Better Than The Rest Potato Salad

Every weekend in the summer is cause for a celebration! We gather family for barbeques, roast marshmallows on the grill for s'mores, chase lightning bugs at dusk, and then sweep indoors to cool, air conditioned rooms for popcorn and late night movies.

This bacon and pea potato salad is one I consider "Better Than The Rest". It is a recipe that I have altered to my own taste over the summers, adding and subtracting ingredients until I feel it has finally been perfected. I never had it written down until now.

Click on the recipe below to download a copy. It is simple and so delicious! How could it NOT be tasty with a whole pound of crispy bacon added?

ENJOY!

Reading and Recipes

 

Two new books arrived on my doorstep over the weekend, courtesy of Harper Collins.  They were Devotion: A Memoir by Dani Shapiro and The Recipe Club: A Tale of Food and Friendship by Andrea Israel and Nancy Garfinkel.  

I am a true fan of memoirs so I am excited to dive into the pages of Devotion first.

Among some of my favorite memoirs include:

• The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion,  
• The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, and 
• Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. 

  
The Recipe Club seems like an interesting read as well. An excerpt from the jacket cover reads, "Loyalty, loss and the ties that bind. These are the ingredients of The Recipe Club, A "novel cookbook" that combines an authentic story of friendship with more than 80 delicious recipes" 

I will certainly be trying some of the recipes in this novel cookbook which include cleverly named: Starry Night Scampi, Catcher in the Rye Bread, Wash-Away-the-Blues Berry Cobber, and Smashing Smashed Potatoes. 

Mmm... speaking of recipes, here are a few new ones that I have tried lately that have been a succes!

• Pioneer Woman's Spicy Shredded Pork and Twice Baked Potatoes.
• Amish White Bread from AllRecipes (2 perfect, delicious loaves every time!)
• I also recently made a Lemon Meringue pie from my Joy of Cooking cookbook (1997 version). It looked as gorgeous as it was tasty!
• Another great treat is Chocolate Covered Toffee posted by Nicola from which name? which I made as gifts for the holidays. I have been dreaming of it ever since. So good! 

I'll also leave you with a recipe that is a surefire hit with our family every time; a quick crock pot meal for those days when you would rather spend your time reading than cooking.  

BBQ Boneless Spareribs

1 medium onion, sliced

2 lbs of boneless spareribs

salt and pepper to taste

• Put the above ingredients in the crock pot in the order listed. 

• Set your crock pot to 4 hours on HIGH or 8 hours on LOW. 

• 1 hour before serving, drain the juice from the spareribs & onion and add one bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce. 

• Continue to cook for the last hour. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice or pasta on the side. 

• ENJOY!
  

 What words and foods have you been feasting on lately?

 

Turkish Side Dish - Kisir

A lovely family friend of ours, Deren, passed along this great Turkish recipe to us. Originally from Turkey, she stayed in the United States for too brief a time before moving back home to her family. We still miss her terribly!

I have altered it from her original but it is super tasty and I must admit I am a little bit obsessed with it! I think it makes for a great and unique side dish for the holidays!

Here is the recipe...enjoy!

Kisir - Turkish Couscous Salad

1 1/4 cup plain couscous
1 handful of fresh parsley (finely chopped)
1 pint of grape tomatoes (finely chopped)
3 scallions (sliced thin)
juice of 1 lemon
1 Tablespoon of red hot sauce (the original recipe calls for red hot pepper paste)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black ground pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
boiling water

1. Put the plain couscous in a wide bowl. Cover with boiling water until a bit higher than the couscous.
2. Add the salt and pepper, stir and then cover. Let steep for 5-10 minutes.
3. In the meantime, chop the tomatoes and thinly slice the scallions.
4. After the couscous is fluffy, add the lemon juice, olive oil, and hot pepper sauce.
5. Add the chopped vegetables and parsley, mix well and refrigerate until cold.

A Feast for the Birds

On Thanksgiving Eve, we decided that it would not be fair to indulge in such a delicious dinner without giving a grand feast to the birds and squirrels as well!

The girls and I traveled over the hills and through the woods to Grandma and Grandpa's house where we mixed up a big batch of bird feeder mix!

Grandpa handmade a bird feeder by drilling 1 inch angled holes into a thick tree branch and attaching a strong eye bolt to the top. Little hands soon went to work stuffing the holes with our bird feeder mix!


After filling 2 bird feeder logs, we used some gathered pine cones and filled every nook and cranny with the mix. Tying twine to the tops of the pine cones made them easy to hang from the branches outside!

My mom kindly gave me the recipe for the Bird Feeder Mix that she has used for years. Unfortunately, she was not so willing to give me her secret Thanksgiving stuffing recipe.

I hope she will grace me with that addictive recipe one of these years. It is simply the best!

Bird Suet Food for Feeder Log

1 cup peanut butter, chunky is nice
1 cup vegetable shortening
3 cups cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup birdseed

In a large bowl mix all ingredients with hands. If too sticky, add more cornmeal.
Keep any extra in a plastic bag in your refrigerator for refilling.

Feeder Log:

The log should be about 2 inches in diameter, and about 1 1/2 feet long.
Screw a hanging hook into the top.
Drill several 1 inch holes around the log, at a downward angle.
Press the bird food tightly into the holes.

Weekly Agenda

I have been a bit off-kilter this past week. Two weeks of school vacation can do that, I suppose. We have not found our rhythm yet but we are getting there.

I have been writing down goals and preparing for the weeks ahead! So, I am hoping for a fun (and mildly organized) July and August!

Here's what is on our to-do list for the week:


It has been ridiculously rainy this past week so we haven't been out to water the vegetable garden. We were surprised to see how big our plants have grown!!

We will be keeping a close eye on these yellow flowers that will sprout zucchini soon! We have tomatoes and cucumbers, also! Yum!


My poor sock monkey is need of some serious repair after all the love the twins have been giving him lately.

Once I send the girls' on a treasure hunt for his other arm, I hope to stitch him as close to new as possible. However, considering my hand-sewing skills, he may not stay fixed for long.

Yogurt smoothie anyone? This is a staple in our house during the summertime!

Today, with a desperate need of a trip to the grocery store, I threw in whatever remained in our refrigerator.

This was the instant tasty concoction:

-One 32 oz container of low-fat vanilla yogurt, about 1/2 cup frozen blueberries and 1 cup of frozen peaches, blend and serve!

*We used both organic yogurt and frozen fruit.

*Tip* If you are searching for organic fruits, buying them frozen can be less costly per pound and perfect for making frozen yogurt smoothies or milkshakes!



I also want to bake more of this delectable bread this week!

This was my first attempt using the Master Recipe from the book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking, that I stole borrowed from my mom!

This bread is too good! I have become hopelessly addicted to this delicious sourdough bread and I am not sure I can (or want to) be saved!

The Master Recipe makes 4 loaves each time you make it and it stores wonderfully in the refrigerator in a lidded container until you are ready to bake.

I was "ready to bake" every day this past week and I went through 4 loaves of the free-form loaves pictured above, 2 baguettes and I gifted two loaves of Ciabatta to my Mom.

You can read more about this book over at Baker's Banter, a blog by King Arthur Flour.

Oh, and if you are looking for another perfect bread to bake, this has been a "no-fail" recipe for us: *Harvest Grains Bread*.

I was also inspired to revamp our Summer Wish List from a post I read on The Inspired Room.

I plan to make something more creative (than our current one) with glittery stickers to mark our progress! And, if it involves glitter...it's sure to be great! Right?

I hope to post our new and improved list later this week!

Happy Monday, everyone!

Walnut Thumbprint Cookies

The days of summer vacation are fast approaching and the children have been busy bees preparing for their Summer Show at school! Every day for the past two weeks, the twinkling of little girl voices practicing songs and the twirling of dance moves have been spotted around corners or in the backyard or from the rear view mirror while driving.

There is a day show for the older children and the Kindergarten classes prepared their show for night. After the night show, the Kindergarten teachers prepared a special video for the parents of all the photos taken throughout their first year at school. It will be a full day for us tomorrow!

Lana just reminded me today that I had checked off that little box on some passing note saying I would contribute to the festivities by bringing cookies. Oops! What should we make?

“Chocolate chip cookies, of course!”, Lana shouted. I figured this may have been all of her friends’ ideas also. As yummy as they may be, no one wants a dessert table full of only one type of cookie (well, maybe the Kindergarten kids wouldn’t mind so much.)

After much debating, we decided on Walnut Thumbprints. I promised Lana that she would like them even though apricot jam over chocolate was quite a hard sell. Lana and Sophia helped roll and press the cookie balls and I filled them with jam to bake. They taste as delicious as they look!

Here is the recipe:

Walnut Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
Jar of jam (whatever flavor your heart desires)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.
Beat in the egg and vanilla.
4. On a low speed, add flour mixture.
5. Put walnuts in shallow bowl. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and then roll in nuts. Place 2 inched apart on baking sheets.
6. Make a thumb impression in the center of each cookie. Spoon jam in each print.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden around the edges. Cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack
8. ENJOY!

   

*TIP* for cooking with little kids!


I prepared all the ingredients ahead of time in separate bowls. The girls were able to help add the ingredients with a minimum amount of mess and it made for a quicker, more enjoyable baking experience (for all of us)!

Cooking With Kids

Madelyn made dinner for us tonight! “All by myself!? This must be my lucky day!”, she exclaimed when I told her she would be making Pasta with Homemade Cheese Sauce. She was very excited and a little bit nervous but I told her that if she just followed the recipe it would turn out perfect! I crossed my fingers as I said that because we had never eaten this particular dish before.

I had picked the recipe from Paula Deen’s, My First Cookbook. It seemed easy enough for her to read and the instructions were clear-cut.

She cooked the pasta and tasted it for doneness. She then made the homemade cheese sauce. The super easy sauce consisted of 1 stick of butter melted over low heat and then 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, 1 cup of half-and-half and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Simple!

She mixed the pasta with the sauce and added some leftover seasoned chicken. She served everyone at the table. It was looking shaky when Lana announced that “This smells horrible and looks gross!” but after tasting it she changed her tune and told Madelyn that she should “become a chef and make this for dinner EVERY NIGHT!” Well, maybe not every night, but this recipe is a definite keeper.

Homemade Mac and Cheese

Kids love macaroni and cheese! We all know which one we flock to: the bright orange noodles in that familiar blue box. It is the standby and the one we know will get eaten no matter how many times a week it is made... Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. However, it is not the best option out there for mac and cheese.
 
I decided to experiment on the girls last night and try a recipe for a homemade macaroni and cheese. I used the orange sharp cheddar cheese instead of white to make it appear more like the Kraft version. Not only is this recipe delicious but healthier and an excellent alternative!

The ingredients in the "sauce" mix for Kraft lists: whey, milkfat, milk, protein concentrate, salt, sodium tripolyphosphate, contains less than 2% of citric acid, lactic acid, sodium phosphate, milk, yellow #5, yellow #6, enzymes, and cheese culture. Whew!

The cheese that I used has only pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes and annatto (which is commonly considered to be a natural coloring) You can certainly use the white sharp cheddar instead and avoid the coloring altogether. There are also great organic cheeses available!

HOMEMADE MACARONI AND CHEESE

(This recipe can also be doubled. I found that the amount this recipe makes was "just right" for a side dish)

1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound of elbow macaroni

CHEESE SAUCE

2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 cup grated extra sharp cheddar cheese (or a mix of your favorite cheeses to equal one cup)

Bring 2 quarts of water to boil. Add the teaspoon of salt and the macaroni. Cook until tender (about 10 minutes). Drain well.

Make the sauce while the macaroni is cooking. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Using a wire whisk, stir in flour and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir and cook over medium heat until the roux bubbles and the flour turns a pale tan color, about 3 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and slowly whisk in 1/2 cup of milk. Return pan to heat and then whisk in remaining 1/2 cup of milk. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. The sauce will be able to thinly coat the back of a spoon. Add the cheese now and stir until it melts.

Add the drained macaroni to the cheese sauce and mix thoroughly. Transfer macaroni and cheese to a serving dish. 



Serve and enjoy!

Easy Irish Soda Bread

I make this Irish soda bread every year for St. Patrick’s Day. It’s a quick and tasty recipe; a great addition to any Irish feast you may be preparing tomorrow! I’ll personally be eating Colcannon in addition to this bread and I can not wait! So delicious!



Here is the recipe! It’s best if made the day before eating! Enjoy!

*added note - many recipes call to add raisins. You can certainly add them here also, about a half cup would do.


Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup melted butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
Combine dry ingredients. Blend egg and buttermilk together and add to flour mixture. Mix until just moistened. * Stir in melted butter and then pour into prepared loaf pan.
Bake for 65-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted into bread comes out clean Cool on a wire rack. Wrap in foil, overnight, for the best flavor!


P.S. And just because they are so darn addictive and I HAD to make another batch... more cupcake bites!

Green Week continued

It was one of those days that slipped by a little too quickly for me. Babies were cranky which makes everything almost impossible. I'm surprised I was able to bake some Pumpkin Spice Bread before the night ended. I had a craving today and whipped up a couple of loaves. 

Here is the no-fail recipe from Family Fun if anyone else wants to fill their home with the yummy smell of Autumnal goodness.