It's time to garden!

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 (Remember to get the kids involved with your garden!  It teaches many life lessons & the value of hard work. Not to mention they're cute little fingers planting itty-bitty seeds are so cute..it's priceless!)I can't believe it has been a year since we began the journey of putting together our garden boxes.  We had such great success last year, we were anxious to get back in the dirt and give it another go-round!  If you are new to square foot gardening, read our previous posts on how we got started with this new method of gardening.  It was SO great this year to be able to go up to the garden, fluff the dirt around with a rake, pull a handful of weeds (hardly any!) and begin planting.  It couldn't get easier!!  The previous 8 years we would have to add more compost to the ground, till in the dirt (major pain!), rake the dirt, and pull a hundred thousand weeds before we got started (okay..maybe not that many, but it sure felt like it!).  The no-fuss square foot garden's are so great they allow me more time to do a little spring cleaning (which is where I really need help :)

If you would like more information on square foot gardening, visit one of my favorite gardening website's for great tips & tricks.  Remember, a garden is a great investment and helps combat higher food prices.  The expense of putting in a garden is pretty much a one-time fee and then you will continually reap the rewards of your efforts.  To have access to fresh fruits & vegetables from your own yard is such a blessing and can help you feel even more self reliant--a great feeling!  Happy gardening.

Review of a few past posts on gardening:

How we built our square foot garden
Gardening 101--our before & after garden
My 2011 square foot garden plan
Tips on freezing items from your garden
Garden Rocks--a fun craft idea for kids

Mother's Day Brunch Ideas

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Mother's Day is not always my favorite holiday.  You know, the guilt, the expectations...I tend to make the day less than appealing for us all (why are we so hard on ourselves as women??).  However, if I think of MY amazing mother and not the mom I wish I were, I can make it through the day and enjoy time spent together as a family.  We love to get together for a Mother's Day brunch or breakfast and celebrate what amazing women we are blessed to have around us so close.  We had a delicious brunch with some of our favorite 'chick' food.  Here are a few recipes & favorites that will hopefully help the planning of your Mother's Day activities go a little more smoothly.

Tropical Chicken Pineapple Salad
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, grilled & seasoned with Montreal Steak Seasoning (or salt/pepper)
1 & 1/2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
2 mangos, peeled and seed removed (1 for dressing, 1 for salad), diced
1 fresh pineapple, cored and peeled (3/4 c. for the dressing and 2 c. for the salad), cut into chunks
2 c. tortilla chips
1/2 c. feta or gorgonzola cheese
1 red & orange bell pepper, diced (any color would do)
Dressing:
3/4 c. mayonnaise (or more if you like a thicker dressing)
3/4 c. fresh pineapple
1/4 c. mango, diced
1/3 c. sugar
3/4 c. rice vinegar
1/2 t. garlic powder (or 1 clove)
Dash paprika
1/2 t. dry mustard
Dash cayenne pepper
1/2 t. salt (to taste)
Grill the chicken until cooked through (or saute in a pan).  Dice the chicken into bite sized pieces. Chop the romaine lettuce.  Dice the vegetables.  Peel and dice the pineapple and mango.  Puree the dressing until smooth and serve over salad with all of the remaining salad ingredients and the grilled chicken.


 Serve the salad with our favorite crescent roll recipe and cinnamon butter. 

End your brunch with this amazing EASY angel food cake dessert that is semi-homemade, but OH, SO delicious!!
Layered Angel Food Cake
1 bar angel food cake (homemade or store-bought)
16 oz. strawberries, washed, leaves removed and sliced
2 T. sugar
6 oz. vanilla instant pudding
1 1/2 c. milk
8 oz. Cool Whip (or whip up some real whipping cream...even better!!)
 Slice the strawberries and place in a bowl with the sugar.  Stir around and let the strawberries sit for a minute.  Slice the angel food cake into three pieces horizontally.  Place the bottom layer of the angel food cake onto a decorative plate.  In another bowl, mix together the pudding and milk until smooth. Once the pudding is thick, fold in a little more than half of the Cool Whip until the mixture is combined.  Spread half of the pudding mixture onto the top of the bottom layer of angel food cake.  Spread a layer of strawberries on top of the pudding.  Place the middle layer of the angel food cake on top of the strawberries.  Spread with the rest of the pudding mixture.  Layer some more strawberries on top of the pudding and place the top of the angel food cake on top of the strawberries.  Top the angel food cake with the left over Cool Whip and garnish with a few more strawberries and mint leaf.

Ebelskiver Stuffed Pancakes

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How was your Mother's Day weekend? I hope you had a great weekend with family.  We had a fun time and enjoyed a not-so traditional Mother's Day dinner of hot dogs (hey...what do you expect when the husband's are in charge ;).  The breakfast we had on Mother's Day morning is what really made my day a 10!!  My cute kids offered to make me breakfast, but I decided I would help them find something new and fun to try.  I remembered a really fun breakfast that my Mom used to make with her Ebelskiver pan.  I don't have one of those special pans, so I decided to try them as a pancake.  These pancakes are one of the best I have ever had! Whether you stuff them or not, this will now be my go-to pancake recipe.  The pancakes end up being this really spongy, moist and airy texture.  They almost taste like a doughnut or a pastry.  Add the stuffed factor and the fresh fruit and buttermilk syrup and you have a breakfast that will melt in your mouth.  We couldn't get enough...we were even thinking of other fun 'stuffed' variations you could do...Nutella & berries, cinnamon chocolate chips with apple pie filling on top, white chocolate and raspberry syrup, etc.  The sky is the limit!  Pretty much anything you put in between these layers of soft, pancake delight will be amazing. Enjoy ;)


We stuffed our pancakes with chocolate chips and served blackberries on top with whipping cream.  We also stuffed them with strawberry jam and strawberries and bananas on top.  Both were amazing!!

Ebelskiver Stuffed Pancakes 
4 eggs, whites and yolks separated 
4 c. flour 
1 1/2 T. baking powder 
4 T. white sugar 
1 1/2 t. baking soda 
1 t. salt 
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract 
1 stick butter, melted 
4 c. buttermilk 
Chocolate, jam, fruit, etc. for filling 
 Butter, for frying 
Fresh fruit for topping 
Cool Whip or Whipping Cream (optional)
In a large bowl, separate the egg whites & yolks. Keep the egg yolks in the large bowl and the egg whites in another medium sized bowl. With the egg yolks, whisk together with the sugar, salt, vanilla, melted butter and buttermilk until smooth. Once the mixture is smooth, add the baking powder, baking soda and flour. Mix together until most of the lumps have disappeared. In the separate bowl, whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks (with an electric mixer). Once they are stiff, fold the egg whites into the pancake batter. Mix just barely so that the egg whites keep the batter light & fluffy (don't over mix). Once the pancake batter is finished, heat a hot griddle to medium heat. Place some butter on the griddle in the places you will be cooking the pancake. Pour about 1/4 c. of batter onto the griddle. Place in the middle of the pancake a spoonful of jam, fruit, nutella, chocolate chips, etc. Place another tablespoon or two on top of the 'stuffing' of your pancake. With a spoon spread around the extra batter so that it covers the toppings of your pancake. Let the pancake cook on both sides for several minutes until the edges of the pancake begin to cook. Once the bottom is lightly golden brown, carefully flip the pancake and cook the other side. Serve the warm pancake with extra fruit, whipping cream & buttermilk syrup (recipe below).

Buttermilk Syrup 
1 stick butter 
3/4 c. sugar 
1 t. vanilla 
5-6 T. buttermilk 
Dash salt
Place the butter and sugar in a medium sized sauce pan and let the butter melt on low heat.  Once the butter is melted and the sugar is beginning to dissolve,  turn the heat up a little until the sauce begins to low boil.  Let the syrup simmer until the sugar is totally dissolved and then add the vanilla, buttermilk and salt.  Keep the syrup on low until the pancakes are done and you are ready to eat.
 (Place a spoonful or tablespoon of the item you want to 'stuff' your pancake with.  Cover the filling up with another spoonful of the batter.  Let the pancake cook around the edges and then flip.)
 

Blackened Fish with Homemade Tartar Sauce

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As summer is coming upon us and the nights are getting warmer, I find myself wanting to cook only on the grill.  I tire of hot dogs & hamburgers, so my new favorite thing to do on the barbeque is fish.  I hear how great fish is for you, so I am trying to incorporate it into our menu at least once a week.  I am a huge fan of fish tacos, but I have found my new favorite way to eat fish is blackened with homemade tartar sauce.  I love the salty-spicy combination of the fish, and the fresh lemon taste of the tartar sauce.  The combination to me is a perfect 10.  Serve your fish with rice pilaf or roasted potatoes & you have a gourmet meal that can come together in less than an hour.

  
Blackened Fish
1 T. paprika
2 t. dry mustard
1/2-1 t. cayenne pepper (depending how spicy you like it)
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. black pepper
1 t. dried thyme
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 t. salt
1/4 c. flour or cornstarch
1/2 stick butter, melted
2 lbs. fish fillets
Cover a cookie sheet with tinfoil (or if cooking on the grill, make your own 'pan' with tinfoil that has sides to keep the butter from dripping out).  Melt the butter and pour half of the butter on the bottom of the pan/tinfoil. Place all of the seasonings into a Ziploc bag or a bowl and shake until mixed well.  Place the fish fillets into the mixture and coat the fish on all sides.  Place the fish on the tinfoil so that they are close together but not touching. Drizzle the extra melted butter all over the top of the fish. Broil or grill the fish until slightly blackened and fish is flaky and white.  Serve fish with tartar sauce while warm.
 If you are grilling your fish outside on the grill, just make your own tinfoil pan to keep the butter & juices from falling into your grill.  If you are broiling the fish, just line a cookie sheet with tinfoil for easy clean up :) Tartar Sauce
1/3 c. dill pickle, diced very small
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed and diced very small
2 T. onion, diced small
1 c. mayonnaise (I prefer Best Foods full fat)

1/2 c. sour cream (not low fat..it makes it too runny)

1/2 t. garlic powder
Dash of cayenne pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 t. salt
1 t. dried chives (or 1 T. green onions, sliced)
1/4 t. paprika
Mix together and season to your liking with extra salt & pepper.

Seafood Po Boy's

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Yesterday I posted about the blackened fish & tartar sauce that my family loves so much.  Today I wanted to share a quick leftover meal that is just as delicious.  When I grill the fish I always put out 2 fish fillets for each person in my family.  I then grill them all and save half of the fish for the next day's dinner (or a couple days later).  I use the second batch of fish for these Seafood Po Boy's.  They are saucy, full of flavor and great for a hot summer night.  I am a fan of sandwiches for dinner, and these help switch up the mundane and add a lot of pizazz to our meal planner.  Hope you enjoy!

 Seafood Po Boy's
1 fish fillet per person, blackened & grilled
2 tomatoes, sliced
6 large pieces romaine lettuce
Homemade tartar sauce
Pickles, sliced
Hoagie or ciabatta buns
Blacken fish on the grill on in the broiler, and set aside.  Slice the tomatoes, pickles & lettuce.  Prepare the tartar sauce.  Slice the hoagie buns or ciabatta bread in half.  Spread a generous amount of the tartar sauce on to one of the pieces of bread.  Place a piece of the fish fillet on to the bread.  Add the sliced tomatoes and lettuce on top of the fish.  Serve the sandwich with the warm fish.

Lemon Roasted Cornish Hens

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Basically, a Cornish Hen (a.k.a. Cornish Game Hen or Rock Cornish Hen) is a hybrid chicken that is raised to grow at a more rapid rate than a regular hen and usually doesn't weigh more than 2 lbs. As my daughter likes to call them "little chickens". They are super moist and you can prepare them just like you would a roasted full size chicken. With this one in particular, I just squeezed some fresh lemon juice on top, added a little wine to help baste it and the outcome was a lemony, delicious meal. When visiting my Mom a few months ago in Florida, she made something similar using her Meyer lemons and some limes too, also very good. Once cooked, you cut them in half down the center bone, removing the back bone, and then serve half per person. 


Lemon Roasted Cornish Hens
2 Cornish Game Hens
1 Lemon
Garlic Powder, to taste
Kosher Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. Parsley, chopped fine
1 c. White Wine
Canola Oil Cooking Spray


Rinse and pat dry your hens and place them in an oven safe roasting pan (careful to remove all of the innards). Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice onto each piece of meat, then place one half into the cavity of the bird. Season the meat with garlic powder, salt, pepper and parsley then spray with cooking spray. Add the wine to the bottom of the pan and bake at 375 degrees for approximately 60-70 minutes or until the proper internal temperature is reached. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before cutting each bird in half. Serves 4. 


Enjoy!


Shared on Recipes for my Boys 5/10/12

Chick Pea Salad with Artichoke Hearts & Sun Dried Tomatoes

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There was a time when I refused to eat any beans at all. But as I got older, and wanted to add some variety into our diets, I slowly started to introduce them into our meals. I guess they're right when they say your taste buds change every so many years because now, I LOVE them! If eaten alone, yes, they can taste a little bland, but add some of my favorite Mediterranean flavors like artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes and fresh lemon juice and you have a zesty, new salad that can be eaten alone or served as a side  dish. This salad was delicious and very filling. I ate it for lunch for several days and the longer it sat, the more lemony it became. 


Chick Pea Salad with Artichoke Hearts & Sun Dried Tomatoes
1-15oz. Can Chick Peas (Garbanzo Beans), rinsed
3 Whole Artichoke Hearts, chopped
10 Sun Dried Tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Lemon, zest and juice
1/4 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper


Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 5-1/2 cup servings. 


*Nutritional Information: Calories 122, Carbs 19g, Fat 4g, Protein 5g
Enjoy!
*Calculations based on ingredients entered into MyFitnessPal and may not be 100% accurate.