🔥 Around the Campfire (week 32)

Dear Campers ~

Here's a quick recap of what happened at camp last week in case you missed anything:

Posts ~

8/1: 🔥week 31

8/2: crepe paper garland 2

8/3: tip-sy tuesday: beverage labels

8/4: milk dud cheesecake

8/5: greek broccoli gratin

8/6: avocado hummus

8/7: mimosa and mary bar

As I suspected, this week has been playing catch up after our amazing bachelorette party weekend! Everything went perfectly, the food was good, we had tons of fun, and now I'm tired hahah :) No menu planning this week, I'm still unloading the truck and have no energy to make anything other than bagged salad!

Hope you had a great week! Check back often for more crafts, recipes, and whatever else I can think of to make (or get other people to make) at camp next week. Bye!

Sincerely ~

Jill

camp counselor

Mimosa and 'Mary Bar Banner

Another little project for the bachelorette party last weekend - we had a mimosa and bloody mary bar at brunch on Saturday and I made this simple banner to hang over it. It's easy - just cut small squares out of patterned brown cardstock, then cut notches out of the bottom to make them into banner shapes. Then I punched out letters in a pretty coral color using my Stampin Up Bigshot die cut thing and templates, and glued them on top of the banner squares. My backup thought was I could use sticker letters but I own the letter die cuts so I did it that way. Punch holes on both sides of the squares and string onto twine. 

I also made labels for the bloody mary mixes and mimosa juices using plain brown cardstock and the same coral paper so they coordinated. I cut the words out using my Cricut Joy, rounded the corners, and  laminated them in case of drips or condensation. Punch and hang them around the drink dispensers with the same twine as the banner.

Avocado Hummus

Al made this delicious and pretty avocado hummus for us, and of course I have to share!

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 oz.) can no-salt chickpeas
• 1 ripe avocado, halved and pitted
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 t. ground cumin
• 1/2 t. salt

Directions:

Drain the chickpeas reserving 2 T. of the liquid. Transfer the chickpeas and the reserved liquid to a food processor. Add avocado, cilantro, tahini, oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and salt. Puree until very smooth. Serve with veggie chips, pita chips or crudités. 

Al's note:  For the hummus I used more of the juice from the canned chickpeas To thin it out a little, and topped with more olive oil.  

Greek Broccoli Gratin

I know this sounds weird but I've made it a few times lately and let me tell you - it's so good!! I left out the red pepper, used dried herbs instead of fresh, and substituted green olives for the black, seriously good...we love it!

Note: the red things in the picture below are pimento from the jar of olives, not red pepper. 

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup mayo
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2 T. chopped fresh dill, divided
• 2 T. chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 t. lemon zest
• 6 pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
• 8 cups broccoli florets (cut into 2" pieces)
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 t. extra-virgin olive oil

• 1. Preheat oven to 375'. Lightly coat an 11x7" baking dish with cooking spray

  2. Combine mayo, pepper, yogurt, feta, 1 T. dill, parsley, lemon zest and olives in a large bowl.

  3. Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large pot fitted with a steamer basket. Add broccoli, cover and cook until tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the broccoli to the mayo mixture, stirring to coat. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.

  4. Combine breadcrumbs, oil, and the remaining 1 T. dill in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the broccoli mixture. Bake until the topping is golden brown and crispy, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

  Makes 6 servings. 

  Per Serving:

  273 calories; protein 7g; carbohydrates 11.7g; dietary fiber 3.2g; sugars 3.1g; fat 22.9g;

recipe found at eatingwell

Milk Dud Cheesecake

It's been a couple years since I've made a 'perfect' cheesecake - do you remember how excited I was to learn how to make one that didn't crack on the top and comes out perfect every time? HA - stupid what makes me happy, right? Anyway - I decided to make one for Jeff's birthday dinner last night and top it with chocolate and caramel (he loves milk duds, last year I made an ice cream cake with milk duds not realizing that a frozen milk dud is just about impossible to eat!). This turned out great and everyone raved, I questioned if I should have added anything to the basic cheesecake instead of just putting on the toppings and got a 'no' from everyone - so there you have it, the perfect milk dud cheesecake! I followed the recipe I posted originally in 2018, I'll copy it below so you have it. After it cooled I drizzled warmed chocolate and caramel sauces over top, letting it run down the sides, then piled on chopped milk duds and mini chocolate chips. 

the top got a little brown but I'm showing it anyway to 
prove there are no cracks hahah! It's getting covered with sauce
so doesn't matter that it's browned.

Here's a fun thing I did for drizzling the sauces - after warming them individually in their jars I poured them into plastic jars with a squeeze top (I save my honey bear jars but any squeeze bottle would work), that made it so easy to control where I drizzled the topping. 

Here's my original post titled "Perfect Cheesecake":

You know the saying "do one thing a day that scares you"? Well today my scary thing is making cheesecake. I know, I know - food should not be scary. Bears, scary. Sharks, scary. Spinning blue wheel of death on my MacBook, scary. Instead of scary food let's just say that I find the thought of making cheesecake to be intimidating, anxiety-inducing, and stressful...so when my sis tells me that her co-worker has requested cheesecake this year for his birthday, I had a mini panic attack. Great, I'm already afraid of it and now I need to make one not only for someone's birthday but also for it to be shared with all the co-workers? Yikes. No pressure.

Needless to say, I spent lots of time reading tips and tricks for making the "perfect" cheesecake and came across this site titled, appropriately enough, "How to Make Perfect Cheesecake" (click here for the source). I'm skeptical in general when someone says their recipe is "perfect" but I followed her instructions and guess what? It turned out SO GOOD!! I didn't mess up anything - no cracks on the top, didn't over- or under- bake it, it's level and pretty, creamy and smooth...if there's such a thing as "perfect" then this is about as close as I'm going to come. Whew. High 5.

This seems like lots of steps but it's just because there are so many tips - read thru everything before starting, none of it is hard! Just follow the instructions and you'll be fine. This one went together so easily and turned out so good that I made a second cheesecake (strawberry swirled) the next day - I totally wouldn't do that if it was too hard! I followed the instructions given by the site above, and also added a few changes of my own that I incorporated from other sites I read...

Ingredients ~

 for the crust:

• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 5 tablespoons melted butter

for the cheesecake:

• 2 pounds full-fat cream cheese (4 8oz. boxes), room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk (save the white for another use)

Directions ~

for the crust:

Spray a 9" springform pan with non-stick baking spray, line the bottom with parchment (optional)

1. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter together. 
2. Transfer it into the pan and use the bottom of a glass to press it evenly into the bottom. I didn't spread them up the sides but you can if you want.
3. Bake at 350' for 6 minutes; remove from oven and let cool before filling.

for the cheesecake:

• Cut two large pieces of foil and place them on your work surface on top of each other in a cross. Place a piece of parchment on top of the foil (so there are 3 layers total). Set the springform pan in the middle and fold the edges of the foil up and around the sides of the pan. The foil gives you extra protection against water getting into the pan during the water bath step. 

• Mix the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. (Or use an electric handheld mixer and a large bowl.) Mix on medium-low speed until the mixture is creamy, like thick frosting, and no lumps of cream cheese remain. Scrape down the beater and the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

• Add the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla, and beat on medium-low speed until combined and creamy. Scrape down the beater and sides of the bowl with a spatula.

• With the mixer on medium-low speed, beat in the eggs and the yolk one at a time. Wait until the previous egg is just barely mixed into the batter before adding the next one. At first, the mixture will look clumpy and broken, but it will come together as the eggs are worked in. Note: you don't want to over mix it once you're adding the eggs - it creates too much air in the batter and that could lead to cracking. Be gentle with this step.

• Scrape down the beater and sides of the bowl with a spatula. Stir the whole batter a few times by hand, being sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated. The finished batter should be thick, creamy, and silky. Don't worry if you see a few specks of un-mixed cream cheese here and there; they will melt into the batter during baking and won't affect the finished cheesecake. 

• Put the batter in the fridge for at least an hour to chill it. 

• Pour the batter over the cooled crust and spread it into an even layer. Run a knife thru the batter a few times to release air bubbles. 

• Transfer the pan to a roasting pan or other baking dish big enough to hold the springform pan. Have a few cups of hot water standing by. 

• Put the roasting pan containing the cheesecake into the oven, carefully pour hot water into the roasting pan being careful not to splash any water onto the cheesecake. Fill the roasting pan about half way up the sides of the springform pan (I used about 2 cups of hot water). This is creating a "water bath" for the cheesecake. 

• Bake for 55-60 minutes (for a 9" springform pan. You'll need to adjust the time for different sized pan). The cheesecake is done when the outer two to three inches look slightly puffed and set, but the inner circle still jiggles (like Jell-o) when you gently shake the pan. Some spots of toasted golden color are fine, but if you see any cracks staring to form move on to the next step right away.

• Leave the cheesecake in the oven. Turn off the oven and crack the door open (or prop it open with a wooden spoon). Let the cheesecake cool slowly for 1 hour.

• Remove the cheesecake from the oven and from the water bath, unwrap the foil, and transfer it to a cooling rack. Run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the cake to make sure it's not sticking to the sides (which can cause cracks as it cools). Let the cheesecake cool completely on the rack.

• Chill the cheesecake, uncovered, for at least 4 hours or up to 3 days in the refrigerator. This step is crucial for letting the cheesecake set and achieving perfect cheesecake texture - don't rush it.

• Take the cheesecake out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you plan to serve. Unmold the cake and top the cheesecake just before serving.

notes: store leftovers uncovered in the fridge for several days, covering will cause condensation to build up.

ideas for topping your cheesecake:

• spread with a thin sweetened sour cream layer* (see below for recipe)
• pour soft chocolate ganache over the top
• add chopped fresh fruit
• spoon blueberry or strawberry sauce over top of individual slices

* to make an easy sour cream layer - stir together 1 cup of sour cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

For the record - my sis reported that someone said I probably put the sour cream layer on top to hide the cracks (I have pics to prove that it didn't crack, woohoo) so do what you want with that info. Maybe leave the topping off if you want to prove it didn't crack - and if it did crack? Big whoop. It's still going to taste delicious and really, is anyone not going to eat it because of that hahahah? 

Other birthday desserts I've made for my sister to take to work include:

2017: funfetti brownie cake
2016: sprinkles no-bake cheesecake
2015: giant whoopee pie (before I started the blog. I'll post that recipe in the future tho!)

Tip-sy Tuesday: beverage markers

This isn't really a tip, more like a quick idea for labeling different beverages. We did a mimosa and bloody mary bar for Mickey's bachelorette party and I kicked out these cute labels in no time. Using my Cricut Joy, I cut the words out of pink cardstock and then glued to rectangle pieces of kraft paper brown cardstock; rounded the edges and hole punched; add a length of skinny twine that is long enough to slip over the top of the beverage bottle or dispenser,  knot at both ends of the label. Easy and cute!

Crepe Paper Garland 2

I made one of these paper garlands for my sissy's birthday a couple years ago, but didn't take very good pictures at that time. So when I decided to make another for Mickey's bachelorette party I remembered to document it a bit better - I'll repost the original directions from 8/19 and add more photos underneath:

You'll need big sheets of crepe paper, either in all one color or mix colors together. I ordered a 6 pack of multi colors from Amazon, each piece measures 20" wide by 8 feet long. It comes in rolls and reminds me of tissue paper but it's stretchy crepe paper material - I did not even know crepe paper comes in big sheets like this. I decided to use 3 different colors for her garland so that took 3 pieces of crepe paper each 20" by 8' long. Before you even unroll the paper, cut the rolls in half so each roll is two halves that are 10" wide each. Unroll the paper and stack the 10" sheets on top of each other, you'll have 6 sheets altogether stacked. Fold in half so your bundle is now 5" wide x 8' and staple along the long folded edge. After folding you'll have 12 sheets on top of each other. Make cuts almost to the fold, about 1" apart - this part reminds me of making a tie-blanket; you've just created an 8' fringed garland, folded and stapled on one side and fringed on the other. Make sense? Of course I forgot to take detailed pictures while I was doing it, so I simulated the steps with red paper (I'm saying that so you don't get confused why the garland was green, pink and orange, and is now red LOL!)

the top edge is the folded and stapled side, then fringe the loose edge

The next bit is time consuming but I stood at the counter doing it and reading my book at the same time - which is to say that it isn't hard at all and requires very little focus, it's just mindlessly working the fringed part of the paper. You need to pick up each piece of fringe individually and smooth it out - you know how crepe paper has that crinkly stretchy texture? Well if you gently pull it apart the crinkles stretch and smooth out and the fringe gets wider, fuller and fluffier. Continue with every. single. piece. of fringe - daunting I know but really it is simple, just watch tv or read or something while doing it and it goes much faster!

photo from the inspiration directions on cutting and smoothing out the fringe

Once the fringe has been smoothed out and fluffed, twist each fringe section and the stapled part turns almost into a rope-like core. At first it isn't pretty and you'll think "what the? this is not a pretty fun partyish garland at all" but give it time. The more you twist, I alternated twisting one way and then the other, the better it looks. Once you twist the entire length the garland holds its shape and doesn't unwind at all - I was a bit surprised about that actually! 

I love love how this garland turned out, so much so that (without asking my sis) I rescued it from the golf cart and squirreled it away when no one was looking - I'll be using this again in the future for sure!

click here for original source

2021: Present day and the pretty garland I made for Mickey with updated pics ~

follow the above directions to get a stack of paper 5" wide, staple along the folded edge

make cuts almost all the way to the staples, about 1" wide strips

every strip gets handled - gently pull each one to stretch it

Continue pulling and stretching each strip. When they are all done gently twist the stapled edge following the above directions to form a core. 

🔥 Around the Campfire (week 31)

Dear Campers ~

Here's a quick recap of what happened at camp last week in case you missed anything:

Posts ~

7/25: 🔥week 30

7/26: apple strudel

7/27: tip-sy tuesday: Cathy has a travel meds tip

728: framed quote (super easy gift idea)

7/29: make a tie blanket by Brooke

7/30: harvey wallbanger

7/31: Al's baked beans

What's Cooking ~

• grilled marinated chicken thighs, couscous, avocado/tomato/mozzarella salad
• beef stroganoff
• tomato pie, green salad
• burgers, steak fries, caesar salad

That's it for today - I'm off on my niece's bachelorette party weekend and scheduled this to post before I left. I'll be showing you some of the fun things we made for the weekend very soon! I'm writing this ahead of time and already anticipating that come Sunday I'm going to be exhausted hahaha!!

Hope you had a great week; stop back often to see more projects, recipes, tips, whatever I think of to make at camp! Bye!

Sincerely ~

Jill

camp counselor

Al's Baked Beans (re-run)

I love these baked beans so much! This is a re-run from 2016, they are so good I hope you have been making them since then hahah! 

Originally posted 7/31/16:

Every time Al makes these beans I remember how much I love them and ask for the recipe! They are SO good. He actually gave me the recipe a while ago but I completely forgot about it until looking thru my folder of recipes the other day looking for something to take to my sisters for a cookout. I have a recipe book that all of my tried/true/standby/loved recipes are in, and I also keep a manilla folder full of ripped out magazine recipes, etc. for ideas I'd like to try (if it makes the cut and I know we'll want it again then I move it into my recipe book) - not sure why Al's recipe isn't in the book because I know it's a keeper and will now make them often!

I asked him the other day if it's ok with him for me to share the recipe - he said "it isn't a secret family recipe or anything" (which made me laugh cuz it's basically doctored up Bush's baked beans - I think their commercial is that Bush's is a secret family recipe? Maybe? Now I'm questioning that...whatever...I still laughed at him).

not the "prettiest" picture, but here they
are in the crock pot using a liner which
helps so much with cleanup!

Ingredients:

55 oz Bush's "original" baked beans
1/2 lb bacon, diced and browned
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced green pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions:

sauté bacon until browned, remove from grease.
sauté onion and green pepper in bacon grease until tender.
put beans, bacon, onions, green pepper and bacon grease and all other remaining ingredients into a casserole dish, stir to combine.
bake 350' for 45 min- 1 hour until bubbly and browned on top.

Al's Notes:
"all ingredients above with the exception of the beans are estimates. I don't measure any more. All can be adjusted to taste. If you want to reduce calories you can reduce the amount of bacon grease you add to the beans - I wouldn't eliminate it all though, it does add a lot of flavor."

My Notes:
I made these in a crock pot (started on high heat for a couple hours, then reduce to low heat until ready to serve. I ended up cooking for approx 6 hours and they were delicious!) so we didn't have to heat up the oven and help keep the kitchen cool - side note, I use a crock pot liner when I can and in this case it was such a help not having to scrub the baked on beans! Whoever came up with crock pot liners is a genius. Just sayin...

Harvey Wallbanger (re-run)

Reading this old post reminded me of what a great time we had on this trip! Here's some rambling about the day and my first Harvey Wallbanger. Originally posted 7/30/16:

While roaming Prague we walked by a little bar that had a porch, and on the porch were gliders with a table hooked between them - so you're rocking back and forth while drinking and eating. It was so cute that we totally had to sit out there, never considering if rocking back and forth while drinking and eating is a good idea...

...after a few minutes of rocking, swaying back and forth,  we realized that eating would not be a wise choice - so we just had a drink. It was the middle of the day and nothing really sounded good to me, but then I saw a "harvey wallbanger" on the menu and decided I needed to try one. I've heard of it but didn't know what was in it, but I ordered it anyway - I thought it was going to be a manly cocktail in a short glass, but it came out in a tall pina colada glass with fruit sticking out. Does "harvey wallbanger" make you think of a fruity foofoo drink? It sounds manly to me haha. Anyway, I don't love fruity foofoo drinks and won't be putting this into the "drinks I order often" category - but it was fine and we were rocking, that's good enough. 

And I bet I'll always remember where I had my first harvey wallbanger - in Prague, sitting in a glider on the porch of a bar.

I found a recipe here if you want to try one - it's just vodka, oj, and Galliano.