Thanksgiving Dinner in April

Yes, you're reading that correctly.  Last Thanksgiving, when hubby was buying ingredients for our Thanksgiving Dinner, he stocked up on turkeys.  We've been enjoying a turkey about every other month since then.  I got one out last week and made a "mini" dinner:  turkey, green bean casserole and a bread stuffing with sage, onions and a bit of thyme.  Yummy!!!

What's your favorite meal you like to have "out of season"?

Brownie making day with my peeps

In case you're never heard me talk about them, I have 3 boys all aged 3 and younger.  I love them dearly, especially when things go well.  *smile*  One of things as a parent that I want to make sure to do is to empower them to make good decisions and take care of themselves.  I realize at three there shouldn't be much for them to worry about, but I do encourage them to learn about everything around them. 

Since a lot of my time with them involves the kitchen, they are quite interested in helping me.  While the mess is twice as big when were done, I actually want them to help me.  I want them to be able to learn some cooking skills.  I read the blog of Nancy Grossi, a dairy farmer in California.  She recently shared a brownie recipe that my boys and I cooked together.  (The recipe is at the end of this post.)  I'm including a few pictures from our baking experience.

Notice how there are two spoons in the bowl?  Don't expect anyone to share.  *wink*











Cooking with little people has its challenges.  Food safety means nothing to them.  Raw eggs?  Who cares!  It's chocolate, mom!

This makes a big batch of brownies.  I made these in a glass pan, but I prefer a silicone baking pan.  (The silicone pan I have isn't large enough.)

Yes, they were delish with a glass of cold milk.  And the trick to getting them to cut nicely?  Use a plastic knife.  Who knew?

Best Basic Brownie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 whole eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. baking powder


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray non-stick spray on a 9 x 13 pan.
Melt butter. Remove from heat and add ingredients in the order listed, stirring well by hand.
Bake for 25-30 minutes. Do not overbake.
Cut with a plastic knife {best brownie trick}.

In case you want to see Nancy's post about her brownie making experience with her kids, click here.

Grilling pizza

Dinner at my house gets to be a battle between gourmet and something 3 small children will eat.  One menu choice we all can agree on is a grilled pizza and a salad (at least for me anyway).

My husband also prefers his pizza this way.  I thought I would share how I like to grill a pizza.  (Not an exact science, but you'll get the idea.)

Get some pizza dough.  I suppose you could make your own, but I just get a ball of it from my neighborhood grocery.  I like to let it sit out all day if I can.  It rises much better.

Spread it out into a pizza crust shape.  I usually end up pulling on the dough and letting it hang from my hands to stretch it out.



Preheat your grill on high for at least 5 minutes.  Once this is done, put the pizza dough on and turn it to low.  After about 3 to 4 minutes, flip the dough over with BBQ tongs.  It should flip over firmly.  If it still wants to "stretch", it needs a little more time.

I brush the freshly grilled side with olive oil and a couple of cloves of crushed garlic.  Then, I add an assortment of cheeses, usually white cheeses like parm, mozzarella and asiago.  I let the cheese melt about 3 minutes, then I add on my other toppings.  This night, I just did some roma tomatoes.  I let the pizza grill another 3 to 4 minutes.

Pull off your pizza (you can check the underside to see if it's done) and add fresh herbs to your liking.  We're not red sauce fans in this house, but I serve it on the side for dipping if anyone wants it. 

I usually do this recipe in this house a couple of times a month.  Enjoy!

A grilled chicken recipe

I don't know about you, but I love to grill food.  It always seems to taste better and during the summer especially, it keeps me from heating up my kitchen. 

This is one of my favorite grilled chicken recipes because not only does it taste good, but it is pretty quick and easy to prepare.

Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken with Greek Salsa

4 to 6 chicken breasts
1 cup sliced Kalamata Olives
1 roma tomato, chopped
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley and/or oregano
1/4 to 1/3 cup of feta cheese (optional)

Marinate the chicken breasts in 1/4 cup olive oil and 1 crushed garlic clove for at least 30 minutes (but most of the day will also do fine).  Preheat the grill.  While it is heating, make the salsa by combining the olives, tomato, vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 clove of crushed garlic, and fresh herbs (to taste).  Let the salsa warm to room temperature while the chicken is grilling.  Salt and pepper the chicken before placing on the grill.  Cook thoroughly.  Serve with the salsa on the side and feta cheese sprinkled on top. 

Death by chocolate

Sounds like a good way to go doesn't it? Actually, it's one of my favorite EASY dessert recipes. It works great for serving a large group of people and looks beautiful if you can assemble it in a large glass serving bowl. It has gotten rave reviews and it is so simple I almost feel guilty for letting people think I'm a gourmet cook. (notice I said almost)

Death by chocolate

1 boxed brownie mix (I prefer Ghirardelli)
2 packages of chocolate mousse mix
16 ounces of cool whip, thawed
4 to 6 Heath bars
1 thick chocolate bar (optional)

Make the brownies according to package directions. If you're a Kahlua fan, you can poke holes in the brownies after they come out of the oven and drizzle with the Kahlua. I have done it both ways and found it to fine either way. Once the brownies are cool, crumble into large pieces. Make the chocolate mousse according to the package directions. (You can do this while the brownies are cooking and keep the mousse in the refrigerator when finished.) Layer half the brownies, half the chocolate mouse mix, and half the cool whip. Crumble the Heath bars (use 4 to 6 based upon your toffee preferences). Sprinkle half of this on top. Repeat the layers. Shave chocolate on top of the mix as a pretty garnish, but this is optional. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

That's it! I would suggest making it no more than 8 hours before you need it. It lasts at least two more days in the refrigerator after making. This can serve 8 to 12 people easy. This recipe easily fixes my chocolate dessert cravings!

Spending more time in the kitchen

I realize how strange the title of this blog post sounds. Who wants to spend more time in the kitchen? Actually, I do. I used to do a lot more cooking before my kids were born, but since then, it's a "How fast can I throw something together?" routine. My aunt gave me a subscription to Food Network magazine and I must say that I love it! (The latest issue is in the picture. It's a grilled cheese sandwich with ham, cheese, grilled onions and apple. Yum!) I can't gush enough about their recipes. I would say they are moderate on the complexity, but I love all the new ways to try the "same old foods". I have enjoyed almost every recipe I've made from the magazine and so has my hubby (who doesn't tend to like the "froo-froo" kind of cuisine. *grin* Does anyone have other food and recipe magazines you like?

So along that line, I started my herb garden in pots yesterday. I've only got the basil planted, but the oregano, cilantro, rosemary, and dill are coming. Any other suggestions for herbs? Maybe some mint or tarragon?