Soft Pretzel Bites

~UPDATE~
A reader suggested I add a hearty shake of baking soda to the water before boiling the dough to make them taste more like pretzels. Well, holy shit, if it didn't produce the most amazing pretzels ever!

I mean, just look at how they turned out. I didn't change one thing other than the baking soda and look how much darker and pretzel-er they are.

Thank you so much, Mrs.A!



Soft pretzels are a weakness of mine. I love going to the fair or a baseball game and ordering them. A soft pretzel with cheese and cold beer are a damn near perfect afternoon.

I was always intimidated to make them on my own, since I still get nervous about making bread from scratch. But, good old Pinterest sucked me in again, and I found a recipe that didn't require me to make the dough from scratch.

These were super easy to make and they were a great snack. I need to make cheese sauce the next time I make them.

Ingredients:
5-10 Texas size Rhodes roll, thawed
baking soda
1/2 stick butter melted
sea salt to taste
garlic powder to taste
onion powder to taste

Directions:

~Thaw roll according to package, once thawed cut into quarters. Place dough on greased sheets. Cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, and let dough rise until double in size (about 35-45 minutes).

~Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil over high heat. Add a hearty shake of baking soda to the water, carefully since the water will bubble up rapidly. When dough has risen, drop several pieces of dough in boiling water for 30 to 45 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon, and place dough on paper towels to drain slightly.

~Move dough to greased baking sheets, and bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until done and golden brown.

~Meanwhile combine salt, onion and garlic powder in a small bowl. I think I used a hearty half tablespoon of each. When dough comes out of the oven, brush with melted butter, sprinkle with salt mixture. Serve warm.

recipe modified from: Get Off Your Butt and Bake

CSA - Week 11

CORN!!

I love corn. It is one of my favorite veggies of all time. It is probably b/c it is starchy and my ass loves starch. So I was very happy this week when we got 4 ears of corn - 2 large and 2 small. We also got garlic, parsley, summer squash, chard, green beans and salad mix.

I was so excited to have corn, that we had it that night, along with pork chops I bought from the farmer at my CSA pickup, green beans and salad. The only thing I didn't get at the CSA this night for dinner was the taters (which I boiled until tender, then grilled and topped with butter and parsley).

Potatoes Gratin/Au Gratin Taters

We eat a lot of taters on our house if you haven't noticed. But even I get tired of butter crisped taters and having mashed taters in summer is just wrong. I am still too lazy to fix twice baked taters on the regular, so that leaves me with the option of potatoes gratin.

Now, since The Good Husband is weird about food, I have to call them au gratin taters or he thinks there is something weird in it and won't eat it.

I modified this recipe from an Ina Garten one for tater and fennel gratin. Since I had no fennel this week in my CSA, I just used regular taters.

I slice the taters on my mandolin, trying not to cut my finger off again, so the taters come out uniform in thickness. I also slice them on the thinnest setting so they will cook faster.

Ingredients:
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 pounds russet potatoes (4 large potatoes)
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons milk or half and half
2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
~Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

~Butter the inside of a 10-by-15-by-2-inch (10-cup) baking dish.

~Saute onions and garlic in the olive oil and butter on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until tender. Peel the potatoes, then thinly slice with a mandoline. Mix the sliced potatoes in a large bowl with 2 cups of milk or half and half, 2 cups of cheddar, salt, and pepper. Add the sauteed onion and garlic and mix well.

~Pour the potatoes into the baking dish. Press down to smooth the potatoes. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk or half and half and 1/2 cup of cheddar and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the top is browned and bubbly. Allow to set for 10 minutes and serve.

recipe modified from: Ina Garten

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

I have a weakness for ice cream and with the last heat wave we had here in the Midwest, I am starting to think that it is an essential survival tool.

Since I have already made vanilla and birthday cake ice cream, I thought it was time to add in candy and shit. Mint chocolate chip ice cream is in my top five favorite flavors, so I thought I would start there.

The base for this contained egg yolks, so it made for a rich flavor. Since the base wasn't very ass friendly with all the yolks, I swapped out the whole milk and cream for 2% and half and half. I used all organic dairy, sugar and eggs since I knew The Good Daughter would eat just as much of this as we did. But you don't have to go the organic route if you and your wallet can't. I also used mint baking chips instead of regular chocolate chips, since I saw them at the store and bought them during a chocolate craving.

I put a heavy pinch of salt in this and it was almost too much. I will have to remedy that next time.

Needless to say, this lasted about 3 days in the freezer before it was eaten. I will have to make more in order to survive the next heat wave.

Ingredients:
2 cups organic half and half, divided
1½ cups organic 2% milk
¾ cup granulated organic sugar
Pinch of salt
4 organic egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons mint extract
½ cup mint baking chips

Directions:
~Warm 1 cup of the half and half, 2% milk, granulated sugar and pinch of salt in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves.

~Pour the remaining 1 cup of half and half into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

~Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the of a spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the half and half. Add the vanilla and mint extracts, and stir until cool.

~Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator (preferably overnight). Churn according to your ice cream maker’s directions, adding the mint baking chips during the last 5 minutes of churning.

Recipe modified from: Brown Eyed Baker

Cucumber Mint Water

I should have never joined Pinterest. In addition to adding to the list of things I want to make, I am totally envious of all the beautiful food photos I see. This recipe was inspired by this pin. And I am sad my photo isn't as awesome.

Cucumber mint water just sounded so refreshing during this heat wave and I had all the ingredients from my CSA this week. Add it was so easy to make I can't even really consider it a recipe. I only wish it were carbonated, but I supposed I could have added carbonated water.

Ingredients:
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
2 mint sprigs
ice
water

Directions:
~Fill a pitcher half way with ice. Add the cucumber and mint and add water until full.

~Enjoy!

recipe by:The Good Wife

CSA - Week 10

This week we got swiss chard, 'taters, cabbage, carrots, cucumber, mint and oregano. The Good Husband is loving the 'taters and The Good Daughter ate half of the carrots on the way home from the farm.

CSA - What the hell is it?

Now that I have several weeks of CSA baskets blogged and eaten, I thought it would be a good idea to go over the basics of a CSA and cover some common questions.

First - CSA stands for Community Support Agriculture. Most of the time around here when I tell people I have a part in a CSA, I get blank looks. However, if I say I am part of a farm share, people seem to know what the hell I am talking about. So CSA or farm share, whatever.

It just means that I pay our farmer at the beginning of the season for his talent, time and land and in return I get a share of the veggies each week. It is a great way to support local farmers, local resources and enjoy fresh produce which I couldn't grow on my own. CSAs are good for the environment since food doesn't travel thousands of miles to get to you and, at least for my farmers, uses natural, chemical free ways to maintain crops and control pests, and is good for your health since we all need to eat more veggies.

So what are some things to think about before joining a CSA?

~Can you eat outside the box?
I won't lie. This is probably the hardest part for me but it is also the most fun. I am being exposed to new veggies all the time that I wouldn't have picked up on my own. I love finding new ways to eat them and really love the culinary skills I am building. It also helps that The Good Daughter will eat anything. I don't think she has ever turned down any fresh veggie. So when there is something I am not too keen on, such as greens, TGD will eat them up along with The Good Husband. Conversely, when there is something TGH won't eat, I probably will.

~Do you have the time?
I have to drive to the farm each week and pick up my share. The pick up time is right after work for me, so I can just head on out there after I pick up TGD from daycare. If it were any other time, I might not be able to join. I could find someone that has a share too and lives close to me and do a kind of veggie car pool but so far I have been going there each week. If you find a CSA that you love but can't ever pick up the produce, you might be wasting time and money joining.

~Can you actually get there?
We got lost the first time we went out to the farm b/c google maps can't figure out BFE Illinois. But now that I know how to get to the farm, I know it will only take 10 minutes or so to get there. If you want to join a CSA that takes 45 minutes to get to but pick up is only for an hour, you might not want to join.

~Can you take the risk?
As with anything in nature, things happen outside the realm of our control. You could lose some crops to pests or drought or flood. I know my farmer works as had as he can to make sure we all get what we pay for but sometimes you can't control everything. You have to be able to deal with any setbacks from nature.

~Do you have to work?
Some CSAs also require some manual labor. Check yours to make sure what the requirements are and if you can meet them.

~What do you get, how much is it and for how long?
After you know you can find the farm, be there on time and work if you have to, you need to know what you get for how much for how long. This CSA runs from May to October. It costs less than $10 a week.

~What veggies will I get, how much will it be and how many people can I feed?
I get a half share which includes a minimum of seven different kinds of produce with a mix of familiar (taters, corn, green beans) and unique (fennel, kohlrabi). This feeds my family of 3 a menu heavy on veggies. I think another key to being in a CSA is being ok with the same veggies for weeks in a row. In the beginning we were eating a ton of greens. Now we are getting more of a variety. If you don't think you will like eating the same 3 veggies every week for a month, you might not like a CSA.

~Do you get only what is produced at the farm or do other farmers sell their products as well?
I told you my CSA just partnered with another local farmer to offer meats and goat cheese for sale when we pick up our shares. This is a great way to meet more local farmers and for her to rely on a steady flow of customers. The CSA I did two years ago did not offer this.

~What is their farming philosophy?
You are supporting the farm, you should know how they operate. I get weekly updates from our farmer about the crops and conditions, etc. Most of the time, they will be more than happy to tell you how they grow and harvest.

~Is there a waiting list?
I was on the waiting list for 2 years for this CSA. The year TGD was born, I gave them my name and email for the waiting list. They contacted me this spring. So far it has been worth the wait.

~Do we get updates?
Another thing I love about this CSA is we get weekly updates about what will be in our box, how the crops are looking and recipes for the veggies we will get this week. I love having a heads up since I am not all that familiar with what grows when in Illinois.

~How do I find a CSA?
Talk to the vendors at your local farmer's market. My CSA has the best booth at the farmer's market. I had chatted with them before and got signed up for the waiting list while shopping with TGD. You can also check out http://www.localharvest.org/ and http://www.eatwild.com/.

~Do they have references?
Most CSAs should give you a list of past clients so you can contact them for information.

I hope this covered the basics of a CSA, what it is, what questions you should ask and what you can expect if you join one.

Do you have a question I didn't cover? Email me at the link in the right sidebar and I will do my best to answer.

CSA - Week 9

This week we got cucumbers, yellow squash, onion, basil, kale, green beans and beets. I also bought more goat cheese.

I made easy garlic dill pickles with the cucumbers (recipe to follow). I cooked the green beans in onion and bacon and had them as a side dish one night.

This coming week, there might be duck for sale and I must just try it. We'll see.

How to plan a party

I recently threw The Good Daughter one hell of a birthday party. It took a lot of planning. The last two weeks before her birthday were dedicated to buying and making decorations, games, decor and food.

I couldn't have done it without some sort of list and planning tools. I actually had an idea of the theme, games and menu way back in March. Yes March, for a birthday in June. And yes, I know I'm crazy.

this is my rough draft for the backyard layout of the party

But it was a huge relief for me to have everything written down and in one spot. That way I could go over it when I had free time and modify any detail.

The Good Husband could look at the list and know what the hell was going on too, so when the morning of her party came, he would know how to help me set up. The same with my mom and grandma.

So I decided to create a party planning template to go into my household binder, aka The Brains of the Operation.

I'll be planning parties for at least another 19 years for The Good Daughter as well as any additional kiddo we might have, so this will come in handy, even if for once a year. And besides, it's never too early to plan for next year.

Camping birthday next year?

You can download this template here for your own BotO.