Monday, April 13, 2009
Caution: Boys and Girls Coexist here
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Snow Much Fun
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Hawaiian Chicken Salad
Makes about 6 sandwiches
Total time: 35 minutes (if you don't have "help")
Light, refreshing, and a delightful twist on an old favorite!
Ingredients:
5 strips bacon, diced
1 1/2 baguettes, toasted
1/3 cup olive oil, divided
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 1/4 cups fresh cilantro leaves, packed down
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, packed
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, chopped
Juice of 1/2 a lime
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain yogurt
3 cups chicken, shredded
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
1 cup fresh spinach
1 cup fresh pineapple (a can of crushed works nicely)
Optional: 1 Tbsp Jalapeno, minced and
Red bell pepper, minced
Directions:
Preheat oven to highest broiler setting with rack in top position.
Saute bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove grease with a paper towel.
Slice top 1/4 off the baguettes and hollow out, removing the bread inside (make some homemade croutons?). Divide into 6 equal segments. Brush each piece with 1 Tbsp oil, season to taste, and broil on a baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Mince cilantro, mint, ginger, and lime juice in a food processor to make pesto. Add mayonnaise and yogurt and mix until combined well. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Mix chicken, diced bacon, and nuts with pesto in a bowl, set aside. Toss spinach with a little oil and lime juice. If using jalapenos, stir with pineapple in a seperate bowl.
Layer on baguette by placing spinach on first, enough to cover base of bread. Next, add about 1/2 cup of chicken salad mixture. Garnish with pineapple or pinepple mixture and minced pepper, if desired.
Enjoy!
That means, YOU, Mary! =P
Saturday, March 28, 2009
A Favorite Book
Lucy, singing along. Loud. Always loud. =)
Friday, March 27, 2009
Light Corn Syrup Substitute and Sweet Things
LIGHT CORN SYRUP SUBSTITUTE
2 c. white sugar
3/4 c. water
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
Dash of salt
Combine all ingredients in a heavy, large pan. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover it for 3 minutes to get sugar crystals off the sides of the pan. Uncover and cook until it reaches the "soft ball" stage. Stir often. Cool the syrup and store it in a covered container at room temperature. It will keep for about 2 months. Yields about 2 cups.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
St. Patrick's Day Parade
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Banana Blueberry Pancakes
Alright, I know that I've been sorely remiss in keeping this up, so I'll try again. Here's a start!
A couple of weeks ago I was watching an episode of Jon and Kate Plus Eight (borrowed from Netflix) where they made Banana Blueberry Pancakes. Yum! I decided that we needed to try making some ourselves, so I experimented with this recipe; hands-down the best pancakes I've ever eaten! They're light, fluffy, and so yummy that you don't need any syrup (or really even butter, for that matter). My kids wanted a little "snow" on them, or powdered sugar, as most of the world calls it, but I think it was more the principle of the thing because they did not need it! You have to give these a try! I am going to experiement next with apple cinnamon, I think...
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup mashed banana
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
This recipe will yield about 24 pancakes.
Directions
1. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
2. Add eggs, milk, butter, bananas and vanilla.
3. Stir until well blended and smooth.
4. Fold in blueberries.
5. Spoon large tablespoons of batter onto greased, preheated griddle or skillet.
6. Once bubbles begin to appear, flip pancakes only once.
7. Enjoy!