Today's Brilliant Idea: Cinnamon Roll Waffles!

 

This is one of the most BRILLIANT ideas I've seen on Pinterest lately: squish refrigerated cinnamon rolls in your waffle iron, heat and eat! These "waffles" received rave reviews at my house this morning! Yum!

Oops, stuck to the top...

Purely by chance, I bought the smaller, simpler version of cinnamon rolls.  If I'd bought the larger cinnamon rolls that are rolled up like pinwheels, I would have only been able to make one at a time, since I have a Belgian waffle maker instead of the more "mainstream" waffle iron that makes four square waffles. I did four small cinnamon rolls at a time (it only took a minute or so, but I'm sure each waffle iron is different) in my Belgian maker, and then I "schmeared" them with some butter and the ready-made frosting that came with the rolls.

 

Next time, I'll spray the waffle maker with non-stick cooking spray...the cinnamon/sugar topping was a little sticky... :)

 

There's a pretty good tutorial with lots of photos at www.ladybehindthecurtain.com , if you want to check it out.

A Shrimp Dish to Die For

 

So, if you have done your math and followed your calendars, it was my turn, once again, to host Girls Night. And, man, did I find an AWESOME new recipe to share! Thank you yet again, Pinterest! I can't wait to make this again - deeeeeelish!

 

Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes & Feta

(adapted from www.canadianfamily.ca)

 

1 pound large shrimp (I used 2 pounds of MONSTER-sized shrimp)

4 Tbl. olive oil

4-6 shallots, finely sliced

4 garlic cloves, crushed (I used dried minced)

3 Tbl. fresh Basil or 1 1/2 Tbl. dried

2 bay leaves

2 pounds ripe tomatoes, chopped (from my garden - woo hoo!)

9 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1 bunch green onions, white and green parts, finely chopped

 

Thaw shrimp, if frozen.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 2 Tbl. olive oil in a saute pan over low heat, add shallots and cook until soft; 5 minutes.  Add one garlic clove and half the basil.  Add tomatoes, stir briefly, then cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer tomato sauce to a large, shallow ovenproof dish.  Sprinkle feta on top and bake for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat one Tbl. of olive oil  in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add green onions and remaining garlic and basil and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.  Add the shrimp and cook, turning frequently, until the shrimp are opaque, about 2 minutes.

 

Add shrimp to baking dish with tomatoes and feta, and return to oven for 10 minutes.  Drizzle with remaining olive oil and let cool slightly before serving. Oh my, it's soooo good!

Accompanying this fabulous shrimp dish was a huge bowl of mashed potatoes (I had a craving...) and some "Red Lobster" biscuits: did you know there was a Bisquick mix for them? Gaaaarlicky! Mmmmm!

All you do is add water, mix and drop on a baking sheet - yum!

For dessert, 3-year-old Regan picked out individual servings of Haagen-Daz Dulce de Leche ice cream! Sweet!

Company Picnic Goodies

 

Today is our annual company picnic (we have 5 employees!) at my Mom's cabin in Michigan. It's a carry-in affair with grilled meat, corn hole, kayaking and pontoon rides. Best of all, I can take both my rambunctious 3 1/2-year-old daughter and my energetic Shetland Sheepdog! Well, really, the food is the "best of all"...my contribution to the "spread" is Salted Caramel Brownie Bites (see above) and "Pam's" Potatoes (see below), both tried and true recipes - yum! I don't expect to have ANY leftovers!

 

Salted Caramel Brownie Bites
(found at www.didsomeonesaypartysite.com)

 

one box brownie mix (prepare as directed)

1 cup Kraft caramel bits (round balls of meltable caramel)

coarse sea salt (I actually used pink Himalayan salt)

 

Prepare brownie mix as directed.  Spoon batter into mini-muffin tins. Bake at 350, or 325 for dark, non-stick pans, for 12-15 minutes.  Let brownie bites cool.  The centers will depress slightly, or you can use the back of a spoon to push them in (to make a depression for the melted caramel).  While waiting for the brownies to cool, put the caramel bits and a tablespoon of water in a microwavable bowl.  Microwave as directed to melt the bits. Spoon the melted caramel into the depressed centers of the brownie bites.  Sprinkle with sea salt.

 

Sooooo good!

 

 

I also made an old stand-by side dish: Pam's Potatoes. This recipe, as you guessed it, comes from a family friend named Pam. It's so good, it's addictive! 

Pam's Potatoes (special thanks to Pamela Houseman)

2 lbs. frozen southern style hash browns, thawed
2 cans cream of potato soup
8 ounces sour cream
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a very large bowl, combine soup, sour cream and cheese.  Add hash browns and stir to combine well.  Pour into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish.  Bake at 300 degrees for an hour and a half.

Today's Brilliant Idea: Banana Ice Cream!

 

This idea is one the best things I've seen on Pinterest in a while: ice cream made from bananas, and nothing but. Thanks to www.sauceome.com for the AWESOME illustration and recipe! Here's a quick photo tutorial: 

Peel and slice a banana or two and throw in a resealable bag.

Throw the bag in the freezer. Remember it's there after a few days. Convince your preschooler you NEED to make this new awesome concoction...

Toss the frozen banana bits in a blender or food processor.  Pulse at first to chop up finely, then blend till smooth. Let aforementioned preschooler push the buttons to avoid a battle of wills...

And, that's it! Simple, fruity, tasty and incredibly good for you!

 

And it tastes even better with chocolate syrup!

Today's Brilliant Idea

 

It's that time of year again; the evenings are cooler, football has started, and I've made my traditional fall snack: candy corn and peanuts! I usually use spanish peanuts, but dry-roasted peanuts were on sale this week... this is one of my husbands favorite football snacks, in addition to hot wings and beer! Let's Go Irish and "Bear Down" Chicago Bears!

Happy Pretend Birthday!

 

Lately, my daughter has been, well, not exactly obsessed with, but PREOCCUPIED with birthdays. Every get-together or special event is, in her mind, a birthday. She frequently makes birthday invitations or writes letters that start with: "please come to my birthday party".  We usually celebrate her "half birthday" (July 29) with something like a cupcake and a gift, or lunch out, and a gift, but this year it was right around the time a friend had a birthday, and her "half birthday" somehow got lost in all the excitement. Maybe it's something to do with her age. Maybe one of the triggers was yesterday's birthday party for a neighborhood friend who had a cake like this:

What did we ever do before Pinterest?

First thing this morning, she wanted a "stick" and asked me to "put fire on the top" (light a candle), and of course, something to stick the "stick" into! I rummaged through my cabinets and fridge and finally found a tiny raspberry angel food cake in the freezer (score!)...so, I had to sing "Happy Pretend Birthday To You..." and she blew out the candle. Twice. Whatever. I hope she doesn't expect this tomorrow morning!

Today's Brilliant Idea: Beer-garitas!

 

As it's now college football season, it's also time for tailgating parties with lots of yummy food and "adult" beverages! Several of my girlfriends, their hubbies and kids came over yesterday to watch a real "nail-biter" (Notre Dame vs. Purdue), and I decided that we girls needed a "fancy" drink (instead of plain old beer, like the guys).  So....a Pinterest search yielded this gem: Beer-garitas! Super simple and VERY good! Next time, though, I'm going to have to double or even triple the recipe! One of the most popular recipes on the Internet was from www.eat-yourself-skinny.com. You gotta try this!

 

Beer-Garitas

 

2 cups frozen limeade

2 bottles of light beer (I used Miller Chill Lime)

1/2 cup tequila

In a pitcher, combine frozen limeade, 2 beers and 1/2 cup of tequila. Place pitcher in the freezer until frozen through, then mix so that it is in slushy form and serve. Enjoy!

 

 

 Here's Eat Yourself Skinny's cute photo of the finished product. You know how I sometimes totally forget to take pictures...

 

Healthy Baking

 

I have found something new to make with those brown, mushy, gnat-enticing bananas: Peanut Butter and Banana Chocolate Chunk Cookies! There's NO flour and NO sugar, and kids still like them (husbands,too)! I found this recipe on a great parenting website (www.babble.com) while looking for ideas for Regan's preschool snacks. They are surprisingly good - we had them for breakfast!

 

Peanut Butter and Banana Chocolate Chunk Cookies

 

3 very ripe bananas

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups oatmeal

1/3 cup shredded coconut (optional)

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 - 1 cup chopped chocolate or chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli milk chocolate chips)

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, mash bananas and mix with peanut butter, oil and vanilla.  In another bowl, mix together oats, coconut, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet, along with the chocolate and stir until combined.  Drop spoonfuls onto parchment lined baking sheets and bake 12-14 minutes.

My cookies were pretty moist inside, but were cooked through. I really like the peanut butter/banana combo! And, well, the chocolate is a given...

Eating In

 

So, since I'm home most days/nights as a SAHM, I've been cooking a lot more than in years past. Tonight for supper we had an old favorite: salmon patties! I've been using the same recipe since, well, FOR EVER...and it never fails to please! Even Regan, who's 3 1/2, ate a few bites! I make them "old school", i.e. the whole (well almost) salmon in a can, bones and skin and all. It's a little more labor intensive (picking out all the bones and bits), but cheaper on the whole, also. I started frying them in olive oil a few years ago, and tastewise, it has made a huge difference! Yum! Oh, you can make these with any kind of fish, too!

 

Salmon Patties

 

2 Tbl butter

1-2 Tbl olive oil

one small onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup (or a tad more) bread crumbs

2 beaten eggs

1/4 cup milk

2 cups cooked flaked salmon (I used a 14.75 ounce can - remove bones and skin)

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1-2 tsp. lemon juice

1 Tbl dried parsley flakes

flour

 

Melt butter in olive oil in sauce pan and saute onion and bread crumbs.  Combine with remaining ingredients.  Shape into "cakes". Dust with flour and fry in olive oil for 8 minutes over medium heat until browned; turning once.

Super simple and really tasty - and salmon is "brain food" - hooray!

(thanks to www.bunsinmyoven.com for the great photo!)

 



As a side dish, I made cheesy zucchini rice with corn; a twist on a recipe I found on Pinterest, of course! It was creamy and sweet and cheesy, and I couldn't taste the zucchini at all, which I'm sure some people would like...

 

Cheesy Zucchini Rice (adapted from www.bunsinmyoven.com)

 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup long-grain white rice

2 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons butter

1 medium or 2 small zucchini, grated 

half a can corn (I used bi-color)

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

salt and pepper, to taste

 

Heat the olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the rice and stir to coat. Toast the rice, stirring often, just until it starts to turn golden. Pour in the chicken broth, bring to a boil, turn heat to low, and cover. Cook, covered, for 15 - 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat and add the butter, grated zucchini, corn and  cheddar, Stir until well incorporated. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir again and add salt and pepper to taste.

Girls Night!

 

(great photo from http://godofscrumprecipes.tumbler.com)

Ah, Girls Night. The one time a week I get to really indulge! Good friends, good food, and (sometimes) time away from my home and family when I can just kick back and be me. Of course, when I host, I don't get away from my home and family, but it's still more fun than the average week night! Plus, I get to try and share NEW recipes! Three in all, last week...a new record! Blame Pinterest. Anyway, here's what I made:

Spinach-Artichoke French Bread Pizza (adapted from Rachel Ray)

1 baguette, quartered or "eight-thed"
2 Tbl butter
2 Tbl olive oil
one onion, finely chopped
1-2 tsp. dried minced garlic (or 2 cloves, finely chopped)
salt and pepper
3 Tbl flour
1 1/2 cups milk
one 10-ounce box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
one 8-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Arrange bread slices on baking sheet.  In a medium skillet, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. 

 

 Whisk in the flour for one minute, then whisk in the milk.

 

 

Pull the spinach apart and add to the sauce.  Fold in the artichokes and cook until heated through.  Stir in the parmesan and mozzarella; season with salt and remove from heat.  Spread the spinach and artichoke mixture on the bread and bake 10-12 minutes. Mmmmm!

 

 

These were originally intended as an appetizer, but we ate them with our pasta (see below).

 

Spaghetti in Garlic Gravy with Herbs and Lemon Marinated Chicken (and Cherry Tomatoes) a/k/a "Summer Pasta"
(adapted from the Goddess of Scrumptious Recipes)

500 grams spaghetti pasta (cooked al dente)
1 pound chicken breast fillets (sliced into 1 inch chunks)

For the chicken marinade:
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped (if using dried, use half of the amount)
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of ½ a lemon
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt (not table salt)
½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (to sauté the marinated chicken)

Add all the marinade ingredients into the chicken and marinade for 20 minutes (if making this dish in pronto) or over night (if making this dish the next day… much better).  Saute the marinated chicken in extra virgin olive oil until cooked (about 4-5 minutes) then set aside.

For the garlic gravy:
½ stick (1/4 cup) butter
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, finely minced, or 2-3 tsp. dried, minced
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups chicken stock
1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup parsley, chopped (to sprinkle/finish the pasta)
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups whole cherry tomatoes

Place sauté pan over medium heat and add butter and olive oil.  Saute garlic until fragrant and soft.  Add the flour and cook for a minute.  Add chicken stock and simmer gravy until thickened then add the chopped basil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the sauteed chicken in the gravy then toss with the cooked spaghetti.  Add the cherry tomatoes and finish the dish with the chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese (serve extra on the side).

 

Such an awesome summer pasta dish! I am definitely making it again! The garlic gravy was delicious, and the marinated chicken was out of this world! Yum, yum, yum!

 

And, of course, we had a tasty dessert! Girls night is the only time my girlfriends and I routinely make dessert for after dinner. This quick, easy treat was a big hit:

Strawberry Brownie Bites (taken from www.foodnetwork.com)

one box brownie mix, prepared with egg, oil and water using package directions
strawberries, quartered (I'm thinkin' red raspberries would be great too!)

Pour prepared brownie batter into greased mini muffin tins. Top with quartered strawberries and bake 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!