See My Recipes In Davis Life Magazine
Potato Ho-Down!
Noble Pig
Fourth of July Recipe Ideas
Here are ideas to round out your Fourth of July menus. We are still unpacking...only half a POD to go! But seriously the mess here is incredible. We will survive though...
Anyway, add one of these recipes I have previously made to your weekend menu, you won't be disappointed.
The above recipe, Firecracker Cupcakes with POP ROCKS, is a real hit!
My Tantalizingly Tangy Chili-Cheese Dogs...Yum. This post also goes into hot dog etiquette 101. Yes, it exists.
Lemon-Caper Dip served with veggies.
Fuzzy Melba's....I'm sure this is patriotic.
Chicken, Nectarine and Red Onion Kebabs....very yummy.
Going on a picnic? Ina Garten's Caesar Salad Club Sandwich. This is an incredible sandwich.
Oh Ma Ga...Better Than Robert Redford Dessert.
These are so simple to make and taste delicious....Raspberry-Lemon Tartlets.
Reuben Dip...it tastes just like the sandwich.
Cool off with a Hpnotiq Breeze.
For easy clean-up and to feed a crowd...a Low Country Shrimp Boil.
The most popular recipe on this site...Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Dip.
The Lazy Taxpayer's Bipartisan Burger.
Mixed Berry and Cherry Clafoutis.
The best Summertime Ceviche.
Blue Sky Potatoes.
Limoncello Lemonade...very cool and refreshing.
Dreaming of Hawaii....Gratineed Pineapple.
My go to cookie...Chocolate Chip Overload Cookies.
Asian Lime Ribs with a RIBS 101 tutorial.
My contest winning Peach Margaritas. It was a small contest, but I still won.
Caprese Salad Kebabs with Spinach-Basil Pesto. No wilted lettuce.
...and Sliders!
Enjoy and let me know if you try anything.
One Year Ago Today: Break-Dessert-Fast
A Home Run
Oh wow, where have I been? Well, nowhere really....just digging out of the mess of moving. Two PODS are now unpacked but we are still inundated with unpacked boxes.
I'm anticipating it will take about a month to a month in a half before things are normal again around here. I really don't have a lot of available computer time. Did I mention, there are things EVERYWHERE trying to find a home. It's going to take time so bare with me.
We are eating though, but very simple, quick and easy meals. It's difficult to cook when there are things all over every inch of available counter space. We have also enjoyed a lot of meals outside as the weather here is perfect for outdoor feasting. It has been a beautiful 75-80 degrees and breezy. I don't miss the miserable California heat one bit.
Anyway, if you are looking for a great Fourth of July appetizer, go check out my new recipe in Davis Life Magazine, it's one of my favorites.
So what have we been eating over here....Sliders! When I saw these over at Big Red Kitchen, I knew they would come in handy as they are so easy and let's not mention my family loves them. Loves them. I have made them several times already and they always hit the spot.
They are also perfect for Fourth of July, especially if you don't have a grill or don't want to use one.
Let's make them together...
Here's what you will need: Ground chuck (80/20), sliced cheese, seasoning salt, dried minced onion, sliced dill pickles and dinner rolls.
Sprinkle dried minced onion on the bottom of a 9 x 13 or 10 x 15 pan. Use as much as you like.
Press ground chuck into pan, on top of onions until it completely covers the bottom. Use two pounds of ground chuck if you are using a 9 x 13 pan or 2-1/2 pounds of ground chuck if you are using a 10 x 15 pan. Sprinkle the meat with seasoning salt.
Place in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes. (Make sure you use an 80/20 mixture of ground beef, otherwise your burgers will be dry.)
The meat will shrink in the oven. After 25 minutes remove and cover with six slices of cheese. Place meat back in the oven for two minutes until the cheese is melted.
With a pizza cutter or a knife, slice the meat into as many square pieces as you have rolls.
Place the meat in between the bun with some of the onion and pop on a few dill pickles. You are ready to serve.
These disappear quick.
We'll be having these again soon.
Sliders
Adapted from Big Red Kitchen
Ground chuck (80/20) 2 pounds for a 9 x 13 pan, 2-1/2 pounds for a 10 x 15 pan
Dried, minced onion
Seasoning salt
6 slices of cheese
Sliced dill pickles
Dinner rolls, any brand
Sprinkle dried minced onion on the bottom of a 9 x 13 or 10 x 15 pan. Use as much as you like.
Press ground chuck into pan, on top of onions until it completely covers the bottom. Use two pounds of ground chuck if you are using a 9 x 13 pan or 2-1/2 pounds of ground chuck if you are using a 10 x 15 pan. Sprinkle the meat with seasoning salt.
Place in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes. (Make sure you use an 80/20 mixture of ground beef, otherwise your burgers will be dry.)
The meat will shrink in the oven. After 25 minutes remove and cover with six slices of cheese. Place meat back in the oven for two minutes until the cheese is melted.
With a pizza cutter or a knife, slice the meat into as many square pieces as you have rolls.
Place the meat in between the bun with some of the onion and pop on a few dill pickles. You are ready to serve.
One Year Ago Today: Shakespeare, Pigs and Ninjas
Avoiding the Inevitable
Seriously, how much more can I talk about this? Hello...hello...someone is still reading this, right?...tap...tap...is this thing still on? Well, I hope so.
Anyway...how to gracefully avoid unpacking for another day...
Invite a friend over with her brand new, shiny boy and precious two year-old daughter. Let the kids run crazy while we discuss where to get the best pedicure, where to shop, our vineyards and planning our eventual tasting rooms. Girl stuff.
Give a haircut to a tree that was blocking a portion of my view. Yep, I gave it a good trim.
Spend an hour planning where I want the movers to put my armoire. Really it wasn't that hard of a decision but I wanted to make sure, he-he.
Suck up dust bunnies with the vacuum.
Watch reruns of Coach.
Eat two bowlfuls of Tillamook Marionberry Pie Ice Cream. Sinful and worth every bite.
Spend a loooooong time in the backyard photographing the flowers for no reason.
Walk around the block three times with the kids looking at everyone's gardens and unique homes.
However, the movers are coming today to unload all the furniture. I can't avoid the inevitable much longer. But I do think my Dutch oven is in the POD they are emptying. I feel lost without the Dutch. It's my favorite pot to cook in.
But we're going out to dinner tonight so pot meeting the stove will have to wait.
One Year Ago Today: Peace Comes Out of the Fog
Better Than Unpacking
Well, anything is better than unpacking and we had to get away from the boxes and the organizing. While two of the PODS won't arrive until later today, we still had a trailer full of stuff to put away. We are tired so we are taking a timeout for fresh air.
We have been eating most meals out, which I'll admit gets tiring but I don't really have all my kitchen stuff to cook what I consider a good meal. It's going to take awhile to get the kitchen put away the way I want it and regain my cooking mojo. A new kitchen does leave you feeling a bit lost. In the meantime we'll try all the restaurants in town.
I have not been to the vineyard property since April and was anxious to see the progress. Wow how things have changed.
The boys are drawn to the machines.
They stopped running around long enough for me to snap a photo and then they were off again.
I was amazed at how much work had been done. So much more land has been cleared. This area here is huge even though the picture doesn't really show it.
This used to be completely covered in tree stumps. It's really amazing to see it this way.
The boys insist I photograph every machine. I have to admit the machines make the brown dusty backdrop more interesting.
The size of this log is truly gigantic. It needs to be carved into some type of sculpture or wooden bench. This photo doesn't do it justice, it's beautiful.
A little nature found amongst the rubble.
We hiked around for hours. Then we took a nap. Perfect.
One Year Ago Today: Corporate-Schmorporate
We Made It
After what seemed like a relentless amount of hard labor in 100 degree California temperatures, we finally left for a pleasant
65 degree McMinnville, Oregon, our new home.
We made the drive in two legs, one 300 mile journey and another 258 miles completed yesterday. On Thursday we didn't leave California until 9:30 PM so we arrived at a Medford, Oregon hotel at the lovely hour of 4:00 AM. That was a fun drive.
We had two cars and the Wild Boar was pulling a trailer so it was 55-60 mph snail's pace the whole way. Between lots of chewing gum (lip-smacking sound effects included), loud music (Maroon 5, Lisa Lisa & the Cult Jam, Fergie, Carly Simon & Gwen Stefani) and freezing, cold air blowing at my face, I managed to stay awake.
We slipped into bed at 4:15 AM and slept until 11:30 AM. Needless to say we were (still are) beat up from all the final touches of packing and cleaning up the old house. Battening down the hatches can be quite involved unless you want to leave a disaster behind.
Anyway, it's over. We are now here. We are home. It has been a long journey, planned for so many year's. It's hard to believe it finally happened.
The best part, we are all together as a family again. Something I have never mentioned here; my husband has been living in Oregon for the past nine months by himself, managing the vineyard and land development. I have been alone with the kids in California while they finished out the school year.
Needless to say it has been a tough year. Traveling back and forth and seeing each other very infrequently. The kids and I are ecstatic we no longer have to be apart, it was very hard on all of us. Yes we survived but it's so nice that part of our lives is over.
I learned a lot about myself living alone with the kids...
I am totally satisfied eating just watermelon for dinner. It's filling, refreshing and requires little clean-up. I'm going to miss my very easy dinner.
After many, many years of
I despise taking care of a swimming pool.
Functioning as a single-parent is very difficult. I'm not sure how people do it. I'm glad it's over.
I also learned I am a physically (and mentally) stronger than I ever thought I was. There were a lot of things around the house I had to take care of because there was no one else around to do it. It turns out I have some muscle. Yeah for me.
Overall, even though it has been a trying year, lessons have been learned. It reminds you just how precious your loved ones are. It was a good test of our perseverance and dedication to each other as a family. We passed with flying colors.
But it's over. We are home.
On to unpacking. That should take awhile, however, I'm glad our stuff doesn't arrive until next week. I have no desire to unload PODS at the moment.
I need a break.
Update
It's been quite busy at my house over the past few days. All three PODS are now packed and ready for shipment to Oregon.
The movers came today and loaded the last POD with all (okay most) of my furniture. There were some leftover pieces that didn't quite make the cut. We decided at the last minute to take along our very GIANT sofa. I'm not exaggerating when I say giant; four adults can comfortably stretch out on this sofa and relax. It's big. Since it is a very well-made sectional and was pricey when we bought it, we decided to have it reupholstered in Oregon. It will be worth it, but it meant a few things would be left behind.
The two moving guys very politely told me, "Lady, you have a lot of stuff and some VERY BIG pieces of furniture". I even told them I had a huge garage sale and sold a bunch of things. They looked stunned which made me laugh. However, they never complained once as they carried it all down the stairs.
As a result, they were subjected to my illness of having to feed everyone large amounts of food when they enter my home. I fed them breakfast and lunch and chased them around with cold water bottles and orange juice. I kept saying, "Eat...eat more", and they did. Who knows if they wanted the food or not, but they just ate it anyway.
I always feel bad for people I am asking to do back-breaking type of work for me, even though I am paying them. I even tipped them. Are you supposed to tip movers? I have no idea if I insulted them or made their day. They worked so hard and meticulously wrapped EVERY SINGLE piece of furniture before loading it. It killed me watching them kill themselves. So I fed them. It seemed like a logical way to deal with the guilt.
We have a few more days in California. Since we are keeping our house here, we have to batten down the hatches, clean it up and pack up the cars for our final drive.
We are exhausted to say the least but looking forward to our new adventure.
I'll keep you posted.
One Year Ago: It's (GREE) Not (GRISS)
Carrying the Guilt
Today is my boys last day of school. While children are always excited about the last day of school (and mine are), they are starting today with a bit of a heavy heart.
In a week they will be moving away from the only school and friends they have ever known and there is a touch of sadness.
Yes, they will be fine. Yes, they will adapt. But it's hard not to feel completely guilty as a parent, knowing I am taking them away to pursue my dreams. Is there anything worse than Mommy guilt?
Today I will say goodbye to the many Moms, kids and teachers I have come to know and love over the last four years. I'm not looking forward to it.
It's not goodbye, it's see you later, right?
Ugh.
From the Depths of My Freezer...
...I unearthed yet more stuff. Two frozen pie shells (which means I still have one left) and some fresh (frozen) cranberries from last Thanksgiving. I am always amazed how well fresh cranberries do in the freezer.
Pie seemed like an appropriate endeavor, so I searched around my recipe files and found this Pear-Cranberry Pie with Oatmeal Streusel.
It's super easy to make. This pie is on the tart side, so make sure you serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream. If you don't have fresh cranberries, frozen (but thawed) from the market will be fine.
I loved the oatmeal-streusel topping, it was very...ummm...rustic.
Delicious.
Pear-Cranberry Pie with Oatmeal Streusel
Adapted from Cooking Light
Streusel:
3/4 cup regular oats
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash of salt
2 Tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
Filling:
3 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled Anjou pear (3 large)
2 cups fresh cranberries or frozen (thawed)
2/3 cup light brown sugar
2-1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
Remaining Ingredient:
1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pastry shell
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Prepare streusel by combining first five ingredients in a medium bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles a coarse meal.
Combine pear, cranberries, 2/3 cup brown sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl; toss well to combine. Spoon pear mixture into pastry shell; sprinkle streusel over pear mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until bubbly and streusel is browned. Cool at least 1 hour on a wire rack.
Serve with vanilla ice-cream or a sweetened whipped cream.
This pie was simply effortless to put together.
One Year Ago Today: A Meaningful Recollection
Don't You Hate It When This Happens...
Honestly, I had to laugh. It pretty much goes along with the destruction and state of mess in my house. Everywhere I look there is a disaster. Everything I pick up has a dust bunny lurking under it. Packing up is the epitome of the pits. One pod is filled, another will be delivered today. My spine aches. Even my pinkie fingers hurt. Okay everything hurts but we needed cake. So I made some. Priorities. I cannot deal with body pain unless sweets are involved.
Here's the thing, I really annoy myself when I do not listen to my own baking intuition. I knew this cake was going to be very moist. I knew I needed to let it cool about 15 minutes in the pan (the recipe said 10 minutes). So why did I dump it out after two minutes. Who knows. But this is what I got. Another mess.
However, just as I suspected, this Applesauce-Chocolate Chip Cake was totally fantastic, I mean, really fantastic. The kind of cake you can't stop eating.
Why did I make this cake?
It's made in one bowl. No mixer is required. I needed to use up the rest of my chocolate chips, they would just melt if I packed them up to ship. I also had a jar of unsweetened applesauce I needed to use as well. The cake also calls for black pepper and cardamom...intriguing. Overall, it had a wonderful flavor. As soon as I stock up on chocolate chips again, I will be making it. I will just be little more patient with the cooling time.
My boys asked me what I did to the cake. I told them I made inside out cake. They were impressed. Ha.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the granulated sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, cloves and pepper. Whisk in the applesauce, eggs, oil and melted butter. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Scrape the batter into a buttered and floured 12-cup bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes (mine took only one hour) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.
Transfer the pan to a rack and let THE CAKE COOL FOR 10 MINUTES, then invert it onto the rack and let cool completely, about 20 minutes.
Don't think even one piece of this cake went to waste. We devoured it. And no, it was not out of desperation. It was really good.
Applesauce-Chocolate Chip Cake
Adapted from Food and Wine
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups unsweetened applesauce
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
One 12 ounce bag semisweet-chocolate chips
In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the granulated sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, cloves and pepper. Whisk in the applesauce, eggs, oil and melted butter. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Scrape the batter into a buttered and floured 12-cup bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes (mine took only one hour) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.
Transfer the pan to a rack and let THE CAKE COOL FOR 10 MINUTES, then invert it onto the rack and let cool completely, about 20 minutes.
Dust with powdered sugar if you like.
Yikes
The first one arrived yesterday. In case you were wondering, yes, it's quite mundane packing it up.
But then, out of the blue, some ducks landed in my pool, there were three before one flew away. Were they taking a break or looking for a new home? I guess we'll find out.