Fourth of July Menu

Don't you just hate it when Blogger eats your posts? I started a Fourth of July menu here a week ago, adding to it when I thought of something I wanted to serve, and Blogger (the big pig!) ate the whole thing. Dang. Starting over.

We're having a crowd for the weekend and I'll be serving dinner both Saturday and Sunday -- with a larger crowd on Sunday. It should be fun, with lots of fireworks, fruity sangria, cold beer and bottled soda pop, good food and treats. I can't wait.

Saturday

Hot Crab Dip
Best Backyard Barbecue Chicken
Pepper Jack Pasta Salad
Bacon Corn
Bread
Sliced Cold Watermelon
Apple Crumble Pie
Whoopie Pies


Sunday


Taco Dip (like this but with more stuff!)
Sausage Kabobs
Baked Beans (I'm going to add some wienies)
Fruit Salad and Yogurt Dip
Bread
Deviled Eggs
Fudge Krispies
Cherry Pie
Chocolate Revel Bars

Key Lime Pie

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I must have seen a Key Lime Pie recently...I don't remember where or when, but I couldn't get it out of my head. It's not a pie I usually choose to make or eat, but I have had a hankerin'.

This was a very easy recipe, though not a true-blue Key Lime Pie. First there's the issue of Key limes. I can't get them in Ohio, so regular limes are what I used, but honestly, I don't know if I could tell the difference -- Key Limes are supposedly a little stronger and more acidic. Then there is the issue of egg substitute, which I almost didn't use at the last minute, but it was good -- very good. I'll probably try another recipe or two just to see what I think, but this pie was so easy and so good that another recipe would have to be five stars to replace this one.

I did replace the Cool Whip that was called for in the original recipe with whipped cream -- I just can't use Cool Whip even it it cuts out fat. You could also top it with meringue, but I like whipped cream (meringue would be lower in fat than cream, and taste better than Cool Whip). Mine turned out softer than the photo at myrecipes, but it was plenty firm to cut and serve. I also made my own crust. Use a low-fat, pre-made crust if you want to retain more of the reduce-fat qualities in the original recipe.

Key Lime Pie
serves 6-8

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1 can fat-free sweetened condensed milk (14-oz.)
¾ cup egg substitute
½ cup fresh lime juice
2 t. grated lime rind (about 2 limes)
1 graham cracker crust (ready made or see below)
1 cup whipping cream
¼ can powdered sugar

Process first 4 ingredients in a mixer until smooth. Pour mixture into piecrust.

Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Let pie cool completely, then chill if desired (I did). At serving time, top with whipped cream. Garnish, if desired (with shreds of lime peel),

Whipped Cream: whip whipping cream at high speed with powdered sugar until soft peaks hold.
Graham cracker crust: mix 1 1/2 finely crushed graham cracker crumbs with 1/3 c. melted butter and 1/4 c. sugar. Mix thoroughly. Press in a 9-inch pie pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 9 minutes. Cool completely.

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Weekly Menu

Happy end-of-June! Wow? Where does time go? It's already the second half of the year this week.

Softball season is almost over. Faith will play some play-off games after the 4th, but then that's it. This week we have nothing to schedule around, except house painting and that's (almost) nothing. It appears as though we have some cooler days ahead this week, so I am planning a few of my "cooked indoors" meals.

Sunday
Brunch: Sierra Turkey Sandwiches
Dinner: Grilled Blackened Chicken and Pepper Corn, bread, fruit salad, Key Lime Pie (something like this but with real cream)

Monday
Lunch: Quesadillas
Dinner: Italian Chicken Sausage sandwiches, peppers and onions, pasta salad

Tuesday
Lunch: Taco Salads
Dinner: Chipotle Beef Stew in Squash Boats, bread

Wednesday
Lunch: pizza
Dinner: Hot dogs with Chili Sauce, potato salad, fruit


Thursday -- Feast of Blessed Junipero Serra
Lunch: Bella Bruschetta Salad
Dinner: Chicken Tamale Casserole, fruit, Flan

Friday
Lunch: scrambled egg sandwiches
Dinner: Tostada Pizza

* Tried and true
* New to me

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Grasshopper Pie -- or Parfait

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For the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist yesterday, I made a Grasshopper Pie. That's as close as I was getting to locusts and honey. Yeah, I'm a wimp that way.

The pie was a huge hit at my house -- my children had apparently never had Grasshopper Pie, even though mint and chocolate are very popular flavors around here (you will always find York Peppermint Patties in my husband's "secret" hiding place, and you'll almost always find mint chocolate chip ice cream in the freezer -- unless it's almost shopping day and we're out). The recipe came from Sugar Plum: Vision of Sweets and I would make it exactly the same again. As I was enjoying it, however, I was thinking about Charlotte's parfaits and realized the filling of the pie would be wonderful layered with chocolate pudding, Oreo cookie crumbs and whipped cream. To me, parfaits just look so special, so celebratory -- I think my kids would like them even better than the pie. So, note to self: next year on this feast day, use the filling and make pretty Grasshopper Parfaits.

This pie, however, would make a cool and creamy ending to any summer supper.

Grasshopper Pie
makes 8 servings

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2 cups finely ground Oreo cookie crumbs
4 T. unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups heavy cream, divided
2 T. cornstarch
1t. vanilla extract
1 t. green peppermint extract (I was not able to find green extract, so I used extra green food coloring -- probably 6 - 8 drops in all)
Green food coloring
24 Andes mints, coarsely chopped (I used more like 28 -- more is better!)
2 T. granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, stir together cookie crumbs and melted butter until well combined; press into 9-inch pie dish. Bake 6-8 minutes or until crisp. Cool completely.

Whisk eggs together in a large bowl until combined. In a medium saucepan, whisk together condensed milk, 1 cup heavy cream, and cornstarch until combined; bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking frequently. Gradually whisk half of the hot cream into eggs until combined; slowly whisk egg mixture into saucepan. Cook mixture for 4-5 minutes or until it thickens up and coats the back of a spoon. I let it almost come to a simmer. Remove custard from heat and strain into a large mixing bowl. Lightly cover and refrigerate until cold - about 1 hour (probably need a little longer).

Beat vanilla, peppermint extract, and a few drops of green food coloring into cooled custard, using a mixer on high speed. Beat mixture for 2 minutes or until creamy and fluffy (I can't say mine ever got fluffy -- but it was definitely creamy). Gently stir half (I used 15) of the chopped mints into custard; evenly spread custard into pie crust.

To make the whipped cream, beat additional 1 cup heavy cream and sugar in a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on high speed, until stiff peaks form. Spread whipped cream over top of pie. Garnish with additional chopped mints. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Source: Sugar Plum-- Visions of Sweets

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Mountain Dew Cake

You know how I am about cake. I'm a snob. A scratch cake, even an imperfect, slightly dry, fallen-in-the-middle scratch cake, is better than a box mix on any day. Which is why you are surprised that I present you with a doctored-up cake mix recipe, right? Well, I do believe that everyone should have one or two doctored-up box cake mix recipes in their cookbook. Just for emergencies (or days when you have too much going on, like Lemon Scones and Blackberry Pie and a cake all baked by 11 a.m.). And this one is not half bad. In fact, served with fresh summer fruit and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it is most passable. It's very, very moist (almost fall-apart so), and very lemony and very sweet. If possible, I would have filled the inside cavity with the fresh fruit, but that would have been pretty messy, considering the fruit was very juicy, and the cake was very moist. It's a thought though.

Mountain Dew Cake
serves 12-16

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1 box lemon cake mix
1 box lemon-flavored instant pudding mix (3.4 oz)
12 oz. Mountain Dew
¾ cup vegetable oil
4 lrg. eggs


Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Lightly grease and flour a 10-cup bundt pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix and pudding mix. Add soda, oil and eggs. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.



Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
several teaspoons Mountain Dew

Stir together until glaze is a thick drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake.

Lemon Blueberry Scones

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On Father's Day morning I dragged my sorry behind out of bed (yes, I would much rather have snoozed) and scraped together something hot and sweet for the father of my children. I had not planned ahead and when I gathered the blueberries, butter, sugar, flour together on the kitchen counter, I realized I had no oranges for my Orange Blueberry Scones. I did however, have lemons, so with a quick switch of ingredients I made Lemon Blueberry Scones instead of orange with the same recipe. The lemon scones were just as yummy as the orange, and my husband probably liked them more because he appreciates tart and sweet flavors.

Lemon Blueberry Scones
12 scones


Printer-friendly version
2 c. plus 2 T. all-purpose flour
2 T. sugar, plus additional for sprinkling
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 t. grated lemon zest
12 T. cold unsalted butter, diced
2 eggs
1/2 c. cold heavy cream
3/4 c. blueberries

1 c. confectioners’ sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
2 t. freshly squeezed lemon juice
few teaspoons milk to make a runny glaze

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix 2 cups of flour, 2 T. sugar, the baking powder, salt and lemon zest. Add the cold butter and mix at the lowest speed until the butter is the size of peas. Pour the cream into a measuring cup and add eggs. Whisk with a fork and then, with the mixer on low speed, slowly pour into the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough will look lumpy! Combine the blueberries and 2 T. of flour, add to the dough, and mix by hand -- very gently.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead gently it into a ball. Cut dough into two equal size pieces. Flatten, with your hands, into a round about 1 inch high. Repeat with other half. Cut each round into 6 triangles. Place triangles onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 minutes, until scones are lightly browned on top. The scones will be firm to the touch.

Allow the scones to cool for 15 minutes and then whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and milk, and drizzle over the scones.

Source: modified from Smells Like Home

Pepper Jack Pasta Salad

I made this pasta salad, found at myrecipes.com last week with burgers on the grill. In the summer, I love an easy meal of meat on the grill, a cold salad, and some fresh fruit. It's a simple meal to prepare and really all the food you need for dinner when the temperatures are high. I saw this recipe for pasta salad and it sounded like something different, and something my family would like. I was correct on both counts.

I made a few changes to the recipe as I made it and I made a few changes when I wrote it down because I plan to make it slightly differently next time. I used Monterey Jack cheese as directed in the recipe, but next time will use Pepper Jack (hence the name change). The salad had a little kick, but not quite enough for my gang. I also used mild banana pepper rings and plan to use spicy in the future. I think both changes will make for a salad that is bright and flavorful, but with the kick my family loves. If your family is not fond of spicy flavors, make the salad with Monterey Jack cheese and mild peppers. I omitted the capers from the original recipe because my family doesn't really care for them.

Pepper Jack Pasta Salad

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6 oz. uncooked acini di pepe pasta, about 1 cup ( or any small shaped pasta)
2¼ cups diced plum tomato
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
¼ cup sliced pickled banana peppers
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 T. cider vinegar
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
½ t. dried oregano
⅛ t. salt
4 oz. Pepper Jack cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 can navy beans (16-ounce) rinsed and drained
2 oz. salami, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Combine tomato and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add pasta to tomato mixture, tossing well to combine. Chill until ready to serve or serve immediately (I think it gained a little flavor from a short chill in the fridge).

Source: modified from Cooking Light

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Weekly Menu

I'm kind of excited to post my menus now that I have a month of meals to choose from -- the hard part is already done for me. I did my meat shopping today and spent under $6 per meal, which sounds like a lot, but that includes three splurge dinners -- two steak and one of ribs -- so my average is actually more like $3.50 per meal. The best part is, the meat is all divided up and packed in the freezer and I don't have to think about it for a month.

This weekend is Father's Day and since we're spending Father's Day dinner with Doug's family (I'm responsible for dessert) I am preparing Doug a nice steak dinner tomorrow. I'm taking a Blackberry Pie on Sunday (Doug's pick) and a Mountain Dew cake. I have made this cake before, but, unfortunately, I didn't keep track of the recipe. I think I remember it being like this one, so that is the recipe I'll use. I served it before with a big bowl of sweetened fresh fruit -- peaches, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and it was yummy and refreshing.

Saturday
Lunch: Skyline chili
Dinner Steak Diane, garlic mashed potatoes, Bacon Peas

Sunday
Brunch: Eggs Benedict

Monday
Lunch: Nachos
Dinner: Beef Barbecue sandwiches, Cabbage slaw, tater tots

Tuesday
Lunch: Bagels and cream cheese
Dinner: Creamy Taco Mac, Romaine and Pepito salad with Cilantro Ranch dressing

Wednesday
Lunch: Grilled hot dogs
Dinner: Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore, pasta, salad

Thursday -- Feast of the birth of John the Baptist
Dinner: Buttermilk Brined Grilled drumsticks and thighs, Cabbage Slaw, grilled potatoes, Grasshopper Pie (just like locusts and honey!)

Friday
Lunch: cheese pizza
Dinner: Chicken Philly Sandwiches, chips, fruit

* Tried and true
* New to me

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A Month of Menus

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I'm up to 20% off my groceries at Giant Eagle so today's the day I buy a month of meat at once. I used to do this -- buy a month of meat -- all the time, when I bought my meat at the butcher shop. I bought 10 or 20 pounds of chicken, brought it home, divided it up and wrapped it for freezing. The same with ground meat, stew meat. I always liked knowing that I had a big store of meat in the freezer (unless we had a storm and the power threatened to go off -- then it's not such a good feeling). SO I have planned a month of meals, though I have not assigned them places yet -- it all depends upon our schedule. I'll probably still post weekly menus, so I can look at our schedule, assign a meal to each day and make my grocery list for the pantry staples, dairy products and produce.

You can see as I made my list that I bunched like dishes together (because in my mind I made the "logical" jump from one dish to something similar). Obviously when I schedule them each week, I will put like dishes in different weeks.

Another note -- it may look like we will be eating a lot of ground beef and chicken, and yes, we are. It seems I picked a week in which Giant Eagle has mostly cuts of chicken and beef on sale. I threw a pork dish or two into the menu, but those cuts were not on sale, so just a few. The lunch meat, breakfast meats I buy at my discount grocer, so I pick those up when I buy my staples and produce. Also when I schedule each week, I'll post specific links to things listed generically as salad, potato salad, pasta salad.



1) Skillet Stroganoff, vegetable or salad

2) Grilled Blackened Chicken and Pepper Corn, bread

3) Shrimp, Peppers and Grits, bread, fruit

4) Chicken Tamale Casserole, fruit

5) Chipotle Beef Stew in Squash Boats, bread

6) Greek Pasta topped with Grilled Chicken Breast, bread, fruit

7) Steak Diane, garlic mashed potatoes, green vegetable

8) Creamy Taco Mac, green vegetable, fruit

9) Pizza, salad

10) Tostada Pizza

11) Grilled Burgers, Onion Rings

12) Meatloaf and Mushroom Gravy, mashed potatoes, vegetable

13) Hot dogs with Chili Sauce, potato salad, fruit

14) Italian Chicken Sausage sandwiches, peppers and onions, pasta salad

15) Buttermilk Brined Grilled drumsticks and thighs, Cabbage Slaw, grilled potatoes

16) Chicken Drumsticks and Thighs with Hoisin Molasses BBQ sauce, salad, bread

17) BBQ ribs, potato salad, bread, fruit salad

18) Grilled T-bone steaks, baked potatoes, Saturday Night Vidalia Onions

19) BLT and C Salad, bread, fruit

20) Denver Fritatta, muffins

21) Turkey Reuben, Baked onion rings, Chocolate malts

22) Beef Barbecue sandwiches, Cabbage slaw, tater tots

23) Chicken Philly Sandwiches, chips, fruit

24) Slow-Cooker BBQ Beef Sandwiches, cabbage slaw, chips

25) Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore, pasta, salad

26) Slowcooker Carnitas, black beans, rice

27) Appetizers for supper: grilled chicken wings, potato skins, cowboy caviar

28) Cincinnati Chili, spaghetti

29) Baked Steak in Tangy Tomato Sauce, mashed potatoes, buttered corn

20) H0memade tacos , fruit

* Tried and true
* new to me



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Berry Crisp

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My husband and I have fond memories of a restaurant we dined at when we were first dating, then young newlyweds, and then young parents. It was a glorified diner of sorts (well, maybe not so glorified) and every dish they served was yummy. I think my mom used to go with us, and she usually picked up the tab because money was always tight (thus it tasted even better!). One dish I remember from their menu was a fruit crisp that came out of the kitchen piping hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream that was already melting around the edges. Oh my, I used to just stuff myself on it. No matter how much you already ate, that crisp tasted so good. Blueberry was, of course, my favorite. Or maybe it was cherry. ;-)

This recipe reminds of that wonderful crisp. It's a really simple dessert to throw together, and you can use almost any fruit with wonderful results. I got the recipe from my girlfriend, and I thought it was a Martha Stewart recipe, but I can't find it on the internet, so now I'm not so sure. Irregardless, it's yummy, and when I made it recently with a combination of blackberries and raspberries, it was very memorable. I used some leftovers from the freezer -- just bits of berries from a couple almost empty bags, but you would never know from the finished product. Use fresh in the summer when it's available and inexpensive, and frozen in the winter when berries are so dear. Or use peaches, or cherries, or better yet, blueberries! Oh, they're all good! If you plan to use frozen fruit, no need to thaw -- just add a few minutes to the bake time. Watch for bubbly juices -- a sure sign it's done.

Fruit Crisp
serves 6

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4 cups berries or diced fruit (I used 2 c. blackberries and 2 c. raspberries for the crisp pictured)
2 T. flour
1/4 t. salt
1/2 cup sugar (more if your fruit is tart -- I used 3/4 cup for the berries pictured)

1 cup flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 t salt
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 cup butter


Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix fruit, 2 T. flour, 1/4 t. salt, and 1/2 cup sugar and place in bottom of greased 10 x 6 or 8 x 8 pan.

Mix dry ingredients and cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over fruit and bake for 30 to 40 minutes (apples or other firm fruit make take longer -- when it bubbles rapidly around the edges, it's done).
(Can be doubled and put in 13 x 9 — bake until bubbly)

Strawberry Coffee Cake

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Yes, it's berry season! Between freezer jam, berries in salads, shortcakes, and new dessert recipes we are certainly getting our share of berries these days.

On Sunday, I tried this recipe for Strawberry Coffee Cake for brunch and it was a huge hit. It's a soft, moist, buttery cake with a layer of strawberry filling in the middle. And while it doesn't look like much strawberry, the filling packs a big flavor punch. I found the recipe at Joy the Baker who used a 10 x 10 pan to bake her cake. I don't own a 10 x 10 and I was in a bit of hurry Sunday morning before Mass, so I didn't want to put it in a 9 x 9 and bake it longer. I decided to use a 9 x 13, and while using a larger pan thinned the filling out a little, it was not enough to affect the flavor or texture. I baked it for 45 minutes instead of the 55 - 60 minutes and it was perfectly done, but not dry. It was a little bit difficult to spread the strawberry filling, as well as the top layer of cake batter because I was spreading it a little farther, but I did my best and fortunately streusel, like charity, covers a multitude of sins.

Joy's cake looks different from mine, and other than the glaze drizzle and the pan size I followed the instructions, so I can't figure out why. But, who cares? It was delicious! I would even serve this cake for dessert. I've modified the instructions for a 9 x 13, but you can find the original recipe at Joy the Baker for using a 10 x 10.

Strawberry Coffee Cake
serves 12

Printer-friendly version

1 heaping cup sliced strawberries
⅓ cup sugar
2 T. cornstarch
2 t. water
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
8 oz sour cream
1 t. vanilla extract

Topping:
3 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
½ cup all-purpose flour
3½ T. sugar

Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
a few t. milk


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Make the strawberry mixture:

Combine strawberries, 1/3 cup sugar, water and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly until the sauce is thickened and strawberries are soft and somewhat broken down. Set aside to cool.

Make the topping:

Combine all the topping ingredients in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until crumbly. Set aside.

Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, knocking out excess flour, and set aside.

To make the coffee cake:

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract, and almond extract if you’re using it.

Add one cup flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Add sour cream and then remaining cup flour. Beat just until combined.

Spoon 2/3 of the batter into the prepared pan. Spread the cooled strawberry mixture over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter onto the strawberries and spread evenly. Top with streusel topping and bake in the upper third of the oven. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool for 15 to 30 minutes. Stir powdered sugar and a little milk together until you have a glaze that runs thickly from the spoon. Drizzle over top of cake.

Source: Joy the Baker

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Blueberry Pie Bars

I saw this recipe at Brown Eyed Baker not long ago and promptly put it on my sidebar as a recipe to try. Michelle made the bars with blackberries, which sounded pretty good, but my first berry love is blueberries, and so I decided to try them with blueberries. I knew the kids would not be smitten with them, so I planned a day when I could take a plate of them to Doug's office -- they are definitely a more "grown up" dessert.

While these bars could not ever replace a real blueberry pie, they were very yummy. They didn't have that concentrated blueberry flavor, but the lemon in the crust does give them more flavor than if they had been a plain crust. And like the Sugar Cookie Bars, the fact that they are a bar makes them exponentially simpler to make than a blueberry pie. I think I will try them again, maybe with raspberries or mixed berries next time. They are very, very buttery (i.e. fattening) so be sure to make them when you have someone with whom to share.

Blueberry Pie Bars
makes 20 or so bars

Printer-friendly Version

For the Crust and Topping:
Zest of 2 lemons
1½ cups granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

For the Blueberry Filling:
4 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream (I used low-fat)
¾ cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
6 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with butter; set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and the lemon zest. Using your fingers, rub the zest into the sugar until all of the sugar has been moistened. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the lemon sugar, all-purpose flour and salt. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and continue to pulse until the pieces of butter are no larger than the size of peas, about 10 to 12 pulses.

Measure out 1½ cups of the crumb mixture to use for the topping and put it in the refrigerator until needed. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.

To make the filling, whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in the sugar, sour cream, flour and salt until thoroughly combined. Gently fold in the berries. Spoon the mixture evenly over the crust and make sure all of the berries are in one layer and not sitting on top of one another.

Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly over the filling. Bake until the top is lightly browned, about 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool for at least 1 hour before cutting.

Source: Brown Eyed Baker

It's Summer...

...there goes the grocery budget.

Kids are home (one more than usual) plus they are a little bored. That equals eating and a big grocery bill. Today was my first official grocery shop of the summer and I'm ready to ship them off to work camps.

I noticed, however, when I shopped at Giant Eagle (I buy my meat from Giant Eagle and every thing else from my local discount grocer) that I have an almost 20 % discount waiting on me. If you're not familiar with Giant Eagle (in Ohio, PA, and WVa), my food purchases give me a discount on gasoline, and my gasoline purchases give me a discount on groceries. So I have almost 20 % off my food bill coming and I think I'm going to plan ahead for a month and buy all the meat I need. That should help a little bit, especially if I buy only sale meat.

I also stocked up on some veggies, cut them up and put them in a container in the fridge. They eat Ranch dip with the veggies, but at least they are not dipping chips. You could do the same thing with fruit and some yummy fruit dip. I'll probably alternate fruit and veggies.



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Weekly Menu

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Did you notice that I missed posting my menu last week? I lived without and I did survive, although I had to make two trips to the store instead of one. Our neighborhood held its annual garage sale last weekend, which we (unfortunately) participated in, and ball games and life was just too crazy. So I decided we could live off the fat of the land -- almost. Halfway through the week I waved the white flag, made a second trip to the store, and bought some groceries. All's well that ends well. Now, on to next week.

We still have ball games, but no parties that I can think of. Doug is into golf outing season so it seems that at least one day a week he's gone for dinner -- but, that's an easy night for me.

Saturday
Lunch: Skyline Chili
Dinner: Backyard Barbecue Chicken, Roasted Corn, Marinated Beans, Bread

Sunday
Lunch: Oven Denver Omelet, Strawberry Coffeecake
Dinner: Teriyaki Grilled Shrimp and Pineapple, white rice, Broccoli Arrabiata

Monday
Lunch: Walking Tacos
Dinner: Fripp Chicken and Parmesan Garlic Orzo, fresh fruit

Tuesday
Lunch: Lunchy Munchy Corndog Muffins
Dinner: Pizza

Wednesday
Dinner: Falafel Pita with Cucumber Sauce

Thursday
Lunch: Tomato Bruchetta and cheese
Dinner: Burgers, Peppery Monterey Jack Pasta Salad

Friday
Lunch: Nachos
Dinner: Lentil Salad with Salmon

* Tried and true
* New to me

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Sweet Sacred Heart

For some sweet treats for this beautiful day, stop by Catholic Cuisine for my latest post.


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Tiramisu Cake

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This cake is a celebration and nothing less. It's just a slight challenge to create, a beauty to behold, and a delight to taste.

I was having a dear friend and her husband over for dinner one night several months ago and I wanted a special dessert. These are very special friends, and she was bringing dinner for us, an Italian dish, her specialty, so I wanted a special dessert to compliment her dish. I thought about Tiramisu, but I wanted something more special even than Tiramisu. So I decided on the flavors of Tiramisu, with the beauty of a high, cream-filled cake. The recipe is my grandma's Hot Milk cake, which creates a tender, if slightly dry, crumb. It's perfect for soaking up all the sweet coffee syrup. To the whipped cream I add a small amount of instant vanilla pudding, which keeps the cream nice and firm so the cake lasts for a few days without the cream puddling all over.

I made this cake again recently for the faculty luncheon at our school, and it was just as well received. I made a special effort to write down every measurement and every step so I could share it with you. A few notes: the first time I made this cake (when I took the pictures) I baked it in two pans and sliced them in half horizontally. The second time, I baked it in three pans and had three layers instead of four. This decision is entirely up to you. The four layers certainly look pretty, but slicing the cake in half is another step -- and not necessarily an easy one. In the future, I will bake in three layers, but that's you're call. Also, If you would rather not use alcohol in this cake, you can substutute all coffee syrup. It's very little alcohol (no one could get tipsy on it, not even children) and I enjoy the flavor.

Tiramisu Cake

serves 12-14

Printer-friendly version

1 cup milk
½ cup butter
4 eggs
pinch salt
2 cups sugar
2 cups cake flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. vanilla

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 T. instant vanilla pudding
¼ cup powdered sugar
8 oz mascarpone cheese, softened
1 t. vanilla
⅔ cup strong coffee, cooled
½ cup sugar
¼ cup Marsala wine

3 cups heavy whipping cream
4 T. instant vanilla pudding
½ cup powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla

2 oz semi-sweet chocolate

Grease and flour two (or three) cake 8 inch pans (9 inch can be used, but bake for a shorter time). Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Scald milk. Add butter and let cool.

Beat eggs and salt for about 2 minutes until very foamy. Slowly "rain in" sugar, pouring slowly over the eggs. Slowly add flour and baking powder, mixing thoroughly. Slowly add milk and butter mixture and vanilla, thoroughly mixing.

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake -- 30 minutes for two pans, 22 minutes for three pans, until toothpick comes out clean. After 10 minutes, remove cakes from pans. Cool completely.


Cut off any hard edges of cake. I find that a kitchen shears work great for this task.


Dissolve sugar in coffee, heating coffee is necessary. Add marsala wine. Cool.

Place one layer of cake (if baked in two pans, split cakes in half horizontally for a total of four cakes) on plate. Tear foil or waxed paper in thin strips and place under cake around edges of cake to keep plate clean.



Whip one cup cream with 1 T. instant pudding and 1/4 cup powdered sugar until stiff, adding vanilla at the end. Gently fold in softened mascarpone cheese until completely incorporated.

Carefully and slowly, drizzle coffee syrup on top of cake, with a spoon or measuring cup with a spout, a little at a time until cake is fairly soaked (using less the one fourth for four layers and one third for three layers).


Top with one half -- for three layers, one third for four layers -- of whipping cream mixture and spread to edges. Using a microplane or small openings on a hand graters, grate a thin layer of chocolate over top of each layer of cream and cheese mixture.



Top with another cake layer, drizzling with coffee syrup, topping with whipping cream mixture and chocolate. If using four layers, repeat, using all the mascarpone cream in between the layers. At last layer drizzle with syrup.

Whip 3 cups cream with 4 T. instant pudding, 1/2 c. powdered sugar and vanilla. Whip until stiff. Frost tops and sides of cake with a thick layer of whipped cream. Grate chocolate over the top at the end. Remove foil or wax paper strips. Chill several hours or overnight (preferably) before serving.

Got Whipped Cream?

As an addendum to yesterday's Strawberry Shortcake post I am posting this picture of Maggie the Dog. She loooooves strawberries. Amazingly, whenever I get out the strawberries, she is right by my side. She smells them and she waits very patiently for a tidbit or two.

Yes, I cheat

While I admit that homemade Strawberry Shortcake is one of summer's greatest pleasures, I too, occasionally cheat, especially on days when dessert is just plain needed (psychologically) and time can not be spent baking.

Buy a Sara Lee pound cake (or two) from the freezer (Entemann's is good, also). Thaw it on the counter for about an hour (or slice it for a quicker thaw, but since you have to wait for the strawberries to macerate, you have time). Slice fresh strawberries (no substitutes for this step), and sugar them to taste. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for some zip. Let sit for at least an hour at room temperature. Place two slices of pound cake (they are small) in your bowl. Top with strawberries and some sugary juice. Squirt on the whipped cream -- yup, right from the can. Enjoy.

I know you didn't need a recipe for this, but indulge me. We all need to feel good about taking it easy once in a while.

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Grilled Sausage Tacos and Black Beans

When the weather turns warmer, I seize every opportunity to use the grill for cooking. Not only does grilling keep the kitchen cooler, but my family seems to enjoy the flavor of food off the grill more than if I had taken the same food from the stove. The same rule applies to food stuffed in between a soft, warm, flour tortilla -- the same food tastes better on a tortilla with guacamole and grilled peppers, than without. I use this thinkology to my favor by serving simple grilled and sliced chicken sausages with sauteed onions and peppers, guacamole on warm tortillas. With a side of black beans (or you can put them inside the tortilla, if you like), and some fresh fruit, it's an easy and nutritious summer meal.

No recipe is really necessary but I have written down the recipe for some easy black beans, as well as the ingredients and method I used for the "tacos." You are certainly not limited to chicken sausages (I like them because they are tasty and fairly nutritious). You could try chorizo or andouille for a little kick.

Alternately, you could add some Fried Potatoes to the meal instead of beans.

Grilled Sausage Tacos and Black Beans
serves 8

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two packages chicken sausages -- any flavor you like (I look for something with roasted garlic and/or roasted red pepper -- I can usually find this brand)
one green pepper, sliced
one red pepper, sliced
one sweet onion, sliced
1 T. olive oil

guacamole (my recipe here)
shredded cheese
sour cream
(whatever toppings you like for tacos or fajitas)
flour tortillas -- the small or medium size, at least two per person, warmed



Preheat outdoor grill.

Heat heavy saute pan over medium high heat on the stove. When hot, add oil and peppers and onions and saute until slightly browned and softened.

When grill is ready, grill sausages until hot (if sausages are not precooked, cook until completely done). Remove from grill. Slice crosswise on a diagonal. Serve with, warm tortillas, hot peppers and onions, and other desired toppings to make "tacos."




Black Beans

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1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can Rotel tomatoes with chilies, drained (I use original flavor and save a little of the liquid for cooking)
1 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add oil and garlic and heat until garlic is warm and fragrant. Add beans and Rotel tomatoes, and a little of the tomato liquid or water. Simmer for about ten minutes, adding more liquid if necessary to keep beans from drying out. Add cumin, oregano and salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes until beans are rather soft.

Roasted Red Pepper and Avocado Sandwich

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A schedule of softball games several nights a week has provided the opportunity to enjoy sandwiches for dinner -- something my kids really seem to like. I think it must be the absence of a side of hot veggies that appeals to them the most, but we've enjoyed some pretty tasty sandwiches, too, so it could be that, too. This sandwich is modified from the Panera website. If you have Panera locally you know they have yummy sandwiches, but they are pricey. Besides, this sandwich is not on their menu. I did use their bread (which is the point of the Panera-provided recipes), but I think this combination would be good on almost any bread. I will warn you that they were messy -- especially sitting in a lawn chair at the ball field, so have napkins ready.

I used jarred roasted red peppers, but if you want more zip to your sandwich, you may want to roast your own. By using the milder jarred peppers, more of the hummus flavor came through. You can use jarred hummus as well. I used my own -- recipe below. I think any of the ingredients in this sandwich can be increased or decreased according to your taste -- in my opinion, the more the merrier (and messier!).

Roasted Red Pepper and Avocado Sandwich
4 adult-sized sandwiches

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2 Ciabatta loaves, cut in half lengthwise
1 cup roasted garlic hummus
1 medium jar of roasted red peppers
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/4" slices (I used two because I really like avocado)
juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
1 to 2 tomatoes, cut into 1/4" slices
4 leaves of lettuce
salt and pepper


Spread 1/4 of the roasted garlic hummus on each of the four halves of Ciabatta. Top two of the halves with pieces of the roasted red pepper, followed by the avocado slices. Drizzle a bit of lemon juice over the avocado, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Layer tomato and lettuce on top of the avocado, then finish with the two remaining Ciabatta halves. Cut each sandwich in half and fasten with a toothpick.


Roasted Garlic Hummus

15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 cloves garlic, roasted*
2 T. tahini
juice of half lemon
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

Place beans in food processor. Squeeze garlic cloves out of their skins and into processor bowl.
Pulse for 30 seconds.
Add tahini and lemon juice and process for about a minute.
With machine running,
slowly stream in oil until hummus is a good creamy consistency (add a tablespoon or so of cool water if needed).
Salt to taste.


*To roast garlic: Coat unpeeled garlic cloves with oil and wrap tightly in foil. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Cool slightly and peel.