspberry jam just enough to allow for easy stirring and smooth texture (I think just stirring it up is fine). Transfer the jam to a pastry bag (or a freezer bag in a pinch) fitted with a large plain tip, poke into each cupcake and squeeze a small amount inside (it is helpful to take a sharp knife and poke through all the liners before you stick the tip in).

To make the raspberry truffles, rinse fresh raspberries and transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Gently shake the berries around to remove excess water. (It helps to set them upside down on paper towels on their open side.) Place the chocolate and jam (I omitted) in a small heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate and jam. Let stand for about 3 minutes. Whisk together gently until smooth. If any unmelted lumps remain, microwave a few seconds and whisk again. Let the ganache cool a bit until it has thickened slightly (enough to be piped through a pastry bag). Once it has reached the right consistency, transfer the ganache to a pastry bag and pipe into the center of the clean raspberries. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes to set.

To make the frosting, place the butter and jam in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream on medium-high speed until well incorporated, about 2 minutes. Sift in the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Tint with icing color as desired.

To finish the cupcakes, frost with the raspberry jam buttercream and top with a few of the raspberry truffles.




I wanted to show you my cool cupcake carrier from Wilton. It has a carry lid that snaps on (and I was so excited to get it 40% off at Joann with my coupon).

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Weekly Menu

We have lots of fun in store for us this week ::wink:wink::. I have a few posts planned though, to keep you happy while I'm enjoying myself. Happy almost end of summer! Before you know it you'll be dragging out that stew pot.



Sunday
Dinner: Baked shrimp scampi, Fish Market salad, bread, Roasted Corn on the cob, Ice Ice Cream and fresh fruit

Monday
Lunch: Roast beef sandwiches
Dinner: Chicken Gryros, Roasted oregano potatoes, Chocolate Chess Pie

Tuesday
Lunch: pizzas
Dinner: Grilled Flounder, Cole Slaw, Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Wednesday
Lunch: Beer cheese dip and veggies, ranch and veggies, cheese cubes and crackers

Thursday
Lunch: Tuna and bean salad
Dinner: Carolina Pork Chops, Creamy potato bake, green vegetables, Cappuccino Mousse and cookies

* Tried and true
* New to me


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Chocolate Zucchini Cake

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Last week we had our favorite priest over for dinner. I love having clergy join us for meals, but I admit it makes me a little nervous. Will the meal satisfy? Will the children make it through an evening without fighting? Or cursing? Luckily our favorite friendly priest is a high school classmate of my husband, and he loves my cooking, and would laugh out loud if someone did act up! It sure takes the heat off.

While he requested the dinner menu (pepperoni pizza and salad), I chose dessert. My sister-in-law gave me a enormous zucchini from her mother's garden and after two loaves of Cinnamon Zucchini Bread, I still had half of it left. I shredded the rest and used two cups in this cake, then placed the rest in a zipper bag and in the freezer-- I'll deal with it later.



This cake was fabulous. And the best part -- no one had a clue that there was zucchini hidden within (until my husband spilled the beans). Not a speck of green. It was moist and very chocolaty and wonderful. Every single bite was consumed.

The recipe I used came from Simply Recipes. I have never tried one of Elise's recipes before, but this one seemed pretty straightforward and other than risking green specks, I figured chocolate cake was chocolate cake. This was better than chocolate cake, only it was (almost) my little secret. I made it almost as posted, except I didn't have any oranges for the zest. I'm sure it would only be better with a hint of orange flavor. I also didn't include the nuts because of allergies. I used Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Frosting to frost it, instead of white glaze, and made some creamy homemade vanilla ice cream for some lovely chocolate cake a la mode.

I intended to get a picture after I cut it so you could see there was no green, but before I knew it, it was gone.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. cocoa
2 1/2 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
3/4 c. soft butter
2 c. sugar
3 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 t. grated orange peel
2 c. coarsely shredded zucchini
1/2 c. milk
1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans

Glaze or Frosting (directions follow)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a ring pan or bundt.

Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside. With a mixer, beat together the butter and the sugar until they are smoothly blended. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. With a spoon, stir in the vanilla, orange peel, and zucchini.

Alternately stir the dry ingredients and the milk into the zucchini mixture, including the nuts with the last addition.

Pour the batter into pan. Bake in the oven for about 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes; turn out on wire rack to cool thoroughly.

Drizzle glaze over cake.

Glaze: Mix together 2 c. powdered sugar, 3 T. milk, and 1 t. vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Cut in thin (or thick!) slices to serve. Makes 10-12 servings.


Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Frosting

1/2 c. butter
2/3 c. cocoa
3 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. milk
1 t. vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Sources: Simply Recipes
Hershey's

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Aunt Nancy's Very Easy Carrot Cake

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While my brother was in town last week, I cooked a little bit for a lot of people. On a normal day I don't have to make certain there is enough for 12 people to adequately eat dinner and dessert. One pie is enough for my family alone. But cooking for two families I doubled dinner and counted pieces for dessert. This carrot cake served everyone dinner once and there was enough for leftovers the next day. My brother said he's not usually a fan of carrot cake, but he ate this one twice. And his wife, was hoping there would be a piece left the third day.

They really enjoyed it, and it really couldn't be easier. No shredding involved. This carrot cake relies on baby food for its carrot flavor and color and moistness. When I went to the store, however, I found that baby food has changed a bit since I last fed a baby jarred food. What happened to the jars? What happened to junior food? Maybe it's my local stores, but none carried junior carrots (which technically should be a little lumpier than first foods), and no one carried carrots in a jar. So I estimated how much pureed carrot comes in a junior jar and ended up using all of those, er, plastic containers in the four pack. I went to the Gerber website and see that they still manufacture junior carrots, so if they are available in your area, use those. If not, I think the four small plastic containers are a pretty close equivalent.

This recipe come from my husband's Aunt Nancy. Because of tree nut allergies, I omit the nuts, but I'm certain this cake would be awesome with them.

Aunt Nancy's Very Easy Carrot Cake

3 jars junior baby food carrots (or a four-pack of beginner carrots)
2 c. sugar
1 1/4 c. oil (I used light-tasting olive oil)
4 beaten eggs
2 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
1 c. finely chopped pecans
1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 x 9 pan.
Combine carrots, sugar and oil. Beat well. Add eggs, continuing to beat. Sift together dry ingredients (I am philosophically opposed to sifting, but go ahead if you want to); stir dry ingredients into carrot mixture and mix well. Sir in pecans and vanilla. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the cake in for 25 minutes longer (don't open the door). Remove from oven and cool on a rack. (Note: this cake always sinks a little in the middle -- it's the sign of a good scratch cake -- don't sweat it.)

Frosting
1/2 c. butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 lb. powdered sugar
1/2 c. chopped nuts

When cake is cool, beat together butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar and whip until desired consistency is reached -- it should be creamy and smooth. Frost top of cake with a thick layer. Sprinkle with nuts.

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