Summertime!

Friday officially started my summer break, and it's been pretty great so far!
Yesterday was another HOT day! I won't complain about hot weather though...way better than freezing cold. My dad's kids did awesome at the state track meet. Norris was in a golf tournament yesterday and he got the award for shortest drive...awesome! Best prize of the whole deal--a package of steaks!
Perfect weather last night, fun time. Leaving for Estes Park, CO tonight, back on Thursday!

Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

Last fall, I ordered some cookies from a school fundraiser called strawberry shortcake cookies, or something like that, from Otis Spunkmeyer. They were amaaazing. I could not figure out exactly what dough base to make them from and what went in them (although I know there were not any strawberries in them oddly enough!). I searched all over and can't find their recipe or exactly what is in them...so I'm still trying to figure out if it's more of a chocolate chip cookie dough base with different mix-ins or more of a sugar cookie base (it tastes somewhere in between). Anyway, here is one attempt at replicating those, from an All Recipes recipe. These are really good, even though they are not strawberry shortcake tasting!

Be sure to take them out right before they're actually done. Store in an airtight container with a piece of bread to keep them soft. I think these would be a great Christmastime treat, also.

Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon brandy (I used vanilla instead)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries (I used cherry flavored Craisins)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and brandy. Combine the flour and baking soda; stir into the sugar mixture. Mix in the white chocolate chips and cranberries. (At this point, I refrigerated them overnight. I think it helps with the texture of the cookie, so I always do this if I have time.)Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. For best results, take them out while they are still doughy. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

**If anybody has a secret trick to the recipe I'm looking for, please do share!!

Parmesan-Stuffed Chicken with Melted Strawberries

I get a couple of different daily recipes in my email, including my local paper and Better Homes and Gardens. I have printed off quite a few, but never have I made one the same day I got it. I saw this one from Better Homes and Gardens and had to have it tonight! It also helped that Kris and Mark have a strawberry patch and generously gave me a container of them straight from their backyard (thanks guys!).
I love chicken and strawberries together...when I go through a salad bar I love to get grilled chicken and strawberries on my salad with balsamic vinaigrette (awesome together!) so I knew this recipe would be good. I was not disappointed. I will admit Norris gave me a strange face when I said dinner was ready and told him to put the strawberries on top of his chicken. He liked the strawberries better in his rice--really did taste a lot like sweet and sour sauce. This meal came together very quickly with brown rice and green beans on the side.

Their picture is much prettier, of course!

Parmesan-Stuffed Chicken with Melted Strawberries

from Better Homes and Gardens
(I halved the recipe for us. This is the full version)

Ingredients
3 cups fresh strawberries (halve or quarter if large berries)
2 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar (used white wine vinegar)
1/4 cup strawberry jam (used reduced sugar)
Sea salt or salt and black pepper
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 3 lb.)
3 oz. Parmesan or white cheddar cheese (used shredded Parm)
6 large fresh basil leaves (used dried-- about 2 teaspoons to 1 Tablespoon)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
Snipped fresh basil
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a 3-quart baking dish combine strawberries, vinegar, and jam. Sprinkle salt and pepper; set aside.
2. Cut a horizontal pocket in each chicken breast half by cutting from one side almost, but not through, to the other side. Cut Parmesan cheese in six 3x1/2-inch pieces. Wrap a basil leaf around each piece of cheese (at this point, I just combined the cheese and basil in a small bowl); stuff into chicken breast pocket. Secure pockets closed with wooden toothpicks or skewers. (I used heat resistant cooking rubber bands)Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. In 12-inch oven-safe skillet cook garlic in oil over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add chicken and cook 5 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Transfer to oven. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes. Add baking dish with the strawberry-jam mixture to oven. Bake 10 to 13 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees F) and the berries are softened and jam mixture has thickened. Serve chicken with melted strawberries. Sprinkle with basil. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts
Calories 395, Total Fat (g) 9, Saturated Fat (g) 4, Monounsaturated Fat (g) 4, PolyunsaturatedFat (g) 1, Cholesterol (mg) 142, Sodium (mg) 461, Carbohydrate (g) 17, Total Sugar (g) 11, Fiber (g) 2, Protein (g) 58, Vitamin C (DV%) 78, Calcium (DV%) 22, Iron (DV%) 13, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Tomato Bacon Cups

First of all, let me say: I hate bacon. I saw all those grotesque bacon things around Superbowl time this year, and they grossed me out. The complete mess it makes when you cook it, the stink of the house and your clothes and hair, and the grease burns are hardly worth it. I think it's more the idea that I'm eating bacon than the flavor, although I don't hesitate to put a Skittle in my mouth..hmm...but anyway. I hated it before, and now I hate it more. When I was chopping it up for this recipe, I also chopped off a chunk of my nail and finger. Norris tried to stick it back on, and we've pretty much kept it under wraps since. Hope it sticks. I hate bacon.

For Lauren and Zac's engagement party, Zac asked his mom, my mom, and I to all bring food. I had 2.5 hours to travel with mine, so I needed something I could reheat on my warming trays when I got there. Colleen gave me this idea for an appetizer that I could transport easily.

Despite the fact that I really don't like bacon, I really liked these little bites! They were great straight out of the oven, with melty cheese hanging off the sides and the biscuit bottoms were soft. After a couple hours heating up on my warming trays, however, they were not nearly as awesome. So, I would suggest serving them straight from the oven.
I also brought buffalo chicken dip, which is always a hit! Easiest thing to make, and always gone so fast.

Tomato Bacon Cups

from Colleen,slightly adapted from Paula's Pantry

Makes 40 bites

1 medium tomato, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons real bacon bits (I cooked a package of bacon and chopped it. NEVER AGAIN!)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons shredded swiss cheese
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I like low-fat)
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/4 teaspoons dried basil
1 tube (16.3-ounces) Grands refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.


I first sauteed the onion in about a tablespoon of margarine. You can do this or not. My stomach just really can't stand uncooked onions, so I wanted to make sure they were already cooked before I put them in the mix.
Combine the tomato, bacon bits, swiss cheese, mayo, onion and basil in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
Cut each biscuit into 5 equal wedges. Work with your fingers to make it as round as possible and press each round into a greased mini-muffin pan. Spoon tomato mixture into cups.
Bake for 10-14 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is slightly bubbly. Serve warm.

Waaahooooo!! Congratulations Lauren and Zac!

If that's not authentic surprise, she's a really great actress!
My younger sister and Zac got engaged this weekend!!! He did an incredible job of planning two big surprises right in a row--he proposed and then got her to come to the place where we were all waiting to celebrate with them. It was a great night and I am so happy for them.


Lauren, I am so excited to be your maid of honor. So excited that I want to offer to make you a dress just like this. I'll wear a dress like the girl on the left, except multi colored, since I know you like color. Okay? One more thing to put a checkmark by--dress-check! It's made completely out of balloons, so I might pass out at the actual wedding from lack of oxygen, but you'll look cool!

If you decide not to take me up on it--:)This is such an exciting time and I am anxious for all the fun things ahead for you guys!

Tender Banana Bread

In another attempt to clear the classroom fridge and cabinets for the summer (in hopes that our bond issue is getting us a sweet professional kitchen...!!)I planned an "eat from the pantry" unit to talk about how to budget food dollars and use what you have, which was really just a guise for ridding our kitchen of the extras... I started off just by holding up a few rotten, frozen, then thawed (so really bad looking!) bananas and asked who wanted a banana. They of course gave me the reaction I was looking for, and none of them knew that the best banana bread is made out of those things they are making vomiting noises over!

I know I've said this before, but I can always rely on the recipes at Good Things Catered, so I went there to find the banana bread recipe I wanted to use. I also had a random box of vanilla pudding mix on the shelf so this was the perfect recipe to try.

Tender Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1 3/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp all purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 package instant vanilla pudding mix

2/3 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. shortening

2 eggs

2 Tbsp milk

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

3 large extra ripe bananas, mashed

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare loaf pan.
-In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pudding mix.

-Whisk to combine and set aside.

-In bowl of stand mixer, combine shortening and sugar.

-Beat on high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

-Add eggs, one at a time until thoroughly combined.

-Add milk and vanilla, then banana to mixture and combine well.

-With mixer on low, add flour mixture until just combined.

-Spread into loaf pan, tap to remove air pockets, and place in oven to bake.

-Bake loaf in oven for 1hr or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

-Let loaf cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely (or serve warm!)

Welcoming Summer

We spent this weekend at the cabin and it was a perfect weekend to be there. It was pretty quiet, relaxing, peaceful, awesome! We always enjoy weekends there. This is the first time we got to bring Bruno, who loved it too. I took this picture of him swimming across the lake...
or I just tried to get the right angle to make it look like he was swimming across!


This was just about the same view as the night Norris proposed to me, and it was just as beautiful. Love this view!

Hey--this one's kind of food related--this was our view from eating dinner! :) It was too nice to sit inside for dinner, so we made a table for two on the back deck and it was so pretty.

The busy week begins today-- preparing the food for Tuesday's senior breakfast (which has somehow ballooned to about 500 people...), regional soccer game, then to school by 5:30 on Tuesday to get that breakfast done and served, then graduation on Tuesday night. After that, I will be sleeping until Thursday if you need me! :) Come on summer!!!!!