A Thousand Little Wishes...

Max's Stuffing Recipe and My Favorite Squash

*I'm reposting this because I had to delete the first one.  You see, in trying to participate in Dani's Thanksgiving Recipe Link-up thingy, I brilliantly linked to my Typepad editing page, where people could then just start clicking around in my blog account.  It's a good thing I'm so good at all this technology junk. 

Max's Stuffing

Cut two loaves of cornbread into fourths.  Then cut it into thinner pieces and put it in a bowl.  Get 1/2 cup of water.  Add some seasonings to it, like one teaspoon cinnamon and one cup of pumpkin seeds.  Cut up a whole onion into ring slices.  Cut up a half bag of parsley.  Use a cutting board so you can cut it into small pieces.  Add four teaspoons of sugar and ten shakes of pepper.  Mix all the seasonings with water.  Pour the seasoned water into the cornbread. Put it in a pan and bake it for an hour at 100*.  Cut some holes in the turkey and stuff the stuffing into it.  Put the extra parsley around the turkey to make it look nice.

Max came home from first grade with a whole recipe book full of hilarious recipes like this one.  Ben and I were in tears reading through them all.  This following recipe is the my favorite thing about Thanksgiving and the only thing I really care about from the whole meal.  It may be all I eat today.

Cleburne Cafeteria Baked Squash Casserole

10 medium yellow squash, sliced

1 to 2 Tbsp oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

6 medium eggs, lightly beaten

1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp each: salt & black pepper

40 (about) saltine crackers (1 stack pack), crushed

3 Tbs melted margarine

Drop squash into a small amount of boiling water.  Cook, covered, until crisp-tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well.  In a skillet, heat oil and saute onion. Add to squash with eggs, sugar, salt, and pepper; mix well.

Heat oven to 350* (325* if using a glass dish).  Spray a 13x9x2 in casserole dish with nonstick spray, or grease dish and place squash mixture in it.  Top with crushed crackers and brush with melted margarine. Bake 30-35 minutes.  Serve hot.  Makes 8 to 10 servings.

I've never actually made this.  My mother always makes it for me.  The one year she didn't, I had a bit of a fit, true to my only child ways.  I'm happy to report she's currently in my kitchen making it for me today.  I guess this won't be much of a help to anyone as today is the day, but maybe you can enjoy this most favorite squash of mine sometime soon.  Happy Thanksgiving!

 

I don't care if summer is over in your part of the world

You should make these.  You should actually make them tonight for your dinner. Even if your temps are falling well below 80* and you have pumpkins and all things Fall on your brain.  And never mind the less than stellar photo.  Because they're freaking delicious.  Amazingly delicious.  But you better like spicy stuff.

And don't fret if you can't find Thai chili-flavored tuna at your grocery store, because neither could I. Luckily I did have a jar of fresh homemade Sriracha in my fridge.  But if you're not that lucky you could just use the bottled stuff from the Asian food aisle.  I simply added a few good heaping tablespoons full. We like things very, very spicy.  I also chose to add green onions to the tuna cakes. Amazing, I tell you. 

And you should make this slaw to go with them.  Except, you should use the whole orange and maybe you should even stick to the Cara Cara orange that I used, because it was perfect.

Orange and Radish Cabbage Slaw  (also from Cooking Light)

4 cups shredded napa cabbage

1/2 cup sliced radishes (about 3 radishes)

1/3 cup orange sections (or 1 whole medium Cara Cara, sectioned, if you trust me)

2 T rice vinegar

1 T canola oil

2 t sugar

1 t dark sesame oil

1.  Combine first three ingredients in a large bowl.

2.  Combine vinegar and remaining 3 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk.  Pour vinegar mixture over cabbage mixture; toss gently to coat.

***edited to add:  I forgot to mention that I used three egg whites in the tuna cakes.  They were just too crumbly with the one, but they stuck together nicely with three.

Spring Veggies

Max and I hit the Farmer's Market this morning.  This one is a small one, but still a good one.  We stocked up on some gorgeous veggies for the weekend.

Tonight we're having kale chips, sliced tomatoes, and cabbage salad (from this book) with our sliced flank steak, black beans, and rice (not for me).  

Max was the perfect date.  He liked tasting some of the veggies, ate a giant and very sugary cinnamon roll, bobbed his head politely for the band, and didn't run around like a maniac- like when both boys are together. 

Check out these adorable baby brussel sprouts!  I got a pound for five bucks. I'm anxious to try them.  Our last attempt at brussel sprouts didn't go so well, but they were frozen and of the bigger variety.  I know we roasted them somehow, but I can't remember the details.  I think we included them in a mix of other veggies tossed with some oil and balsamic.  They weren't good.  We didn't eat them.  But we both like cabbage, so I'm just waiting for the right sprout and the right recipe to let me see the errors of my ways.  

I was kind of considering the recipe from that book up there, A Homemade Life.  It involves braising them in cream.  How could you go wrong?  Except for the fat and calories.  I would probably use half and half instead.  Although, being the health nut that he is, I'm not so sure Lee would be down for this.

How do you like your brussel sprouts?  Got any good recipes to share with me?

Sunday dinner- a new tradition

My husband is the the cook around here.  Max used to call him "our cooker-man."  I'm very capable, but he enjoys it.  Like actively enjoys cooking.  And he spent a good ten years or so in the restaurant business.  He also grew up with a father who was the cooker-man for his family.  So in an effort to teach our boys early, we've started a new tradition that they get to take turns planning, shopping for, and cooking dinner- including a dessert.  We've decided to only do it every other Sunday, so each kid gets one turn per month.  The idea came from Stefani, although we don't get out all the fancy stuff.  

Ben went first.  Lee did all of the cooking with him, so I guess that's why I didn't get very many shots of him in action.  His menu:  grilled beef shish kabobs, grilled asparagus, green beans, pasta with butter, and homemade apple pie.  I loved his pie the best.  He used a cookie cutter to cut a Longhorn out of the crust.  My boy loves his Longhorns!  And his dinner was fantastic!

Max planned comfort food.  Lee was called in to work that day, so I had to oversee all of his cooking.  It took most of the day and made a whole bunch of dishes dirty.  But it was worth it.  It was all delicious!  His menu:  oven "fried" chicken, Luby's style homemade macaroni and cheese, green beans, and vanilla cupcakes with fresh whipped cream and strawberries.  I guess I snapped more pictures of him cooking because I was the one who was helping him the whole time.

Aside from the whole learning-how-to-cook lesson, we think (hope) they're learning that making dinner takes time.  And depending on what you plan, sometimes lots of time.  There was definitely a fair amount of whining from each of them when they had to come inside from playing to prep something or start cooking or whatever.  They've each planned pretty elaborate meals based solely on what sounds good to them.  Their enthusiasm is adorable.  We're thinking it won't be long until they figure out some dinners are quicker and easier than others, and sometimes that's a good thing.

A tale of two soups

Remember these ingredients?  They were the beginning of poblano corn chowder.  A rather good poblano corn chowder.

 The recipe is from the Mayo Clinic website.  It just happened to be the second recipe that popped up on my search.  And it just happened to be pretty darn good.  It's light and filling at the same time.  It's beautiful, colorful, and healthy.  There are two things I will change next time I make this soup.  I was really wanting it to be spicy and it was not.  At all.  So next time, I will definitely add some jalapenos or serranos.  I will also use a bit more stock next time.  This soup is thick from the mashed potatoes (which sounds weird but is delicious),  but I think I want it a tad bit soupier.  Otherwise, it's absolutely delicious.

This is a soup that Lee made.  I came home and it was almost done, so I don't have any ingredient photos.  And it was so freaking good that I was half-way through before I stopped to think about taking a picture.  He just sort of made it up, but here's the recipe of sorts:

• pork tenderloin, cubed
• cannelini beans
• carrots, chopped (sort of big chunks)
• celery, chopped
• red bell peppers, chopped
• yellow onion, diced
• garlic cloves, whole peeled
• mushrooms, sliced
• green beans, trimmed bite size 
• chicken stock
• small can of crushed tomatoes
• oregano

Saute the pork with a tiny bit of Pam.  Set aside.  Saute the celery, carrot, onions, mushrooms, and garlic with another spray of Pam.  Add the broth, pork, oregano, and crushed tomatoes.  Boil 15-20 minutes.  Add the green beans, red peppers, and cannelini beans.  Salt and pepper to taste.

It was so good that I ate it for lunch everyday last week.  With a piece of homemade bread.  Mmmmmm......

Beauty:: Day Three

*Ingredients.  For soup.  Yummy soup, which I plan to share with you tomorrow.  In the beautiful bowls that my father-in-law makes.  

*This "30 Day" challenge is going to take me forever at the rate I'm going.

*I've learned a few things about myself so far as a "photographer."  

    One:  I'm never going to read that book about how to use my camera.  And         I'm thinking it really doesn't matter.

    Two:  I like just taking pictures and playing with the angles and stuff.  I           *think* I'm learning some things.

    Three:  I like my pictures as is.  I don't ever mess with Photoshop.  I've never     tried a filter.  I have cropped a few times, but not very often.  I think what I     like is capturing the true moment (in the best possible light and from the           best angle I can find) and leaving it alone.  Snapshots. 

My current favorite

Cauliflower soup.  Please don't judge it by it's yellow hue.  There were some carrots involved.  It's ridiculously delicious.  Hearty, creamy, and very, very low in calories.  And so easy.

6 cups of chicken stock 

2 bags of frozen cauliflower florets (Obviously you could use fresh.  I would guess 2 large heads, trimmed, but really I have no idea.  I always use frozen.)

a few cloves of garlic, minced

1 Tbs olive oil or non-stick spray

1/2 cup diced carrots

1/2 cup onion, diced 

1/2 cup milk (I like 2% for this.)

salt and cayenne pepper

In a big pot, saute the onions and carrots for a few minutes until the onions become clear.  Add the garlic for maybe a minute.  Don't let it burn.

Add the cauliflower and stock.  Boil until the cauliflower is soft- about 20 minutes or so.

Take off the heat and blend until smooth.  Slowly add the milk while blending.  Add salt and cayenne to taste.  I used 1/2 tsp of cayenne, because I like things spicy.  

   

This is where my new favorite appliance comes in handy.  The first time I made this soup, I ladled it into the regular counter top blender.  Apparently, blenders don't care much for blending hot things as it kept exploding a little each time I turned it on.  I never expected to love an appliance as much as I love this hand blender.  It has made blending soup so very easy that it's fun.  I don't generally think of cooking as fun.  I know I wouldn't feel the same if I had always had it and didn't know just how messy it is without it.  If you don't have one, go out and get one.  So, so worth it.  

Now, here's the good part.  This recipe made four 2-cup servings.  Each of which only have about 134 calories and almost no fat.  And it is so very good and extremely filling.  It's very much like potato soup, but not quite as heavy.  Of course, I screw it all up by having it with a thick slice of beer bread with butter.  But who's keeping track?

Oh my! Jars-o-pie!

I know you've seen these, but really?  They're so cute.  So.  So.  Cute.  So cute, that they're sick. 

I finally found the squatty half-pint mason jars at a local general store- which, unfortunately, I had to dart in to get these, because it was amazing and I can't wait to go back to check it out.  Anyway, a dozen jars for $8.99 is a pretty good deal.  I made 11 apple pies-in-a-jar and 11 cherry.  

I had been planning to make cakes-in-a-jar, but Dani found this link to this pie-in-a-jar on Sew, Mama, Sew.  And that link linked to these cute and handy labels.  

 These have made me very happy.  Both baking them and giving them away.  They're really fun to giveaway.  Everybody loves them.

Festive brunches make me happy

 And a little drunk.  Today I hosted a birthday brunch for a sweet, old friend.  "Old" as in a friend from college.  She's only thirty-four, like me.  Good times were had.  As well as many mimosas.

 There was coffee, too.  I love this little owl creamer.  It makes me happy, too.

 
 On the menu was tomato soup, pesto ricotta pie, salad, cinnamon rolls, and fruit.  I had never made the soup or the pie before and was worried that it wouldn't turn out.  But it did.  Everything was delicious.  There were very little left overs.  Perhaps that was because I didn't actually serve the food until 1:30, two hours after people arrived.  I've always been terrible at timing.  Both in and out of the kitchen.  Luckily, the drinks helped keep their minds off the wait.  Because of those mimosas and the extreme hunger, I did not snap very many photos. 

This pie was so good.  This picture does not do it justice.  I will definitely be making this again.  Although, I do think I will use more layers of phyllo next time.  And beware, the recipe does not mention the phyllo in the ingredients list.  The soup was equally as delicious, but I forgot to photograph it.  It's pretty hard to host a party and photograph the food.

  

Lee made the cinnamon rolls.  The dough is the challah recipe from this book.  One pan was regular cinnamon rolls and one pan was chocolate cinnamon rolls.  This is the last chocolate one.  For those he just shaved dark chocolate over the cinnamon sugar with a micro-plane grater before rolling them up.  They were both delicious.  The regular ones went faster, though.  I think it was because they were HUGE.  

It was a fun day and I think it was successful.  Happy birthday, sweet Claire!  Here's to many, many more!

Cheating in the kitchen

Convenience foods are most definitely my friend.  Last night was made festive by a small package of undecorated gingerbread men from my local grocery store bakery (HEB) and a box of Krusteaz cinnamon crumb cake mix. 

The gingerbread men were perfect, because they came in a pack of four and weren't too big or too little.  We grabbed a can of icing (another cheat) and a few red and green Jelly Bellies, too.  The boys had a great time decorating them and were able to do it in about twenty minutes.  And now they'll have something festive in their lunch boxes this week.

 

The crumb cake is just crumb cake, but it's so damn good.  And makes for an easy breakfast as we run out the door at seven in the morning.