Veggie Corn Chowder

This was super easy and took no time at all. I used my immersion blender as Lisa suggests, and I also used store-bought chicken broth (it's the first week of school for goodness sakes). My kids, my hubby, and I loved this soup. It was blended enough to "hide" some of the veggies for the pickier eaters in my crew and to thicken it up to the chowder consistency which is perfect as we are heading (hopefully) into some cooler Fall weather.

I have been following the 100 Days of Real Food blog for a while now, and I just got the cookbook that stemmed from the blog. I am SO excited to try some more of the recipes that use "real food." I know we are all more conscious of what we are putting in our bodies these days, and this cookbook has some great recipes that are easy and realistic to make for your family. A lot of my cookbooks are from our parents generation and use lots of canned items such as cream of you name it soup. Others are fantastic with recipes for clean eating, but a lot of the recipes are very complicated and only make sense for me to make for a special occasion or on the weekends when I've got back up with the kids. 

This cookbook truly gives you the best of both worlds...there is even a section dedicated the how and why this family started eating "real food" and one on their grocery shopping routine. You know that part of my cooking philosophy is one grocery store once a week. From what I've seen so far, I can get all of the ingredients I need at Lowe's Foods or Harris Teeter...obviously if you prefer Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, you're all set. The only ingredient that wouldn't have been on my normal grocery list for this meal was the whole wheat flour, but now that I have it, I can use it for many of the other recipes in this book. If you want to learn more, visit the 100 Days of Real Food blog and purchase this cookbook. In Lisa Leake's own words from her blog:

"I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about the recipes in the book, so all in one place here’s what you can expect…

• No white flour or any refined grains are used
• No sugar or any refined (or artificial) sweeteners are used
• No recipes call for packaged foods containing more than 5 ingredients
• Familiar and easy-to-find ingredients are used (you probably already have most of them on hand!)
• 71 recipes are (or can easily be) Gluten-Free
• 79 recipes are (or can easily be) Vegetarian
• 49 recipes are (or can easily be) Dairy-Free
• 42 recipes are Freezer Friendly (my secret weapon when it comes to packing wholesome school lunches!)
• A beautiful color photo is included with each and every recipe
• 70% new recipes – not previously published on the blog
• And lastly, all recipes were tested by 100 volunteer recipes testers – I think you’ll be really pleased with the results!"

Recipe, with permission, from 100daysofrealfood's new cookbook 100 Days of Real Food by Lisa Leake.

photo of recipe used with permission by 100daysofrealfood 

Happy Cooking!

I wrote this as a cookbook ambassador for 100 Days of Real Food with all opinions being my own.

The Dinosaur Swim Party

Those of you who know my sweet 5 year old Henry know that his brain is always running 100 miles a minute. He is constantly coming with up crazy anecdotes, pulling my leg, or rambling off some random information that he heard months ago. For those of you who don't know H, here are some examples of what comes out of his mouth:

(1) We were getting gas about two years ago when I was pregnant with my third and Henry was barely 3. We pulled up to the pump, and from the back seat, Henry says, "Look, Mama, there's Daddy!" Now, we had missed his annual opthamologist appointment because of our move and getting in as a new patient, and I was really worried because this man looked NOTHING like his Daddy. He had a long, curly mullet, and his skin was much darker than my fair skinned hubby. I turned around and looked at him with concern in my eyes not knowing quite what to say...then he hit me with, "Hahahahaha! That's not Daddy!"
That was the first time I was subject to Henry's dry humor.

(2) Henry: "Mom, do you know what the biggest number is?"
Me: "Well, Hen, there isn't really a biggest number so we just call it infinity."
Henry: "Yes there is. It's called chickenbockin."
Deadpan.

(3) Henry: "Mom, how many days until my birthday?"
Me: "I don't know Henry, but it's a lot."
Henry: "Like 25?"
Me: "No, way more than 25."
Henry: "Oh, like chickenbockin days."
Oh, right, of course.

(4) Henry: "Mom, George punched me in the stomach."
Me: "What? When?"
Henry: "When we lived in Arizona."
Um, that was over 2 years ago.

(5) Me: "Henry, what would you like for lunch?"
Henry: "Mom, do you know what the biggest animal on the planet is? The blue whale; they eat krill."
How in the world do you know what krill are?

(6) Henry: "Mom, why does a glimmer bird eat while it's flying?"
Me: "I don't know, Henry, why does a glimmer bird eat while it's flying?"
Henry: "WHY NOT? HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
What the heck is a glimmer bird anyway?

Now that you have that bit of background on my sweet boy, it should come as no surprise that his requests for birthday parties are a little outside of the box. Last year's party was a Robot Swim Party. I tried to explain to him that robots don't really go with water, and that explanation was quickly squashed. This year, he decided on another swim party, but the theme this year was dinosaurs. Again, most dinosaurs and swimming don't really fit hand in hand, but, hey, I was going with it!

I started doing some research on pinterest (because as my sister and I just discussed, I can do things that look creative by following someone else's instructions, but I do not consider myself a creative person and cannot come up with these ideas on my own)...and I found some great ideas! There were all sorts of dinosaur themed parties with cakes, cupcakes, pinatas, paper products, favors, etc. I found a few that I liked, headed to Publix, Michael's, and Party City (we were in Augusta hence Publix), and we were ready to get to work!

My mom was my right hand woman in the kitchen while my boys were at golf/tennis/swim camp and my grandmother entertained the 2-year old. My dad was the work horse getting tables and chairs set up and was my sidekick on my grocery run. I must say that I have done parties both with and without my parents, and it is far more enjoyable and efficient with their help!! They've had a few parties in their days :)

We kept the party simple with pizza, cake, watermelon, and water. My mom's best friend came over early and helped me finalize the decorations and made the executive decision that even though it had been raining all day that we should set up outside...thank you Nan for making that call because my head was in no shape to do so.

The stage was set for a great party, and a great party it was. Since we were in Augusta, we invited my best girlfriends and their kids over for the party. It is always so special to spend time with these girls, and it is even more special to have our kids run around together. We let the kids swim, eat, play, and stay up WAY too late...in full disclosure, this was because the mamas were having way too much fun catching up.  It was awesome to see my boys forming friendships with these children that they only usually see a couple of times a year. One of my best girlfriends actually drove in from Greenville for the night just to come celebrate with sweet Hen. What a blessing...and not surprising at all that this friend would do this for my crazy kid.

So, here are some pictures from the Dinosaur Swim Party. I asked Henry if he knew what the cake was, and in typical Henry fashion, he replied with, "IT'S A BRONTASAURUS!!!!" not just it's a dinosaur.

dinosaur watermelon with blueberries toothpicks

dinosaur rubber duckies

dinosaur plates, cups, napkins from amazon.com on craft paper for coloring

To see more pictures and the pins that inspired this party, please follow me on pinterest via the link on the top left of this page and check out my Dinosaur Swim Party page.

Happy Cooking!

Lemon Asparagus Risotto

I have totally stopped doing risotto the correct way ever since I read Giada's Lemony Shrimp Risotto recipe and saw that she just dumped all of the liquid in at one time and then simmered & stirred it until most of the liquid was absorbed. This is much less time consuming and labor intensive that the ladling hot liquid one ladle at a time method. Now, I'm sure that the judges of Top Chef would have something to say about my risotto not spreading perfectly across the plate when it's served, but, hey, they also don't have three munchkins under foot whilst attempting to perfect their risotto. Either way, it's delicious! Enjoy!

Lemon Asparagus Risotto

Ingredients:

20 fresh asparagus spears, trimmed

4 cups chicken broth

2 T olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 T lemon juice

1/2 tsp lemon zest

Method:

Complete recipe from allrecipes.com found HERE.

Happy Cooking!

Smoked Gouda Pasta Salad

I LOVE this pasta. My friend, Tracy Fussaro introduced this to me at the beach this summer, and it's easy, yummy, and a different spin on traditional pasta salad. I usually don't prefer smoked cheeses, but the smoked gouda is perfect in this recipe! The original recipe calls for rinsing the pasta with cold water before adding the cheese, tomatoes, etc, but I wanted the cheese to melt all through the pasta, so I left it warm. I made one for adults with the arugula and left out the arugula for the kids...I sold it as "pizza pasta" and my kids have now eaten it for dinner two nights in a row!

Ingredients:

1 lb penne pasta

1/2 garlic clove

1/3 cup mayo

1/2 pound smoked gouda, cut in 1/4" cubes

1 (7 ounce) jar of sun dried tomatoes in olive oil. Drain them and slice thinly. (I used the Sundried Tomato Bruschetta mixture...about 5 oz)

2 cups arugula 

olive oil (about 1/4 cup)

Method:

1. Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain.

2. Mix all ingredients with the pasta. Drizzle with a good amount of olive oil. Mix well. Chill an hour before serving or serve at room temperature.

Happy Cooking!

Stetson Chopped Salad Dressing

I could literally drink this salad dressing. It is not difficult and is so much yummier than any pre-made dressing you come across. PLEASE give it a try! Recipe from CovCom Cooks!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup basil pesto**

1 shallot, roughly chopped

1 cup Aioli (see NOTE)

1 cup buttermilk

Fresh lemon to taste

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:
Whisk all ingredients together and refrigerate.  The longer it sits, the thicker it will become.

**  You can make your own pesto by blending 8 cups packed basil leaves, 1 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts, 2-4 garlic cloves, and 1/2 tsp salt in the food processor until smooth.  At the end, stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

NOTE:  For Aioli, combine 1-2 finely minced garlic cloves, 1/3 cup olive oil, and 1/2 cup mayonnaise.  Whisk together and set aside. 

Happy Cooking!

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

My friend, Erin Bonsall brought us some of this dressing a few weeks ago. It was gone in NO time. I just made it for the first time, and it was gone in TWO days. It is absolutely delicious, easy, and SO much better than store bought dressing...and that says a lot as I am a HUGE Ken's Steakhouse Ranch Dressing fan.

Ingredients:
3 scallions, white & green parts, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 T Dijon mustard (I love Maille)
1 T good olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup good mayonnaise (I use Duke's)
1/2 cup Greek-style yogurt
1/2 cup buttermilk, shaken


Method:
Complete recipe from The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten found HERE.

Happy Cooking!

Chicken Enchiladas

I was originally served this at a 3 year old birthday party by my friend, Kirsten Dunlap, and it was delicious!  I asked for the recipe and realized that it was sort of a "throw together to your own liking" mixture, which is awesome but takes some practice.  The proportions are really dependent upon how big your chicken breasts are.  I used 4 chicken breasts this time that were a little small, I used about half a jar of salsa verde and of salsa and about 4 oz of sour cream.  I used taco sized tortillas, and poured the half in half over top until it covered the entire pan.  Honestly, I have made this differently every time I've made it, and you cannot mess it up.  It is so yummy each and every time...my family LOVES it!!  This is definitely a staple at our house!





Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
salsa verde
diced green chilies
salsa
8 oz sour cream
1 cup plus more for topping shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
12 burrito size tortillas
1 pint half n half

Method:
Take 4 chicken breasts, shredded (I made mine just by throwing them in the crock pot with water and they shredded beautifully!)
 Mix the shredded chicken with a jar of salsa verde, a can of diced green chilis, a jar of regular salsa, a tub of sour cream, a cup of shredded cheese (cheddar or mexican blend) Again- these measurements are kind of estimates...just get it to the consistency like a chicken salad.
Take about a dozen tortillas and put a scoop of chicken mixture in each tortilla and roll them up tight.
Fill a pan with the rolled up enchiladas and cover with cheddar cheese. (At this point you can refrigerate them, even overnight!)
Then, right before you put it in the oven, pour a pint or so of half & half over the whole pan.
Bake at 350 till cheese bubbles (about 30-45 minutes!)

Happy Cooking!

Eggplant Gratin

Oh my word, this was delicious! I made this for me and my mom after the children went to bed. While the oven preheated, I fried the eggplant and mixed the cheese sauce. I decided to put the dish into one souffle dish rather than in two gratin dishes. You could easily put this in a square, glass baking dish. Mom and I enjoyed a glass of wine and a nice chat while the gratin baked. Once it was done, we ate the entire thing!! Yep, every.single.last.bite. This would be perfect for a date night. If I were to make this for the whole crew, I would definitely double the recipe. 

Ingredients:
Good olive oil for frying
3/4 pount eggplant, unpeeled, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 extra-large egg
1/4 cup half n half
1/2 cup plus 2 T freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good bottled marinara sauce (I love L.E. Roselli's, which is LOCAL!)

Method:
Full recipe from Ina Garten found HERE.

Happy Cooking!

Creamy Macaroni & Cheese

This macaroni and cheese is almost just as fast as boxed macaroni and cheese, and it is SO much better.  It is my kids' favorite macaroni and cheese is definitely in my top three. (The others are my grandmother's recipe, which I will share closer to Thanksgiving and Green Chile Mac & Cheese from my favorite restaurant in Nashville, Park Cafe...recipe found here.) 

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese:  Adapted from a recipe given to us by friends in Nashville :)
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 T unsalted butter
2 large eggs
12 oz evaporated milk (reserve all but 1 c) *can substitute half n half
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper sauce 
1 tsp dry mustard (dissolved in 1 tsp water)
3 cups sharp cheddar cheese

Cook macaroni according to package directions.  Meanwhile, mix eggs, 1 c evaporated milk, pepper sauce, mustard, salt & pepper.  Drain macaroni and return to pain over medium heat.  Add butter and toss to melt.  Pour in egg mixture along with 3/4 of the cheese.  Stir until the cheese starts to melt.  Gradually add remaining cheese and evaporated milk, stirring constantly.  Cook for about 5-10 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.  Sauce will continue to thicken as it cool.

Happy Cooking!