Day 71: Salmon Burgers, Green Beans & Brussel Sprouts

I made salmon burgers once while I was pregnant with Noah.  They were pretty good, but I think this recipe is better (originally from Rachael Ray, but I didn't follow it exactly, just got a basic idea of where to go).  The spread for the buns reminds me of a vegetable dip.  The burgers are so flavorful, yet no extra salt or pepper is needed!

Salmon Burgers (makes 4 burgers)
1 1/2 lb salmon filet
2 TB onion flakes
1 TB any grill or steak seasoning (I used Tastefully Simple Ultimate Steak Seasoning)
2-3 TB chopped fresh dill
1 TB poppy seeds (optional)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup softened cream cheese
3 chopped scallions
juice of 1 lemon
kaiser or bulkie rolls
lettuce
tomato

Cut the salmon filet into chunks and place in food processor.

Pulse until completely ground.

Mix the ground salmon with the onion flakes, steak seasoning, dill, and poppy seeds.  Form into patties.  You can either grill them on a grill top, skillet, or under the broiler.  I did it under the broiler.  While they are cooking, mix the sour cream, cream cheese, scallion, and lemon juice.  Toast the buns and spread the mix on the buns.  Layer the lettuce, tomatoes, and cooked salmon patties on the buns.

 I served the burgers with green beans and brussel sprouts.  I fried the brussel sprouts with butter and seasoned both vegetables with salt and pepper.  We also had tortilla chips and salsa.

Day 69 & 70: Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Kahlua Frosting, Spring Cleaning (Home & Heart)

I really only have one recipe to share this weekend, which is why I'm combining the 2 days.  I planned on having more, but sometimes life doesn't work out like we plan!  (Don't we all know it?)

So let's start with Saturday (Day 69).  

Candy: must-have for any girls' night!

Saturday I had the rare opportunity to have some mommy friends over for a girls' night.  When you work full-time, have a husband who works days and evenings, and the kids' bedroom is right next to the living room, it's hard to entertain often.  Theoretically, I would love for people to come keep me company in the evening during the week when Randy's at work, but realistically, having to get up very early the next morning and having to do all the "chores" like do dishes (no dishwasher) and make lunches every night until 8-9, it just doesn't seem practical to have people over!  I could also entertain on the weekend, but we still live in an apartment and the kids' bedroom is so close to where the adults "hang."  Even if they do sleep through a lot, I don't like the idea of company feeling like they need to be quiet for the sake of our kids.  So for these reasons, I don't get to have people over nearly as often as I'd like!  But last night, Randy took the kids out and I stayed in!  I had some friends over, we had pizza, snacks, I got my nails painted, and we did a lot of talking--about our kids!  (Of course.)  It was a fun night and I look forward to another occasion like it in the future, I hope!

Randy and I set this up for us moms to feel special and unwind! ;)

Here's my recipe for chocolate cupcakes with kahlua frosting.  It was a bit of a trial and error, but the end result was fantastic!

Chocolate Cupcakes

Nice to have bowls of this stuff out without tiny little fingers to grab at it!

1.5 sticks of butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsps vanilla
1 cup milk
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 TB brewed coffee
1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup cocoa
1.5 tsps baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350*.  Line cupcake pans with liners.
Cream together the butter and sugars.  Add the eggs and vanilla to combine.  In a separate bowl, combine the milk, yogurt, and coffee.  In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  Alternate adding the wet and dry ingredients to the sugar mixture.  Mix well.  Pour batter into the prepared liners and bake 20-25 minutes.

Kahlua Frosting
1 lb confectioner's sugar
4 TBs butter, softened
1/4 cup + 1 TB kahlua
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 TB milk

Combine the sugar, butter, and kahlua and mix with an electric hand mixer.  Add the vanilla and slowly add milk as/if needed.  Mix well until smooth and velvety. 
Spread onto cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with heath toffee topping!

Sunday (Day 70).
So this weekend we've been trying to do some spring cleaning around here.  I like spring cleaning much more than fall cleaning.  I just can't wait to open some of these freshly cleaned windows!  One thing that's a part of this process is our clothing swap.  We put our winter clothes away (I try to keep layers out and a couple warm clothes for the next few cold days) and pull up our flip-flops and summer apparel.  We also had bins and bins of hand-me-down clothes from various people that I went through.  How fortunate I feel to be able to shop in my basement for kid clothes!
In the midst of the cleaning, we had a break to spend time with family in celebration of 3 birthdays--Randy's twin step-brothers and his step-sister all had birthdays last week!  It was a nice time with good food and great people!
And then we came back to mess that was our apartment (still is, in some places).  Why is that when you're doing a huge cleaning project things always look worse before they look better?  Is that how it is with our hearts?  Excuse me for digressing away from food for this post.  We fed our kids supper tonight but Randy and I didn't really eat.  (I think I had a cupcake.)  I was going to make salmon burgers but we were feeling the pressure of our clothing chaos and mounting pressure in other areas of our lives and dinner got away from us.  In church, we've been reading a book about prayer and discussing it.  Last night with the ladies here, the subject of prayer also surfaced and we talked about how hard it is to pray for God to change your heart when you know He will, but really don't want Him to.  That's how I feel right now.  I feel like my heart needs a spring cleaning and I know God will do it if I ask, which is why I don't want to ask.  Several areas come to mind that could use a good clearing of the cobwebs.  But I guess while we're reading this book and so many people around me are going through something similar, it's a good time to ask God to come and spring clean.  I'll swap out some clothes while He swaps out some hurt.  I'll wash the windows while He washes away bitterness and anger.  But as I look around at this clutter still around me, I can't help but wonder which will take longer...

Salmon burgers are on the menu for tomorrow night!  I kind of love being able to have an "extra" meal at the end of the week that wasn't used up!

Day 68: Steak Gorgonzola

So here's another "Randy-inspired" meal.  When I met him, this was one of his favorite Olive Garden dishes.  After we got married, it was one I knew I had to learn to make for him at home.  It's not as hard as I had thought it would be, and now we have it pretty frequently.  
This, along with other meals I've made in the past, have pretty "adult" flavors.  Because I have small children, people have wondered what I feed them.  So, below, I've included my thoughts on feeding children "adult" meals.  Enjoy!

Steak Gorgonzola
1 lb rigatoni pasta
olive oil, 2 TB butter
1 lb steak, cut in cubes
8 oz cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 shallot, chopped
2 tsps rosemary, chopped
2 tsps thyme, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 TB flour
1 cup beef broth
2/3 cup heavy cream
5-6 oz gorgonzola cheese
fresh parsley, for garnish

Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it liberally.  In a skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil and add the butter.  When melted, add the steak.  Add the pasta to the boiling water at this point, too.  I like my steak medium-rare, so I simply sear the edges of the chunks.  Remove the meat once cooked with a slotted spoon.  Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook until soft.  Add the shallot, garlic, rosemary, and thyme.  Add the white wine.  Cook 1 minute.  Add the flour and cook 1-2 minutes.  Pour in the beef broth and cook about 5 minutes, until reduced by half.  Add the cheese and cream and stir until smooth.  Return the meat to the pan and add the pasta to combine.  Sprinkle with fresh parsley on top.

Making "Adult" Meals with Kids at the Dinner Table
Before having kids, I always said I would never make my kids a different meal than what we were having (as long as we were eating at the same time).  I.e: I won't make my children macaroni and cheese while we have steak if we're all eating together just because they might not like what we adults are having.  The exception, for me, is when Randy and I want to have a "date night" at home.  Then I'll feed the kids supper first, put them to bed, THEN we'll have our adult date dinner.  They get a different meal under those circumstances for different reasons, not because I'm afraid they won't like something.
Now that I am a parent, I hold the same philosophy, but want to present my reasons as gentle as possible because this is a TOUGH JOB.  I cringe when I hear parents judging other parents and saying "If you don't do this, you're a bad parent."  This parenting thing is not easy, and I refuse to believe that any parent sets out to raise a "bad" kid (or a "picky" eater).  That being said, I hold no judgment for parents that do make different "kid-friendly" meals for their kids.  If it works for you, great!  I don't do it, and here's why:
One of my goals as a parent is to raise a polite child.  Hey, if they don't finish their whole dinner, I really don't care.  But I want them to try everything without complaint because it's the polite thing to do.  If my child honestly doesn't like something and is fine going without dinner, then fine.  My daughter would rather do anything else but eat at this point in her life.  She likes food well enough and isn't necessarily "picky", she's just "busy."  When she would rather play or "be excused" than have dessert, I know she really just isn't interested in eating, period.  She's healthy, active, and growing.  She rarely asks for food after supper.  The one or two times she has, when I say "no" she says "ok."  No crying, no arguing.  So when she doesn't finish her dinner, I don't care that much.  What am I teaching her by FORCING her to finish something she doesn't want to?  To me, it's polite to try everything, not necessarily to finish everything.  That's my goal.  So why would I go out of my way to prepare something different for Abby when she probably won't eat it all anyway, even if it's something I know she likes?  (Plus, I find that breakfast and lunch are "happier" times of the day for kids, so I try to fill mine up at those meals.  That way, when they don't want as much supper, I can rest easy knowing they ate great meals and snacks throughout the day.)
Have you ever brought your kids somewhere only to cringe at the sound of them saying "What's that!?"  or "I don't like that!"  That's something I try to avoid.  Listen, I understand that our kids sometimes say things that make us cringe no matter how much we teach them manners.  It happens.  But the way I see it, if I train my children to eat what's in front of them with no questions here at the home, they're less likely to complain about something "different" when we're at a friend's house.  Not only is it embarrassing for the parents, but it's also embarrassing for the cook.  As a cook, it stings when anyone (even a child) doesn't want to eat what I've made.  If it's a child, I understand it a little more, but it still stings.
While on the subject of table manners, I should say that I HAVE removed EACH of my children at different times from the dinner table for poor manners.  If Abby immediately says, "I don't like that!" without even trying it, I give her a warning that if she doesn't want to eat it, she can go to bed.  Since she's been age 1 and older, I've never had to go further than a first warning.  When she was a baby and eating solid foods, we removed her several times for screaming at the table for no reason.  When teaching a child to start eating solid foods, I also never pushed either child of mine to FINISH what they ate.  It's just not a philosophy I believe in.  But if they have ever screamed or fussed for no reason at the table, they have gone right to their crib (when I know they aren't sick).  To me, if you're going to be obnoxious for no reason, do it elsewhere so you don't disturb my dinner.  After about a minute, Randy or I would go get the child, bring him/her back, and they would have each calmed down immediately and finished dinner.  (We've only had to do this once with Noah--he's the "chunky" child in the family; never met a meal he doesn't love... yet.  With Abby, we did it a few times.)  I truly believe that this action taught Abby that I mean what I say when I threaten to remove her from the table.  Establishing good table manners starts early, my friends!
Speaking of starting early, that's how I get my kids to eat what's in front of them.  Noah (10 months) had rigatoni gorgonzola tonight.  I don't push the steak for (hopefully obvious) reasons.  When Abby was younger, I remember my grandmother being surprised that I would give her strong seasonings or "diverse" foods that she herself hadn't eaten until adulthood.  My response to that is, what do you think children who live in countries where that food comes from eat???  If a child is exposed to those different flavors from the beginning, then it's not really "different" or "sophisticated" for him/her--it's normal.  I want it to be normal for my kids to eat what's in front of them, and to eat a wide variety of flavors/textures.  So I would encourage parents of very young children to try giving your child what you eat and see what happens.  The sooner you start, the easier it'll be for them to get used to it!  I've never bought a jar of "baby food" for either of my kids.  To me, it's just always been easier to get them used to what/how we eat as a family early on.
All of that being said, I'm not oblivious to the "picky" child or to the fact that children's taste buds haven't matured as much as adults'.  Some kids are just pickier than others, and there's not much we can do about it.  So my tip to the parent of the picky eater is this: make meals that always include a food your child can/will eat.  Serve bread at every meal, if necessary (they do in other countries!).  Serve fruit and vegetables at every meal.  For a dish like this, reserve some of the pasta before putting it in with the gorgonzola sauce.  But, sprinkle it with parsley and butter so the kids get used to "seeing green" in their food.  I reserved some pasta for my kids tonight because I know that gorgonzola is a strong flavor and I wouldn't really blame Abby if she didn't like it.  But guess what?  She ate her meal just fine and didn't want any "plain" pasta.  (Noah took care of his portion and hers and the gorgonzola!)  Abby had her rigatoni gorgonzola, then some fruit, THEN some ice cream!
I hope these writings shed some light on how and why I get my kids to eat the meals I make without sounding "self-righteous."  I highly recommend the book Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense to anyone wanting more tips on feeding babies, toddlers, and young children.  I love it and have kept it by my bed ever since my doctor recommended it to me when I said I wanted to make all of Abby's food.  I know I've said it before, but this is a journey we're all on together and it's so important that we have each others' backs rather than pass judgment!
(I purposely didn't address allergies in this because I don't have any and neither do my children, yet.  If you have a child with allergies, please know that I'm not making any suggestions to you.  Allergies are completely different than plain "pickiness.")

Day 67: Chicken Taco Rice

I remember having this meal at a friend's house when Randy and I were engaged.  I knew I wanted the recipe right away!  I think I remember Andrea saying she got it from her mother-in-law.  Well, she gave me this recipe and one for whoopie pies and they have both been frequent "fliers" in our kitchen ever since!  This meal is super fast, super delicious, and super fun to eat!
Here are the original ingredients for the recipe as I received it.  I've included some variations mainly because whenever I think I want to serve it, I inevitably forget to pick up 1 or 2 ingredients--don't ask why.  So I've been forced to try new things with it, and hey, they've worked!

Chicken Taco Rice
1 lb chicken breast (cooked either by the stovetop or oven, then shredded)
13 oz chicken broth
8 oz tomato sauce
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 can corn, drained
1 each of red, green, and yellow peppers, cut in strips
1 1/2 cups of rice, cooked
shredded cheese
tortilla chips

In a small pot, bring the broth, tomato sauce, and seasoning to a boil and add the cooked chicken, peppers, and corn.  Bring to a boil again to cook the peppers and corn.  Serve over the rice with cheese on top and tortilla chips for scooping/shoveling into your mouth! :)
Variations: 
*No taco seasoning?  No problem!  If you have Southwestern seasoning, that works just as well--use a couple tablespoons.  Or you can combine some paprika, cumin, chili powder, chipotle chili powder, salt, pepper and use that!  Put some seasoning on the chicken, too, before you cook it!!!
*No chicken broth?  Beef broth adds a nice extra boldness to the dish, and I've actually come to prefer it over the chicken broth.
*I only use a red and yellow pepper.  (Mainly because I forgot to get the green pepper once and never missed it!)
*I also use 1 1/2 cups of frozen corn instead of canned corn.  I always have frozen vegetables in my freezer!

Day 66: Sausage Stuffed Peppers

Sausage Stuffed Peppers
(The stuffing could easily fill 4 peppers, I but only use 3.  I like having extra stuffing to serve on the side or for my kids.)
3 green bell peppers
1 cup rice (I use brown rice)
8 oz sausage (breakfast sausage is fine)
1 onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
salt, pepper
paprika
Southwestern seasoning
grated parmesan cheese
breadcrumbs
butter
water

Preheat the oven to 400*.  Cook the rice on the stovetop.  While the rice is cooking, saute the chopped onion and add the sausage.  Cook until browned.  While the sausage is browning, cut the tops off of the peppers and pull the core, seeds, and veins out of them.  Preserve the tops (minus the core/stem) and chop it up finely.  Add the chopped pepper and the garlic to the sausage/onion mixture.  Season with some salt, pepper, paprika, and Southwestern seasoning to taste.  Add the rice and stir.  Sprinkle some salt and pepper into the whole peppers.  Fill them with the stuffing.  Place the peppers in a pan and pour in about 1/2 cup of water so the peppers are sitting in it.  Sprinkle the tops of the peppers with a parmesan cheese/breadcrumb mixture and then place a pat of butter on the tops of all of them.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Day 65: Pinwheel & Pancetta Soup

Tonight I have the rare privilege of eating alone.  Please don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't want to eat with my husband, it's that I'm glad my kids are in bed!  Eating by myself is a rare occurrence that I used to take for granted.  Not anymore.  So I eat my soup as a I write this blog and catch up on my email correspondence.  Hoping for a relaxing night!  I'm also hoping that his is my last soup recipe until fall.  I know it's supposed to snow tonight, but, enough is enough.  Maybe if I start cooking summer meals, it will draw summer near.

I've said before that neither Randy or I like beans or lentils very much.  He can tolerate them.  I pretty much can't.  It's a texture-thing.  But when I made my "Mighty Minestrone" soup, I added beans anyway, and then picked around them to eat.  That's when Randy asked me to make Pasta E Fagioli soup, which is kind of like minestrone.  He said his mom had an awesome recipe for it that he remembered from childhood.  So when she came for a visit last weekend, he asked her about it.  Apparently they both remembered that it had a lot of garlic.  (We like garlic in this family!)  So she mailed us her recipe a few days letter with a note that said, "I didn't remember the recipe being so vague."  Bless her heart, there were absolutely NO measurements written down, and the title read "Pasta Fazool."  (She is so cute!)  But this soup also has beans in it, obviously since "fagioli" in Italian means "beans."  Because of that, I didn't really want to make it exactly like the recipe (even if I could have) but I wanted to still use some of the ingredients and then add my own.  So, I came up with this:

Pinwheel & Pancetta Soup
This is A LOT like the minestrone soup I made on Day 7, however, it's not vegetarian.  That soup had vegetable stock and no meat.  This soup uses chicken stock and pancetta.  There are a couple other differences, also.  I was at the gym tonight when Randy ate it with the kids.  When I got back in the car, I had a text from him saying "Wow, Mom has to try this!  It's fantastic!"  I guess I did good... ;)
2 cups chopped pancetta
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, chopped and separated
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
2 tsps chopped rosemary
2 tsps chopped thyme
12 cups (or more) chicken stock
1 lb pinwheel pasta
1/2 bunch of kale, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

In the bowl of a food processor, combine 2 cloves of garlic, the rosemary, thyme, and can of tomatoes.  Pulse until smooth.
Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil in a pan on the stove and cook the onions 1-2 minutes.  Add the remaining garlic and pancetta and cook until the onions are translucent and the pancetta is browning.  Add the carrots and cook a minute longer.

Pour in the white wine and cook the alcohol off (about 1 minute).  Then add the tomato sauce.  Pour in the chicken stock and bring the soup up to a boil.  Add the pasta and boil for 3-5 minutes.  Turn the heat down and add the kale, salt, and pepper.  Serve hot when kale is tender.  Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

 

Day 64: Chicken Casserole, Green Beans, Rice Pilaf

So today I needed something easy for dinner.  I didn't have time to go grocery shopping over the weekend, so I brought the kids with me after work today.  Luckily, I had another chicken casserole in the freezer, so I took that out this morning.  When I got home from shopping, I was able to throw it in the oven, put some rice on the stove, and cook up the green beans right before we ate.  I love it when my "rushed" meal is still homemade!!!  Makes me feel good.  :)

Day 63: Roasted Chicken and LEFTOVERS!

Well folks, we're in recovery mode!  Randy got up with the kids this morning and made his famous creme brulee french toast.  Yum!  He took the kids to church and ran some errands to give me some alone time at home.

For Sunday dinner, we had another roasted chicken, leftover herb-roasted potatoes from last night, and balsamic broccoli.  For the chicken, I bought a "poultry blend" of herbs, and used leftover lemon slices and an onion for flavoring and garnish.  I seasoned it with salt, pepper, and lemon zest, and poured melted butter on the skin.  I also poured chicken broth all around it.

Bake at 400* for about 30 minutes, then drop the temperature down to 300* and bake the rest of the way, basting every 30 minutes or so.

There were a lot of stuffed shells leftover last night, so I took some of them home.  I brought them to my parents and we had supper together with salad, and butternut squash.  It was a day of great eating!

Day 62: A Story Unfolding

Getting Started
I've been thinking a lot about how I wanted to write today's post.  I want to write with confidence about how my day went smoothly cooking for 60 people.  I want to say that it was a "breeze" and I can't wait to do it again!  (Especially since I know that people who ate my food will be reading this.)  But "keeping it real" has been a source of pride for me and this blog.  (Don't worry, I didn't poison the food or make any epic mistakes!)  So even though writing honestly will expose my fears, frustrations, and the feelings of self-doubt I went through today, here it goes...

I've now cooked for large parties twice.  Each party had it's own unique set of challenges.  Randy's party was challenging for me because it was my first time, and I was in charge of much more than just food.  It was a lot of work, and though I did enlist a LITTLE help, I probably should've got some more.  I just didn't know what to expect.  Today's party was different because I was only in charge of dinner.  Just the main course.  It sounded like it would be easy compared to Randy's party.  But the challenge was that there wasn't a stove or oven at the location, so I wouldn't be able to do any cooking on site, or warm anything in an oven there.  I had to pick the dishes carefully, we needed food that could be prepared almost completely in my own kitchen, then survive the half hour drive in my car without spoiling and would taste just as good once warmed or re-heated by the steam tables/hotel pans on site.

The Day Unfolded
I woke up in the morning with a tired excitement.  I was tired from the night before, but very excited to continue my project in the kitchen.  Around 8:00 I brought my coffee into the kitchen and thought, I have 8 hours to do this.  (I wanted to be "finished" around 4 or so and leave between 4:30-4:45, giving me plenty of time to "wrap up" and get ready before heading out.  Best laid plans...)
I started by finely chopping the herbs I would use in the roasted potatoes.  Then I chopped all 20 lbs of potatoes and put them in 2 pots with cold water so they wouldn't turn brown.  I then started getting stuff ready to make 4 batches of dinner rolls.  I didn't have the capacity to quadruple the recipe and make them all at once, so I did one batch at a time and tried to get the timing right.  I also started to boil the potatoes so they could cook most of the way before going in the oven.  I remember looking at the clock at about 10:00 and being surprised that 2 hours had gone by already.  Then I started questioning if I hadn't taken on an impossible task...

Around 12:00 I was well into making the rolls.  They had to rise twice, once in the bowl, and once in the muffin tin.  I had a system going, and I felt good about it.  I took a break for lunch (I ate under 9 minutes--I remember because the oven timer said 9 minutes when I started and I finished before it went off.  haha!)  Randy asked me how things were going (he had pretty much been taking care of the kids and even took Noah out of the house for a bit up until this point) and what I thought the afternoon would be like. I didn't have an answer.  I had no clue what to expect because everything was already taking a little longer than I thought it would.  I knew I really only had to do the chicken once the rolls were done, but I had 30 breasts to trim, cut in half, bread, and cook and I had no idea how long it would take.  I also had to brown the cheese on the shells and put the potatoes and herbs in the oven for a few minutes before packing it all in.  I was starting to feel overwhelmed but still optimistic.  Randy took the carseats out of my car and started packing what he could.

Things went very well for a while!  We all cheered when I was finishing the last of the rolls.  :)  Trimming the chicken went very quickly (while the final rolls were rising).  I was feeling good.  Then, it happened.  The one casualty of the day: I burned myself.  My griddle was on at 400* for the chicken and I wanted to move it over on the counter.  I went to grab the plastic edge but placed my fingers too far underneath and strongly grabbed a hold of the hot metal underside of the iron.  Did you ever see the show, "Chopped"?  It's the one where the cooks have only a certain amount of time to make their dishes and present them to the judges and there is almost always an injury and the cook has to just keep moving through it.  That's how I felt.  I started working with only my left hand, not realizing how bad the burn was until I started jumping up and down waiting for Randy to bring me ice.  (Noah thought that was hilarious!)  I worked a good portion of the time with my left hand and my right hand just holding an ice pack for a while.  I wound up with a couple small blisters, but that was it.  All better now!

Then at 3:30, I cried.  That's when I knew I wouldn't be done by 4:00, and didn't think I would be done with it by 4:30, even.  Using my high-pitched, panicky, "labor-voice" as Randy and I named it, I declared to him that I couldn't do this and it wasn't going to be ready in time.  My dear, sweet, wonderful, and fast-acting husband sprang into action.  He took over on oven duty and started getting those shells browned and in the car.  He was a machine, getting me all packed up and doing everything but the chicken, which is what I was working on.  He later told me that he didn't even recognize me when he came into the kitchen and saw me panicking.  It was definitely my lowest moment of the day, but I needed to go through it, just to release the exhaustion I had been feeling up to that point, I guess.  I never thought about the physical toll I would feel on my body, cooking all day like that.  It was literally a cooking marathon.

At 4:20, we prayed.  "Lord, please let everything be cooked through and come together--I have to leave in 10-20 minutes and I'm still cooking chicken!"  I was using the now vacant oven to finish a lot of the chicken and make sure it was cooked.  My car was all packed, and I was getting ready while the chicken was cooking.  When the last batch was done, Randy covered it and carried it out to my car with oven mitts.  I remember the last thing that Randy said to me as I was getting in my car was, "You look great!"  I love my husband.  Have I mentioned that?

The Final Project
Everything DID come together.  And the day was amazing.  I'm so glad that I went through all of the emotions that I did--I learned so much!  And I am proud of the food I put out.  The shells were a no-brainer for me because they're so popular already and an easy "make-ahead" meal.  The potatoes turned out nice and flavorful, and the chicken dish was definitely a good pick.  It was really the perfect chicken dish for the scenario because I was able to bring the cooked chicken to the location dry.  I made the sauce at my house, and brought that separately, too.  I also had the lemon and parsley garnishes in separate containers.  So the chicken wasn't soggy, since it wasn't sitting in sauce the whole drive.  And since I wanted to make sure it was cooked all the way, any pieces that might have been too dry, were able to liven up again once I did add the sauce on site.  (It's a common misconception that chicken piccata has to have capers.  "Piccata" only refers to the zesty lemon/wine sauce with parsley.  It's actually an original Italian dish made with veal and doesn't have capers at all.  Some people add capers or garlic if they choose, but I prefer to keep it simpler and more true to its original form.)

More than the compliments, the best part was watching people go up for seconds.  That says the most to me.  I've said it before, but to me, there's just something so magical and wonderful about turning a whole bunch of separate ingredients into a beautiful dish and then watching a room full of people enjoy it.  I'm so grateful for this experience!

What's Next?
I plan to take what I've learned and apply it to my business.  Yes, that's right.  Randy and I have
always dreamed and talked about owning our own food industry business, but the vision was never clear enough.  We love breakfast foods and baked goods.  How about a bakery?  What about a Bed & Breakfast?  But we also love dinners, and Randy is an EXCELLENT host and people person.  What about a Bistro or nice restaurant?  Randy would manage the front end while I took over the kitchen.  Those were all ideas, but never something I felt I could grab a hold of.  And though I'm not ready to disclose our true end-goal vision to the public just yet, I can say that until it comes, BETHANY DATTOLO-"freelance" CATERER is now open for business!  Spread the word!  Yes, the day was tough, but it was worth it.  This is my passion.  More people should be as lucky to be able to pursue theirs.  I have a supportive husband and family, and friends who are willing to take a risk with me.  I know where I want to go from here, and what I will do differently and what I will do just the same.  I'm ready to start this journey.

What will be even better, is if I get to come home to this after every catering job:

Day 61: The Start of Something New...

This was NOT our dinner tonight. :)  Let me start there.  Our dinner was pizza from the new Espresso's on rte. 12 in Leominster. (It was good!)  But this was the scene in my kitchen tonight.  I asked Randy if it was weird that looking at this makes my heart beat fast (in a good way).  ha!  I truly love to cook, and having a whole bunch of ingredients at my disposal, just waiting for me to turn them into something delicious brings me so much excitement!  It reminds me of those cooking shows where the contestants are given free-range in the show's pantry.  That always seems like it would be the best part: raiding someone's kitchen to make whatever you want and all the ingredients are RIGHT THERE.  Is my passion for the culinary arts showing yet?

So the reason for all of this food is because I'm cooking dinner for a 60th birthday party tomorrow.  It's for my former pastor whose family is very dear to me.  Before I started this blog, I had a big birthday party for Randy, who turned 30 and graduated from college around the same time.  I cooked food for what I thought was going to be 80 people in attendance.  We didn't end up having that many people (there are always those no-shows) but we still had about 60 guests.  It was a lot of work, but empowering at the same time.  Doing something like this for so many people is scary, but when it was over I was like, "I did it!  I could do this again.  I CAN do this!"

George and Martha Kohl were at Randy's party where the idea of me cooking (or "catering") his 60th birthday party came about.  So that brings us to the photo above.  I'm starting the preparation process tonight and cooking all day tomorrow.  What's on the menu?  Stuffed shells, chicken piccata, herb-roasted potatoes, salad, and homemade dinner rolls for 60 guests.

The plan of attack is getting the shells put together tonight, along with the salads, and some of the prep work for tomorrow.  My fabulous, meticulous husband is the PERFECT sous chef!  His attention to detail and patience makes him just the person to slice and seed 25 lemons!  Quality in presentation is important to me, so I wanted lemon slices for the chicken as garnish, but I wanted them all to be seedless--that way it would be prettier and get rid of any choking hazards.  He carefully sliced and seeded 10 lemons, then juiced and seeded the other 15.  He also grated all of my cheese for the shells.  It was a late night, but I went to bed feeling pretty well prepared for morning.  We'll see what it brings.

Is this the start of a new career?  Time will tell.

Day 60: Zuppa Toscana (kind of)

Do I have to write about my failures?  I made a commitment, so I guess so.  Well, tonight I thought I'd repeat my recipe for zuppa toscana (day 1--wow!).  The recipe is great, the soup is great, but tonight's dinner was not great. 
I started that "Day 1" post by saying that I have a "love/hate" relationship with my crockpot.  Today there was emphasis on the "hate."  I would like a new one.  Here are my requirements: timer (or time setting), and lock for the cover (easy to transport), and LARGE (family size).  Gifts can be delivered to my home address.  ;)
Anyway, I usually only use my crockpot on days that I'm home, which I feel defeats the purpose.  In my mind, it's supposed to provide a meal for those "crazy" nights when there is no time to cook.  When I'm home all day, I have time to cook.  But when I'm at work, I'm out of my house for 9+ hours, which is just too long for a lot of slow-cooker recipes.  This soup cooks on "high" for 3-4 hours and "low" for 5-6 hours.  I've always thought the "low" setting on my crockpot was pretty hot.  So I didn't feel comfortable cooking it on "low" for so long.  I've come home to boiling dishes with burnt bottoms before while set on low.  So today, in a leap of faith, I kept the setting on "warm" all day.  And guess what, it didn't cook!  There are potatoes in this soup, and even though I diced them pretty small, they still didn't cook.  We have to eat early on Thursdays so we can get to lifegroup, but it wasn't ready in time, even though I turned it up to high when I got home.  So, Abby had a sandwich, Noah had sweet potatoes, corn, and green beans, and I had cereal.  Fail.
To add insult to injury, the recipe calls for heavy cream, which I had none.  How did I overlook that?  Note to anyone trying this recipe: 1% milk doesn't cut it!  The soup was kind of ready to be eaten for my "babysitters" (brother-in-law Eric and sister-in-law Christy) but it was too spicy for them--maybe because there was no heavy cream to help cancel some of the spice?  We like spicy things in this house, but I also want my food to be "user-friendly" if you know what I mean.
Oh well.  For now I'll stick to using my crockpot on days I'm home.  (While I wait for a special delivery, of course!) ;)

Day 59: "Italian" chicken, rice, green beans

This chicken recipe is so simple and flavorful.  Randy did most of the work today.  The chicken breast gets marinated in Italian dressing all day.  (When I am able, I add the juice of a lemon, fresh thyme, and salt and pepper--but just the dressing is fine, too.)  Randy did that before he left for work.  Then I went to the gym tonight and started supper, but Randy finished it and left me a plate.  :)  The chicken gets grilled and finished in the oven if needed.  We served it with rice and green beans.

Day 58: Pulled Pork Ragu over Fettuccine, Bruschetta, Salad, Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Tonight I had the privilege of dining with a dear friend and her family!  I brought them supper because her husband is traveling for work and I know it can be difficult to be home alone with kids in the evenings and to think about supper, dishes, baths, etc.  People have done similar things for me since Randy is away a lot with work (and before it was school + work) so it was nice to be able to "pay it forward."  Isn't that what the body of Christ is supposed to be doing for each other anyway?  It was a treat for me, too, because I got a break from my own nightly routine--sometimes you just need that one night "off" to kind of break up the monotony.  My own family had cheddar corn chowder from the freezer for dinner.

For the meal, I wanted to bring something "kid-friendly" but also something an adult could appreciate, too.  I remember seeing a recipe for a slow-cooker pork ragu in a magazine once.  I think I even tried it, and it was just OK.  I didn't care much for the sauce recipe it had.  I think it was supposed to be a very "simple" sauce for an easy dish.  But I thought, I love my own spaghetti sauce recipe, and I always have some in the freezer, why not just use that?  (Don't mess with perfection, right?)  So I simply bought a pork roast and threw it in the slow-cooker this morning.  I covered it with spaghetti sauce and cooked it on low all day.  When I got home, the house smelled delicious!  I feel like I'm always gambling with hunks of pork on how tender they will be, so I usually prepare for the worst.  I got out my largest knife and fork to attack the meat on the cutting board when I removed it from the slow-cooker.  But I was pleasantly surprised when I touched it and just fell apart!  I put my knife away and got out 2 dinner forks and easily shred the meat and returned it to the sauce.

 I served it with lots of parmesan cheese and salad.

Bruschetta
I love bruschetta and so does Randy!  And for us, the more garlic, the better!!!  I usually say 1 large clove of the garlic per plum tomato used.  Tonight I used 2 of each.  This recipe decently covered 6 slices of bread.

6 thick slices of French bread
2 plum tomatoes, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4-5 basil leaves, chopped
1-2 TB balsamic vinegar
fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced (1 slice per slice of bread)
salt, pepper

Mix the tomatoes, garlic, basil, and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.  Spoon mixture evenly onto the slices of bread, on a baking sheet.  Place the slices of cheese on top and put under the broiler until the cheese melts.  Be careful not to burn the bread! :)

Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Peanut Butter Frosting (Ina Garten)
12 TB room temperature unsalted butter

2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream (plain Greek yogurt)
2 TB brewed coffee
1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350* and prepare the muffin tin with liners.  Cream together the butter and sugars.  Add the eggs and vanilla and mix.
Mix together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee.  In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  Add the milk mixture and the dry ingredients alternatively into the butter/sugar mixture and stir until it's all incorporated.
Divide the batter into the liners.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely before icing.

Peanut Butter Icing
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 cup peanut butter
5 TB unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup heavy cream

Combine all ingredients and beat with a hand mixer until light, fluffy, and smooth!

Day 57: Pita Pocket Salads

So today is Monday.  And for me, it was a MEETING Monday.  And I had a great night last night, that I'm very tired tonight.  And I have 2 meals planned for tomorrow night (1 for my family and 1 for a friend and I) so tonight's dinner is simple.  We had salad served in pita pockets and dressing.  I put apples, turkey, cheese, walnuts, and cranberries in with my lettuce and that makes a pretty hearty salad.  Abby is at a point where she can eat salads now without choking on the lettuce, so this meal feels easy and refreshing again.  (When a meal is supposed to be simple but gets complicated because you have to make something different for both of your kids, it definitely takes the joy of it away!)
#nopicture #toobusy #somedaysarelikethat #sorry!

Day 56: Leftovers for Lunch, Homemade Brownies, and Girls' Night In

For lunch after church today, we had leftover turkey pot pie with herb crust. I used the scraps of the crust from when I made it on Thursday to make "biscuits."  It was basically just extra crust for the pie crust lovers (like my husband).  I also made these Ina Garten homemade brownies:

Outrageous Brownies
1 lb unsalted butter
1 lb plus 12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
6 oz unsweetened chocolate
6 eggs
3 TB instant coffee granules
2 TB vanilla
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups flour
1 TB baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 cups chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350*.  In a medium bowl over simmering water, melt the butter, 1 lb chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate.  When melted, allow to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, stir the eggs, coffee, vanilla, and sugar together.  Add the chocolate to the egg/sugar mixture and stir.
Sift 1 cup of the flour, the baking powder, and salt together and add to the batter.  In a small bowl, combine the remaining chocolate chips, walnuts, and 1/4 cup of flour.  Stir them into the batter.  Pour into a greased 12x18x1 inch baking pan.
Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking pan against the oven racks to allow any air to escape.  Bake for another 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool, then refrigerate and cut into large squares.

Randy has a "guys' night" at his brother's tonight, so I am home with the kids!  BUT, all is not lost since I have a dear friend coming to visit and hang out with me!  In true "girls' night" fashion, I am wearing yoga pants, we're ordering Chinese, indulging in brownies, and probably making a drink or two.  I have all the fixings for my rum runners, classic margaritas, or something else we may want to try.  (Maybe a French martini--I believe I could whip that up!)  It could only be better if tomorrow morning wasn't Monday... ;)

Day 55: Saturday Brunch and other recipes

So today we had a wonderful family over for brunch!  Randy and I are finding that we like to host Saturday brunches more and more for our friends with children like us.  It's the best time of the day for kids because they are usually at their happiest, naps and bedtimes don't interfere, and food preparation is simpler.  So often, when planning a dinner (especially dinner for company) I'm faced with figuring out what sides "go" with the main course, whether or not there should be an appetizer, dessert, and what drinks are a good pairing.  With brunch, it all "goes."  Breakfast food is just so good!  There's no need for an appetizer OR dessert, and people can just pick at the muffins or fruit salad that's left on the table while we chat.  When we have brunch, we like to just have 4 dishes: an egg dish (savory), a crumble or danish (sweet), a muffin (bread), and a fruit salad.  For drinks: coffee, tea, orange juice, and then having champagne on hand to make a quick mimosa adds a nice touch.  Randy tried out making a spicy Bloody Mary today for the first time, too!

Here are some recipes we enjoyed:

Kale & Sausage Strata
1 lb breakfast sausage (casings removed)
1 bunch kale, chopped
1/2 loaf multigrain bread
12 eggs, beaten
2 cups whole milk
8 oz fontina cheese, grated
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Crumble the sausage into a large skillet and brown over medium heat.  Add the chopped kale and let it cook and wilt for about 1-2 minutes.  Meanwhile, cut the bread into cubes and place it in a buttered casserole dish.  When the sausage and kale are done, add them to the dish with the bread.  In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk, cheese, salt, and pepper.  Pour into the casserole dish.  Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.  (If you refrigerate it overnight, pull it out for 45 minutes to sit at room temperature before you bake it.)  Bake at 350* for 40-45 minutes.  Let set for 15 minutes before serving.

Blueberry Crumb Cake

For the streusel:
1/4 sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 1/3 cups flour
For the cake:
6 TB unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temp
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup sour cream (I use plain Greek yogurt)
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350*.  For the streusel: mix the sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter.  Add the flour.  Mix well and set aside.
For the cake, cream the butter and sugar together.  Add the eggs, vanilla, and sour cream.  Mix well.  Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet.  Fold in the blueberries.
Pour the batter in a buttered and floured 9" round baking pan.  Sprinkle the streusel on top.  Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Tri-Berry Muffins

3 cups flour
1 TB baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 TB cinnamon
1 1/4 cups milk
2 eggs
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 cup diced fresh strawberries
1 1/2 cups sugar

Preheat oven to 375*.  Line muffin tins with liners.
Sift the dry ingredients together.  In another bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry.  Add the berries and sugar.  Mix, but don't overmix!  Pour into prepared muffin tins.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

The cake and muffin recipes are both Ina Garten's.  I have 3 of her cookbooks, and I love them all!  These 2 recipes, along with the recipe for Spicy Bloody Marys that Randy made today came from her Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook.  They can all be found here: http://barefootcontessa.com/cookbooks.aspx

Fruit Salad
Fruit salads are pretty basic, but in my opinion, the best fruit salads are the simplest.  Combining too many fruits into one salad really takes away from the flavor of the individual fruit.  I like to keep my fruit salads to 4-5 different fruit varieties, no more.  That way, you can change it up every now and then: citrus salads, berry salads, primary colors, melon salads, the options are endless!  Today, I opted for a simple 4 fruit salad that has a lot of color: strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, and green grapes.  I also like to keep things similarly shaped.  Fruit cut into nice chunks give the salad a rustic, more natural look.

For dinner tonight, we had some basic cheeseburgers, sweet potato fries, and salad.  My mother-in-law lives in Connecticut and is visiting this weekend.  I adore her and love when she comes to visit.  It helps that she is probably one of the biggest fans of my cooking (and everything else I do, it seems!).  She has a list of jobs she seems to think I would excel at and I love that when I make my most basic cheeseburger (ground beef, mayo, parsley flakes, oregano flakes, salt, pepper) she raves about it and thinks it must be a different kind of meat! :)  She tells me that her friends ask about what she had to eat when she visits.  Of course, I've started sending her home with a "doggy" bag after each visit!

Day 54: Chicken Cordon Bleu, Creamy Mashed Potatoes w/ Gravy, Roasted Asparagus

Tonight we had the same chicken cordon bleu that I made exactly 1 month ago on Valentine's Day.  And it was still delicious!  This time, instead of asparagus risotto, I paired it with roasted asparagus and creamy mashed potatoes with gravy.

To make the mashed potatoes, I let them cook and then added about 1/2 stick of butter, some heavy cream, loads of salt and pepper, and a little garlic powder.  Then mashed with a hand masher.

For the gravy, I melted 2 TB of butter in a saucepan then added 2 TB of flour.  I cooked it about 1 minute.  Then I added about a cup (I eyeballed it) of chicken stock that I had on hand ('cause I ALWAYS have it on hand--never be caught without it!!!) and brought it up to a boil.  Once boiling, I turned the heat down to a simmer and added about 1/4 cup of heavy cream, salt, and pepper.  It was nice and thick by now and ready to be loaded onto a plate of potatoes!

My husband LOVES gravy, and although I don't make it every time we have mashed potatoes, I am making it more regularly and I know he's grateful! :)  Bon apetit!

Day 53: Turkey Pot Pie w/ Herb Crust

I love this recipe!  It's so delicious and really not that hard.  Although, I find it a lot easier to make on a Sunday for dinner, or to make and freeze/refrigerate for a weeknight.  It's a little too involved to make the night you want to serve it (I found out tonight).  I made the crust last night and chopped up the carrots and saved the rest for this afternoon, but it has a long baking time, which is something to keep in mind.  If you have to make it the day-of and want to save a little time, cut up the turkey before you cook it so it cooks quickly.  But if you do that, look out--don't overcook it or it will be tough!  I find it easier to cut the turkey into large chunks, cook it, then cut it into bitesize pieces afterward.  The crust idea came from Bobby Flay, but the majority of the recipe is my own!  Enjoy!

Turkey Pot Pie w/ Herb Crust
1 lb turkey breast

4 cups chicken stock
few sprigs of parsley & thyme
salt, pepper
4-5 carrots, sliced
2/3 cup frozen peas
2/3 cup frozen corn
1 shallot, peeled and chopped
3 TB butter
4 TB flour
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
Crust:
2 1/4 cups flour
1-2 TB chopped fresh parsley
1 TB chopped sage
1 TB chopped rosemary
1 TB chopped thyme (*These 3 herbs can be found in the "poultry bouquet" of herbs they sometimes sell at the grocery store.)
1 tsp salt
1 cup cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup ice water

The crust needs to chill at least 30 minutes, so you may want to make it first, or the night before.  Place the flour, herbs, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times.  Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of tiny peas.  Add the water and pulse until the dough comes together.  Remove the dough and wrap it in plastic wrap to refrigerate.
To make the filling, place the turkey breasts in a large saucepan and pour in the stock.  Put in the herbs and season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then simmer until the turkey is cooked through.  Remove the turkey and allow to cool.  While it's cooling, add the sliced carrots to the stock and cook those a few minutes, until tender.  Meanwhile, cut the turkey up into bitesize pieces and place in a 1 quart (or so) baking pan.  When the carrots are done cooking, add them to the chicken, then strain the stock into a large measuring cup to remove the herbs and any other turkey debris.  Add the peas and corn to the turkey and carrots.
In the same saucepan, melt the butter.  Add the chopped shallot and cook 1-2 minutes.  Add the flour and cook 1 minute.  Pour in the white wine and the chicken stock.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Add the the heavy cream and stir.  The sauce should be nice and thick at this point.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Pour the sauce over the turkey and vegetables.
Roll out the crust dough and sit it on top of the filling.  Trim the edges.  Poke a few holes in the crust with a knife.  Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake at 400* for 50 minutes to an hour.
***Sometimes I divide this recipe in 2 and put it in 2 smaller pans or pie plates.  Then I can freeze one or give it to a friend.  Tonight, I made the whole thing but I plan on serving the leftovers for lunch on Sunday.  I saved the crust "scraps" and will turn them into biscuits on Sunday to go with the "stew" that will be leftover.

Day 52: Spaghetti and Meatballs (take 2)

This used to be an (almost) weekly meal.  Since starting this blog, this is only the third time in 41 days we've had it.  :)
The cold, dreary rain (supposedly turning to sleet/snow) makes me long for a meal that warms and comforts.  Plus, it's a perfectly satisfying dinner when coming back from the gym!
One of these days I'll share my bruschetta recipe, which I wish we could have tonight, too!  Maybe next time...

For my spaghetti sauce recipe, see Day 11.

Good thing it's bath night!

Day 51: Buttermilk Baked Chicken, Garlic-Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

This meal is so satisfying!!!  The whole family devoured it.  I think Noah was the first one done and got seconds of green beans (go figure).  He'll have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. :)  The chicken is super flavorful and juicy, which is key!  I load the mashed potatoes with almost everything in the fridge and they are amazing!  I long for the day I can buy fresh green beans again without questioning their freshness or paying an arm and a leg, but frozen green beans aren't so bad for now, as long as they're steamed slightly (not overcooked) and dabbed with butter, salt, and pepper.

Buttermilk Baked Chicken
chicken thighs and legs
1 qt buttermilk
3-4 TB hot sauce
10 thyme sprigs
1 onion, cut in chunks
salt, pepper
4-5 cups crushed cornflakes
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

The night before you make this meal, place the chicken in a large bowl and cover the pieces with buttermilk.  Add the hot sauce, thyme sprigs, onion chunks, salt, and pepper.

The night you are cooking, preheat the oven to 400*.  I never eat cornflakes for breakfast, so when I buy a box, I just crush all the flakes by putting them in the food processor cupfuls at a time.  Then I store the crumbs in a ziploc bag until I need them.  Place the cornflake crumbs in a shallow dish.  Add the parmesan cheese and season liberally with salt and pepper.  (*I add Tastefully Simple's seasoned salt, also.)  Mix together with your hand.  Place a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet.  Roll the soaked chicken in the crumb mixture then place on the cooling rack.

Before

Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until the juices run clear.

After

For my garlic mashed potatoes, I boil about 6 large red-skinned potatoes, cut in chunks with the skin on.  When they are cooked, drained, and ready to mash, I add about 2/3 stick of butter, 1-2 minced garlic cloves, plus 1-2 TB garlic powder, a couple chopped chives, 2-3 TB sour cream, 2-3 TB milk, and salt and pepper.  Mash well with a hand masher, and serve with shredded cheese if desired.

Day 50: Honey-Teryaki Salmon, Sizzlin' Snowpeas, Wild Rice

Well now I really know why I always plan "something simple" on nights when Randy isn't home.  I always assume it would just be too much to do a regular dinner, dishes, baths, and the normal routine by myself, but tonight I got the proof.  Randy went right to his second job today, and tomorrow he has a staff meeting right at dinner time, so that's 2 nights he won't be home for supper.  I didn't want to do 2 nights in a row of cereal, mac & cheese, or take-out: so I decided to be bold and just cook the dinners I had originally planned.  Tonight we had salmon, rice, and snowpeas.

For the salmon:
I made a honey teryaki sauce myself, and poured it over the flesh side of the salmon.  I grilled the salmon on the flesh side first, then flipped it to the skin side.  I finished it in a 350* oven for about 15 minutes.  (It was the thick cut of salmon.)

Honey-Teryaki Sauce

3 TB honey
2 TB soy sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp spicy brown mustard
sprinkle of black pepper
sprinkle of paprika

Whisk ingredients together and pour over salmon before and after cooking.

For the snowpeas:
Rip the ends and strings out of the snowpeas.  Rinse with water.  Melt 2 TB butter in a large skillet and add the snowpeas.  Drizzle soy sauce over the vegetables and cover.  Cook on high about 1-2 minutes.  Don't overcook or the snowpeas will be soggy.
Serve the salmon and snowpeas with wild rice.

Day 49: Maple-Oatmeal Scones, Tortellini Soup, Jalapeno-Cheddar Cornbread

This morning I made scones again!  I actually haven't made this recipe in a while, even though it is one of our favorites.  Randy has requested that I attempt writing my own scone recipe for him, which will be a fun project for me to do in the near future. :)  For now, here's another Ina Garten inspired fool-proof recipe:

Maple-Oatmeal Scones
4 1/2 cups flour
1 cup oats, plus more for sprinkling
2 TB baking powder
2 TB sugar
2 tsp salt
1 lb cold, unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup cold buttermilk
1/2 maple syrup
4 eggs, beaten
1 egg + water for eggwash

Glaze:
1 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanillla

Preheat oven to 400*.  Combine the dry ingredients (stand mixer is good for this recipe) then add the diced butter.  Mix until the butter is the size of peas. Combine the buttermilk, syrup, and eggs and mix them with the dry ingredients.  When completely incorporated, dump sticky dough onto a floured surface and roll out to about 1/2-1 inch thick.  Cut circles out of the dough and place on a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Brush with egg wash.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  When cooled, drizzle the glaze over the scones and sprinkles with additional oats.  (Makes 14-16 scones.)

For Ina's exact recipe, visit http://barefootcontessa.com/recipes.aspx?RecipeID=188&S=0.

Tortellini Soup
This recipe is almost never the same when I make it.  I'm constantly changing amounts of ingredients or making minor adjustments as I go.  Here's how I made it tonight:

12-14 cups chicken broth
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
6 carrots, sliced
1 small bag of frozen corn
1/3 box frozen spinach (or 1 bag fresh spinach--I will probably do it this way next time)
2 bags of frozen tortellini
salt, pepper
shredded cheddar cheese

Cook the onions, garlic, and carrots in the broth over medium heat until tender.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the corn, spinach, and tortellini and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until ready to serve.  Season again with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with shredded cheddar cheese on top.

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread (Ina Garten)
3 cups flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 TB baking powder
2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 lb melted butter
8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 scallions, finely chopped
3 small jalapeno peppers, finely chopped

Whisk together the dry ingredients.  Add the eggs, butter, and milk and mix until just incorporated.  Add most of the cheese, the scallions, and jalapenos, and mix together.  Let the batter sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350* and grease a 9 x 13 pan.  Pour the batter into the pan and sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on top.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Day 48: Greek Orzo Salad

Confession: This was MEANT to be yesterday's (Saturday's - Day 48's) lunch, but I failed.  The day got away from me somehow and I ended up shoving down a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch.  For dinner, we had planned on going out, which we did.  We went to Red Robin (I told you we love burgers) and ended up seeing a few familiar faces (always fun) and a waitress who swore up and down I was familiar to her, but she didn't know from where.  Anyway... I did get some inspiration from Red Robin again.  I have always loved their "Burnin' Love" burger and that will probably be one of the next ones I create.  (Although we're having burgers next weekend when my mother-in-law is in town and I'm not sure she'll be up for such a spicy burger--I may have to plan a different style.)

So, I ended up making the Greek Orzo Salad this morning to have for lunch today.  But I'm still going to put the recipe under Day 48 since I have about 3 recipes for Day 49 (today) alone.

Ever since our honeymoon in Greece, I LOVE a good Greek salad, or any kind of Greek flavoring in a salad.  Feta cheese is sooo good and I love looking for ways to put it in a salad or pasta salad.  A friend of mine made an orzo salad one day and brought it over for our lunch get together.  I think this is similar to the way she made hers:

Greek Orzo Salad
The thing I love about pasta salads is that you really can adjust the ingredients to fit your taste.  Don't like feta cheese?  Go light on that and heavy on the tomatoes.  Dress it as you see fit.  This is definitely a summery pasta salad, but we just set the clocks ahead, so I think it's about time.  I'm just itching for summer so I can make all my favorite summertime recipes!
1 box orzo
3-4 mini cucumbers, thickly sliced and halved
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1-2 bulks of feta cheese (I get mine from the olive bar at the grocery store.  It sits in its brine and tastes fresh.  It's sold by the "bulk" so I try to fit as much in the little container as I can.  If you can't buy it this way, 8-10 oz should be good.)
salt, pepper
2-3 TB fresh chopped parsley
Greek salad dressing (A traditional Greek salad is served with extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.  You can easily dress your pasta salad this way.  However, if you're nervous about putting too much vinegar or oil in, Ken's Steakhouse makes a really good Greek dressing!)

Cook the orzo according to the package instructions.  Drain and combine with the vegetables, parsley, and cheese.  Season liberally with salt and pepper (while it's still hot!) and drizzle with Greek dressing to taste.  Refrigerate until cold.

Day 47: Beef Wellington with Cheesy Sauce, Ceasar Salads, Rum Runners

It's not all that often that we feed the kids a separate meal and eat together after they go to bed.  Before I had kids, I never thought I would prepare a different meal for my kids.  My kids CAN eat whatever we eat, and usually do.  I'm not the type of mother to give in to "picky" eaters.  But now I see a better reason for eating separate meals: peace and quiet.  How nice to eat dinner without having to worry about two little extra mouths.  Randy now has Fridays off from his night job.  Yay!  So tonight, we had a mini celebration!  While we fed the kids and got them ready for bed, we snacked on a baguette with cheese, jam, and wine.  Then it was cooking time!

Beef Wellington with Cheese Sauce  (for 2)
A traditional beef wellington is usually one piece of meat wrapped in a puff pastry.  I create mine more like a calzone.  The beef is cut into chunks with a mushroom/dijon sauce.  I saw this made on a food network cooking show a few years ago.  I honestly don't even remember the person's name.  It was a weekend show that wasn't one of the "popular" ones--but I'm glad I caught it, this recipe rocks!

1/2 lb filet mignon
4-6 oz white mushrooms, minced or finely chopped
1 garlic cloves, minced

1-2 TB dijon mustard
1-2 TB olive oil
salt, pepper
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg + water (for egg wash)
2 TB butter
2 TB flour
1/2 cup beer
1/2 cup milk
1-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
paprika
pepper

In a small saucepan, heat the oil.  Add the finely chopped mushrooms and garlic.  Cook for about 2 minutes over medium heat.  When the mushrooms have cooked down, turn off the heat and add the dijon mustard.  Cut the beef into small chunks and add it to the mushroom mixture and season with salt and pepper.

Cut a sheet of puff pastry diagonally.  Spoon half of the filling onto each triangle.  Spread the egg wash around the edges of the pastry, and fold over.  Brush the egg wash onto the wellingtons and poke a few holes in them with a knife.  Bake at 400* for 20 minutes.

For the cheese sauce:
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the flour and whisk one minute.  Add the beer, milk, and Worcestershire sauce.  Season with paprika and pepper.  Turn the heat up to high and add the cheese.  Whisk continually until the cheese is melted, then turn off the heat.
Pour over the wellingtons and serve with a ceasar salad with homemade dressing.

Rum Runner
1 1/2 oz coconut rum
1 oz blackberry brandy
3 oz orange juice
3 oz pineapple juice
3 oz cranberry juice
ice