pink nostalgia

mom's modified chicken and rice

I have nostalgic memories, although likely skewed by age and time, of this casserole that my mom used to make.  I remember us eating it a lot, it being hard to eat because of the chicken bones in it*, and the bacon being a little weird (and in whole strips!).  Yet oddly, I had the strangest craving to make it.

*It's the weirdest thing when people leave bones in casseroles but even worse when they're left in soup/stew/gumbo!  If all you have is a bowl and a spoon, what are you supposed to do with the chicken bones??

So I asked my mom for the recipe and then promptly asked her about fourteen questions pertaining to said recipe.  Then I decided to make lots of changes.

I mean, is there anything better than a recipe makeover??  Yes!!  There are LOTS of better things!  But this is fun anyway!

Here's the starting point.

 

"Chioce Choice pieces of chickne chicken"?  "Bake slowly"? 

A few extra steps makes this recipes a lot lot better.  : )

1. Bake the bacon first.  Line a cookie sheet with foil, a wire rack, and 8 slices of bacon.  Bake at 400 for 15-18 minutes.  Once the bacon is cool enough to handle, dab with paper towels and chop into big 1" pieces.

2. The baking dish is specifically a glass 9x13.

3. Use 3/4 pounds chicken breasts chopped into small chunks and seasoned liberally with grill seasoning.

4. Mix the rice with the two liquids.

5. Trade the cream of chicken for cream of mushroom.

6. Trade the one can of water with one can of milk. 

7. Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.

Ahh.  Much tastier, and no steak knife required.  : )

how to: razor birthday cake

Last Christmas, it came to be that Ethen wanted to start shaving his face.  His peach fuzz was noticeably darker (and noticeably dark), AND...wait for it...he had chin hairs.  Three of them.

Jason begrudgingly agreed to let him shave - once he turned fourteen years old, approximately seven months later.

Fast-forward seven months to J and I brainstorming a shape for E's birthday cake.*

Jason said, "Do you think it would be mean or funny to make him a cake in the shape of a razor?"

Uhhh, hilarious.  So long as you let him shave.

E had a light bulb moment when he opened the razor.  "It looks just like the cake!" 

And J did let him shave.  : )

 

*Our other birthday cakes: Alex's army tank, Ethen's baseball stadium, J's motorcycle, Alex's army fort, and J's plain Jane.

the plain jane birthday cake

So we have this tradition of me making themed birthday cakes for the Wells boys.  It started here.  Then it continued with Ethen, J, back to Alex, Ethen, and now we're back to:

me: Hey babe, what kind of birthday cake do you want this year?
J: Vanilla.  Cream cheese icing.
me: That's it?
J: Yep.  That's my favorite.
me: Okay.  What shape?
J: What shape?
me: Yeah.  Baseball stadium, army fort, motorcycle...
J: Nah.  None of that.  Just plain Jane vanilla and cream cheese icing.
me: Plain Jane.
J: Plain Jane.

Well, that's all well and good, but it's not going to be a 9x13, I can tell you that.

I had some serendipity: the night before his birthday (a Saturday), J had to work from 11 p.m. - 2 a.m.  A perfect time to make a few cakes!

He left at 10:30 and gave Alex an 11:00 bedtime.  As SOON as he left, and I mean the garage door hadn't finished closing yet, Alex jumped up off the couch and said, "Is he gone?  Let's get started!"

Let's get started!

We hustled to get the first cake in the oven, then we made J's favorite cheesecake and finally this homemade cream cheese icing + 1/2 cup extra powdered sugar.*

Then it was his bedtime.  Then we put the second cake in the oven.  Then Al went to bed.  Then I made another batch of icing and assembled the plain Jane cake.

Photobomb attempts.

I've been keeping the cake in the fridge.  This morning, four days later, J walked all the way across the house to tell me, "Oh, and by the way - that cake is THE BEST cake I've ever had.  Ever.  That icing is AMAZING."

: )

*Alex and I first made the cream cheese icing according to the recipe but agreed that it needed more sugar.  Alex said, "I would say, like, about this much," and scoops up about a teaspoon.  I said, "Uhhhh, let's start with a 1/2 cup.  Use this one."

Editor's Note: J's birthday is in August, so...this is one I wrote a while ago and am just now posting.  : )

how to: chicken parm hoagies

This is one of our current why-did-you-let-me-eat-all-of-that meals.  : )

It's really easy and fast, and it's a perfect accompaniment to watching Friday Night Lights.

The bread: Slice a loaf of Italian bread in half, put it on a cookie sheet with the cut side open, and pop it in the oven at 350 for a few minutes until it's lightly toasted.  Now, this step is critical and I'm not even joking because you know I don't joke about food.  Smash a garlic clove with the side of a large knife.  As soon as you take the bread out of the oven, rub the toasted sides with the garlic.  Pieces of the garlic will flake off.  That's okay, just remove any big pieces so you don't bite into any chunks.  Your fingers will smell like garlic after this.  If you're not cool with that, you can rub them on a stainless steel mixing bowl.  Your fingers will smell like stainless steel after this.

The sauce: Dump a jar of your favorite marinara in a small pot on the stove; heat on low.  You'll need bowls (like regular-sized cereal bowls, not wimpy salsa bowls) for dipping.  If all you have are wimpy salsa bowls, then serve the hoagies with a spoon.

The chicken: Trim about 3/4 of a pound of chicken tenders.  At your option, pound them so that they're 1/2" thick.  Bread with seasoned breadcrumbs, and pan-fry in a skillet with olive oil on medium heat.*

The cheese: Cut the cheese.  That's for George.

The hoagie: The beauty of the assembly is that it really doesn't matter - it's all going to fall apart anyway.  : )  But I like it in this order from bottom to top: bread, sauce, chicken, sauce, cheese.  Finagle the sandwich shut, then put it back in the oven until the cheese melts.

And that's your sandwich!

Just kidding.  I cut it into 4-5 pieces, and we maybe have one piece left over between J and me.**

On this day, I ate one and a half pieces, told J, "I can't do it," he finished his two pieces and my half piece, told me, "Why did you let me do that?"

If you do have leftovers, wrap them in foil and stick them in the fridge.  To heat them back up, put them in a 350 degree oven (still in the foil) until it's heated through, about 8 minutes.  I know it's not as quick and easy as the microwave, but just trust me.  You're saving yourself from chewy bread and cold-in-the-middle chicken.

Enjoy!

 

*Edited to add: The last time I made these, I double-stacked the chicken and cheese.  There was seriously moaning.

**One loaf + half a bag of curly fries will perfectly feed J + me + Ethen.

how to: sonic mojito

medium mint limeade/extra mint/easy ice/squeeze the lime/two shots white rum/stir/chips/salsa/back porch with someone who let's you laugh

the pancake breakfast revisited

The first time I tried to recreate my mom's pancake breakfast for the Wells boys was kind of a flop. 

We tried it again on Memorial Day.

Here's the end of the story first: it rocked.  Rocked.

Here's the beginning and middle of the story:

The first hurdle was the calendar.  There was a chance that the boys wouldn't be at our house for breakfast that holiday Monday and that this breakfast plan would have been postponed through another baseball season, but we arranged to pick up the boys on Sunday. 

The second hurdle is the timing.  We all agreed on 10:00ish so J and I could work out before breakfast and so Ethen could sleep in.  Alex always gets up early, so we gave him a snack and the promise of his favorite sausage.

The third hurdle was the food!  My mom serves up everything as it's hot off the irons, but that didn't work for us last time.  This time, I baked the bacon in the oven, sizzled the sausage on the griddle, and waffled between two waffle irons.  When a batch of waffles were done, they went on a cookie sheet in the warm oven.

We put all the food on the table, prayed, and passed plates.  We chatted, passed more plates, and cleaned the kitchen together.

Halfway through eating, I was smiling to myself.  J caught my eye, and gave me the I-know-you're-emotional-right-now-because-you're-so-proud smile.  I gave him the do-not-give-me-that-smile-right-now-so-you-can-push-my-tears-over-the-edge "Stop."  Then:

E: What's he doing?

me: He's smiling because he knows how much I'm enjoying this.

E: Yeah, this is really good.

me: Well, thank you, this IS good, but we weren't smiling about the food.  We're smiling because I've been wanting to do this for a while, have a big breakfast with us all at the table, where we're all smiling and laughing and telling stories without me running back and forth from the kitchen like last time.

E:  Oh.  [smiles]  Yeah, this is nice.

As Ethen was clearing his plate, a friend called him asking to hang out.  E replied, "Well, I can't go right this minute - my dad is still enjoying his breakfast."  : )

So that's how Wells do Pancake Breakfasts.  : )

how to: army fort birthday cake

Alex's birthday was this week!  I'm really digging the tradtion of homemade theme cakes.  The boys anticipate them.  : )

Alex asked for an army fort cake with camo icing just like last year (which translates to army green).  The only problem was...what does an army fort look like to a 9 year old?  And how does that fit in with a cake??

J helped a lot with the positioning of barricades, men, and equipment.  J vetoed the helicopter on TOP of the fort and the rocket-launcher guy, because, you know, it has to be realistic.

J had the idea to "reveal" the cake to Al once we were done that night rather than try to keep it hidden until family celebrated with us the next day.  That way, I could get genuine reaction photos instead of next-day cheesy smiles.  We moved it from the kitchen counter to the table when Al was in the shower.

So...what does an army fort look like to a 9 year old?  Apparently this one passes muster.

Happy birthday, Al!!!!

how to: resurrect leftover thanksgiving mashed potatoes

I made Ree's mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving again this year.  A few days later, I converted them into my steak-and-potatoes potatoes.

I added two big pinches of shaved parmesan instead of a few shakes of the canned grated parm.  Survey says: ahhh-mazing.  And J who claims he doesn't like parm couldn't tell it was in there.  They made the potatoes nutty and tangy and rich.

And I introduced J to my favorite cut of steak - porterhouses.  I got the steak plate* and he got the bone.  There was no talking - just moaning.

*the steak plate (th uh steyk pleyt): the regular dinner plate that the griller uses to bring in the meat.  It collects all of the steak juice perfect for sopping or sipping.  If it came down to be given the steak plate or flowers, well...I'd take the steak plate 4 out of 5 times.  But it should be noted that that means I'd take flowers every once in a while.  Math.  : )

how to: vodka dreamsicle

Super easy and super delicious.

3/4 c Tang
1 shot of cake vodka you bought on sale before you remembered that you don't like vodka
1 shot of whipping cream or whipped cream

Stir.  Drink.

I also very highly recommend this recipe for another dose of your cake vodka.

Cheers.

how to: grill J's favorite broccoli

Ready??

2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp bourbon

That's it.

Add the ingredients to a quart or gallon-size Ziplock bag.  Smoosh it around a bit to mix it together.  Wash and chop one head of broccoli and throw it in the bag.  I cut the bigger florets into pieces so that they grill better.

Marinate them in the fridge for as long as you have time for but at least a few hours.  I like mine to hang out overnight + all day (about 24 hours).  Turn the bag over when you come home for lunch the next day.

Grill over indirect heat at about 350 degrees in a grill basket, stirring once or twice, until they're a little past bright green and you have a few char marks (about 20 minutes total).

J recommends that you eat it as soon as it comes off of the grill.  And the two younger Wells boys will each try one piece.  : )

how to: motorcycle birthday cake

For the last MONTH, I've been asking J what kind of birthday cake he wanted.  Since Alex requested an army tank and Ethen requested a baseball stadium, I thought for sure J would want something outlandish.  Here's what he said:

"White cake with cream cheese icing."

Uhhhhh...

I told that story to the family on Saturday and J joked, "Well, I change hobbies about every week, so it was hard to decide what to ask for!"  I said, "Right!  I was going to make a drum set since he's playing with this new band, but then two days ago he bought a new bike, so then I had to change the cake!"

It IS a cool bike, though.

What were we talking about?  Oh right, cake.

J didn't know I was doing anything special for the cake until he walked into the kitchen an hour before the party when he was supposed to be quarantined outside.

Photo compliments of J.

A few tips that Mom and I discovered while laughing so we don't cry:

- Get your mom to help you!  Take turns saying, "How am I supposed to make a radiator/brake caliper/rear view mirror??"

- Don't use cream cheese icing!  Even at room temperature, it melts and puddles!  If your man requests it, try putting it in the fridge for a few hours before you work with it.  I know fondant is the bakers' choice, but none of us want to eat it.  We prefer taste over professionalism.  Strictly amateur hour up in here.  : )

- Silver bakers' spray paint works really well.  I sprayed the whole bike and wheels after Mom iced the cake with white cream cheese icing and before I added any of the black icing and gel.  But then don't touch it!  It wipes off of your icing really easily.

- Spray silver paint over aluminum foil so that you can't see the excess paint.

- If you're STILL not sure that your motorcyle looks like a motorcycle, label it!

- I would be disappointed in this cake if I wasn't laughing at it.  But J loved it.  He told me that he really appreciated it which was evidenced by his infamous smile.  Ethen even paid me a compliment with, "I can tell it's a motorcycle!"  And everyone loved eating it.  : )  So this tip is: It truly is the thought that counts, so go for it!  But just in case, razzle dazzle them with silver spray paint!

how to: break room cafe mocha

Perfect for Monday morning!

So you're in your oppressive florescently-lit office facing another. whole. day.  Or maybe you're at home knowing you should put on real clothes because it's a weekday, but honestly...why??

You really want need something indulgent to perk you up and get you excited about staring at a computer, answering phones, listening to the kiddos scream all day, or operating a forklift.  Starbucks sounds good, but you can't (or won't) make that happen.

I got this idea partly from a coworker as I watched her squirt liquid creamer into her coffee.  I joked with her that I lost count at eight shots.  She defeatedly replied, "I use ten."

Enter: break room cafe mocha.  Aka pantry mocha.

NOTE: Pecan praline is not included.

Into your 8 oz. styrofoam cup:

- about 1" of coffee

- one packet of hot chocolate

- two packets of sugar

- two shots of liquid creamer

- and fill the rest of your cup up with hot water

And there you go!  A jury-rigged pick-me-up for practically free!

violet smoothie

a handful of kale//the rest of the bag of frozen blueberries (about a cup)//two ripe bananas//three heaping tablespoons of quinoa//a 3-count of local honey//a splash of coconut water//healthiest smoothie ever??

grilling summer

//grilled asparagus, grilled steak, grilled sourdough

//grilled zucchini, grilled chicken

//grilled hot dogs with Wellsy sauce, grilled corn on the cob, cauliflower

//grilled ribs

//grilled steak, mac & cheese, coleslaw, salad with Jody's homemade dressing via Mia

//grilled asparagus, grilled Hawaiian bread, grilled T-bones
//grilled barbeque chicken, wild & brown rice, grilled brocolli

//grilled sourdough, grilled pork loin, mashed sweet potatoes

//grilled ribs, grilled peaches, grilled corn on the cob

We've been getting our grill on (as J would say) this summer.  At least once a week, J and I sit on the back porch with a timer, tongs, and a few Redd's.  We talk about tree limbs that could be trimmed, the boys, our weeks, and then J lights the grill, ha.

It's kind of magical.  : )

gourdough's

So while we were on our way to the theater, Y baits me by telling that we're going to this "place" for dessert.  The guessing game ensues!

me: Is it fancy?

Y: NO.

me: Do they only have desserts?

Y: Well, I mean...

me: I mean, why would you be so excited if it was just a regular restaurant?  So it's not fancy...but are the actual desserts fancy? 

Y: Well, I read about it from someone we know...someone who is kind of a food critic...

me: Emily?  Rachel!  It has to be Rachel!  Who else do we know who - Brian?

Y: No.  I'm using the word "know" loosely...

Then after about two minues of her staring at me expectantly and Chris brainstorming in the background ("Someone online?")...

me: Kelly Purkey!!!!

Y: Yes!  It's KP!

me: Okay!  So now I just have to figure out the where...

Chris: Wait, so all of that just for...

me: Yes, that was just who she heard about this place from.

Chris: And you still have no idea where we're going.

me: Right.

Chris: But, but why...

Fast-forward a few hours...Gourdough's.

Ya'll.  I went crazy.  I mean, really, I need to get out more.  So here were my picks.

Mother Clucker.  A donut topped with a fried chicken strip and [extra] honey butter.  Uhhhh.  Mazing.

I ordered two donuts for the love of my life since donuts are the love of his weekend mornings.  First, Black Out.  A donut,  chocolate chips, chocolate syrup, and did I mention brownies and brownie batter???  And then a Jason-tailored custom because I was feeling particularly amorous: a donut with cream cheese icing, brown sugar, and BACON.  

 

I would go out of my way for either, but Jason was not impressed per his complete lack of verbal and nonverbal expression but for a mite of disdain.  Good to know my efforts can't take the place of Shipley's!

So this is what $17 in donuts looks like.  : )  And they are still incredible heated up for breakfast (or lunch) the next day. 

At one point I exclaimed, "This is so exciting!!  I feel like it's my birthday!!!!"

 

Further reading: KP's review and the other time Y surprised me with a KP-endorsed treat.

how to: baseball field birthday cake

After Alex requested an army tank birthday cake, Ethen concocted his own outlandish request.  Naturally.

A baseball field stadium.  With fans.  And concession stands.  And hot dog vendors.

I vetoed the concessions (life's all about compromise), and here's the rest:

I have two favorite-favorite things about this cake.  The first is obviously Ethen.  He smiled big when he saw it and said, "That's impressive!" about three times before he started teasing me.  But even in the teasing in front of the grandparents and great-grandparents (where J explained, "Ethen doesn't give her ANY slack!"), E was beaming at me with genuine affection.

The second favorite-favorite thing is J's excitement.  J generally doesn't get as excited as say, I would.  When I'm grinning from ear to ear and clapping, he'll say, "Coo."  When I say, "Oh my goodness, these fajitas make me wanna slap my grandma, how are yours?" he'll reply, "Yeah."  So that's how high nonchalant the bar is.  It can be deflating.

But when he walked into the kitchen to see the finished cake, he got excited.  He started smiling at my anticipation before he even saw the cake.  He took it in for a minute then said, "Angela!"

Plus, it tasted good.  So, win-win-win.

P.S. A word to the wise - the birthday boy WILL inadvertently blow some turf, dirt, and people onto the table as he blows out the candles.  Plan accordingly.  : ) 

meet hebert

My first full-sized grown up tomato!  Ever!!

I named him Hebert (AY-behr).

J called him Abar (AY-bar) (like that's even a name).

Ethen named him Salsa.

Alex named him Tomato.

Last Sunday evening, the four of us (five if you count Hebert) were hanging out on the back porch when Alex asked about my red tomato.  Alex picked it, washed it, and brought it to me with my DSLR.  Servant's heart, that kid.

And then I ate Hebert while the three Wells boys gagged.  : )

the wells boys do dinner

Per Y's request, here are some easy kiddo-friendly dinners that I (or Ethen) can whip up on a weeknight and everyone will gladly eat.  These are in heavy rotation at our house and are constantly requested by the boys even though we have at least one of them every week.

Bowtie.

This is super-easy spaghetti.  The boys were eating jarred spaghetti long before I came along, but somehow I revolutionalized it by making it with bowtie pasta.  I brown two pounds of ground beef and add two jars of marinara sauce (we like Francisco Rinaldi).  I boil bowtie or mini bowtie pasta (you could also use shells or elbows) so that no one has to cut or twirl their pasta.  I usually throw some garlic bread in the oven to go with it.

Nachos.

You're done making the whole dinner in the time it takes to heat up queso.  Heat a small block of Velveeta (or half of a regular block) on the stove on medium-low with a can of Rotel.  If you want, you can heat up a can of refried beans.  Brown a pound of ground beef, then add taco seasoning and 1/3 cup of water.  While the meat is browning, get out the toppings: sour cream, salsa, Ortega sauce, and dice a tomato for me.  Whip up some guac.  The only trick is to stir the queso every so often.

Everyone gets exactly what they want as they make their own plates.  I usually make mine into a salad with everything minus chips and queso plus some diced mango.

Biscuit Casserole.

Start baking a can of plain biscuits according to the directions.  While those bake, brown a pound of ground beef.  Add one block of cream cheese (I use 1/3 less fat because why not) and one can of cream of mushroom soup.  Heat it on medium-low until everything is melted and creamy.  Throw a vegetable steamer bag into the microwave and call it good.  Pour the meat-deliciousness over the biscuits like an open-face sloppy joe.

I sometimes bake 2 cans of biscuits because 1. we always have a tad more meat than biscuits and 2. I love hot biscuits with butter and honey. 

Get the kids involved.

We always ask the boys what they want to eat. We plan meals together for the the next few days, sometimes around the dinner table and sometimes in the truck on our way home from school. We ask questions to engage them. What do we need for nachos? Do we already have any of those ingredients? What should we do on Wednesday when we have baseball practice in the evening?

Alex (8) will try to help with everything, but here are some things he's allowed to do: turn on the stove (our knobs are on the sides of the burners, so he doesn't have to reach over the burners), preheat the oven (not open and close the oven), open cans with a can opener, slowly stir items at the stove if they're already done and just simmering, get all ingredients out of the fridge and pantry, and most importantly, make the sweet tea.

Ethen (12) can brown ground beef, boil pasta, use the oven, etc.  I "help" him drain the grease from ground beef (really I just supervise and remind him it will burn your skin), and I do all of the chopping.  He usually handles the main course (i.e. biscuit casserole), and I prepare the sides (i.e. biscuits and a veggie).

A few of our medium rotation dinners: beef enchiladas, chicken enchiladas with green sauce, oven-fry chicken, grilled steak, chili dogs, and double-cheesed it Frito pie.

pesto on the front porch

One of J's famous declarations to me was this: if we were to date, "I'd challenge you to steak, I'd challenge you to tennis, to water skiing, to basil on the front porch..."

Now that we live together, we have basil on the front porch.  And back porch, as one to grow on (ha, get it?).  : )

So I made my first batch of pesto with my romantic basil.

It's amazing - easy, bold, and a bit spicy...hmmm, there's a metaphor in there somewhere...

cookies for kindness

Prologue: You'll remember that I love math and I love to read.  I also love peonies, but that's not relevant to this story.

Last Tuesday night as we were cleaning up the kitchen after dinner, we had this conversation:

J [to me]: When are you going to bake us those cookies?

Ethen (12): We have cookies??  [He started digging through the fridge and freezer.]

me: I never said I was going to bake cookies.

J: Do we have to butter you up first or what?

[Hmmm, now THAT is a great idea.]

me: Well, maybe if y'all are ALL sweet to me, I might bake cookies.

Alex (8): Wait.  What kiiiiiiind of cookies?  [He's not committing unless he's sure the reward is worth it.]

me: Chocolate chip.

Al: Yesssssss!

J: Aleegirl, that dinner was so good!  The house smelled delicious when I walked in!

Al: Yeah, dinner was sooooo good!

E: It was...great!

me: Oh no no no no no no no.  You already told me that.  You don't get to recycle compliments for cookies!  You have to do better than that! 

[I mean, y'all.  It was a package of Nestle Tollhouse break-and-bake cookies.  They take 2 minutes.  But why not milk it if everyone is playing along?  Why not encourage kindness?]

me: Hey Ethen, how does my hair look?

E: It looks...normal.

[Sigh.]

E: Oh!  I know!  [He runs off.]

J: But baby.  That chicken was amaaaazing...

Al: It was!  It was good!

me: Thank you, baby, but that's not gonna work.  What else you got?

[Now the boys really kick it into high gear as they consider their audience.]

E [hands me a paper]: I got a 97 on my math homework today!

me: Alright!!  This counts!  Hounder gets cookies!  97, way to go!  That's awesome!

E: Thank you!

Al: I...I...I got a new book today!  [He grabs a book off of the counter and shows me - a chapter book, look out!]

me: Okay!  Do we get to read it?

Al: Yes!

me: You'll read it to me tonight?

Al: Well, it's kind of hard.

me: Okay, so do I get to read it to you?  We'll start tonight?

Al: Yes.

me: Okay, this counts!  Hondro gets cookies!  Alright!!

Al: Yesssss!

[It melts my heart that the boys' sweet thing was what they each knew would make me proud of them.]

me: How 'bout you, babe?  What did you come up with?

J: You're beautiful.  You're the love of my life.

me: Well.  I'll take that any day.  Cookies all around.

Epilogue: Alex and I did start the book that night.  We sat on the couch; he held the book and turned the pages.  I even snuck in a few comprehension questions.  And when I got to the end of each chapter, he wanted me to keep reading.