Elvis Enchiladas

Kingsley and I were chatting the other day and she remarked on my recent cream based diet.  "What? Cream based. .  ." I began to protest.  Weakly.  There's been a lot of undisclosed poppyseed chicken and the like in there too.  Mmmm.  I'm chasing after the faster crawler in the world.  I need fortification.

Anyway, I made a couple pans of these enchiladas for a friend who had a baby, and had to make a couple for myself as well.  Last time I made them, Buddy leapt on the counter, nosed them to within the grasp of his nose/paws and devoured an entire pan that was cooling.  I was rather heartbroken, but lived to make them again.  They remind of the Elvis Burrito from my favorite Mexican place in town, (that I never get to go to, because long waits and a loud toddler are no bueno).  The Elvis is a chicken burrito topped with spinach con queso.  These chicken and spinach enchiladas are doubly delicious because ether are topped with the filling and sour cream.  Oh, and cheese.  Lots of cheese.

The recipe is adapted from the Taste of the South Comfort Food magazine that I am always yammering on about.

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced in rings
2 (6 oz bags) of fresh baby spinach
cream sauce (see below),  or 1 can cream of chicken soup, or 1 and 1/4 cup cottage cheese
1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided
4 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 8 oz shredded cheese (I actually used pre-shredded cheese- the queso blend with the cream cheese in it)
1 (4 ounce) can diced roasted green chiles
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
2 T fresh lime juice (one lime)
12 corn tortillas
1 (8 ounce) container of sour cream
Garnish- sliced red onion and cilantro

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray a 13x9 baking dish (or 2 8x8's) with PAM and set aside.

2.  In  large dutch oven heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook for five minutes.  Add the spinach and cook until the spinach wilts and releases its liquid. Remove the spinach and onion from the pan, and put it in a colander.  Press with dish towels and squeeze all the water out of the spinach.  Nobody wants watery enchiladas.

3. In a large bowl, combine the cream sauce and 1 cup of chicken broth, whisking until smooth.  Add the chicken, spinach mixture, 1 package cheese, green chiles, spices, and lime juice.  Stir to combine.

4.  Spray aluminum foil with PAM.  Wrap tortillas in foil and place in the oven on a baking sheet until they are warm and pliable (about 10 minutes).

5.  Place about 1/2 cups filling in the center of each tortilla, and roll the tortilla around the fillings.  Place seam side down in the baking dish.

6.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup broth and sour cream to the leftover filling.  Pour over the enchiladas.  Top with the remaining package of cheese.

7.  Bake until bubbly- about 30 minutes.  Lightly cover with foil if the cheese starts getting too brown.  Garnish with cilantro and onion if you want!

Cream Sauce- substitute for Cream of Chicken soup

• 3 T butter
• 3 T flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup chicken broth

1. Melt butter in heavy saucepan.
2. Blend in the flour and salt, cooking until bubbly.
3. Whisk in the milk and broth, using a wire whisk to prevent lumps.
4. Cook until just smooth and thickened.

For the new baby dinner, I made Mexican rice, and took tortilla chips, salsa and cheese dip along with the enchiladas.  I mean, who doesn't like cheese dip?

Elvis sure as hell did.

Weeknight Chicken and Dumplings

Don't y'all just love Daylight Saving Time when it springs forward?  Despite the havoc it wreaked upon my toddler's sleeping habits, and my day yesterday, today was one of the days that I celebrate its length.  My child was lovely, our day was both productive and pleasurable, and the sun shone through the chill.

Anyway, although it feels like we have more time in the evening, I still don't have all the day to make chicken and dumplings (although yesterday I would have gladly trading a day of stirring chicken broth to temper tantrums in the Trader Joe's).    This recipe is from that excellent cookbook, "Quick Fix Southern", by Rebecca Lang that I have raved about in the past.

Instead of using biscuits in a can (insert side eye), it uses rotisserie chicken and homemade dumplings.  You gotta have Crisco for proper dumplings.  My brother and I would always explode with sheer happiness when we saw Mama put on her flour dusted old apron and reach back in the cabinet for her battered can of Crisco.  It meant homemade biscuits, chicken and dumplings, or both!  JOY!

Anyway, this tastes as good as completely homemade, and can be whipped up quickly even with frequent interruptions from a baby underfoot.

Ingredients:

12 cups chicken broth (low sodium, and organic if you can- it tastes better, I swear)
1 rotisserie chicken
3 cups self rising flour, plus a little more for the counter top when you roll out the dumplings
1/8 teaspoon dried sage
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
6 tablespoons Crisco
1 cup milk

In a large stock pot with a lid, heat the chicken broth over high heat. Remove the skin from the chicken, pull of the meat and shred the chicken.

Add the chicken to the broth and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, combine the flour and spices in a food processor with a metal blade. Pulse once.  Add the Crisco (now you're cooking), and pulse 6 times.  Add the milk and process until the dough comes together (about 30 seconds to a minute).

Remove the dough and place on a lightly floured counter top. Use a floured rolling pin, (or a glass, or a wine bottle if you don't have a rolling pin), and roll to a 1/4 inch thickness.  Use a pizza cutter to cut into strips 1 by 3 inches.  Drop the strips into the boiling broth a couple at a time.  They will look waterlogged and gooey (that detail comes straight from he cookbook, and is one of the reasons why Mrs. Lang is an excellent cookbook authoress).  Stir very gently just once, and reduce heat to medium.

Cover and simmer for 35 minutes.

That's it!  The leftovers were even better the next day.  Serve with biscuits (this is a great quick recipe for biscuits, although Crisco-free), and green beans.  Your family will begin to tap their feet in excitement when you reach for the Crisco!

Just ask Minnie!

Snowy Day

I'm enjoying a big bowl of delicious homemade mushroom soup on this blustery day.  I'm thankful for strong stone walls, which keep out the wind, and a little girl who got into the snow day spirit and slept late.  Glorious!

 She is currently in baby-walking boot camp.  I am DYING for this 13 month old to walk in time for Easter egg hunts.  I mean, she says it's fine, and that she will just push her little stroller around and use it to carry eggs.  I walk around holding her little hand constantly.  Then she decides it's too slow, and zooms off crawling at top speed.

So back to the mushroom soup- recipe is adapted from Taste of the South Comfort Food.  Are y'all sick of me talking about this magazine yet?  Have you bought it?  Anyway, this creamy portobello bisque ain't no Campbells.  It is seriously tasty- rich and earthy.

Creamy Mushroom Soup
1/4 cup butter
2 T olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 (heaping) cup chopped celery
1 T minced garlic
1 1/2 t chopped fresh thyme
3 8 oz packages of sliced baby portobello mushrooms
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon slat
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream

1.  In a dutch oven, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the butter is melted.  Add the onion and celery and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another couple of minutes.  Add the mushrooms and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the flour, salt and pepper, and cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly.  Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, whisking until smooth.

2.  Bring to a simmer, cook for 20 minute, stirring occasionally.  Add cream and cook for 15 minutes.

Garnish with fresh thyme and enjoy!


Mmmm.  Well, I am off to revise some documents.  For those who have asked, I am wholeheartedly enjoying my new gig.  I have been inundated with work, so balancing everything is a bit bonkers at times, but I love the flexibility and everything I am doing.  Especially all the time I get to spend with this little boss-

That smile just melts my heart!

Chardonnay Beyonce Love Chicken

Well, apparently all my hints and this Valentine's day meal worked, because Morgan informed me that we will be attending the Beyonce concert in Nashville this summer- sqquueeee!  Ha, he also informed me that if any of my friends want to escort me instead of himself, he all be quite pleased to sit in the hotel bar and wait for the concert to be through.  Seriously.  Let me know if you want to shake it with me. Club level shaking.

Anyway,  this simple to prepare meal was  a very popular dinner for my overworked husband last Thursday.  He was working on a huge project last week culminating in a 23 hour day, so I wanted to cater to his taste for a relaxed dinner.  He had seconds/possibly thirds, and demanded this dish into the rotation.

Next time, I will make it with an actual cream sauce/some sort of substitute for the cream of chicken soup- I had no time for experimentation nor room for failure last week.

(I believe this recipe is similar to "Swiss Chicken", which I have never prepared so I cannot say for sure.  Mine is adapted from a recipe in "Taste of the South's Comfort Food".  I know I go on about these magazines, but if you see any Taste of the South Collector's Edition, snatch it up!)

Chardonnay Beyonce Love Chicken

4 chicken breasts

salt and pepper

6-8 slices prosciutto or thinly sliced Italian ham

4-6 slices Provolone cheese

1 can cream of chicken

1/4 generous cup white wine

paprika

1.  Put the oven on to 350 degrees, Spray a 13x9 baking dish with PAM, and place the chicken in the dish.  Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.  Lay the ham on top of the chicken- cutting the pieces if needed to fully cover the chicken, then top with the provolone.

2.  In a small bowl whisk together the soup and the wine until combined.  pour over the chicken, and sprinkle with paprika.

3.  Bake uncovered about 40 minutes.

Serve with wild rice (perfect for sopping up that winey sauce), and a steamed green vegetable.  Broccoli is an excellent foil to that rich sauce, ham and cheese.

Prepare, serve, let the compliments flow, and practice that booty shaking.

I fear for those behind me in Jazzercise the next few months as I work on my shaking.

Dell Harper's Green Beans

Well, Baby Led Weaning is going swimmingly around these parts.  At Dell Harper's nine month appointment, her doctor was very pleased that she eats solely table food.  Ironic, since he was skeptical about baby led weaning at 6 months, yet wants her to be feeding herself by nine.  Hmmpph.

Anyway, based on her HUGE growth spurt, table food is treating her quite nicely.  She eats everything! 

A typical day is:

Breakfast:
Toast fingers with jam (no sugar added), or Greek yogurt spread on top (1-2 pieces of whole wheat bread)
banana or blueberries

Lunch:
whole wheat penne with cheese and carrot or butternut squash or
baby mum mums spread with hummus, no salt added roasted turkey, and steamed broccoli and carrots

Dinner:
turkey meatballs
avocado
sweet potato wedges
green beans

Now, when I first tried steamed green beans with Dell Harper, she was unimpressed.  Then I doctored up those green beans with the following recipe, from that wonder Taste of the South Southern Suppers magazine that I keep telling y'all about.  The girl went crazy over the new green beans! She ate the whole darn batch.  I was proud as punch over my garlic loving green bean eating little chunk.

1 bag frozen green beans (thawed)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste

Sauté the thawed green beans in a tablespoon of olive oil for about fifteen minutes until they are browned.
add the garlic, lemon juice, sugar and butter, and cook on medium heat stirring often until the garlic is browned and the butter is melted- about 5-6 minutes.

This is a great recipe for these winter months, when you have had it to here with broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale, and root vegetables.  Frozen green beans to the rescue!

Buddy is enjoying BLW as well.  Although yogurt is not his favorite.

Bonjour, Beef Stew!

Okay, so wrapping our freezer friendly recipes this week, I would be remiss if I did not share this wonderful Provencal Beef Stew.  I'm reading Dearie- the latest Julia Child biography.  I like to picture she and Paul in a cosy Parisian bistro eating bowls of steaming fragrant stew, with lots of red wine, and stinky cheese for dessert.  So I'm craving this surprising Provencal Beef Stew- surprising with the kalamata olives, and a bright flavor from the inclusion of orange zest.  It gets even better as the flavors meld in the freezer.

From Cooks Illustrated The Best Make Ahead Recipe

Provencal Beef Stew
4 lbs boneless beef chuck eye roast, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch pieces
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, halved and cut into 1/8 inch slices
3/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 750 ml bottle dry red wine
2 3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 pound carrots (about 6 medium), peeled and slice done inch thick)
3 ounces salt pork, tied tightly with kitchen twine
4 (3 inch long)strip of orange zest from 1 orange, cut into thin matchsticks
1 cup pitted nicoise olives, rinsed and chopped (you can sub kalamata olives)
4 medium garlic cloves, sliced thin
3 anchovy filets, rinsed and minced
5 sprigs fresh thyme, tied together with kitchen twine
2 bay leaves
1 (14.5 ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and cut int 1/2 inch dice
3 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves

1.  adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position and the oven to 325 degrees.  Pat the beef dry and season with salt and pepper.  Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large dutch oven over medium high that until just smoking.  Add half the meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 7-10 minutes, reducing the heat if the pot begins to scorch.  Transfer the browned beef to a medium bowl.  Repeat with one more tablespoon of oil and the remaining beef, and transfer to the bowl.

2.  Add the remaining 2 tablespoon of oil to the pot, and heat until it's shimmering.  Add the onions, the mushrooms, a teaspoon of salt, and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes.  Stir in the flour and tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.  Slowly whisk in the wine, scraping up any browned its.  Whisk in the broth until smooth and bring to a simmer.

3.  Stir in the browned meat, carrots, salt pork, orange zest, half the olives, garlic, anchovies thyme bundle, and bay leaves.  Bring to a simmer.  Cover,place the pot in the one, and cook until the meat is just tender and the sauces is thickened and glossy- 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours.

4.  Remove the salt pork, thyme and bay leaves.  Stir in the remained olives and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in the tomatoes and spindle with parsley.

To Store:  let the stew cool, uncovered at room temperature, for 45 minutes.  Transfer to airtight containers and freeze.

When reheating, shred the beef with a fork.  Serve over quinoa, couscous, or egg noodles.  It's delightful with a green salad and crusty bread.  And stinky cheese.  Light some candles, drink some wine, and enjoy your fancy fresh from the freezer stew in front of the fire.

My Little Butter Bean

Now, I told y'all that I was going to share my fall freezer favorites this week, and that was my intention.  However, I am using my prerogative to change my mind, because I remembered this meal that was just too good.  You need to make it now, with the last gasp of summer produce floating through the market.

A perfect late summer supper, this meal was adopted from one in that Taste of the South Southern Suppers magazine I was telling y'all about yesterday.  It is also husband approved.

First up, the Butter Bean Salad:

2 cups fresh butter beans
2 cups fresh lady peas or other field peas
2 teaspoons of salt
2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears of corn)
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 avocado, cut in small pieces
pinch of pepper

Makes about 8 servings.

1.  In a large pot of boiling water combine your butter beans and field peas (I used butter beans and speckled butter beans), and a teaspoon of salt.  Cook about 12-15 minutes until they are just tender (but not mushy).  Drain, rinse and cool.
2.  In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients, tossing gently to coat with the lemon juice and olive oil.

Now, I am just about to drool all over the keyboard thinking about this salad.  It was even better the next day, and served as my lunch about three days in a row.  The beauty of it is that you can make it any time.  Of course, frozen corn and butter beans aren't going to be the same, but in the dreary gloom of November, you won't care a bit.  For those uninitiated with butter beans, they're basically baby lima beans.  Please don't be frightened.  I didn't like lima beans (bad experience with them at Wednesday Night Supper as a child).  Then I became a believer.  All due to the baby of the family.

Okay, moving on to this Grilled Flank Steak.

1/2 cup marinade such as Allegro Marinade

2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 cloves of garlic minced

2-3 pounds flank steak

1.  Combine the first 4 ingredients in a big freezer Ziploc, or a shallow dish.  Add the steak, and turn to coat it well.  Stick in in the fridge for 2 hours to overnight.

2.  Spray the grill rack with nonstick spray, and preheat to medium high heat

3.  Grill the flank steak (ditch the marinade), with the grill lid closed over direct hear about 7 minutes preside

4.  Let stand for 5 minutes.  cut diagonally across the grain into thin slices.

And finally, the perfect accompaniment.

Feta Stuffed French Bread

1 softened 3 oz package of cream chase

4 oz crumbled feta

1/4 cups diced kalamata olives

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh oregano

sprinkle of black pepper

1 loaf of french bread cut in half horizontally

Combine the first 6 ingredients, mixing them well.  Scoop out some of the inside of the bread, and spread the cream cheese mixture on both side.  Place the bread halves together and wrap in aluminum foil.  Place on a grill over direct heat until the bread is hot and the cheese has melted- about 10 minutes.  Serve immediately.

And now a gratutious picture of my favorite little butterbean.  She's just scrumptious, no?

How to Make a Man Happy

Last week I did not have a lick of food in the house. Every grocery store run I managed to pick up items for Miss Priss, but neglected to get myself anything to eat for supper.  Don't you hate when you spend a bazillion bones at the grocery store and come back with nothing to eat?  Hubs was gone for work all week,  leaving me absolutely zero motivation to even make an omelet.  Then I remembered my freezer!

In a fit of anxiety at the tail end of my maternity leave during the first breath of spring, I stocked my freezer with stews, soup, and casseroles.  Then it got hot.  Real hot, real fast, leaving us with little appetite for beef stew or tamale pie.

But now, with the crisp mornings and cloudless skies of game-days upon us? Those freezer favorites are coming out!

Even more exciting?  I am going to sit my fanny down at the computer, and write these recipes down for y'all (and myself!).  Sitting down has not been a facet of my life as of late, and I need to incorporate a little restful activity into my routine.

So first up, a recipe which was a huge hit with Hubs (which unlike my easy-to-please father and brother, is no small feat).  It's also a wonderful choice to bring to a family with a new baby, which is exactly what I did Sunday.  Now, a casserole chock full of cream of whatever soup always has a place in my heart (poppyseed chicken, I'm talking to you, Missy).  However, I prefer my concoctions to be cream of sodium and preservative soup free.  This wonderful Chicken Tetrazinni is my favorite incarnation of the dish ever.  I am like a Chicken Tetrazinni detective, always looking for the perfect one which doesn't rely on too many processed items, yet isn't overly complicated.  This one is a winner.  And like I said, Hubs wholeheartedly approved.  I swear, this is near impossible.  Yet he eats McDonald's and Asian buffets.  You just never can tell.

Adapted from Taste of the South's Southern Suppers recipe mag- this is on shelves now.  BUY IT!  I have made about 6 of the recipes so far, and they have all been divine!

Man (and woman) Pleasing Chicken Tetrazzini:

1/4 cup butter (I used unsalted- if you use salted, I would reduce the amount of salt you add in later)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons curry powder (now, I love curry- especially in this dish, to add depth.  However, the original recipe called for just a teaspoon, so if you aren't a fan, reduce it to that amount)
3-4 cups chopped cooked chicken (I used 2 small rotisserie and shredded the meat with my fingers)
1 box angel hair pasta, cooked to package directions
1 carton of sliced white mushrooms
1 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1.  preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray either one 9x13 baking dish, or 2 8x8's with cooking spray.  Sauté the mushrooms in a little butter or olive oil until they're cooked.
2.  Ina  large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.  Slowly whisk in the flour, salt and pepper.  Stir constantly until it's smooth and bubbly- about 3-5 minutes.  Remove from heat.
3.  Stir in broth, cream, milk, sour cream parsley and curry.  Simmer of medium heat for a couple minutes, stirring constantly.  Add the chicken, pasta, cheese and mushrooms and mix well.    Pour into the prepared baking dish(es).
4.  Bake uncovered, until bubbly, about thirty minutes.

Serve with a simple green vegetable or salad and rolls.

I brought this up the street to my neighbor and friend, Anne, and got to see her precious boys who are 2 and a half and brand new.  Everyone enjoyed the dish (besides the newborn, obviously).  Hubs was thrilled because I made some for us as well- perfect birthday dinner!

(Also, if you make 2 8x8's stick one in the freezer.  It's a perfect thing to pull out in the coming months- serve with warm French bread and some roasted brussell sprouts for a delightful winter supper.)

Roasted Vegetable Tart

Let's talk squash. Summer means lots of cheap and delicious zucchini and summer squash.  And red and yellow and orange bell peppers that are actually affordable.  So you have sautéed squash and squash casserole, which are delicious, but not, well. . .fancy.

Sometimes you feel the need to be impressive.  This rich tart will serve that purpose admirably, with the added bonus of seeming far more complicated than it actually is- hurrah!  You also get to flip things over with Julia Child-like aplomb. (I'm reading her new bio, Dearie, right now- is anyone else?)
It's pulled out of a recipe magazine named "One Pan Recipes" purchased long ago.

3 cups cut up squash and zucchini
2 red, yellow or orange bell peppers, cut into strips
1 large Vidalia or fennel bulb, cut  into wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 2 oz block of Parmesan
1 sheet of puff pastry (thawed)
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon snipped fresh thyme
1 cup purchased creamy Parmesan dressing

Preheat oven to 450, coat sides and bottom of a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray.  Spread veggies in pan, toss with the oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Roast uncovered for about 20-25 minutes, stirring once.

Meanwhile, grate the Parmesan and set aside.  On  lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry in a 13x9 rectangle.  Add tomatoes to the mixture in the pan.  Toss the veggies with balsamic vinegar and half the Parm, spread evenly in the pan.  Lay the pastry over the veggies, tucking in the edges. Return the pan to the oven, and bake for fifteen minutes until the pastry is golden. Let stand for 5 minutes.

 Now, it's time for the flip!  Lay a cookie sheet upside down over the pastry pan.  Carefully flip the pans over together, take off the 13x9 pan.  Transfer any veggies that stick to the tart.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and 2 teaspoons of the thyme.

In a small bowl, stir together the dressing, chopped onion, and remaining thyme.  Cut the tarts into squares and serving with the dressing- I drizzled the dressing on top.  It makes 12 servings.

Now, being fancy and all, this side-dish becomes the main event.  It's really rich. Like Bill Gates rich.  I would serve it with a light green salad, and some grilled fish or chicken to balance out the puff pastry, and Parmesan and creamy dressing.  So get flipping those pans, and dressing up that squash!  Bon appetit!

Baby Led Weaning

 So many people have inquired about Dell Harper's prolific eating habits, so I thought I would do a brief post on Baby Led Weaning.  We began about a week shy of her six month birthday, after a brief attempt with rice cereal to combat her reflux.  After hearing about BLW from Kate, I was immediately intrigued, ordered the book on my Kindle, and began my compulsive research. Counting the days until her six month birthday, I was thrilled when she grabbed a piece of cantaloupe off my plate at the pool.  We let her gnaw on it, and I spent the afternoon daydreaming about what to try next.

I started with carrots- just a big old bag of organic full size carrots.  I trimmed the ends, and left the peel on for gripping purposes.  Steamed to extreme softness,  I tested them by pretending I had no teeth and gnawing.  Luckily there were no witnesses to this experiment.

Dell Harper immediately picked up the carrots and stuck it in her mouth.  It was a huge hit!  And mess, but that is what baths and dogs are for, right?  My parents laughed that my bathtub is going to get stopped up like Kramer's shower when he washed his produce in there from all the veggie residue rinsed off Miss Priss.

Avocado was next- I left the peel partially on, to allow for gripping.  This was a bit of a mess later when I discovered a large piece of avocado peel in her diaper.  Oops.  We tried avocado a couple weeks later sans peel and Dell Harper gave herself a moisturizing avocado mask in addition to eating it.

 She has gnawed on some more cantaloupe- I started the chewing for her.

Sweet potato wedges roasted with cinnamon with the peel left on worked well (more peel in the diapers was discovered).  She also tried bananas down at the beach, which were a messy delight (although backed up her little system a bit (sorry for all the diaper talk!))  Once again, I left the peel on so she cut hold the banana.  I cut it in half lengthwise, then let her go, periodically trimming the peel.  Another tip I heard is to roll the slippery stuff in Cheerio dust to help the holding.

Her favorites?  BROCCOLI!  She loves to hold the stem and eat the florets.  This is my favorite as well.  The mess is not as bad as avocado or banana, and the florets seem like they pose little choking hazard.

Her other favorites?  Any kind of bread.  She loves French bread- I scoop out the soft middle and give her the crust (the soft bread can gum up and become a choking hazard).  I gave her a frozen bagel to help with teething (Miss Priss got 2 on our vacation, did I tell y'all that?).  She took down the bagel!

 Whole wheat frozen waffles were also popular.  The bread at Red Bar kept her quite occupied.

So far, it's been super fun and much easier than spoon feeding purees.  There are a multitude of advantages, but my favorite part is the entertainment factor.  She loves sitting in her high chair eating with her family. Tonight as we ate with my parents, brother and SIL.  Dell Harper happily munched carrots and zucchini while we enjoyed lasagna and zucchini.

Now for the downside.  All my reading talked about how gagging isn't choking, and warned against hovering, yet emphasized watching the child eat.  I shrugged off this part, thinking "I won't worry about choking. I realize that she will be fine, yet won't leave her alone."

Hmmph.  I watch that kid like a hawk.  I am on edge every meal.  It doesn't help that she will get over enthusiastic, shove food in her mouth, then dramatically gag and cough.  It is terrifying, and Hubs HATES it.  Although we both know as long as she is making noises she is fine, it still scares the bejeezus out of me.  It didn't help when her pediatrician was not very enthusiastic about this process at her last appointment, and warned about choking potential.  This merited a stern look from Hubs to me.

However, this fear is definitely receding as she gets better at eating and gets teeth!  I will also relax a bit when she develops her pincher grip and gets bite-sized pieces of food in the next couple of months.
Some babies don't gag and choke, so please don't let that deter you.

We are starting slow- dinner a few nights a week, and now lunch as well.  She is eating milk for nutrition, and I think of the solids as an added bonus. I am going to start adding in some variety, and dairy and meat in the next few weeks.

So, that is our BLW experience so far.  I'd love to hear your experiences with solids, and answer any questions (ha, about the beginning stage obviously!).

Successes and Failures

 So, I made that "No Peek Chicken" that is circulating around Pinterest.  It was decent- good comfort food for a rainy night, and helpful since I could put in the oven before I left to interview a potential new nanny for Dell Harper (her current one is moving to DC, sob).

You take a box of Uncle Ben's Wild Rice mix (original recipe), a can of cream of mushroom, can of cream of celery, a can of waters, and mix in a greased 9 by 13 baking dish.  I added a pound of sliced mushrooms and a bunch of chopped celery which I sautéed, for a little fresh vegetables and flavor.  Put chicken breasts on top of the rice (I could fit four big chicken breasts).  Cover tightly, and bake at 350 for 2 and a half hours.  Serve with steamed broccoli.

I had really high hopes for this dish, because of how delicious the baked etoufee was.  Now, it was no baked etoufee, but will do in a pinch.

Source: wherefloursbloom.wordpress.com via Samma on Pinterest

In other Pinterest recipe experimentation, I made that Chocolate Cobbler/Brownie Pudding stuff the other night.  I used the recipe off of Southern Plate.  It got thrown out.  Not to be ugly about it, but if something chocolate gets thrown out in this house?  Well, it's really not worth the effort.  It was bland yet overly sweet, and really lacked something.  I can't quite put my finger on it- a certain richness was just not there.  So make some brownies with hot fudge sauce instead.

In other news, have I told y'all about my cleaning strategy?  I put a guilty pleasure book on my iPod, and only allow myself a listen if I am cleaning, cooking, blowdrying my hair or exercising.  Right now, I'm about to finish up Mary Kay Andrews' latest, and I am enjoying it immensely! Pure escapist pleasure, and if I miss a line or two due to  interruptions, it's not like I have completely lost the plot.

So that's it for me!  I hope y'all have lovely weekends full of sunshine and trashy novels!  I'll be back with some Miss Priss product updates on Monday.

I Think I Have a Problem

It began to downpour yesterday afternoon, right as I was leaving work (yay for my flowers, boo for my walk).  After a quick mental evaluation of my fridge and the gloom and doom outside, I decided that grilled cheeses and tomato soup were in order.  Our next door neighbor has a fabulous garden, and is generous with his gorgeous tomatoes (note- retired agriculture professors make excellent neighbors).

Remembering having made some good tomato soup before, I checked the blog. 2 different recipes came up.  Both delicious, but neither was quite what I wanted- one used canned tomatoes, and the other took too long.  Google and Ina Garten to the rescue!  This recipe is perfect because it took about 45 minutes (including cook time), uses fresh tomatoes and basil, and is delicious.  Oh, and you don't have to peel the tomatoes.  Victory!

From the Back to Basics cookbook:

Ingredients


3 tablespoons good olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped red onions (2 onions)

2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)

4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped (5 large)

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves
3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup heavy cream


Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender.

With either an immersion blender, or by pouring it into a regular blender puree the soup.  Add the cream to the soup and reheat the soup over low heat just until hot.

YUM!

Of course by the time I loaded up Miss Priss, ran to the grocery store to pick up some cream, chopped the veggies, and set it to boil it was pretty outside.

I let Hubs at home while the soup simmered, and took the baby for a humid and sweaty walk.

The grilled cheese and soup were still mighty fine, sunny weather notwithstanding.  Now, it's raining again, so I will have a rainy day soup leftover lunch.
 
So now I have three tomato soup recipes on the blog.  It's a bit of an issue, especially since Hubs prefers Campbells above all.  Sigh.

Sandy's Squash Casserole

Now, squash casserole is a summer staple.  We used to get heaping bowls of it for lunch in the cafeteria at school- replete with bread crumbs and cheddar cheese.  I'm not sure of the actual squash content.  This recipe comes from Sam Beall's daddy, Sandy.  I have posted it before, but with the bumper crop of squash on hand, it's time for y'all to make it again.

Another favorite from the Blackberry Farm Cookbook (seriously, go buy that cookbook- it's photographs are gorgeous, and the Bealls know their way around the kitchen), you will never want a bread-crumb laden, can of cream of whatever, squash casserole again.  Unless you are my husband, but that is another tale all together.

So the recipe-

Ingredients:

•  1/2 stick of unsalted butter, plus two tablespoons
• 1 large vidalia onion finely chopped
• 4 medium yellow summer squash (about 2 pounds total- sometimes I add a bit more, since I love, love, love summer squash), cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan (this doubles the original recipe)
• 1 and 1/2- 2 cups grated manchego (ditto, and I just can't get enough cheese)
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs (I had to use panko, as Buddy had decided to carbo-load and eat my loaf of bread)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten,
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Butter an 8x8 baking dish and set aside.
2.  In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Add the onion to the butter, and cook, stirring often until the onion is softened (about 5 minutes).
3.  Add the squash and stir well.  Cover and cook, stirring often until the squash is tender but not browned.  (The recipe says 7-8 minutes, it normally takes me about 15)
4.  Transfer the squash to a large bowl, and let it cool for a few minutes.
5.  Stir in the cheese, but reserve 1/4 cup of the manchego.
6.  Stir in 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs.
7.  Stir in the eggs and salt and pepper.  Transfer the mixture to the baking dish.
8.  In a small bowl, combine the remaining manchego, bread crumbs, and 2 tablespoons of melted utter.  Scatter the crumb mixture over the casserole.
9.  Bake for 30 minutes, until the top is crisp and golden and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  Serve hot.

Another perfect example of nap time cookery.  I put this together without baking early in the day, while Miss Priss deigned to nap longer than 20 minutes.  Then I just had to pop it in the oven along with my pork tenderloin when my company came over.  While they enjoyed a pre-dinner drink, I bathed and fed Miss Priss, paraded her around in all her pre-bed pj-ed adorableness while my dinner cooked.

Plus, the manchego cheese just takes it above and beyond.  What is your favorite squash casserole recipe?  Morgan's involves cream of chicken, sour cream, and pepperidge farm bread crumbs in large quantities.  It's tasty, I must admit,  and more importantly, it's how his mama made it, which always taste best of all!

Picky, Picky, Picky!

The other night we were having an old fashioned super of salmon patties, pole beans and my grandmother's famous flat biscuits at my parents' house.  Mama and I were laughing about how, with the addition of fried okra, this was one of my favorite meals as a child.  Hubs was rather bemused, because it is a rather strange meal for a little kid to consider their favorite.  I just love me a salmon patty though.  That shit is good.

Anyway, I was always an adventurous eater, as was my brother to a lesser degree.  Raw oysters, alligator tail, frog legs, escargot- I ate anything.  Except peas.  Still not a fan of those.  I'm more picky now, for waistline reasons, frankly.  If something is not worth the calories to me, I won't eat it.  However, if someone serves me something, I consume it with gusto and enjoyment.

This is an extremely long introduction to my subject, which is my disdain of picky eaters.  Especially children who consume food solely found on a kid's menu, with the removal of any condiments or seasoning.  Once Dell Harper gets old enough to eat food, I am going to have a difficult time solely frequenting restaurants which feature chicken fingers.  Now, I realize we will go to kid-friendly places when she is a toddler.  However, if she is ordering pasta with butter or a plain cheeseburger at 10 (or even 7), I am going to struggle.

Picky eaters drive Hubs crazy too.  Does this mean karma is going to bite us on the tail?  Are we going to be sentenced to drive-thru runs before or after family affairs to grab something "not gross"?  I will lose it.

 When Kate introduced me to "Baby Led Weaning" I was immediately intrigued.  It makes sense to me, and I appreciate the fact that my baby is not eating a separate meal from the rest of the family.  Instead she is enjoying a (slightly modified) version of what we are eating.  Seems like a good way to start.  You start the process at 6 months, so we have a little over a month to go, but I am so excited.  I love to cook and experiment in the kitchen, and a mess won't bother me a bit.  Actually, I don't know who is more excited- Buddy or myself.  Or Dell Harper- she grabbed her rice cereal bowl and started gnawing on it yesterday.

So multiple questions here
1) Are/were you a picky eater? 
2) If you were a picky eater, did your parents make separate meals for you?  How did they handle your pickiness?
3) If you are a parent, are your kids picky?  What do you do in that situation?
And, finally
4) Have you heard/done baby led weaning?

Okay, my quiz is over.  If I was a sociologist/scientist, I would perform a study on pickiness in children and it's cultural aspects, because it just intrigues me so much.

Y'all are all going to be laughing at me in two years when my culinary experiences consist solely on Wendys and Fudruckers.  Shudder.

You're My Tomato Pie

I know that if it was summer all year round I wouldn't find it special, etc. etc. Maybe I just wish for summertime tomatoes all year round.  A watery, pale wintertime tomato is just plain depressing.  Summertime tomatoes are a completely different animal.  I like having a plate of sliced tomatoes with every meal through September.  Or, if I am feeling ambitious, this simple tomato pie.

Ingredients

• 4 tomatoes
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 10 large basil leaves, chopped
• 1 pre-baked pie shell
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1 cup extra sharp cheddar (please do not buy pre-grated nonsense please)
• 1 cup mozzarella, grated (GRATE YOURSELF)
• salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Bake your pie crust as you would to prep for a quiche (normally about 400 for 15 minutes)

Peel and slice 4 tomatoes (did you know that if you stick your tomatoes in boiling water for about 30 seconds, the skins will pop right off?)

Lay the tomato slices in a colander, salt and let drain for 20-30 minutes.  If you have some particularly juicy tomatoes, pat down on them with a paper towel.  Making a non-watery tomato pie takes vigilance.

Mix the cheeses together with your mayo.

In your pie crust, layer the tomatoes (make sure all the moisture you can get out is removed),  Top with green onions and basil.  Top with the cheese mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes, then let rest for about ten.  This will help prevent the watery issue!  Yum!

My other tomato pie is getting into this rice cereal thing- I can't way to start her on some finger food in a month and a half!

My other kiddo got a prompt bath as well.  He loves staying out in the country at my parents house.  Despite numerous and strenuous efforts to keep him restrained, Buddy cannot be contained.  The lure of deer and wild turkeys was too much and he escaped through a barricaded screen door to return covered in deer droppings.   A cold hose did not dampen his enthusiasm.

So messy, simple pleasures seem to be the thing around these parts lately.  That sums up my summer philosophy quite nicely I think- tomato pie, muddy fur, and dirty mouths!  And of course, grocery store feet!