WDW - Caesar Salad

What are your cooking stand-bys? You know, the recipes that you turn to again and again because they are easy and your family enjoys them. In our house, it's Caesar Salad. Years ago, I stumbled upon this recipe from Rachael Ray. Kind of funny, because I really can't stand her cooking show, but somehow I got this little gem. And it's yum-o.

The great thing about the dressing is, none of the ingredients are exotic or expensive -there are no anchovies, and definitely no raw eggs. A bit of mayo forms the emulsion and you just whip it all up in the blender. You don't even have to use the "good" parmesan cheese, the stuff in the green can does the job. I keep Romaine Hearts on hand all the time, and the BIG bag of Cardini's croutons from Costco. They're the best! Sometimes I have a hunk of Parmigiano around, but if I don't, I am not ashamed to sprinkle on the above-mentioned form. Sometimes I pair the salad with a roasted supermarket chicken - easy dinner.

Not only do I make this recipe at home (at least once a week), but I love to serve it to crowds. Everyone loves it! I have given this recipe out countless times.

Try this soon... And I'd love to know some of your stand-bys. Leave them in the comment section for me please!

Caesar Salad

4 T. Mayonnaise
2 cloves fresh garlic
grated zest and juice of one lemon
½ c. grated parmesan cheese
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. freshly ground pepper
3 T. olive oil

In a blender, combine all ingredients. Combine until smooth.

Toss with chopped 6-8 cups romaine lettuce, croutons, and fresh grated parmesan cheese.

Serves 4-6

Update on the washer...

(see my post below if this seems confusing...)

Scary! There wasn't a thing wrong with my new dryer - it was the ducting. It was not working properly and is a MAJOR fire hazard. The repairman told me that 90% of house fires are caused by my ducting situation. So, PRAISE THE LORD! I'm sorry that it's something my husband will have to climb under the house and fix this Saturday....but I am so thankful that our house didn't burn down! WOW.

The repairman was very helpful...he told me not to use Costco "he" (high efficiency) laundry detergent - that it's not really "he" and it can break your washer (may have explained my last washer problem - I've been using that brand for years.) . He told me to use All brand instead. So, if you have a front loader, take heed. He also told me the importance of using those little cleaning tablets once a month- you can get them at Sears - otherwise your "he" detergent doesn't get broken down and can cause major problems. This man repairs these machines and seems to know what helps them have less breakdowns. Lastly, he told me to get the longest warranty I can get my hands on - so many things can break and the cheapest thing to fix would be over $200.

He also told me, based on what he repairs, his opinion on the best brands for appliances.

Dishwasher: Whirlpool and some Maytags (because Whirlpool makes Maytag now)
Refrigerator: Frigidare
Stove/Microwave: GE Profile
Washer/Dryer: Whirlpool

Well, they just don't "make 'em like they used to." These new appliances sure can look stylish, but as we all know, looks aren't everything!

The appliance curse continues...

They may look swanky, but looks are deceiving

You might remember a few months ago there was a whatever post about my washing machine. My only four year old washing machine, that is. It was making super loud noises so I had called a repairman. For his fee of $75, he informed me it would be over $900 to fix the pitiful machine. So, I decided to live with the noise. He predicted the washer would die in the very near future and he was absolutely right. Did I have the extended warranty? Of course not.

So, we bought a new set - this time not Sears, but Maytag. They arrived and I started on the piles of accumulated laundry. I couldn't quite figure out the dryer. No matter what setting I tried, the loads were not drying in under 2 hours. On top of that, there is a "sensor" screen that is supposed to tell you how much time remains until the clothes are dry. I was noticing it would either say 8 or 99 minutes. Unbelievable- my new dryer was already on the fritz!! This would only happen to me. I don't know what it is with me and appliances - I am so nice to them and they do not reciprocate!!

So, today I am waiting for the Maytag repairman, who is supposed to be here between 1-5 pm. Anyone want to guess what time he'll show up? I'll update then and let everyone know what the verdict was. I know this is incredibly important to everyone and you'll be checking all afternoon for an update on my blog.

Whatever!

Way Delicious Wednesdays - Pumpkin Dump Cake

Have you ever made the famous "dump cake" recipe? You know, dump one can of pie filling into a 9 x 13, dump one dry yellow cake mix on top, and dump 3/4 cup of melted butter on top of that and bake it off. I think everyone knows that one. It turns out like a cobbler and it's quite yummy. In a disgusting kind of way that is (think about the ingredients).

But wait. This recipe is what happens when pumpkin pie meets dump cake! If you like pumpkin, you will LOVE this dessert. And if you don't like pumpkin, you will after trying this!!

Last fall, I served this at the monthly Elders dinner, and at a Harvest party. Both times, several MEN sought me out to get the recipe. Isn't that funny? They insist that their wives must have the recipe (so they can eat it again, presumably). It's quite amusing. There is this one older gentleman on the elder board that tells me thank you for this every time I see him - adorable!

The ridiculous thing is how easy it is. Today I made it for the kids' bible study, and it took literally 5 minutes to get it in the oven. If you find yourself without a cake mix, you can follow the directions below to make your own.

This recipe is great served warm or cold, just like pumpkin pie is. I am definitely one of those cold leftover pumpkin pie is a dandy breakfast the next-day-after-Thanksgiving people. Either way, be sure to have some fresh whipped cream to top this off. I have my friend Nan Marie to thank for this cherished recipe. She is the wife of my dear childhood friend Mikal, and he clearly married up. It's okay, he knows it. Enjoy.

Pumpkin Dump Cake

3 eggs, beaten
1 can (29 oz.) pumpkin
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
½ tsp. allspice
½ tsp. salt
1 box yellow cake mix or 1 recipe homemade yellow cake mix(below)
3/4 cup melted butter

Grease a 9 x 13 pan or two 9" pie plates. Mix first 8 ingredients together and pour into pan. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over top. Drizzle melted butter over cake mix.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes until light golden brown. Serve with whipped cream.

Homemade Yellow Cake Mix:
2 1/3 cups flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. granulated sugar
½ cup shortening

Combine all ingredients together with a pastry blender. Substitute this for the cake mix called for in the recipe.

(Note: to bake this as a cake by itself, just add 2 eggs, 1 cup milk and 1 tsp. vanilla.)

The Handy Market

The Handy Market

Line forms to the right of the barbecues

There's a place called The Handy Market in Burbank on Magnolia Avenue. It's just a little market with an antiquated sign that shows you that it's been a Burbank fixture for awhile. I've driven by it a million times on a Saturday, and seen smoke billowing and some kind of barbecuing going on in the parking lot. I've also noticed the line of people that is there all day long. I've often wondered what the deal was, and at the same time suspected this was a place I probably wanted to be some Saturday. It's basically just a little Mom 'n Pop grocery store that barbecues outside on Saturdays. So, yesterday, while our kids were off on high school retreat weekend, we decided to go check it out. We had the last DVD of the John Adams series left and wanted some good take out food to enjoy our show with.

We arrived and got in line on the sidewalk. You can tell you are amongst people that come there all the time. Everyone ordering seemed to know exactly what they wanted. We were asking some questions to ourselves, like, "I wonder where you pay" and the guy in front of us overheard us and chimed in "you pay inside the market." I tell you, you feel really cool and "in the know" being in this little line. You are telling the world that YOU know the cool place to eat in this town. People driving by are looking at YOU and thinking, boy that person knows something that I don't. Yeah, you've been coming here for years. You know the deal, and they can only wonder. Yeah, you're looking pretty cool in that line.

"Cool" people in line

The menu with the prices on the little piece of paper...great prices- chicken $2.99/lb!

The parking lot scene

The barbecued chicken cooking...

So when it was our turn, Rich stepped up, and ordered us a slab of ribs, a half chicken, and a grilled ear of corn. They grab what you order off the grill behind them, throw it on top of some heavy duty foil, and pour an exhorbitant amount of barbecue sauce from a big jug on top. You then proceed indoors to pay. If you want a tri-tip sandwich, you have to get that at the meat counter inside (the guy in front of us told us that too.)

So we proceeded inside, got ourselves a tri-tip sandwich, and a couple of 99 cent boxes of strawberries (in the cute little green mesh baskets) that looked nice for dessert. We went to the checkout, paid an amazingly cheap amount for all that we got, and headed home to enjoy our little sampler dinner. We got into our car and without delay, opened up the tri tip sandwich. It was huge! We took a big, messy bite...MMM. It tasted awesome- tender, smoky and slathered in yummy barbecue sauce.

Can't wait until we get home - gotta dig in NOW!

Messy but good!

At home, we had a taste of everything else. I have to say, my ribs are WAY superior, but the chicken was really yummy. In retrospect, I would have been happy with just half that huge tri-tip sandwich for $5.99. I'm definitely going to remember this place. Yeah, I'm a regular now. I'm cool.

Whatever - this is strange...

I found the following on someone's blog:

"Has anyone noticed how few letters it takes to change the Obama/Biden ticket to spell Osama bin Laden?

I'm not saying it was a conspiracy by Osama bin Laden to get someone into office (because that would be really dumb to have a name so close to his) but I thought it was really uncanny how close it is. Politics aside, this guy really has the name game going against him. Barack Hussein Obama? Not sure about anyone else, but the name "Hussein" just doesn't fill me with emotions of joy and admiration."

I don't know about you, but when I first saw the Obama Biden bumper stickers the first thing I thought was how close those names were to each other. Did Obama even realize it, I wonder? I didn't even think about how his middle name reminds us of Saddam Hussein either. That's icky.

Sorry for the political post- I just thought this was so strange... whatever!

Way Delicious Wednesdays - Garlic Fries

Rich had a craving for garlic fries last Friday night. I was going to make baked potatoes, but I easily switched! They are so simple and fast - you don't even need a deep fryer. Have you ever baked fries in the oven? If you haven't, you should try these sometime. I guarantee your kids will love them!

All you do is slice some large russet potatoes into french fry strips - we like ours on the thin side - a little thicker than In-n-Out. I leave the skins on - it's a good source of fiber and saves prep time. I spread a jelly roll cookie sheet with foil and spray it generously with Pam, drizzle on some olive oil, and then lay the potatoes out single file. I then drizzle on a little more olive oil, and sprinkle generously with kosher salt. I bake them about 30 minutes at 450 degrees. About halfway through, I flip them over. In the end, I broil the tops to crisp them up a bit.

While the potatoes cook, I mix up a little garlic topping. For 3-4 potatoes, I use roughly the following proportions: 4-5 Tbsp. olive oil, 3 cloves minced garlic, and 1 tsp. salt. I like to add a tablespoon or so of chopped fresh parsley to that as well since I have it in the garden - I like the green color on the fries. When the fries are done, all you do is plate them up and spoon the garlic mixture on top. YUM! If you like garlic and fries you have got to try these!!

Visiting Sweet Suzie!

Suzie was fast asleep when we arrived....

Posing with Suzie (I don't think the flash worked here)

The nurse woke her up to be weighed and bathed...

Now she is pink, warm and cuddly again.

Rich and I got to go in and visit little Suzie at Huntington last night. If you follow my blog, you would know that she was born to Kyle and Stephanie Sanderson two months ago, a little preemie born at 28 weeks and weighing in just under 2 lbs. She has been through so much in her short little life, but has made quite a bit of progress, too. God has protected her in so many ways, through many ups and down, surgeries and procedures. There are just so many details involved in her care.

Suzie happened to get weighed last night during our visit, and was a whopping 5 lbs 2 ozs! I also got to see her have a little bath, which she was very alert and uncomfortable for - just like any baby would be! She is so cute/sad with her little cries. The nurse dressed her in an adorable pink coverall when she was done with her bath- precious. She has the sweetest little chubby face, a good amount of blonde hair and is so feminine. What a true little miracle she is. Here are some pictures I took. She is just a doll.

Please pray that Suzie would continue to progress to the point that she could come home soon. I know that staying at the Ronald McDonald house near the hospital is a blessing for Kyle and Steph, but there's no place like home. It's hard to be away from your home so long - you just get so homesick! Kyle and Steph are real troopers, and love their little girl so much. What a sweet family they are.

Way Delicious Wednesdays - Mimi's Muffins

This post is for Stephanie and Lindsay Tubbs - two darling young ladies our family loves. Their mom Luci told me that her daughters like to get recipes off my blog for their personal cookbooks. Since they dined at Mimi's Cafe this week, and Luci reminded me how amazing their bran muffins are, I thought I'd post a copycat recipe for that and another one of Mimi's muffin recipes.

First of all, I have to say- I just love muffins. I bake them often, and like to freeze them invidually wrapped to bring to church on Sunday mornings. (It helps me to not eat donuts - seriously.)

Muffins are easy and fast to make, are so inexpensive, and there are so many variations. Everyone loves them; it is like having your own personal mini cake. Nothing says "love" like a nice warm basket full of muffins.

The first recipe is for Buttermilk Spice muffins. The spices in these muffins are perfect with fall right around the corner. This recipe incorporates buttermilk, which I think is a dandy baking ingredient, but if you don't have any did you know that you can use regular milk - just add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice for each cup of milk and let it sit about 15 minutes before using. But do try to get the real buttermilk. Or rather, since no markets sell real buttermilk anymore, get the "cultured" buttermilk. I'm not exactly sure what that is... (It's about as mysterious as that "fat free" half and half.) All I can say is the texture of the muffins will be much nicer with it.

If you're not sure what to do with the leftover buttermilk, consider offering one of your kids a drink- it's good entertainment (Just kidding). But, seriously, you could stir some into some mayo, add a clove of minced garlic, some onion powder, dried parsley, salt and pepper, and WOW everyone with homemade buttermilk Ranch dressing. It works pretty good at my house.

The second recipe is for Mimi's Bran Muffins. Have you ever had one of these delightful creatures? You know, the type that are served upside down and have that sticky bun kind of topping? You know, the ones that you fool yourself into thinking are healthy because they contain the word "bran" in the title? (and you KNOW they are so sinful). I have made my share of bran muffins, but I have never found a recipe that came even remotely close to the kind Mimi's serves. Until today. Let me just say: MY LIFE IS CHANGED! I have to admit, this recipe was a little strange, but it delivered big time. Just one bite and I fell madly in love with these muffins. Unfortunately, the love isn't mutual. The recipe I used posted the Nutrition Facts (such killjoy) and I discovered these lovely little muffins weigh in at 500 calories each! Oh well, like I say, exercise and eat well.

Mimi's Cafe Buttermilk Spice Muffins
Makes 1 dozen

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup buttermilk, + 1 Tbsp. more

Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter together with an electric mixer. When they are thoroughly combined, add the eggs and beat one more minute.

Sift the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon into a separate bowl.

Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, with the mixer on low speed.

Divide the batter evenly between 12 greased muffin cups. Combine topping ingredients in a small bowl and distribute the topping evenly over all the muffins.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Do not overbake!

Love, love, love.

Mimi's Cafe Bran Muffins
Makes 1 dozen

Glaze:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons boiling water

Muffins:
1 1/2 cups dates, or raisins, pureed in food processor (measure before processing)
(I actually used craisins)
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I used extra light olive oil)
1 1/2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup wheat bran
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

For the glaze:
Cream butter with sugars until fluffy in electric mixer. Beat in honey and water. Using a brush, coat bottom of 12 greased muffin tins with glaze, spreading it up the sides as well.

For the muffins:
Mix fruit, honey and oil until smooth in electric mixer. Beat in eggs, then buttermilk and bran. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together. Add to mixture and beat just till combined. Fill tins 3/4 full with batter.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Do not overbake! Cool 2 minutes, and then invert to cooling rack.

Lastly, a word on spices. Years ago, my dad turned me on to a wonderful online company called Penzey's. They sell the finest quality dried spices, herbs, and seasonings at reasonable prices. I think even with having to pay shipping I am spending less than buying these at the store. I really love all their different seasonings for meat, chicken and fish. And their Ceylon cinnamon will change your life.

To begin with, I bought their 2.4 oz. jar size of a given spice (as shown above), and now I just buy their economical ziploc refill bags. I recommend you request them to send you a catalog, which also contains recipes that go along with their products. You will be surprised how much better quality the herbs and spices are than the ones you find at the grocery store. And, how convenient is it to shop online? Gotta love that.

An Old but New Read

It is nice to get back into a regular pattern of family devotions. Rich is going to be leading us through the book of 1 Peter on select weeknights, and in addition to that, all of us are going to read The Gospel According to Jesus. This year, in honor of the 20th anniversary of this life-changing book, John released a special revised edition with an extra chapter. I am excited to re-read this treasure. It has probably been 20 years since I have last read it, and it is no doubt one of John's most significant books ever. I really look forward to our family discussing the book together.

In my homeschooling career, I've never been a big fan of "bible curriculum." I don't know, but I am hesitant to trust even "Christian" publishers and I don't like to treat bible knowledge like just another subject in school. My preferred method has just been to just assign great books of the faith for my kids to read. My kids have had the opportunity to read some pretty good books, by authors like Jerry Bridges, A.W. Pink, and of course John MacArthur. Let me know if you need a recommendation list, I'd be glad to give one to you.

With a new season approaching, I'm feeling inspired to curl up with a book and read. I feel like during the summer, I didn't read much that was very deep or challenging, and I really miss that. When it comes to sitting down with a book, I struggle with laziness and not wanting "to think" after a busy day. One way to discipline myself into reading again is to choose a strategic time of day and begin with 15 minute increments. If you don't think you have time to read, try setting aside just 15 minutes a day to read from a book such as this. You'll be surprised how much you will gain and how much you really do have the time to stop and take a spiritual breath of fresh air.