Six o'clock dinner and dusty TV trays...

Well, she's gone.  My eldest child has left for college 2500 miles away.  It has been an emotional week.
I have reflected over the past month about things I could have, or should have, done differently with regard to raising her.  There are things which I regret.  I have shed some tears over a few things I messed up on.  And there are things which I know I did right.  One of those is family dinner.


This was my rule: we sit down as a family every night for dinner, around the table.  We talk about our day, discuss our upcoming week and connect.  I expected everyone to be there; most of the time, they were.  Of course there was always soccer season, or Tae Kwon Do, or night classes.  We sometimes had to switch around.  But I knew that at least for those few moments each day, we would all be together.  I cherish that time.  The TV trays never got used.  In fact they're so dusty, I should just get rid of them, lol.  The empty chair at the table doesn't make me quite as sad because I have those six o'clock dinner memories.


During times when we had a baby, we enjoyed watching the little one try new foods and give those priceless expressions.  Everyone took turns with the toddlers, trying to get them to try whatever green vegetable they were refusing.  We laughed, we told stories, we had seconds and thirds.  We watched as K would build these intracate dioramas made from mashed potatoes and whatever else we were having.  They were truly works of art!  Roo, my other daughter, would take great pains to make sure her food didn't touch each other.  My son Bear (obviously these are nicknames) has a thing for germs.  This seemed to always come up at dinner, when one of the little kids would try to drink from his cup.  I think they were just messing with him.  *smiles*


I know that having dinner together every night as a family can be a complicated, choreographed dance at times, with everyone's schedule to consider.  But having just raised a child to adulthood, we need those dinners.  We need that time.  We need the comfort coming together and breaking bread can bring.  Don't be too busy.  Be available.  Make family dinner a priority; you won't regret it.


I love you K.

Baked Coconut Shrimp

Last night, I was working out at the gym pretty late. The television on the Stairclimber I was panting on showed a commercial for Red Lobster's Coconut Shrimp. I started thinking about where the closest RL was, how I could make my post workout-window, and how soon I could get out of there with an adequate amount of calories burned. Then I had a crazy thought: Why don't I go home and make Coconut Shrimp myself?

I stopped by Safeway and picked up some prawns and buttermilk. Why buttermilk? No clue. I just thought it might be good to dip the shrimp in buttermilk followed by coconut. It was PERFECT.

I chose to bake, instead of deep fry like traditional Coconut Shrimp. I try to oven-bake instead of deep-fry when I can for a healthier choice. I couldn't tell the difference – delicious!

Baked Coconut Shrimp

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used 19/26 size)

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 cups flaked sweetened coconut

½ cup low-fat buttermilk

Dry shrimp with paper towels.  Combine cornstarch, salt and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Place buttermilk in a second bowl, followed by flaked coconut in a third bowl. One at a time, dip shrimp (by the tail) into the dry ingredients, then the buttermilk, and finally the coconut. Liberally apply the coconut! Place on a baking sheet lightly oiled or covered with parchment paper. Lightly spray tops of shrimp with cooking oil. Bake for 8 minutes at 400 degrees. Turn over shrimp and reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 8 minutes or until shrimp is bright pink and coconut is browned.

Serving Our Friends and Neighbors

Isn't this picture the sweetest???!!!

I am blessed to have the opportunity on occasion to bring dinners to friends or family who are in need of a little help.  It's my chance to give back, as I've been fortunate to have meals delivered to my family when I've just delivered a baby or been ill.  It's always greatly appreciated and I love reciprocating.  With that stated, sometimes the opportunity comes up at the last minute and it's hard to know what to prepare.  The solution is to have a couple dinners ready to go in your freezer.  Arroz Con Pollo is an easy one make ahead.  My version uses boneless, skinless chicken breasts rather than the traditional whole fryer.  It is a complete kid-friendly meal in one 9x13.  Make two, side-by-side, with the second in a disposable 9x13 tin deep dish.  Freeze for up to three months.  Oh, be sure to include directions; spoken from experience!  


P.S.  I'm going to post some new yummy breakfast crepes I'm creating (for K, my Nutella fan) very soon!  

Arroz Con Pollo

Layer these ingredients in order:

• 1 ¼ cups long grain rice
• 1 fifteen oz can black beans, drained
• 1 fifteen oz can whole kernel corn, drained
• 6 boneless-skinless chicken breasts
• ½ cup diced red pepper
• ½ cup chopped green onion

Mix these ingredients together and pour over:

• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp chicken soup base
• 2 TB tomato paste
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 ½ cups water (this cooks the rice while baking)

Top with 1 cup grated cheddar cheese.

Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes (check after one hour). Uncover and bake for five minutes.

To Die For Fettuccine Alfredo

I make my Fettuccine Alfredo a couple times a year. Many people swear off cream sauces. My take: If you are a healthy person who eats a variety of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and smart carbs; if you exercise regularly; if you don't indulge in “treats” every day... then go ahead and enjoy! Alfredo sauce ranks right up there with cheesecake for me. I have modified this recipe to achieve what I enjoy at Olive Garden. It's an occasional treat and I love it – so much that I made it tonight. :)

Julie's Restaurant Style Fettuccine Alfredo

16 oz Fettuccine noodles, dry

¾ cup butter

1 pint heavy cream

3 ½ cups shredded hard Italian cheeses (Parmigiano Reggiano, Asiago, Romano, Fontina, ect)

Pinch of nutmeg

Salt and Pepper to taste

Parsley and shredded Parmesan for garnish

Minced fresh garlic (optional)

In a large saucepan, melt butter into cream over low heat. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and garlic. Stir in cheese, one cup at a time, until melted. Be sure to stir frequently! This will thicken the sauce. While cheeses are melting, bring a large pot of salted water to rapid boil. Add pasta and cook to al dente; drain. When sauce is thickened and cheese is melted, transfer to a 9 x 13 glass pan. Add noodles to sauce and toss to coat. Garnish with parsley and parmesan. Makes eight servings. I sometimes add grilled chicken and steamed broccoli.

Dining like it's Summer!

As I type this, it is pouring down rain outside. In July. Where I live, the summer is brief and just when we get used to the scattered warmth, it's gone! I was meant to be a California girl.

This is one reason why I like to prepare dinners on these rainy days which remind me of picnics, barbecues and summer get-togethers. My friend Jill shared this recipe (I think it's from Picky Palate) and I've made it quite a few times. When paired with corn-on-the-cob, baked beans and watermelon, it's as though summer really is here...

This recipe calls for just two large chicken breasts to feed six people, and it does! I double the honey in the barbecue sauce because I like extra honey. My kids actually like this cole slaw because there is no vinegar in it. It's very mild and great with the BBQ chicken.  You haven't really lived until you've put cole slaw on a slider!

Shredded BBQ Chicken Sliders With Creamy Cole Slaw

Homemade BBQ Sauce

1 ½ cups ketchup

3 TB dijon mustard

4 TB Worcestershire sauce

2 TB apple cider vinegar

1 ½ TB lemon juice

4 TB brown sugar

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp honey

pinch of salt

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

Combine all ingredients for BBQ sauce (I never make anything unless I have ALL the ingredients) into a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and stir in shredded chicken. Let simmer.

Creamy Coleslaw

16 oz bag of coleslaw mix

½ cup mayonnaise

2 TB sugar

1 TB dijon mustard

1 tsp honey

12 whole wheat dinner rolls

Place cabbage into a bowl. Combine the mayo, sugar, mustard and honey into a separate bowl and mix together. Pour and stir into cabbage until well combined. I like to refrigerate for 30 minutes and stir again.

Try these!  Soooooo good.

To assemble sliders, spoon BBQ chicken onto bottom rolls. Top with a spoonful of coleslaw then close with top rolls. Enjoy!

Caribbean Quesadillas

Cuisine from the Caribbean is fun and easy to make. Caribbean food is usually enhanced by spices that we normally associate with baking: nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, ginger, allspice and thyme. Probably the most common recipe that Westerners enjoy is Jamaican Jerk Chicken. I have prepared this and my kids do not like the spicy chiles which are essential to good jerk chicken. I have adapted a yummy recipe for Caribbean Quesadillas which has become a family favorite. The secret is the pumpkin pie spice. My eleven year old son can't believe that there isn't meat in these! Of course, to satisfy a carnivore (aka teenage child), you can always add chicken.

Caribbean Quesadillas

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons oil

2 cans (15 oz) black beans, drained

½ cup chicken broth

12 flour tortillas (I like the Gordita-thick style)

1 ½ cups Monterey Jack cheese

1 can green chiles (4 or 7 oz depending on how spicy you prefer)

sour cream, salsa, pico de gallo, lime, guacamole and/or whatever you like with quesadillas

1. Place your sweet potatoes in a microwave safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 5 minutes or until tender.
   
   
2. In large skillet, saute onion, garlic and pumpkin pie spice in oil until the onion is tender. Stir in the broth, black beans and green chiles. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 3 minutes or until thickened. Stir in sweet potatoes. The ingredients will mash together slightly, and that's fine.
   
   
3. Cook until heated through. Spoon mixture onto one side of tortilla and top with ¼ cup of cheese. Top with remaining tortilla. Cook on a griddle over low heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until cheese is melted. Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream and other toppings.

What happened to my generation?

I don't know why the girls of Generation X, my generation, quit cooking.  For the most part, their mothers cooked and baked.  I remember walking into my home after school to the beautiful site of my mother baking cookies or preparing dinner.  It was never a frozen lasagna; it was something homemade.  It was comforting.


I remember the first time I saw "Uncrustables" in the store.  These are processed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, frozen for your convenience.  I couldn't believe it.  How hard is it to make a PB and J?  I thought of my kids and the homemade freezer jam I make with blackberries and raspberries that we pick in the summer months.  I know women are busier than ever, but I feel this is important.  I think this is especially important if you have male children.  YOU are the first woman of importance in their life.  


I didn't always feel this way.  No... I remember when I was first married.  My poor young husband had to endure a wife who didn't know how to make eggs, or pasta or even bake potatoes.  But I made an effort to learn because I felt it instinctively; as though I was born to do this.  I started out with a few basic recipes, which I followed EXACTLY.  I even put my ingredients pre-measured in bowls, just like on the cooking shows!  Eventually, I became less militant and more confident.  Now I can make pretty much anything.


When we cook for our families, we show them how much we love them.  We are caring for their physical well-being.  Our grandmothers knew this secret!  Women used to gather and prepare large meals together.  They took pride in their craft.  Interesting to note that our grandmothers used to put their pies on the windowsill to cool; their granddaughters place pies on the windowsill to thaw.  


Let's change this!  Whether you work outside or inside the home, cooking is an art form that can be easily mastered with effort and desire.  The acknowledged result (otherwise known as "Mom, can I have seconds?") will be well worth it.  Trust me ladies!


With love,


Julie