For what it's worth: August 2013

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Wednesday

Serving Tray fix

serving-tray-make-over

I have a vintage serving tray that has been well used for many years and is showing its age.  I washed and scrubbed the inside but still the coffee cup stains lingered.  This morning I was clearing away the supplies I used to redo the pantry shelves when it occurred to me the solution was right there.  Using a scrap piece of silver contact paper I covered the inside of my tray.  The change gave my vintage tray a new stainless steel look that reflects the lamp light very nicely.  What do you think?

serving-tray-beforeserving-tray-re-do

crayon

Tuesday

Pudding Poppers

pudding popper

In my quest to use up the hoard of pudding and gelatin mixes found hidden in my pantry,  I came across a recipe that looked simple enough to give it a go this morning.  The original recipe was a little difficult to track down through a Pinterest Pin, but I did finally find it at Oh Bite It.  The photography is great.  When I made these they were almost a  Pintrosity because there are a couple of things not stressed that I should have known…but didn’t do.  Fortunately, I only burned the first four poppers before adjusting the hot grease temp.

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First, make the vanilla pudding according to the box directions and set it aside.  Put a couple of inches vegetable oil in a small skillet to heat up to 350° F.  Not any hotter, the biscuits will burn on the outside and be doughy on the inside.  My oil got a bit too hot, so I turned the heat down until it was just right.

Mix up some cinnamon sugar to roll the hot dough balls in and sit it near the stove.  The original pin doesn't indicate what proportions, but I used 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup of cinnamon.  That was a little heavy on the cinnamon for me so I would suggest you start with a Tablespoon of cinnamon and adjust up until you are happy with it.

 

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Open a tube of flaky layers biscuits and cut them in quarters.  Roll each quarter into a little ball.  I could only manage four quarters at a time, so ease four biscuit quarters into the hot oil.  I said “ease” because if you drop them in too vigorously you might splash hot grease on yourself.  Turn them over to cook on both sides.

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Remove the cooked dough balls from the pan and immediately coat with the cinnamon sugar mix.  Set them aside to cool completely.  That doesn’t take long.  When you have the balls complete, cut a little X in the top of each ball and use a pastry tube (or even a marinade injector) to push some of the pudding inside each cooked dough ball.

pudding poppers

I think this is a recipe the grandkids will like, don’t you?

crayon

Monday

Amazingly Easy Turkey Sausage Calzone

for what it's worth
It’s a week night that hubs and I shared in the kitchen.  Using some inspiration from a RFD outdoor cooking show we used what we had to “kind of” recreate what we saw.  [smiling] I bet they’d laugh at us trying to cook together!  We spent 15 minutes prep time and let it cook 15 minutes.  Dinner in 30.  It’s in the oven even as I type this and smells good.  I’ll let you know how it tastes before this comes to you.  Here’s how it went down: (click to continue)

Wednesday

J. E. L. L.–Ohhhhhh

jelloThere must be a Jell-O hoarder living in my house!  I started a fall cleaning project and pantry organizing re-do this week.  I pulled out and purged lots of “stuff” but the weirdest thing is all the boxes of Jell-O mixes.  They aren’t going back in there, so it looks like a Jell-O fest will be happening in my kitchen over the next few weeks!
I’ll be putting together a Jell-O recipe collection to share the second week of September.
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If you’d like to submit your recipe for consideration, leave a comment with your link. (1 photo + link back)

Tuesday

Broccoli Bacon Salad

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Here is a great summer side dish that is always popular at pot luck gatherings.  I cut it down to a reasonable size for a family dinner today. 
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Broccoli Bacon Salad
  • 2 cups broccoli crowns, chopped
  • 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
  • 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • Bacon vinaigrette dressing
  • 1/2 cup light olive oil mayo (or just mayo)
Prepare all ingredients and fold together.  Make it ahead to give the flavors time to marry.  I didn’t have any Bacon Vinaigrette on hand so I made a dressing to use in it’s place.
Bacon Vinaigrette dressing:
  • 1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp. honey
  • 1/4 C sugar
  • Bacon drippings I had from baking a package of bacon.
Whisk together and heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes to dissolve sugar.  Whisk and pour over broccoli salad.
genie sig smoke blue

Monday

Basil Pesto Rolls

  basil pesto rolls
I’m loving this summer harvest of basil and my new found love for pesto.  This is the easiest recipe I’ve ever made and there’s a lot of bang for the buck!   On this particular day the little grands were here and they loved having the pesto rolls on toothpicks with their tomato basil farfalle.  You would have thought they had popsicles.  It starts with a refrigerator can of French bread, some prepared basil pesto, toothpicks and parmesan.  Sounds easy, doesn’t it?  It is!
roll dough
Roll out the dough, cut that long rectangle in half.

spread pesto
Spread on the pesto,
 
roll pesto
Roll up the pesto inside,
slice rolls
Slice into rolls, secure with toothpicks,
     
bake
Bake.
Now, wasn’t that easy?  Please let me know if you make these and how you like them.
basil pesto rolls
Rub a little extra pesto on top and sprinkle on some parmesan.
Basil Pesto Roll Recipe
  • 1 package refrigerator French bread
  • basil pesto
  • Parmesan cheese
Roll out the bread dough, spread pesto leaving 1” border.  Cut the long rectangle in half so you have two shorter rectangles.  Roll the dough with the pesto inside.  Slice 1 1/2” with a sharp knife and secure with a toothpick.  Transfer rolls to an oiled cookie sheet.  Leave space for dough to rise.  Bake 350 F 15-20 minutes.  Rub a little pesto on top and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  You might even want to dip the hot bread in the pesto as you eat it!
genie sig smoke

Tuesday

Oven roasted corn in the husk and tied up nicely.

How to tie a corn husk handle on roasted corn on the cob



One of my favorite foods at any fair or Flea Market is roasted corn.  Cooking the corn is the easy part the fun part but the eye appeal is in how you serve it up.  Don't cut off the hust! Give that juicy roasted corn an easy to make corn husk handle.  

How to make corn on the cob handle with the husk










Start with fresh corn.

Thursday

Perfect days and paper butterflies.


A few days ago I posted on my FB page that I had one of those days that stands out above all the rest.  You know the one, a day of activities with loved ones that lingers in your mind when it's over like a foggy perfect dream.

My daughter brought her grand and I had the two little grands that are my sons children.  We boarded a Dart Train and headed downtown.  The three little grands were completely captured by the adventure.
http://forwhatitsworth-jeannie.blogspot.com/

We spent some time in a magical butterfly house and gardens then took the train over to my daughter's loft. There, we made tissue paper butterflies that floated delicately about atop tiny hands.
http://forwhatitsworth-jeannie.blogspot.com/ 

http://forwhatitsworth-jeannie.blogspot.com/ 
http://forwhatitsworth-jeannie.blogspot.com/
DIY instructions here
Following lunch and a nap we spent the rest of the afternoon at the pool.  I haven't been in a swimsuit in years...YEARS!  Even though that wasn't something I relish in the day's memories, the time with the kids and my daughter at that pool was well worth it.  Their giggles and laughter ring in my imagination even at this moment.
http://forwhatitsworth-jeannie.blogspot.com/

I thought they'd fall asleep on the train ride back home, but their curiosity kept them engaged the whole ride.  Though, great grand was a little too interested in the red emergency button and speaker.  I told him pushing it would bring the police and they would be shouting "What in the world is going on here!"  He didn't push it, thank goodness.  I did suffer a small panic when his balloon popped...I quickly stated very loudly...it's a balloon(!) before anyone could push the panic button.

Do you have one of those special days to share?


DIY Butterfly kid craft


After the butterfly house field trip we provided the little grands and great grand with supplies to make magical butterflies.  The activity and subsequent play kept them busy for several hours.  Even at bedtime they floated the butterflies to rest on the bedside table with them.

Supplies:

  • tissue paper
  • chenille wires
  • optional:  clothes pins

Fold a sheet of tissue paper in half.

Now, fold again so it is in quarters.

Pinch the center together to make the body.

Fold a chenille wire in half around the body and twist tightly closed.
Roll the ends to resemble antennae.

Easy peasy, done.  You can optionally push the pinched body area into a clothes pin and wrap the wire antennae on that.

Monday

Chocolate Strawberry Banana Muffin

Chocolate Strawberry Banana muffinBreakfast does not need to be boring!  Great Grand woke up asking for cupcakes.  If you’ve seen my Grandma book page, you know I will find a way for every grand to get their Nini wish!  So, using a “not too sweet” cake recipe we added fruit and made perfect breakfast cupcakes.  I discovered earlier this week that I left my cupcake pan at the last family farm party, so I used mugs as my muffin pans.  They made cute little cakes.  Here is the recipe so you too can grant your little persons request.
  Recipe:
  • Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter & flour muffin pan or 6-8 mugs
  • Mix together in a medium mixing bowl:
    1. 1 1/3 Cups flour
    2. 2/3 Cup sugar
    3. 2/3 Cup 2% milk
    4. 1/4 cup butter, softened
    5. 1 egg
    6. 1 teaspoon vanilla
    7. 1-2 bananas, chopped 
    8. 12-16 strawberries, chopped (1 per cake and 1 to garnish each cake)
    9. Chocolate syrup
  • Mix first 6 ingredients for batter.
  • Put a little batter in each muffin pan (about 2 Tablespoons) and drop in a few pieces of chopped banana
  • Add a little more batter and drop in a chopped strawberry
  • End with batter on top, 1/3 full
  • Bake 350 F for 25-30 minutes.
  • Drizzle on some chocolate syrup and be prepared to be astonished at how delish it is!
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I personally loved eating mine straight from the mug,
Great Grand liked his on a plate so he could drizzle the chocolate all over it himself. 
He dipped his extra strawberry in the chocolate puddles. Smile
genie bottle 125 size