Leftover Chicken Ideas for those night they have chicken in the fridge: So this week I am still adjusting from coming off being away and the kids being home it is the 3rd week of the summer. My Sister In law had a large 4th of July party this weekend. Ok so it was on the 6th. The kids had a great time and the food was very plentiful. I made my pickled cauliflower salad and pickled onions. For dessert I brought Lemon Sugar cookies with Lavender, which I will be posting about later this week. My sister inlaws family provides all the meat, so standard hamburgers and hot dog but also 80 split chickens. YES I said 80 Chicken split!!! 160 halves… So Guess what I got to bring home.. 4 chicken halves.. yummy and they don’t eat dark meat. So Guess what we are eating this week..
So here are some pictures from the fun weekend. It was the 1st time I took some one along with us tot he farm. My son best friend. He loved the pond. We also got to use the Natural Bug Spray that I posted about last week super simple to make and kept the Flys and Mosquitoes away. I loved the fact it was natural.
Meal Planing Monday :
I am on a lemon citrus kick for this summer since it is hot.
How to Make Mozzarella . I love cheese. I would eat it on everything is possible. So I decided to learn how to make cheese. I goggled how to make it and came across many sites. My favorite was New England Cheese Making Company. It is a small company that prides themselves on the art of cheese making. The New England cheese making company was nice enough to send me a cheese making kit to review to try making my own cheese.
The kit is great 30 Minute Mozzarella and Ricotta Kit arrived and I was so excited to try. I used a gallon of whole milk. and tools provided in the kit. I made the cheese on vacation don the shore and it was super easy. The kit contained everything I needed to make cheese except for milk, water and pots. The kit contained Dairy Thermometer (E3), 1yd re-useable Butter Muslin, Citric Acid (C13), Vegetable Rennet Tablets (R4), Cheese Salt (S1) and Recipe Booklet. The instruction book was very well done and easy to follow. Below is a glimpse of my experience. I do recommend buying the kit to start and check in out the New England Cheese making site Cheesemaking.com for full details and the science on the art of cheese making. It was great seeing the curd separate fro the whey, it looks like custard. I thought when I drained off the whey the curds were not done but I continued. Turned out not to be a problem. Then you have to dip the Curd in hot water 185 degrees then pull the curd while hot to make the long stringy fiber and add salt while doing so this is the part I opted to do smaller batches, because it was hot hot.. I have no pictures of this step because no one was there to take pictures (my husband slept on the couch it was late) . Rickis the NewEngland companies owner instructions cover the cheese pulling this step, very throughtly.
It took me about an hour because the pot of water did not heat up quickly and I made 2 small batches since I was worried I could not make it all at the same time. How to Make Mozzarella. Also I did not add salt to the 1st batch and it needed it. The 2nd batch was supper yummy, Such a fun treat to have with your summer tomatoes.
I can really recommend the New England cheese making kit. It has everything you need and great instruction how to make cheese. The Basic Cheese kit I use cost $24.95 and it makes up to 30 lb of cheese. The tablets keep forever if stored in the freezer. Have you every tried making your own cheese? How did it turn out?
Weekly Meal Plan :
Monday Chicken BBQ with salted potatoes
Tues: Mozzarella pizza with fresh basil and tomatoes
Wednesday: Spaghetti and sausage
Thursday: 4th of July picnic
Friday Making cookies and pickles for weekend picnic so fend for yourself night.
So after a long weekend down the New Jersey shore doing Social Good. Letting everyone to head back to the Jersey Shore Because they are open, It is back to reality no room service of Lobster salad from Caesars AC or top chefs cooking for me. So what is on the menu this week?
Monday Fish with rice
Tuesday Sloppy Joes and tater tots
Wednesday: Baseball food
Thursday: Baked Chicken it is going to rain great day to heat up house
So when I was living in Florida I met Wendy Henderickson. She was such a fun person she was from Tenn, we met though our love of Dogs . She trained he pit bull to be a therapy dog, I had my doberman that was a therapy dog. So because were Northern ex pats and had no family south, we would spend alot of holidays together. Wendy would always make her husbands favorite pea salad, it was his moms recipe. I loved it every time she did. Now that I retreated back up north. The Hendrickerson Pea Salad is a staple in my summer party recipe repertoire.
Hendrickson Pea Salad
·1 package of frozen sweet peas
·2 cup package of shredded cheddar cheese
·1 Bottle or package of “Real Bacon” (bits)do not use imitation
·1 few leaves of romaine lettuce
·1 cup of mayo
Put the peas in a colander and rinse with cold water to take the chill of them and so they don’t stick together
This is a layer dish
Start with romaine lettuce tear into squares , and lay on bottom of bowl2-3 quart
Next the peas a layer of them
Coat with a layer of the mayo
Sprinkle some cheese
Then sprinkle bacon
Repeat again starting with the lettuce, peas, mayo, cheese, bacon (repeat once more)
Finish with garnish of cheese and bacon
Let sit over night or a good couple of hours to chill up again.
Mix an hour before serving ( I actually prefer it made ahead and it is better the second day- Left overs)
It does not look the preeties but super yummy
***** Please make sue you do not leave this salad sitting in the sun since it has mayo!
My plans this week Include I am leaving for the JerseyLove Trip on Thursday 40 blogger are heading to NJ to help spread the word that New Jersey is back after Hurricane sandy! #Jersey Love
Join us Tonight .. Monday June 3rd 9-10Pm EST / 6-7 PST we are having a twitter party where you can win great prizes and help to promote a great cause!
WIN IT! D6 Surfskimmer And Beach Bags! Tweet To Win! Follow #jerseylove #hangten and #surfskimmer hastags! You MUST fill out the Rafflecopter below to be entered! a Rafflecopter giveaway
Yummy tuna. This is my alternative to Tuna Salad blahs. Tuna Avocado and Tomato salad.. The only thing I would add is bacon to make it bad for you but this is the healthy version.
Tuna Avocado and Tomato salad
·1 can of tuna
·1 avocado peeled cut in chunks
·1 small shallot
·Cherry Tomatoes Hand full Sliced in to smallerpieces
Monday: Quick Chicken Burritos and Rice (baseball)
Tuesday: Kielbasi, Potatoes and cabbage (making Fresh Mozzarella for a girls night)
Wednesday: Moms Not cooking (My day)
Thursday: Lasagna (I made it this past weekend)
Friday Taco Night
Saturday Eggs and bacon
My Daughter making a dump cake this week. My daughter made one this weekend. I film filmed it on socail cam with a filter so it is a little weird to look at, don’t film full screen . So she is going to do another one for my birthday. So I had to share. She did one take.
Ingredients
1 can of cherry pie filling
1 can of crushed pineapple
1 box of yellow cake mix
1 stick of butter sliced in 1/8 pieces
ring pine apples
1 jar of Maraschino cherries
Dump and Cook 350 for 1 hour
Have a great Week anything special you are making.
I was asked by McCormick to create a recipe with 5 ingredients for Taco night. I was compensated to create this recipe, the spices we provided by McCormicks, and the opinions in this post are all mine. So it was a challenge to reinvent what Taco night and to make it with limited ingredients was even harder. I wanted to make an easy recipe that could be prepped ahead, quickly assembled, and heated up on taco night.
I love taco night but sometimes the prep is a ton of work. What I like to do is make dbl batches of Taco meat then freeze 1/2 for later use. Long as you freeze the meat once it is cool, in freeze bag, flat on a tray, and make sure it is loose(crumbly) then it is easy to reheat. So avoid the solid block of meat when freeze cooked taco meat. The McCormick taco season freeze great when make larger batches of meat be sure to use more then one package of McCormick seasoning.
Taco Lasagna :
5 Soft Flour Large Tortillas (to fit your saute pan so 10″)
4 cups of cheddar cheese
McCormick Taco Beef : made with 1 lb of beef and McCormick Taco Season Packet
(1lb of beef if you missed it above–ok so I had 6 ingredients)
1- 14 oz can of black beans
1- 16oz jar Salsa (you can also make your own)
Brown your meat and Drain grease (place a colander in a large bowl and pour meat in to drain grease completely- I place a paper towel under it)
Add taco mix and 3/4 water to make Taco Mix
Open can the of black beans drain off liquid
In a blender or small food processor put beans, 2 tbl of salsa, and 2-3 tbl spoons of McCormicks season taco meat broth(yep right from the pan
Blend to a smooth paste (add McCormick Sicilian Sea Salt and McCormicks Anco Chilli Powered for more of a kick)
Preheat oven to 375
Once meat is thicken up slightly remove from heat.
Taco Lasagna Assembly:
Use clean large saute pan (oven ready) spray with non stick spay
Lay 1st in saute pan Tortilla Cover with McCormick meat and cheese
Next tortilla , cover with salsa and cheese
Next tortilla cover with black beans paste and cheese
Next tortilla cover more McCormick meat and cheese
Next tortilla cover with salsa and cheese
Place in oven for 20-30 min, till top is golden and bubbly
Allow to cool slightly before cutting
McCormick Pin Giveaway Contest:
Now here is the fun:
Want to win one of 30 McCormick Spice sets? Like the one I got, Here is how
Pin any taco recipe with the hashtag #McCormicksTacoNight and me @babypop, you just have to pin once to win:
Please note Superexhausted/babypop do not pick the winners of the contest, The Contest ends May 31, 2013. Prizes will be sent direct from McCormick. Babypop/superexhausted is not responsible for the prizes. This was a sponsored post.
Root Vegetable Side – Cooking a side of Parsnips, Beets and Radishes. So i really want ed to try cooking with root vegetables more. Of course carrots and potatoes ar in out diet but I wanted to try others. Beets have had a home in my house for the past month. My husband has bee roasting them and adding to his smoothies. So I saw where someone roasted radishes. I decided to see if they get spicier. I also added parsnips white carrot looking vegetable . The colors are amazing.
Radishes I use 2 different sizes. I found the large Radishes when raw were not as spicy then their smaller counterparts. But once roasted they all mellowed out.
Beets I have only eaten them pickled, roasted with some good sea salt they are sweet I really enjoyed them
Parsnips They look like white carrot and have no real flavor raw. Roasted I loved them so did the kids. The be come sweeter but not like carrots. I would recommend trying them.
So how to cook a parsnip, radish, and beet.
I sliced them, 1/8 thick and tossed them in oil salt and pepper They placed in Oven for 425 Roasted for 30-35 minutes.
So that is one of my sides for this week.
Meal Plan
Monday Crust-less Spinach ham, cheese, mushroom Quiche, salads w/ lemon dressing and this root vegetable side
Tuesday: Roasted chicken with blue potatoes
Wed: Mexican
Thursday: Chicken pot pie- left over roasted chicken
Next week is Cinco De Mayo. Such a fun way to share the Mexican culture with your family. As you know every Friday is Taco night for my family. We make hard and soft taco once a week, I usually make rice, re fried beans w/ cheese, guacamole, and taco meat. So when I was asked to do this sponsored post about Coke Rewards Cinco De May, I was like sure, great ideas for the whole family to enjoy the fun Mexican Holiday.
So I was planning to show beautiful pictures of the awesome Mango Tomatillo Guacamole the recipe was created by celeb chef from Ingrid Hoffman’s new cookbook called “Latin D’Lite ” Yea the best laid plans of mice and men. I purchased the ingredients Avocado, Mango, and Tomatilla. Note to self, bring recipe with you when you go to the store. All day I thought about this amazing guac. My avocado are ripe, the mango ready to be cut.
So I went in the kitchen ready to create Ingrids yummy Guacamole, my mango .. was gone. I blame my husbands morning mad scientist kale smoothies. My Tomatilla – yea I should have asked, I bought organic brown tomatoes, tasty but not a Tomatillo. Then the finally straw in my broken Guacamole , I cut in to my avocados — yea they went to the dark side.. you know brown and sick yellow. Sadden but not defeated.
So I quickly ran to the store with my Daughter in tow, to replace the missing ingredients. I had a craving for this Guac like a pregnant women in search of ice cream at midnight. Refusing to give up on my dreams of Ingrid Hoffmans green creamy goodness.
I went to “that store” where they give samples, you know the one, with the super nice people who wear Hawaiian shirts. My daughter dragging me toward the sample counter or as I call it “Guilt Purchase area.”
“Mom can I try” the lady was providing samples of Fennel.
I said a skeptical “Try it” to my daughter. Annoyed about the diversion and watching my phone because I was on Guac Time.
So 3 minutes, later with the unplanned fennel in hand. I move towards produce section of the store, I squeezing the firm mangoes, looking for the ripe one. I found the sweet tropical fruit at the bottom of the stack, not the reddest one but good enough.
Then I looked at the avocados. The Mexican one’s in the green mesh bag were too hard (I purchased them, for next week.) I moved to the single Avocados, you know the ones that charge you $2.50 for a small little thing. I pursued darkest one, that had some give. I found him and his other avocado brother that came on the same truck from Mexico. Excited in the hope that I might have fresh mango Guacamole. The Tomatillo well, (insert sad face) was no where to be found, darn suburban market, I should have went to the Asia market, they have everything (insert smacking of head for bad choice). My brown tomatoes might have to do. After all my items were placed in my reusable bag from a different store, a bell rang (what is with the bell ringing,) I hurried home excited to make Ingrid’s Guacamole.
Ok So arrive home the goal almost in sight … Ingrid Hoffman’s recipe so close I can taste it. I take out the cutting board to slice my green pebbley avocado friend. Yea.. well let say he and his brother is in a brown bag on my counter wait for his premier this weekend. My daughter asking me to cut in to the mango, argh. My dreams of cream goodness with have to wait for another day.
This is what Mango Tomatillo Guacamole look see.. the reason I went through so much trouble.
mango-tomatillo guacamole
Created by Ingrid Hoffman’s in Latin D’Lite cookbook
Makes 2 cups
2 ripe Hass avocados, halved, seeded, and peeled
2 tomatillos, husked and finely chopped
1 ripe mango, peeled, seeded, and cubed
½ small red onion, finely chopped
1 serrano chile, finely chopped (remove seeds before chopping for less heat)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, chopped
1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
kosher salt
baked tortilla or pita chips, for serving
1.Mash the avocados in a medium bowl with a fork, leaving them still a bit chunky. Fold in the tomatillos, mango, onion, chile, cilantro, and mint. Add the lemon juice, and gently mix to evenly distribute the ingredients. Season with salt.
2.Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to discourage discoloring, and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour. Serve with the chips for dipping.
Buy avocados 3 days before (if not ripe place in brown paperbag 1 day before)
Get fun Plates and glasses to make it a Festive Mood- I visited the dollar store for mine My lead picture are the great plates I planed to show you food on.
Look for fun fabric and placemats- I found this fun Mexican inspired fabric in my Fabric stash
What to get the kids involved. My Coke rewards has some great ideas. I love this great recycled Coke box Taco holder. You can find it at coke rewards
Hang some fun Mexican inspired signs, Coke Rewards has some great ones.
Have fun cooking Cinco De Mayo is a day to celebrate.
Mango Berry Spring rolls Great Low calorie dessert great for diabetic and reduced calorie. I love the season of Spring because strawberries become a local season fruit. There is noting like a strawberry raw, cooked or any way to get me in a spring mood. Then you add possible my favorite fruit Mangoes.. let just say mangoes are great on almost anything from fish, salsa , chocolate .. the list goes on on. Then I discovered at the grocery store a cactus fruit, hum never tried them. They are a fruit with lets say a spikey attitude.
Cactus Fruit Or Prickly Pear have the consistence of a watermelon seeds and all. The flavor is mild, but there are seed you eat. The skin on the other hand .. it is a cactus .. so the spikes do get in your fingers, and they are fine so you can see, but feel them ouch!. They look pretty when cut the pear open. You handle them covering your fingers with a paper towel and you and peel them like you would a Kiwi. (you can also omit the Cactus Pear if you don’t want to deal with them)
So Last week with the nice weather meal planning was not followed. The reason I love meal planning is because it allows for flexibility. So I was able to shift things and come up with different options. Which meant I had new options this week.
Quick Meal Planing
Monday- Baseball night Grill cheese- Kids standard white bread. The Hubby and I Apples/brie/turkey/honey on rustic bread
Tuesday My Split peas soup that I wrote for 5mins for mom (bought ham cubes) left over rustic bread
Friday : Swim Banquet So I am making a Salad I think I might try Daphne Oz’s King of Greens Salad (from The Chew) Since it is for many people I don’t have to expect the kids to eat and I will not have to throw out a bunch of kale after being dressed.
Saturday I will be at Type A Advanced here is my own home town of Philly- I love Blogging conferences.