I Don’t Do Jell-O

I’ve mentioned numerous times that I love to cook.  And I love to make all kinds of food, from traditional comfort to gourmet to ethnic.  But I don’t do Jell-O.  I know.  You might say that it’s just about the easiest thing out there to make.  And I would agree with that assumption.  But for some reason unknown to me, I am unable to produce an adequate Jell-O product.  To be fair, I haven’t tried for some time, having given up awhile ago when multiple tries were unsuccessful.  And you might be asking yourself, “In what way were these tries unsuccessful?”  I will try to describe for you:  the bottom would tend to be thick, rubbery and chewy, while the top was just fine.  Sometimes the texture would even be less than the smooth variety one expects with Jell-O. 

So, if you’re looking for just some good ‘ole plain Jell-O at my house, you’re going to have to call ahead and allow me time to run to the store for some premade Jell-O cups.  That’s the kind I serve at my house.  And if I tell you I’m making Jell-O or a Jell-O salad, what I probably mean is something made with pudding, maybe mixed with some Jell-O, but not made in the traditional Jell-O way at all.  Usually my Jell-O salads have pudding and Cool Whip and fruit.  Just an FYI.

I Don’t Do Messy: BBQ

I know BBQ is a favorite cuisine for many people.  I like the taste of BBQ and I love the smell.  But I can’t get behind the mess.  My husband and I have regularly discussed our mutual agreement that foods that are messy are not high on our list.  We feel you shouldn’t have to work so hard for your food.  Crab legs fall into this category for me as well, though Jake has decided they’re worth the effort for him after he finally figured out the cracking contraption tool and how best to use it.  But BBQ tops the messy list for me.  Not only do you have to eat it with your hands, which obviously makes your hands dirty, but it’s also covered in sauce, which gets on your face, under your fingernails, maybe even in your hair if you have naturally uncontrolled hair like me.  And don’t get me started on the fact that I know my husband’s shirts will inevitably have fun little spots of sauce on them afterwards, which he will fail to tell me about prior to washing. 

A little side note about BBQ:  it’s apparently become the new fancy food treat.  I’ve been to nice restaurants in Kansas City and Cincinnati that serve famous BBQ fare in an upscale environment.  And you pay a pretty penny for it.  This bewilders me more than a little.  Mostly due to the fact that BBQ is messy, as mentioned above.  And isn’t BBQ the standard backyard, graduation party, summer cookout meal?  That means “casual” and “cheap” to me, in every sense.  But apparently I just don’t get what BBQ is all about.  Again, I like it.  And if I don’t have to hold it in my hands and get it all over me, I’m in.  Especially if I don’t have to pay up the sauce-covered nose for it.

I Like It, I Really Like It!

One of the memorable commercials from my childhood was for a cereal called Life.  And the title to this post is a nod to that commercial.  Mikey happened to be a picky eater, but he liked that particular cereal, which seemed to come as a surprise to his family members due to his general pickiness when it came to food.

Let it be no surprise to you, my friends, that I like – I really like – cereal.  Pretty much all cereal.  (Though Grapenuts have never really caught on for me, but I’d be willing to try them again at some point.  They do hold a strange appeal for me, but I remember being disappointed when I tried them several years back.  The palate can change over time, though.)  At the moment I’m writing this, I have a pantry full of cereals: Rice Krispies (generic, of course), Honey Nut Cheerios (NEVER generic), Lucky Charms (sometimes generic but not at this moment), Crispix (another generic), Reese’s Puffs (not generic now) and finally, Total Blueberry Pomegranate (a new try for me).  I think you can tell just from this list that my husband and I are partial to cereal.  I remember feeling an overwhelming sense of love for Jake a couple years ago when he looked at me as we were eating cereal for dinner one evening and said, “You know, I really do like cereal a lot.”  Bliss, people.  Sheer marital bliss.

Over the years I’ve had some favorite cereals, and Lucky Charms will probably always have a place on that list no matter how old I get.  As will Kix, for some reason unbeknownst to my bewildered husband.  And Honey Nut Cheerios.  That’s a classic, folks.  (I should note that I recently discovered that Lucky Charms has the same amount of calories and carbs & actually has LESS fat than Honey Nut Cheerios.  Crazy!)  And I can’t forget Corn Pops.  Oh, how I love Corn Pops…

Many times I have been extremely disappointed to find that a favorite cereal was no longer available.  I still remember how sad I was when I realized I could no longer buy Oatmeal Raisin Crisp with almonds.  Now you have to choose between having the raisins or having the almonds.  And it wasn’t all that long ago that my husband and I discovered the far-superior chocolate puff cereal, Nesquik, only to have it taken away.  This cereal was actually made so that the round chocolate pieces would release a layer of chocolate powder into your cereal’s milk so that after you ate the still-quite-chocolatey cereal, you had true chocolate milk leftover to entice you (to actually finish the milk!).  Far before that day, though, I remember loving to pick out the little blue marshmallows that came in the Booberry cereal my mother RARELY bought us.  They were just tiny pill-shaped marshmallows at that time, and I loved to pick them out and put them in an old film case and pretend they were pills; I would pretend I was a patient that had been prescribed this serious medicine and wouldn’t hesitate to ingest my cure.  Now, they still carry Booberry cereal, but the marshmallows are no longer in that same shape or size.  They are now in ghost shapes, I believe.  Which is okay, but not the nostalgic favorite of mine.

Let me end with this: many of you will recall that I have described myself as a “foodie” and at times I’ve noted my love of “gourmet” food.  And some would suggest that the idea of loving cereal as much as I obviously do and remaining a “foodie” or “gourmet” would be incompatible, but I absolutely believe that underneath every gourmet chef’s hat is a man or woman who wakes up in the morning to a good bowl of Kellogg’s best.  Or Post’s.  Or General Mills’. 

The Best Potato Soup

On a hot day like today, don’t you just crave a steaming bowl of potato soup!  Ha!  But I love potato soup.  I’ve never had one I didn’t like, other than out of a can.  (Sorry, Campbell’s, I just can’t get on board with the baked potato Chunky soups like I can the Chicken Corn Chowder or Split Pea with Ham.)  My mother-in-law makes a good potato soup that is entirely different from her sister’s, Jake’s Aunt Connie.  My mother made a good potato soup, sometimes out of leftover mashed potatoes.  And I love them all. 

However, we had some friends over last winter and I served them the potato soup I make.  It’s from a recipe my mom secreted from The Iowa Machine Shed restaurant years ago and published in my home church’s second cookbook.  Apparently these friends had not always had the pleasant experiences with potato soup that I’ve had.  I guess they were a bit wary, but willing to try my potato soup.  (They were too gracious to let me in on this until later, after they’d tried it.)  And unless they were lying their faces off, they liked it.  One of them even expressed that he thought it might be the best he’d ever had.  My husband readily agreed, which surprised me somewhat since I’d made it several times previously for him and he’d always liked it (it has bacon as an ingredient, which will pretty much secure a positive response from Jake) but he’d never before admitted to such a strong preference for it over others.  But I’m glad the reviews are such raves, because honestly, it’s kind of a lot of work and definitely requires many dishes to be washed after.  But I love it too.  And I’m willing to go to the work for the outcome.  Not just because others evidently like it so much too.  But because I do as well.  And I really cook mostly for me, I guess.  Though if that were entirely true, I’d cook with a lot more cheese!

Baked Potato Soup from The Iowa Machine Shed

2 ½ lbs. baby red potatoes, quartered                      

1 tsp salt*

½ lb. bacon, diced                                                      

1 tsp pepper

1 jumbo yellow onion, diced                                      

1 ½ sticks marg / butter

¼ bunch celery, diced (opt – Jake hates, so I leave out)

2 oz. chicken soup base                                             

¾ C flour

1 qt milk                                                                     

1 C whipping cream or Half & Half

¼ bunch parsley, chopped (I use parsley flakes)

Boil potatoes in 1 qt water for 10 min.  Set aside; do not drain.  In a large, heavy pot, sauté bacon, onions & celery over med-high heat until onions / celery are tender.   Drain bacon grease.  Add milk, potato water, chicken base, salt & pepper (*I hold off on the salt until the end because I think the bacon makes it plenty salty for me).  Heat over med-high heat until very hot.  DO NOT BOIL.  In a large, heavy saucepan, melt marg.  Add flour; mix well and allow to bubble, stirring for 1 min.  While stirring soup, constantly add the flour and marg mixture slowly.  (I use a nylon whisk to avoid flour mixture chunks.)  Continue stirring until soup is thick and creamy.  Stir in potatoes, parsley and cream or Half & Half.  Serve while hot.  Garnish with cheddar cheese, fried bacon bits and sliced green onions, as desired.

Go-To Food

I have ‘go-to’ food.  Meals or sides that I almost always have the stuff to make and that are pretty quick and easy and people-pleasing.  If anyone has eaten at my house, you’ve probably had my garlic herb roasted potatoes or Jake’s Aunt Marti’s corn.  I tend to make Mindi Ross’s pasta salad recipe a LOT.  And any time it’s just Jake & I and I don’t feel like really cooking, I can make salsa chicken.  It used to not be Jake’s favorite dish, but he’s come to like it all right.  Probably just from sheer over exposure.  In the summer, a good BLT with fresh garden tomatoes and precooked bacon strips that I just have to microwave are staples for us.  To be honest, the “L” is usually left out, as Jake & I don’t feel a great need for the lettuce.  And the bread MUST be toasted (that way it’s not as gross) and swiped with Miracle Whip (NOT mayo for our BLTs).  And fresh tomatoes with chicken salad works great as a regular meal for us too.  I love Italian marinated chicken on the grill, so thanks to my good friend Emily Cooper who introduced me to the most flavorful & easy way to make that happen (goes great with either the aforementioned garlic herb roasted potatoes & Aunt Marti’s corn or the pasta salad, too).  As for desserts, chocolate chip granola bars, Funfetti cookies, devil’s food cake w/ Penuche frosting and Rice Krispie treats are definitely ‘go-tos’ for me.  Recently, I’ve added oven s’mores to that list as well.  (They are a revelation!)

Do you have ‘go-to’ food?   Please share!

Here are the recipes for my ‘go-tos’ listed above.

Garlic Herb Roasted Potatoes

1 envelope Lipton Savory Herb & Garlic Soup Mix   

¼ C olive or vegetable oil

2 lbs potatoes, washed & cubed (red potatoes work the best)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  In a large bowl, add all ingredients and toss until potatoes are evenly coated.  Spread potatoes in a shallow baking pan.  Bake 40 minutes or until tender and golden brown, stirring once midway through.  Serves approx. 8 as a side dish.

Aunt Marti’s Corn

1 large bag frozen corn                                             

½ stick butter / marg.

1 T sugar                                                                    

1 tsp thyme

Heat butter and corn in pan; sprinkle with sugar and time and heat through, stirring occasionally. 

Pasta Salad

1/3 C oil                                                                     

1/3 C vinegar

little less than 1/3 C sugar                                         

pepperoni, cut into bite-size pieces

baby carrots, sliced                                                    

onion flakes, to taste

pepper, garlic pwdr, onion pwder, salt, to taste       

cooked pasta (I prefer Gemelli)

Mix oil, vinegar, sugar and spices.  Add pepperoni, carrots, onion flakes; mix well.  (You can add anything else you normally like in a pasta salad such as broccoli, olives, tomatoes, etc.)  Drain pasta and toss with dressing.  Chill until serving.  Be sure to mix again before serving, as dressing can settle on bottom.

Salsa Chicken

2-4 chicken breasts, cubed                                        

12 – 16 oz jar salsa

2-4 T sour cream                                                       

hot cooked rice

Spray skillet with cooking spray.  Cook chicken over medium heat until no longer pink.  Add salsa; heat through.  Add sour cream.  Serve over rice.  Serves 2-4.

Chicken Salad with Tomatoes

1 large can chicken breast meat, flaked                   

Mayonnaise, as desired

1 can sliced water chestnuts, chopped or jicama, peeled & chopped

Tastefully Simple’s Bacon Bacon or bacon bits, garlic powder, salt, as desired

Mix all ingredients.  Quarter fresh tomatoes and serve chicken salad in center of tomato pieces.

Italian Marinated Chicken

1 bottle of Italian dressing, preferably not fat free (higher fat content increases marinade absorption into chicken)           

2-6 frozen chicken breasts

Put chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag.  Add entire bottle of Italian dressing.  Place in refrigerator for at least 2 days, turning occasionally.  When ready to fix, drain off marinade.  Grill, broil or bake chicken breasts as desired. 

Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

1 C brown sugar                                                         

¼ C honey

¾ C butter / marg                                                      

1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

4 C oatmeal (quick oats work the best in my experience)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt butter/marg in microwave, then stir in brown sugar.  Add remaining ingredients, chocolate chips last to prevent melting.  Stir well until evenly coated.  Press firmly in an even layer in 9x13 or slightly smaller bar pan.  Bake for 25-30 min. until golden brown.  Cool for 30 min. and cut into bars.  Makes 24 bars. 

Funfetti Cookies

1 box Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix                               

1/3 C oil

2 eggs                                                                         

sugar

1 can Pillsbury Funfetti frosting

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine cake mix, oil & eggs.  Stir until thoroughly moistened.  Using cooking scoop, place cookie dough on ungreased cookie sheet.  With flat bottom of glass dipped in sugar, flatten dough to ¼ inch thickness.  Bake for 6-8 min.  Cool 1 minute before removing cookie from baking sheet to cooling rack.  Frost cookies and enjoy.  (This recipe works with any cake mix, but Funfetti is my fave.)

Devil’s Food Cake with Penuche (caramel) Frosting

Make devil’s food cake from cake mix as directed in a 9x13 pan.  Let cool.  Make frosting as directed below and frost cake.  I usually make the night before to let set.

Frosting:

6 T butter / marg.

¾ C brown sugar

1/8 C plus 1 T milk

¼ tsp salt

¾ tsp vanilla

1 ½ - 2 C powdered sugar

Melt butter in small saucepan.  Add brown sugar and bring mixture to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat & simmer for 2 min, stirring constantly.  Add milk & bring to boil again, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat & pour into a mixing bowl.  Let cool.  (This takes awhile, so sometimes I put it in the freezer to speed the process but you have to watch it – I’ve ruined it by letting it get too cold before.) Add salt & vanilla; gradually beat in powdered sugar (I use a hand whisk but you can use a mixer).  Beat until the frosting is creamy & the right consistency for spreading. (This frosting can get thick awfully fast, so if that happens, just use a knife dipped in warm water to easy in spreading.)  **This recipe works for a 9x13 cake; double the recipe for a layered cake.

Rice Krispie Treats

10.5 oz bag of mini marshmallows                           

3 T butter / marg

6 C Rice Krispies cereal

Melt margarine / butter & marshmallows in a large pan on the stove, stirring occasionally.  When melted & smooth, remove from heat & stir in cereal until well coated.  Spread into a greased 9x13 pan; use greased hands to press into place.  Let cool & cut into bars.  Makes 24 bars.  (Optional: for thicker treats, use a 9x9 pan.)

Oven S’mores

large marshmallows                                                  

graham crackers

large, thick chocolate bar(s), chilled in fridge

Line baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Place graham crackers in pan.  Top with desired amount of chocolate and one large marshmallow.  Set oven to broil.  Place baking sheet in oven for short amount of time, just long enough to start turning the tops of the marshmallows brown (less than 2 min usually).  Remove baking sheet and place another graham cracker on top of each s’more.  Serve with plenty of napkins and enjoy the gooey, drippy treats.  **Note: I did not know this until recently but you do not have to let your oven “heat up” to a broiling temp.  It will reach it almost immediately (somehow).  That makes this easy treat even faster!

Nothing Fancy

As you’ve seen from some of my previous posts, I’m into some gourmet foods.  But as you’ve also probably noticed, I’m all about the traditional comfort foods as well.  Nothing hits the spot for me better than Rice Krispie treats and grape Kool-Aid.  And yes, I’m serious.  I can eat Rice Krispie treats two-fisted and have the pan gone in a matter of minutes.  They’re deceptively bad for you – they taste like sugar-spun air goodness!  (That phrase makes me think of cotton candy, another fantastic classic treat for me.)  And some of you know my addiction to grape Kool-Aid.  I don’t use the word “addiction” lightly.  But it most accurately describes my relationship to that beverage.  No other flavor has quite the impact for me.  I’ve been known, as my husband will attest, to get excited about coming home just because I know I have grape Kool-Aid waiting in the fridge for me.  And I’ve been known to drink the entire pitcher in one evening flat.  Just glass, after glass, after glass.  Mmm…I think my mouth is watering just thinking about it…yep, it is. 

I still remember my previous boss, Dave, who is also a bit of a foodie, asking me what my favorite foods were as we were on our way to a catering convention.  Must have been one of those days, because all I could think of to say was, “Rice Krispie treats and grape Kool-Aid”.  I’m sure he was truly impressed with my mature palate.  But I think the most honest answers sometimes come in those moments when we just blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. 

Here’s my foolproof recipe for fantastic Rice Krispie treats. (I’ve even burned the marshmallows a time or two by not paying full attention & they still turn out good!)

Rice Krispie Treats

10.5 oz mini marshmallows                                       

3 T butter / marg.

6 C Rice Krispies cereal

Melt margarine / butter & marshmallows in a large pan on the stove, stirring occasionally.  When melted & smooth, remove from heat & stir in cereal until well coated.  Spread into a greased 9x13 pan; use greased hands to press into place.  Let cool & cut into bars.  Makes 24 bars.  (Optional: for thicker treats, use a 9x9 pan.)

Note to reader:  Consuming large amounts of grape Kool-Aid repeatedly will result in gastro-intestinal issues.  I know this from experience!  Yet, somehow I still go back to it, just like a crack addict to a pipe…

Seafood – Bonefish Grill, “A Fitting End”

Last time…Seafood is a delicacy that my husband and I revel in.  Just recently, probably within the last year, we’ve discovered that more than any other kind, we love to choose seafood restaurants when we eat out for a nice meal.  I’ve loved seafood ever since shrimp beat out corn as my favorite food when I was around 8 years old.  And my husband has far outdone me in the adventurous seafood eater department lately.  On our trip to Mexico last year, Jake ate some of the nastiest looking seafood I’ve ever seen:  whole baby octopi in a seafood soup!  Not to mention his love of the big raw mackerel pieces of sushi.  I’m more of a cooked seafood kind of chick. 

Here’s the last of our favorite seafood restaurant experiences so far:

Last year we went to the Bonefish Grill for my birthday.  It came highly recommended by several people and I’ve heard the same since as well.  It was a bit pricey, but it was AMAZING.  We both loved our food and my leftovers even reheated well, just like the servers said it would. (I thought it seemed like a sketchy idea, reheating fish.)  As previously stated, my husband does not like cheese.  So when he asked the server if a particular dish came with cheese, the server not only went out of his way to make sure that dish didn’t, but without being asked, he even made sure Jake’s side dish didn’t have the grated cheese on top that it comes with normally.  (We know because mine did – hurray!) 

I ordered a cup of their Corn Chowder with Lump Crab Meat and shared a couple bites with Jake.  So yummy!  I thought at the time that I would try to make it back there for lunch sometime just to get the soup, but that hasn’t happened yet.  Anyone interested?!  For the main course, I had the Imperial Longfin tilapia.  I believe it’s a Bonefish favorite, and it’s definitely one of mine!  Pretty rich and flavorful.  The side dishes it came with were truly tasty, too.  Jake had a daily special, which was swordfish, I believe, and he loved it.  It was hard not to go back for every special occasion since, but as I’ve stated before, we do like to try new places too.  And we still have our other favorites as well.  I sure hope we can get back there soon, though. 

http://www.bonefishgrill.com