Day 190: Crockpot Chicken Tortellini

Day 2 of Crockpot meals wasn't a total failure, but it also wasn't a huge success.  I did 2 things wrong tonight:

We have a fun dinner table!

1. I made the dish too spicy.  The idea behind this meal is a good one and I will definitely try it again, but I will have to dial back the spice.
2. I didn't start it early enough in the Crockpot and it wasn't done on time.  It's true that not EVERY meal in the slow-cooker takes all day to cook, but time got away from me this afternoon and what needed about 3 hours in the Crockpot only got 1 1/2. :(

I'm still going to share this "recipe" with you, though, because I'm a believer in keeping this blog real and what happened tonight was real life.  Also, the flavors and the idea for this meal is a good one and I hope you try it out on your own and just give yourself enough time and gauge your spices wisely. :)

Crockpot Chicken Tortellini
1 lb boneless, skinless, chicken breast (cubed)

1 zucchini, cut in chunks
1 summer squash, cut in chunks
1 bag frozen tortellini
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 - 1 cup beer (I used a whole bottle and wished I hadn't.  I would use less next time, like a 1/2 cup or so.  This is to flavor and marinate the chicken.  The stock is to help cook the tortellini.)
1 tsp salt*
1 tsp pepper*
1 tsp paprika*
1/2 - 1 tsp chipotle chili powder (your taste)*
1/2 tsp garlic powder*
dash of cayenne powder*

Yay, chocolate!!!

*These seasoning measurements reflect what I SHOULD have measured.

Here's the best part of this dish, the EASY instructions!!!  Throw everything in the slow-cooker and cook on high for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. 

On a separate note, today is National Milk Chocolate Day.  Uh, yum!  We don't have a grill, but I made s'mores in the microwave.  Place the graham, chocolate, and marshmallow in the microwave for a few seconds (12 in our very mild microwave) and then place the other graham on top.  Enjoy!

Day 189: Crockpot Pork Ribs, Mashed Potatoes, Corn on the Cob

After the kids go to bed tonight, I will be planning my next week of recipes and my goal is have them all be prepared in the Crockpot.  Fingers crossed that we are moving this week, which means the kitchen needs to be all packed up as well.  I've finally come to the point where pretty much all of the non-essentials are packed.  It's now time to start packing things we use on a regular basis.  So tonight will start my week of Crockpot meals--"one-pot-wonders", if you will. :) Although the side dishes of this meal are prepared on the stove, I'm hoping that won't be the case for the rest of the week.

We all like to think of the Crockpot as perfect for winter meals--pot roasts, hearty soups and stews; and also perfect for working days when we don't have time to be in the kitchen preparing supper.  But they are also great in the summer when you don't WANT to be in the kitchen preparing supper.  If you get the flavors right, the Crockpot can be the perfect place to prepare a summer meal!

Crockpot Pork Ribs
I used Tastefully Simple's BBQ rub for these ribs, but I've made my own rub several times.  I just combine equal parts of salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder.  Then I add 2-3x the amount of dark brown sugar.  (If I used 1 TB of everything else, then 2-3 TB of sugar.)

family pack of pork ribs
BBQ rub (Tastefully Simple or make your own--you'll need about 1/3 cup worth, give or take)
BBQ sauce
1/2 bottle of dark beer

Rub the seasoning into both sides of the ribs and place in the Crockpot.  Drizzle with BBQ sauce on all sides.  Pour in the beer and turn the Crockpot to "low" and cook for about 6 hours.  Really, that's it.  The meat should be falling off the bone when done!  Serve with mashed potatoes and corn on the cob.

***Day 188 (yesterday) we went out for dinner with my folks to Five Guys Burgers & Fries and then for frozen yogurt at Orange Leaf.  Delish!

Day 187: West Coast Pizza & Watermelon Margaritas

Remember that West Coast pizza I made back in May as a tribute to our trip to California in April?  I made it again tonight and it was still as fabulous as I remembered it!  You have to try this pizza... it will change your life!  To go with it, I came up with this recipe for a watermelon margarita.  It is so tantalizing on the tongue! ;)

Watermelon Margarita
Now, I find that margarita measurements are very subjective and have a lot to do with personal preference, so feel free to change this recipe according to your taste.  As should be clear by my own classic margarita recipe, I prefer a "sour" margarita where you can really taste the tequila and it makes you pucker your lips just a little.  I like my margarita on the rocks with salt on the rim.  I'm not a huge fan of the sweet margaritas, although they do have their place.  Watermelon is pretty sweet, so I add a little more tequila to help balance the flavor.  You can certainly add more watermelon if you want a sweeter drink.  In keep with my "on the rocks" theme, I strain the watermelon as well.  But if you want to skip that step, you could always just add ice and pour everything in the blender and make it a slushy!  I do use sugar on the rims in this recipe, though, it just seems to make more sense...

1 oz triple sec
2 oz lime juice
4 oz tequila
5 oz watermelon juice (half a slice)
sugar for the rim
ice

Use a lime or lemon wedge to run around the rim of a glass and then dip in sugar.  Put a few ice cubes in the glass.  Cube about half a slice of watermelon and stick it in the blender to puree to juice form.  It should measure about 5 oz.  Add the watermelon juice back to the blender with the triple sec, lime juice, and tequila.  Blend for 1 minute.  Strain into a shaker filled with ice.  Shake.  Pour into prepared glass.  Enjoy!

Yesterday was Day 186 and Randy had a Daddy/Daughter date with Abby.  My friend, Amanda, came over with her son as her husband and daughter went on a date as well.  The best part was when her husband picked up her son and my kids went to bed.  The mommies had their own date with food from Buffalo Wild Wings and ice cream! :)

Day 185: Steak w/ Fontina, Garlic Broccoli, & Mustard Roasted Potatoes

Alright, don't get mad, but this is not a humid-weather-friendly cooking experience.  That's my disclosure.  I know some people hate to have the oven on at all during the summer, or use the stove for that matter, and this dinner requires both. :/  I know, I know.  I have a small air conditioner in the living room, but it certainly doesn't feel like it reaches the kitchen (unless, of course, I walk outside and then come back in).  But I also have one in our bedroom and I keep our bedroom door closed so it gets nice and cold in there.  On nights like this, I often take "bedroom breaks" while cooking so I can cool off! :)  Anyway, I hate to sacrifice all delicious dishes during the summer months, so I grin and bear it occasionally and cook up a nice meal like this one.
Yesterday was Day 184 and we ended up having leftover pizza for dinner.  But I also made my classic margaritas which are always a huge hit on hot evenings!




Steak w/ Fontina Sauce
Fontina cheese is a soft Italian cheese that melts beautifully!  It makes a great fondue and a great cheese sauce.  If you've never had a cheese sauce on a steak, you don't know what you're missing!  (Plus, it's a great way to get the kids to eat their meat.)  I choose a London Broil because it's nice and thick and makes great-looking slices.  We like our steak cooked medium-rare.  And let me also say that I photographed the steak with the sauce "elegantly" drizzled on top, Randy and I both added an extra few spoonfuls of the sauce to our steak--it's that good!

1 London Broil steak
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup olive oil (or extra virgin)
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt, pepper
steak seasoning of choice
4 oz fontina cheese, grated or shredded
3 TB butter
3 TB flour
1/2 cup whole milk
salt & pepper for the sauce

In the morning, marinate the steak in the soy sauce, olive oil, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and steak seasoning.  Don't use too much salt, or you might cause the meat to seize--about 1 tsp for the whole steak is good.  Keep the steak in the refrigerator for the day but take it out about 30 minutes before you want to start cooking so it can come to room temperature.  Grill the steak on a grill pan to get good grill marks on each side and finish in the oven for desired doneness.  For information about cooking steak and cuts of meat, read here.
For the cheese sauce, melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan.  Add the flour and whisk.  Cook 1 minute.  Add the milk and bring up to a boil, stirring constantly.  Once it bubbles, reduce the heat to low and add the cheese.  Stir in a figure-eight pattern until the cheese is melted.  You should have a nice, thick sauce at this point.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
When the steak is done cooking, give it time to rest and let the juices absorb back into the meat.  Slice the steak on a diagonal in thin slices.  Drizzle the cheese sauce over the top.

Garlic Broccoli
This is a great and flavorful vegetable dish.  Even if you don't love garlic, try it!  The garlic infuses the oil that the broccoli cooks in and gives a subtle flavor, not too strong.  You add the garlic back into the pan, but they are large pieces so they are easy to "pick off" if you're not a garlic person.

2 bunches of broccoli
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
1/3 cup olive oil
juice of half a lemon
salt, pepper
sprinkle of red pepper flakes

Pour the oil into a pan and cook the garlic over medium heat.  When the garlic turns brown, remove it with a slotted spoon.  Add the broccoli to the pan and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.  Cook for about 8 minutes or until desired softness.  Turn off the heat.  Add the garlic back to the pan and squeeze half a lemon over the broccoli and garlic.  Stir, serve hot.
With the steak and broccoli, I also served mustard-roasted potatoes and paired it with a petite sirah red wine.  Bon apetit!

Day 183: Lemon Roasted Chicken, Risotto, Green Beans, & Pound Cake with Ice Cream

My parents are on vacation still so they came over for dinner tonight.  My house is in shambles but I'd honestly rather eat in than take my kids out again for a while after a long week of eating out a lot.  And the cooking aspect of it actually provides a little bit of stability and "zen" for me amidst the chaos of packing and preparing for lots of other upcoming events we have.  Tonight I prepared a very simple lemon chicken.  So simple, in fact, that as I type this I realize I forgot to add the dried herbs that usually accompany this dish!  Sigh.  Oh well, it could be worse.  The chicken was still delicious!

Lemon Roasted Chicken
Originally, I think I saw this idea from an Ina Garten show.  It's very similar to a chicken piccata, but the sauce is prepared slightly different and the chicken doesn't need to be breaded like in most chicken piccata dishes.  But the garlic and lemon flavors are there.  The recipe calls for chicken breasts without the bone but with the skin.  Most grocery stores only sell either skinless breasts or breasts with skin AND bone.  So I buy the latter and then de-bone the breasts myself.  The skin just makes the chicken more flavorful, I think!

1 package of chicken breasts with the skin (about 5 lbs or 5 breasts is a typical package)

2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/3 cup white wine
juice & zest of 2 lemons
1 lemon
salt, pepper
fresh thyme (optional-apparently) ;)
dried oregano (also optional, since I left out these 2 ingredients tonight) :/

Preheat the oven to 400*.  In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the olive oil and garlic.  Cook until fragrant but not brown--careful not to burn it!  Turn off the heat and add the white wine and the juice from the 2 lemons and stir.  Pour the juice into a 9 x 13 baking pan.  Place the chicken over the sauce, skin-side up.  Sprinkle the chicken with the herbs, salt, pepper, and lemon zest.  Cut the remaining lemon into 8 wedges and place them in the pan throughout the chicken.  Bake for about 40 minutes or until just cooked through and the skin is golden brown.
I served this with risotto and green beans.  For dessert, I served the rest of the pound cake from last night and ice cream.  Delish!

Day 182: Bananas Foster & Midnight D'Espresso Delight (Happy National Ice Cream Day!)

When thinking about dinner for the first day being home after vacation, I thought, "Salad!  We've been eating like crazy all week!" (See previous post.) So, we did have salad with grilled chicken for supper.  But in the morning, I had found out that it was National Ice Cream Day.  I'm an ice cream girl at heart.  How can I not celebrate?  So, I planned a rather extravagant dessert for Randy and I, but kept fruit in it to keep it healthy--bananas foster. ;)  I love the flambe part of this dish.  I remember when I was in Costa Rica, they had a flambe station for fruit in the dining area of our "resort."  I brought fruit there everyday to watch it flame and then enjoy the flavor. :)

Bananas Foster
If you're not afraid of flaming food, this dish couldn't be easier!  If you use a small skillet, it will be rather easy to catch a flame (the alcohol has to actually touch the flame of your gas stove).  If you use a saucepan (like I did) or if you have an electric stove, just use a lighter to set your sauce aflame.   This recipe serves 2.

2 slightly under ripe bananas
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8-1/4 cup dark rum (such as Myer's or Bacardi Select)
vanilla ice cream
whipped cream (optional)
pound cake (optional) -- I used Tastefully Simple's Tropical Pound Cake--it was a parting gift from them to me!

Slice the bananas on a diagonal.  Hint: choose the right helper!  I asked Randy to slice the bananas on a diagonal and this is what he did:

After that, I put him behind the camera lens. ;)  Truthfully, you can slice your bananas however you'd like.

Over medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the brown sugar.  Stir to combine.  Add the bananas and cook them on one side until browned. 

Flip and brown the other side of the bananas. 

Remove the pan from the heat and add the rum. 

Return to heat and set aflame.  Let the alcohol burn and when the flame is gone, the sauce is done! 

Unfortunately, you can't see the blue/white flame of the alcohol in the pan.  But it was there!  I stepped back to protect my scarf! haha!

Serve over ice cream and pound cake, if desired.  Top with whipped cream.

Midnight D'Espresso Delight
Here's a fun drink to serve with this "fancy" dessert!  I came up with it while in search for a rum/coffee dessert drink to go with the bananas foster.  As I was perusing the liquor store, I found mocha Kahlua!  I had to buy it.  You can use regular Kahlua, too.  The "Midnight" of this drink is the dark color, Randy came up with "D'Espresso": D for Dattolo and the espresso for the strong coffee, and the "Delight" is in the ice cream and chocolate shavings!  Enjoy!

equal parts: dark rum, strong iced coffee, mocha Kahlua
1 small scoop of vanilla ice cream
semi-sweet chocolate shavings (I buy a bar and use a vegetable peeler to get cute little curls)

Mix the rum, iced coffee, and Kahlua. 

Top with a small scoop of ice cream and sprinkle on chocolate shavings.  Serve cold (over ice if desired). 

What it Takes to be a Backlin (Days 175-181)

When two people get married, there is a sort of blending of families.  Each brings his or her own traditions and the spouse becomes a member of the other family.  For Randy and I, you would think that this means I become a Dattolo and he becomes a Duncan.  But that is only part of the story.  Randy actually became a Backlin.  Number 18 to be exact.  At least that's what my grandfather referred to him as for the first, I don't know, year of our courtship/engagement.  Backlin is my mother's maiden name and her family is very close.  Like, all 16 of them live in the same town close.  Actually, minus my brother who now lives in Atlanta. 

Our family is together for everything--birthdays, holidays, semi-holidays, you name it.  And if there's ever a crisis or need, someone from the family is there.  Right away.  When my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, my uncle shaved his head with her.  When one of my aunts needed a kidney transplant, my other aunt was the donor.  And I'll never forget the day I came home from college to see a bunch of trucks plus my grandparents' car outside of our house.  Apparently a leak sprung in our basement that day and my dad couldn't be reached.  My contractor-uncle dropped what he was doing and got some of his friends to come over the fix the leak right away.  (My mom runs a home daycare and all of the kids were still at the house--it was important the leak be fixed right away!)  My grandparents were there for--moral support?  I'm so glad my husband and children are numbers 18, 19, and 20 of this wonderful family!  (I also have awesome babysitters in my cousins from this family--what more could I ask for?) 

Eat the pickled herring! Randy did, his first year with us. Not much after that.

When Randy and I were dating, my brother didn't need to give him any kind of heads up about how to act around my dad or what to expect from our family.  Actually, it my father who clued Randy in to the traditions and expectations of the Backlin family--one in-law to another.  Randy quickly learned that a big part of our family is food.  And a big expectation for him would be to eat with us--all the time.  He learned that there are as many, if not more, dessert items as there are main course items.  Everything has butter and tastes sweet--even the vegetables.  And the "down-time" between courses is only to drink coffee and make room for more food. 

Old Orchard Beach PIER FRENCH FRIES

We recently returned from our annual trip to Ocean Park, ME.  Yes, as an entire family plus friends.  Randy has come with us since our relationship began.  When he talks about "getting into shape" for Maine, he is quickly corrected that he doesn't need to eat less, he needs to eat more to 1) stretch his stomach in preparation for the food we'll eat there and 2) add a layer of fat so he can stay in the Maine ocean longer.  :)  While on vacation, everything is about food.  From the giant pieces of coffee cake to go with breakfast (that's right, not AS breakfast, but to go WITH breakfast) to the cookies that are passed around the table after dinner to the trip to the ice cream parlor, Martel's, AFTER the cookies.  We eat a lot.  And Randy has begun to follow suit.  He had to laugh out loud when another tradition came to light for him this year.  For the first time, he learned that our night-before-Maine tradition (Friday night before we leave) is to go to the local seafood restaurant.  But there are two of them.  We go to one in Charlton because it's seafood is good, but then back to the same restaurant in Auburn for ice cream because their ice cream is better than the other one.  What a trip!

2012: Teaching Abby the eating tradition while in Maine.

While we were on vacation, Days 175-181 of my cooking blog went by.  We ate out a few times.  Randy and I had these incredible crab cakes from a local restaurant in Ocean Park.  We also had some of my mother's lasagna, I made my buttermilk baked chicken, and my dijon chicken ham & cheese wraps.  I also brought up a few food items which you can find recipes for here.  All in all, it was a great week with lots of great food and oh yeah, ice cream!  Thankful for family! :)

crab cakes from Yellow Fins!

11 Tips for Vacation with Children (Days 173-174)

So we leave for vacation tomorrow (Saturday) and boy, could it not have come at a worse time!  Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for the get-away and the time with family (my mom's whole family plus some friends come with us), but with the move coming up, it's been hard enough to pack the house up with 2 little kids, never mind get ready for vacation.

Yes, I do feed my kids cookies for breakfast on occasion.  Someone needs to test out my new recipes!

Most mothers know that taking a vacation with little children can be far from an actual vacation.  You have to deal with kids being out of their element and routine, different sleep patterns and locations, lots of preparation and readiness for anything and everything, and... oh yeah, zero time for mommy to relax!  I'm fortunate for the fact that lots of family comes on vacation with us, so we have lots of eyes on our children and Randy and I actually do get some time alone and to relax.  But let's face it, vacation with little ones is a whole different ballpark than vacation before children--they're still fun, but way more work.  So here I've included some tips and recipes for having an organized therefore relaxing vacation, even with little kids...

Double chocolate cookies.  (Recipe follows.)

1) Make a digital list.  I have an on-going list on my computer of things I need for the same vacation year-after-year.  It helps me feel organized and minimize that last-minute "Wait, did I remember....?!" feeling.  I like keeping the list on the computer because it's always there and can easily be updated not only year-to-year, but also right when you get back from vacation.  This way, you can instantly add anything you wish you had brought so you'll be even more prepared next year!  My list is organized by what we need for the a) house b) beach and then each person individually.

2) Plan meals ahead.  You may not be the type of person to plan a weekly or biweekly menu on a regular basis (though we all know I am that type of person!), but trust me, on vacation, it's essential.  Plan your menu.  Plan what nights you'll eat out and which nights you'll eat in your house or cottage and what you will have.  If you can make the meal ahead and bring it with you, do it!  The last thing you want to be doing on vacation is sitting around saying "What's for supper."  And you may not be able to afford eating out every night, depending on how long your vacation is.  A great meal to bring is lasagna.  I have a few recipes for lasagna and you can search for them in my search bar.  One is the turkey sausage lasagna, which is a great alternative to a regular lasagna recipe.  Another good make-ahead meal is stuffed shells--it's perfect to bring on vacation with you!  I like to bring some baked goods and breakfast items, also.

PB & J bars ready to be packed.  (Recipe follows.)

3) Hit the grocery store at your destination right away and load up your kitchen early.  Don't worry about grocery shopping in the middle of your vacation.

4) Set a budget and stick to it--this should include a budget for food: eating out, ice cream, candy, snacks.  This is why the grocery store can be helpful and bringing food along.

Crustless quiche--ready to be frozen and brought up for a breakfast!

5) Clean your house as you pack.  I empty out my refrigerator and get rid of any food I know won't be good when we return.  Anything like fruit, yogurt, cheese that's still good now but may not be later, I pack in a cooler.  Now I have healthy and free snacks for the kids on the ride up!  Since the fridge is practically empty now, perfect time to clean it!  While I'm packing our toiletries, I clean the bathroom.  This way, we come home to a nice and clean house.  I usually sweep and wash the floors, too.  I get some kind of satisfaction knowing that what I clean will actually stay that way for a whole week since no one will be home to dirty it up! :)

Clean fridge and cooler.  Salsa and lime juice on the bottom shelf for our pre-vaca chips & margaritas the night before we leave!

6) Plan to eat out the night before you leave and the night you get back.  The night before you leave you'll be busy packing and cleaning and who wants to think about cooking?  And when you get back, you have something to look forward to--a little extension of your vacation.  Don't worry about getting back to cooking until the next day!  Don't forget to budget for these restaurant excursions, also!

7) Pick up some new toys for the kids and don't let them see or open them until you're at your vacation house.  The weather may not be beach perfect your whole week away, so there may be some down time.  And the time you're in the vacation home anyway, you don't want the kids bugging you while making dinner or cleaning up.  Having new toys to play with can be a good distraction from the fact that they're in a different house that they may not feel comfortable in.  Don't forget to bring a toy or two from home, also--a little something familiar is helpful!  And psst, don't tell Abby but I like to bring some "old" toys, too, that I plan to "forget" to bring back home. ;) (Don't forget the games for the "big" kids, too!) ;)

8) Don't pack light!  (Just kidding--kind of.)  Some people are really good at packing light.  I'm not one of those people, though I'd like to get better.  But I do believe there are some bigger items that are worth packing if you have little kids.  Like, the highchair/booster seat.  Our highchair straps onto any chair.  It's worth it for us to pack it because is it really vacation if we don't get to enjoy a single meal?  We would end up taking turns holding our son and trying to feed him that way while he squirms and fusses to get down.  Eating like that for a whole week is no vacation!  Bring the highchair.  Bring the pack 'n play, bring the jogging stroller.  If you have the room, these are all big items that may seem a pain to bring at first, but you'll be thankful you have them.

Cinnamon blueberry bread with streusel topping.

9) Make beds and lay out clothes right away.  We bring up sheets for the beds and our own towels (including hand towels and bath mats) for cleanliness and comfort.  I make our bed and the kids' beds right away.  For organization, I take out all the clothes I packed for them and place them in outfit piles so they're ready to go.  Then, when the outfit is dirty or done with, it goes back in the suitcase. I have a trash bag for dirty laundry.  This helps keep the place organized and the suitcases ready to go at the end of the trip!

10) Bring plenty of wipes and diapers, if you need them.  I keep an extra sleeve in the car--if they don't get used on vacation, they will when we get home, so it's not a waste of money!  3 containers of wipes is necessary for me--one for the diaper bag, one for the bedroom, and one for the beach bag.  If you're taking a beach vacation, baby powder will be essential!  It magically erases any trace of extra sand in those baby creases and helps prevent rashes.  And if you don't have access to a washer/dryer, bring extra towels!

Ready to relax after packing and cleaning the night before we leave. For a classic margarita recipe, click here.

11) Let go of the little things.  This is my daily reminder on vacation.  I don't want to let go of the basic structure or rules or respect we have around the house--it would be too hard to try to get back into those routines upon returning home.  But not everything is going to go exactly as planned on vacation, especially with little ones.  So learn to let go.  And if you're lucky enough as we are to have extra family and helping hands with you--use them!  Plan a date night while on vacation.  It will be your vacation from vacation!

Double Chocolate Cookies

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
12 oz white chocolate chips

Cream the butter and sugars.  Add the eggs and vanilla and blend.  Sift in the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into the mixture and stir until well combined.  Add the white chocolate chips.  Place tablespoon-sized dollops on ungreased baking sheets and bake at 350* for 10 minutes.

PB & J Bars
2 sticks softened butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups creamy peanut butter
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups jam (your choice)
salted peanuts for topping (optional)

Cream the butter and sugar together.  Mix in the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter.  Add the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Mix well.  In a grease 13 x 9 pan, spread 2/3 of the mixture.  Layer the jam on top and finish with the rest of the peanut butter mixture.  Bake at 350* for 45 minutes.  Cut into bars.

Greetings from Ocean Park, ME!  Backlin family trip 2012.

Ocean Park, ME 2014 -- notice my 2 darling, smiling children?!  Clearly, I'm an expert at vacationing with kids. ;)

Day 172: Tomato Basil Chicken Wraps

Last night (Wednesday, Day 171) we had leftover pulled pork sandwiches.  This is the week before we leave on vacation so leftovers and easy dinners are a huge plus!  Tomorrow I will share some make-ahead recipes for going on vacation.
Tonight, I made Tomato Basil Chicken Wraps which are so yummy!  The technique is very similar to my dijon chicken ham & cheese wraps.  Enjoy!

Tomato Basil Chicken Wraps (makes 4 wraps)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 sandwich wraps (whole wheat, white, spinach, whatever you prefer!)
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cloves of garlic, minced
8 large leaves of basil
5-6 TB freshly chopped basil
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tomato, thinly sliced
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
8 oz grated mozzarella cheese
salt, pepper

Divide the chopped basil in half and set half of it aside.  Sprinkle all of the chicken with half of the chopped basil, the zest of the lemon, salt, and pepper.  Grill until cooked through or finish in the oven if desired.

Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise, remaining chopped basil, parmesan cheese, garlic, and lemon juice in a bowl.  When the chicken is cooked through, cut it into bite-size chunks and add it to the mayonnaise mixture.  Stir well.  Clean the grill pan used for the chicken and begin to heat it again on a stove burner.
Lay out one wrap and layer the chicken/mayonnaise mixture, 2 slices of tomato, 2 large basil leaves, and 1/4 of the mozzarella cheese.  Fold the wrap using the steps found here.  Place the wrap on the grill pan and press down.  Hold until grill marks appear and then flip.  Repeat with the remaining wraps.

Pulled Pork, S'Mores Cookies, and salad! (Days 167,168,169,170)

While this year's 4th of July was a bit of a wash-out, the rest of the weekend turned out quite nice!  On the 5th of July, we hit the beach with my parents--fantastic time!  Then after getting cleaned up, went to their church for an outdoor picnic, live music, and a great view of the Worcester fireworks.  It was a great day and night and our kids enjoyed every second!  Meanwhile, at home, I had a huge pork butt slow-cooking in the crock-pot for our church's picnic the following day.  I love pulled pork, and it's so easy to make!  Everyone makes it different, but I like it spicy.  I don't put too much barbeque sauce in it while it's cooking, I save that for the buns when making the sandwich.  Instead, I use spices to bring out the flavor of the pork and let it cook for 10 hours or more so that when it's done, the meat literally falls off the bone with one touch.  Amazing!  And so incredibly good!  Here's my recipe:

So after the beach, I figured, "I'm already hot and sticky, might as well go for a run before my shower."  After the run I thought, "Well, I'm already hot, sticky, sweaty, and smelly, might as well pull the pork before I take a shower." :)

Spicy Pulled Pork
Let me first admit that I've had to "dull" this recipe down.  It used to be quite spicy, even intolerable for some.  I do love spicy food, but as a cook, I don't want my food to be a turn-off.  I feel like people can take this recipe and add in the spice if they want.  I've made my recipe a bit more user-friendly over the years and am happy with the way it turned out!

1 pork butt or shoulder, bone in or out, however you prefer

1 TB salt
1 TB pepper
1 TB paprika
1 TB garlic powder
1 TB Tastefully Simple's bbq spice OR a combination of cayenne, more paprika, more garlic powder, and chipotle chili powder
2 TB brown sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup barbeque sauce

Combine the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and other seasonings to form a rub.  Massage the spices into the pork and let sit overnight.
The next morning, place the pork in the slow-cooker and add the brown sugar, vinegar, ketchup, and barbeque sauce and cook on low for 10 hours or so.  Pull the pork apart with a fork.  Serve on bulkie rolls with extra barbeque sauce.

S'Mores Cookies
I recently posted a recipe for s'mores bars, courtesy of a good friend of mine.  Our church has a 4th of July picnic each year and has started having cookie baking contests.  I wanted to enter the contest with an original recipe, and it had to be a genuine cookie.  So I re-wrote the recipe for the bars to make them into cookies.  Here are the results:

2 sticks of butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup mini marshmallows
12 oz chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350*.  Cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the eggs and vanilla and mix.  Add the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, and salt.  Stir until well combined.  Add the marshmallows and chocolate chips and stir.  Plop a heaping tablespoon down on a greased cookie sheet and fill the sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes and set on a cooling rack to cool completely when done.

While both of these recipes were prepared on Saturday (Day 167), they were enjoyed on Sunday (Day 168) with leftovers on Monday (Day 169).  Tuesday's dinner (Day 170) was a little lighter.  I whipped together a quick salad with grilled chicken, nuts, apples, cheese, and cranberries.  Even Abby loves a good salad!