Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Tip-sy Tuesday: how to julienne

Yesterday I shared a delish carrot salad recipe, it calls for julienned carrots and I thought I'd show you real quick how to julienne vegetables. This info I found at Food Network breaks it down clearly and I'll just share what they have along with their photos:

Step 1: Peel the Vegetable

If you’re working with a vegetable that can be peeled (such as a carrot, potato or stalk of celery), you should peel it because you want all of your matchsticks to look the same. Nubbly patches of carrot skin are not welcome. Fun fact, celery can be peeled, and doing so removes a lot of those stringy fibers.

Step 2: Segment the Vegetable

Cut the vegetable into segments the desired length of your julienne. 2 to 3 inches long is a safe bet.

all photo credits Teri Lyn Fisher

Step 3: Square off the Vegetable

Generally, you’ll want to slice off the rounded sides of whatever you’re cutting to create a rectangle or cube. If you were working in a traditional French restaurant, you’d reserve those scraps for another use instead of putting them into the julienne because they will not turn into perfect matchsticks. But if you’re julienning at home, it’s okay to turn these pieces into julienne as well. Do so by slicing the pieces into thin strips, ideally 1/8-inch thick all around.

Step 4: Cut Planks

Now that you have a neat square, slice it into planks that are about 1/8 inch thick.

Step 5: Cut the Planks into Strips (the Julienne!)

Stack the planks and cut them into 1/8 inch thick strips. Or if it’s easier, work with one plank at a time. Make sure your fingers are tucked away under your hand, away from the blade. Use your knuckles to guide your knife. Walking your fingers backward makes the cut thicker or thinner.

info found here


4.29.24: baked broccoli cheese balls 

4.29.23: words


Monday, April 28, 2025

Sweet and Spicy Carrot Salad

This recipe has been in my file since '19 and I finally got around to making it - really wish it didn't take me this long because I love it!! I made it with baby carrots and just cut them into small matchstick sized pieces which wasn't easy to do so they are thicker than if I had julienned regular carrots; also I didn't use very much cayenne just a little pinch. I made the salad and left it in the fridge for 4 days and the carrots stayed crunchy and the pickle flavor is fresh and tangy - yum. 



5-6 large carrots, julienned
1 t. salt
1 T. sugar
2 T. white wine vinegar
1/4 - 1 t. cayenne pepper (to taste)
1 t. pepper
1 T. olive oil
crumbled feta
1 sprig chopped fresh parsley 

Combine salt, sugar, vinegar, cayenne and pepper in a large bowl. Toss with the julienned carrots; drizzle with olive oil and top with feta and parsley.

Note: you can toss the pickle mixture with the carrots the day before for a more intense pickle flavor. Discard any liquid that has been drawn out and dressing left behind if you do this. 

found here at cup of jo 


 


Sunday, April 27, 2025

🔥 Around the Campfire (week 17)

Dear Campers ~ 

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

Posts ~

4/20: 🔥 week 16

4/21: cola-glazed ham v2

4/22: TT pickle juice ice cubes

4/23: Easter-themed cupcakes

4/24: loaded tots

4/25: pinwheel sandwiches with ranch mayo dip

4/26: words  (dance like a toddler)

That's it for this week! See you next week for more projects, crafts, recipes, whatever we can think of to make at camp - bye :)


Sincerely ~

Jill
camp counselor

4.27.24: words (live with purpose)


4.27.21: TT stovetop splatter tip

4.27.20: t-shirt face mask

4.27.19: Brooke made a bubble maker 

4.27.18: Mickey's beersbee  

4.27.17: accessories closet 

4.27.16: decadent chocolate cake 


   

Friday, April 25, 2025

Pinwheel Sandwiches with Ranch Mayo Dip

These are fairly straightforward pinwheel sandwiches but the new twist is spreading the tortilla with ranch-flavored mayo before adding the meat and cheese filling, and it's also a great dipping sauce. 

For each roll-up I used a low-carb tortilla, 2 thin slices of deli ham, 2 thin slices of deli turkey, 2 slices of yellow American cheese, 1 large butter lettuce leaf. 

Ranch mayo is super easy - spoon mayo into a small bowl and sprinkle in ranch dry seasoning mix, stir to completely incorporate the two. That's it. Use as much or as little of the seasoning mix as you like. 

Spread each tortilla with the ranch mayo (you want a thin coat or else it'll squeeze out when you roll the tortilla up) leaving 1/2" border around 3 sides of the tortilla. Layer the cheese, meats, and lettuce towards the top or else it'll overhang the bottom after rolling. Tightly roll up and hold closed with a toothpick. Slice the ends off (they don't look pretty, I give the trimmings to Dave haha) and cut into rounds. Serve extra ranch mayo on the side if desired. 


4.25.24: carrot muffins with cream cheese frosting 

4.25.23: TT medication chart

4.25.22: chocolate caramel pretzel candy

4.25.21: 🔥 week 17

4.25.20: coffee filter glass cleaner

4.25.19: topopo salad

4.25.18: Mickey's DIY sensory boxes

4.25.17: organizing recipes

4.25.16: washi tape feathers


Thursday, April 24, 2025

Loaded Tots

 "You gonna eat your tots?" "Napoleon, give me some of your tots" "No, go find your own". Classic 😂

Dance rehearsal is tonight, recital tomorrow and Saturday - our adult tap group theme is Napoleon Dynamite - our costume is the white t-shirt that says 'vote for Pedro' and jeans, and a bunch of our moves are modeled on his super awkward dance routine - it's been so fun learning it and practicing for this weekend! 

In honor of the movie and recital I made loaded tots for dinner hahahah. 

This is really basic and easy - but delish if you're in the mood for loaded tots (or loaded anything). While my tots were baking I warmed up white queso and chopped a couple pieces of cooked bacon, some green onions, and cherry tomatoes. Once the tots were done I drizzled them with the queso and added the other toppings along with pepper, coarse salt, and sour cream. SO GOOD! 

Wish me luck at rehearsal tonight! 


4.24.24: chicken scaloppine al marsala

4.24.23: crab dip

4.24.22: 🔥 week 17

4.24.21: dance recital '21

4.24.20: parmesan fondue

4.24.19: double chocolate oatmeal bars

4.24.18: how to use an aqua painter

4.24.17: curvy keepsake lamb and bunny

4.24.16: slow cooker mongolian beef



Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Easter-Themed Cupcakes

I made cupcakes for Easter dinner last week and am blogging what I did so I'll remember next year, they turned out really cute. My original thought was to make a cupcake version of the full size cake I made a while ago with candy grass and chocolate bunnies - but I couldn't find edible grass this year and my store was out of bunnies. So I pivoted and instead decorated my standard doctored up cupcakes three different ways.



The cupcakes themselves are doctored by adding another egg, substituting milk for the water, substituting butter for oil, and a little dash of vanilla. Then I filled them with a pudding/cool whip mixture.

Made a big batch of vanilla buttercream and frosted 2 thirds of the cupcakes white. Rolled 1/3rd of the edges in green-dyed shredded coconut and topped with a marshmallow chick; the other third have green coconut over the entire top with 3 peanut butter eggs in the center. 

Dyed the remaining frosting 3 colors and put in my Wilton 3 color swirl coupler and using a large decorating tip (1M) piped large flowers on the remaining third of the cupcakes. 

Note: doctoring the cupcakes makes more batter than the standard 24, I used the remaining batter to make 12 mini cupcakes and decorated those with the colored frostings and 1 peanut butter egg. 


Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Tip-sy Tuesday: Pickle Juice Ice Cubes

I included this in the post for 'Dill Pickle Bloody Mary's' but am giving it its own post for today's tip since it's a great idea. 

Fill ice trays with pickle juice and freeze. Once frozen I transfer them to a baggie and store in the freezer. There are many ways you can use the frozen cubes - in drinks, salad dressings, to brine meat and seafood, in marinades, or just eat them as a tangy frozen treat! 



4.22.23: words


Monday, April 21, 2025

Cola-Glazed Ham v2

Follow up to last week's recipe for 'Sweet and Spicy Cola-Glazed Ham' - I followed a similar recipe I found and it turned out great. And sooooo easy- since it cooks in an oven bag I didn't have to baste it. I don't know how it works, but baking meat in a large oven bag still allows it to get brown; mine wasn't as caramelized looking as the photo that was with the recipe but it didn't matter, it tasted so good.

Here's the recipe and notes as written (copied and pasted) found at south your mouth, click here for more information, photos, and reviews - oh, and I completely forgot to take a picture of mine! Good grief. 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 10-12 pound bone-in, cured ham
  • 1 extra large oven bag (holds 8-25 lbs)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup dijon mustard
  • 1 large orange, washed and cut into 6 wedges
  • 1 can Coca-Cola

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Using a sharp knife, score the ham in a diamond pattern making 1/4-inch deep slices. Don't fret over getting this perfect - mine never is!
  3. Place the ham on its side (not face down) in the oven bag set in a large roasting pan. Roll the sides of the bag down so that the bag is open wide and you can get your hands around the ham easily.
  4. Combine brown sugar and dijon mustard in a small bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Rub sugar mixture all over ham.
  5. Place orange wedges in the bottom of the bag around the ham. Pour the coke into the bag. Don’t pour the coke over the ham or it will wash the sugar mixture off – just pour it in near the bottom of the ham.
  6. “Puff up” the bag a little so that the bag isn't touching the ham. Making sure to keep a “loose fit” around the ham, close the bag tightly with the provided tie.
  7. Using a small, sharp knife, make three small slits in the top of the bag for ventilation. Don’t skip this step or the bag will burst and the ham won’t be able to self-baste.
  8. Move your oven rack just low enough that the bag won’t touch the upper elements in your oven then bake at 350 degrees for 2-2.5 hours (2.5-3 hours if using a 13-15 pound ham) or until nicely browned and caramelized.
  9. Remove ham from oven and rest, inside the bag, at least 30 minutes (up to 90 minutes) before slicing and serving.

NOTES

  • Do not use a spiral sliced ham with this recipe.
  • You can use your favorite dark soda in this (Dr. Pepper, Cherry Coke, Pepsi, etc.) but I'm not sure how things would turn out with diet soda.

UPDATE

I have probably received over 200 comments and emails wanting to know why (WHY?!) you can't use a spiral ham for this so I guess I should explain here in the recipe (instead of below in the comments). Only large, solid cuts of meat can handle being cooked this long. If you cook a spiral ham using this recipe it will be dry and tough. In addition to the emails and comments I've received asking why you can't, I've received at least a dozen from people who did anyway and wrote to yell at me that their ham was dry and ruined. You're just going to have to trust me on this one.


4.21.24: 🔥 week 16
4.21.23: MSTI: 12-3-30

Sunday, April 20, 2025

🔥 Around the Campfire (week 16)

Dear Campers ~ 

HAPPY EASTER!!!

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

Posts ~

4/13: 🔥 week 15

4/14: seed snails

4/15: TT white vs. yellow onions 

4/16: twinkie peep race cars 

4/17: sweet and spicy cola glazed ham 

4/18: dill pickle bloody mary (with pickle ice cubes)

4/19: words (Easter)

That's it for this week! See you next week for more projects, crafts, recipes, whatever we can think of to make at camp - bye :)


Sincerely ~

Jill
camp counselor