Sweet and Tangy Macaroni Salad

Don't freak out.  You aren't imagining it.  It is me.  Four months later, I have come back to life.  You guys, SO much has been going on, I know I keep saying that but in all seriousness, it is one thing after another, it doesn't even seem real.  On a happy note, we are moved into the new digs and loving it!

I have been busy cooking all the old favorites.  Just making it homey and comforting while we settled in.  I have a full stocked pantry and my my husband noticing my abundance of dried macaroni I guess, had macaroni salad on his mind.  Notice the pasta in the photo, there are 2 kinds.  Hey, I always tell you we keep it real around here and I only had 1 of each kind so I did two kinds!  You can match your pasta or use what you have on hand.  This makes a huge batch, it really does.  He asked for specifics and you may or may not recognize much of this recipe as being my Donna's Secret Recipe Potato Salad, recipe.  He asked that I add a few things and so I gave in after probably what is now months of him asking and made it.  It turned out delish and I wanted to share it with you.

Some of these flavors may have you questioning my ability to make good food, but trust me, it just works.  Don't take my word for it, George will tell you!  Shall we?

Remember this is a big batch and this pasta will suck up everything, so trust me!

2 lbs short cut pasta
30 oz jar of Hellmann's
3 T yellow mustard
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 cup carrots (shredded or grated into strips and then cut like I did)
1 dozen eggs, hard boiled
1 to 1 1/2 cups finely chopped dill pickles  (don't cheat and try to use dill pickle relish!)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix mayo, mustard, sugar, milk and salt and pepper in a bowl.  Whisk until smooth and creamy.  I suggest having your eggs hard boiled and peeled and cut ahead of time, same with your pickles and carrots as well.  It will work best to mix the dressing in a bowl that is large enough to hold your entire batch of macaroni salad.  Prepare the pasta last and cook until al dente.  Use the lowest cook time suggested (10-12 minutes, go with 10).  Drain and pour directly into the sauce.  Add in eggs, carrots, and pickles and stir to combine.  Refrigerate at LEAST 6 hours before serving, overnight would be even better. 

It is so good to be back!  Look out for more new recipes, and join me on FB, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube!

If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like:
Blue Cheese Potato Salad
Almost Aversa's Macaroni Salad
Crabby Macaroni Salad
My Mom's Macaroni Salad 

Oven Baked BBQ Chicken

It is no secret, I am NOT a huge fan of BBQ sauce.  I have had this discussion before and so I find it redundant to do it again.  The good news is, when you make your own sauces, you can make them taste good to you!  More of this, less of that, and NONE of that other stuff!   I have 2, 10lb bags of chicken hindquarters, (.59 per pound), great deal or what?  My husband asked for some baked chicken, so this is what he got.  I threw in some potatoes, and called it dinner!  Boy did I eat my words about how I didn't want BBQ!!!

This would be so easy to make for a crowd.  And the leftovers, I am told were twice as good the next day.  Maybe you want to marinate your chicken overnight, or maybe you will just brush it on like I did.  Either way, this is sure to be a hit for chicken and BBQ lovers alike!  The recipe is easy and great for anyone, especially beginners.  Feel free to use any bone IN chicken you want!

You will need:
4 full hindquarters or 4 bone in chicken breasts
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 T. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 T. parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. black pepper
potatoes cut just in half or very large chunks (optional)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  In a 9x13 pan, arrange your chicken.  I added a few cut up potatoes as well.  In a small bowl combine all remaining ingredients  Brush or pour over the chicken liberally.  Bake Uncovered for 45-55 minutes.  The internal temperature should read 180 degrees when done. 

Didn't I say it was easy?

ENJOY!

Easy Baked Beans

More beans.  Are you KIDDING me?  You know how I feel about the "musical fruit", but it summer, this is America and we all know, no summer bbq or picnic is complete without them!  I have succumbed to the pressure of my family to learn to make them.  I can recall my dad eating them out of the can, cold, and oh, yuck.  My memories were validated when I was at my parents a couple of weeks ago and my dad wanted cold pork and beans and hot dogs for dinner. 

I have said it before...  Even though there are foods I don't particularly care to eat, I love knowing how to make everything I can.  While I can down a couple spoonful's, just to be polite, I don't like actual onion in mine, so I go with onion powder.  Get the flavor, but none of the sliminess.   I also like my bacon not real crispy in baked beans, that is my preference, you go with yours!  These are awesome to make ahead, I mix mine up sometimes a day or 2 in advance, put the bacon in before baking and there ya go!

*omit the bacon for a great vegetarian side*

3- 15oz. cans pork and beans (I use the cheapo brand, use your favorite)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2T ketchup
1T yellow mustard
1T molasses
1/2 tsp. onion powder
4 strips of bacon, diced. 

Preheat your oven to 350.   In a skillet, fry up your diced bacon.  It doesn't need to be super crispy, but if it is, that is fine too.  Get it fried up and drained on a paper towel.  In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix to combine.  Add in bacon and pour into a casserole dish that will hold your mixture, I used about a 3 quart and it was obviously plenty big.  Pour the mixture in and bake uncovered 50-75 minutes.  It will thicken a bit as it cools. 

I hope you enjoy this simple recipe, that just gets better the longer it sits!  Warm, cold, steaming hot, I have seen these eaten every which way!

ENJOY!

4th Of July Strawberries

ACK!!

Happy 4th Of July to my fellow Americans! 

As most of you know I got called out of town for a family emergency and I had just finished making these.  I had no time, didn't take my camera or computer and just got home and decided to throw them up in case anyone needed some last minute thing!  Maybe you are celebrating this weekend or ALL weekend long!  These are so easy and SO delicious!  I love festive desserts fitting for the holiday!

ENJOY and celebrate safe my friends!

2lbs strawberries, rinsed and dried completely
2 cups white chocolate or almond bark
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1- 2.2oz container of blue sugar

After strawberries have been prepared, line a baking sheet with parchment.  Melt white chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments.  When all melted add vegetable oil and stir to combine.  Put sugar in a small bowl.  Take your strawberry and dip 3/4 of it in white chocolate.  Let the excess chocolate drip off.  Let dry for about 1 minute and then dip half of the white chocolate section into blue sugar.  Place on parchment lined cookie sheet and continue in this fashion until all are done.  Refrigerate for 1 hour and serve!

 

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

 

 

Peppersteak Kabobs

Good evening! 

How is your summer going?  Summer grillin', and chillin', I hope!  It has been so humid, so stormy and so hot here!  I say that as if it is any different from any other Midwestern summer!  The humidity will sometimes just about take your breath away. 

The night I made these babies, I wanted them done on the grill.  Hard to do in like, 60 mile an hour winds and ping pong ball sized hail, ya know?  I did these in the oven, but as per usual, please feel free to do them on your grill, where they were intended to be!

These kabobs are so easy.  I have made them for so long, and just thought maybe they were to easy and run of the mill to share but you know what, sharing is caring, right?  Can a "to easy" recipe really be all that bad?  There is only one thing about this recipe.  It insists on being made ahead for maximum flavor.  They are just always a crowd please, always a success and so easy.  If you ever have any leftover, chop the peppers and onions, slice the beef, and toss in a wok with a little soy sauce, cornstarch and beef stock, and serve as a stir fry over rice! 

Heeeeeeere we go!  This will yield about 10 skewers.  Or, it does for me anyway!

2 lbs beef cut into cubes.  Use steak or roast beast, whatever is better for you
3 large bell peppers
1 large onion
1/2 cup soy sauce (I use low sodium)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp minced or crushed garlic
2 tsp onion powder
10 skewers (if wooden, soak in water as long as possible to avoid burning)

In a large Ziploc bag, add in soy sauce, pepper, garlic, oil, and onion powder.  Squish vigorously to combine ingredients.  Add in beef cubes and seal it up.  Smoosh to coat all meat with the soy sauce mixture.  Set in a bowl or on a plate and let sit at LEAST 6 hours, overnight, or 2 days is even better!  Before skewering chop onion into large chunks and separate layers and cut bell peppers  into about 1 inch chunks.  The only left is to skewer!  Skewer on kids, in whichever order or fashion you prefer.  If done in the oven bake at 425, 10 minutes, then flip and do another 10.    On the grill, use your judgment, I would say about 15 minutes on one side and 5 on the other!

Skewer on dudes!

Donna's Famous Secret Recipe Potato Salad

Potato salad.  There are probably as many recipes for it as there are people in the world.  I rarely meet one I like.  Is that un-American?  I am not a fan of mayo infested foods.  Not a fan of mayo in general.  I love this potato salad.  As per usual, there is a story here.

My husband has lost both of his parents.  His mother's joy was her children.  (as was his father's) My husband jokes that she wasn't always the greatest cook, but she worked harder than any chef ever could!  There were many things as you can tell if you read my blog regularly that I have attempted to recreate.  Some things were a success and some things like that darn Blueberry Duff, weren't so easy!  When I recreate food that George's mom made for him, it makes his heart and soul happy.  He misses his parents immensely and fishing and drawing are what reminds him and fills his heart with his dads memory, food and polyester pants with the seams already sewn in the front makes his heart chuckle with his moms memory.   He just cracks me up. 

Donna, Millville NJ, 1964

This potato salad was his absolute favorite.  His mom never left the recipe with anyone.  He has been asking me to try and recreate it for years, but I needed him to help me since he is the only one who remembers what it tasted like.  We got to work on his day off and started with the ingredients he was sure of, which was all of them, but we had no measurements.  Well friends, we nailed it, I am told.  I think he had a tear in his eye when he took the first bite!  This is a fairly creamy potato salad, AND, it has a sweet background.  This may or may not be your kind of thing, but it is Donna's recipe and that, my friends, isn't to be messed with!  This make a large batch, which is the only way she ever made it.  So when you see the amount of sugar it calls for, don't pass out, remember it for 5lbs of potatoes! 



Geo's little brother Steven on the left, Donna in the middle and my handsome hubby on the right!
South Dakota, Ellsworth AFB where my husband was stationed about 1988.

The biggest "secret" with this potato salad is that you MUST add the potatoes to the sauce while they are warm.  Also, only Hellmann's will do!  You MUST!

George, his baby brother Steven and mom, Donna.
Brackley, England 1978 (ish)

You can literally see my husband's memories on his face as he smiles with every bite.  That, my friends, is success!

1 30oz jar of Hellmann's
3 tbsp. yellow mustard
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup milk
5 lbs. potatoes (she always used reds, peel and cut into chunks)
1 dozen hard boiled eggs

First things first.  In a LARGE bowl, combine all ingredients, except potatoes.  Use a whisk and whisk until everything is incorporated and creamy.  Next, peel and cut up your hard boiled eggs.  Put those in a separate bowl.  Set aside. 

Peel (or don't) your potatoes and cut them in med-large chunks.  Place into a pot of COLD water.  When you are done, put it on the stove and cover until boiling.  Uncover and let boil until potatoes are fork tender but don't fall apart.  Drain WELL and then immediately put into your bowl of sauce, toss in the egg and mix until the salad is well combined.  Cover and refrigerate at LEAST 8 hours.  Yes, I said 8.  Overnight, or 24 hours,  is even better.  It may seem like to much sauce in the beginning but the potatoes will soak it up, and remember it IS a creamy potato salad anyway!

I hope you enjoy the now, not so secret recipe.  I know Donna would love that we were sharing her potato salad with the world!  It was her "thing" and she was always asked to bring it places. 

Thanks for reading, as always and my gratitude and love to you all!

Fresh Green Bean Salad

Sounds light and refreshing, doesn't it?

Now we all know I am not known for health food recipes, or even really, remotely healthy recipes, but occasionally I give it a go.  Let's be honest, we are all, wait... MANY of us are trying to live healthier, be lighter, and more active and I am no exception to that idea.  I just happen to like to cook  really delish stuff that might not be the healthiest choice.  That will not change, however, I will be trying to incorporate a few healthier dishes as well.  

This will be perfect for the summertime.  If you have a garden it will be even more awesome.  Nothing is more gratifying than strolling out to your backyard crops and picking fresh veggies, that you have planted, nurtured and grown, to feed yourself or your family.  I mean, it doesn't get much better than that as far as foodies go!  This salad is a great side dish,  and I have a feeling it will accompany a few grilled chicken breasts or steaks this summer!  It is also perfect for a bbq or picnic, no mayo to worry about!

You can certainly add finely minced onion to this recipe, and you could use fresh garlic.  Nobody but me in my family enjoys raw garlic, so I opted for garlic salt (2birds 1 stone ya know).  Keep that in mind when you are making that choice for the recipe. Here we go!

1 lb. fresh green beans, (ends snapped and cut into approx. 1-2 inch long pieces)
1 medium cucumber, diced ( I did NOT peel mine but feel free to do so if you like)
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

Dressing:
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/3 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Bring a medium pot full of water to a boil.  Add in a generous amount of salt and add your green beans.  Let boil for 4 minutes.  No longer!  Drain them into a colander and immediately toss them into a bowl of cold water and some ice.  This is an, "ice bath" and "shocks" the green beans so they stay bright green and immediately stop cooking.  You want them crisp tender.  (I hate that phrase fyi).  While they are being shocked into submission, take care of your tomatoes and cucumbers and put into a large bowl and then, make your dressing!

To make the dressing, add all ingredients into a small bowl.  Whisk to combine and set aside.

Drain green beans again, and then dump into a clean, lint free kitchen towel.   Make sure they are all dry and then add them to the large bowl of tomatoes and cucumbers.  Pour your dressing over and toss those veggies quite a few times to get them all coated.  Now you can serve this immediately but let me assure you, if you make this the night before, or even 2 hours before, and you chill it, they will come!   It is one of those dishes, the longer it sits, the better it gets!

Enjoy my friends! 

(Almost) Aversa's Macaroni Salad

I would say this is a copycat recipe, except it isn't.  It is THE recipe.  They gave me the recipe.  So I didn't copy it, I made it.  The real deal.  No fakin' the funk here friends. 

In case you don't know about Aversa's.  They are an amazing Italian Bakery/Deli, in south Jersey.  I got addicted to their macaroni salad, while we were home during my husbands father's illness.  They make the best Pinoli cookies ever and were OUT the day I went to get my goods to bring home! 

Anyway, the ironic thing is, that for 35 years, I have refused to put a single piece of macaroni in my mouth from any mac salad other than my moms.  It is just the way it is, she makes the best and there is no two ways about it in my mind.  You know what got me to try this mac salad?  The pasta shape.  My absolute favorite.  Cavatappi.  It will suck me in every SINGLE time. 

The reason I say "ALMOST" is because, the only thing to make this better is sitting at my mother in laws table, enjoying family while throwin' it back.

This is such a simple recipe, you won't believe that it tastes as good as it does.  Love it or lump it, this is my new go to mac salad.  The End.

1lb spiral pasta  (cavatappi or whatever your brand calls it)
1 stalk of celery, finely minced
1 small carrot, grated
1/4 cup, finely minced onion
2/3 cup Hellman's
salt and pepper

Boil your pasta in WELL SALTED WATER.  You should always do this, but in this case, it is part of the flavor so be generous!  Cook pasta just to the low end of the time range.  If you over cook the pasta, you are doomed.  Cook until al dente.  Drain when done and quickly rinse with cold water.  This will help stop the cooking and you don't want it overcooking into mush.  This will also help cool the pasta for refrigeration.  In a large bowl place the pasta, and add all other ingredients.  Toss and toss and toss.  That amount of mayo is perfect for the amount of pasta even if it doesn't seem like it.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. 

Easy, isn't it?  I told you!

Your "Aversa, Aversa, you hurta my purse-a" Chefwannabe

Hoss's Carolina BBQ Sandwich

Greetings from me and my adorable husband!  He has been wanting to make some BBQ for awhile, he has wanted to replicate one he had as a kid, that he swears he can still taste!  We added coleslaw to the top, with the spicy of the pork and the sweet of the coleslaw, holy cow, amazing!  Here is my recipe for coleslaw. 

 

Get a 4 to 5 pound pork butt or shoulder and cover it with my dry rub,  ( or choose a rub of your choice). Place the rub covered pork in a zip lock bag or a covered bowl overnight. Try to rotate the pork from one side to the other every 2 to 3 hours until you go to bed. It really makes the pork tasty! Early the next day pull out your crock pot ( I would use a smoker if I had one but this works well too). Place the pork into the crock pot with the fattier side down. Pour in one cup of cider vinegar and one cup of water onto the pork. Cover it with the lid and turn on low if you plan on being gone for at least 8 hours or high if you want it done in 4-6 hours

Please note: this is NOT I repeat NOT a traditional BBQ sauce. It is thin and spicy. Not thick and smoky. This sauce in it’s perfect form is only slightly thicker than water.

NC BBQ Sauce (non-Traditional Eastern NC BBQ sauce- The traditional Eastern NC does NOT have Ketchup, sugar, salt or even Tabasco- But Western does and I like to mix them both and this is my recipe)

1 cup of cider vinegar
½ cup of water
¼ cup of ketchup (sometimes I go with ½ cup if I want it thicker- remember though this is a THIN sauce)
2 heaping TBS of brown sugar
1 TBS white sugar
1 TBS Kosher salt
1 TBS Tabasco sauce
1 TBS Black Pepper
1 TBS cayenne pepper ( if I am making this for me I add 3 more TBS- 1TBS for me per pound of Pork)
1 TBS Red Crushed pepper

Place all of your ingredients into a 5 quart pot. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat. Now add the 4-5 pound pork shoulder or butt (from the crock pot) ( I use boneless because I hate the little bones from a bone in roast even though it gives you better flavor with the bone in)  into the pan and pull your pork apart with 2 forks incorporating the pork into the sauce.  

Place a generous amount of pork on a roll of your choice and place Cole slaw on top of the pork.

This recipe makes at least 12 to 16  good sized BBQ sandwiches.

I know this may not be the traditional Eastern or Western North Carolina BBQ sandwich, but I lived there for over 4 years and it’s a pretty close blend of one of my tastiest memories as a kid so please enjoy one with me and let me smile without the arguing on which one is better!

"HUSBAND TO ONE CHEFWANNABE" 

George (aka Hoss)

 

Bacon Cheddar Burger Roll

Good evening my friends!  Hoping you are all well, healthy and happy!!  If not, maybe this recipe will be just what you need!!

I am admittedly not the biggest fan of the burger.  They always seem dry and there is just to much of it.  I love thin, thin, THIN patties.  My husband likes a thicker burger.  I mean, who can keep track?  With this burger roll, you don't have to!  Everyone's burger is done at the same time, and you can cut them as thick or thin as YOU prefer!  Already filled up with bacon and cheddar, I mean, it has to be delish, and it is!  I thought of a ton of variations on this, most importantly, Swiss cheese and mushrooms!  That will be the next one, it is hubs favorite.  You could do turkey burgers and fill them with veggies, ham and cheese, ohhhh yea......  Ground chicken, filled with ham and cheese for cordon bleu burgers! AAHHH!!

You get my point.  If you dislike the burger, like I do, give this a go, you might feel differently.  Can you think of any other variations and fillings??  Let me know!  I know this might seem a bit of work, but it really isn't and the presentation is so stinkin' nice.  Ya know?  I can remember my dad teasing my mom always telling her that her food was amazing but she could work on "presentation".  HA.  Men! 

I think this could just as easily be sliced, and served with potatoes and veggies.  It is all up to you guys!!

2lbs ground beef
2 tbsp. of your favorite seasoned salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp onion powder
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
8-10 strips of bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
2 cups grated or cubed cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients except bacon and cheese.  When they are thoroughly combined, turn your mixture out on to a sheet of tin foil.  Flatten it out, as thick or thin as you want, just remember you will be rolling it and you need it to stay together so not to thin!  When it is pressed out to your liking, top it with the cheese and bacon.  Then using your foil as support, start rolling the meat.  Just keep pulling over the foil and then pull it out so it doesn't get stuck, continue until it is all rolled up.

When it is done, carefully move it to a cookie sheet.  *or start with the foil already ON the cookie sheet so you don't have to transfer it*  Make sure it is seam side down and close up any holes that might have been made. 

  

Place it in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40-50 minutes.  Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and make sure to let me know if you make it and how you adjust it to your taste!!

 

Your "now loves burgers" Chefwannabe



 

Spicy Turkey Meatballs

Ahh, summer!  The season of parties, get togethers, family reunions, and all things party!  Is it any wonder you can't wait for school to start, just so you can slow down?  It is like needing a vacation from vacation.  Seems the summers are as busy or busier than any school year.

Do you always bring the same thing to parties?  You know the parties where you are asked or expected to bring a dish, or an appetizer, finger foods, etc.  Are you always pressed for time, or ideas and just end up stopping at the market on the way and buying something?  I will admit, it has happened to me a few times.  Sometimes it ISN'T my fault.  Just to clarify.  Regardless I am as guilty as the next guy for running into the store for some chips and salsa, chips and dip, some salad (gag), or a mix of all of the above.

I think it is important to have a few of these little party recipes in your arsenal, don't you?  These little cocktail meatballs are perfect, in a bowl, in your crock pot.  Yes, I said CROCK POT.  Smack a small cup of toothpicks by it and call it a party!  My husband thinks would go good on a little toasted roll for sandwiches as well.  They definitely have a kick, I rarely give you spicy recipes, but this one, you can adjust the amount of heat, but come, just do it!   These are quick and as I mentioned, you can simmer them on the stove, OR throw them in your crocky and set it and forget it!

Meatballs (makes 36 meatballs)
1 lb ground turkey
1 egg
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tsp horseradish (not the sauce)
2 tbsp. grated onion
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
2 tsp hot sauce (I use sriracha)
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Mix all ingredients until completely combined.  Form into meatballs and place on cookie sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes. 

They may NOT be done all the way at this point but it is OK because they will simmer in the sauce at least an hour where they will finish cooking!

Sauce
1 cup catsup
3/4 cup water
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 cup of you favorite BBQ sauce
1 tsp yellow mustard
1/2 tsp hot sauce
1/4 cup vinegar

Combine in a medium saucepan and bring just to a boil, add meatballs and turn to low, cover and simmer for at least 1 hour.

If using a crock pot, prepare sauce in the crock pot, turn to low and add meatballs, let go for 4 hours, you can serve right from the crock pot as well!
This is just one of those dishes that gets better the longer the meatballs sit in the sauce.  Make them the night before and reheat the next day even!

Your "pickys are my favorite kind of food" Chefwannabe

Creamy Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

I have made it a point to open my mind up to salads.  You may or may not know, because I MAY or may not have made it clear how I feel about salads and casseroles.  Don't give me any flack, I know, I know, most of you love them both.  But if you read the first sentence, you will see, I SAAAAIID, I am opening my mind.  Albeit, slowly, I AM opening it. 

This is another summer salad.  In my mind, some salads are for winter and some are for summer.   Remember the heinous cabbage, carrot, jello salad I mentioned before?  Yea, that graces the table at Thanksgiving only, so, a winter salad.  This is one that I think would be great for your garden produce and has some nice crunch and texture.  This is a bit of a "take" off of a recipe I have seen at many a potluck, many a funeral dinner, and many a family get together.   As I have mentioned before,  I come from a family of salad lovers.  I mean, REAL salad loving peeps.  I sometimes shutter at what the next salad might consist of.  Dramatic?  Maybe.  But, true. 

This salad needs to chill an hour.  More is fine, less is probably fine, but, an hour seems to make it perfect to me. 

Some people add raisins or craisins.  I won't even go any further into it, I loathe both, and thus, did not write them in, because this is MY version and NOTHING in my life, includes either raisins or craisins.

You will need:
1 medium head of fresh broccoli, cut into small florets
1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
3/4 cup good quality bacon bits or fry your own
3/4 cup sunflower seed kernels
small red onion, finely minced

Combine all ingredient in a large bowl.  Set aside to prepare dressing.

Dressing:
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups salad dressing
1 envelope of ranch dressing mix

Mix in a small bowl until all ingredients are well combined.  Pour over the veggies and toss. 

Chill 1 hour. 

 

Your "do you tell your kids broccoli is little trees?" Chefwannabe

Orange Sparkle

Can someone please tell me where the switch is for turning off the humidity?  I mean seriously, this is NOT funny anymore, sweating profusely within 30 seconds of stepping outside is not fun, it is not cool and it is DEFINITELY not pretty.  I mean, let me keep it real here, I am not much of an "outdoor" girl anyway.  Give me the beach, give me a beautiful yard and lots of flowers, but don't expect me to get dirt under my fingernails, or get to messy.  Know what I mean?  That makes me sound like quite the princess diva, which I'm not, and I do enjoy outside things as long as they are leisurely and don't involve or POSSIBLY involve, bugs, snakes, frogs, bugs, or snakes.  Clear?

Anyway nothing says "summer meals" like nice cold salads and desserts.   My husband loves it and wanted to share it with you. 

I am not sure if you call this dessert, or eat it with your meal, you know that whole battle of the jello thing.  Do what you do.  This is so easy, and so delicious.  You can serve it out of one bowl or do as I did and divide it into 4 large servings.  You could easily get 6 individual servings. 

1 (3oz) pkg orange jello
1 cup boiling water
2 cups orange sherbet
1 (11oz) can of mandarin oranges
2 cups miniature marshmallows

In a bowl, stir together jello and boiling water until jello is dissolved.  Add in sherbet and stir or whisk until dissolved.  Chill this mixture until almost firm, and then fold in oranges and marshmallows.  You can fill up individual servings or place in a large casserole type dish.  Chill at LEAST 3 hours. 

This is light and delicious and sure to be enjoyed by all, no matter how you serve it!!

Your "loves all things that sparkle" Chefwannabe

Citrus Spritzer

I have to admit something. 

I recently visited my mom, who, though she completely is lost by this "blogging" thing, is very supportive of it.  She has been "going through" everything in her house, because she knows I love all kinds of dishes to photograph on and just for general use. 

Well, I knew I wanted to make a citrus drink but I also wanted a clear pitcher.  For some reason, I do not own a clear glass pitcher.  So while doing dishes, I spot one in her cupboard.  Now, she has shrunk to about 3'7 and I know she doesn't even remember it is in the TOP of the cupboard let alone use it.  So I finish the dishes, put on my best "perfect 10" face and into the living room I go.  It went something like this:

Me: Hey Mom, you don't happen to have a clear glass pitcher you want to get rid of do you?
Mom: I don't think so, let me think.
Me: (waits patiently, baring my pearly whites)
Mom: If I do ,it would be in the corner cupboard on the top shelf of the lazy susan. (where they have been for at least 150 years)
Me: Ok, I am going to look.  What if I find one?
Mom: Well, bring it here if you do.
Me: (goes into kitchen pretends to bang things around).  I FOUND ONE!!
Mom: Let me see it!
Me: OMG it is perfect for what I need.  Do you USE it?
Mom: No but it belonged to Marie.
Me: And?
Mom: Well, I don't really want to get rid of it.
Me: Mom, be real here, when is the last time you used it.
Mom: Well probably never but that is beside the point.
Me: You said you are cleaning things out, just think of what a good home this will have.
Mom:  Let me think about it. 
Me: Ok well do you want me to put it back in the cupboard or put it in this box of stuff you found for me.
Mom: Chris, you aren't going to trick me into giving it to you.
Me: Mom, there is no statute of limitations on child abuse and you spanked me with a wooden spoon, at LEAST 5,000 times as a child. 
Mom: If you don't put that pitcher back in the cupboard you are going to see me turn this walker into a deadly weapon.
Me: Mom, you seem angry, are you ok?  Is this part of dementia that is likely setting in?
Mom: The only demented thing about ME is giving birth to YOU. 
Me: Give me the pitcher mom, just do it.
Mom: FINE.  Take the pitcher but if I want it back you better give it back.
Me: You won't, but ok.

See it is all about wearing them down kids!  Even at 39, I can wear her down.  Really we were laughing so hard during this conversation it was pretty hilarious, perhaps you had to be there. 

Anyway, to the point at hand.  What is better on a hot summer day than a refreshing, cold beverage?  Water is almost always my first choice, but this citrus drink, is SO refreshing, you won't want to be without it!

I think this would be great served for a party, a meal, or just an afternoon by the pool, in the backyard, anywhere! 

1 12oz container of frozen limeade concentrate
2 oranges (1 sliced)
2 limes-sliced
1 lemon-sliced
1 liter Sprite/7 up/Sierra Mist OR Prosecco
1/4 cup sugar (optional, use it if you think it needs it)

Mix limeade according to package directions in a large pitcher.  Cut one orange in half and squeeze into limeade, discard when you have squeezed all the juice from them.  Stir.  Add in citrus 20 minutes before serving.  If you add it before that, the peel will bitter your beverage.  Pour a glass 1/2-3/4 full of limeade and then spritz it with your carbonated beverage of choice.  Make it alcoholic or don't, the choice is yours!

NOTE! Make sure to get extra fruit to garnish glasses or to add a slice into each glass when serving!

I hope you try this and I hope you love it so much, you have to keep making it!  It is the perfect summer refresher, that can be made in one pitcher, and spritzed for either a drinker or a non drinker!

Your "aaahhhhhhh this is perfect" Chefwannabe

American Flag Cake (White Frosting Recipe and Technique)

Ok, so I am sharing this recipe and technique with you ONLY because I want you to see, I do my share of messing up too!    I have no idea what got into me, I just had to try this.  I am no cake decorator, or baker, OBVIOUSLY, but I gave it the old college try.  Even though it looks ok, it technically is not a success.  Let me explain.

The red and white cakes should have been cut into 3 layers and since I used 9 inch pans, they weren't tall enough to do that.  I cut them in half and called it a day.  So there SHOULD be twice as many stripes if you get what I mean.

I am going to explain the technique before I give you the recipe, because the only recipe involved is for this amazing frosting.  I used box cake mixes, feel free to use a recipe from scratch.  For me, this cake was more about the method than that actual cake part.  HOWEVER, if  I make this again I will use cakes from scratch, they are just easier to move around and work with. 

You will need:
2 white cake mixes
blue food coloring
red food coloring

Mix cake according to package directions.  Spray your round 8 inch  pans(9 if that is all you have and want to only cut it in half instead of 3 layers each) and lay them with parchment paper, if you like.  I always do, but you don't have to.  Set them aside.  Divide the batter evenly into 3 bowls.  Leave one bowl white, color one bowl red and the 3rd, will be blue.  I only have 2 pans so I had to bake twice when my first cakes were cooled.  Get all 3 cakes baked.  Let come to room temperature and then I suggest freezing for 1 hour in the freezer. 

Cutting the cake:
You will cut the red layer in 3 equal parts, (or 2 if you are making it like mine).  Do the same with the white layer but DO NOT CUT THE BLUE LAYER. 

On your designated cake plate, lay down a red layer and frost it.  Now lay a white layer on top and frost the top again.  (if you did 3 layers each, you will add another red layer on top otherwise you will be done here)

Now on a separate plate, repeat the process starting with your red layer (if doing 2 layers only) or your white layer (if doing 3 layers).  Frost between each but do not frost the top. 

Now take a plate or round object that you can cut around.  It needs to be a size that will leave you approximately a 2-3 inch border when placed in the middle of one of your cakes.   I used a saucer.  Lay it on top of the second set of red and white layers, in the middle, and cut around it carefully with a knife.  You will be using the part UNDER the plate.  You are basically cutting the middle out and you will not need the outside ring that you cut off. 

Use the same plate and place on top of the blue cake.  Cut around the plate, being careful to preserve the OUTSIDE ring.  You will not need the MIDDLE of the blue cake.  Now carefully remove the outside ring of the blue cake and fit over the top of the middle red and white layer you cut.  So that you have a blue ring on the outside and red and white layers on the inside.  If one cake is higher than the other, you can carefully trim it down or leave it. 

I am not even going to try and guess why this cake looks moldy on top.  Lighting maybe, trust me, it wasn't!

Frost the entire outside of the cake.  You can decorate the top with sprinkles or whatever you choose.  By the time I got to that part, I was so stressed out, it stayed white and plain! HAHA!

Here is what I did NOT do that you SHOULD do.
FREEZE the cakes
Use an 8 inch round pan
Have a glass of wine

Here is the frosting I used.  It is my brother in law's mothers recipe.  It is fantastic!

2lbs powdered sugar
1 1/2 cup Crisco
1 cup powdered milk
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup water

Combine all ingredients in a stand mixer or electric mixer and mix until light and fluffy.  This will perfectly frost this cake, including in-between your layers.

 

Your "I am NOT cut out for this kinda thing" Chefwannabe

 

 

Italian Pasta Salad

HUSBANDS! 

Yea, I said it.  Don't act like it is a bad word.  Many of us have one.   It isn't a bad word unless they invite someone for dinner and don't tell you until 15 minutes before they are due to arrive.  I had just decided to settle down with a peanut butter and honey sandwich and bam, he drops it on me. 

Ever been there?  Yea, me too.  I had a similar (though not with hubby) situation recently.  I needed a small salad of some sort to throw on the table and jumped head first into the pantry to see what I could concoct.  I put away my peanut butter and honey sandwich dreams and was thrown right into reality.   I had a little of this and a little of that.  I found a few things I thought would warrant an Italian style pasta salad.  Why Italian?  Well, because.  That's why.

Now, before you look at this dressing and you say, "OMGOSH, that isn't the correct ratio for an oil and vinegar dressing" just chill for a second. while I explain my dang self.  The pour spot come off of my vinegar, which I was pouring into the bowl, that had the last of my olive oil in it.  So, I ......  Worked.  It.  Out.  Because that is how perfect 10 rolls!  Besides, what REAL cook would ever run out of olive oil?  (hanging my head in shame)

This is a small batch.  OK, well to someone who grew up in a family of 12, this is a small batch, it might be normal for someone who was raised in a regular house with a regular amount of people.  And before you ask, the answer is yes, you can use black olives instead of green, or cherry tomatoes instead of cutting up your own.  Remember I was working on a deadline, with what I already had!
Don't mess with the pasta though.  OK, you could use bow ties, but that is it.  In my head, certain pasta goes with certain dishes and we can't just change that, it is far to deep seeded to just change. 

You will need:

2 - 2 1/2 cups dry elbow macaroni
1 medium tomato, diced
1/2 cup green olives, halved or sliced
1 small onion, minced
1/2 cup roasted bell pepper, finely diced.  (you could use just raw, fresh bell pepper as well)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare pasta as directed.  Make sure to use PLENTY of water, pasta needs room to shake its groove thing, so use plenty!  Drain pasta.  In a large bowl combine, tomato, olives, onion, peppers and pasta.  Set aside. 

In a small bowl or large measuring cup combine oil, vinegar, oregano, sugar and salt and pepper.  Whisk until the mixture is combined and smooth.  Pour over pasta and mix until combined.  Chill at LEAST 2-3 hours.  The longer it sits, the better it gets!

I should mention, you could ALWAYS just use a cup of your favorite Italian salad dressing if you don't want to make the dressing I made!!

Enjoy this easy, and yummy salad, great for picnics (no mayo), bbq's or unexpected dinner company!!

Your "don't sweat it" Chefwannabe

 

She Wore an Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny, Yellow Polka Dot Bikini (Cake)

Summer is quickly approaching, ready or not!  I can't wait for the hot summer sun, and fun!  Are you all summer fans?   I know baking and cooking is set aside for cold meals, sandwiches, bbq's, fresh fruits and veggies.  Sometimes the last thing you want to do on a 100 degree day is crank that oven up.  BLEH!!  Makes me hot just thinking about it. But trust me when I tell you the cuteness of this cake is worth it! 

I saw this idea done on cookies over on the Woodland Bakery YouTube channel quite some time ago.  The video no longer exists so I can't link it but check out Gretchen over there!  She did these cookies and I thought how PERFECT on a cake.  She did this around Valentines Day (you will understand why later) and so it has been that long since I have wanted to recreate these adorable cookies with cake.  I also knew, I HAD to recreate this with one niece in particular, Jenna.  She is a summer girl for certain!  She is such a delightful young woman and I just knew this project was right up her alley.

I love cooking with my nieces, from the little ones to grown ones!  More than the cooking is spending time with them, finding out what is going on in their lives, and learning more about who they are becoming.  It is so exciting, I am proud of them all (and my nephews too).   So when my niece told me she had classes winding down, and had time after clinicals, I couldn't wait to see her OR hang out with her.  We have made a few dates before and then had to cancel so it was about time we got it together!

For this cake, you will need 2 heart shaped pans.  If you only have one, just bake the first cake, let it cool and then bake the second cake.  Heck I suppose if you are a gifted "cutter" you could do 2, 9x13 cakes and cut them into heart shapes.  You can use a cake mix or a from scratch cake, it makes no difference.  Just end up with 2 heart shaped cakes.  I used a yellow cake mix, as I thought it would simulate a nice "tan"!   HOWEVER, we ended up frosting it all in a flesh tone because we didn't want part of the cake left unfrosted.  This post is going to give you the method, my butter cream recipe, and the food coloring formula we found for flesh colored icing (Caucasian).  Because the answer is, YES, I forgot to pick up flesh colored food coloring.  Sue me.

I am giving you the directions for THIS cake.  How we did it, the colors we used.  You can change these colors, you can just frost it using a knife instead of piping bags, I mean you know how this goes, the choices are yours, I can only tell you how we did ours!

Vanilla Butter cream Icing
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, at room temp
1lb powdered sugar (sifted)
2-4 tbsp heavy cream (milk or half and half will work in a pinch)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Beat butter for 3-5 minutes alone. Add vanilla.  Then add sifted sugar, mix until combined.  It will likely be a bit crumbly.  Add in heavy cream, start with 1 or 2 tbsp.  Continue to beat. I used 4, but you may choose to use more or less.  Just use enough to get to the consistency you need for piping or icing. 

Here is how to divide the icing up.  Divide into separate bowls as follows:
1/4  flesh colored (recipe below)
1/2 white
1/4 yellow (as bright or light as you choose)

To get flesh colored icing, in a SEPARATE BOWL  add together 8 drops of yellow, 6 drops of red, and 2 drops of green, food coloring.  DO NOT mix it in the icing.  Add a few drops at a time to your bowl of white icing, until you get the color you want.  It worked perfectly for us! We just googled it and came up with it on Yahoo Answers! 

For this cake you will need:
2 heart shaped cakes
Piping bags
tips (star tip any size and a writing tip to do the tie and outline)
offset spatula
knife
large cookie sheet, board or platter it will fit on. 
1 batch of butter cream icing

Place your cakes on your large cookie sheet or whatever you are using to build the cake on.  The top heart will be upside down and the bottom cake will also be upside down.  Drop the point that is fitting into the top heart, between the 2 sides.  Wow, this instruction isn't going well.  Point the up or the down to the side of the center..........yea, that is about as much sense as I feel this is making so let me just give you a photo.  This is after it had been trimmed a bit to fit together, and icing in flesh colored icing!  So once you get it trimmed and fit together, frost it.  You do not want to use the flesh colored icing where you are putting the bikini, it will just be to much icing and you left only enough to cover the top and sides of the NAKED parts of the cake! So to speak........  OMGOSH, we iced it all mostly, DO NOT DO WHAT WE DID.  LOL  Really though just frost where the "skin" would be showing.  Use a cup of hot water if needed to smooth it out as nicely as you can.  Don't forget the SIDES!  Nobody wants cellulite on their own butt OR on their cake! Sorry this is sideways.

Next, using a toothpick or skewer, map out your bikini.  Ours, obviously was more of a granny panty style bathing suit, but you do what you want.  It is so much easier to map it out, that way there is no guessing.  The bottom of the top heart is obviously the "bikini top" and the bottom of the bottom heart is the "bikini bottom" is that all politically correct enough because there are MUCH easier words I COULD use.  HA!

Now, place your white icing in a piping bag fitted with a plain round writing tip.  Use it to outline the bikini.  You MAY need to thin that icing out a WEE bit, but you may not.  Just get a nice outline so all the rest is mindless "filling in".  Also do your ties at this point if you are doing the "ties around the neck" style. 

Now switch that tip out for your star tip (white frosting).  Any size star tip will work.  Begin filling in all of those outlines.  It is a little tedious, but not bad and the more you do it the faster it goes!  You can also just do this part with a plain spatula and frost it flat.   I am just obsessed with piping bags.  I remember when my mom used to decorate cakes, there was no airbrushes, or edible computer transfers, she used a star tip and "colored" everything in!   When you are done you will have something that looks like.....

Now, rinse that star tip out and put it unto a piping bag of your yellow frosting.  Time for the POLKA DOTS!!  Add them in as big or small and as few or many as you like!  Be creative!

When you are done you can always go back in and add more, or fill in more if you need to.  Here is "our" finished product, being proudly displayed by Jenna herself!!

So there you have it, the perfect cake for a summer girl.  I think making miniature cakes, and letting little girls decorate them for a birthday party would be a blast.  Of course, as long as I don't have to clean up.  Make this cake and post me your photos on Facebook or Twitter!!

Your "flipflop thwackin"chefwannabe

PS.  If you are lost and this makes no sense and you can't figure it out from the photos......I am sorry, I have no excuses, but I trust even if my words aren't sensible, you can figure it out.  Granny panties to string bikini's...........CHEERS!