Spring Fever!!

It isn't even March and I have Spring Fever. As I was driving the kids to school this morning I was looking around and getting excited. I saw daffodils blooming! I immediately called my husband and he was just as excited. Every year one of us bursts in the door shouting that we have spotted daffodils and then we know we made it through another winter. Let me digress for a second- 1)yes, we live in Georgia 2)our winters are very mild compared to the rest of the country 3)my husband and I do not like the cold, even mild Georgia cold.  Anyway, when I came home the kids and I went around the yard checking out all of the signs of Spring. Now I feel like I have to get out in the yard and clear out the weeds and get some veggies in the ground. Farmer's Almanac says that March will be cold. I hope it is wrong.

Using Up My Jam

My kids love Nutrigrain bars. Love them. Read the label. Not good. Looked at the organic fruit bars at Trader Joe's and other groceries and thought (as a good DIY girl does) "I can make those." I must confess this is not my recipe. But it really is just perfect the way it is. No need to tinker with it. The best part is that I have all of the ingredients on hand at all times.

AND there is a bonus! In making the fruit bars I used up 5 half full jam jars from the refrigerator. I did one pan of cranberry/pear/peach/scuppernog bars (delish BTW) and one pan of lime curd (also yummy just not as weird). Did I mention that I am a canning addict? I am. I have what seems like a thousand jars of jam that I made in 2010. Spring is around the corner and before I know it it will be time to pick strawberries which means MORE JAM. So I plan to make a pan of these a week and try to reduce the number of jars in my larder to make room for the new ones.

These are from www.CarriesCooking.com:

Almost Nutri-Grain Bars

Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup apple juice
10 ounces jam (apricot, blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, or apple butter)
1 tablespoon water

Directions

1. Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
2. Add the oil, egg, vanilla, and apple juice, and mix with a spoon or a mixer.
3. Press 2/3 of the mix evenly into a greased 8x12 pan.
4. Mix the jam with the water, and spread evenly over the mix.
5. Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the top, and bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Before cutting, cool completely.

Brussels Sprouts

This was my first winter garden to include brussels sprouts. I have to be honest, I had no idea what they were supposed to do or when to harvest. Just like everything else, it was an experiment. I had kind of given up on them. Every time I went to the garden for some cabbage or kale I would check them out. It really didn't seem like much was happening. I have seen them at the grocery on the stalk and for some reason I kept expecting that stalk to grow out of the top. Last night I bent over to pick a savoy cabbage head and I happened to look over at the brussels sprouts. I finally spotted those cute little guys growing UNDER the leaves, duh. I was very excited. I just pan fried them with a little butter, thinly sliced onions and some pink salt. This week end I making Iron Chef Michael Symon's Fried Brussels Sprouts (I oven roast them).

I know everyone says they hate brussels sprouts, but I promise, you don't. Every one thinks of the frozen mushy brussels sprouts. Please do yourself a favor and buy some fresh ones. Try Michael Symon's recipe and fall in love with them.

Justin's Avocado Blue Cheese Dip

Tonight I came home from work to my husband making delicious panko crusted fried chicken strips and a selection of sauces. He made a delicious buffalo type sauce with a little of every kind of hot sauce from the fridge, honey mustard but the star was Avocado Blue Cheese Dip. Oh my. So Good. The dip was great with the chicken alone or with the buffalo sauce and with tortilla chips. I look forward to trying this dip on lots and lots of things.

Justin's Avocado Blue Cheese Dip
3 garlic cloves
pinch of kosher salt
1 Haas avocado, mashed
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp sour cream
2 oz by weight crumbled blue cheese

Roast garlic with peel on in cast iron skillet in the oven under the broiler until outside is brown, let cool. Finely chop garlic, then add sour cream, mayo, lemon juice and mashed avocado until combined. Mix blue cheese with avocado mixture. Cover with plastic with plastic touching dip and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Confessions of a DIY Girl

I have a confession to make- Spaghetti-O's are one of my favorite foods (and I prefer them straight out of the can, cold). I recently confessed this to my 6 year old and told him not to tell a soul. But here I am proclaiming it to the world. I also recently bought Spaghetti-O's for my kids. They love them, they think they are a huge treat. But I felt guilty for buying it.

I believe very strongly in DIY in the kitchen- making your own salad dressings, bread, jam and pickles(of course) and lots and lots of other things. It almost always tastes better, is better for you and in the long run is cheaper. And of course, I like to know just exactly who has touched my food- me. Lately I am starting to feel the pressure of being a DIY girl. I am feeling overwhelmed by the need to create everything I eat. My mom and dad have always been great cooks. Dinner was always eaten at the table. But let's face it, I was a suburban kid in the 70's and 80's. A lot of the food I was raised on was ready to eat, off the store shelf staples. Like Spaghetti-O's. But look at me- I am fine. Spaghetti-O's are one of my favorite foods and I turned out great. I love good food and love to create good food.

 I am in no way giving up doing it myself in the kitchen, no way. The satisfaction I get from creating amazing food for my family far outweighs the pressure I might feel. But I am going to give myself a break and not stress out about instant grits, canned spaghetti and potato chips.

Whew! I feel so much better for getting that off my chest.

HOWEVER, no store bought jam will ever be purchased by me. Somethings are sacred.


Is there a food that you absolutely will not buy but have to make it yourself? Is there one that you will never make yourself?

Dark Days #I'mSoBehindI'veLostCount- French Onion Soup

I am really behind on writing an cooking. I am sure you are sick of hearing me belly ache about it. I think I am not alone, however. It seems that everyone is having a hard time getting it in gear right now. February will be better. I will be so inspired that the posts will practically write themselves.

French Onion Soup
3 tbsp olive oil-exempt
3 tbsp salted butter-exempt
5 onions, sliced thin- from my garden
1 tsp of salt- exempt
2 tbsp red wine-North GA
1/4 tsp dried thyme- from my garden
2 cloves of garlic, minced- from my garden
6 cups of venison stock (of course, beef stock is usually used)-made from local deer (vegetarian option is to use vegetable stock)
1 cup shredded Calamata Sunshine Cheese from Greendale Farm
Homemade bran bread sliced and toasted

Melt butter in bottom of large pot, add olive oil, heat on medium. Add sliced onions and minced garlic, cook on medium heat for 20 minutes or until onions caramelize. Add salt, red wine, and thyme, mix t combine. Pour in stock, simmer on medium low to low for 1 hour. Serve with toasted bread floating in soup and cover with shredded cheese. Put under broiler for about 30 seconds to melt cheese.

**Helpful Hint- my friend who is a chef in Miami told me that if you add the salt before the onions are caramelized that they won't caramelize.

OMG Mac and Cheese

I think part of my cooking rut has been my weird appetite lately (no I'm not pregnant, this is always my mom's 1st question if you ever say you feel weird). All I want to eat is cheese, pasta and eggs. So I have decided to just cook through by cooking block and make what sounds good. Plus, the weather is calling for snow so we need some oooey-gooey comfort food.

OMG Mac and Cheese
1 lb elbow or small shells pasta
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
8 oz gruyere cheese, grated
8 oz parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 stick salted butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp flour
fresh cracked pepper to taste
dash of fresh nutmeg
a little more cheese for topping
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Boil pasta according to al dente, drain and set aside. In same pot that you boiled pasta melt butter on low, add flour and mix until smooth, add buttermilk, cheese, pepper and nutmeg. Cook on low until incorporated and smooth. Toss cooked pasta into cheese sauce, stir to combine. Butter casserole dish, pour pasta in dish. Top with extra grated cheese. Top cheese with panko. Bake for 30 minutes on 350.