BREAKOUT!



I'm ready to breakout of this bloggin break or whatever it  has been.  I've really missed this place.  The past eight months have been a blur, but I'm ready to get my life in focus and start bloggin about the things that make me happy and content...food, family and friends!

Gazpacho isn't very MACHO!

It's hot hot hot here, and this cold soup has really hit the spot for lunch the past few days!  My Brother in law James was quite hesitant to eat this, he's never tasted cold soup before and felt it was too girly...but it says something when he went back for seconds!  Thanks Karen for sharing this awesome recipe with me, it makes me long to be sitting on your back porch eating gazpacho, having some good ol' girl time.    

GAZPACHO

4 cups v-8 juice
1/2 cup onion, minced
1/3 cup olive oil (I use 1/4 cup)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup green pepper, minced
3 Tb parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce (optional)
salt and pepper to taste (I add very little because V8 doesn't hold back on the sodium)
8 tomatoes, chopped
2 cucumbers, chopped
2 avocados, cubed
Garlic croutons
Grated Parmesan cheese

Combine V8 juice, onion, olive oil, vinegar,green pepper, parsley, garlic,Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight.

Next day, add tomatoes, cucumbers, and avos, Refrigerate. Serve very cold with croutons and parmesan cheese.

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Meet Virginia...

I feel so blessed that I was able to live in one of the most beautiful states in our country, and get to know the incredible people she holds. Here's some pictures from Deb's visit in May. This might help you see why I've been sounding a little whiny lately. Goodbye Virginia, you really are for lovers!

See you when the red desert dirt settles...

Coconut Macaroons make me SwooN!

It's pretty plain to see, I'm on a coconut kick lately. I think it's my secret desire for a tropical getaway! But for now, my reality is packing a gazillion boxes and cleaning my brains out! We're heading back the the desert, yep, good ol' St George Utah! It's been an amazing 18 months here in Virginia. I wish I could pack up the beautiful surroundings, along with all my wonderful friends. My heart aches just writing about it! On Sunday night we went to Conrad and Kristie's for our farewell barbeque. These macaroons were served for dessert, and let me tell you, I was swooning! They are the best homemade macaroons I've ever tasted! The recipe is from the ultimate cook/baker in the world-Barefoot Contessa...wish we were neighbors (there's another secret desire revealed). I better get back to reality!

Coconut Macaroons
Barefoot Contessa

14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
14 oz. sweetened shredded coconut (flaked)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl.

In electric mixer with whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and salt on high speed until medium to firm peaks form. Carefully fold into the coconut mixture.

Drop batter by rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.

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Sweet Sticky Rice with Mangos

When I told Garrett what I was making for dessert, he response was "couldn't we just be normal and have brownies like everyone else!" He ended up wolfing down 2 servings of this unique and yummy dessert! It helped that his favorite fruit is mangos! Lately, I've been trying to get my kids to expand their taste bubs, and be willing to try new and different types of food. I'm known to be a little picky myself so this is helping me to think outside the typical American cuisine category. Last week we had coconut curry chicken with lemon grass rice. I heard the typical complaints until they ate their first bite, it was all smiles from then on. It was so good! I'll post those recipes soon. I first need to pack!

What you'll need:

2 cups sticky rice *(sweet rice)
1 can coconut milk-divided in half
sugar
water
salt

1. Add the rice into a medium sized microwaveable bowl (with lid). Cover rice with water, 2 inches above rice. Let sit for 30 minutes.

2. Pour off water leaving 1/4 inch above rice. Cover with lid and microwave for 10 minutes, until rice is cooked.

3. In a small bowl combine 1 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, and half the can of coconut milk. Stir to dissolve sugar and pour over rice stirring to combine.. Cover with lid and let sit for another 20 minutes.

4. In a small saucepan add the other half of coconut milk, 1/2 tsp cornstarch, 1 Tb sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt. Whisk to combine and turn on heat to med./low. Whisking constantly at a low boil, until sugar dissolves, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Don't leave it on too long or mixture will turn oily.

5. Place rice on serving platter and evenly drizzle coconut sauce over rice. Serve with mangos.

*I experimented a bit when I couldn't find sticky rice (sweet rice) at my grocery store, and figured it wouldn't make a big difference if I used regular white rice, right?...WRONG! We still enjoyed it, but next time I'm heading to Wegman's, they never let me down!

Recipe from egeefay/Thai food.

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Best Beef and Broccoli

In the past this dish has frustrated me, the beef always turned out way too tough and the broccoli too soggy! Why would I buy expensive beef, when all I get in return is a bad case of TMJ! Well, I've finally figured out how to make it tender and juicy, keeping the broccoli cooked just right. This dish is now one of our top 5 favorites! If you're craving Chinese, make this! I promise you'll be trying to come up with an excuse to make it again!

Steak Marinade

2 lbs flank steak (a MUST)
3 Tb soy sauce
2 Tb water
3 tsp sugar
1 clove garlic minced

Slice the steak into long thin strips with the grain. Cut strips into 2 in. pieces against the grain.

In a medium size bowl (or a gallon size ziploc) combine additional ingredients, stirring to combine. Add beef, mix well. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour or more.

Sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup apple juice or water
3 Tb hoisin sauce
3 tsp cornstarch
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger root, minced(grated on a microplane)
3 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper

Whisk ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside

Veggies
4-5 cups broccoli florets
6 green onions, cut into 2 in pieces(top & bottom)
2 tsp oil
1/4 cup water

In a skillet, heat oil, add broccoli, stirring to coat broccoli. Add 1/4 cup water continue to stir and steam for about 3 minutes. Add onions, cook for another 2 minutes. You want the broccoli to be crisp/tender. Remove from heat and place in a bowl to stop cooking.

The Finale!

In a large skillet add 1/4 cup oil turn on heat to med. high. You want the oil to be really hot. Keep a lid nearby because it will spatter. Remove steak from marinade and discard marinade. Add steak to hot skillet cover with lid for a few seconds to avoid the oil splatter; then remove lid and stir meat the cook evenly. When meat starts to brown (about 3-6 minutes) add the sauce and veggies tossing to coat evenly. Be careful not to overcook the meat! Heat until sauce starts to thicken.

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Snickering at the Blondie Doodle Bar

Crazy name, but amazingly good! To make this dessert even more tempting, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and carmel sauce...don't mind if I do!

Snickerdoodle Blondies
Adapted from twopeasandtheirpod.com
2 2/3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups packed brown sugar (I used 1 3/4 cups)
1 cup butter-room temp.
2 eggs
1 Tb vanilla
1 1/2 cup cinnamon chips or butterscotch chips

Topping:
2 Tb sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Mix together in a small bowl-set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan. In a bowl whisk together the dry ingredients.
In a large bowl beat the sugars and butter; add eggs and vanilla, mixing until creamy. Add dry ingreds. and stir to combine. Add cinnamon chips.

Spread into prepared pan and sprinkle evenly with cinnamon sugar topping.

Bake for 25 minutes or until you gently press and it springs back. Try not to over bake or they will turn out too hard. I loved these even more the next day.

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