Grapefruit Cocktail

Anyone need a drink? Just me? Mary sent me this recipe a looooong time ago and I keep forgetting to share it - I haven't tried it but it sounds great (I love grapefruit) and even tho it's only noon I'm tempted...tempted...hmmmm.... ;)

Here's how she makes it, in her words:

Ketel One Grapefruit and Rose 

Grapefruit seltzer

splash of cherry juice or grenadine (to make it pretty!)'

splash of elderflower liqueur to sweeten it up before I put the cherry juice in. I like the flavor but will try it with just the cherry juice to see if that's sweet enough. 

Oatmeal Banana Energy Bar by Jen

So I saw this recipe on a friends facebook page and was drawn to the words Easy, Healthy, and 5 ingredient.  Decided that seemed right up my alley so gave it a try.

Usually the first word “Easy” is a lie but in this case it was not. Gotta say .. it was surprisingly delicious. 

Below is the recipe - which I halved because I didn’t want the commitment of a giant pan of the stuff if it was gross. (I then feel compelled to eat those kinds of things anyway out of guilt for wasting..) lol.

 

3 large ripe bananas

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup creamy peanut butter, all natural

1 cup chopped walnuts

½ cup chocolate chips*

1 teaspoon vanilla*

1 teaspoon cinnamon*

*optional to taste

 

1. Mash the bananas in a bowl
2. Add in the oats, peanut butter, walnuts, choc chips, vanilla and cinnamon
3. Put in greased pan and bake 350 for 25 minutes. 

 

Doubting I would eat for breakfast or categorize it as healthy necessarily, but it made a delicious snack...and then again later as a dessert. 😊

2.19.20: double chocolate mousse torte

2.19.19: tt: deviled egg cover 

2.19.18: macrame wall hanging (and Sarge "helping me")

2.19.17: cornmeal crusted chicken

2.19.16: kid craft - decorate notebooks

Kid's Mask Leash

I've been making kid masks lately and had the idea to make a kid mask leash to go along with the masks - these are very quick and easy to make so even tho I've shown you a few different leashes I want to share this with you too!

These are made from stretchy cord, pony beads and initial beads, and colorful plastic clasps. 

For each leash cut a length of cord however long you want the leash plus a couple inches. I've been cutting the cord approximately 20" but I just randomly picked that number so add more if you want it longer (or obviously cut it shorter if you want shorter!). String on some pony beads, adding initial beads or shaped beads if you want - I did 12 beads on one side and 10 with a plastic heart bead on the other side. Tie a knot in the cord about an inch from the end, push the beads against the knot and then make another knot at the other end of the beads to hold them in place. Repeat for the other side. You could probably tie the clasps directly onto the cord but I added a cord crimp and put the clasp on with jump ring. 

I also made some without beads and they also look cute:

click to see how to make a beaded leash, a cord leash, or a chain leash

2.18.20: tip-sy tuesday: sewing machine needle

2.18.19: Cathy updates a fireplace

2.18.18: pastitsio

2.18.17: paint samples

2.18.16: fleece tie pillow

Banana Pudding Tart

I saw this recipe for banana pudding tart in a Food Network magazine - I don't like bananas but I do like banana pudding (and banana bread!) and the picture that was in the magazine is beautiful so I thought I'd try it. I made 2 of them, gave one to Al and Cathy who raved over it (although Cathy thinks it's a bit sweet, but still loved it). I didn't tell her, but I didn't follow the recipe correctly and put too much of the called-for sugar in the pudding! So yep, it's bound to be a little too sweet hahahaha. I'm sure without the extra 1/2 cup I accidentally added it'll be great. I did have one problem in that I don't have a kitchen torch to brown the top of the bananas - I tried a kitchen lighter, which does not work for the record, and then I tried broiling which started to brown them but then it started burning the crust! Dave said he thought he had a blowtorch in the garage but there's no way I'm letting him use it in the kitchen haha.  I was able to get a little color on the meringue using the lighter, so at least that part looked pretty. 

Note: in addition to not liking bananas I also don't like meringue. But for some reason it's good on this tart - normally I'd want whipped cream but I'm not mad about the meringue this time, give it a shot and tell me if you agree! Read after the recipe for a few more notes. 

FOR THE CRUST:

• 60 vanilla wafer cookies 
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 4 Tablespoons melted butter (1/2 stick)

FOR THE FILLING AND TOPPING:

• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup sugar, divided (I added the divided note because it tripped me up when making the pudding!), plus more for sprinkling
• 2 large eggs, separated (you'll use the yolks and whites in different parts of the recipe)
• 2 t. cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 T. unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 to 5 large bananas (another note: I only used 2 1/2 bananas)
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1. Make the crust: preheat oven to 350'. Place the cookies and sugar in  food processor and process until finely ground. Add the melted butter and process until it looks like wet sand. Transfer to a 9 1/2" fluted tart pan and press into the bottom and up the sides. Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.

2. Make the filling: set a large fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl. Combine the milk, heavy cream, 

1/4 cup sugar, the egg yolks, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan; whisk until smooth. Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly until the mixture bubbles, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for 1 minute, whisking. Remove from the heat and immediately transfer to the sieve; press through with a rubber spatula. Stir in the butter and vanilla. Let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. 

3. Peel and thinly slice 2 bananas and orange evenly on the bottom of the crust. Gently spread the filling on top of the bananas and smooth the surface. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface; refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. 

4. Peel and thinly slice the remaining bananas and arrange them on the tart, overlapping the slices. Sprinkle with sugar and brown with a kitchen torch.

5. Make the topping: bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the egg whites, remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cream of tartar in a large heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over the pan; cook, whisking, until the sugar dissolves, the egg whites are frothy and the mixture is warm, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until the meringue is cool and stiff peaks from about 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until the meringue is cool and stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a piping bag; pipe the meringue around the edge of the tart. Brown with the torch.

my additional notes:

• I counted the whole 11 ounce box just to see how many cookies are in a box, exactly 80 just fyi! Next time I'll just remove 20 from the box and use what's left.
• I have 2 tart pans, neither of which is 9 1/2" - so I doubled the crust ingredients and split between an 8" and an 11" tart pans.
• step 2 you are making homemade vanilla pudding - if you want to shorten the list of ingredients just buy and make a large box of pudding!
• Since I couldn't get the top of the bananas to brown they were a little wimpy looking and the leftovers turned brown pretty quickly - still tastes good just doesn't look very appetizing. If you decide to not use a kitchen torch I recommend covering the entire top of the tart with meringue (or whipped cream), it'll look much prettier. 

2.17.20: make a paper gift box

2.17.19: 🔥

2.17.18: nail art

2.17.17: coincidentally, it's how to do ombre nail art!

2.17.16: making paper crowns

Tip-sy Tuesday: Cast Iron Skillet Broccoli

Quick little thing I just learned - you can easily make broccoli in a cast iron skillet (I'm still learning all the different things I can do with the pan my mom got me for my birthday - remember that I didn't think I wanted the pan but have ended up loving it? Click here for my first cast iron pizza post).

Preheat the skillet over medium until it's hot. Add a layer of broccoli cut into bite sized florets, let cook for about 5 minutes. Toss the broccoli in the pan, add a tablespoon or 2 of butter, season with coarse salt and pepper, let cook another 5 minutes or so until the broccoli is cooked to your preferred texture. 

Quick, easy, and delicious. 

2.16.20: 🔥week 7

2.16.19: walking taco bowl

2.16.18: flower centerpiece by Brooke

2.16.17: zucchini tots - I forgot all about these, I know what I'm making for lunch!

2.16.16: Sheryl's lemon cake

Air Fryer Chicken Legs (3 ways) by Jen

I've only made a couple things in my air fryer so when my sis recently got one I asked her to share any good recipes with me - here's one for chicken legs and what she did, in her words:

Ahhh the air fryer.  All the rage.  I’m that girl that doesn’t cook but jumps on trends.  Oh everyone has an Instant Pot?  I need one!! I currently only drag it out to cook hard boiled eggs.  Yes I am aware I can cook those in a small pan on the stove however I REALLY want to drag out a giant instant pot to make 6 eggs. Anyway, I digress.  So. Air Fryer.  EVERYONE has one so I gotta have one too!! Especially when I find out I can also use it to replace my toaster oven. (I do actually use the toaster oven.. but now I have one that ALSO is an air fryer!) 

 

So after readying for hours trying to find all the things this thing could do  (but I never will use it for) I decide to give it a test run.

I don’t have any chicken wings (seems like a good place to start) so I drag out chicken legs.  Close enough. Since I spent so much time reading and I read so many recipes I had to try them all so I started with chicken legs 3 different ways. Plain, BBQ, and Cajun/Creole seasoned.  Simple simple. Did love that part.

Warmed up the Air Fryer on 400 for 5 minutes, placed the 6 legs in the air fryer basket.  Coated 2 with regular butter flavored cooking spray, 2 I spread BBQ sauce on, and 2 I sprinkled with creole/blackening seasoning. 

I cooked these for 12 minutes then flipped them over and coated the other side with the same.  Then cooked for another 12 minutes.  I have to say there is a chance I might actually use this thing!! They were GREAT.  All 3.  Done perfectly, moist inside, crispy outside.  Great.  

 

Now the question is, will this thing make me hard boiled eggs?

🔥Around the Campfire (week 7)

 Dear Campers ~

Happy Valentine's Day! Hope everyone is having a good day, whether with your valentine, palentine, galantine, or just your own 'tine :)

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

Posts ~

2/7: 🔥week 6

2/8: Brooke's valentine caterpillar

2/9: tip-sy tuesday: organizing your baking stuff

2/10: dessert cheeseball

2/11: pasta sauce with sausage, meatballs, and hard boiled eggs

2/12: triple berry muffins

2/13: bubble tree

What's Cooking ~

• crockpot pork loin in cranberry sauce, mashed cauliflower, green beans
• grilled tuna, greek salad, air fried garbanzo beans
• grilled chicken breast, butternut 'rotini', roasted asparagus
• baked pork chops, roasted carrots, potatoes, and broccoli (all veggies on one sheet pan, start carrots and potatoes and add broccoli for the last 15 minutes)
• burger salad
• baked salmon, couscous, chopped kale salad

Miscellaneous stuff keeping me busy~

• I read a couple books this week, I'll tell you about them next week 'cuz I have to run now. Going sledding!! Woohoo!!! First I need to find some snow pants, it's super cold here. Fingers crossed I don't crash LOL! 

Have a great week - stop by often to see more fun projects, recipes, crafts, whatever else I can think of to make at camp. Bye!

Sincerely ~

Jill

camp counselor 

2.14.20: wine glass lamp shade

2.14.18: dried cranberry and chocolate cookies
2.14.17: flower heart by Julie
2.14.16: tuna over nice (basically a Nicoise salad)

Valentine Bubble Tree

Yes -  I realize this is a very, very last minute Valentine craft but if I don't show you now there is no way I'll remember to post it a year from now!! So you're getting it the day before V-day and can reference it for next year (or for an anniversary, or Christmas, or just 'cuz?) or maybe you're bored today and see this and want to make it now! Either way - here it is:

This idea came about because my sis and I were shopping at Target before Christmas and she saw a pompom Christmas tree decoration and asked if I'd make it for her - I said sure, if she buys the pompoms because there is no way I'm making as many as it'd take to fill in a tree. Guess what? No pompoms appeared at my door and she did not get a tree. So when shopping at Hobby Lobby the other day and I saw a bag of red and white balls (titled 'scatters and fillers' - but they look like bubbles to me so that's what I'm calling them) I thought I'd try a Valentine tree - if it turned out and she likes it then I'll give, otherwise whatever, I've now got myself a Valentine tree hahaha. 

I did not go with the Elmers, but here's what the cone, topper, and bag 
of filler look like...before I switched to hot glue!

In addition to the balls and cone, I also bought a wire pick with a rustic metal heart for the tree topper. It's a little big for the scale of the tree but I like how that looks. These are maybe foam balls coated in glitter, or some other slightly squishy lightweight balls; my original plan was to elmers glue the balls to a paper mache form but that wasn't very good thinking on my part - the glue isn't going to dry fast enough to apply a hundred balls...so I switched to hot glue. I still had to hold each one in place for a few seconds but it was way faster than regular glue would be. After gluing one layer all around the tree I added a second layer to cover up some of the holes - it isn't completely filled in but short of buying another bag of balls (the day before V-day) it'll do. Maybe I'll pick up another bag after the holiday when it goes on super sale and fill in more later. Or maybe not. 

This actually turned out pretty cute - I could add a bow under the heart with long tails hanging down, but since I never know when enough is enough I think I'll see what my sis thinks and if she wants a bow I'll make one. If she doesn't want the tree I'll leave it bow-less, pack it away, and think about it next year when I pull it out to display! 

2.13.20: hot dog heart

2.13.19: asian style meatballs with sweet chili sauce

2.13.18: shrimp cocktail in a wine glass

2.13.17: heart suncatcher

2.13.16: wine label for Valentine's day gifts

Triple Berry Muffins (re-run)

I've been looking thru past posts and came across this one for triple berry muffins posted in 2017 - I have a bad memory but I totally remember these, they are so good! I'm feeling like baking today and these are calling my name, thought I'd share again in case you're in the mood too :)

Brooke and I made these muffins so my sister (and her houseful) would have an easy wedding morning breakfast - I was planning to make a big breakfast casserole but then realized no one was going to eat that so muffins seemed perfect. I had some frozen blueberries and raspberries in the freezer so googled for muffin recipes using berries, found this Ina Garten recipe that sounded good and yep, it is. I made double berry muffins instead but otherwise followed the recipe - she adds the sugar to the berries instead of to the batter, and for some reason that makes the muffins almost have a crunchy top sort of like if you put streusel on them...yum. Really really good!

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1-1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1-1/4 cups milk
• 2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup diced fresh strawberries
• 1-1/2 cups sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line muffin tins with paper liners.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl.  Stir with your hand to be sure the ingredients are combined.  In another bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and melted butter.  Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture, pour the wet mixture into the well, and stir until just combined.  There will be some lumps but don’t overmix the batter!  Add the blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and sugar and stir gently to combine.

Using a 2¼-inch ice cream scoop, spoon the batter into the muffin cups to fill the liners.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean and the tops are nicely browned.  

Copyright 2006, Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, All Rights Reserved

2.12.20: yarn heart

2.12.19: add a pin to pearls

2.12.18: Valentine ball jar vase and candleholder

2.12.17: goat cheese tart

2.12.16: Brooke and Sydney make 'cootie catchers'

Pasta Sauce with Sausage, Meatballs, and a Twist

Al and Cathy make the best pasta sauce and I finally got the recipe. I changed a couple things and it was still fantastic, see my notes at the bottom. I'd never seen 'Italian sauce' before, Al sent me a picture and I went searching and sure enough - our grocery store carries it in the canned tomato aisle (not by the jarred pasta sauce like I imagined). They add Italian sausage links, meatballs, and peeled hard boiled eggs to the sauce when serving - sidenote: Mary also adds sausage links and meatballs when serving and I've always loved that, I've never heard of hard boiled eggs tho and they are great served with the pasta sauce! Weird but great.  I didn't ask but in step 1 it says to brown sausage but doesn't list that in the ingredients, so I just cut 4 links in half and browned them in step 1. 

• 1 (45 oz.) jar Ragu Chunky garlic and onion sauce 
• 1 can Italian sauce 
• 2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
• 2 (28 oz) cans of water
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 t. garlic powder
• 1 t. salt
• 1/2 t. pepper
• 1 T. fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 t. thyme
• 1 t. basil
• 1 t. oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 t. rosemary
• 3 T. sugar

1. brown sausage in a little olive oil in stock pot, remove sausage but leave juices in pot
2. add onion to pot and saute until soft
3. add the rest of ingredients and simmer slowly stirring often to prevent sticking to bottom of pot
4. after about one and a half to two hours when sauce starts to thicken a little add sausage, meatballs, and eggs; simmer until you get to desired thickness. 

Jill's notes: I used Paul Newman's tomato and basil pasta sauce and only 1/2 of a small onion diced very small because if Dave saw the Ragu jars that say 'garlic and onion' and/or see a bunch of onion in the sauce he'll complain! I also didn't have fresh parsley so substituted with dry. I cooked this on the stove top for 3 hours, turned it off and let it cool until closer to when we were going to eat it and then heated it back up. Everyone commented on how good this sauce is without my even asking! Oh, and in all the years I've grocery shopped I have never seen 'Italian Sauce' so I asked Al where he finds it (thinking a specialty store) - uh yeah, it's at the regular ol' grocery store with the canned tomatoes...who knew?!