Pink Stuff

This recipe will not win me any gourmet friends.  It will not thrust me toward stardom and my own cooking show.  And if you don’t feed your kids anything with food dyes; you may excuse yourself now.  What I’m about to show you is kid food at it’s finest. Pink Stuff. 

Pink Stuff is special to my family.  My grandmother would make it for every special occasion.  Holidays, birthdays, you name it; we had Pink Stuff.  I vaguely remember it being made a different way when I was very young, but I think Mimmy adjusted the recipe to it’s perfect state I give to you today.  Mimmy isn’t with us anymore, but the Pink Stuff is, thanks to my Aunt Teresa who carries the Pink Stuff torch.

I actually made it this weekend, for my Mom’s birthday.  And chances are good that we will have Pink Stuff at least once in November and once in December.  I like those odds.  I think I could live to be 103 and not tire of Pink Stuff. 

So here is the deal.  You make it with Strawberry Jell-O.  But theoretically, you could make it with any flavor Jell-O that would go well with pineapple, (as it is in the mix too.)  However, though there has always be talk about it, we never have strayed from strawberry.  Why mess with perfection?  So, if anyone tries this with another flavor, tell me how it goes!  You just may persuade me to mess with tradition; but not on a holiday or birthday.

Pink Stuff

20 oz. can of crushed pineapple with juice 16 oz. small curd cottage cheese 6 oz. box of Strawberry Jell-O 16 oz. tub of Cool Whip, thawed to room temperature Mix the pineapple/juice, cottage cheese and Jell-O powder into a large bowl.  Fold in the Cool Whip until well combined and pale pink.  Refrigerate before serving for best results.

Not Back To School Part 2

 

Last month I mentioned that I had brought two dishes to our Homeschool Support Group’s Not Back To School Party.  I almost forgot to tell you about the dessert!  But first, some more pictures of my cuties from the party.

Liam really wanted to slide.

It was a really big slide.

But Liam had some help.

Maybe a little too much help.

So, here it is.  Chocolate Cake with Biscoff Cream Cheese Icing. This recipe came from The Food Librarian.  She had me at Biscoff.  I love those little cookies, and am so glad that not only they, but also the spread made from them, have made it to local grocery stores. 

I followed the two recipes The Food Librarian used but alas! I do not own any of those lovely chocolate sprinkles.  I think I need to check World Market for them.  So, instead, I crushed some Biscoff cookies and sprinkled on top. 

My assessment: the chocolate cake is a good one.  It is very easy to make.  It also stayed moist for me.  The icing, oh the icing!  I don’t know what magical properties this concoction created, but this is a very unique icing.  There was a smoky flavor and the tang from the cheese.  It seemed to have a mature flavor, so do not hesitate to make these with grownups in mind.  But, hey, it’s cake, so kids will dig it too.

P.S. If you are not already following The Food Librarian’s blog, you really should. 

Forever Nigella: Packed Lunch Stars

 

Well, it’s official, we’re homeschoolers.  Yesterday we went to a Not Back To School Party with our newly joined Homeschooling Support Group.

I brought two dishes; one I will showcase here and one I will save for later.

 

These started out as cheese crackers, but turned into little cheese puffs.  More on that later.

Aren’t they cute?  You know what else is cute?  My kids, that’s what.

We made lots of new friends yesterday.  Sophie was all over the playground with her friends.  Here she is sliding down the pole all by herself.  I wonder if it is the same pole that I slid down when I was little.  Anybody know?

Liam was a little easier to photograph during this excursion, since I didn’t let him leave my side.  He’s getting so big!

 

Liam loves riding this elephant.  While he was riding it, he kept saying, “I happy.”  He’s so sweet!

 

Now that school (of all kinds) are starting back this fall, perhaps we could use a little lunch time inspiration.  Forever Nigella #19 is being hosted by Nazima of Working London Mummy. This month’s challenge is to prepare and blog any Nigella Lawson recipe suitable for a packed lunch. (Forever Nigella is organized by Sarah at Maison Cupcake.)

I started out planning on making these cheese crackers, (or cheese biscuits as Nigella calls them, but that is a different thing here in the U.S.)  I planned on using a lovely star cutter to go with the theme even better.  Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get the dough to roll out nicely.  In true Nigella fashion, I lost patience and did my own thing, rolling the dough into 1/2 teaspoon balls and dropping them on a pan. As I was out of parchment, I just hoped they wouldn't stick to the pan, (they didn’t!)  Some of them I left as balls, some I slightly smashed, and others I flattened quite a bit.  I like the ones that were left round.  They reminded me of gougères a little, in that they were round and slightly puffy.  Hmm, let me add gougères to my To Bake list.

Since I made these with both kids and adults in mind, I used half mild cheddar and half sharp cheddar.  But next time, I will use 100% sharp and add a dash of cayenne pepper for a little heat.  This size only took 10 minutes to bake.  I stored this is a baggie with a paper towel to soak up any moisture.  I wanted to keep them as crisp as possible.

So whether your kiddies are eating lunch at school or at home, at the park, or wherever, these little beauties are a perfect addition to your lunchtime go-to goodies.

Forever Nigella Rules

1. Blog your entry by 28^th of the month showing:
a) the current Forever Nigella badge
b) a link to this announcement post
c) a link to the Forever Nigella page at Maison Cupcake: http://blog.maisoncupcake.com/forever-nigella

n.b. posts must have been published since the announcement post. Archived posts need to be re-published afresh if you wish to submit.

2. Remember copyright.
You must NOT reproduce Nigella’s recipes verbatim. Tell us which book it is from and/or link to it online. If you’ve adapted the recipe in some way i.e. changed at least two ingredients or amended the method then it’s ok to publish the a recipe in your post but you MUST write directions in your own words.

3. Submit your post
Use the linky tool or email the host cc’ed to sarah AT maisoncupcake DOT com.

Forever Nigella: Street Party

I am a foodie. I’m constantly trying to enhance my knowledge of all things culinary.  I’m working on a interesting cookbook collection.  I enjoy watching cooking shows, (although I’m very selective).  I love learning about food history. I’m very interested in World Cuisine.  I’m up for a cooking challenge.  And I absolutely adore Nigella Lawson.

I recently learned of a new blogging event, Forever Nigella.  Each month a theme is announced and participants blog about any of Nigella’s recipes that fit the theme.  The winner is the one that exudes the most Nigella-ness.  I don’t know how much Nigella-ness I have in me, but a girl can try.

This month’s theme is “Street Party.”  Street Parties are a traditional way people in the U.K. celebrate major events like the upcoming Royal Wedding.  Street Party food is any food that you can serve to a crowd.  It happened that I had just the occasion to make a dish for a crowd yesterday.  We had a finger food fellowship after church Sunday night, so I whipped this up that afternoon while the kids had their naps.

Quadruple Chocolate Loaf Cake

That’s right, quadruple!  This moist cake includes both cocoa powder and chocolate chips in it’s silky batter.  After baking it is bathed in a glossy chocolate syrup and scattered with chocolate shavings.  It. Is. Scrumptious.  You may take it to serve to a crowd, but you will be secretly wishing for leftovers you can take home and greedily devour yourself, (preferably as a sneaky midnight snack).

Loaf cakes are great travelers, so this is perfect for taking to a gathering.  For serving to a large crowd, it’s a good idea to cut into thick slices and also down the middle to make more servings.  No one will complain about a small portion as this is so rich it should easily satisfy.

You can find this recipe in Nigella’s book Feast.  She also made this cake for her show Nigella Feasts, in the episode Food To Go.  You can find the recipe here too.

Are you a Nigella fan?  Find your inner Nigella and make something delicious. Nigella won’t let you down.

Here’s the rules:
Forever Nigella #4 “Street Party”
Challenge: To cook any Nigella recipe that would be suitable to bring to a street party i.e. any party food suitable for big groups.
Deadline: Sunday, May 1st at midnight wherever you are.

Round up: A few days later. Maybe a week. It depends how many of you enter.  The next challenge will be publicised as soon as this one ends and most likely before the Street Party round up.

There are:
No rules about how often you must take part
No rules about stuff being secret until certain dates (although you are encouraged to tease us on Twitter about what you are making)
No rules that everyone cook exactly the same thing
No rules about not being able to submit to any other blog contests – in fact Sarah actively encourages you to do this. Just make sure it doesn’t contravene any rules the other guys may have.

But there are 3 rules:
1. We want everyone to keep buying lots and lots of Nigella books so that she keeps writing them so you must NOT reproduce recipes verbatim as shown in Nigella’s publications. If you are sticking exactly to the original recipe, just tell us which book it was from and if available, provide a link to it on Nigella.com which publishes a lot (but not all) of her recipes. (You may also find some recipes on sites for some TV stations and newspapers).  Alternatively, you may blog an adapted Nigella recipe so long as you have changed at least two ingredients and write the directions in your own words. Tell us what you changed and why.
2. Publish your Forever Nigella blog post (in English) by the closing date including the latest Forever Nigella graphic and giving a link to this post and the Forever Nigella home page.  Your entry must have been published since the announcement post. You may only re-blog something from your archives if you republish it with the badge and links to this post before the deadline.
3. Email the details to me  and please Cc Sarah – I need your name, your blog name, a link to your post and a photo no more than 300 pixels wide. No billboard sized images please.

Street Party Round-Up

Linked to Made It On Monday

Just Peachy

Here’s another recipe from Nana. Peach Cobbler is one of my favorites, not only because it tastes so good, but because it is simple to make. It would be great as an impromptu dessert, to take to a potluck, or give away to a lucky friend. (A cute little loaf pan such as in the photos can be found many places. Mine came from Michael’s a few years ago, but I’ve seen them all over. They are perfect for gift giving.)

Yummy with vanilla ice cream!

Nana’s Peach Cobbler

3/4 stick margarine	1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup milk	1 (29 oz.) can sliced
1 cup self-rising flour	peaches with syrup
1 cup sugar

Place margarine in a 9x13 casserole dish and melt in oven at 350 degrees, (I do this while the oven is preheating). Mix milk, flour, sugar and cinnamon together. Pour mixture into the dish with the melted butter. Evenly arrange the peach slices on top of the batter. Pour the syrup from the can over the entire pan. Do not stir! Bake for 30 minutes.

It’s divine with a little cream poured over!

Click here for the Printable Recipe at Tasty Kitchen!

Nana's Baked Beans

Today is Labor Day! You're probably spending this day with family and friends. And eating, cause that's what you're supposed to do on holidays. Last night we had a meal at church. I've been wanting to make Nana's recipe for Baked Beans and last night was the perfect opportunity! It's a great dish to serve alongside your other holiday fare, or at your next church fellowship meal.



Nana's Baked Beans Deluxe

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
4 15 oz. cans pork and beans (Van Camp's recommended)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup ketchup or tomato sauce
3 tbsp. mustard
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tbsp. oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in skillet on medium high heat. Add beef, pepper and onion to skillet and cook until beef is browned and vegetables are softened. Mix all ingredients in a large casserole dish. Cover and bake for one hour.

Brunch Potatoes

Here's another recipe from the Baby Shower...



Brunch Potatoes

Ingredients:
5 lbs bag tater tots
4-6 tbsp olive oil
4-5 tbsp all-purpose seasoning (see below)
Sprinkle of dried parsley flakes

Seasoning:
You can use any all-purpose seasoning that will go well with potatoes. I prefer Emeril Lagasse's "Baby Bam"

Directions:
Completely thaw tater tots. Smash them to bits, (best done inside the bag, but can be done in the pan. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add potatoes and sprinkle with seasoning. Depending on size of skillet, you may need to do this in batches. Stir well to incorporate the seasoning into the potatoes. Sprinkle with dried parsley for extra color. Serve warm.

Click here for a Printable Recipe at Tasty Kitchen.

Thanks to Leigh for the photo.

Salmon Bake for Brunch

Saturday we had a Baby Shower for the soon-to-be-here Baby Liam. We had it at 11:00 a.m. so it was an appropriate time to have Brunch. Being brunch, it was treated as more of a meal than your normal baby shower fare of cake, mints and punch. We had quite a spread:

I really wanted to make something for the shower, mostly because it was something I was dreaming about eating. So I made my Salmon Bake. It is a really easy recipe, and if you've made my Salmon Patties, you already know much of what to do since it is a variation of that recipe. I doubled this recipe and it was exactly enough for this shower, because no one (well, except for me maybe) was eating a full serving. And boy, was it yummy! It was perfect and exactly what I had been craving!


Salmon Bake
Serves 6

12 oz. cooked salmon, flaked *see note below
1 6 oz box stuffing mix (cornbread flavored)
1/3 c mayonnaise
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 cups shredded mozzarella (reserve some for top)
1 egg
3/4 c water
2 tsp oil

Mix together well the mayonnaise, lemon juice, egg, water and oil. Then mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and place into a baking dish. Sprinkle top with reserved mozzarella. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

*I bought frozen salmon fillets and after defrosting, sprinkled with kosher salt and grilled on my George Foreman style grill. It is more economical than buying in cans or other packaging.

Click here for the Printable Recipe at Tasty Kitchen.

* Thanks for taking pictures, Leigh!

From Pantry to Potluck

Today's recipe is made from ingredients that may possibly already be in your pantry. It's easy to put together, doesn't take long to make, and if there is something you don't fancy in this dish, it is easy to make substitutions. Oh, and did I mention this recipe comes from Paula Deen? This dish is served in her Lady & Sons restaurant. So next time you're looking for a one dish meal or something to take to a potluck, give this a try!

Can you see how creamy this is? YUM!

Chicken and Rice Casserole

serves 6 to 8

3 cups diced cooked chicken

1 medium onion, diced and sautéed

One 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained and chopped

Two 14 1/2 ounce cans French green beans, rinsed and drained

One 4 ounce can pimentos, rinsed and drained

One 10 3/4 ounce can condensed cream of celery soup

1 cup mayonnaise

One 6 ounce box Uncle Ben's long grain and wild rice, cooked

1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a 3 quart casserole. Bake for 25 minutes.

A Corny Story

Yesterday was my birthday, which reminded me of a way my family sometimes celebrates special occasions. Allow me to tell you a story...

Once upon a time it was Mother's Day. My Dad came to my Mom and admitted that he had forgotten Mother's Day and didn't have a gift for her. She said, "Well, can you at least take me out to lunch?" My Dad replied, "I don't really have the money right now." So Mom said, "Well, can you at least make me lunch?" Which my Dad did. He opened a can of corn. Yeah, that was it. And yeah, she hasn't let him live it down.

Now our family has a tradition. If you really want to celebrate, you better serve corn! Which brings me to today's recipe. I promise, you're gonna want to make this for dinner. This recipe comes from Paula Deen's book, The Lady and Sons, Too!

Corn Casserole

serves 6-8

One 15 1/4-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained

One 14 3/4-ounce cream-style corn

One 8-ounce package Jiffy corn muffin mix

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter

In a large bowl, stir together the two cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and butter. Pour into a greased casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes, or until golden brown.

Here is the before picture…

And the after...

 

Trust me, make this for dinner tonight! 'Cause we're still celebrating my birthday, and we can't do that without corn.