5.20 ~ Words

5.20.22: oreo cupcakes

5.20.21: chicken tamale casserole

5.20.20: miracle pork chops by Jen

5.20.19: how to make bias tape

5.20.18: cruising Norway to Sweden

5.20.17: mini pies

5.20.16: square foot gardening

 

My Sister Tried It: Mustard Pretzel Pork

I was chatting with my sister on the phone the other day and I was multitasking trying to look for something to have for dinner. So far all I had was pork chops. My sister started asking if I had various ingredients, she reminded me of a recipe that she had on the blog (but surprisingly didn’t just tell me to go look there myself) and it was for mustard pretzel chicken. I think I originally had a recipe similar to that from HelloFresh but this time I was on my own. So, following my sister’s recipe loosely, I had some brown mustard, which I thought might be too strong in flavor so I mixed it half n half with regular mustard. I also had some pretzels which I put in a baggie and smashed up with a rolling pin. I realize this seems like a basic to most of you, but knowing my skill set, I was proud of myself for managing to smash them up without making a giant mess. Anyway, I coated the pork with the mustard and laid in the smashed pretzel. They were pretty thin pork chops, so I only had to bake them for 10 minutes at 400°. I was actually shocked at how good this came out! The hubby was also impressed, not realizing that this was not a complex recipe. So no one tell him if you see him!

3 thin cut pork chops

1 cup smashed pretzels

1 cup half n half mustard mix

Tiny bit of olive oil to spritz on the top to brown

Laid in baking pan and baked for 10 minutes at 350 (or until 145 degrees)

5.19.22: grilled nutella sandwich by Brooke

5.19.21: spaghetti squash lasagna

5.19.20: tip-sy tuesday: freezing food

5.19.19: 🔥 week 20

5.19.18: lime fingernail tip

5.19.17: mason jar flag

5.19.16: creamy mustard salad dressing

Scallops in Cream Sauce by Macey

For the Cream Sauce you'll need:

• garlic
• chicken stock
• heavy cream
• parmesan
• unsalted butter
• salt

This sauce reminds me of a better version Alfredo sauce … (I’m a Garlic fan, and the real variation from Alfredo vs. the creamy scallop sauce is garlic :)). 

• Garlic – I always recommend using freshly pressed garlic since this scallop recipe is so simple and you really want the flavors to come through. Minced garlic from a jar tends to have an unpleasant flavor (in my opinion). 

• Stock – Chicken Bouillon gives the best flavor, but you can also use vegetable bouillon if you prefer. Opt for a low sodium version so you can have more control over the amount of salt by adding salt from the shaker vs having to worry about too much salt from the bouillon stock. (I like the powder version where you add it to hot water and stir the best but the wet kind works just the same! M) 

• Heavy cream – To avoid lumps or separating when added to heat, be sure that the cream is at room temperature first. Simply measure it out and let it sit on the counter while you prep the other ingredients and start the scallop recipe.

• Parmesan – For the best flavor, buy a fresh wedge and grate it by hand! I recommend using a microplane zester because the smaller shreds will melt down smoother and easier into the sauce. If you don’t have one of those, just use the smallest sized holes on a regular box grater.

• Unsalted butter (buy from Costco)… best value :) 

• Salt 

Prepping the Scallops: 

I purchased frozen scallops in a bag from Costco. Honestly, I’ve tried a lot of different kinds before, and the ones from Costco seem to taste the best. Make sure after you unthaw the scallops to dry them out with a paper towel really really good... You don’t want any scallop juice to get into your creamy pasta sauce! Yuck. 

Scallops taste so good, and they require very little prep time, and even a shorter cooking time! (So on nights when I’m not making a meal out of the whole chicken I prep on Sundays, scallops are one of my favorite go to meals.) So after I rinse scallops under water, and pat dry with paper towel, I just set them aside while I move onto the sauce. 

To finish the dish you'll need:

sliced mushrooms

diced onions

olive oil

white wine

spinach

cooked noodles

In a large skillet pan (I typically use a cast-iron pan), add chicken stock, heavy cream, butter and wine...

*Honestly, I don’t have the total measurements, simply because I typically like to cook with my eyeballs and taste along the way lol for a fact, though, I know that I used one and 1/4 cup chicken stock, a half a cup of heavy cream, quite a lot of unsalted butter that I also purchase from Costco ha ha, and white wine! 

I allow for the wine to burn off and continue stirring the butter and cream. What I typically prefer doing, is to start a second skillet pan, where I caramelize my onions in olive oil, add mushrooms and sauté, and at the very final, minced garlic cloves (chopped very very very  small!) They only take less than like two minutes, so be sure not to over cook. 

Once the mushroom onion and garlic is ready, then I will toss it into my creamy sauce along with the scallops only minutes before serving time, so that I can ensure that nothing gets too over cooked. 

Also, in the final hour before serving, is where you will add your fresh Parmesan as well as topping the entire cast iron pan with spinach leaves. I let them just sort of simmer on the top until they eventually collapse into smaller leaves at which time I then pull off heat so that the spinach doesn’t wilt way too much and shrink!! 

In a third pot on the stove, is where I will have my boiling water with a few shakes of salt in it, and my noodles of choice. Because I’m gluten-free my options are more limited, so for this specific recipe I am using a gluten-free spaghetti, however linguine is really good with this and so is fettuccine!! 

As I’m finalizing the sauce, I will put the scallops into the cream sauce right before it is done and ready to serve. 

Drain the noodles of any excess water, and scoop plain noodles onto plate, then generously scoop sauce with onions, garlic, mushroom, spinach and scallops. 

5.18.22: chocolate buttercream frosting

5.18.21: TT bread ties

5.18.20: Kyle's tree shelf

5.18.19: patriotic rag wreath
5.18.18: organizing bracelets
5.18.16: zucchini oat chocolate chip cookies

Teriyaki Chicken Cooking Class

We only had time for one more of Jiji's cooking classes teaching us how to prepare some Chinese dishes before leaving CA - so far she did beef and broccoli, and green beans. This one is for teriyaki chicken and I'm so happy to have learned this one too - thanks again Jiji!! 

Before we start I'll note that she thought there should have been more sauce - she makes this at home all the time but usually just 2 servings, for our lesson she prepared for 8 of us (which is a lot more chicken obviously!) so didn't realize how much extra sauce she needed to make. For the record I didn't know any better and found it delicious just the way it was! Lesson here is that even without it being extra saucy the flavor is still great. 

Just like with the beef and broccoli she doesn't really use a set amount for each ingredient. This process is more adding a little of each ingredient, tasting and adjusting by adding more until you get it the way that tastes good to you.

• boneless chicken thighs, skin on
• cooking wine
• soy sauce
• vegetable oil
• salt and pepper
• mirin
• sugar

Poke the chicken thighs a few times with a fork; add to a large ziplock bag and sprinkle with cooking wine and soy sauce. Let stand for a few minutes. Heat a few tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, add the chicken to the hot pan skin-side down, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cook a couple minutes until browned.  Turn the chicken over and brown the other side. Remove the chicken, set aside. 

Wipe out the pan, removing any burned bits. Return the pan to medium-low heat, put chicken back in the pan, skin-side down. Add equal parts of mirin, soy sauce, and sugar; cook without turning until the skin gets browner. Turn the heat to low, the sauce will burn very quickly. Baste the chicken, adjust seasoning as desired, and continue cooking until the chicken is done. Remove the chicken from the pan and place on a platter or serving dish, chop into bite-sized pieces. Cook the remaining sauce left in the pan down until it's dark and thick; spoon sauce over chicken and serve. 

this is the cooking wine she uses, but says
it doesn't matter which kind

Jiji says that you can also make delicious salmon with the mirin/soy sauce/sugar combo sauce. Yum, I only have a couple ways I like salmon but I bet this teriyaki sauce on salmon would be good, I'm going to try that!

5.17.22: TT staple remover hack

5.17.21: individual baked eggs

5.17.20: 🔥week 20

5.17.19: pet emergency care
5.17.18: make a party planner
5.17.17: pallet garden
5.17.16: change a duvet cover

Tip-sy Tuesday: Dirty Laundry

Today's tip-sy tuesday isn't a tip, but I liked this so much I'm sharing it with you today anyway - maybe the tip is to try to not be Judgey Mc-Judgerson HAHAHA. Obviously I have no idea if you are judgey, and even if you are I'm not going to judge you for it. ;)

"A young couple moved into a new house.

The next morning while they were eating breakfast, the young woman saw her neighbor hanging the washing outside.

"That laundry is not very clean; she doesn’t know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better soap powder.

Her husband looked on, remaining silent.

Every time her neighbor hung her washing out to dry, the young woman made the same comments.

A month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband, "Look, she’s finally learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this?"

The husband replied, "I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows."

And so it is with life…

What we see when watching others depends on the clarity of the window through which we look.

So don’t be too quick to judge others, especially if your perspective of life is clouded by anger, jealousy, negativity or unfulfilled desires.

Judging a person does not define who they are. It defines who you are."

~ Paolo Coelho, "Dirty Laundry" ~

5.16.22: fried chicken by Brooke

5.16.21: 🔥 week 20

5.16.20: Jane's baked beans with burger

5.16.19: mediterranean lentil salad

5.16.18: brownie strawberry trifle

5.16.17:  citrus pesto

5.16.16: crochet dish scrubby

Explosion Box (Part 2 - Making the Layers)

A couple days ago I showed you how to make the base and lid for an explosion box - today it's making the layers. Next time I'll show you how I decorated the layers.

The base layer with the hearts in the corners started with a 12" piece of cardstock (for a 4" overall box). Every layer you add will be a little bit smaller than the one underneath it - so if your base layer is 12" square and scored/folded at 4", the second layer you'll place on top of the base layer is an 11 1/4" square, scored at 3.75" all around. You'll still have 9 squares and the center square (which is the bottom of the box) will always stay at 4". Third layer starts with a 10 1/2" square, score and fold at 3 1/2" all around. Note, still 9 squares with the middle one 4". Fourth layer is a 9 3/34" inch square and you'll score/fold at  3 1/4".

You can reference the size guidelines for each layer at 'it's always autumn' where I got the instructions for the base and lid. 

For each layer - score and fold, creating the 9 squares, then remove the 4 corners creating a cross shape piece of paper, when you're done decorating the layers you'll stack them on top of each other. 

In the following example I made the layers in different colors so you can see what's happening, for my finished product I made the layers in more neutral colors so they wouldn't compete with all my decorations and make it seem too messy:

see how each layer is a little smaller than the one underneath? 

The instructions I followed to cut and fold all the layers say to now glue the center squares together and then decorate, but I found it easier to decorate each layer on it's own and then stack and glue them together. It was easier for me to work with individual layers. 

Here's what I did for one of the layers - this part will be up to your creativity and ideas! Don't worry, I'll give you lots of decorating ideas next time - remember, your explosion box can be as simple or intricate as you want:

Once all of your layers are decorated and you attach them in the middle, you'll fold them all up together and put on the lid to hold them in place. Here's a picture so you get an idea of what I'm talking about!:

5.15.22: 🔥 week 20 

5.15.21: gazpacho #2

5.15.20: baked chimichangas

5.15.19: french bread pudding with whiskey sauce

5.15.18: smoothies to go

5.15.17: container gardening

5.15.16: steak fries

🔥 Around the Campfire (week 20)

Dear Campers ~

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

Posts ~

5/7: 🔥 week 19

5/8: explosion box part 1 (base and lid)

5/9:  TT garbage disposal tips

5/10: Chinese green beans

5/11: Macey's mashed/smashed potatoes

5/12: MSTI: protein balls

5/13: words

What's Cooking ~

• grilled chicken sausage, orzo salad (tomatoes, parsley, italian seasoning, olive oil, feta)
• mushroom swiss burgers, baked steak fries, caesar salad
• chicken cobbler casserole (recipe to follow soon)
• oven-fried halibut, coconut rice, steamed green beans
• steak, quick baked potato, sautéed whole mushrooms, caesar salad

That's it for this week - hope you'll stop back often to see more projects, recipes, crafts, whatever else I can think of to make (or get someone else to make) at camp next week. Bye!

Sincerely ~

Jill

camp counselor 

5.14.22: twice-baked baby potatoes

5.14.21: fresh tomato pie

5.14.20: barre workout

5.14.19: tipsy tuesday: cleaning the microwave

5.14.18: organizing die cut templates for the Big Shot

5.14.17: one of my favorite cakes - raspberry and whipped cream

5.14.16: birthday balloon card

5.13 ~ Words

5.13.22: twice baked potatoes

5.13.21: bbq chicken and smashed potatoes

5.13.20: Natalie's churros

5.13.19: macrame owl 

5.13.18: coriander crusted pork tenderloin

5.13.17: parachute cord dog collar

5.13.16: Brooke's emoji cookies

 

My Sister Tried It: No-Bake Protein Balls

 Well. This one was different. It started when I googled foods with high protein (because I read women “my age” especially should take in enough protein). Goodness.  So as anyone with social media knows, once you google something it shows up in your feed over and over again. That then brought up an endless stream of food with protein.  Among those I saw a lot that were variations of “protein balls” or “no bake oatmeal cookies” that said weirdly they could be consumed as breakfast food.  Cookies for breakfast? I’m IN. (see my past post about banana oatmeal “cake” for breakfast- yum).

So the one I ended on was only 3 ingredients. EXCELLENT.  Oatmeal, Peanut Butter and Syrup.  If you wanted more protein you could add protein powder so I went for that as well. Lean Chocolate protein powder is what I added.

The texture was as you would imagine- crumbly.  I get mixing and eventually it did get to where I could stick it together.  The variations also said you could cook them to make more “cookie” like, so I decided to give that a try as well.
 
Oddly after cooking they looked exactly the same as when I put them in the oven- uncooked. Raw oats. 

The Uncooked ball variation also was the same exact consistency after refrigerating for a half hour like the directions said.

So the flavor- let me be clear that I enjoy a gritty texture. Some people may not love that but I really do.  As you can imagine they were VERY dry.  The refrigerated one tasted like raw cookie dough- but not as sweet or as enjoyable.  The cooked one seemed more just like a dry breakfast muffin. Which weirdly I liked with my coffee.  

So, bottom line- if you don’t mind a dry texture (and have a drink handy) and are looking for a way to up your protein- while not actually having to cook anything, this might be for you!  One more thing- another variation was chocolate chips.  I tossed a handful in to a few of these and in the warm variety specifically it did make it MUCH better. Sweeter of course, and the melted chips made it less dry.  That said, if I’m adding chocolate chips I’m probably not helping my quest for healthier eating and should just have a real cookie at that point. Lol.
 

Recipe- 

2 Cups Quick Oats

1 Cup Peanut Butter (I used Low fat Jif)

1/3 cup Syrup (I used light Mrs. Buttersworth)

2 heaping tablespoons lean chocolate protein powder

 

Mix all together. Roll into balls and refrigerate for 20 minutes, or bake at 350' for 10 minutes.

click here for the recipe source and more info if needed no bake oatmeal cookies  and protein balls 

5.12.22: wonton ravioli 

5.12.21: paper gift box

5.12.20: MSIH: pasties

5.12.19: 🔥

5.12.18: Amsterdam tulips

5.12.17: summer vegetable bake

5.12.16: makeup remover wipes tip

 

Smashed/Mashed Potatoes by Macey

I love to serve Salisbury Steak on top of Smashed or Mashed potatoes - here's how I make them:

I use Yukon Gold Potatoes (for two servings, I usually only use 3 potatoes but depends on their size… and how hungry you are 😊).

2 cups of parmesan cheese

1 ½ cups of cream cheese

1 cup of chopped fresh chives

½ cup butter (maybe more depending.. 😊)

2 cloves of garlic (peeled and minced)

Salt and Pepper as desired!

 

1. Chop potatoes into smaller pieces and boil on stovetop for ~15mins or until they're tender but still firm. Then, drain water from potatoes and turn temp to low heat to dry them out ~1-2mins. Be careful with this, as you can very easily burn them.
2. Add in parmesan cheese, cream cheese, chopped chives, butter, minced garlic, salt/pepper to taste
3. Use a potato smasher to smash the potatoes, or if wanting mashed potatoes work it until smooth 😊

5.11.22: italian spaghetti squash casserole 

5.11.21: TT stamp ink hack 

5.11.20: pasties

5.11.19: rigatoni with sausage and fennel

5.11.18: green goddess dressing and dip

5.11.17: travel folder

5.11.16: carrot cake with honey orange buttercream frosting