Grilled Fish

I'm going to share the easiest peasiest way to grill fish - evah!

Our favorites are tilipia and mahi-mahi.  I buy the frozen fillets and thaw them overnight in the fridge.  The package doesn't recommend this method but non of my people have died yet.  Go with what ya know.

The grill should be around 400 degrees.

First we make cute little aluminum foil "boats" for our fillets.

Add a pat of butter, sea salt, pepper, and a couple teaspoons of lemon juice to each "fish boat".

Place on the preheated grill.

Sit in your favorite chair and chat with your favorite canine companion and wait.

If you're lucky, a kid might come out and talk to you while your waiting.

Check on the fish from time to time.  It should take about 15 to 20 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets.

They are done when they are white and flake apart with a fork.

These are SO good as they are or grill a nice big hard roll or bun and have yourself a fish sandwich.

Tell the kids it's chicken.  They'll never know the dif.

Becky

Weight Schmeight

 Before I begin:

My apologies for addressing this ugly subject, but I had to use these great cow pictures.

Onward:

If you know that by the end of the holiday season you are going to feel a bit wide through the middle like this old gal...

Check out this chick's blog to help you mind your intake.

Roni's Weigh

and her food blog...

Green Lite Bites

She's inspirational and REAL!!

Keep the Chex Mix and Divinity binging to a minimum so that we can maintain our svelte bikini beach bodies.

My goal from November 1 to January 1 is to not be consumed by social eating extravaganzas.  I can do this!  I CAN weigh the same on January 1 as I did on November 1. 

Who's with me?

Let's start exercising BEFORE Jan. 1st.  That way we don't look quite so cliche at the gym in Jan.

Or we could make cookie dough and watch Christmas Vacation while eating every last wonderful spoonful.

What's it gonna be?

I'm still on the fence-

Becky

Supper

EVERY night at our house...

Kids:  "What's for dinner, Mom?"

Mom:  {Insert here ANY kind of supper-like menu that may provide one or two nutrients that doesn't include BEEF and involves a vegetable}

Kids' reaction...

Mom: "...or we could work on our chores all evening.  Maybe do some cleaning.  How about those flashcards?  We could fix fence for dad or clean out horse stalls. Wait! Wait! I've got an idea, you guys start planning meals and doing the grocery shopping."

Kids' reaction...

That's what I thought!

Shut it.

Good luck with supper.  I feel your pain.

Becky

The First Born Cooks

#1 competed in the State Fair 4-H Special Foods Contest.  This is where said 4-Her has to prepare a dish in front of a judge.  Prepare a place setting in front of a judge, and answer nutrition infornmation questions in front of a judge. 

It's all very picky and very tedious.  He did a great job and received a purple ribbon.

The kid loves to cook... his mother, not so much.

To help him get rid of the nerves, I took it upon myself to irritate him.

He's in 4th grade now and a bit too "grown-up" for picture taking and silly antics.  So, I told him that if he didn't smile for the camera, I was going to sing at the top of my lungs in front of him and about 200 of his peers...

He's trying not to smile.

Setting the table.

I let him take my picture!

Bored sisters. 

 #2 {on the left}is like,

"Go ahead let her sing.  Maybe they'll kick us out and we can go to the midway."

Here's what he prepared:

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Super BLT Club Pockets

1/2 cup crispy bacon crumbles

2 cups shredded lettuce

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

8 oz. turkey breast, coarsely chopped

1 Roma tomato, thin sliced

1/3 cup light ranch salad dressing

6 pita pockets (use the "super soft" kind - easier for kids to eat)

Leaf lettuce for garnish, if desired

Toss together all ingredients except the pita bread.  Spoon 1/6 of the mixture into each pocket.  Add leaf lettuce and serve promptly.

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Dinner is served!

Becky

State Fair Cookies

After chores and homework this evening,  #1 made his sugar cookies for the state fair coming up this weekend.  These are the best darn sugar cookies you will ever have in your entire life.  My Aunt Joyce included this recipe in one of the family cook books.

It's a very simple recipe and makes A LOT OF COOKIES. 

After the 4-Her found three matching 2 inch cookies in the two dozen that HE baked, Mom finished baking the rest.  Needless to say, they got noticeably bigger when I took on baking duties... can you relate?  This is why some incredibly intelligent woman came up with putting all the batter/dough into a 9x13 and calling them "bars"- not enough time to wash babies, feed babies, clean the toilets, school the children, AND make 124 - 2 inch cookies!

I digress...

 A fancy shmancy 4-H baking tip:

Use your "small scoop" from Pampered Chef to measure just the right amount of dough to make the necessary 2 inch cookie.  {My "scoops" were closer to baseball size when #1 wasn't looking.}

One fact remains - no one should take baking advice from me!  The one and only year that I baked in my 10 years of 4-H, I received a white ribbon on my corn muffins.  In case you aren't familiar with

4-H, that's the worst place an exhibitor can receive.  It's right there above "Participant"!

On with the show...

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Quilters Sugar Cookies 

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1/4  tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla

5 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cream of tartar 

Preheat oven to 350. 

Cream together butter, sugar, oil, salt, eggs, and vanilla.  Mix well. In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar.  Gradually add flour mixture to first mixture.  Mix well. Form dough into 1 inch balls.  Roll balls in a pie pan of sugar.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass drinking glass.  Bake 10 minutes or until set.  Store in an air tight container. 

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Strikingly delicious-looking, aren't they!

The "special" ones are in this bowl.

Do you think this will stop them?

The answer is NO! 

They're hidden now.

Go bake with your kids.

Blessings- B

Fruit Pizza Cookies

Let me start with APRIL AND MAY WERE CRAZY!!  Calving, farming, raining, end of school activities, raining, mowing, raining, mowing... I could go on and on and on.  Now we're gearing up for the summer weddings.

Yesterday a few of us hosted a bridal shower for our soon to be niece-in-law.  I'd thought I'd share a recipe that was a hit.  There's always one dish that gets rave reviews, isn't there?

You've heard of Fruit Pizza, right?  Well, how's about making it in cookie form?.  I got the idea from the Heck Fridays blog and then tweaked it to my liking. 

(See, I really don't have any original ideas.)

  

 It's a four part event...

The Cookie Part

*This is my all time favorite cut out cookie recipe.  A friend of mine clued my into the fact that the dough should only be rolled out to 1/4 inch.  No less.  This eliminated all frustration I had with thin, dry, crunchy Christmas cookies.  The thick cookie turns out so soft and moist.

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/4 cup sour cream

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp biking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Cream together butter and sugar.  Stir in egg and sour cream.  Mix well and add flour, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.  Chill for one hour or overnight.  Roll out dough to 1/4" thick and cut out desired shapes.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

I used heart shapes for this event but think of the possibilities... stars for 4th of July...right around the corner.

The Icing Part

1- 8 oz. pkg cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar

3 Tbsp milk

* I added powdered sugar until I had the consistency I was looking for.  You can never go wrong with more sugar.  If it gets too stiff, add a little more milk.

Spread icing on the cookie - your choice of methods - pastry bag, plastic bag, spatula...

The Fruit Part

Your choice. 

I was going to add kiwi like Heck Fridays (very pretty addition of green),

but mine were much to sour.

The Glaze Part

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tsp. corn starch

Boil for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Allow to cool slightly and drizzle over cookie.

This recipe made about 35 - 3" heart cookies.  Might have made more if my people wouldn't have eaten the dough.  Oh well, that's the fun part.

Store your finished creations in the fridge.  I think they taste best at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Blessings-

B

Happy Valentine's Day

It's coming...  you either hate it or you love it... Valentine's Day!

If you've got kids, you've got to love it.  I'm sure, like most of you, my kids like to put a little treat with the Valentine.  I went to get this treat at Target yesterday and couldn't bring myself to spend $20 on candy.  M said, "Ya know, ya really don't have to send candy.  The card would be enough."  What?  Are you kidding?  ME nurture withOUT food.  No way.  It's just not who I am!  Sad but true.

Plan B:

I bought the treat bags and emailed the sister-in-law for this FABULOUS popcorn recipe.  If you're in a school district where the kids can still bring homemade snacks, I guarantee this will be a hit.  Make a double batch so there's enough left for the tikes after you finish "trying it".

POPCORN GOODNESS

{I don't really know what it's called, but this sums it up!}

3-4 bags microwave popcorn

(natural or plain.. no butter or saltI use Orville Natural - approx 14 cups)

3/4 cup peanut butter (creamy)

1 1/2 LBS almond bark

3 cups rice krispies

2 cups peanuts

Remove all hulls and seeds from popcorn. Mix together dry ingredients. Melt almond bark and peanut butter. Pour this mixture over dry ingredients. Stir. Spread out on wax paper to dry. (1/2 - 1hr)

Bag it up and send it with the Valentines.

Enjoy!

XO - B

Sweet Corn

Because we're snowed in, I thought I'd revisit some pics of #5 last summer.  This was an August evening when a good neighbor gave us some sweet corn.  At this point I hadn't even cooked it. 

I'll let the photos tell the story...

                         

...must have gotten a little heavy...

Spring will come...

Blessings-B

The Best Dip Ever...

Need a new "dip" to take to your next party? 

{Or maybe just to make and then sit on the couch and devour}

 May I present...

Jalapeno Popper Dip

2 - 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup mayo

1 - 4 oz can chopped green chilis, drained

1 - 2 oz can diced jalapenos, drained

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup bread crumbs

Mix the first 5 ingredients together.  Place in an oven safe dish.  Top with the bread crumbs.  Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until the edges are bubbling.

This originally came from allrecipes.com.  I've tweaked it a little to my liking  - more cheese is never a bad thing.  We think it tastes best with something like pita chips or a plain kinda cracker.

Enjoy!  You're gonna love it!

Blessings- B

How Do You Cook?

Sister Jen asked me for my Potato Salad recipe.  Uhhh... well...  I don't really measure anything but I can tell you WHAT I put in it and what it should look like.  Does anyone else do this? 

I didn't know that this type of cooking was permissible in the homemaking realm until one weekend when my dear friend, "J", was staying with us. 

I said to J, "how much of {insert ingredient here} do you usually use in {insert dish here}?" 

She replied to my utter amazement in a cool and calm tone, "whatever I have." 

Can you believe that... WHATEVER YOU HAVE! 

How can one cook without following directions?  But since she's been a darn good cook since our college days, she must know what she's talking about.  Needless to say, this is the only way I cook now.

So, Jen, here's my Potato Salad recipe...

Potatoes - as many as you think you'll need for your crowd.  I usually use around 8 when I'm taking it to a function or for supper in the field.

Mayonnaise - only use Hellman's Real Mayonnaise - 

DO NOT USE SALAD DRESSING (Miracle Whip)

Onion - about 1/2 of a medium white onion, diced.

Celery - 3-4 stalks diced

Salt & Pepper - I use quite a bit

Here's the key...

BAKE THE POTATOES!

 

The baked taste is what makes this version of potato salad shine!  Peel and cube the taters.  Mix in celery, onion, and salt & pepper.  Then comes the mayo.  This is totally personal preference.  I like just enough mayo to add the zing and hold everything together.  Some like it creamier. 

Around here we probably use about 1 1/2 cups of mayo.

Clear as mud?  Now go bake some taters and give it a try.

Blessings - B 

Dessert Anyone?

Here's the easiest and quickest dessert you will ever make!  I'm putting this in the file labeled

"Food You Take To The Field". 

The recipe can be doubled to feed an entire harvest/planting crew (10-15 people).

Super Simple Apple Crisp

½ c butter

1 – 17.5 oz package oatmeal cookie mix

2 – 21 oz cans apple pie filling

½ tsp ground cloves

Place apple pie filling in ungreased 9x9 or 8x8 pan. Sprinkle ground cloves over filling. Melt the stick of butter and mix with the oatmeal cookie mix. Spread this on top of the pie filling. Bake @ 350 for 35 minutes or until the sides are bubbling.

Blessings-B

What's For Dinner?

The kids circling, yet?  I have a wonderful new, easy dish!  From allrecipes.com of course...  simmer some frozen Tyson {are there any others?} chicken breast tenderloins with a jar of salsa - covered, over medium heat until no longer pink.  I used black bean and corn salsa - delicio!  We had them just like this with rice, fresh veggies, and grapes.  You could even shred the chicken and make tacos or burritos!  Happy cooking!

Blessing - B