Jello Shots - UW vs Hawaii

For the second game of the season, I was attending a Hawaiian themed tailgate hosted by my friend Allison.  I decided to go all out, and create two different kinds of jello shots because I don't make it over to Allison's tailgate very often!

First up?  A purple and gold mosaic made with both vanilla and whipped cream vodkas.  The white portion?  A little bit of plain gelatin mixed with watered down condensed, sweetened milk.  Sounds gross but it adds a nice flavor!

Second batch was following the tropical theme... fresh orange and pineapple juices mixed with whipped cream vodka.  Kind of a tropical creamsicle shot.

I added a little extra gelatin to today's shots due to the 90 degree weather.  Fortunately, the little guys survived just perfectly in the shade! 

The hostess and I before the big UW win!

Other highlights from the tropical tailgate?  Mini mai tais served in small sipping cups and garnished with pineapple and peach slices and POGka cocktails (POG/vodka). I'm sure there was some good food too...

Lunchables

I've made B's lunch every day since he started going to daycare at just 22 months.  The first daycare was small and the teachers would heat up foods if necessary, so I was able to send just about anything for lunch.  It was great!  Then he moved on to a fancier school setting and every snack/meal was provided!  It was a great five months of allowing someone else to make lunch, and there was a big variety of foods served.

Then... we moved up to what B calls his 'real school'.  This is where he has gone since last fall and will continue through fifth grade.  Wow.  But, this is where the challenge comes in.  Packing a lunch for a now four year old is tricky.  Blake will eat just about any type of food, but lunch items are tough. He isn't a huge sandwich guy aside from soynut butter and jam or banana (no PB allowed...), so lunches are super boring. 

The highlight of his year was when I let him take a store bought lunchable to school.  I was repulsed by the lack of health in this meal, so I have started making 'homemade lunchables'.  Everything goes in to a tupperware and includes crackers, cheese, lunch meat, a fruit, a vegetable, and usually some sort of treat (which I don't include on non-lunchable days...).

We have a cool thermos arriving any day now that is basically an insulated soup bowl with screw on lid (no need to pour contents in to another cup or bowl), which will finally allow for soups, pastas, or even teriyaki chicken and rice!  B and I are both so excited.  Do not ask me why I didn't think of this two years ago...

This is what I bought in case you're wondering.

Do you have any great kid lunch ideas? I always try to include a main food item, fruit, vegetable (when possible), milk and sometimes something crunchy like goldfish crackers or mini pretzels.  Email me and I'd be happy to share!

Garden Update - 3

Things are starting to really take off in the garden!

Four butternut squashes, so far!

Four huge cucumbers, and quite a few more left to plump up.

Petite, 3' tall sunflowers lining the stairs to our garden area.

Both tomato plants have now topped the 7-8' mark.  They're so heavy with (green) tomatoes that one of the plants has broken the support rods!

Two pumpkins, both about the size of basketballs, and a few more starting to show.

Pasta Pomodoro and Veggie Update

Today we're at the cabin and I used a bunch of tomatoes fresh from the garden to make a basic pomodoro sauce. 

All you need are some tomatoes, garlic, and basil.  Toss in some pasta and sprinkle with some grated cheese, and you're ready to eat!  Thanks to the Seattle Times for featuring this recipe earlier in the week.  Click HERE to view.

Speaking of fresh from the garden.  This morning I picked three ears of corn from our yard!  I can't wait to eat these while we're at the cabin.  I've heard nothing beats home grown corn, so I'm excited.

Crab Towers with Avocado and Gazpacho Salsas... and Peach Pie!

Take an overwhelming amount of fresh cracked crab.  Add some chopped veggies and a bit of sauce, and you've got one heck of a dinner.  Of course, presenting the meal in tower form kicks up your meal to the four star level.  Fortunately, you don't need training at Le Cordon Bleu to make this creation.  Just a sharp knife and a steady hand for the tower building.

The recipe makes six servings.  There were only two of us (and a kiddo that took a few bites).  We both had seconds and there were still a good amount of leftovers.  Darn.  

This recipe comes from Cooks Illustrated, my all-time favorite place to visit for the best recipes and tips.  This dinner will definitely be made again, but potentially not until crabbing season opens again. Bummer! 

Crab Towers with Avocado and Gazpacho Salsas, courtesy of Cooks Illustrated

Crabmeat Salad

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp champagne vinegar
1 tsp grated lemon zest or minced
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
12 oz lump crabmeat, carefully picked over for shell fragments


Gazpacho Salsa
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/8" pieces (about 1/2 c)
1/2 small cucumber, peeled if desired, seeded, and cut into 1/8" pieces (about 1/2 c)
1 medium plum tomato, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/8" pieces (about 1/2 c)
1small rib celery, cut into 1/8" pieces (about 1/2 c)
1/2 small red onion, minced (about 1/4 c)
1/2 small jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro leaves
3/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp sherry vinegar

Avocado Salsa
3 avocados (ripe), cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp lime juice from 1 lime

Garnish
1cup frisée
2 oranges, peeled using a paring knife and segmented

For the Crabmeat Salad:
Whisk the olive oil, champagne vinegar, lemon zest, mustard, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Measure 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette into a medium bowl and mix with the mayonnaise. Add the crabmeat to the mayonnaise mixture and toss to coat.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. Set the remaining vinaigrette aside.

For the Gazpacho Salsa:
Toss the yellow bell pepper, cucumber, tomato, celery, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, salt, pepper, olive oil, and sherry vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside.

For the Avocado Salsa:
Toss the avocado, coriander, salt, pepper, and lime juice in a medium bowl and set aside.

To assemble:
Place a 3-inch-wide round biscuit cutter in the center of an individual plate. Use a slotted spoon to press 1/3 cup of the Avocado Salsa into the bottom of the cutter using the back of a soup spoon. Lift the cutter off the plate slightly to reveal some but not all of the avocado. Holding the cutter aloft, press 1/3 cup of the Crabmeat Salad evenly into the cutter on top of the avocado. Lift the cutter farther to reveal some but not all of the crab salad. Holding the cutter aloft, use a slotted spoon to press 1/3 cup of the Gazpacho Salsa evenly into the cutter on top of the crab. Gently lift the cutter up and away from the plate to reveal the crab tower. Repeat the procedure five more times with the remaining ingredients.

Dress the frisée with the remaining champagne vinaigrette. Place a few sprigs of the dressed frisée on top of each crab tower and arrange the orange segments, if using, around the towers. Serve immediately and prepare to be blown away.

I also made a peach pie for dessert, and used the extra filling and crust to make mini jar pies for the concert we're attending tomorrow night at Chateau Ste Michelle.  These will be a perfect dessert to our picnic!

Crab Cakes

After six more crabs were brought home on Thursday evening, it was time to make some tasty crab cakes.  I turned to the queen of butter for her highly rated crab cake recipe.  Paula Deen may use excessive amounts of fats in her cooking, but this recipe had very little 'bad' stuff and used Ritz crackers instead of breadcrumbs.  I had to give it a shot!

The only downside to her recipe is that there is no directions for a sauce.  After some research, I pureed a couple jarred red bell peppers, mixed with salt, pepper, and some mayo.  Yum! 

If you're a fan of crab and love crab cakes, give this recipe a shot!

Focaccia Bread

My mom's kitchen and floors are under a major remodel.  Meaning no real kitchen and all furniture packing in a couple rooms.  Since late May.  Upside?  Her contractor brings her his fresh, homemade focaccia bread and his wife's favorite soup.  He shared the focaccia bread recipe with us and I couldn't wait to try it.  Mike (the contractor) prefers topping his focaccia with jalepenos and cheddar, but I went with my favorite toppings... sea salt and chopped fresh rosemary.

Add the ingredients and let your mixer do the work for about five minutes.

After a quick knead, let the dough rise.  I let it rise for at least an hour in a warm spot.  I put mine in the oven (it was off!) for almost 2 hours.  It was huge when I took it out.  (before pic below)

After spreading the dough out on the cookie sheet, it rises once again. Don't forget to poke the dough with your fingers for the traditional look!  I let it rise for another 2 hours and it was ready for a sprinkling of sea salt and rosemary. 

My bread only took about 18 minutes to bake, so keep a close eye on your oven and set the timer for 15 minutes just to check on the progress.

When I say this bread is amazing, I mean it.  We couldn't wait for it to cool.  Within five minutes of the focaccia being out of the oven we had eaten almost a third of the pan.  This is a must try, and really, its fairy basic.  You just need to have time to let the dough rise.... do some laundry, catch up on reality television, or play outside!

Focaccia, courtesy of Anne Burrell
1 3/4 c. warm water
1 package active dry yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
5 c. all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading
1 Tbsp kosher salt, plus coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
1 c.extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Combine the warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Put the bowl in a warm, not hot or cool, place until the yeast is bubbling and aromatic, at least 15 minutes.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, 1/2 cup olive oil and the yeast mixture on low speed. Once the dough has come together, continue to knead for 5 to 6 minutes on a medium speed until it becomes smooth and soft. Give it a sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky.

Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface, then knead it by hand 1 or 2 times. Again, give it another sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky.

Coat the inside of the mixer bowl lightly with olive oil and return the dough to the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, at least 1 hour.

Coat a jelly roll pan with the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. (Chef's Note: This may seem excessive, but focaccia is an oily crusted bread).

Put the dough onto the jelly roll pan and begin pressing it out to fit the size of the pan. Turn the dough over to coat the other side with the olive oil. Continue to stretch the dough to fit the pan. As you are doing so, spread your fingers out and make finger holes all the way through the dough. (Chef's Note: Yes, this is strange. But when the dough rises again it will create the characteristic craggy looking focaccia. If you do not make the actual holes in the dough, the finished product will be very smooth.)

Put the dough in the warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising a second time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Liberally sprinkle the top of the focaccia with some coarse sea salt and lightly drizzle a little oil on top. Bake the dough until the top of the loaf is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the focaccia from the oven and let it cool before cutting and serving.