The Great Pumpkin

Our first pumpkin from this year's crop.  Crop sounds cool, but is probably misleading.  Our crop consists of two pumpkins, so far...

I did learn a lesson in pumpkin growing... don't let a pumpkin ripen while laying on wood beams.  This pumpkin chose to sit and grow on our railroad tie and the rain and dampness of the wood helped to rot the underside of the poor guy.  So this pumpkin won't make it to Halloween, but it has been fun to enjoy for a few days at our back door.

Garden Bonus

The crazy plethora of tomatoes is starting to get super crazy.  Crazy to the point that I'm running out of freezer space to store these suckers.  Looks like I've got some sauce making and roasting to do!

And as a surprise... potatoes from the garden!  They cropped up on their own this year after I apparently didn't dig up all the harvest last year.  This is what I've found so far... 

And for the family birthday gathering tonight... Fresh blackberry pie (thanks mom and auntie for picking blackberries!)....

 And chocolate chiffon pie, mom's special birthday request.

Oh, and pumpkin pie too.  But this was for last night's little birthday shindig. I heart a good pumpkin pie made from scratch (no canned pumpkins in this guy!). 

And the birthday girl!

Because every good tailgate deserves equally good gelatin shots. GO HUSKIES!  And happy birthday mom!

2011 Halloween Costumes?....

Last year B wanted to be Thomas the Train for Halloween.  I thought it would be fun to create a Thomas out of cardboard that B could wear.  It was a great idea until I look back on the project and realize how many steps were involved.  But, the look of pure excitement when he saw the finished product made it all worth it.  But it makes me wonder... what will we do for 2011!?  It sounds like B is narrowing down his choices.

2010 meant 2 cardboard boxes. 1 blue can of spray paint. 3 rolls of colored duct tape. 1 exacto craft knife. 1 hot glue gun and LOTS of hot glue. Craft paints and paintbrushes. 1 empty breadcrumbs container. 1 round container from craft store.  Lots of thinking of designs in my head when I should have been sleeping.  All this helped create a Thomas costume for Blake.  Well, that and quite a few evenings after the kids were in bed!

B couldn't wait to try on his costume.  The minute it was on he had a huge smile and took Thomas for a spin around the house.

I am so excited by the finished product!  B was too!!  Now, my only dilemma is fixing the straps that hold it up.  Thomas' face is a little heavy so he takes nose dives unless Blake holds on.  Thankfully there are a couple weeks before Halloween!

And I can't forget to post a picture of C in her 2010 costume.  B wore this on his first Halloween and I figured it could get one more use.  To make the purple monster more 'girlie' I added a few bows.  I'm not sure that helps much, but she still looked cute.  C's 2011 costume will require some manual labor from me, but hopefully not too much!

Oven Fried Chicken

Hold on to your hats.  This recipe was so good that the husband planned to take some leftovers to work for lunch.  This never happens. Never.  A good sign, especially because we're both lovers of fried chicken. So the fact that this oven baked 'fried' chicken knocked our socks off? You've gotta try!

I put the chicken legs and thighs in a large ziploc along with the buttermilk and seasonings.  I let it all soak for 24hrs. 

A bowl of bread crumbs and cheese for coating.

A picture of a finished thigh.  The pieces were all incredibly moist with a great outer crunchy layer.

Chicken legs turned out crisp and ready for little hands.

And guess what? I can't find the recipe.  I can't even remember where I found the recipe!  Hang in there... I'll figure it out and get that recipe posted!

Fried Green Tomatoes with Buttermilk Sauce

The tomatoes are going crazy!  I've slowly been trimming back the unnecessary branches on both the plants and hoping more of my giant green beauties will start to blush.

Our four butternut squash are slowly growing.  I'm keeping a constant eye on these guys, making sure no slugs eat them up!

And in the spirit of tomatoes, very green tomatoes that broke off the plants, I'm making fried green tomatoes for dinner.

Some parmesan, paprika, and panko crumbs for coating the slices.

Hot oil in a pan for frying (I don't have a deep fryer...sigh...).

The finished product looked nice and tanned.  And with the buttermilk dressing?  Ah-mazing.  And this is coming from a gal who would rather eat dirt than a tomato.

Fried Green Tomatoes with Buttermilk Sauce, courtesy of the Neelys

Oil

4 green tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch rings
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp garlic powder
4 eggs
2 Tbsp milk
1 1/2 c. panko bread crumbs
Pinch cayenne pepper
Pinch paprika
Buttermilk Dipping Sauce, recipe follows

In a deep-fryer, preheat oil to 350 degrees F.  Season tomatoes, on both sides, with salt and pepper. Place flour and garlic powder in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, beat eggs with the milk. In another dish, mix bread crumbs with cayenne and paprika. Dredge tomatoes through the flour, then the eggs, and then through the bread crumbs. Add only a few pieces to the fryer at a time, so they can cook evenly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve with Buttermilk Dipping Sauce:

Buttermilk Dipping Sauce:
1 c. apple cider
1 Tbsp brown sugar
3/4 c. buttermilk
3/4 c. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp BBQ sauce
1 lime, juiced
4 scallions, sliced thin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the apple cider and brown sugar. Allow to reduce until thick and syrupy. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a medium bowl, add buttermilk, mayonnaise, BBQ sauce and lime juice and whisk well. Add in the scallions and the apple cider mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve with Fried Green Tomatoes.

Going OTT

I'll admit it.  Sometimes I can go a little OTT... otherwise known as Over The Top.  When it came to my sister-in-law's baby shower tonight, I definitely went OTT.  But I couldn't resist.  We're celebrating one cute lil' babe and her momma!  I made onesie and bottle sugar cookies as well as brownie bites covered in chocolate ganache.

I went with girly colors for the cookies.  Purple...

Pink....

And green...

I had some remaining dough and decided to do baby Graecyn's initials...

I topped the cute little brownie bites with ganache and pink frosting hearts.

And the cookies were ready to go!

I decorated the brownie stand with a hydrangea bloom and lemon thyme from the yard.

It's time to celebrate!

These little party goers look pleased as punch with their purple onesie cookies.

A perfect ending to a perfect shower.

For my cookie and frosting recipe, click here.
For my brownie recipe, click here. And yes, you'll see I made these same brownie bites as one of the desserts for my sister-in-law before baby G was born.  They're that good and that simple to make!

Bread & Butter Pickles

I wasn't sure when to pick my cucumbers from the garden, or what to do with them.  I picked four humongous cucumbers and researched bread and butter pickles.  My grandma-in-law had promised to teach us her recipe for these, but she had to cancel at the last minute.  With four huge cukes (and I mean HUGE) and a fear of them spoiling, I had to venture on my own.

I found two very similar recipes.  One from Smitten Kitchen and the other from Cooks Illustrated.  I stuck with the SK version for my first adventure in pickling and loved the result.

Sliced onion and cucumbers ready for a couple hour long salt and ice bath.

After draining off the melted ice and adding the pickling juices, the project was complete!

It only takes a few hours for the pickling flavor to set in, and these should last a few weeks in the fridge.  I sure hope my neighbors like bread and butter pickles because there are even more cukes waiting to be picked in the garden!

Bread & Butter Pickles, courtesy of Smitten Kitchen

Makes 4 cups of pickles, filling a 1-quart jar

1 lb cucumbers, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/4 c. Diamond Kosher salt (I used regular kosher salt and a little less than 1/4c.)
1/2 to 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 c. distilled white vinegar
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 Tbsp mustard seeds
1 Tbsp coriander seeds (if ground, use 1 teaspoon)
1/4 tsp celery seed

In a medium bowl, combine the cucumbers, onion and salt. Mix well. Cover the mixture with ice. Let stand at room temperature for two hours. In a pot, bring sugar, vinegar and spices to a boil. Drain cucumbers and onions. Add to vinegar mixture and bring almost back to a boil. Remove from heat and cool. You can store the pickles in an airtight container for up to three weeks in the fridge. They will begin tasting pickled in just a couple hours.

*I had to double the recipe due to my cucumbers. 

Garden Update - 4

Wow... the tomatoes and pumpkins are grow'n!  (I used my huge phone for size comparison)

Blackberry Cobbler

We had some friends over for dinner tonight and I made a blackberry crumble.  Our freezer is stocked with berries from our neighborhood and cabin, so I scoured the internet for a good looking recipe.  Unfortunately, there are no photos.  Don't complain... there was no way we were going to miss out on eating this cobbler while it was warm. 

This dessert turned out great.  I served it with some fresh whipped whip cream and vanilla bean ice cream.  The kids couldn't scarf it down fast enough (same with the adults!).

Click here for the recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker, and here is a photo from Betty...