Finding a Happy Place

The week of Christmas for our household was probably one of- if not the worst it will see in its entire history together. We didn’t have nasty feuding families or uncomfortable long drives to far off places with blizzards abounding. We had a 3 letter word completely and utterly consume our entire household.

FLU
 
Sounds simple enough, but with 4 sick children, a sick husband and  holiday dishes to be made for the 3 Christmas’ we were to attend in a matter of  days it made it, at best difficult. But to top off our fiasco sundae, I had a surprise planned out for the kids. The mother of all Christmas gifts that they would only see once in their childhood from us. One that I had prepped, planned, thought out, researched and obsessed over since the Christmas before when one of our friends did the same for their children. The one place every little kid dreams about and hears the quintessential music and castle come floating across the TV screen and the twinkle of a fairy spells out the happiest place on Earth-

 

~Disneyland~

 

I had every (literally every) detail planned out. Christmas morning my happy excited children would find a ginormous box sitting in front of the tree with a big red bow, and as the classic “when you wish upon a star” played in the background the box would open with Mickey mouse balloons floating everywhere with the ever typical mouse ears inside with custom made shirts with their names ever so sweetly typed out in Walt Disney font saying “I’m going to Disneyland”. The kids would scream and we would all cry and they would tell us how excited and appreciative they were!

 Perfect right?!

You’re crying aren’t you?  

 Like a scene from a movie it would play out perfectly…..

 And just 8 days after our perfect Christmas morning, we would pack the car as flawlessly as I had planned from pinterest, drive 12 hours straight because of course we would make excellent time and only stop for gas as our kids slept perfectly the whole way to Anaheim.

 Delusional does not even begin to describe how I was thinking, I know.

 
 Once the Plague had set into motion just 3 days before Christmas I has coughing, sneezing, achy, fever ridden children. The day before Christmas Eve the big bomb set in with my husband getting the worst of it. Not to mention we had the bright idea that year to spend the night at great grandmas so she could see all the kids together on Christmas morning. So after drugging the kids and Heath with all medications known to man kind, scrubbing them off in the bath, dressing every member of my household (barely myself) and packing all the items needed for the ever magical surprise box that they couldn’t see until the next morning, all their clothes for the next day and pharmaceuticals to keep them running. Oh- and don’t forget the presents for the 2 Christmas’ in less then 5 hours of each other.

Once we made it through the evening and got the sniffling children and husband to bed I stay up until after midnight making the magic box. In the morning I was met with over tired, sick children, upset that they had to even be out of bed and wondering why Santa had only brought a big box with (supposed) promises of something that was over a week away!

Deflation sets in along with exhaustion.  

The ever present illness then consumed our next 8 days with my husband having  double pneumonia to the point we were worried about even being able to go on our trip- making our already skeptical, barely recovered children question the validity of this “supposed” trip. Once the doctor finally gave clearance I perfectly packed each bag, even put the car carrier on top of the car by myself, looked up gas station, planned out our eating stops and how I would be able to drive the entire trip so heath could continue to rest and I would still manage to conquer our vacation as planned.

I again am in complete denial of our current situation as you can see, and continue with my “perfectly planned” trip.

I will spare you the complete details but after having a crying baby the majority of the drive, myself nauseated and puking my guts out, some even while in rush hour traffic while driving, Heath ended up taking over and driving for most of the trip. After 17 long and grueling hours we finally made it to Anaheim.

The very next day I loaded everyone up for the first day in the park. I was fuming because we were late getting out the door (NOT according to my park plan print out) and  trying to manage all the details again and figure out where to park, catch the shuttle, load all food, water bottles, hats, signature books, pin lanyards oh- and kids, was completely taking its toll.

Then it happened.

We walked through the entrance, the music played, the looks of wonder and marvel and pure magic struck my children’s faces.

 
They were here- really here

And like bees to honey they were taking it all in. They wanted to see every thing, do everything, watch everything, and ride everything. As an adult- being able to see the real magic happen before your eyes was worth all the sickness, loss of plans and utter chaos I had gone through those past weeks to get to that moment. We spent the entire week not following much of a plan.  It wasn’t the way I wanted. It wasn’t the way I had planned it- but it was, in the words of Mary Poppins; practically perfect in every way.

We had the delight of being able to cook our own meals in the townhouse we rented. So here was a meal that made for a magical evening.

Green Chile Cheesy Chicken

4 small chicken breasts, pounded thin

salt and pepper to taste

1 drained 4 oz. can of chopped green chiles

6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

8 slices bacon

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a medium mixing bowl combine cream cheese cheddar, and green chiles.

Lay the chicken flat, season both sides with salt and pepper, place 1/4 of the on the chicken and roll them up.

Wrap each chicken breast with 2 slices of bacon and place them in a baking dish.

Bake about 25-35 minutes

I Am Not My Mother

I am not my mother.



Not in a resentful, distain of possibly being her, I’m just not. As far back as I can remember she has been the epitome of motherly perfection. She never forgets a face, name or birthday. She even remembers to send cards for anniversaries and, graduations. She also sends Halloween, Easter, St. Patrick’s Day and Thanksgiving cards to each of her 17 grandchildren across the US- ON TIME. In 1983 my parents lived in Colorado Springs Colorado, there was a shuttle landing at the NASA site in Denver  just a few days after my birth and my parents decided to go. At that point my mom was able to fit back into her size 6 jeans- and still wears a sixe 6 at age 60. In the midst of one day in her life she can bake bread for church, drop of her weekly purchase of donations, bring me the shirts she irons every week for the boys, sew a dress for an upcoming event, manage the books for my fathers business, pick the strawberries, tomatoes, onions and zucchini she grew in her garden, mow the neighbors pasture with the tractor and oh- help birth a calf. She makes lists, eats a balanced meal at every meal, can craft anything, sew anything, bake anything, grow anything, raise anything and pretty much should wear a cape and mask.

 

When my husband and I got married in 2003, I had this standard in my mind of how I should be as a wife and mom. A do all, be all mother who can conquers everything in an orderly, organized fashion. For those who know me well enough are probably on the floor choking on my words knowing I am the most unorganized, distractible, spontaneous person you could probably meet. First of all I forget everything, so when buying cards for family members, I either loose them or forget to send them. In high school I somehow managed to wear a size 3 but by the end of my first term in college I was a size 10 and have fluctuated after 4 kids between a 14 down to an 8 back up to a 12 and have managed to work my way back down to a 10 since the birth of our last child, but thanksgiving is coming so I’m sure that will change. My daily life consist of me trying to clean my house but inevitable failing between multiple distractions and children so I end up with a half made poorly done pinterest project, 2 sheets of burnt cookies, dead plants in the back yard, a stack of filing for my husbands business that has been sitting there for weeks, a giant pile of half folded laundry that isn’t put away and 4 kids going to bed an hour past bed time after having Tostinos pizza for dinner…again. I am not my mother.

 

About halfway through the past 10 years I began to resent the fact that I had none of my mother’s talents. I was too unorganized, too distracted to be able to be like her. My mom, my husband, and my kids had never asked me to be those things. I was putting it on myself.

 

But why?

 

 If my family was accepting of who I was then why was I finding all the ways each day how I wasn’t the Martha Stewart, wife of the year, etsy store, organized list maker, pinterest project, organic food, perfectionist, homeschooling mom I wanted to be?

 

 

 

7 years ago I joined a national organization called MOPS- which stands for Moms of Preschoolers.  these women are truely amazing. We all come from different backgrounds, families and belief systems. There have been days where I didn't have time nor energy to go to a meeting, but once I got there I was so glad I did. We meet twice a month during the school year and enjoy adult conversation (a must when a parent of preschoolers), great food and various activities and speakers. Of course it’s like any mommy meeting at first. The feeling of not wanting the rest of them to know what a wholly mess you are, but by the end of the first month you’re comparing war stories about poopie pants and worst mom of the year award winning moments. It was within this group (and during a pregnancy) that I had a complete and utter meltdown. And yes, they still speak to me. At the time I was working, and still attempting to be the all perfect homemaker mom. A speaker was coming to talk about balance in our schedules. As she spoke it came about that she married a man with children and had not had them as babies. I in turn, {again pregnant and hormonal} began to sob uncontrollably. The cure I was seeking to my never-ending unstructured self was not to be found. As I went on my babbling rampage to these poor women, they all began to say the same thing I was. How they felt like they could do more, be more, to be better wives and moms. In that moment it dawned on me that I wasn’t alone. That maybe that one thing was what made us great made me great; the want and need to be better for our families. From a child’s perspective my mom was perfect. I now honestly believe that is the ultimate goal. I can’t be a perfect someone else. I can only be a perfect me; for my husband, my kids, my family and my friends. I know now my mom is somewhat of an exception to the rule, and I’m grateful for it, but I’m also grateful for being so unorganized that I forget to go to a meeting because I would rather watch a movie with my husband. Distractible enough to spend the whole day doing what I love in my kitchen instead of mopping floors. Spontaneous enough to build a fort in my livingroom and not fold the laundry. So for my fellow messy moms- here is a sure fire, last minute meal for those movies, fort, baking days;

 

 

Zucchini Casserole

8 cups sliced zucchini

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 cup mayo

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1 small onion, chopped

1 packages sliced and sautéed hotdogs or 1-2 packs crumbled bacon pieces

Salt & pepper to taste

Butter

Crushed up rice krispies or corn flakes

Bring a pot of water to boil, enough o sustain the amount of zucchini.  Drop in sliced zucchini and boil until just tender but not too long. Drain well.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine egg, mayo, Parmesan cheese, onion, protien and salt & pepper. Mix well. Add drained zucchini and mix.
3. Butter a large pie plate and pour zucchini mix into pie plate. Melt butter and mix with desired topping and sprinkle over casserole.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour until bubbly.

 

Note: for a lighter version use light mayo and omit topping.

 

In songs of Solomon 4:7 it says “You are all together beautiful my love, there is no flaw in you”.  God created us just as he wanted us to be. Not like another mom, but just us.

 

A Beautiful Mess.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Kill it- You Cook it

I remember being a little girl and dreaming about the man I would someday marry. I don't think I could even offend my husband with the statement that dead animals would not be the base of any little girls prince charming. farmer-maybe, hunter...mmm..OK, but Taxidermist? I knew a six to seven figure a year, large company CPA was not in my future, just because I wasn't that kind of girl, but I definitely did not prepare myself for the strange looks- sudden gulps and squished faces when I declare- " he's a taxidermist." Mind you I am not ashamed of the job that puts a roof over my head and clothes on my children's back. Heath is an artist and a craftsmen and I applaud him each and everyday. That being said- I know its weird.

The two most annoying questions I got when we were engaged were " Are you going to let him hang that stuff in the house?" and because I was a culinary arts major, " remind me not to eat dinner at your house?! Ha-Ha!"...yeah...real funny. We don't eat skunk or raccoon, I have all my teeth and no one is playing a banjo in the background. We are a fully functioning {semi} normal family, no old tires in the front yard, and yes we have running water. We have head mounts in the house but they do not look like an ominous creature with crooked eyes bulging from its head like you see in crime shows where the guy has a dead body in his freezer. It's a business just like an auto mechanic or a welder. We provide a service to hunters, and to my surprise over the past decade of my marriage, its a thriving business. Each year his business grows and we see people of all income brackets come through the door. And to be honest, in my opinion, they are the best customers a business could ask for. They are kind and caring, and are more like friends and family then just another sale. We get spoiled by our customer too. Some spend so much time in the woods that they literally give us meat out of their freezer because they have too much. OK-for the moms out there reading this still being skeptical and wrinkling your face let me put it in these terms;

envision someone walking through the door and giving you 10 pounds of hamburger, 6 bottom round roasts (about 5 lbs. a piece), and 3 packages of steaks, about a pound a piece. All organic, grass fed meat from a local sustainable source-for FREE. Crunch those numbers, un-crunch your face and tell me I'm not onto something! The protein we get not only reduces my grocery bill but guarantees my kids, the best option there is available. This also gives me the freedom to create all kinds of things with the various cuts we end up getting.
Most people I think are scared to cook game meat, I know I was. You spend your whole life with pork, beef and chicken and then you try to cook this thing that once had horns and you don't even know where to begin. You've heard the rumors about it being gamey and your great aunt  Bertha cooked it one time and it was either deep fried and smothered in gravy or dry and chalky. Trust me when I say this- its just like BEEF! I know, I know, its like the saying it's just like chicken, but I'm serious. Its a dark meat that is simply leaner, has less cholesterol and when handled correctly, has only a slightly different taste then beef and is not gamey at all. Sure everyone likes something deep fried and covered in gravy but Aunt Bertha weights 260 pounds for a reason. No one can live on a diet like that and to be honest, you loose so much of the flavor. If you become lucky enough to harvest a deer or elk yourself or like us, have it given to you, here is a recipe we love;

Salt Crusted Wild Roast
1-3 to 5lb. Deer or Elk Roast
1/3 c. olive oil
1/4 c. minced onion
1-2 tbsp. minced garlic (depending on your taste)
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. herbes de provence
1 cup kosher salt

combine oil, onion, garlic, pepper and herbes in a heavy plastic bag. Add roast and insure it it coated in the mixture. Refrigerate overnight. Remove from bag and let set on a  roasting rack lined with foil until room temperature. preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using hands, message the kosher salt all over the surface of the roast, generously heaping some on the top. Bake for 1-2 hours- depending on your roast size. Roast should reach 140 degrees before removing from oven, longer if you prefer it less pink. remove from oven and let stand for 10-15 minutes. remove salt crust and slice as desired.


The next is a somewhat deceptive recipe I created to get my kids to eat cauliflower and makes a great, earthy side to a hearty roast like the one above.

Creamy Cauliflower Potatoes

3 large red potatoes, NOT peeled
3 cups cauliflower pieces- fresh or frozen ( if frozen thawed)
tbsp. salted butter
1/2 c. heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Dice potatoes and place in a large pot with cauliflower pieces and  heavily salted water. bring to boil and cook until potatoes and cauliflower are soft but not mushy, about 10 minutes. drain well. in the same pot heat the heavy cream and butter until melted. add in the potatoes and cauliflower and using a potato masher press out the potatoes and cauliflower. In the event you have big chunks of cauliflower, pulse with a stick blender but remember, your making smashed potatoes-not baby food. Add salt and pepper to taste
You can add in bacon pieces, cheese, whatever you want to doctor them up- but don't tell the kids about the cauliflower.

As the hunting season falls upon us and your husband has a friend who wants to take him hunting- shove him out the door! it will save you some time from couponing.

Summer Storm

Most people live by a schedule- as for myself I have found that with 4 kids it works best to have one- but sticking to it ( again 4 kids) generally ends in more havoc then its worth at times. During the summer months for our family I always find our family in a state of discombobulated order. We have a bedtime- but it could be 7:30 or 10:30. We have regular meals- like chicken ala’ McDonalds. I will say my one saving grace for my family’s health during the busy summer months is the barbecue. I truly love it. Unfortunately for me I do not have one of those husbands who slaves over a grill during and cooks a steak to perfection

Yea….that would be me..


He is gladly willing and able to eat whatever I make though- such a good sport!

Anyway, this month is particular was probably the busiest one we have had in the 10 years we have been married. We had out of town guest 2 different times, County fair (that I volunteer at), a HUGE community wide garage sale that went on for 4 days ( plus clean up and take down), and now we are gearing up for our 4 kids’ giant birthday bash. I have finally found the floor of my living room and felt a need to disconnect from the mop and vacuum and spread a little summer recipe cheer. For those of you who are currently living my nightmare reality, I have a great tried and true summer pasta salad recipe that is always a crowd pleaser, super easy to make, goes great with any grilled protein or kabob, and can stay in the fridge for days. In our opinion its better the next day after the pasta soaks up the dressing.



Summer Pasta Salad

1 lb. cooked, drained, rinsed and cooled tri-color pasta

1 ½ c. finely diced sharp cheddar cheese

1 large tomato diced

2 green onions sliced

1 cucumber seeded and diced

1 ½ c. ham diced

1c. canola oil

¼ c. apple cider vinegar

¼ c. lemon juice

2 tbsp. ranch dressing mix


Mix together cooled pasta and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar and ranch dressing mix until well blended. Pour desired amount of dressing over salad and toss. Note: if stored overnight the salad will absorb some of the dressing so more can be applied later on.

~ This recipe is one my mom has made every summer for as long as I can remember and is a summer barbeque staple. Thanks Mom! ~

April Showers

  It seems this time of year always makes me smile. Well at least those days where the sun comes out and it surprises you with beautiful 65 degree weather when you least expected it. Of course the following day (or days for us valley dwellers) ends up being a wet mess and makes us long even more for the sunshine. This time of year seems to always be shower season, not in the sense of the beloved Oregon rain, but in baby and bridal showers as well. My mom and I had the pleasure of putting on an event this past weekend for our very longtime family friends. They recently had become grandparents and wanted to have a baby welcoming, and have it be family friendly- dads and spouses included. Now I know most men try to avoid events like this due to the usual lack of other males present but seeing how this was more of a “come meet the baby” then an actual shower with games and prizes, we planned that some men would actually brave the weather so to speak! We knew we wanted small appetizers and hor dourves but how can you make them more appealing to the testosterone in the room?  I mean everyone knows a guy likes to eat. The more fanciful things we could make would not only leave them sniffing the food at the buffet line but eventually asking that beloved, non-adventurous question of

 “What’s in this?”  

Speaking for the males in my family, if it has meat, starch, cheese - OK, and lets not forget some sort of condiment I’m usually safe. So why not play off of the caveman appetite? And that was when I had an idea; a His and Hers Menu! This would allow the men to feel safe with their usual favorites but with a nicer spin on it, and then an adjacent ladies sort of upgraded version.

His Menu

Mini Meatloaf Cupcakes with Creamy Potato Frosting

Hot Wing Dip

Pulled Pork Sliders on Mini Pretzel Buns

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper Bites

Her Menu

French Fried Onion and Mushroom Canapés

Cool Cucumber Vegetable Dip

Tarragon Shrimp Sliders on Mini Pretzel Buns

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

So you don’t get EVERY recipe this time, but here are a few to wet your appetite;

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Popper Bites

• 20 whole Fresh Jalapenos, 2-3 Inches In Size
• 2 cubes Cream Cheese, softened
• 2 pound Thin(regular) Bacon, Sliced Into Thirds

If you have them, slip on some latex gloves for the pepper prep... Cut jalapenos in half, length-wise. With a spoon, remove the seeds and white membrane. Cut each half into half again, making a perfect bite sized piece. Fill a Ziploc bag with cream cheese and snip of the end to pipe out into each jalapeno bite. Wrap jalapeno with bacon pieces (1/3 slice). Secure by sticking toothpick through the middle.

Bake on a pan with a rack in a 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes. You don’t want the bacon to shrink too much so if, after 20 minutes, the bacon doesn’t look brown enough, just turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes to finish it off. Serve warm or at room temperature.

French Fried Onion and Mushroom Canapés

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 4-ounces canned mushroom pieces and stems, drained
• one 2.8-ounce can french-fried onions
• 1 loaf cheap white sandwich bread

Lay out slices of bread and using an inch and half size cookie cutter, cut out rounds. Reserve the crust and remaining bread for other use. ( it freezes really well, and the last time we used it for croutons). Generously spray a cookie sheet with spray oil and place the bread round on sheet. Sprinkle the tops with garlic and onion powder. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp. In a bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, Parmesan, mushrooms, and onions. Spread on lightly toasted party rye or pumpernickel. Top each baked round with mixture and broil until brown and bubbly

Mini Meatloaf Cupcakes with Creamy Potato Frosting

• 1 pound Ground Beef ( or in our case elk or venison)
• 1 cup Whole Wheat Bread diced into small pieces
• ½ a Medium Onion, Diced
• 1 whole Egg, Lightly Beaten
• ½ cup Ketchup
• 2 teaspoons Salt
• 1 teaspoon Pepper

• 1 ½  pounds Potatoes, Peeled And Cubed

• ½ sticks Butter

• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ cup Evaporated Milk
• ½ cup fresh Chopped Chives

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line mini tartlet tray with aluminum  mini foil baking cup liners. Mix ground beef, bread pieces, onion, eggs, salt, pepper and ketchup. Using a small scoop, fill each cup with meatloaf mixture. Filling will be slightly above the liners in a mounded shape simulating the finished cupcake shape since the mixture won’t rise. Bake for 20 minutes or until done. Boil peeled and cubed potatoes for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain in a colander and return to pot. Add butter and salt. With a mixer, beat on medium until completely smooth. Add evaporated milk. When meatloaves are done, remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes. Remove the foil liners from the trays. Be careful because the edges may stick to the trays. Separate with a knife if this happens and lift out of the trays. The meat will have shrunk a little and some grease will be in the bottom of the liners so be careful. Place onto desired serving dish. Spoon potatoes into a large ziploc bag with the corner cut off and pipe potatoes on top of meatloaves in a swirling motion. Sprinkle the tops with chopped chives. Serve warm.

Cool Cucumber Vegetable Dip

·         2 whole cucumbers, peeled and seeded

·         1 bell pepper cored and seeded

·         3 stalks celery, ends removed

·         1 onion, peeled and ends removed, cut in half

·         3 lbs. cream cheese, softened

·         ¼ c. mayonnaise

Take cream cheese and pulse in food processor. Add vegetables one at a time. Finish with mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper to taste. This batch makes a ton, so you can cut in half if needed.

Prosciutto wrapped Asparagus

• 7 oz. prosciutto, sliced
• 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 or 2 bundles of  fresh asparagus, trimmed well and ends removed

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread prosciutto slices with cream cheese. Cut each of them into 4 strips lengthwise.  Twist and Wrap slices around each asparagus spear. Arrange wrapped spears in a single layer on a medium baking sheet. Bake 10- 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until asparagus is tender or their green color turns very vibrant.  Serve warm, cold or at room temperature

We had no casualties as a result of a couples shower. It was a pretty nice day. Lots of baby cooing and cuddling and so far no complaints about the food. Even during the clean up part, we noticed most of the plates were completely clean. Events like these are always fun because not only are you doing them for people you care about but the small intricate bites give a smorgasbord to your guest. I always have trouble at a restaurant deciding what to get becuase I wat to try it all, and a menu like this gives you exactly that option.  

We have another event coming up next month and a family dinner this weekend so look for yet another blog very soon!

Being recognized for something is always fulfilling. It gives you a sense of accomplishment and worth. In motherhood it can be a little less rewarding- like when your child thanks you for holding their hair when they are throwing up, or your husband tells you that “dinner was great”. Even though you thought it was awful. My life centers on my children and our business so the recognition I hope to gain is generally not for myself,  but in the accomplishments of my husband as an artist and my kids in school, manners and making it to the potty in time.  But since I have started my food adventures I find my blog and the comments I receive personally fulfilling that this is something I was meant to do. Even if I only have 4 followers..

Just last week I was working on contest stuff for our County Fair (for those who do not know, my mom and I are the superintendents of the baked goods department). I was sending emails and setting up conference calls all while doing laundry, scouring the house after a 2 week flu stint and making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I took a minute to check my emails- and I had one subjected “Food Blog. It reads like this;

LaurelLynne,

We were given some information about your cooking ideas and I was wondering if you would feel comfortable about being featured on our food page. It would include an interview with me and a photographer while cooking something.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks,

Amanda Robbins

Albany Democrat-Herald

I was floored.

Sure I write a blog and talk to any moving body about my cooking but was I worthy of being on the food page? I mean I know it’s not the New York Times but still, it’s a notable accomplishment and recognition for someone as detached from the REAL food industry as me.

I then spent the last week planning, cleaning preparing, shopping and tweaking my recipes. I had trouble sleeping, and was probably nervous for the first time I can remember in a long time. I even recruited Payton to be my little assistant.

Then- Today was the day-

They would be here at 10 am and I needed to turn into Ina Garten or Paula Deen and make it look flawless, flavorful and fabulous. In My mass preparation and alterations I picked this menu because I have always been a fan of cooking with the seasons. We are coming into spring- ok, we are supposed to be, but this is when those light dishes and fresh salads start showing up in restaurants and food websites. Farmers markets will be starting up soon and with the hope of SOME nice weather we will even be barbequing before we know it.  Each one of them is a table please- nice to look at and full of flavor.

Shrimp, Avocado and Tarragon Sandwich

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons drained capers, finely chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons diced red onion

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

2 dashes pepper sauce

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, room temperature

2/3 loaf of focaccia cut into 6 sandwiches

1 pound peeled deveined large shrimp

2 tablespoons diced red bell pepper

1 ripe avocado chopped and mashed- seasoned with salt and pepper

Green leaf or butter leaf lettuce

1.         Get a large pot of salted water boiling. Add the shrimp and reduce heat to medium. Cook uncovered for 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl of cool water. Drain shrimp and chop coarsely. Mix the shrimp, first 5 ingredients and bell pepper in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and more hot sauce, if desired. Lightly butter cut sides of focaccia bread and place on cookie sheet, butter side up. Heat broiler and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Spread avocado over bottom of each bun. Top with shrimp mixture and lettuce, if desired. Cover with top buns. Transfer to plate or wrap for later use.

Focaccia Bread

2 ½ cups AP Flour

¼ c. Bobs Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten Flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 ½ teaspoons herbes de provence

1 pinch ground black pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup water

2 tablespoons olive oil

1.                      In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, sugar, yeast, garlic, herb and black pepper. Mix in the vegetable oil and water.

2.                      When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.

3.                      Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Punch dough down; place on greased baking sheet. Pat into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Using fingers poke divots into dough. Brush top with olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm or allow to cool for use in sandwiches.

Asparagus Salad

1 pound asparagus, ends removed, cut into thirds

2 red bell peppers cored and seeded

4 scallions sliced

3/4 c. canola oil

¼ c. apple cider vinegar

¼ c. soy sauce

2 tbsp. sesame oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

4 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1.         Blanch asparagus in boiling water for 3-5 minutes, then drain and plunge into ice cold water. Drain again. Cut peppers into thin strips, the same length as the asparagus. Combine the pepper, sliced scallions and asparagus in a bowl. Meanwhile whisk together remaining ingredients and pour over vegetables. Season to taste. Serve either at room temperature or chilled.

My reasons for picking the menu I did were because I have always been a fan of cooking with the seasons. We are coming into spring- ok, we are supposed to be, but this is when those light dishes and fresh salads start showing up in restaurants and food websites. Farmers markets will be starting up soon and with the hope of SOME nice weather we will even be barbequing before we know it.  Each one of these is a table please- nice to look at and full of flavor.

As I went through each recipe and was chopping, slicing, blanching and rinsing, I found myself messing up on my steps out of sheer nervousness. But why?? You would have thought I was cooking for Gordon Ramsey!! The reporter asked me a vast array of questions, including how I started cooking, what I like to cook the most, and what is my favorite part about cooking. The one question that stumped me the most was “what would you tell someone wanting to learn how to cook?” I sort of stood there and had to think- and generally for me the words easily come flying out of my mouth. But then I said the one thing I should have said to myself through the whole process-

Don’t be afraid.

Just like anything, all I had to do was be myself, and the rest would fall into place as it was meant to be. Who knows if anything will come from the article, but someday I can look back and say- you know what- I did that.

Start From Scratch

Any stay at home mom would tell you, stress in inevitable. Anyone who owns their own business would tell you the same thing. Low and behold, I happen to fall under all accounts, and since I come naturally with a slightly shorter fuse then most, my snappy responses tend to flourish. Not to mention I come form a long lineage of smartasses. It seems to compound the closer we get to the end of the month when the bills are coming in and the cupboards starts to look- well- inventive, all on top of the normal household and business chores.

$275.00

That is the food budget for our household each month. For a family of five it is a challenge each and every month to stay in that range. Following a trend of fellow young mothers, I have become an avid couponer and watch the weekly ads vigorously. But the things that really ad up each month, like produce, dairy, and meats generally do not come in the Sunday SmartSource. Growing up I came from a family that has a majority of it’s income from a “cowboy” way of life, so steak and lobster were never on the menu. This lifestyle for me is not unmanageable, but the foodie in me gets very tempted by the beautiful cuts of wild salmon and the bags of organic fresh basil.

So here we are, once again at the end of the month and there aren’t a lot of very inspirational items in my cupboard that lean towards that fabulous meal you want to remember next week. The Food budget was gone 3 days ago, the dogs peed on the carpet, you just added up the bills for the month and your over your usually budget by three hundred bucks….

Woohoo….

The release of stress for some is a long hard workout, for other a tub of ice cream while vegging on the couch. Maybe for you it’s a long soak in a bath with the radio drowning out the sound of your kids in the other room. All of those sounds pretty tempting, but for me it’s a recipe, made from scratch and completely uninterrupted. So the end of the month, with only the basic ingredients, I needed a mommy time out, giving me the inspiration today to go gung-ho! Here is what I made:

Home Made Pasta

Serves 6-8

4 eggs

Pinch of salt

10 oz. flour

In your kitchen aid add eggs and salt first and then flour. Mix until dough comes together and is well blended. With lots of extra flour, knead dough by hand for 10 minutes.

At this point I used my pasta rollers, which if you have a kitchen aid, and like to cook, I highly recommend getting them. They make a great gift idea for those times when someone asked you what you want for Christmas/ birthday and you have absolutely no idea what you want. I for one got them for my birthday7 years ago. Pasta can be extremely finicky. If you over work the dough, it can be tough. If underworked it can become mushy and not hold together. It truly takes years to master but the pasta rollers really help, and with a little time in the kitchen you can get a feel for what you are looking for.

After feeding it through the pasta roller enough times to get to the thickness wanted, I then laid out the pasta and cut it into long lasagna style noodles. Then lay them out on your cookie wire racks to dry out. The longest I would suggest is several hours before putting in an air tight container for later use (3-5 days) or you can freeze in an airtight container for use in later weeks.  I used mine later in the evening to make lasagna from scratch.

 

Home Made French Bread

5 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 Bobs red Mill Gluten Flour

2 1/2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 cups warm water

1 tablespoon cornmeal

1 egg white

1 tablespoon water

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, yeast and salt. Stir in 2 cups warm water, and beat until well blended using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.

On a lightly floured surface, knead in enough flour to make stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. Knead for about 8 to 10 minutes total. Shape into a ball. Place dough in a greased bowl, and turn once. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled.

Punch dough down, and divide in half. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each half into large rectangle. Roll up, starting from a long side. Moisten edge with water and seal. Taper ends.

Grease a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Place loaves, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly beat the egg white with 1 tablespoon of water, and brush on. Cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until nearly doubled, 35 to 40 minutes.

With a very sharp knife, make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch deep across top of each loaf. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven for 20 minutes. Brush again with egg white mixture. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until bread tests done. If necessary, cover loosely with foil to prevent over browning. Remove from baking sheet, and cool on a wire rack.

Home Made Marinara/ Spaghetti sauce

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 green bell pepper, diced small

2 cloves garlic minced

½ of a medium onion, diced small  

3-14.5 oz. cans fire roasted tomatoes, juice included

½ tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

Additional water

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a medium sized pot over med. heat. Once heated, add the peppers, garlic and onion and sauté until softened and aromatic. Add the tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Cover and let cook for 2 hours over medium low heat. Taste sauce and add desired seasoning. Cook an additional 2 hours uncovered on low heat. If  the sauce reduces too much, add a small amount of water until desired thickness, tasting along the way to make sure you are not deluding the flavors.

Home Made Lasagna

1 large cottage cheese carton (small curd, whole milk)

3 eggs

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 lb. ground beef or Italian sausage, cooked

1 lb. shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 c. parmesan cheese, grated

Homemade pasta

Homemade marinara

 In a large bowl, mix the cottage cheese, eggs and basil until well blended. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside, meanwhile cook your ground beef or sausage and begin to boil a large pot of salted water for your pasta. Drain meet from drippings and set aside. Once water is boiling, add fresh pasta to water and cook for 2-5 minutes, just bringing the noodles to a desired texture- al dente. Remove from water and place in a ice cold water bath to shock them. Remove once cool enough to touch, and lay on tea towels until ready to use. Preheat the oven to 375°. Using a 9x13” pan spread a small amount of sauce on the bottom. Place one layer of noodles side by side, even ripping to fit if necessary. Add a layer of the cottage cheese mixture, followed by meat, more marinara and shredded mozzarella. Continue this pattern until coming to the last layer; once placing the pasta, top with marinara, mozzarella and 1/3 c. grated parmesan. Place in oven for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

There is no better feeling, then putting your heart soul and time into a homemade recipe, that took literally all day to cook, and finding your families plates completely clean. Then to top it all off your husband turns to you and says “honey, this is the best lasagna I have ever tasted”

Now if that isn’t a stress reducer, I don’t’ know what is