Great White Punch

A friend asked me for this recipe for a party I went to yesterday. She made it, but when I tasted it for the umpteenth time, I was reminded of just how good this stuff is. Almost seems too simple to be great, but believe me, it's worthy of sharing...

Great White Punch
(Marilyn Hulme, my YW advisor growing up)

1 small can limeade
11 c. water
3 c. sugar

Combine all 3 ingredients and freeze at least 24 hours in advance (but obviously can be done LONG in advance).
Remove from freezer one hour before serving.
Break/cut into chunks and serve in punchbowl with 7-Up (1-2 liters)
**Can add food coloring before freezing if you want it to be a specific color to match "theme"

Frog Eye Salad

I realize that this salad is not for everyone, but even with my "textural food hangups," this is one of my favorites! I usually rely on the back of the Acini de Pepe pasta box for the recipe, but this last box didn't have the recipe on it. So I went to http://www.allrecipes.com/ to find it. I made it last night for a party I am going to today...I can't wait to dig in! (and it made a LOT, so I am sure I'll have leftovers to bring home)

Frog Eye Salad
(allrecipes.com)

1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 quarts water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 (16 ounce) package acini di pepe pasta

3 (11 ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained
2 (20 ounce) cans pineapple tidbits, drained
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup shredded coconut (optional)

In a sauce pan, combine sugar, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pineapple juice and eggs. Stir and cook over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat; add lemon juice and cool to room temperature.
Bring water to a boil, add oil, remaining salt and cook pasta until al dente. Rinse under cold water and drain.
Once these are both cool, combine them and refrigerate overnight.
On the morning, combine the pasta mixture with all the fruit, whipped topping and marshmallows (and coconut, if you are using). Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Makes a LOT!
**By keeping the pasta & fruit separate until closer to serving time, it keeps the pasta more "al dente" and therefore, a better texture.

Chicken & Artichokes / Cookie Dough Brownies

Chicken & Artichokes over Rice
(thanks to Paige Storheim, a friend from Rochester, NY)

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 can cream of celery
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. whipping cream OR evaporated milk
**I usually don't have whipping cream or evaporated milk on hand, so I just do a total of 1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
2 Tblspn. sherry (I never have this, so I just use the brine/marinade from the artichokes)
1 c. parmesan cheese, grated
2 cans artichoke hearts, drained and cut into bite size pieces
**I LOVE the huge jar of artichoke hearts sold at Costco. They are in a great tasting marinade and come in handy for all of the artichoke recipes I make. MUCH cheaper than individual cans and MUCH better flavor

Mix all ingredients together.
Pour into a 9 X 13 pan and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly (about 1/2 hour).
Serve over rice.

Cookie Dough Brownies
(thanks to Jessica Lee, a friend from Rochester, NY)

1 fudge brownie mix (9 X 13 pan)
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. softened butter
2 Tblspn. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. flour
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Tblspn. vegetable oil

Bake brownies according to package direction.
**my favorite are the Ghiradelli Triple Chocolate Brownies from Costco
Cream sugars and butter.
Add milk and vanilla.
Mix in flour.
Spread over brownies (almost like a thick frosting)
Melt chocolate chips and vegetable oil in microwave.
Spread on cookie dough.
Chill until ready to serve & then keep chilled.

For anyone who loves brownies like I do, this recipe is a MUST TRY! Super YUMMY!

Slow Cookin'

No, this is not a crockpot recipe, but more of an apology for those few who actually check this blog looking to be inspired. I have been out of town for the past 4 nights, and now Marc will be out of town for the next 4 nights, which means no real dinners for us. I think Marc did a lot of eating out with the girls while I was out of town, and I resort back to a lot of noodles while he is out of town. So I don't have a lot of cooking inspiration to offer. However, we are having a old favorite for dinner tonight, and I made an old favorite last week that I never posted. So I will post those and try to get more creative next week. Happy cooking (& eating)!

Cream Cheese Potato Soup

It was a cold, rainy day here in TX. Perfect soup weather. I have torn out a bazillion potato soup recipes, looking for the perfect one. This soup turned out nothing like I was expecting. It is not a cheesy, thick, hearty potato soup--definitely different than the bacon/cheddar cheese/potato soup I am used to--but definitely good in it's own right. The key ingredient is the dill weed. I love dill--it reminds me of the summer we spent in Finland....every day we would walk down to the produce market at the marina and you could smell the fresh dill at every produce stand. People would buy huge armfuls of fresh cut dill (like a massive bouquet of flowers) and use it generously in a lot of Finnnish dishes. Marc commented on how good the dill was in it, too--maybe that's why we liked it so much.
The other great thing about the soup is that it is SUPER easy to throw together....seriously. Because the potatoes are just frozen hashbrowns, there is no peeling & dicing of potatoes or any other prep work involved. I even bought a bag of cubed ham in the deli dept and just threw it in. Nice.
But because this was not a thick, hearty soup, I made grilled sandwiches and a green salad to go with it. A great meal on this cold day.

Cream Cheese Potato Soup
(Quick Cooking, Nov/Dec 2003)

6 cups water
6 boullion cubes (OR 7 tsp. chicken boullion granules)
2 pkgs. cream cheese (I used fat-free and it turned out fine)
1 pkg. (30 oz) frozen cubed hashbrown potatoes, thawed (I didn't thaw mine)
1/2 c. chopped onion
**note: I used OreIda hashbrowns that had onion and peppers already chopped up in it, so I omitted the 1/2 c. onion
1 1/2 c. fully cooked ham, cubed
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dill weed

In a large pot, combine the water and boullion. Then add the cream cheese; cook and stir until cheese is melted. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, for 18-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
About 12 servings.

No meals for the next 3 days!

Friday = leftovers, or maybe BLT's depending on how ambitious Marc is feeling (I'm working)
Saturday = date night & we're eating out
Sunday = leftovers, cereal, noodles, whatever (I'm working)

We will start next week out with all new recipes again...I already have my menu made up! See you Monday night!

Gouda Stuffed Chicken Breasts & Cheesy Harvest Vegetables

Both of these dishes are "so last season"--meaning they just taste like Fall--very October-November. Between the apples in in the chicken dish and the Fall vegetables seasoned with a hint of nutmeg, you can't help but think of crunchy leaves and crisp sunny days with wood burning fireplaces scenting the air. OK, enough reminiscing about the East coast....this meal was just as good mid-January in Texas.
(notice how I am not quoting Marc in my review...he was feeling too much pressure as my food critic)

Gouda Stuffed Chicken
(Light & Tasty, Feb/March 2008)

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)
2 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, cut into thin pieces
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup apple cider or unsweetened apple juice
2 large tart apples, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon honey

Cut a slit lengthwise through the thickest part of each chicken breast; fill with cheese. In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Dip chicken in flour mixture on both sides; shake off excess. In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook chicken in 1-1/2 teaspoons oil over medium heat for 8-10 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.
In the same skillet, saute garlic in remaining oil for 30 seconds. Add broth and cider, stirring to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 12-14 minutes or until mixture is reduced to about 1 cup.
Stir in apples and honey; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-7 minutes or until apples are crisp-tender. Serve over chicken.
4 Servings.

Cheesy Harvest Vegetables
(Kraft Foods, Fall 2006)

2 lb. mixed fall vegetables (butternut squash, sweet potatoes, turnips, parsnips and carrots), peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
3 cups milk
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream Cheese, cubed
1 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
8 RITZ Crackers, crushed (about 1/3 cup crumbs)

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place vegetables and milk in large saucepan. Bring to boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 20 min. or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
Add cream cheese; cook until completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently. Stir in Parmesan cheese and nutmeg.
Pour into greased 2-qt. casserole dish; sprinkle with cracker crumbs.
Bake 30 min. or until top is golden brown and vegetable mixture is heated through.
(I used slightly less than 6 cups of veggies and ended up with a little too much sauce, so don't be afraid to be generous with your veggies, plus that will feed more. If you have a small family, cut the entire recipe in half. I also used about 1lb. carrots, 1/2 lb. butternut squash and 1/2 lb sweet potatoes (to equal the 2 lb.), just because I knew that's what my family was more likely to eat)