Monday, August 15, 2011

Ring, Ring, Ring

"Hello, yes, Paddy Wagon people, I'm ready for pick-up!"

Parenting is like living in an insane asylum! Every day you have no idea what to expect from your ward. They could be perfectly normal, or they could be living in fantasy land that day, or the naughty/angry personality has shown up (un-invited). Okay, some of you wonderful, loving, ultra patient parents are probably reading this thinking that I'm off my rocker for sure this time, and what business do I have parenting with such thoughts.

Well, to your first thought... YEP! To the second notion... I question that myself!

So what spurred on these thoughts today, of all days... Anybody notice it is Monday?! I dislike Mondays; the only Mondays that are good Mondays are Mondays at the beach otherwise I bite my thumb in their direction!

This Monday started off like any other Monday, up and breakfast in a quicker pace than usual because the boys have gymnastics (just the summer at this time) at 8:00am! Snooker is NOT A MORNING PERSON! After he finally finished his breakfast, got dressed and all the other stuff they do in the morning, he knew he needed to do stretches. I asked about one of them, he lied about it, I told him he needed to do it... then hit the restroom before we left. As he walked away from he muttered under his breath (I should mention here he has a terrible back-talk habit)... "You just Shut-UP!"

Daddio relayed the morning's events to a co-worker, and she said, How old was he? Notice how I used the past tense because I already assume he’s dead…”

Oh, Mondays... why must you be so cruel!?!


Tuesday, August 9, 2011

A few more new favorites!

So I've posted about our new obsession with 5 Ingredient Fix... oh how we love that show. Here are a handful of recipes we've tried, and LOVED!

First up Grown-Up Farmhouse Grilled Cheese


Ingredients

  • 8 thin slices pancetta
  • 8 slices brioche, about 1/2-inch thick
  • 4 ounces sharp white Cheddar, thinly sliced (recommended: Farmhouse)
  • 1 large heirloom tomato, cut into 4 slices
  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons butter, room temperature

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Set a rack on a rimmed baking sheet.

Lay the pancetta slices on the rack on the baking sheet and bake until crisp, 15 to 18 minutes.

Meanwhile, set your toaster to a low setting and toast the brioche slices, (they should be slightly dry but not brown).

Lay 4 slices lightly toasted brioche on a work surface and cover the slices with half the cheese, followed by a slice of tomato. Season each sandwich with a pinch of salt and a healthy grind of black pepper. Top each with 2 pancetta rounds and the remaining cheese. Lay the remaining brioche slices on top and press down lightly. Butter the top of each sandwich with 1/2 tablespoon butter.

Heat a large griddle pan over medium heat.

Melt the remaining tablespoon butter on the griddle pan and add the sandwiches, buttered side up. Cook until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is beginning to melt. Flip the sandwiches, press lightly, and continue cooking until golden and toasty. Transfer to a cutting board and slice the sandwiches with a serrated knife, on the diagonal. Arrange on a serving platter and serve immediately.


Then we had a little dinner party over here a few weekends ago and served Rosemary Pork Tenderloin.


Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary leaves, plus 4 sprigs rosemary, with hard woody stems
  • 5 large garlic cloves, 2 cloves minced, 3 cloves smashed
  • 2 pork tenderloins, about 1-pound each
  • 4 slices maple bacon

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, fresh ground black pepper, chopped rosemary, and minced garlic and mix well. Rub the mustard mixture over the surface of the tenderloins and wrap in plastic wrap. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place rosemary sprigs and smashed garlic in the center of a roasting pan. Remove the plastic wrap from the tenderloins and top each with 2 slices of maple bacon. Tie with kitchen twine to secure bacon strips.

Place the roasting pan in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer, inserted in the tenderloins, registers 160 degrees F. Remove from oven when desired doneness is reached and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes on a cutting board. Remove kitchen twine, slice and serve with your favorite sides. Garnish with the rosemary sprigs and garlic. Enjoy!

Then it was Daddio's birthday last week and he requested fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and this delicious side dish: Homemade Creamed Corn


Ingredients

  • 6 slices bacon
  • 8 large cobs fresh corn, preferably white, shucked and cleaned
  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Directions

In a large skillet, (seasoned cast iron does well here) cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Turn off the heat and transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Reserve the drippings in the pan.

On a cutting board, cut the stalk ends of the corn cobs to make a flat surface; stand them up and shave the corn from the cobs with a sharp chef's knife. Return the skillet to medium-low heat, and add the corn kernels. With the back of the knife, firmly scrape the cobs over a shallow plate to extract as much liquid (milk) as possible and add it to the skillet.

Season corn lightly with salt and pepper and cook until broken down and creamy, about 30 to 45 minutes, stirring often; add water if the pan gets too dry.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: Crisp bacon can be crumbled over the creamed corn when serving or reserved for another use. If you have bacon drippings on hand, use 1/4 cup for this recipe.

*This particular menu had me on my feet cooking for several hours... it was a huge job... but well worth it! The creamed corn was a huge hit!


Chicken and Greens

Sorry that I left you hanging, there... waiting to find out about this recipe that I posted on last!

It was SO GOOOOOOOOOOD! The chicken was so tender and flavorful! The greens where full of flavor and a wonderful texture and firmness!

I highly recommend it... go out, by the ingredients and make it this week!