Happy Halloween!

I love carving pumpkins!  Enough said.

Red Velvet Heaven

Tonight we hosted the extended family for a fun get together. It was fun seeing everyone outside of our usual holiday gathering schedule and take one last dip in the pool!

Blake proves you don't need a hula hoop to hula. You just need a disc frisbee! (notice his burnt orange UT Longhorns shirt fresh from Austin)

Some of the boys in the pool: Craig, Tony, Mark, Scott, Rick.

At last but not least. Dessert! My grandma's famous Red Velvet cake (and my mom's absolute favorite dessert). Topped with cream cheese frosting and a dusting of coconut. I have never baked grandma's Red Velvet cake recipe (she always did!) and could NOT stop eating the crumbs as I was assembling the dessert. Heaven!  I have to admit. I am so enamored with this cake that I'm not sure I can part with the recipe quite yet.  Stay tuned, maybe the next time I make it I won't be so selfish!  To hold you over, here is a link to a similar recipe from one of by Rose Levy Beranbaum's cookbooks.

They don't call it Red Velvet cake for nothing. Velvety, moist cake made bright red with an entire bottle of red food coloring!

Blake was a fan of the cake too!

Just a portion of the fam from tonight: Blake, Tony, Scott (fresh off a 75 mile hike from Stevens to Snoqualmie pass), Sally, me, Vicki.

UW vs. USC

What a game! I don't even know where to begin! Maybe with the fact that UW beat USC!? Amazing energy was running through the stadium and I didn't see one fan leave early. I am so thankful my phone has a camera on it, otherwise I don't think I would believe my eyes... students, fans, athletes all flooding the football field after the final play. We lingered in the stadium for quite some time to watch the celebration!

But what football game is complete without a little tailgating?  Today we (we meaning not pregnant me) enjoyed 'gold' Jell-O shots, purple and gold Bud Light (that I bought 4 cases of while very pregnant - and received many stares), Dump Soup, and the never to disappoint Monster Cookies!

I'm most proud of my budget centerpiece.  The vase is an empty Quaker Oatmeal container covered with one long piece of ribbon continuously wrapped around the canister and glue-gunned along the way.  I bought some purple craft foam for the 'W', and some hydrangeas.  Not only is it a festive vessel, but you can use it to store tailgate supplies if you keep the lid!  Gotta love Michael's craft stores and their 40% off coupons!

Want to make some Monster Cookies of your own?  Here is the coveted recipe.  They are so good, I'm warning you.  They freeze exceptionally well.  Just make the dough, roll in to balls and freeze. This way you can take as many cookies out as you need, or just make a few at a time like Tony and I do.  A few meaning a minimum of three each! :)  Let frozen balls thaw while oven warms up and cook for 9-12 minutes depending on size. 

Monster Cookies

2 sticks butter
2 c. white sugar
2 c. brown sugar
2 c. peanut butter (smooth only)
6 eggs
2 tbsp. vanilla
4 tsp. baking soda
3 c. quick cooking oatmeal

Mix in order given using mixer. Transfer batter to large container and add the following:
6 more c. quick cooking oatmeal
2 c. Nestle chocolate chips
2 c. nuts (optional - I never add them!)
1 med. bag M & M's - these can either be included in the batter or used on top

Mix until well blended. Form cookies (use large mixing spoon for monster size). Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes 10 to 12 dozen cookies.

*Note - I realize quite a few people have peanut allergies. Unfortunately, this is a recipe that must include the peanut butter. I have done research to find a good substitute, but alas, PB is where the cookies get their punch.

Dawg Saturday!

Today is the first Husky game of the season! YES! There are so many things to do for a husky home game... make the always important Jell-O shots (yes, prego and making shots...), wear purple and gold all day (had to buy a purple long-sleeved and warm shirt from maternity store last minute due to weather), and head to the stadium to get the festivities started!

We had planned to host our usual tailgate, but pregnancy got the better of me.  So instead I packed up my tasty Jell-O shots and we headed to our friend's tailgate party.  The Jell-O orange wedge shots were a hit, especially with the LSU fans that traveled up from Baton Rouge. Yes, I was friendly and shared... with just a few.

I've been asked by many people how to make these orange slice 'shots'.  The answer is quite simple if you put a little thought in to it. So, I'm going to be mean and let you figure it out on your own. Really, its not hard!  And, what a fun treat (of the non-alcoholic kind) to make if you need to bring snacks to school or kid-friendly party!  Use grapefruits, lemons, limes... basically any type of fruit with a tough skin!

Beer Can Chicken

Tonight Tony made beer can chicken on our smoker. After two hours of slowly cooking and making us hungry from the fantastic smells, the chicken was done. What an amazing meal! The chicken was so moist and smokey, some Parmesan and zucchini risotto on the side and a dessert of home made peach cobbler. Heaven.

While you don't need the 'fancy' (I put that in quotations since our 'fancy' beer holder cost $5), it does help to keep the chicken upright.  Sometimes a can of beer alone isn't enough weight for a big bird.  We have the Bayou Classic ChickCan holder.  These can be found at hardware stores and outdoor recreation stores.

As a side, you don't have to use beer. You can use wine or chicken broth with seasonings.  You also don't need to use a can.  A good 'ole traditional Mason jar works just as well.

Here is my mom's recipe for Zesty Zucchini:

Zesty Zucchini

Rice:
1 ¼ c. rice
1 tsp salt
2 ½ c. water
Cook rice until done, according to instructions on the package.

2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
3 tomatoes, sliced
18 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
Grease 13x9 baking pan. Spread rice over the bottom. Layer on top, zucchini, half the cheese, then tomatoes.

In a separate bowl mix:
2 c. sour cream
1 Tbsp parsley flakes
2 Tbsp green pepper, diced
2 Tbsp green onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Pour over the casserole, and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Blackberry Pie

Tonight we had our friends Cam, Anne and baby Savi and Nick, Steph and little Matt who just turned 1 year old over for dinner. It was so much fun that I forgot to take a picture of the kiddos! Blake had fun sharing his toys with Matthew, and Savi enjoyed lounging in her parents' laps. Steph and Anne both brought amazing dishes that we paired with my all time favorite turkey burger recipe. To finish off the meal we enjoyed fresh made blackberry pie with the berries from the cabin and vanilla ice cream. Yum!

Now here is where I become my grandma.  I don't really have a recipe for the pie, I just learned the end flavor I want to create by watchin her make this pie with freshly picked blackberries from the cabin.  So here are the basics, but add more/less depending on taste...

Blackberry Pie

4 c. fresh blackberries

1-3 Tbsp flour (depends on how juicy they are - more juice, more flour)
1 c. sugar (more or less depending on how sweet/ripe the berries are)
1 Tbsp lemon juice (you can also add a bit of zest for a citrusy hint)
1 Tbsp butter
2 discs of rolled pie dough

Line pie pan with one rolled pie dough. Gently combine blackberries, flour, sugar and lemon juice and pour into pie shell.  Top with chunks of butter and cover with second pie dough.  Cut little steam vents on top pie crust. Bake in 425 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 and back for another 30 or so minutes.  Basically, you want the top crust nice and browned.

Fruit Fly Trap

Today I carried on the tradition of picking blackberries at the cabin. My grandma had this down to a science but still came back with the usual scrapes, thorns and blackberry juice stains. I used her tricks and picked about 10 or 11 cups of wild blackberries just from our property, so ripe they fell off the vine.

At the end of the day we had an infestation of fruit flies. They probably followed me in from the blackberry patch, but who knows. Anyways, had to use the old vinegar trick (again, grandma would be so proud), and wanted to share this on the blog for anyone with fruit fly issues...

Pour apple cider vinegar in to a small bowl. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and poke a few small holes in top. Make them so flies can get in but they can't easily escape. The smell of the apple vinegar will drive flies nuts and you'll be amazed at how many you'll catch!