Hospitality: Part 3

I dug up this old post that never got completed, but I tweaked it and think it still reflects my thoughts on the subject. So without ado...

This weekend I had the privilege of serving a family in need by delivering some meals....and a refrigerator too. They have been living without a fridge at all for the last several months. Can you imagine? Anyhow, here are some ideas for taking your hospitality skills "on the road"..

Idea #1: Split up the work! I put my head together with another fabulous gal and we worked up a menu together, then divvied up the work. I made bread, she made soup. I made Easy Baked Ziti,. Oh, and some cupcakes too! This also works if you're joining someone for a spontaneous meal. My friend S and I have done this before....we both rummaged through our cabinets/fridge over the phone and talked about what we could contribute to a joint impromptu family meal. Don't shy away from the "last minute" get-together!

Idea #2: Add something unexpected or over-the-top! Not everyone has the time or inclination to cook or bake, but there are some great pre-made items that would add an extra dose of love. Make the family's favorite meal or dessert. Add some home-made milkshakes to the mix. Serve up some make-your-own pizzas or a do-it-yourself ice cream bar!

Idea #3: If you are bringing a meal for a family in need (circumstance, new baby, grieving, etc), consider bringing something that can be or already is frozen. Make sure you check with the family first, but many people deliver large meals with lots of left-overs and a meal that can be made later is usually greatly appreciated. I like to use disposable pans or even just a gallon sized ziploc bag. A batch of cookie dough that has been scooped into balls & frozen makes a tasty, thoughtful addition to a menu. Don't forget to include cooking/reheating instructions!

Idea #4: Use a cooler! This is fairly obvious to keep cool things cool, but it'll also keep hot things hot! Foil wrapped baked potatoes, loaves fresh from the bread machine, or that tasty casserole just out of the oven can all be kept HOT while in transit to your destination. This is especially helpful if you have other errands to run or if it will be a bit of time before you are able to deliver your meal.

You can see the first two parts of this series here and here!

Sprinkled

These festive beauties make me soooo happy. They were created for a ministry meal that serves children and their (possibly) underprivileged families. I really wanted them to look special as some of these kids might not ever get treats like this. I was going to tint some of the frosting, but I'm so glad I didn't. I love how the sprinkles stand out against the mounds of white.

Any cupcake questions?

**Answers: I used a pastry bag and a piping tip. The exact name of the tip escapes me though. It's not really a star tip, but it has an open top with edges that zig-zag. That's the only tip I ever use on the cuppies! You can get them at Hobby Lobby, JoAnns, etc.

Summer Cook-Out Menu

Tried and true recipes, from yours truly, from drinks to dessert....

First, start off with some Virgin Mango Coladas. (*giggle* I said virgin.) If you're like me, you usually just serve soda or water, but having a really great drink was a fabulous addition to a recent cook-out. I'm also partial to my homemade Sweet Tea. I think replacing 1/2 the sweetener with Splenda, not only cuts down on the calories, but lets the tea flavor shine through. As opposed to drinking sugar with a little bit of tea...like McD's. I'm just sayin.

Sweet Tea
Makes 1 gallon


4 family-sized black tea bags
8 c. water
2 c. sugar
lemon, optional


Quick brew method: Place 8 c. water in and tea bags in glass measuring cup. Microwave for 4 minutes. Let steep for 5 minutes or more. Add sugar. Stir to dissolve. Put in pitcher along with tea bags. Add 8 c. ice water. Stir. Taste. Add lemon juice from 1/4 lemon for flavor. If the tea needs to be stronger, leave the bags in for awhile, otherwise remove.

Peachy Version: Substitute 4 Peach flavored tea bags for one of the family-sized bags. I personally like Country Peach Passion by Celestial Seasonings. 

Minty Version: For yummy refreshing flavor, replace one family-sized bag with a few peppermint tea bags.

**To cut down on the amount of actual sugar, you can replace up to 1/2 of the sugar with slightly less than the same amount of Splenda.**

Next, add an easy make ahead appetizer, such as Jalapeno Popper Dip. Serve it with some crusty bread and your guests will be fighting over it.

And now, we're onto the main course. You could always serve the all-American stand-by of burgers & dogs. For this last party, I wanted to mix it up a bit. So I chose thin-cut Ribeye steaks (budget friendly!) and Grilled Chicken (assorted bone-in pieces) with Apricot Balsamic Glaze.

I'm sure your fabulous guests will be more than happy to contribute a side. Ask them to bring a pasta salad, potato salad, or baked beans. They'll feel like they're adding to your soiree and you'll feel relieved to not have to provide everything. Win-win, people.

And our newest summer go-to dessert, which can be made several days in advance, is Frozen Key Lime pie. It's kind of a pain to have to juice the limes, but maybe you can talk your husband into doing it, like I do. Feel free to use a pre-made graham cracker crust (I do!) and even whip cream in a can, if you must. The pie already has so much frozen tangy goodness, I don't think anyone will mind a few shortcuts.

On the day of the party, you will have to blend the drinks, bake the dip & slice the bread, grill the chicken/meat, and slice/serve the dessert. Much of the work has been done in advance, but if you have a friend man the blender or help with slicing, you'll have more time to enjoy your family and friends (and delish food!) and the summer days that are all too fleeting.

Bon Appetit!

Cakes & Quakes

Our regular school routine was interrupted last week, but this week we are going to veer from our regularly scheduled program to learn about earthquakes and Haiti. We have already had some brief conversations about the devastation there, especially since the kids were asked to give some of their money at church to aid in the relief effort. Over the weekend, the littlest kids had a bake sale at church to raise money. Of course, we contributed:

 

:: my top-notch mixing expert ::

  

:: efficient & cute! ::

  

:: my quality control associate ::

  

:: everyone loves sprinkles ::

  

:: little fingers doing a big job ::

  

:: pretty & purposeful -- they were a hot-seller for the bake-sale ::

I left out the part where I tried a new sugar cookie recipe and lovingly mixed, chilled, rolled, cut, and baked and the blasted things turned out harder than a rock. Grrr. Next time, I am totally going to follow all the tips and recipes from this awesome cookie blog. But I digress.

This week we are making an earthquakes & Haiti lapbook. (Remember our first adventures with lapbooks?) I am using the free earthquake lapbook resources here and supplementing with good library books, good conversation, and good thoughts. I just love using real-life events or experiences to make learning come alive!

Have the recent events in Haiti spurred on any good conversation with your kids?

Dump Truck Cake: How-to

Choose a dump truck with a really big trailer and wash thoroughly. Check thrift stores and garage sales if you don't have suitable selection at home. My dump truck trailer measures about 9" x 6", roughly half the size of 9" x 13" sheet pan.

Bake your cake and cut to fit. If you want a layered cake, depending on the depth of your truck, you might have to bake two thinner layers or one bigger cake that you cut two pieces out of. Use as big of a spatula as possible to gently lift the layers and place them in the truck bed. An extra set of hands won't hurt either.

Even if it breaks a part a little, just put the broken pieces in to fit.

Add filling if desired. I layered some cool whip in the middle and placed the other half on top. You can see in the photo how that top layer crack in half, but I just squished it back together. No one will ever notice!

Frost with chocolate frosting. Since I was using what I had at the time, I only had about 1/3 can of chocolate frosting from a previous baking project, so I just melted that down and poured it over the top.

If you really want to make it look cool, crush some chocolate wafer cookies and sprinkle them over the top. A few gummy worms poking out here and there would be fun as well. I was not able to do this because of the extra ingredients it requires, but just love the idea.

Prepare to amaze your little trucker!

Home Ec Breakfast

Our home economics lessons have included a simple introduction to nutrition, how to use a peeler (I also supplemented with some knife skills), and last Friday, our lesson was on using a toaster. I love how thorough the instructions are (i.e. don't forget to dry your hands after washing and count to twenty before removing the toast from the toaster). The featured recipe was for Cinnamon-Sugar Toast, which proved to be easy enough for my student to prepare and delicious enough for all the kids to enjoy!

In case you want your little ones to try this at home, it's as easy as mixing up some cinnamon sugar (about 1/4 c. and 1/2 t. cinnamon more or less) and spreading some butter on fresh toast. The lesson also has the parent checking the toaster settings, making sure the child has washed his/her hands before preparing the meal, counting to 20 before removing the toast, and waiting 5 minutes before putting the toaster away. This makes for an easy cooking lesson and a quick & tasty breakfast.

Do your kids spend a lot of time in the kitchen with you?

Frozen

Remember the old me? The crafty, sewing, baking me? She's still around here somewhere, it's just that she doesn't come out to play as often as she used to. This, though, is one of those times! Let's talk about all the goodies that I've been putting in the freezer....

Firstly, I'd like to say that sometimes cooking in my kitchen is like being on one of those FoodNetwork challenge shows. You know, the ones where the contestants are given some 'mystery basket' full of items and asked to use them in a dish? What with the gifts of various groceries from family and friends or the donations of someone cleaning out their pantry, sometimes the name of the game is trying to use up what I've got, but I think I've been up for the challenge! Lasagna Spirals was one of those recipes. I loved this idea of individually portioned servings of lasagna and it freezes beautifully!

One of my stand-by recipes is Taco Meat . That recipe is nearly similar to the one I use, except that I make my own taco seasoning packet, and really only try to make it when I can find the ground beef on sale for about 99-cents a pound. Did you know that if you rinse your ground beef, even if it started out as the fattiest cut (let's say 70/30) it will be leaner than even one of the leanest cut you can buy?! I just told my 83-year-old grandma about that little trick the other day. Since I was feeling adventurous, in this last batch I used some store-bought Habanero Salsa. The taco meat is so scorching spicy, I think we'll have to eat about 20% meat, 40% sour cream and 40% cheese in each taco! Better than throwing it away, I 'spose.



Another family favorite is Swiss Chicken. The recipe I've always used has white cooking wine in place of the water/broth & I just usually use whatever condensed soup I have on hand or that someone has given us. I bought a big bag of seasoned stuffing on clearance awhile back & have been using it for this recipe ever since. A bit of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter in place of the real butter helps to lower the calorie content too.


A new recipe that I tried last weekend was these Jalapeno Cheddar Scones. I served them with some easy homemade Chili (destined for the freezer!) and they were super delish. A friend just happened to have some jalapenos on her kitchen counter, so I helped myself to a couple. I froze a few of the scones and passed on a few to a friend with a new baby. These are so yummy and are a great change-up from my usual cornbread-with-chili menu. Next time, I'm making a bigger batch! The blog that this recipe came from is a MUST READ. I have been away for far too long & look forward to drooling on my keyboard catching up with all the yummy recipe goodness. ( I think next week, on our week off of school, we will be diving into some of these Apple Cider Donuts!)

And I've saved the best for last. I have successfully frozen little patties of cookie dough from the recipe The Whole Jar of Peanut Butter Cookies. I *love* being able to whip out a homemade dessert on a moment's notice. We are able to have a tasty treat after supper on many occasions, since the dough is already prepared. I think a nice homemade sweet treat also makes us all feel special, regardless of our severely reduced income and grocery budget. I simply follow the recipe, chill the dough, use a cookie scoop to portion out, dip a fork in sugar to make the classic criss-cross design, then flash freeze and bag up. Bake 'em at 350° F for 13 minutes. Or, you could just eat them straight out the freezer, with your husband,  and the freezer door still wide open, pretending that this-is-perfectly-normal-since-they-do-sell-ice-cream-with-cookie-dough-in-it, all the while saying "Mmmm. Mmmm. Good."

Not that I'm saying I've ever done that.

Nope. Not me.

Hope you enjoyed this peek into my freezer. Got any goodies in yours?

Good Eats & Artisan Bread

Still-recovering-from-nausea Foodie here! I *so* missed being able to read about food & actually enjoy it! I was kinda living vicariously through several food blogs, since I've been unable to cook as much as I'd like and eat as much as I'd like. {Sure helps with the pregnancy weight gain though!} Here are two of the bloggy kitchens {complete with mini-reviews} you'll find me in on any given day:

Smitten Kitchen : I nearly moved into this kitchen for awhile there. The food photography is just downright amazing, not to mention the recipes seeming downright delicious! A "must" for any food-lover.

Simply Recipes: I've been slowly changing my cooking style from somewhat purist/pretentious to a little more simple. *Gasp*, I know. Great straightforward {a.k.a. uncomplicated} yet creative recipes of all types, neatly organized into different categories, and nicely photogged. Perfect.

Speaking of good eats, yesterday morning I made this:


Even I'm impressed with myself. I made it following this recipe. Seriously. No kneading! It totally fits into my new "simpler is better" philosophy. My old-fashioned grandma could not believe that all you need is 1/4 t. of yeast. For anyone who bakes, you'll know that that is a crazy amount, barely any at all! It's an artisan-style bread, crusty on the outside, slightly chewy yet tender on the inside. You can't really cut it into neat slices because of the open craggy interior. It's more of a tear-it-by-hand type loaf.


I loved it slightly warm, spread with butter. A tiny drizzle of honey would've been the proverbial cherry on top, but alas, I was all out. The second loaf is fermenting as we speak for baking off tomorrow. So super simple & super yummy to boot. Two thumbs up from the kiddos as well!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Toasted Pecan Filling

The art of creating is a big part of me. It is both energizing & relaxing. The excitement of ideas. The work of my hands. Beholding the crafting of something new. What with all my most-of-the-day-sickness though, the only thing I've been creating is a new life, and well, it doesn't quite have the same effect. All this to say....

....my inner chef was withering.

I would lovingly gaze at cookbooks or my latest issue of Fine Cooking & wonder when I would be able to create in the kitchen again. Nuking a Lean Cuisine doesn't count. So Saturday, while the kids & hubby were all away, I created.


I measured. I sifted. I whisked. I chopped. I picked a somewhat involved recipe and I enjoyed every step. I made sure to relish the quality time with my Kitchenaid Mixer. I smelled everything. I remembered how much I love the smell of cinnamon. Aaaaah......

And after nearly an hour and a half of preparing & baking time, I had this:

Seems like the cake inflated and swallowed up 3/4 of the streusel on top. Either that, or it was baker's error. No. It was probably the first one. It was everything I'd hoped for. A very tender crumb. {I even processed regular sugar to make it super-fine, for the love of all things baked.} Crunch from the streusel, what little survived. Swirls of slightly chocolately, cinnamony, nutty filling. {Toasting the nuts before making the filling really enhanced their nuttiness.} The best part was that it wasn't cloyingly sweet. No toothaches upon first bite.

It was just what my little inner chef needed.

ATTENTION: No calories were transmitted to your body through our computer screens during the reading of this post. Enjoy without guilt!

res-o-lute

res-o-lute: adj. Having a decided purpose; determined; resolved; fixed in a determination; hence, bold; firm; steady.

From which we get the word "resolution", as in the New Year's variety. Anyone make those? I really hardly do, mostly because before Memorial Day arrives I'd forgotten what it was I resolved to do. I'm guessing those sorts of resolutions wouldn't have fit the definition at all. Had I truly been determined, resolved, bold, I would not so easily abandon my purpose. These last two years, I have had the same resolution, which I have not forgotten: not to put undue burden on the family budget. I have had income from my part-part-part time job, which I tried to use for as many family wants & needs as possible.

I know many people decide to read through the Bible in a year or lose XX number of pounds, which, are noble things to purpose towards. I'm wondering though, by April are they still only half-way through Genesis and stopping at the McDonald's drive-thru for a greasy Quarter Pounder? {YUM! Haven't had me one of those in forever.....} But I digress.

So, since I believe that if you don't know what you're aiming for, you'll never hit your target, here are my "aims" or resolutions if you will, for 2009. I've narrowed it down to three, simple and practical things:

Number One: Return to my pre-pregnancy weight before the end of the year. Our sweet pea #4 is officially due August 2nd, which should leave me plenty of time on the calendar to accomplish this, especially if I can manage not to gain more than 25 pounds.

Number Two: Read 12 books. Any twelve. Some for fun. Some for personal and spiritual growth. But just keep reading. It's actually something I truly love, but had not done too much of due to my previous TV watching habits. So many things can be accomplished without cable TV.....

Number Three: Try 12 new recipes. That's really not very many. Only one new recipe per month. There are so many things that I've always wanted to try making from scratch, but just never get around to: croissants, white bean chicken chili, ravioli, lobster bisque, homemade candy, orange chicken.

Do you make New Year's Resolutions? What's slated for '09?

P.S. For a wonderful guided reflection of 2008, be sure not to miss this post at Simple Mom.

A Snapshot

Of life at the moment.

Thinkin' about: Thanksgiving, what else?

Not looking forward to: Hubby being out of town.

Totally diggin': Cookthink {might I add that this is super genious?! Searching for something that you're craving instead of/in addition to specific recipes?}

Reading: A Woman's High Calling {It's so good, I might just get the growth & study guide....}

Working towards: Making my home a haven {I'm considering this} and a losing a few pounds

Planning: The Thanksgiving Edition

I remember an older post about how I felt like I was always planning. {I thought this post was maybe a year old. Turns out its a little older than that. I've been blogging for that long??!!} Well, it's that time again. We will be hosting Thanksgiving this year, followed by Sebastian's first birthday, followed by, of course, Christmas and New Year's. This post will feature my Thanksgiving planning, followed by posts to detail the other two events.

First I chose the time. 3 pm for dinner. It may seem a little early to some, but I have a few guests who drive 2 hours to get here, so I wanted to be sensitive to their return time. Next up, menu. I only have a rough outline so far. I plan on doing many of my old familiar recipes, along with some newer ones. I'm getting more and more untraditional as far as Thanksgiving goes, but of course I don't want to freak out my die-hard old-fashioned guests. My menu in progress:

Turkey: Rosemary Breasts & Smoked (?) Legs
Potato Dish: Potato & Leek Gratin
Sweet Potato Dish: Spiced Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Green Veg: Green Beans with fried Shallots (?)
Stuffing: Crock-pot Stuffing with Sausage, Mushroom & Apple
Bread: probably rolls of some sort with a loaf of some sort
Condiments: store bought gravy & Cranberry Zinfandel Sauce
Dessert #1: Rustic Pumpkin Pie
Dessert #2: Pecan Pie (?)

Thanksgiving, for me, is like the World Series, Super Bowl & World Cup all rolled into one. I am willing to include lots of touching details since it is just once a year. {Of course, to see how well I work under stress, I HAD to have a baby - birthday - the week after Thanksgiving.....} I plan to send out Thanksgiving invitations, but haven't been successful in finding inspiration for those. Still need to decide if I want to do buffet or family-style. I kind of enjoy the Norman Rockwell appeal of family-style, but buffet style would mean more room at the table. Now for the Thanksgiving table eye candy for our viewing pleasure:

:: first six images are Country Living - last three are Martha Stewart ::

The Martha Stewart images are all clickable for project directions! The kids could easily be involved with assembling some of these table decorations. I love the gratitude sayings wrapped around the glasses. Those will definitely be part of my tablescape this year! I have always like the idea of setting 5 kernels of corn at each placesetting, as a reminder that some days, that was all the Pilgrims had to eat. Another idea that will on my table!

So, there ya have it. My preliminary plan for the best food-related holiday of the year.

Thoughts?

Easy Eggplant Parmesan

In an effort to slim down a little, I'm trying to keep my palate excited by trying new things. This week: eggplant. I went to a really great produce market with sooooo many vegetables. They actually had three (!) different varieties of eggplant! So, I came up with this recipe, based loosely on a recipe I found here. It is a much lighter version that the traditional eggplant parmesan as the slices are baked, not fried, and I am not using layer upon layer of sauce & cheese. Also, no need to bake for 40 minutes, as I just broil the top til brown.

1 medium eggplant
kosher salt
2 eggs
2 c. panko {coarse} breadcrumbs
1/4 c. parmesan
italian seasoning {if desired}

2 c. spaghetti sauce
1 c. shredded mozzarella
1/4 c. parmesan

Peel the eggplant and cut into 1/2" thick slices, discarding the very top & bottom. Sprinkle slices with kosher salt and leave to drain on a wire rack or some paper towels for 30 minutes. Pat dry. Preheat oven to 450° F. Mix together the breadcrumbs, parmesan and italian seasoning. Beat the eggs well. Dip each slice of eggplant first into the eggs, then into the breadcrumb mixture coating well on each side. Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 5-7 minutes per side or until golden brown. Place the eggplant in a 9x13" dish. Warm the spaghetti sauce, either in a pan or micro, and pour it over the top {you can use more or less to taste}. Sprinkle with the cheeses, again adding more or less as desired. Broil until golden brown on top. Serve alongside whole wheat pasta.

Cooking Without an Oven

Yeah. ASK ME HOW I KNOW. Remember the saying, "You don't know what you've got until it's gone." Well, I realize how much I do love baking. Call me weird, but I even bake pizza rolls & chicken fingers when I could just put them in the micro. Everything just tastes better baked. So, in case you ever find yourself without an oven {three weeks and counting, folks!}, here are some ideas of meals you could make:

Tacos
Chili
Any kind of soup: I recently made a yummy homemade Tomato soup ;>)
Breakfast for dinner: Sausage, Bacon, Waffles, Pancakes, French Toast, Eggs
Pasta: last night it was this, or Spaghetti, or Mac & Cheese
Pan-seared Chicken w/sides
Anything in the Crockpot: I've made this a few times {OAMC!!}
Sandwiches & Salad

I wished it weren't so freezing out, or else I'd be out grilling every night. Thankfully, my oven-less days will be coming to an end next weekend. We are inheriting a hand-me down stove from the in-laws. Gotta love a free solution!