Watermelon Mojitos--Please pass the pitcher

Watermelon is the quintessential fruit of summer and BBQ's.  I have mainly eaten it with or without the rind, fork or just by hand.  In the past few years have tried in as salad.  However, my new favorite way is in a beverage.

If you missed last years Watermelon Margarita you must go back and visit.

Just last night I opened up a large watermelon to find it "meely" and not that sweet.  We usually go through a watermelon in two days.  So out came the food processor and some mint for these watermelon mojitos.  Of course I cannot take credit for the recipe, you got me it was in How Easy Was That.

Compared to the Margaritas it was full of pulp so definitely a different texture than a traditional mojito.  My husband liked it just the way it was but next time I might try straining the puree to get rid of some of the little seeds and pulp pieces.

Either way, you make 1 cup of simple syrup which can easily make two pitchers if you are having a party.  Although my husband and I had no trouble finishing one pitcher ourselves.  Suggested serving is 6.  Love that it is made in a pitcher and not individually.

With my mint growing prolifically in my herb garden, I could not pass this one up.

Barefoot Contessa's Watermelon mojitos

30 large fresh mint leaves, coarsely torn by hand
3 to 4 thick slices of fresh watermelon
12 ozs light rum
1/2 cup simple syrup
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Use a motar and pestle to mash the mint leaves (I just used the back of a wooden spoon in the serving pitcher to do this)  Remove and discard the rind and seeds of the watermelon.  (this is where I might strain the fruit next time) Put the fruit into a food processor fitted with steel blade and puree.  Put the mashed mint into a large pitcher with 2 cups of pureed watermelon, the rum, simple syrup, and lime juice and stir to combine.  Pour the mixture into a pitcher for serving.

Place ice cubes in 6 glasses and pour the mojito mixture into the glasses.  Garnish with fresh mint and spears of watermelon.  Serve ice cold.

To make simple syrup, put 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water into a small pan and simmer until dissolved.  (Next time I might borrow from watermelon margaritas and add some lime rind)

Pasta Night-- Bolognese-Barefoot Contessa style

I know it may be hard to believe but I have only made a meat pasta sauce a few times in my adult life and it was with turkey meat.  A friend of mine had said she was served this recipe at a friends house and really liked it.  Of course, with my obsession with everything Ina, I was excited to try this.

It really is a weeknight meal and you could even cook the sauce in the morning or night before and just heat up for dinner as you boil the water for the pasta.

I used a penne pasta as out base but any short noodle would suffice.  Another trick I have learned from my years of watching cooking shows is to add the pasta to the pan you are making the sauce.  Not only do you have one less dish to clean as I serve it in the pan, but also the pasta will cook a little more and absorb the warm sauce or gravy!

The kids liked it but I think they have gotten so used to my all tomato versions that they were a little surprised by the meat.  The result was a rich and thick sauce that warmed our bellies.  

Add a little red wine and a green salad and you have hit all the necessary food groups. Tomatoes and grapes are a fruits!

Barefoot Contessa, How Easy is That?

• 2 TB good olive oil, plus extra to cook pasta
• 1 pound lean ground sirloin
• 4 tsp minced garlic (4 cloves)
• 1 TB dried oregano
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 ¼ cups dry red wine, divided
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
• 2 TB tomato paste
• Kosher salt & black pepper
• ¾ pound dried pasta, such as orecchiette or small shells (
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Heat 2 TB of olive oil in a large (12 inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, crumbling the meat until the meat is no longer pink and has started to brown. Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute. Pour 1 cup of the wine into the skillet and stir to scrape up any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 TB salt, and 1 ½ tsp pepper, stirring until combined.  Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Finish the sauce while the pasta cooks. Add the nutmeg, basil, cream, and the remaining ¼ cup wine to the sauce and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. When the pasta is cooked, drain and pour into a large serving bowl.

Add the sauce and ½ cup Parmesan and toss well. Serve hot with Parmesan on the side.

Serves 4-5.



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Magic Bars

When I think of these bars often known as 7 layer or magic bars I think of my childhood.   The use of such simple ingredients results  with this unique combination of flavors, that you can mix around slightly for your tastes.  The best part is that they are very simple to put together.

I even used low fat condensed milk!! Not like it makes that much difference when you consider all the other goodies in there!!


This is a simple recipe that the kids can easily get involved and do a lot of it.  Instead of buying graham cracker crumbs, get the kids to crush them in a ziploc bag.    
This is really a dump and mix type recipe that can get kids excited in the kitchen.

Magic Bar Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 (14 ounce) can  Sweetened Condensed Milk--lowfat if you want
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels or I use 1 cup semisweet and 1 cup butterscotch
• 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts are my favorite)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees for glass dish). Coat 13x9-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray.
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of prepared pan.. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts. Press down firmly with a fork.  Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over mixture
3. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store covered at room temperature.

CustomizedStickers.com review

Are you looking to make stickers to promote your school, business or club?  I received some sample stickers from customizedstickers.com to review.  This is a website that has many quailty options in sizes and types of stickers, ie vinyl or paper for outdoor, indoor or food items.

If you have your own logo it definitely is the place for you as you can load up your own art work for free.    The vinyl example I was given is very sturdy and of great quality that I am sure it would last outdoors a long time.

Need a lot of inexpensive stickers to give out at your next school event, they have stickers on a roll that are inexpensive and the more you buy the cheaper they are.  You will be impressed with the number of shapes to choose from as well.

Check it out as right now there is free shipping on first time orders and like I mentioned earlier they have free set-up, digital proofs, artwork and design.

The one problem I noticed is if they do have art work for you to use I could not find it.  I think it is definitely geared toward businesses or any organization with art work/logo already established.  However, you can upload photos as well.

Check it out  customizedstickers.com

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com created by WebBizIdeas.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

First BlogHer Book Club Review

While my local book club is fizzling away due to hectic schedules of work and children I have discovered a new one.  Unfortunately this one does not involve wine and laughter but an introduction to books before they hit the shelves.

Here is a link to my first book review: A Jane Austen Education

To Purchase the book Go HERE
A Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship, and the Things That Really Matter

To read more about Jane Austen Education or learn about how to Join Blogher's Book Club go Here.

Roasted Chicken and Pasta Salad

Now that the temperature is getting warmer and we will hopefully be heading outside for meals and picnics I need to get creative with meals.  I love chicken and pasta salads but really don't care for too much mayo.  (although now that Greek Yogurt has been on the market I almost always substitute in recipes).  Either way dairy in the sun is not a good combination.

A friend of mine brought dinner in the form a pasta salad to a soccer game I was watching and it looked so tasty.  She sent me the recipe and was thrilled to see the ingredients did not include any mayo.

The recipe comes from Cooking Light.com and was really easy, although after reading the reviews I decided to double the sauce.  It was also best a day after making it.  The kids thought it was too citrusy the first day they tried it.  My husband and I enjoyed it for the next couple of days.  Makes a wonderful lunch option as well.

This roasted Chicken Salad reminds me of a Waldorf salad on steroids only because of the addition of chicken and pasta.  With veggies, fruit and protein it is great meal on the go.  Also if you don't have extra chicken or it is too hot to roast some, grab a rotisserie  chicken and the meal becomes much faster.

Chicken Pasta Salad--original recipe

3 cups uncooked bow tie pasta (about 8 ozs.)

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tbls. stone-ground mustard

2 tsps. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1-1/2 tsp rice vinegar (or red wine vinegar)

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 2-3) (I used rotisserie from grocery)

1-1/2 cups red grapes, halved

1 cup thin diagonally cut celery

1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1/3 cup finely chopped red onion

3 Tbls. chopped fresh chives

3 Tbls chopped fresh parsley

Cook pasta, drain, cool completely.

Combine oj and next 7 ingredients (through vinegar) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk to combined.  Add pasta, chicken, grapes, celery, onions, walnuts, chives, parsley, toss gently to combine.

cool in refrigerator.

Strawberry Tart----what went wrong?

I can not believe it is strawberry season already here in Virginia.  I am thrilled but also that means summer vacation is around the corner and I am not sure I am ready for it.

Be sure to check out pickyourown.org to find local farms in your town.  A new feature I noticed this year is that they highlight organic farms or farms that limit the use of pesticides.  I was thrilled that the farm we love, The Berry Patch is listed as limits the use of pesticides.

Anyway, I was looking for a new recipe to make using my strawberries and I came across a strawberry tart.  I have a tart pan that has been unused for years so I thought I would give it a try.

I followed the crust recipe exactly, except I did punch a few holes in the crust to keep it from rising too high.  I also used the bottom of a glass to help spread out the crust in an even layer.

When it came to filling I had some improvisations and not sure where I went wrong.  I only had 1/3 less fat cream cheese and no heavy cream.  I started mixing the cream cheese and sugar and it got pretty watery.  Instead of adding the whole cup of cream per the recipe, (personally I am not sure how this would work even with full strength cream cheese).

I only used 1/2 cup of skim milk.  The base was pretty thin but I added it to the crust anyway.

The recipe suggests adding the strawberries right after filling the crust but I thought I would let it harden for a while.

Well hrs later, I mean 5 or 6 it was still pretty soupy.  I added the strawberries and served it to my family.  It was not a total disaster when I cut the pieces but I probably would not serve it to guests.  It is definitely impressive looking, I need to try again because the result does not reflect the effort!

Well the family did not seem to care, they ate the whole tart in one seating.   Not sure how you would get 10 to 12 servings as suggested?

 Just want your thoughts on what might have gone wrong or is this type of tart supposed to be not completely firm???

For other Strawberry recipes I have tried check out these:

STRAWBERRY CREAM TART-- from Virginia Fare

1/2 cup margarine (butter)
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup AP flour

Filling
1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream
4 cups fresh strawberries
1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional
1 tbs shortening or corn oil optional

• Preheat oven to 375'
• prepare crust by beating butter and 1/3 cup sugar until fluffy.  Add flour and mix well.
• Press crust mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom.
• Bake for 12 to 14 mins until lightly browned, cool
• Prepare filling by beating the cream cheese until fluffy. Add 1/3 cup of sugar and extract. Blend well.
• Folk in heavy cream.
• spoon mixture into tart shell
• Cut the stem ends off the strawberries to give each a flat bottom
• Place strawbereis pointed side up over the cream cheese mixture.
• If desired, melt chocolate chips with shortening. Drizzle over berries.
• Chill until set.  Remove metal tart ring and serve.
• Yield 10 to 12 or 5 hungry people

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Frittatas who know they were so easy--Roasted Vegetable Frittata

For Easter I usually do a Egg souffle or overnight casserole dish.  It is easy because you do everything before hand and the hardest part is getting home from church and getting the oven preheated and waiting the 60 minutes for it to cook.

Since it was such a small group and I was breezing through my Barefoot Contessa books, what a surprise there, I found a roasted vegetable frittata.  Well if Ina was making it, it had to be easy. A side not my Barefoot Bloggers has ended, does anyone else have something similiar or want to start one.  I really dive into cookbooks this way.

Anyway, I knew we would be rushed after church so I thought I would roast the veggies the night before and just heat them in the pan per the directions the next day.


Wow this is a wonderful concept, not sure why mom mom would flip her omelets all the time when we were younger.  I just remember standing far away in fear they were going to slide off the plate she was flipping them on.  Kudos to mom, I don't think one ever dropped (that we saw!!)

Do easy you just add everything and plop it into the oven to do all the work.  Not sure how I could have really messed this recipe up.

I think you can vary this recipe depending on the veggies and cheeses your family likes.  It was a winner at our house and a  great lunch the next day for me!!

Roasted Vegetable Frittata
 Barefoot Contessa How easy is thatBarefoot Contessa How Easy Is That?: Fabulous Recipes & Easy Tips (Fabulous Recipes and Easy Tips)? by Ina Garten

1 small zucchini, 1-inch-diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and 1 1/2-inch-diced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1 1/2-inch-diced
1 red onion, 1 1/2-inch diced
1/3 cup good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
12 extra-large eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (3 scallions)
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Place the zucchini, peppers, and onion on a sheet pan. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and toss well. Bake for 15 minutes. Add the garlic, toss again, and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the oven to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, Parmesan, scant 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

In a 10-inch ovenproof saute pan, melt the butter and saute the scallions over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Add the roasted vegetables to the pan and toss with the scallions. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes over medium-low heat without stirring. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake the frittata for 20 to 30 minutes, until puffed and set in the middle. Sprinkle with the Gruyere and bake for another 3 minutes, until the cheese is just melted. Cut into 8 wedges and serve hot.  Feed our family of 5 easily with 2 slices left
Yield: 8 servings

WineCork Wreath

Wow after coming off a girls weekend it sure is hard to get back into blogsphere.  My husband did a great job, but there of course are things to catch up on, including sleep!  Fortunately I found this post in my drafts that I am not quite sure why I never finished...Lucky me.

After a few years of collecting wine corks and my hurricane filled to the top, I thought it was time to do a major craft.

I did some searching on line for cork wreaths and soon realized I really did not have enough for the size I wanted.  So I improvised a few tutorials and came up with this one.

What you will need:
Hay wreath, size depends on how big you want the wreath
Push Pins
Glue gun
corks, corks corks
Ribbon for hanging

Here are a few of the website directions I used to make this one.
I used this one to start filling in the inside of the wreath.  Uses up fewer corks and fills it in nicely.

This one for the directions of sticking the corks out.



Here is a closer look at the wreath.

This project cleared me out of corks.  It is best not to use the plastic ones as they are hard to add the pins as well as changes the look slightly. I did use a few for the interior circle as you really can not see them.

 You will have hay all over your work space!!  It was really easy to sit and do while watching tv.  I just worked like an assembly line preparing the corks then adding them to the wreath.  My kids even helped out.

I was pleased with the results, very easy  and happy to refill my  cork container again!

Ice Cream Pops-Rice Krispie Style

With the anticipation of summer and a little teacher appreciation treat for my children's religious ed teachers, I thought I would try one more attempt at dipping something into chocolate!!  Don't worry I also purchased them a Target Gift Card!

Rice Krispies this time!  I know, what was I thinking, but you see such cute designs out there now.  On the disney cruise we each received flip flop shaped ones.   They were so cute!!

I began by making the recipe on the back of the marshmallows for Rice Krispie Treats.  A no brainer.  I did give a taste to my son and his play date who said you are the best baker!!  Made me think of the Rice Krispie commercial that the women is in the kitchen throwing flour around!!

 
     I then cut out rectangles and rounded the tops slightly.

Covered them in chocolate discs.  Next time I will let the chocolate cool slightly as the marshmallows started to get soft again.

Added a few sprinkles on the corner to look like a bite maybe!  Not sure just thought it was cuter.

Threw in a popsicle stick and let them cool in the fridge.

I think they turned out pretty good.  This might even be a cute idea for April Fools Day.  Don't be surprised if you see it reposted next year.  These would be great party favors for a summer BBQ or party.

OF course bag it in some cellophane and add a bow.  Chocolate and rice Krispies are always a good combination.

I ran out of dark chocolate disc so I used some white chocolate as well.   I think if I made these again I would somehow figure how to add white to the corner to look like a bite .  You know with the vanilla ice cream inside look.

Have fun with this concept, as Rice Krispies are so shapeable.  Let me know what you come up with.

I am off for a girls weekend so taking a blog vacation.  I am leaving my children for Mother's Day but thinking that is the best present of all.  Truly getting the day or weekend off!!

Garlic Gold Review

You might be thinking what is Garlic Gold?  Well Garlic Gold is a gourmet line of USDA certified organic condiments developed by Seven Oaks Ranch.  Trust me this is the first of have heard of it, but when asked to review it how could a Italian cook say no?  We easily go through a head a garlic every week or so and olive oil is the main oil I cook with.

The postman delivered a 250ml of Garlic Gold Oil, retails for $9.95 and some sample of their nugget products.

Fortunately I also received some great suggestions on how to use these products as well as reactions to the product including Chef Emeril Lagasse.

  The Garlic oil was pretty easy to figure out but the nuggets is something I have never heard or seen of before.

The garlic nuggets are essentially garlic in spice form.  Concentrated bits of garlic that are toasted and crunchy.  I was a little nervous but mainly naive as to what I would do with these.  My family is pretty open to try new things so I thought I would try them all out this past weekend.

I made Ina Garten's Roasted Broccoli recipe and instead of the regular olive oil and garlic I subsituted the oil and nuggets.  Unfortunately the nuggets burned in the process but you could smell the aroma of garlic from outside.   Since they were burned I sprinkled a few more onto the finished broccoli.  I also did not have any parmesan cheese so I varied the recipe slightly.  I have made this recipe before and both times my kids would not eat it.  My husband and I love it and it is a great way to cook broccoli in a different way.

Meanwhile, my husband and daughter made up a bread dipping sauce.  They normally just doctor up some olive oil but this time I told them to try the Garlic Oil.
Just to jazz things up I also had them sprinkle a few nuggets on top.

I also added a little to my pasta sauce I was making.  We were running low on garlic so I thought I would give it a try.  I really just threw this sauce together but everyone seemed to enjoy it.

A winner for sure.

This is definitely a strong but pleasant fragrant oil.  When I opened the dishwasher that had plates from that dinner, you could still smell the oil. ( I am not the greatest for rinsing them.)

I will not truly be able to stop chopping and peeling garlic in recipes but this makes a great additional to many recipes that include both olive oil and garlic.  I am excited to try this while sauteing veggies and my broccoli and pasta dish.

For more ideas and to purchase these and many other products visit www.GARLICGOLD.com.   Plus if you buy before mother's day, May 8th, Garlic Gold is offering a coupon for my readers.  Just use Tomoson20 good for 20% off our Garlic Gold Oil on orders of $20. or more




I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com created by WebBizIdeas a Minneapolis SEO and Web Design firm. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Brownie Pops--Teacher appreciation Treat

You think I would have learned from my attempts at CAKE POPS as to what I really could get covered in chocolate.  Pretzels yes, cake like items not so much.

Well I saw these cute ideas in a Wilton Brownie Treat book as I was browsing a local craft store.  I thought I could do these and how cute for teacher appreciation idea.  I already had a large flower cookie cutter and a brownie mix at home.

My recipe called for chewy or cake like brownie versions.  I went with the cake version.

Once they were cooled I cut 6 flower shapes out of my 9x13 pan of brownies.  So far so good.

I then attempted dipping them in the melted chocolate discs.  This is when things got a little messy.  Thinking back maybe I should have froze the brownies slightly like the cake pops.

I did end up with 4 decently covered brownies.  Two were sacrificed to the children's for a taste test.  I might say they were a chocolate lovers dream.

 

Once they were covered I added the pop.  Once they dried they were substantially durable.

I then melted another color in a sandwich bag (ziploc) and outlined the shape.  Then decided for the middle of the flower I would add some yellow sprinkles.  Make sure the outline is dry first or else you will have a mess.

 

Once the decorations are dried place them in a cello bag and tie with a green ribbon.  Feel free to add a green tag to look like the leaf with the children's name and a cute saying like thanks for helping me grow.