Thanksgiving Queen

My Grandmama Frances was the Thanksgiving Queen.  Everyone around our small town knew that Frances went all out for the big day.  She planned for weeks and cooked for days to prepare the perfect meal for the ones she loved the most, along with all the other people she invited in to share in her feast.  And what a feast it was!  She had a tendency to go, um, overboard, literally--there was so much food that I can vividly remember having an ironing board set up in the kitchen to hold a few extra casseroles one year!  There was food everywhere you turned and you could never eat enough to satisfy her!  Leftovers?  No problem!  You could eat for a week and still not deplete the supply of casseroles, turkey, ham, vegetables and gravy.  

Those memories are why I love Thanksgiving so very much.  It truly is my favorite holiday.  In 2002, my Grandfather Snooks (Frances' husband) passed away, and I knew that Thanksgiving would be particularly difficult that year.  I decided to take on the responsibility of hosting Thanksgiving for our family--we had a new house, hardly used wedding china and all the time in the world to plan, shop, cook and host a lovely Thanksgiving meal.  I (in my usual fashion) stressed over each and every detail to make it a perfect holiday for our family.  And it was.  Simply perfect.  The menu was delicious, the company fantastic and the prep and clean-up a breeze.  From that point on, I declared Thanksgiving "my holiday" to host. Although my menu was not nearly as extensive as Frances', I selected some family favorites, along with some new items to display on the table, and everyone agreed that I could take responsibility for the cooking for this gastronomic affair.

Since 2002, I have hosted Thanksgiving five times.  In the years that I did not host, we either traveled East to be with my other grandma, or I had a brand new baby, so my mom took over the plan (last year she cooked an entirely dairy-free meal for me!).  This year, as the holiday approached, we began to discuss who would cook the meal. I would like to say that every day is like a Norman Rockwell Painting around here and the children behave beautifully while I prepare meals.  But, alas, this is reality.  I was worried that taking on the entire meal, while the hubby worked a 10 hour shift, would be a little stressful.  Just a little.  So instead of doing the whole thing, my mom and I agreed to split the responsibilities this year.  She would handle the main dishes and I could do a few side items and dessert. 

 Although I was relieved to not have the stress of cooking while dodging Legos and Wooden pizza toppings strewn across the floor, I was also sad to give up some of the tradition of cooking the meal.  As a way to break from the old tradition, I decided to choose new desserts to grace the table.  As an homage to Frances, I chose a pear cake (featuring the pears from our own trees growing in what used to be Frances' yard) and a pecan pie (a staple in this old house when Frances lived here).  However, I knew my boys (Dad, brother and the hubby) would want a little something chocolate, so I thumbed through my old cookbook of clipped recipes and found the perfect answer--Bourbon Pecan Pie with Chocolate Chips.

Bourbon Pecan Pie with Chocolate Chips

(or Black-bottom Bourbon Pecan Pie)

*I wish I could give credit for this recipe where it is due, but I honestly have no idea where it originated.  I have it copied on an old slip of paper and pasted into my cookbook.  So, thank you, whoever you are--you are genius!)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used a whole cup, but I like chocolate!)

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup sugar

3 T firmly packed brown sugar

1 T all purpose flour

3/4 cup corn syrup (I used light)

1/4 cup butter, melted (I used Earth Balance)

3 T Bourbon (or more, if you like!  This doesn't count what you drink while you make it! )

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups pecans

1 pie crust (I used Whole Wheat because it is what I had.  Whatever you do, get deep dish!)

Sprinkle Chocolate chips into the bottom of the pie crust to cover.

Beat eggs and next seven ingredients at medium speed until blended.

Be sure to acknowledge your extra cute helpers along the way!

Pour batter into crust, over the chocolate chips until it is half filled and then cover with the pecan halves.  Drizzle with remaining filling being careful not to overflow, like I did!

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until set!

I had an extra pie crust that I had to use to repair cracks in the first one.  I used the extra crust to make pie-toppers!  (This was a first for me!)  The Reporter is not a fan of pie, but does love the crust, so I thought she might enjoy eating the "leaves"!

Serve with whipped cream (or whipped coconut milk, if you are me!) and a hot cup of coffee! 

Enjoy

To my Thanksgiving Queen, 

Thank you for teaching me to love this holiday of thankfulness and plenty.  I stood in your kitchen today and let the memories of Thanksgivings past wash over me.  

We are truly blessed and for that I am thankful.

Serve it up Sunday!--Greek Quinoa Salad

I am constantly searching for new recipes and ideas to try in the kitchen!  I am also looking for fun, easy and healthy things to prepare for the workweek to make lunches a breeze!  You see, I am "that" girl at work.  I rarely buy my lunch from the school cafeteria (unless it is homemade chicken pie day!) When I sit down for a lunchtime meeting and look around the table, I see sandwiches, leftovers and school lunches in front of my coworkers.  I typically pull out a container filled with a grain-based salad, varieties of chicken salad, or a wrap of some sort.  "How do you have time to prepare that lunch each day?" my friends ask.  The secret?  I do 90% of my prep work on Sunday afternoon and I eat the same thing for lunch several days in a row.  I prepare the ingredients, store them in glass containers and just mix it up or roll it up (if it's a wrap) the evening before!  It makes the mornings less stressful and ensures that each family member gets the things they like in their lunch (i.e. I don't mix tomatoes into the bowl since hubby doesn't eat them!).  I get so many questions and comments about my lunch each week, that I thought I would start sharing recipes and ideas with you!  So, here you have it--Serve it up Sunday!


Week 1: Greek Quinoa Salad


If you have never tried quinoa before, you should!  It is a yummy grain that is easy to cook and mixes well in many dishes.  It is full of protein, too! The key to using Quinoa is to rinse it first. Use a fine mesh strainer to rinse!

This is multicolored quinoa--you can buy it in bulk at our local food co-op  (bonus if it is bulk food discount day!).  You can also find quinoa in the grocery store near the grains (rice, noodles, couscous) usually in a box and only one color.

Then cook your quinoa as follows: Measure out 1 cup of Quinoa and rinse.  In a medium sized pot, stir together rinsed quinoa and 2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. You know it is ready when the quinoa plumps up and the little "tails" pop out!

While the quinoa is cooking, I get to work chopping!  I use the same basic ingredients that you would find in a Greek salad, minus the lettuce:

Chop:

 1 large cucumber (I peel it first for The Reporter!) 

About 4 medium Roma tomatoes (or a handful of cherry tomatoes, OR a large slicing tomato, OR whatever happens to be in our CSA box!)

Half of a red onion (more or less for your preference)

Add in:

a handful of crumbled feta cheese (Yes, this is one time I indulge in a bit of dairy.)

either a small can of sliced black olives or sliced kalamata olives (Just depends on what is in the pantry)

Once the Quinoa has cooked and cooled a bit, I stir it into the chopped veggies and cheese.  Then I dress the whole bowl to taste with a little olive oil (1-2 Tbsp--man, I hate to measure!), Red wine vinegar (again, I don't measure, but I would estimate about 1 Tbsp), a splash of lemon juice, salt, pepper, and oregano.  I taste as I go and start off conservatively--then I can add if I need to!

Since the quinoa is full of protein (8 grams per cup) and you can add veggies to your liking, I consider this a main course.  I usually pair it with a side of fruit and a bit of chocolate (of course) for a delicious lunch!  Quick, easy and keeps wonderfully in the fridge for a few days, so you can just dish it up as you need it, or pre-package it in your lunch containers on Sunday and just grab and go in the morning! Yum!

Next week, I have a kiddo lunch idea planed! One of the Reporter's favorites--she is helping with the photo shoot!

And. . . if breakfast has you stumped and you need a quick grab-and-go something, check out my friend's blog for a yummy granola bar recipe! De-lish!

Lots of happenings around here since I last posted. . . earthquake, hurricane, Reporter went back to school, craft projects completed, quilting progress made. . . lots of updates to blog about this week!  Stay tuned!

What's Cooking?

As I have mentioned before, I love food!  I love to cook, eat, and read about food.  So you can imagine my frustration when my oven decided to stop working a few weeks ago.  Here in the heat of the summer, I must admit, I do not use my oven often. We live in a very old house with poor insulation and a kitchen that feels like it is centered on the Equator for most of the summer.  However, when the oven went, my whole kitchen seemed to close down.  It didn't matter that I still had the stove top to use or even the microwave.  I just quit cooking.  I could sense the frustration from the hubby and honestly I missed creating in the kitchen, so I decided to do something about this.

I bought a toaster oven.  Yep.  No need to fix the oven at this point in the summer, so I opted for a smaller, cooler appliance that could serve our needs until it cools enough to worry about the oven for Fall cooking.  And you know what?  I got my kitchen groove back.  That's right.

Now we're cooking!  And just in time, too!  It is the time of year to "Clean out the Garden".  You know the feeling. . . you have cooked squash and zucchini every imaginable way--grilled, fried, sauteed, on pizza, in casserole. . . and if you see another squash any time soon, you might go crazy.  So imagine your surprise when you are cleaning in the garden and lift up those giant squash leaves to find this:

Bottom: average size zucchini
Top: GIGANTIC zucchini

I guess this guy was hiding before we went on vacation and once we returned, he was gargantuan!  Not only was he hiding, but there was obviously a game of hide and seek going on in the squash patch, as I found 2 others this big, if not larger later in the week!  Now typically, I would share this bounty with our chickens, but a few years ago I found a fantastic recipe for both zucchini cookies and zucchini brownies that The Reporter begs for.  Yes, you heard me. A six year old that begs for zucchini!

So I took this guy and his friends inside and ran them through the food processor, measured out 3 cups at a time and bagged them up for future use!

Four of the 12 bags of zucchini now nestled in my deep-freezer

I saved out enough to whip up a batch of zucchini brownies with a twist--I decided to try out my cupcake making skills and poured the batter into muffin tins, adjusted the time accordingly and whipped up some dairy-free icing. As you can see, all those sleepless nights nursing and watching "Cupcake Wars" is paying off--I've never iced a cupcake so well!

I still had just enough zucchini left to whip up some yummy spiced zucchini muffins adapted from this recipe over at Real Simple.  (I used whole wheat pastry flour and added in 1/4 c flax seed and 1/4 c wheat germ) 

Do you think they were a hit?

The Little Guy can't get enough of these!!

So, if you are about "squashed-out" try one of these tasty recipes now or freeze some shredded squash and enjoy them later! 

Zucchini Brownies

This recipe is adapted from the book "Simply in Season--a World Community Cookbook" Compiled by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert. If you enjoy fresh, local foods, it is well-worth the small investment. The book is divided by seasons and the recipes feature foods that are available in each season.

 I hardly ever follow a recipe as it is written, so I have changed it to reflect how I make these.

Combine in a large bowl:
1 3/4 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour 1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt 1/4 cup flax seed  and 1/4 cup wheat germ
Stir in:
2-3 cups shredded zucchini

In a separate bowl, combine and beat with a fork:
1 egg

  (if you want to make these vegan, you can use 1/2 c applesauce!)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut milk yogurt (You can use regular yogurt, but I wanted them to be dairy-free!)
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla

Stir wet mixture (sugar, egg, etc) into zucchini/flour mixture.

Spread evenly in a 9x13 inch pan or divide evenly into a muffin tin to make cupcakes

Sprinkle the following on top of batter:
1/2 to 1 cup semisweet or mint chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional) 

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (35-40 minutes) 

For cupcakes/muffins: Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Chocolate Icing:

1/2 c butter or vegan butter substitute

8 Tbsp cocoa

~3 c confectioner's sugar

1/3 c milk, almond milk, or coconut milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt butter and stir in cocoa.  Add sugar and milk while mixing at low speed, alternating wet and dry ingredients until desired consistency is formed.  Stir in vanilla extract. Pipe onto cupcakes using a pastry bag. (Adapted from Hershey's cocoa box)

And while we are on the subject of food, stay tuned for some yummy lunch ideas that we enjoy around here during the school year!

Now, I need ideas for all these peppers. . . 

Friday Finds! Chill Out!!

10 months ago, I changed a diaper that would change my life forever.  You see, that was the first time that I noticed evidence of a milk intolerance in The Little Guy.  He was nine weeks old and things were clicking along just fine.  Breastfeeding was good, he was growing well and he seemed like a happy go lucky little man.  However, on that fateful night, I stopped in my tracks and had to start all over again.  After freaking out over what I found, I called the nurse helpline and started researching milk protein intolerance.  The easiest fix? Totally eliminate dairy from the mother's diet.

Whoa.  Wait a minute.  I was the Cheese Queen--Cheddar, Munster, Swiss, Blue--we were tight.  I used BUTTER--the real thing, not imitation.  I had never met an ice cream that I didn't fall in love with.  Greek Yogurt was my partner on a long afternoon at work.  Dairy Queen?  Yes.  But it had to change, and right away.  You see, I would rather make that sacrifice and continue breastfeeding than to keep eating dairy and switch to formula.  So I did.  It was a sacrifice.  A big one in my book.  Think about all of the things you consume each day that contain dairy.  Now think of all the other things you ate and you can bet that about half of those had dairy hidden in them, too.  Baked goods, steamed veggies with butter, CHOCOLATE. . . you got it.  I was convinced that I would be miserable.

Over time I have learned to live without dairy, rather happily, I might add.  I have found many acceptable and tasty substitutes that I enjoy each day--almond milk, coconut creamer, coconut milk ice cream. . . .I have even found Chocolate that is dairy-free!  I feel better, eat better, and look better (it is the best weight loss plan EVER) and I really don't miss it. . . much.

Now that The Little Guy is older, I am able to add back a bit of dairy at a time, if I wish.  I do add a little feta to my quinoa at lunch and sneak a bite of cake now and then.  But for the most part, I am happy to live like "a vegan that eats meat" as the hubby says.

So that leads me to my Friday Finds this week.  I was a big ice cream lover, but have found many yummy substitutes--my current favorite being sorbet.  So here you have it 5 Friday Finds--Dairy-free treats for all!!

Watermelon Sorbet from a sweet pea chef
I made this last week and it is heavenly!

Meyer Lemon Sorbet

Blueberry Sorbet
Wonder if I have enough berries left for this?

Pina Colada Pops!
Hello weekend!

Chocolate Sorbet. . . . Hello, Lover
I'm going to make this RIGHT NOW!  I have all the ingredients in the house!

Happy Weekend!

A Southern Girl's Foray into Frying

Around here, we love food.  The hubby and I haven't met many foods in our time that we didn't like.  Growing up in the south, I learned early on to appreciate good food, especially good southern cooking.  Each New Year I cook up a big ole pot of collard greens and black eyed peas to go with pork and cornbread, just as my grandmother did in this very kitchen.  This kitchen I have the opportunity to create in now has served up some of the best food on the planet--BBQ ribs, chicken pie, and fried chicken were some of my favorites during my formative years.

As I have grown older, I have also grown significantly more health conscious, as has my husband.  I love to cook, but tend to stick to healthy choices (most of the time) using techniques like grilling, baking, and sauteing over smothering and frying (although I won't pass up a good stuffed pork chop drenched in gravy!) I enjoy taking time to create a weekly menu full of delicious, healthy and colorful meals for our family.  I often seek out new recipes and ingredients to expand our palates and my cooking skills.  I am not easily intimidated by recipes or techniques.  However, there is one thing I have never attempted. . . frying.

Now, I have fried up a pound or two of bacon in my time, sure.  But deep frying in a pan of oil is a whole other story.  The thought of a vat of hot oil sitting on my stove top was paralyzing.  What do I do with it?  How hot do I make it?  What if it pops all over the kitchen and someone gets burned?  The anxiety was overwhelming, so I simply avoided the situation altogether.  I deemed it unhealthy and never revisited the thought of frying anything in my kitchen. . . until today.

This morning, I started thinking about dinner (I had failed to plan the menu for today) and suddenly wanted a big plate of fish and chips. mmmmm. . . I could just imagine crispy chips dipped in ketchup and beer battered fish drenched in malt vinegar.  Several places in town have delicious plates of fish and chips, but we have vowed to eat at home more often, so I knew that going out was out of the question.  I had fish in the freezer, but how could I make chips at home?  I called upon my good friend Pinterest and started searching for frying tutorials (I tell ya, Pinterest has everything!).  I found this one that looked easy enough, and started making a list of things I needed to tackle this project.  Dutch oven--check! Potatoes--yep, from the CSA! Thermometer, strainer and lots of oil?  Uh-oh. . .  so we took off to the store to get the rest of our supplies.  When I told the hubby where we were headed and what was on the menu, he looked at me skeptically and pointed out that the oven was broken.  I assured him, that I would not be making my traditional (and yummy) baked chips in the oven.  Never fear, Dear!  I am frying!!

When we returned home, The Reporter and I got right to work.

Potatoes, Oil, and Malt Vinegar!

Our original plan was to use the apple, corer, slicer, peeler thingy to make ribbon fries, but the slices were too thick, so we settled for using the mandolin.  The Reporter had fun requesting different slices--ruffled, plain, julienne, etc.  Then the potatoes took a bath. . .

Soon, it was time to face my fear and FRY!!!!

I was shocked at how easy and non-messy it was!

After several batches, and even more taste-tests, the finished product met the plate:

Fish and Chips!
with
Slaw and Hummingbird

Wow!  So easy and delicious!  My six year old cleaned her plate and requested more (slaw, that is--although she is munching chips right now as I type!) In fact, a little too delicious.  I told that hubby that this new knowledge and skill could be dangerously fattening.  He nodded and requested fried chicken next.  All kidding aside, I do feel a bit better about my homemade junk food versus what we would get when we dine out.  And knowing that it won't be a habit (right?) gives me a special treat to look forward to every once in a while.  I felt successful and actually had lots of fun cooking dinner tonight! After 34 years of living in the south, I guess I am a true southern cook now, since I have learned to fry!

Off to find a fried chicken recipe! Right after I clean up The Little Guy. . .

Make and Do

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have always been a lover of books.  I have recently become enamored with non-fiction, but as a  young child, my selections were usually fiction--delving into words of fantasy to escape my own little world.  However, I often picked up informational books for fun--to learn new things or get ideas about how things were made.  I guess my obsession with arts and crafts started early, as one of my favorite childhood books was the Childcraft Make and Do book.

How many of you had a copy of this very book? I still have my copy somewhere in my parents' attic.  I could spend hours combing through the pages of this book looking for my next "art project".  Would it be clay beads?  What about a doll house made entirely of old shoe boxes?  Stilts out of tin cans, anyone?  I fantasized that my projects would be just as perfect as those pictured on the pages of Childcraft.  Somehow, they never turned out quite the same--a little drippy glue here, a misplaced bead there.  But still I held onto the hope that I, too, could create art pretty enough to display.

Well, not much has changed over the years.  I still comb through pages of books and the internet (Have I mentioned Pinterest?) to find "art projects" to occupy my time (as if I have any spare time!).  Most of my projects over the past few years have focused on knitting (my primary crafty love), with some occasional EASY sewing thrown in for the kiddos.  The Reporter makes frequent requests for stuffed animals, legwarmers, and pillows.  I also enjoy "crafting" new recipes and kitchen projects.  This summer I decided to get back to crafting and involving the kids in the process (although the Little Guy is happy just to roll a ball around the living room as the Reporter and I craft!).  So, here you have it. . . . a photo journal of some of our recent projects (and a few links to where ideas came from, if they weren't originals!).  As the summer progresses, I hope to have more to show, especially with our upcoming Christmas in July project I will share with you next week!   I hope this will inspire you to pull out your sewing machine, or just a few pipe cleaners, and get crafty!  

Tile Coasters found here

The Reporter inherited these flowers and butterflies from her cousins.
 We transformed them into a mobile!

Bandanna Pants!  Tutorial found here.

A first birthday shirt and hat!

My favorite project this summer, so far--the Sleepover Pillowcase!
We made one for a gift and one for The Reporter!

Fun Fourth Shirt!!!  Idea from here.

A little kitchen creativity for The Little Guy's birthday!  Almost Vegan Mudpie!

Now, go get crafty!!

Friday Finds!--Fun Fourth Finds

Happy, happy Friday!!!  For some, this Friday brings a long, holiday weekend.  For us, it brings a birthday celebration for the Little Guy (yay!) and a weekend of working for the hubby (boo).  However, we will take time out on Monday to celebrate Independence Day.  Here are some easy, inexpensive, fun finds to consider for your celebration!

Start your day with a yummy breakfast!

Fancy up your table with some inexpensive beans!

Deck out the kiddos in some cuteness!  Tutorial here

Dip into some edible sparklers! Courtesy of Martha

Light up the path to your celebration with these!

 How do you plan to celebrate?

Happy Weekend!

Friday Finds!

Happy, Happy Friday!  Here are a few Fun Friday Finds to inspire your weekend plans!  Did you know that Saturday night is the Great American Backyard Campout!?  We are headed west with a pack of friends to celebrate the great outdoors with our little ones!

So grab your sleeping bag and grilling fork and GET OUTSIDE!!

www.loveitalot.com 

pinterest.com

http://crepesofwrath.net/2008/08/21/smore-cookie-bars/

http://www.positivelysplendid.com

From theberry.com

Happy Weekending! 

A Hidden Treasure!

Our Father's Day started with two cuddly kiddos itching for Daddy to wake from his slumber.  Unfortunately, night shift is upon us, so they had to wait extra long to smother daddy with hugs, kisses and giggles.  While we waited for Daddy to wake, we prepared a yummy brunch!

The Reporter mixed up some Monkey Bread Mix. . .
(Thanks to an end of the year Teacher gift!)

I cooked up some fresh Sausage from our Friends at Quarter Creek Farm!

While the coffee was brewing and the monkey bread was rising, the Reporter snuck off and made a Father's Day gift of her own!  Be still my heart!

"Best Dad Award: Riding Speedy (our tractor/lawnmower) and watching TV"

Soon, Daddy was up, so we were able to shower him with kisses, a homemade card and a new popcorn popper! We made the card yesterday, along with one for my dad.  The inspiration came from here.

"We love you" is my dad's card (grandandy)
"We think U R" is the hubby's

We Love you. . . .

We think U R. . . .

After brunch, I got a crazy idea to explore more in our "old" house by pulling up the corner of the carpet in The Little Guy's room. . .

Yuck! Carpet!

And found this. . .

Our Hidden Treasure!!

We worked for a couple of hours--my poor hubby working hard on Father's day!--pulling up staples, rolling up carpet, vacuuming up dust, and mopping.  Just a few hours later, and. . .

We had this!  I found this rug on clearance at Lowe's last week and sent the hubby to get it before we left for the beach with plans to pull up the carpet at some point this summer! I am so pleased with the result.  Sure, the floors could use a little sanding, staining and a coat of sealer, but for now, they are lovely! I have already been pulling up carpet corners in other rooms and have spied some more hidden treasures--stay tuned!

After all that hard work, the hubby deserved a yummy treat. . . Ginger-Peach Crisp!  Yum!

 

This "healthy" dessert, baked in individual ramekins, includes flax seed, wheat germ, fresh organic peaches, Earth Balance butter, oats, Anna's ginger thins and whole wheat flour.  Topped with Coconut milk ice cream and it is an almost-vegan delight! I just hope I can remember how I made it so we can recreate it tomorrow night!

All in all, a fun-filled Father's Day to celebrate one of the best Dads around!!