Teenagers in the Kitchen

The Short version:

Monday: Gail cooking Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
Tuesday Gail Cooking not sure what yet.
Wednesday:  Kurt cooking while Gail out playing so most likely he will take the girls out to eat.
Thursday:  Morgan cooking  Pasta with Broccolli, garlic and red pepper flakes, green salad with blue cheese dressing & rolls (because I was a bad mom and did not make rolls on Sunday. gasp!)
Friday: Date Night for mom & dad, fend for yourself (leftvoers or hamburgers) for the girls
Saturday: Lexi cooking Pork Saute with Lemon Caper Pan Sauce, butternut squash and mashed potatoes
Sunday:  Feeding the Missionaries, Yet to be determined.
Monday:  Blair cooking Roast Chicken, flavor yet to be determined.
Wednesday: Morgan cooking Quick Ravioli with Herbed Ricotta Filling, Mid-Summer Salad (aka Lexi Salad), Artisan Bread
Friday: Lexi cooking Chicken Saute with White Wine Vinegar Pan Sauce, Baked Rice and Roasted Asparagus.

Now for the long version:

My girls are each going to be making dinner once a week.  They will be primarily working out of this cookbook:

I love this cookbook.  It is the one I wish I would have had when I got married.  I bought it a few years ago and it changed my life.  Basically it is broken up into basic techniques and then variations on flavor and ingredients.  Each girl has chosen a chapter/technique that she will be working on for a month or two and then we will change it up.

Morgan chose Pasta, Lexi chose Sautes and Pan Sauces, and Blair chose Roast Chickens.

My girls are all very proficient at following a recipe.  The goal here is to learn to make a quick delicious dinner with real ingredients that you have on hand or whatever is seasonal and cheap.  For example,  while Blair will learn to roast a whole chicken, she will also make a dinner or two using the roast chicken techniques but with chicken leg quarters (the least expensive meat you can get at any grocery store.) which is also a great option if you are a college student or missionary who is cooking for one or two people.

I will keep you all posted as this experiment progresses.

What's for Dinner? November 24-26, 2013

We will be going out of town for Thanksgiving, so my menus for today through Tuesday are an attempt to work through the produce I bought because I forgot that it was going to be Thanksgiving week.  As I have said before, I am seasonally confused.  It does not feel like fall, but our walk on the beach today was lovely.  Now, on to the menu.

Sunday: Tri-tip roast with red wine sauce, braised red potatoes, baked butternut squash, spinach apple salad, sunday rolls, gingerbread cake with bananas and whipped cream.

Monday: Chicken with Sherry Mushroom Sauce (new recipe we will be trying), lemon asparagus risotto, grapes.

Tuesday:  Beef and Asparagus Stir-fry with mushrooms, brown rice and whatever fruit is in the house.

What's For Dinner Archive

So, On facebook, I am part of a group called "What's for dinner?"  The idea is that every one posts what they are having for dinner in order to inspire each other.  This is great, except for one thing.  There is really no way to go back and see what a specific person posted in the past without scrolling through the whole dang thing!  Therefore, I have decided to post my dinner menu's here as well.  I know there are entire blogs dedicated to this kind of thing.  i just want a history of my own dinners in my own space.  Origninally I was just posting a dinner here and a dinner there, then I started posting my plan for the week.  These are the ones I found from the past. (I do not post on that group every week)

Novermber 4, 2013

the plan for the week of Nov 4-10:
Monday - Sole Meuniere, Braised Red Potatoes, fresh green beans
Tuesday - Teriyaki Chicken, Rice, Veggies
Wednesday - Frittata (ingredients yet to be determined), green salad
Thursday - Roast Pork with Honey-Cider Vinegar Sauce a l'Ancienne, lemon asparagus risotto, green salad (to welcome company)
Friday & Saturday - Not yet decided which is a bad plan since we will have company.
Sunday - I am thinking Boeuf Bourguignon, because I will be having the missionaries over and I need something that can be made ahead.  (Note:  I actually ended up making Arrezio Pasta with Artisan Bread and a salad, Lemon curd pie for dessert)

This thing is LONG!  so proceed with caution.

My Dinner Last Night & a recipe for Mid-Summer Salad

I have been reading "French Kids Eat Everything:  How Our Family Moved to France, Cured Picky Eating, Banned Snacking, and Discovered 10 Simple Rules for Raising Happy, Healthy Eaters"  by Karen Le Billion 

Quiche with bacon, mushrooms, asparagus, artichoke hearts and onions with a mid-summer salad.

This book is for everyone,  not just people with babies or young children.  Here is my review:  

If you are expecting your first child or have young children, read this book NOT Dinner a Love Story. DALS will teach you how to create picky kids This book will teach you how to avoid it in the first place and to fix it if you have already made that mistake.

I have had this book on my to read list for months, but because my kids are teenagers, I knew I was not the target audience. I finally read it and I am glad I did. I have to state for the record that I agree wholeheartedly with the French approach to feeding children. I made the typical American mistakes with my first two children and did a complete flip with the following three. So, I feel like kind of an expert on this subject. Even though my kids are older, I find that my children and I are all snacking too much. This book was a great reminder of how we should all eat at all ages. The first 65% of the book is also a great memoir on a North American living in France. Of course, after reading this book, I had to make a french dinner. We had quiche with salad and berries with yogurt cream for dessert. My family was thrilled. 

If you enjoy memoirs about living in Europe, food & cooking, read this book.

For dessert Raspberries & Blueberries with Yogurt Cream

The Plan & Tri-Tip Roast Recipe

Do you have a menu or dinner plan that you follow?  (The recipe is at the bottom)

What I did in the past:

  Many years ago I made up for my family 6 weeks of dinner menu's along with grocery lists. Yes you read that right 6 whole weeks.  Sounds great doesn't it?  And it was great for a while.  However, I soon found that this plan had its flaws:

The Pros:

1. No Brainer:  Once the initial work was done, I never had to think about it again.
2. Grocery Lists:  Once again, not much thinking involved.

The Cons:

1. Flexibility.  This plan did not allow for flexibility.  For instance, if I saw a great looking recipe on a blog or cooking show, I did not really have a good place to plug it in.  The obvious solution was to leave a day each week for experimental dinners.  However, this also had flaws:
1. It still did not leave a place to add something new to the rotation.  
2. The grocery items for the experimental day did not end up on my pre-made grocery list.
3. What if I was having a week in which I did not feel like making something new, did that mean take out??  Take out is something I was trying to avoid by having a plan.
2. Frequency.  The other problem was, with 6 weeks of menus, some of our favorites did not come around as often as we would like and 
3. Rejects.  Some dinners we determined we really did not like as much as we thought we did, but they were on the plan  and it was kind of a lot of work to take them out, because that would leave a hole that had to be filled (the truth is I started with 8 weeks of menus, but after one round I took some things out and scaled down to 6 weeks.  Since we did not have 12 rejects, I ended up with some good dinners that never made it into the rotation.)
4. Variety. It was hard to balance that many weeks.  You really don't want a whole week of nothing but chicken dishes or nothing but Mexican dishes (at least, I don't.  Some people can eat the same thing day after day.  I am not one of them.)  This is part of the reason I went from 8 to 6 weeks, with only 5-6 rejects. (see #4)
5. Seasonality.  The menus were not geared to the seasons.  I Actually started work on making new seasonal menus, but I never finished.  
6. Cost:   Some of the weeks were a lot more expensive than others and Murphy's Law dictated that we always ended up with an expensive week when money was tight. This one is my own fault, but it would have taken a lot of work to price out each dinner and try to balance that along with variety.

What I am doing now:  The Nanny Plan (modified for the Van Wagoners)

I don't really know how I found The Food Nanny, but her method is what I am working on implementing now.

How it works:

Basically you just come up with 6 or 7 themes or categories (I have more than that), you assign each day a category then you choose your menu for the week accordingly.  HERE is my spreadsheet  that I use for choosing meals. (I really hope this works, I admit I have not always loved google docs, but it was the easiest way to do this.)  *** The food nanny does not suggest a spreadsheet.  That was my idea.  I am working on 1" recipe binders for each category.***

The Pros:

1. Flexibility:  You get to choose your categories, which night to have them on and the recipes for the week.  It is also easy to plug in a new recipe.  (I have a category on my list of things to try, but that is not a theme necessarily.  It is just there to remind me to try that new soup on soup night if I am in the mood.  I don't want to add a new recipe to my list/binders until I know I like it.)
2. Cost:  Since you choose the recipes one or two weeks at a time, you can do it with the grocery adds by your side and choose more recipes that have meat or produce that is on sale.
3. Frequency:  Because you are choosing, you can have your favorites every week if you want or every once in a while. 
4. Variety:  Since each day has a different theme (for instance one of mine is S.S.S. which stands for Soup, Salad, Sandwich)  You get more variety.  You still have to be careful that you don't end up with a week of nothing but chicken, but that is not too hard  when you are only dealing with one or two weeks as a time.
5. Seasonality:  This method is ideal for seasonal cooking.  Once again look at the S.S.S. category.  In the winter we eat more soups and in the summer more salads.  Sandwiches are either eaten with the soup or salad or anytime of year if we are in the mood.

The Cons:

1. Grocery Lists:  You still have to make up a new list every week.  However, I now use recipe software on my computer and an app on my phone that help with the list making.
2. Variety:  I know this one is on the pros list too, however, this negative is not very negative since it is easily overcome. The Food Nanny has some categories that are just too much frequency for me.  The solution is obvious and I have done it.  I have made up my own categories.  She has Mexican and Italian as regular categories every single week.  That is too much for me, plus I like lots of different world cuisines.  So, I have a category called Ethnic Foods.
3. Effort:  The work is not all done for you, however, you can take a week you like and save the menu to use again on another week when you don't have the time plan.  I do that.  I just tuck them in the back pocket of my recipe binder and pull them out when I need them. 

Tri-Tip Roast
adapted from The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner p. 173 by Liz Edmunds

(sorry for no photos, things just generally move too fast in the kitchen and if I don't plan for it photos don't happen.)
Servings:6

Ingredients
2 lbs boneless beef tri-tip roast
2 Tbsp Olive oil
salt and black pepper, to taste
3 Tablespoons shallots, minced
1 1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup chicken broth
5 Tablespoons butter cut into small pieces (I acutally use about 1/2 this amount)
2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley (if you have it, no big deal if you don't)

Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees 2. Place the roast in a shallow metal pan, pour on the olive oil and rub it thoroughly over the entire surface of the meat. Roast in the oven for 45 to 60 minutes. Check for doneness with a meat thermometer: 135 degrees for medium rare, 150 degrees for medium-well. The temperature will continue to rise 5 to 10 degrees after the meat is taken out of the oven; do not overcook. 3. When the meat is done, set it on a platter and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Let rest for 10 minutes. 4. Place the roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion to the pan juices and cook and stir about 2 minutes. Add the wine and broth. Boil 3 to 5 minutes until more than half the wine has evaporated. Remove from the heat and add the 5 tablespoons of butter and the 2 tablespoons of parsley. 5. Cut the roast into 1-inch thick slices and place them on a platter. Reheat the suace and pour it down the center of the slices. 

Hamburger Buns in 30 Minutes

For the cheese buns mentioned in the Tomato Soup post, I just cut the buns in half horizontally (in the normal way for a hamburger bun) and top each half with cheddar cheese.  Then I put them under the broiler until the cheese is melted.  These buns freeze beautifully and are great for hamburgers (obviously) or any sandwich filling.  

This recipe makes 32 buns or do what I do and use half of the dough for cinnamon rolls. We usually end up eating 8 of the buns right away and then I freeze the other 8 for another meal or we use them for lunches for a couple of days.  I also use this dough for breadsticks.  Just pat out 1/2 of the dough in a baking sheet, brush on melted butter, sprinkle with salad supreme (sounds weird, I know, but it works) and Parmesan cheese.  Cut into strips.  I usually do about 1 inch wide and then cut the whole thing in half so they are not too long to handle.  Bake as usual.  Serve with Ranch dressing for dipping and they are just like the bread sticks from Robintinos Restaurant in Bountiful Utah.  This recipe will also work with white flour, but I always use fresh ground wheat flour.

This recipe is adapted from one I found in a ward cookbook when we lived in Spanish Fork, Utah.  I have seen the exact recipe in a dozen different cookbooks/blogs over the years.   The original recipe called for 1 cup of oil.  I cut this in half and did not have to do anything else to compensate.  I also added the gluten and the vitamin C, because I use them when making my whole wheat bread as dough enhancers.  I have made them this way for 13 or 14 years now.

Hamburger Buns in 30 Minutes (really 40-50)

Servings: 32 buns or you can make 16 buns and use the rest of the dough for quick cinnamon rolls

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil
6 Tbsp yeast
10 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, (fresh)
1 Tbsp salt
3 eggs , lightly beaten
2 Tbsp gluten, wheat (optional)
500 milligrams vitamin C, crushed (optional)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425 degrees *** I use my Bosch mixer to make these.  If you are using a Kitchenaid, you may want to half the recipe.***Mix together the water, sugar, oil, and yeast. let mixture rest for 15 minutes Add the flour, gluten, vitamin C, salt and eggs. The original recipe says to shape immediately. I find I get better results if I let the dough raise for another ten minutes before shaping into hamburger buns, cinnamon rolls or bread sticks. After shaping let raise for 10 minutes. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 10 minutes until golden brown.

Note:
Cooking Tip: If there is a yeasty taste it is not from too much yeast, but from the water being too warm. Less yeast may be used in this recipe, but it will take longer to raise.

Shaping the buns:  I use a bench scraper to cut the dough into pieces, first in half then cut one of those pieces in half and each of those in half and then one more time until you have 16 pieces from 1/2 of the dough.  To shape, take one piece of dough and sort of pinch with your thumb while turning in order to create a dome shape gathered and pinched at the bottom.  I don't know if that makes sense, but that is what I do.  You can do whatever works for you.

Fire Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Last night I came home from 4 hours of shopping for shoes to wear on the elephant foot that will please both the doctor and me.  I reached a successful compromise (I just can't wear athletic shoes all day every day.  They are too hot and I can't stand hot feet), but I was completely wiped out by the time I got home at dinner time with nothing planned.   Thank goodness for the freezer. 

 I went through the freezer meal phase quite a few years ago and decided that most foods just don't taste as good after they have been frozen.  There are however, a few exceptions and this soup is one of them.  It hit the spot after that hard day like you cannot believe.  I usually always serve it with cheese buns/bread.  

P.S. I have been through a lot of tomato soup recipes and this is THE ONE!  It tastes like the Fire Roasted Tomato Soup at Paradise Bakery only better because I add the fresh basil.  I could sniff fresh basil for hours.  It is kind of like a drug for me.

P.P.S.  This is the meal I serve for dinner the day before Thanksgiving

Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

Servings:16

Ingredients
2 medium onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
28 oz can whole tomatoes
14 oz can Fire Roasted Tomatoes (Glen Muir used to be the only brand, but now I see them in most brands)
8 oz can tomato sauce
6 oz can tomato paste
4 cups water or chicken broth
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups milk or half and half or whatever

1 generous bunch/handful fresh basil, chopped (optional) or 1-2 teaspoons dry

Preparation
In a dutch oven saute onion in olive oil until almost translucent. Add garlic and continue to saute a few minutes more(this is also the place to add dry basil if using.) Add tomatoes, sauce and paste as well as water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes  (Add fresh basil in the last 5-10 minutes or whenever it suits your fancy ). Puree with an immersion blender until desired consistency. ( You can use the blender, but I think that is just asking for a big mess to clean up.  If you do it that way, do several small batches and be very careful.  I like mine smooth, but if you like chunky that is okay too.) Add milk and seasonings and continue to simmer for another 5 or 10 minutes. 

Note:  This soup makes a BIG batch and is not easily halved unless you are willing to throw away half a can of almost everything.  However, it freezes beautifully.

Serve with:  Cheese Buns/Bread which is just any bread or buns you have around with cheddar cheese on top and put under the broiler until the cheese melts.  I usually make my hamburger buns in 30 (ok, really 45) minutes for this. but anything will do.  (hamburger bun recipe to follow tomorrow.)

Lemon Rosemary Roast Chicken

I had some facebook requests for this recipe.  However, I did not have a chance to take photos today, so I will have to add them later.

Lemon Rosemary Roast Chicken

Ingredients
1 whole chicken, or whatever chicken you have on hand (I usually add a package of about 6 extra legs as well because my kids prefer them)
2 lemons
1 red onion
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs kosher salt
3 sprigs fresh rosemary

Preparation:

****I always butterfly the chicken or you can just cut it into pieces.   To butterfly the chicken just cut out the back bone using kitchen shears.  Then I make a cut into the breast bone and give it a whack so the chicken will lie relatively flat.  I can roast a chicken this way in 40-45 minutes, which makes Roast Chicken a doable weekday dinner.****

Put chicken into a large freezer bag. Pull needles off the rosemary sprigs and put into bag. Squeeze juice of lemons into bag. Add salt, olive oil and quartered onion (honestly, I don't even measure this stuff anymore. This is an easy recipe not a science project.) Marinate for a couple of hours or overnight (overnight is best or freeze at this point for a future meal.) 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Allow the chicken to come to room temperature before cooking if possible.  If not you may have to cook it a few minutes longer (don't stress about this part, sometimes I do and sometimes I don't and it is only about a 5 minutes difference in cooking time.)  Once chicken is at room temperature, lay the chicken (skin side up) along with lemon rinds and onion pieces, on a foil-lined pan. Add remaining sprig of rosemary torn into a few pieces and tuck into leg and breast of chicken. cook for 40-45 minutes. The chicken should now be crisp-skinned and tender within. Take the pan out and cut  up the chicken. Arrange on a plate along with onoin bits Pour over an syrupy goldent juices from the pan and sprkinle generously with sea salt. cut a lemon or two into quarters and scatter these around the chicken 

The Grandma Van Project (Temporarily Sidelined due to our upcoming MOVE)

Starting tomorrow as soon as we can, my girls and I will be regularly cooking and posting a recipe from my Mother-in-law's personal recipe collection.

Nancy (aka Grandma Van) passed away a little over a year ago. Before she died I talked to her about doing this project. The end goal is to make a nicely bound real cookbook for each member of the family. I will be using this blog as a way for family members to get their hands on the recipes as we go as well as a way for them to share memories associated with each dish.

The girls and I plan to make and photograph EVERYTHING!!! Including the famous Tuna Jell-o (I am more than a little afraid of that one.)

We have no specific plan for this thing, so if any family members would like to make requests to see certain recipes sooner rather than later, we will certainly do our best to make it happen. In all honesty, I don't even know which recipe we will make tomorrow.

This should be fun!!!

Wild Rice Stuffing with Pearl Onions and Dried Cranberries

Once again I am not a big fan of the stuffing/dressing in general, but this one I like!  **side note:  if it is actually stuffed inside the bird it is stuffing.  If it is baked in a casserole it is called dressing.  Therefore despite the name, this is actually a dressing.



The Ingredients:  Pepperidge Farms Herbed Stuffing, NOT THE CUBED STUFF!!!! The brand is actually important since all others seem to be cubed.  Pepperidge Farms now does cubed also, so watch out and get the correct bag.  Pearl Onions (you can buy them fresh in the produce section, but then you have topeel them.  The frozen pearl onions were suggested to me for anothe recipe recently by Michelle of Chez Moi and Recipes Chez Moi.  Thank you, thank you thank you.  These are so much faster and easier. **note: they are not available at every grocery store I tried three and finally found them at Smith's Market Place. Dried Cranberries aka Craisins, butter, Thyme & Chicken Stock (I use chicken base)

continued after the jump.....

Praline Sweet Potatoes

This is one of my make ahead dishes....


This  is what it looks like before going into the oven ( I have to admit in the midst of getting everything on the table I forgot to photograph the melted sugar goodness of the hot dish)




Ingredients: canned yams or sweet potatoes (you can use fresh if feel like peeling, boiling and mashing), butter, brown sugar, eggs, an orange, ginger, salt and pecans and cinnamon (not pictured.) 

Continued after the jump....

Cranberry Fruit Relish

This stuff is so much more satisfying than that jiggly stuff from a can.




The cast of characters: fresh cranberries, granny smith apples, frozen raspberries (thawed), orange marmalade, lemon juice, sugar. Cuisinart is optional but makes all the difference in amout of time it takes to make this recipe.




First finely chop cranberries and put in a bowl.




Second peel  (notice the really cool long unbroken peel.(continued after the jump)

Thanksgiving Recipes

Here are all of my Thanksgiving recipes except for dessert (still up in the air about exactly what to make.)  I will be doing the step-by-step photo posts for each recipe as I make them for my family. 

Many of these recipes are by Mary Craft.  She is a local caterer who also used to have a PBS cooking show (at least she did here.)  All of her recipes and many more can also be found HERE.  

Side note.  I have included two different green salads.  I have traditionally made the Grapefruit & Avacado Salad but I think I will make the Apple Spinach Salad this year.  I also really do make both the rolls and the muffins, but I make the muffins mini.  Thanksgiving is about a Feast!  not just a regular dinner.  Also, most of these recipes claim  to serve 12 but with so many dishes in one meal the serving size is usually smaller so that you have room for some of everything.  I have fed 24 easily and had leftovers with these recipes.


Cranberry Fruit Relish

Recipe By : Mary Craft

Serves 12 if eaten like a salad 24 or more if used as a condiment

1 pound fresh cranberries -- finely chopped

2 tart green apples -- peeled and diced

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup orange marmalade

10 ounces frozen raspberries -- thawed and drained

1 teaspoon lemon juice



Mix all ingredients in a bowl. May be refrigerated covered for 1 month. Makes 6 cups


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Melissa's Dinner Rolls




1 cup warm water

1 tablespoon yeast

1/2 cup butter -- melted

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

3/4 teaspoon salt

4 cups all-purpose flour



1. Dissolve yeast in warm water with a little sugar.



2. Combine melted butter and sugar, add eggs and salt. Mix well.



3. Add 1 cup flour and the yeast/water.



4. Add remaining 3 cups flour. Mix until combined. Dough will be very sticky and soft (almost like a batter)



5. Pour into a greased bowl and let rise 2-4 hours (4 works better).



Shape and bake immediately in 350 degree oven 8-10 minutes.





**** Dough will be sticky!!!! To shape: generously flour a baking sheet pan or counter top, empty raised dough onto flour and generously flour the top. With your hands, push/pat the dough into a large rectangle the size of the baking sheet pan. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough in thirds the long way, then in fourths the short way, then cut each square in half diagonally. This will make 24 triangles. Pick up the triangles one at a time, stretch out a little bit and roll from the fat end to the point. Place on another baking sheet. They come out best if left to rest another 15 minutes before baking.



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Sugar and Spice Muffins

Recipe By : Mary Craft



1/4 pound butter

1 cup sugar

1 pound can yams -- drained

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups milk

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:

1/4 can sugar -- mixed with

1 tablespoon cinnamon


In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light. Beat in yams. Add eggs, one at a time. Mix in milk. Slowly add flour, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and cinnamon. Blend together but do not over mis. Stir in nuts.



Spray 24 muffin cups with cooking spray. Fill 3/4 full. Sprinkle with sugar-cinnamon mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Turn out to cool. May be frozen up to 1 month in the freezer. Reheat in microwave before serving.

*** I like to make them in the mini muffin pan.  It comes out to be 3 minis for each regular sized muffin.

NOTES : **may add 1/4 cup chopped walnuts if desired**


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Praline Sweet Potatoes

Recipe By : Mary Craft

Serves 24 (original recipe says serves 12 but that would be a really large serving)



5 pounds canned yams or sweet potatoes -- drained

2/3 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon orange zest -- optional

2 teaspoons salt

pepper -- to taste

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 cup butter -- melted

1/3 cup brown sugar

3 eggs



TOPPING:



2/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 pound butter

1 cup chopped pecans

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon



In an electric mixer, beat yams until smooth. Mix in remaining ingredients until light and fluffy. butter a 2 quart casserole dish and pour in yam mixture. Mix all the praline topping ingredients together and spread evenly over the yams.



May be refrigerated for two days.



Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until golden and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.



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Wild Rice Stuffing with Pearl Onions and Dried Cranberries

Recipe By : Mary Craft                          Serves 12 or more
Ingredients:


4 tablespoons butter

12 ounces pearl onions

4 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 1/4 cups wild rice

1 pound herb-seasoned stuffing cubes -- (pepperidge farms)

2 cups dried cranberries

2 cups pecans -- chopped and toasted



Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute until caramelized and brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside.



Bring chiciken stock and thyme to a boil in a large saucepan. Add wild rice; bring back to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and stir in bread cubes.



Stir in cranberries. Season generously with salt and pepper. (Stuffing may be done ahead to this point and refrigerated up to 2 days) Bake in 9x13 glass dish covered with buttered foil at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through. Remove foil.. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter or pour over top of stuffing. Bake for 10 minutes more. Stir in toasted pecans before serving



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Green Beans and Nuts

Recipe By : Mary Craft                          Serves 12
Ingredients:

3 pounds green beans -- fresh

salt

1/4 pound butter

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 cup cashews

salt and pepper -- to taste



Snip end off beans. cook beans in salted, simmering water, uncovered, until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain beans and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Dry on a paper towel and refrigerate for up to two days.



Before serving, bring to room temperature. Melt butter in a large skillet. Add beans, lemon juice and nuts. Heat over medium-high heat, tossing gently. Season to taste.



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Strawberry Jello Salad

Serves 12

Ingredients:


1 package strawberry gelatin powder -- (6 ounce package)

1 cup boiling water

10 ounces frozen strawberries

1 can crushed pineapple -- (20 ounce can)

3 banana -- mashed or sliced

2 cups sour cream



Combine Jello with boiling water. Add strawberries, pineapple (juice and all) and bananas. Pour half into a 12x8x2 inch pan. Chill until firm. Spread on the sour cream. Pour on the rest of the Jello mixture. Chill until set.



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Grapefruit & Avacado Salad

Serves 8-12


1 bag romaine lettuce

1 can grapefruit sections -- drained

1 fresh avocado -- sliced

1/4 cup sunflower seeds -- toasted

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup vinegar

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon chopped onion -- very finely chopped



Dressing Instructions:



Combine olive oil, sugar, vinegar (does not say what kind, I am going to try either citrus or apple cider), celery seed, dry mustard and finely chopped onion. Either use an imersion blender (aka stick blender) or put in the blender to combine well. Toss with salad ingredients just before serving. *** Original recipe calls for 1 cup of oil. Yikes!!!! I would never use that much for this amount of salad. Also it may not be necessary to use all of the dressing. Adjust to taste.



Salad:



Lettuce, grapefruit (can use fresh or canned), avacado & sunflower seeds (I purchase already toasted, but they can also be toasted in a hot skillet, stirring constantly for a couple of minutes.)



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NOTES : **** For all the years my mom has made this salad she has never made the dressing. She just uses Bersteins Creamy Fantastico salad dressing or any other Italian dressing. I really like the Bersteins. However, I find that I only use it for this salad and then the rest of the bottle ends up going to waste. I never knew until last night (November 15, 2009) that the recipe had it's own homemade dressing. I like homemade dressings because I usually have the ingredients on hand.


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Apple Spinach Salad


Recipe by : Stephanie who got it from Kristen       Serves 8-12

Ingredients:

10 ounces fresh spinach

1/2 pound bacon -- cooked and crumbled

1 green apples -- sliced thin

1 cup slivered almonds -- toasted



Dressing:

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon red onion -- minced

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar



For Dressing:



Combine all dressing ingredients in the blender.



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Whole Roast Turkey

Recipe By : Mary Craft

Ingredients:

16 pounds turkey

1 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon ground sage

1 clove garlic -- minced

2 teaspoons seasoned salt

1 teaspoon pepper



Remove giblets,neck, and fat from insde the turkey ( they may be cooked alongside the turkey or used in stuffing or gravy). Completely dry the turkey with paper towels. Mix together the remaining ingredients and rub inside and out on the bird. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and begin to bring to room temperature one hour before roasting. Spoon stuffin into the dcavity and neck opening. Truss or sew with skewers. Tie legs together so as not to deform while roasting. Place on reack in roasting pan breast side down (this is for better flavor not for presentation).



Bake at 325 degrees. Baste occasionally with pan juices. Roast for 20 minutes per pound or until meat thermometer registers 175 when placed in the thickest part of the thigh. Avoid resting the thermometer on bone. If planning to present the whole turkey at the table for carving, turn turkey breast side up half way through cooking time. tent with aluminum foil, shiny side in, if turkey becomes too brown. There will be a cup or more of pan juices when turkey is done. Thigh will move freely in its socket and tukey juices will run clear when pierced. Never rely on the "pop-up" thermometers placed in birds by the supplier! Your turkey will usually be over done.

Nun's Puffs

Ingredients:


Butter, Milk, Flour, Eggs, Sugar



Step 1: Melt the butter



Step 2: Add the milk




Step 3: Add the flour (not pictured) and stir until it looks like play dough...



Step 4: Add the eggs one at a time stirring for one minute after adding each egg.




It is not until the last egg that it looses the play dough look and feel and becomes a rather stiff batter




Divide the batter between 12 well greased (Pam) muffin cups (regular size)




Sprinkle with sugar and Bake for 25-30 minutes until they look like this.....



I know, one is missing.  I had to test one since they looked very done at 25 minutes.

They were done so I split it open and drizzled a little honey......





I think they are called Nun's Puffs because they taste like HEAVEN.  Light, airy and not sweet (that is what the honey is for.)  Have this with a cup of hot chocolate for a wonderful weekend breakfast. 




A sprinkle of powdered sugar is also nice. 


Recipe:  Nun's Puffs

1/2 cup butter (one stick)
1 cup milk
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1 tablespoon sugar
Honey (optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Generously grease twelve regular size muffin cups, including the edge and around the top of each cup (I use Pam Spray); set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan melt the butter; add the milk.  Bring to boiling.  Add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously.  cook and stir until mixture forms a ball that does not separate. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.

3.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute with a wooden spoon after each addition or until smooth.

4. Divide the dough evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling cups about two-thirds full; sprinkle with sugar.

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and puffy (25 minutes was perfect for my oven.)  Remove from pan.

6. Serve immediately drizzled with hone if desired.

Lemon Dijon Roast Chicken

Fall and Winter are all about comfort food and this roast chicken is one of my favorites.


Ingredients: 2 whole chickens, soy sauce, dijon mustard, 6 lemons, an onion and fresh herbs from my neighbors and my own garden (or from the grocery store in the dead of winter.)



The marinade is so simple I did not bother to do photos.  It is just 1 cup dijon mustard, 1/2 cup soy sauce and the juice from 6 lemons (approximately 1/2 to 1 cup.)   Rinse and dry the chickens, stuff them with the lemon rinds and about 1/4 of a large onion along with some of the fresh herbs.  Place the rest of the herbs on top of the chicken or under the skin of the breast (that is what I like to do).  Then pour on the marinade.



Cook at 425 degrees basting often until the thigh meat reaches a temperature of 180 degrees (full instruction below) 

This is yummmy yummy chicken.  The original recipe said to make gravy from the left over marinade and drippings in the bottom of the pan, but my family found it too mustardy so I usually serve garlic mashed potatoes or herbed oven roasted potatoes with this.  I like to make 2 or even 3 chickens so there are leftovers.


Lemon Dijon Roast Chicken

Adapted from a recipe by Cristina Ferrare found on the Oprah website (The recipe is as I orignially found it with my adaptations in blue.)


Ingredients:

2 chickens , 4 1/2 to 5 pounds each

6 lemons

A poultry mix of fresh herbs: Rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley and oregano work well

Marinade for one or two chickens (the original recipe called for this amount of marinade for one chicken and for each chicken to roast in the oven in it's own pan.  Since I roast them together in a counter top roaster I find one recipe to be enough for both since basically you just need the basting liquid for optimal flavor.)

1 cup Dijon mustard ( This really depends on how much dijon mustard flavor you like it can be reduced by half if you want.)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup juice from fresh lemon (don't discard lemon rinds) ( I use whatever amount of juice comes out of the 6 lemons it is usually closer to 1 cup)

To make marinade: Place all ingredients in a nonreactive bowl. Whisk with a wire whisk until ingredients are incorporated well—the marinade should have a smooth and creamy consistency.


To make roasted chicken: Preheat oven to 425°.

Clean chickens well and pat dry. Place each chicken in its own baking dish.  (I put them both or even 3 together in an electric roaster that sits on the counter.  I really think they would be fine in the oven together in a larger baking dish as well.)


Stuff cavities with lemon rinds and fresh herbs. A poultry mix is fine, usually consisting of rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley and oregano.  (I also use 1/4 to 1/2 onion stuffed in the cavity with the lemon rinds and herbs, as well as putting some of the herbs under the skin of the breast.)


Pour marinade over chicken. Add cracked pepper and remaining herbs to the top of each chicken.


Place an oven thermometer in each chicken and cover with aluminum foil. Place on the lower rack of the oven. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, then remove the aluminum foil. Baste with a basting bulb. Keep basting often, every 15 minutes until the thermometer reads 180°.


I use left over chicken for Chicken Pesto Pasta. Just toss with cooked pasta and pesto.

Easy Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

1 box spice cake mix
1 small can pumpkin puree  or 1 3/4 cups

3/4 cup water  (1/2 of the pumpkin can)

1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
stir together spice cake mix, pumpkin puree and 1/2 can water. Add chocolate chips.



Bake  25-30 minutes for regular sized muffins.

15-18 minutes for mini.



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Angel Food Cake

Strawberries and the food of angels.....

In strawberry season I make an Angel Cake about once a week. It is so good and so easy. Yes I did say easy. It is easy and I can prove it.

Three years ago when she was 10, Blair and a friend asked if they could make an Angel Food Cake. There were a couple of box mixes on the counter (I don't usually use a mix, but they were on sale and I like to keep one on hand in case I am out of eggs) so I thought they would use one of those. A few minutes later Blair came in to ask what it means to fold in cooking terms. I went into the kitchen to demonstrate, only to find that they had made the cake from scratch. They said they did not even see the box mixes. The cake turned out perfect. So, if two 10 year olds can do it anyone can. I won't even eat the already baked at the store kind of Angel Food Cake. They taste like hairspray (or some other nasty chemical.) Hair is a big issue with me and I have accidentally sprayed while my mouth was open (a multi-tasking hazard) so I do know what hairspray tastes like and it is nasty, just like those store cakes.



Ingredients: 12 eggs room temperature, cake flour (I keep it on hand for this cake only, however regular flour and even fresh ground whole wheat can be used), Sugar, Vanilla (the real thing), Almond Extract (also the real thing), Salt, and Cream of Tartar (did not make it into the photo)



First separate the eggs. Only the whites are used in Angel Food Cake. I like to use a small bowl to separate catch the egg white before I put it in with the rest of the egg whites. If even a little bit of yolk gets in the whites will not beat up like they are supposed to. Using the small bowl ensures that if a yolk breaks you only loose that egg and not the entire dozen.



If you don't have an egg separater, the finger method can be used. Some children (and adults) really like doing it this way. Just make sure little hands are washed first.



I am a big believer in having the appliances I use regularly out on the counter at all times. I have both a Kitchenaid and a Bosch. I use the Kitchenaid for this recipe because the bowl is stainless steel. You should only use stainless steel or glass for whipping up eggs. Plastic can have oily residue that can cause the eggs not to whip.



Whip egg whites and salt until foamy



Add Vanilla, Almond Extract and Cream of Tartar



Beat until soft peaks form.



gradually add 1/2 of the sugar (the recipe says one tablespoon at a time, I just pour a very slow continuous stream)



Beat until stiff peaks form



Sift together the flour and the other half of the sugar. Then do it again 2 more times. (I actually think this is fun) That sifter is 19 years old and pretty hammered. I just bought a new one today.



Fold 1/4 of the sifted flour & sugar into the egg whites at a time.



I forgot to take a photo of the batter in the pan before baking. Notice that the tube pan is on a sheet pan. The first time I made and Angel Cake from scratch it overflowed. Since then I have always put a sheet pan underneath and it has never overflowed again. I am sure if I ever forgot the sheet pan I would have a mess in the bottom of my oven. Life just works that way.





Invert the cake onto a bottle to cool. This is a rice vinegar bottle. It must cool this way for an hour. Waiting is actually the hardest part. Some people in my house (Kurt) have been known to pick at the nicely browned top/bottom.



This is the most delicious cake ever. If you have only had that chemically tasting store kind, you must give this a try. (I have a strong aversion to soggy food, so you may have noticed from the top photo that I put the whipped cream between the strawberries and the cake.)

Recipe: Angel Food Cake

12 egg white -- at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups sugar -- divided
1 cup cake flour -- sifted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Beat egg whites and salt in a large glass or metal bowl until foamy. Add cream of tartar, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add 3/4 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.

Sift flour and remaining 3/4 cup sugar together 3 times. Sift flour mixture over egg white mixture, one-fourth at a time. Fold well after each addition.

Spoon batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.

Invert pan over a bottle and let cake cool completely in pan. Run knife around edge to loosen cake before removing from pan.

The Eye Of The Pirate

We call this breakfast item a Pirate's Eye. I know it goes by a lot of different names, but this is what Kurt's mom called it and since I had never seen such a thing before the movie "Moonstruck" we stayed with Pirate's Eye. I use lots of different cookie cutters to make the hole in the bread, but this flower shape is my favorite! *** Very Important! While making these we sing The Eye of the Pirate (you know that song from the movie Rocky, They call it Eye of the Tiger, but Eye of the Pirate is more fun.)

Wende threw down a tag requesting what people eat for breakfast and what that says about them. Here is my list :

Eggs

• Pirate's Eye (see photo above)
• Hard Boiled with toast or muffins or yogurt
• Scrambled with toast or muffins
• Egg Muffin Sandwich (poached in an English muffin with Canadian bacon and cheese.)
• Breakfast Burrito
• Brunch Eggs (on Christmas morning or other special times, not everyday)

Pancakes

• with syrup
• with Blueberry Sauce (see recipe on this blog)
• with butter and Cinnamon sugar
• German Pancakes
• Danish Hotcakes (like a crepe but filled with a sprinkling of sugar)
  

Waffles

• with syrup
• with butter and cinnamon sugar
• for the Men in the family polluted with chocolate chips and spread with peanut butter then drowned in syrup. (I am a purist, I stick with the first two options)

Muffins (from scratch, no mixes please) & other good things

• Blueberry
• Banana
• French Breakfast Muffins
• Cinnamon Rolls
• Orange Rolls

Yogurt & Fruit parfait (with or without granola)

Cereal

• Oatmeal (I roll my own)
• Cream of Wheat
• Cold cereal (usually not more than once a week, and only if we are really rushed)

Hot Chocolate & Toast

Fruit (with everything)

• Baked Grapefruit
• regular grapefruit
• grape juice (home canned)
• smoothies of all kinds
• bananas
• oranges
• berries or other fruit with yogurt (see Yogurt & Fruit Parfait)
• Orange Julius

Pig (usually only on the weekends)

• bacon
• sausage
• Canadian bacon (on Egg Muffin Sandwiches any day of the week)
• ham (rarely)

We really do eat all of these things 7 days a week. As to what this says about me, well it says that I have no tolerance for boredom. I need variety in my life. I grew up on cold cereal 90% of the time and now I hate the stuff.

When I was a new mother I was with a group of more mature mothers and I heard one talk about how her kids think cold cereal is a treat because she makes a cooked breakfast every day and how it really does not take that much time. I started making cooked breakfast the next morning and have never looked back.

I also find that on the rare mornings that we have cold cereal, I am famished by 9:30 or 10:00 a.m. I can usually get a snack this time of day, but I know my kids can't get anything at school (okay, the teenagers can get a candybar), so I like to send them out the door tanked up for the morning. My teenagers are also much nicer to be around if they have had a real meal for breakfast.

In addition to the above, I really like breakfast food and it is the fastest and easiest meal to make.

Whole Wheat Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

One of our Favorite Saturday Morning Breakfasts especially good served with sausage.



The blueberry sauce is a much healthier alternative to maple syrup, since it actually has less sugar and you get a serving of fruit, plus it is to die for delicious.



The ingredients: Blueberries (fresh or frozen, I freeze my own when they are in season) Sugar & Cinnamon



This recipe makes enough to feed 2 people, therefore I triple it to feel 5 (the boys don't like fruit very much) It works best to put the blueberries in the pan over medium heat until they are mostly thawed before adding the sugar and cinnamon. If you put in the sugar while the berries are still frozen you can get funny hard chunks of crystallized sugar.




Add the sugar and cinnamon



Stir (Morgan is stirring for me today)



It is done when it starts to bubble.

Blueberry Sauce
1 cup fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries, thawed
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Combine in saucepan and heat through

When we got home from India, I asked the kids how Grammy did feeding them. They said it was good over all, but horror of horrors they ate pancakes and waffles made from a mix!!! Shocking isn't it.
In all fairness my mom tried really hard to feed the kids in the manner that they have become accustomed, but she does not enjoy cooking. I had told the kids to be prepared to eat cereal most mornings because that is what I had for breakfast most days as a kid. I think they were really lucky that they got things like pancakes and waffles,. When we got to Bear Lake we use a mix too, so it was not really new to them. However, it is just as easy to make pancakes from scratch as it is to make them from a mix. Here is how we make our pancakes........



Ingredients: Fresh-Ground Whole Wheat Flour (regular all-purpose flour works great too, but I really don't like the store-bought whole wheat flour), Baking Powder, Salt, Eggs, Milk, Vegetable Oil (we use olive oil or canola.)



This is my wheat grinder at work. (I don't recommend this brand, I used to have one I liked much better until it died. Now I wish this one would die so I could get another one like I had before.)



Whisk the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.



Add the wet ingredients.



Stir until combined. It begins to bubble immediately (that is the baking powder, did you know that double acting baking powder means that it bubbles once when combined with liquid and then a second time when heated.)



Preheat a large frying pan or griddle to medium high heat (you can test by sprinkling a few drops of water on the surface, if the jump and sizzle it is hot enough.) I use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to ladle the batter into the pan. Flip the pancakes when bubbles have formed on the surface and the edges start to look a bit dry (not too dry, just beginning to dry.)



Cook about another minute, peek to see that the underside is browned. Then serve.



My girlies LOVE this breakfast. I have to remind them to save a little sauce for the cook or I won't get any. Like the Blueberry Sauce, our pancake recipe is easily adjusted to feed any size family.

I got this recipe from my friend Tanya (who I have not talked to in way too long)

Pancakes & Waffles by Proportion
3 cups whole wheat flour (fresh) white works fine too
6 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 - 3 cups milk -- (to 3)
3 whole eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil (We use 1/3 cup for waffles to prevent sticking)
1 teaspoon salt
this recipe is somewhat proportional.
for each cup flour use:
2 teaspoons baking powder
approximately 1 cup milk (usually a little bit less)
about 1 tablespoon oil (more or less)
1/4 teaspoon salt (never more than 1 teaspoon even if larger batch)