Sunshine Pancakes

Today is a special day that needed a special breakfast. {happy birthday to my wee one}

This recipe came from my cute cousin, Melissa. She is QUITE the cook. Remember the life-saving mint brownies? Same girl. 

These are really good and DIFFERENT. They have orange juice in them which gives them a taste of citrus and turns the pancakes a happy little orange. So, we renamed them to Sunshine Pancakes. They taste like something you'd get a quaint little diner.

What a great way to start a great day! Thanks My-Lisa.

Enjoy!

{SUNSHINE PANCAKES}

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1 1/2 c. milk

2 eggs

1/4 c. butter, melted

1/4 c. orange juice

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 c. flour

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

4 tsp. baking powder

Put all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl in order listed (make sure the baking powder is on top!) and mix just until blended and not lumpy anymore. After its mixed it will bubble up a bit--don't mix it any more. Gently scoop batter by 1/3 cup-full on griddle and bake. Makes about 12 pancakes.

Hot Diggity Dogs

 Ok, so hot dogs really aren't "gourmet." But, I'm a mom. So, I make mom stuff. We DO eat Mac & Cheese from a box, frozen chicken nuggets, otter-pops, and yes, even CORNDOGS {for the record, I really don't like corndogs}.

That's just what you do, when you live in mommy-land.

BUT, I do have to say I am starting to build a theory. And I'm currently only a mom to one child, so I could just be blowing a bunch of smoke. But my child is a FANtastic eater. I mean the kid is barely three and he looks like a linebacker....in a cute and cuddly kind of way. Not in the, "Oh my gosh, someone call Maury Povich!" kind of way. "Beefcake" is a good description {Thanks Talia, you were the first to call him that, and it has stuck!}. 

Anyway, I'm wondering for those so-called "picky" eaters if they didn't have a lot of variety and home-cooked meals. I mean, everyone has their preferences and we all have things we don't LOVE to eat. But, I"m talking about those picky-picky eaters that like less than they DON'T like, if that makes sense. Did they eat a lot of pre-packaged food and fast food that burned their taste-buds? And/or did they not have very well cooked food? Or not a lot of variety? What's your opinion and experience?

I think of Kim's kids that love seafood. My little guy "doesn't" and I think it's because we don't eat it very often. 

Now, that I've said this. My next child is going to curse me and be full of food-aversions and allergies. 

Great.

Well, enjoy this fun little idea for dressing up your hot dogs for your little ones. Or for your 3-year-old linebackers. 

Enjoy!

{HOT DIGGITY DOGS} - see assembly pictures below

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16 frozen dinner rolls, thawed {store-bought kind, or just make your own favorite dough}

8 hot dogs

1 c. cheddar cheese, grated

Ketchup, for diping

Combine two rolls together and flatten into a 7-inch oval. Repeat with remaining rolls to make 8 ovals. Place one frank in middle of each dough oval. Pull dough up around each frank to completely enclose. Pinch edges together to seal. Turn seam-side down and place on large sprayed baking sheets. 

With a sharp knife, cut each one into 8 equal pieces, through the top layer of dough and frank, leaving bottom layer of dough intact. Twist first cut piece to the left and second to the right. Repeat this for the rest of the pieces. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 mintues. Remove from oven and sprinkle each one with 2 T. grated cheese. Return to oven and bake and additional 5-10 minutes. Serve drizzled with ketchup, if desired.

Source: Rhodes Home Baked Family Favorites

Homemade Pesto {with an almond option}

We were ambitious and planted 4 basil plants. And they really took off. I've loved having fresh basil atop every dish...ok, so maybe not every dish. But you know what I mean.

My cute cousin, Courtney, and her Mom, Lauren, made homemade Pesto. So, being the copycats that we are, my mom & I also made homemade pesto. What they discovered is that you can use raw almonds in place of the pine nuts. Which is FANtastic, because pine nuts are crazy expensive. 

We tried it both ways. And then put little individual bags in our freezers. So fresh, and of course, delish!

Enjoy! 

{HOMEMADE PESTO} 

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¼ c. plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

2 T. chopped raw almonds {or pine nuts}

1 c. tightly packed, rinsed, drained, stemmed fresh basil

2 medium cloves garlic

¼ tsp. salt

¼ c. Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1 ½ T. Romano cheese, freshly grated

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in small saucepan or skillet over medium-low heat. Add pine nuts or almonds; sauté, stirring and shaking pan constantly until nuts are light brown, 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer nuts immediately to paper towel-lined plate to drain. Combine nuts, basil leaves, garlic, salt and remaining ¼ cup oil in food processor or blender container. Process until mixture is evenly blended and pieces are very finely chopped. Transfer basil mixture to small bowl. Stir in Parmesan and Romano cheeses. Pesto can be refrigerated, covered with thin layer of olive oil, up to 1 week; or pesto can be frozen for several months. Thaw and bring to room temperature before using.

Serving Suggestions: toss pesto with hot cooked buttered fettuccine or linguine. Stir small amount of pesto into broth-based vegetable or meat soups. Whisk small amount of pesto into vinaigrette for tossed salads. Mix pesto with softened butter to be used on steamed vegetables, poached fish or omelets.

Fried Zucchini Cakes or Critters

Our garden gave birth to a monster of a zucchini this year. I'm really wishing we would have entered it into some obscure county fair somewhere. Instead, part of it sits in my belly--thanks to these delicious fried zucchini critters. And the rest of it sits in my fridge taunting me every time I open the door. 

"Make something delicious with me."

Well, these little cakes are so yummy! They strangely reminded me of crab cakes because of the texture. But they are MUCH friendlier on your pocketbook. And I have to agree that the best way to eat them is with a dip of Ranch dressing.

I got this recipe from one of my new favorite food blogs, Real Mom Kitchen. I even got to chat with Laura at Costco for a minute when she was doing her book signing (which, I recommend!). She adorable. And her recipes are simple and delicious. Just the way I like it. Thanks Laura!

Enjoy!

{FRIED ZUCCHINI CAKES OR CRITTERS}

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2 c. zucchini, shredded
½ c. seasoned bread crumbs

¼ c. cheese, shredded (your favorite type, the zucchini doesn't mind)
½ T. garlic, minced
1 egg

Salt & Pepper
Olive oil
Ranch Dressing 

Put the zucchini in a thin dish towel and squeeze out the excess liquid. In a large bowl, mix the zucchini, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, egg and little salt and pepper. Shape into patties. Place in a fry pan coated with a generous amount of olive oil on medium heat. Cook for approximately 2 min on each side or until golden brown. Serve with ranch dressing.
Makes approx 5 good sized patties.

School Lunch Peanut Butter Bars

Woke up in the morning
Put on my new plastic glove
Served some reheated salisbury steak
With a little slice of love
Got no clue what the chicken pot pie is made of
Just know everything's doing fine
Down here in Lunchlady Land

Wow, I never thought I'd be quoting Adam Sandler on my blog. ha! But, it seemed appropriate given that I made "Lunch Lady" Peanut Butter bars. Plus, I thought it was great timing for school being back in session.

The other night I wanted to make a treat for my husband. He had had a really stressful week with a test and the darn stock market. He asked for peanut butter bars. My eyes lit up, because I'm obsessed with peanut butter and chocolate. 

But then he clarified, "No, like the kind you used to eat at school."

Hmm. Well, I was a home lunch girl, but I DID try those delicious bars a time or two. So, I searched online for the most delicious version. And I dare say this is it. 

WARNING: it makes a whole sheet pan of the suckers, so unless you're training for a marathon in order to work off the calories, just plan on sharing these with lots of friends and neighbors. 

Enjoy!!

{SCHOOL LUNCH PEANUT BUTTER BARS}

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Cookie Bars
1 c. butter (2 sticks), room temperature
1 c. sugar
2 c. brown sugar
1  1/2 c. peanut butter (I choose smooth)
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 c. flour
3 c. quick oats

Chocolate Frosting
4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. butter, softened
1/3 c. boiling water
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a rimmed cookie sheet lightly with non-stick spray.

Cream butter and sugars for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.  Add  peanut butter and vanilla and beat until combined.  Add eggs, one at a time and beat between each addition. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt and add mixture to dough.  Beat to combine.  Add oats and mix until incorporated.  Press dough into prepared pan into a flat layer.  Bake for about 10-12 minutes.  The center should be puffed and set, but still soft.

While crust is baking, prepare frosting.  Whisk together powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt.  Add butter (make sure it’s soft!), boiling water, and vanilla.  Beat until smooth and glossy.

When cookie crust is done baking, drizzle about 3/4 cups melted (just nuke it in the microwave) peanut butter on top and then spread on frosting.  Let cool and cut into squares to serve. 

Source: Our Best Bites

 

Beat the Devil Out of it Winner

Remember this guy?

Well apparently, only one of you did. Bob Ross, guys! He used to say, "Beat the devil out of it," when he'd clean his paint brush out. 

My husband used to like to watch him when he was a little kid. How funny is that? I have to admit we still watch it sometimes.

Well congratulations Anna! Email me your info so I can send you your prize! somekindofdelicious@gmail.com

Cranberry Coconut Chicken

Here's another one from our church cookbook. It was so delicious! Besides beating the devil out of the chicken, it's really quite easy to put together.

Ok, pause. I will give 10 points to the first person who leaves a comment telling me where "beat the devil out of it" comes from. I'll give you a hint, it's a TV show (and Steve you can't guess). Heck, if you can tell me where it's from, I'll give you a cookbook (just one of my favorites). 

The contest is on.

Wow, that was quite a detour from what I was saying. Anyway...this is really good AND it can be quite sophisticated. Enjoy! 

Oh, and thanks Shannon!

{CRANBERRY COCONUT CHICKEN}

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4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I had my butcher slice them in half so they were easier to roll)

1/2 c. whole berry cranberry sauce (yes, I used the canned stuff)

Salt, pepper

1/2 c. flour

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 c. coconut, flaked

1 c. bread crumbs

1/2 c. melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x13 pan with some of the melted butter. Pound chicken to 1 inch thick (beat the devil out of it...eh eh eh). Spoon 1 Tablespoon of cranberry sauce into the  middle of each chicken. Roll chicken and secure with a toothpick (seriously, just be sure to remove it before you eat it!). Sprinkle each rolled chicken breast with salt and pepper. 

Make 3 separate dipping stations, either in a shallow bowl or plate. There should be a station with:

1-the flour

2-the eggs

3-the bread crumbs and coconut mixed together

Dip the chicken breasts into the flour, then dip them in the egg, and then finally dip them in the bread crumb/coconut mixture. Make sure they are coated well. Don't get discouraged, this is messy work. But I promise it will all make sense when you pull them out of the oven. 

Place chicken in prepared 9x13 pan and drizzle remaining butter over all. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly.

FRESH Homemade Lemonade

Is your mouth watering thinking about this? Because it should be. We brought home a small cooler full of fresh lemons from our trip in San Diego. I've been dreaming of all the lemony possibilities. But I think the best is homemade FRESH lemonade. We drank it every day on our trip. And I really think it should be a daily ritual throughout the entire Summer. 

Man, my mouth is watering. It so refreshing. Enjoy!

{FRESH HOMEMADE LEMONADE} 

click here for a printable version of this recipe

1 c. sugar

1 c. water

1 c. lemon juice, freshly squeezed (about 4-6 lemons)

3 to 4 cups cold water (to dilute)

In a small saucepan heat sugar and water, until the sugar is dissolved completely.

Meanwhile extract the juice from 4 to 6 lemons, enough for one cup of juice.

Mix the lemon juice and the sugar water and add 3 to 4 cups of cold water, depending on the desired taste. Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes.

Lemon {and Lime} Bars

On our awesome little get-away to San Diego, we stayed this this gorgeous home. It was like our own little family resort. It was amazing. And of course the house had it's own lemon orchard...yes, of course it did. They said we were welcome to take whatever we wanted! We make so many batches of fresh lemonade, which I promise is coming! 

But I was able to take some of these amazing lemons home and so I've been looking for yummy recipes to use them in. This was one. These little bars were so yummy. But you know I never can leave well-enough alone. So I added some lime zest and juice to it as well! Hey, also be aware that this needs a couple hours to cool before serving.

Enjoy!

{LEMON AND LIME BARS}

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20 Vanilla Wafers, finely crushed (about 3/4 cup)

1/2 c.  flour

1/4 c. brown sugar, packed

1/4 c. cold margarine

1 (8-oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 c. granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 T.  flour

3 T. lemon zest, divided

1/4 c.  fresh lemon juice

Zest & juice from one small lime 

1/4 tsp.  Baking Powder

2 tsp. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line an 8-inch square pan with foil. Mix wafer crumbs, 1/2 cup flour and brown sugar in medium bowl. Cut in margarine with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 min. 

Beat cream cheese with the granulated sugar with mixer until well blended. Add eggs and 2 T. flour; mix well. Blend in 1 T. lemon zest, lemon juice, lime zest, lime juice and baking powder; pour over crust. 

Bake 25 to 28 min. or until center is set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 2 hours. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and remaining zest before serving.

 

FRESH Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella Crostini

Our garden this year, is bounteous. No, seriously...like overflowing. It's out of control. I should post a picture of it, because it's HUGE! It rained so much this Spring that is just grew and grew. We almost had a Jack and the beanstalk situation at our house.

But now we're beginning to harvest and so I'm again looking for ideas of how to use all these things before they go bad! 

We have tons and tons of basil and tons and tons of tomatoes. So, naturally I needed to make these Crostini's. They may seem a little "sophisticated" for a week-night appetizer to dinner. But we have loved snacking on these as we finish getting dinner put together. 

Summer is treating us well.  Enjoy!

{TOMATO, BASIL & MOZZARELLA CROSTINI}

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2 c. grape tomatoes, chopped {ok, you can use whatever kind of tomato floats your boat}

1/2 c. fresh basil, chopped 

Olive Oil

Coarse salt and pepper

Fresh Mozzarella, sliced and cut into bite-size pieces {the size of the crostini}

Crostini bread {you can buy a pre-cut bag}

1 clove of garlic

Balsamic Vinegar

Mix tomatoes, basil, 1 T. olive oil and salt and pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Spread the crostini bread pieces on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toast under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes or just until they're starting to brown. Pull them out and rub a cut garlic clove over each piece. Place a small slice of Mozzarella on each bread. Spoon tomato mixture over each piece. And drizzle with Balsamic vinegar. It's best if you place the crostinis on the serving platter before you begin assembling, because it can get a little messy and it would be too hard to transfer.

Chicken Ceasar Pasta Salad

This is in honor of one of my very favorite people. My sister-in-law, Amy. I love her to pieces and today is her birthday. She started dating my brother when I was 12. They're high school sweethearts. So, I've had in my life for a very long time! She is the "big sister" that has given me dating, marriage and motherhood advice. And now we're both survivors of colicky babies...which has to be one of the hardest things we've done. I only wish she had her colicky babe first, because she found some awesome tricks!

Anyway, this is one of her favorite meals and I love it too! She makes one killer spaghetti and brownie too. Maybe I could get her to share those with us someday!

And really, this is just more of an idea, than with real measurements, because it depends on how much you're making. But I'll try to estimate here.

Enjoy!

Oh, and Happy Birthday Mamie!

{CHICKEN CEASAR PASTA SALAD}

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1 head Romaine heart, chopped

1/2 lb. cooked tube pasta (we like whole wheat)

1 lb. chicken, cooked & shredded

1/3 c. Parmesan cheese, shredded

Croutons

Ceasar Salad Dressing

Mix lettuce, pasta, chicken, and cheese together. Just before serving add croutons and salad dressing.

Thai Chicken Pizza

Have I mentioned how much my husband likes Thai food? I have to admit, I wasn't such a "die-hard" fan until I married this man. But I really have grown to like it...a lot. And things like this, are hard to resist.

This is such a fresh, delicious pizza. And it's so different from the regular ole' greasy stuff {which, let's be honest I love those kinds too!}. But this was sophisticated and sweet, kinda like my man. {uh oh, he's going to read this and ask me to erase it. ha! Love you honey!}

Enjoy!

{THAI CHICKEN PIZZA}

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Pizza Dough:

2 tsp. yeast
1 c. warm water
2 T. oil
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 ½ c. flour 

Peanut Sauce:

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. creamy peanut butter

3 T. soy sauce

3 T. water

2 T. canola oil

2 tsp. garlic, minced

Toppings:

1 lb. chicken, cooked & cubed

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

3 green onions, chopped

2 c. grated mozzarella cheese

1 cucumber, thinly sliced

1/2 c. cilantro, chopped

Active yeast in warm water, sprinkled with sugar. Allow to set for 5 minutes. Mix in remaining dough ingredients and knead. Let rise in warm place, covered for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile prepare pizza stone, or cookie sheet by sprinkling with cornmeal. 

Roll out dough and place on pizza stone. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients for the peanut sauce. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, 10-15 minutes {oh, look at that. It's the same amount of time the crust is baking!} or until thickened. Set aside to cool. Spread peanut sauce over baked crust {the peanut sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge}. Top with red peppers, green onions, chicken, and cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to brown. Remove from oven and top with cucumbers and cilantro.