Lots of Kids- Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread

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We are on day 6 with the 5 kids, and I can’t believe how smoothly it is going.  Don’t get me wrong, I am exhausted, but so far, they are all alive, do not seem sleep deprived or malnourished and in general are pretty happy.  I could totally handle this every day- no, no I could not.  Last night, because of everyone’s crazy schedule, was the first night that the seven of us all had dinner together at the same time.  Spaghetti and meatballs was definitely the easiest thing to feed that many mouths, and I made cheesy garlic bread and green beans to go along with it.  The garlic bread was a hit.  I got to “take and bake” loaves of french bread from the grocery store, mashed up some garlic, added some butter and mozzarella cheese and they devoured it.  I felt like the best cook in the world.  Cheese makes everything better!

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Ingredients:

French bread

4-5 cloves of garlic minced

butter

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Slice the French bread length wise and unfold like a book.  Butter both sides and spread the minced garlic.  Add mozzarella cheese on top and bake at 350 until cheese is melted.

Lots of Kids Might Mean Breakfast for Dinner

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Tomorrow morning our good friends and neighbors are heading out of town for 11 days.  Last week their babysitter had to cancel, so we are going to take their 4 children while they are gone.  I love these kids- ages 3,5,9 and 11 (and of course add Walker in who is 10).  They are exceptionally well behaved and the older two boys are completely independent and Walker’s best friends- so Walker is beyond excited.  The girls- ages 3 and 5 are super adorable and sweet.  All that being said, I am slightly nervous about all of a sudden having 5 children to feed and well, let’s be honest, keep alive.  Corby is just a touch more than a little nervous and is currently wondering what we were thinking when we offered.  Fortunately, my neighbor has cooked up a storm and left menus and lunches and snacks and pretty much everything we could need, so I really think this will be a lot of fun and quite an adventure for us.  I am most nervous about doing the girl’s hair- especially for ballet.  In researching things that could be fun for all of us to do and fun for all of us to eat, I came across this recipe for Grilled Ham and Cheese Waffle Sandwiches- or breakfast for dinner.  It looks great and will be a fun treat for the kiddos.  I will keep you posted of how it all goes!

Grilled Ham and Cheese Waffle Sandwiches

Ingredients:

8 frozen toaster waffles
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional)
1/2 pound sliced deli ham
1/4 pound Cheddar, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:

Place 4 of the waffles on a work surface. Spread one side of each with the mustard (if using). Top with the ham, cheese, and the remaining waffles. Spread the top of each sandwich with 1/2 tablespoon of the butter. Melt the remaining butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place the sandwiches in the skillet, buttered-side up. Cook, pressing occasionally with the back of a spatula, until the cheese melts and the waffles are golden, 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Great New Cookbook- 25 Quick & Easy Gluten Free Desserts

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gluten free recipesI feel very fortunate to be able to eat wheat or flour or whatever it is that causes people Celiac disease, and  I have not had much experience with eating or cooking gluten free.  However, after spending some time with friends who suffer from Celiac disease, I thought I should add some gluten free recipes to the repertoire.  I got this fantastic on-line cookbook for my Kindle, and it is perfect for when I need a sweet treat that I know is delicious and everyone can eat!  The almond butter cookies are my favorite.  Here is the to get it for yourself- definitely a great addition to your cookbook library- http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Gluten-Desserts-Holidays-Foolproof-ebook/dp/B00HHKS6JI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390780124&sr=8-1&keywords=foolproof+cook.

Strawberry Shooters- A Shot to Enjoy

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As this is a baking blog, I am not sure if I have mentioned my preferences in alcohol.  I like beer.  Light beer.  Ultra-light beer.  That’s about it.  I will occasionally drink red wine and perhaps a glass of champagne, but I have never enjoyed liquor.  I, of course, tried shots of liquor in college when that seemed like a fun thing to do, but now on the very rare occasion that I am offered a shot of something, I generally turn it down because I do not like the taste of liquor at all.  This little strawberry recipe however, I can get involved with, and it is a really cute idea for a Valentine’s Day cocktail party treat.

Strawberry Shooters

Ingredients:

1 bottle amaretto liquor

1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and cored

Reddi-whip, Coolwhip, fresh whip cream (your choice)

Directions:

Pour amaretto liqueur into each strawberry and top with whipped cream. Eat the strawberry whole to avoid a mess and enjoy!!

Callie’s Biscuits and Southern Traditions

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I am so, so, so excited for Callie’s Biscuits and Southern Traditions cookbook to come out on October 15th.  Callie’s is a staple at parties in Charleston, from her amazing biscuits to the delicious pimento cheese- everything she makes is fantastic, and I am thrilled that she is putting out a cookbook!  I am also thrilled that there is a Biscuits and Bourbon after party at Billy Reid, which is just super fun.  Make sure to pre-order yours today!

Golden Photos and Golden Cream Soup

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We spent a glorious day on Saturday with friends on a dock.  The light at the end of the day was so beautiful, and watching Walker and his friend jumping in the water and swimming, it really was a golden afternoon.  It reminded me of a soup I had a while ago called Golden Cream Soup- delicious name and even more delicious soup.   As we say goodbye to our last days of summer and welcome in the cooler days, I love having a good stockpile of yummy soup recipes, and this is a great one.

Golden Cream Soup

Ingredients:

3 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup celery, sliced

1/2 cup carrots, peeled and sliced

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1 cup water

1 tsp chicken bouillon granules

1 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

2 tbsp all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups milk 8oz pkg cheese spread, cubed

Directions:

In a large saucepan, combine veggie’s, water, bouillon and seasoning; mix well. Cover; simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes or until veggies are tender.
Place flour in a medium bowl. Gradually add milk, whisking until blended.
Add mixture to soup; cook and stir until thickened. Add cheese and stir until melted.

A Bowl Full of Fall Flavors

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We are taking a house party up to Linville in about a month, and I am so excited for it that I have already started planning the menu.  I was going to have traditional spaghetti sauce, homemade bread, and salad for dinner one night because it is what we always have for house parties in Linville, but I came across a recipe yesterday that looked so intriguing and delicious, that I might have to put aside the spaghetti for once.  The recipe is for BBQ chicken over grits, and what really stopped me was that it called for putting a can of pumpkin in the grits as well as pepper jack cheese.  Wow!  I can not wait to try this!! (the photo is from www.tasteofhome.com)

BBQ Chicken and Grits

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 tsp pepper

14.5 oz can reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided

1 cup hickory smoke-flavored BBQ sauce

1/4 cup molasses

1 tbsp ground ancho chili pepper

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 1/4 cups water

1 cup quick-cooking grits

1 cup canned pumpkin

3/5 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped

6 tbsp sour cream

2 green onions, chopped

2 tbsb minced cilantro

Directions:

Sprinkle the chicken with pepper and place in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of the broth, bbq sauce, molasses, chile pepper and cinnamon and pour over chicken.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the chicken reads 170 degrees.  Shred the meat with two forks and return to skillet.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring the water and remaining broth to a boil.  Slowly stir in the grits and pumpkin.  Reduce the heat and cook, stirring, for 5-7 minutes or until thickened.  Stir in the cheese until melted.

Divide the grits among 6 serving bowls and top each with 1/2 cup chicken mixture.  Serve with tomatoes, sour cream, green onions and cilantro.

Indaco- New Favorite in Charleston

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A new Italian restaurant opened in Charleston a couple of months ago, and I had dinner there yet again last night, and again, it was fabulous!  I was there with some girhttps://thesouthwillrise.com/wp-admin/post-new.phplfriends, and we started out with the butter bean puree, Castelvetrano olives, and the 24-month aged American Iberico prosciutto.  All of it was amazing- especially the prosciutto.  We also had the pork trotters, which is one of my favorites on the menu, and all I can say about them is they are ridiculous.  We were talking with one of the owners who came over to say hello (did I mention how amazing the service is??), and he was saying that it used to be a restaurant needed to specify if it was a Northern Italian or Southern Italian restaurant, but that Indaco didn’t do that.  They just put really good food on the menu.  I really love that sentiment.  Instead of trying to cater to a certain theme, its just really good food.  I mean, really good!  We then had several of the pizzas and the eggplant lasagnette.  The pizzas are to die for, and while I did not think that I enjoyed eggplant, it turns out I do- amazing.  One of the pizzas we had was an eggplant pizza with tomato, ricotta, buffalo mozzarella, and grana padano.  It was truly delicious.  So, here is a recipe I found for easy eggplant pizza, and while it won’t be as good as Indaco (only because I don’t have a wood fire pizza oven- ha) it will tide me over til the next time I find a reason to go to my new favorite place! (The picture is from the Indaco website www.indacocharleston.com of one of the pizzas.)

Eggplant Pizza

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, sliced

1/2 cup pizza sauce

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

2 tsp olive oil for brushing
toppings as needed

Directions:

Slice the eggplant and sprinkle with some salt on each side. Set aside for thirty minutes, then rinse and pat dry. This will take some of the bitterness out of the eggplant, especially if you’re using a larger/older fruit.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Brush each side of the eggplant slices with olive oil, then sprinkle both sides 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper. Place the eggplants on a cooling rack that’s on a baking sheet, and bake until they are softened and a little brown, about six minutes.

Spoon the tomato sauce on the eggplant slices, then add the cheese and toppings.

Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for another five minutes, until the cheese is melted. Go ahead and broil it for a minute if you’d like some extra crispy toppings.

 

 

Sweet Corn

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Does anything say summer more than sweet corn? And a fresh corn salad is about the best thing in the world.  It is a touch warm up in Twilight this week, but that means it has gotten above 80, so really it is not warm at all, it is perfect.  We have done some amazing hikes and are currently anxiously awaiting the arrival of great friends from Charleston who are coming up for a week.  I am dying for them to get here!  Our plan tonight is to porch sit- big surprise, and the picture is of our wonderful porch.  But I have a very delicious corn salad that will go perfectly with grilled burgers.  Yum!

Fresh Corn Salad

Ingredients:
5 ears of corn, shucked
1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves

Directions:

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for 3 minutes until the starchiness is just gone. Drain and immerse it in ice water to stop the cooking and to set the color. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.

Toss the kernels in a large bowl with the red onions, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil. Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature.

More Porch Life

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We have been up in Twilight for just over a week now, and I could not be more relaxed.  It is heaven up here except I don’t think my waistline would be expanding this much in heaven, but other than that, it is pretty perfect.  We have had a great time hiking and swimming, and we celebrated the 125th anniversary of Twilight Park this past weekend with a wonderful parade and a great picnic.  The whole park got so involved dressing up in period costumes, and everyone had a ball.  We have also had some great porch nights with friends, and on one particular evening last week, our friends Rob and Lauren and Rob’s sister Megan and her husband Jay were telling us about their family version of Top Chef.  Megan and Lauren cooked dinner one night and Rob and Jay the next, and Rob and Megan’s parents were supposed to declare a winner.  However being the wonderful parents that they are, they of course could not decide between their two children and called it a tie.  The dinners sounded fabulous, but one dish that Rob and Jay made sounded so unique.  It was an appetizer called and Eggvocado.  Basically, you cut an avocado in half, remove the pit, and put in an egg and cook it.  They all said it was fantastic, and I have yet to try it, but I can’t wait to.  Just another great tidbit picked up sitting on a porch.

Baked Eggvocado

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado
2 eggs
Salt & pepper, to taste
Other seasonings, as desired

Directions:

Cut avocado in half, remove pit, and scoop out a little bit of the avocado flesh to make a hollow big enough to hold an egg. Place avocado halves in a small foil-lined baking dish. Crack an egg into each avocado half (don’t worry if a little bit of the egg white spills over). Sprinkle each egg with salt, pepper, and/or other seasonings, to taste.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes until eggs reach desired doneness. Serve warm.