Amazing Pudding Pops!

Oh my goodness. You must make these now. These Pudding Pop Copy Cats are divine. Only three ingredients and you will be in heaven. This recipe can be super healthy if you use skim milk (which I do) and the healthy cool whip (which I don't). The pudding pops are light and fluffy but slightly chewy at the same time. I may have had two of them immediately before Mr. Lawyer came home and I definitely had one for breakfast with my coffee.

JELL-O Pudding Pops

(Pinterest find!)

Ingredients:

1 package instant pudding, chocolate

1.5 cups milk

2 cups cool whip (almost the whole tub)

Directions:

1. Mix together milk and pudding mix.

2. Stir in cool whip.

3. Spoon mixture into 3 ounce dixie cups and insert popsicle stick, I got 10 full dixie cups out of the mix. Freeze until firm. Peel off paper cup. Devour. 

Heaven in your mouth.

Big Kid Dinner

Before I ran off to the shore for the week I made Mr. Lawyer a real dinner with sides and everything! The delicious Modenese Pork Chops made an appearance along with my favorite Farmer's Market Squash Saute. For something on the starchy side I tried a new potato recipe. "Crash Hot Potatoes" involve boiling the little spuds first, followed by smashing them, and finally baking them. You have the freedom to season them with whatever herbs you have on hand which is a bonus. I liked them because you get fluffy baked potato bits but you also get these nice crunchy bits. I see more of these little spuds in our future!

A little "Mise en place" going on.

 Modenese Pork Chops...who doesn't love a recipe that calls for opening a bottle of wine?

 Crispy bits and fluffy bits all at once!

Big kid dinner plate!

Crash Hot Potatoes

(from the Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients:
12 whole New Potatoes (or Other Small Round Potatoes)
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Kosher Salt To Taste
Black Pepper To Taste
Rosemary (or Other Herbs Of Choice) To Taste
Directions:
1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.
2. On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.
3. With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.
4. Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)
5.Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown

Wicket is Back!

Poor Wicket (the wok) was feeling a bit neglected this summer. That means it's time for a stir-fry! We haven't been super healthy this summer (but not totally disgusting either!) so all the veggies were an added bonus. This is a solid recipe. It didn't blow our minds but it wasn't bland. The sauce had a nice subtle flavor but there wasn't a ton of it and you know I like it saucy! My favorite part was the bits of browned onion.

Stir-fried Broccoli, Mushrooms, and Onions with Tasty Sauce

(Fast, Fresh, & Green Cookbook)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1.5 teaspoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice wine (I used Mirin)
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 small onion, diced
1 small broccoli head, cut into florets
6-8 ounces mushrooms, depending on taste
1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
Directions:
1. Whisk together oyster sauce, hoisin, soy, rice wine, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Heat up peanut oil in a large wok. Add the onion and stir-fry until it's turning brown.
3. Add the broccoli and mushrooms. Stir occasionally until the veggies are cooked/turning brown.
4. Add in the garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
5. Remove from heat and stir in sauce until all the veggies are coated. Serve with rice.

FIESTA!

July/August Roundup

I'm not dead! I've been doing very important things on my vacation....like updating my Fiesta spreadsheet!

KITCHEN NERD.

I have been cooking a lot this week but it has all been repeat recipes. My very best Philly friend just had her second baby! That makes her the proud mama of a newborn and a two year old. Why not top off that feat with moving into a new house this weekend? She's crazy. Babies and houses...does that mean we're adults now? Since all of these life changes result in CHAOS I decided to get my butt back in the kitchen and cook up some freezer meals. I made the normal amount but then divided in half between my friend and I. This way Mr. Lawyer had dinner and it filled up our freezer as well as hers.

In the happy baby and house gift basket we have:

1. My Favorite Turkey Chili!

2. Meatballs and Sauce

3. Creole Seasoned Pulled Pork

4. Breakfast Burritos

5. Spaghetti, cornbread, and bbq sauce because new houses don't come with side dishes or condiments!

6. A citronella candle for her new personal wine deck off the master bedroom.

7. Two bottles of her favorite wine 

8. A batch of Vanilla Pudding Cookies

9. A giant box of diapers (not pictured)

10. A giant box of animal crackers for the two year old (not pictured)

Other things I have been obsessed with:

Sloppy buns and my blue bandana. 

It started off as just a beach weekend thing but now I can't stop.

 Alternate uses for my wedding centerpieces.

I see lots of canning and iced coffee in my future. 

My cookie scoop. 

Why did I not have a cookie scoop until my bridal shower? It makes life so much easier!

 My obsession with cookbooks (among other things) continues. I popped into the used bookstore and grabbed this one off the shelf because of the silly name, The Frog Commissary. I fell in love a little more when I saw the cute retro-style drawings on the front (and all through the book). I started skimming and learned that it's from a Philly chef/restaurant! For two dollars it was a done deal. I looked it up when I got home and it has rave reviews (even if it was originally printed in 1985). Evidently the recipe for carrot cake is killer. I guess I know what I'm making for Mr. Lawyer's birthday.

Corn Pudding!

Mr. Lawyer's family has a delicious holiday tradition: corn pudding! Now I must admit when I spent my first Thanksgiving with his family and he was explaining it to me I was a bit skeptical. I think he used the words "mushy". I am happy to say that I'm a fan of corn pudding! It is a little mushy but it's also delicious!

Please admire the pretty vintage Forest Green plate (1951-1959) bought at an antique festival for a steal. It's in gorgeous condition with no visible scratching.

Corn Pudding

(from the kitchen of Mrs. T!)

Ingredients:
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8-ounce) package Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 stick butter, melted
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9- by 9-inch baking pan or a 2 quart casserole dish.
2. Mix together the corn, Jiffy, sour cream and butter in a large bowl. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 55 minutes, or until golden brown and set. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Delicious on served on top of some turkey chili!

Crockpot Lentil Soup

Another yummy soup recipe courtesy of pinterest. I loved the lentil and chickpea combination. I also used my immersion blender for the first time! It was much better than using a blender and splattering soup all over the kitchen.

Red Lentil, Chickpea, and Tomato Soup with Smoked Paprika

(Pinterest find! From kalynskitchen.com)

Ingredients:
1 large yellow onion, diced small
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 cup red lentils
2 cans chickpeas, rinsed
5 cups chicken broth
2 cans petite dice tomatoes with juice (14.5 oz. can)
Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in frying pan and saute the diced onion until it's soft and starting to brown lightly, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, dried thyme, salt, and black pepper and saute 2-3 minutes more, or until spices are fragrant.
2. Add onion-spice mixture to CrockPot, then rinse out the frying pan with 1 cup of the stock and add to crockpot along with red lentils, rinsed chickpeas, and rest of stock. Cook on high for 2-3 hours, or until lentils are starting to soften and dissolve into the soup.
3. When lentils are starting to soften, add the 2 cans of diced tomatoes with juice. Cook for 1-2 hours more on high, or until the lentils and chickpeas are both quite soft. Then remove about 1/2 the soup to a bowl. Puree the soup you removed using an immersion blender, food processor, or blender.
4. Stir the pureed soup back into the soup in the CrockPot; taste and add more salt or fresh ground black pepper if desired. Let soup cook about 15 minutes more before serving.

Rainbow Kitchen!

I haven't left the apartment in four days, I can't smell my favorite candle, I can't taste the difference in my gin, I've gone through a box of tissues, and netflix is my new best friend. Summertime sickness sucks.

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup.

 All day, every day.

Repeat.

Chicken Calzones

If you have extra chicken on hand then this recipe is for you! It was quick, easy, and a hit (Mr. Lawyer inhaled two of them). I used thin crust pizza dough and it turned out nice and crispy. Instead of one cheese I did a mix of cheddar and mozzarella.

BBQ Chicken Calzones

(Pinterest find!)

Ingredients:
1 can (13.8 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated classic pizza crust
1-1/3 cups refrigerated original barbecue sauce with shredded chicken
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or Cheddar cheese (2 oz)
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.
2. Unroll dough; place on cookie sheet. Starting at center, press out dough into 14×10-inch rectangle; cut into 4 (7×5-inch) rectangles. Spoon 1/3 cup chicken mixture onto half of each rectangle, spreading to within 1/2 inch of edge. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheese over each.
3. Fold dough in half over filling; press edges firmly with fork to seal. Prick tops with fork.
4. Bake 9-12 minutes or until light brown.

Ice Cream Lovin'

I'm in love with my new ice cream attachment (thanks Aunt Terri!). It makes it so easy to whip up a batch of ice cream. The only hard part is waiting for it to set.

My first batch was a chocolate-mint, made from a mix we received at Christmas. I currently have a from scratch cake batter vanilla chilling in the freezer.

I was amused that these magazines came on the same day, "Homemade Ice Cream!" and "Sugar, why we can't resist it". 

A Fishing Story

I went on a boat.

I saw a pretty light house.

I caught my first ocean fish!

It was delicious.

The End.