a wall to remember

I decided to have Jeff paint a section of our kitchen wall with chalkboard paint. Three things prompted it - lack of a picture on the wall, something I'd seen on HGTV and in local restaurants, and I wasn't too concerned about losing any more value in our home by merely painting a chalkboard.

Jeff and I were working out to our "30 day shred" video one day and Jeff happened to knock a gigantic picture off the wall while doing some leg lifts (or some other fancy core work that Jillian has a special name for - I just can't remember, so I'll call them leg lifts.) It was loud, the picture was heavy and the glass shattered - all over. Luckily, no one was hurt, but the noise was great enough to get the attention of 2-3 perfectly content children. We were only 20 minutes into our workout at the time. Bummer. Picture went in the garbage. :(

A side note about the perfectly content children... if you're a parent, you'll know what I mean. Anytime the kids are playing and getting along and entertaining themselves, it's a beautiful moment. And, with any hope, that moment lingers for a long time. So, during that moment, you're careful to make sure you don't do anything. Anything at all to disturb or change that picture-perfect, happy suburban family, Pollyanna, smiling and cheerful 'Leave it to Beaver' TV ad (or however you'd like to think of it,) because those moments are precious and few and oh, so nice. So, when the picture fell off the wall, it ended the 30 minute workout and it disturbed the serene moment of brotherly/sisterly togetherness we see so seldom.

I wanted a place to write out our daily dinner menu, since I'm often pushed by the wayside as my children bust through the door and run to the oven or stove to see what we're having for dinner. I usually get my hugs and hello after they get that taken care of. I also wanted a place for the younger kids to be able to draw while I'm busy in the kitchen and necessarily don't want one of them attached to my hip while I'm near gas flames or hot water or whatever...

So, here's the small section that Jeff painted.

The first night, I titled the area with "MENU." And, I added our menu of Cajun chicken fettuccine, caesar salad and crusty bread, but the inner coach in Jeff suddenly erased my menu and replaced it with a basketball setup/play.

I haven't had the heart to erase it. And, as I stare at it longer, it looks more like a piece of art. So, our kitchen chalkboard may now be a permanent art form. And, there will always be a story behind it.

kid's cranberry citrus punch

Here's a great kid/adult punch recipe. Great for birthday parties or other celebrations, etc.

Kid's Cranberry Citrus Punch

1 (12 oz. can frozen cranberry concentrate)
3 1/2 cups fresh orange juice
1 liter lemon-lime soda

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher. Divide into smaller pitcher for easy serving. Serve over ice.

shrimp sauce

Another great dipping sauce for fondue meats or veggies... similar to the Benihana version. (I like to mix a little of the ginger and shrimp sauce.)

Shrimp Sauce

2 c. mayo
1/2 c. water
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 T. garlic juice
2-4 tsp. ketchup
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. hot sauce
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. paprika
3/4 tsp. white pepper

Whisk together and serve with cooked meats or veggies.

ginger sauce

This dipping sauce is a fabulous accompaniment to meats and vegetables. We like to use it for our fondue, but it would also go well with grilled or sauteed foods. It's very similar to the ginger sauce served at Benihana's.

Ginger Sauce

1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. soy sauce
2-3 garlic cloves (minced)
1 oz. gingerroot - peeled and chopped
juice of lemon
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. white vinegar

Blend well and serve with cooked chicken, beef, veggies.

simple caramel rolls

My kids love waking up to caramel rolls when they visit my parents. And, on the weekends, I'll throw a batch together for a special morning treat.

This is an easy recipe - you just need to remember to get it ready the night before, so they're ready to pop in the oven the next morning.

Package of frozen cinnamon roll dough (I usually use Rhode's)

Caramel topping for rolls

2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 - 2 cups heavy whipping cream
(Mix and spread in bottom of large jelly roll pan)

Place frozen dough on topping and leave lightly covered overnight. Rolls will rise by morning.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove from oven and let cool for about 20 minutes, then turn pan upside down and let rolls fall onto a cookie sheet or other surface to serve them.

rural banana bread

We always have plenty of bananas around our house. Once the peels get brown spots, the bananas are usually a little too ripe for me to eat, but perfect for a few good loaves of banana bread. I like a recipe from my grandma Irene's cookbook titled - "Washington Lutheran Church, Rural Northwood, North Dakota." She had this recipe marked (among many others), but I've continued to use this one, as it hasn't failed me. Anything from rural North Dakota is a winner in my opinion, but I am a fellow North Dakotan myself. I like to top my loaves with pecans, as they become nutty and toasted while baking. You can also mix them in the batter or add other things like chocolate chips - or not. My kids prefer the plain jane version - no additions whatsoever.

Banana Bread
(recipe of Mrs. Jerry Mandt from the 1982 Washington Lutheran Church, Northwood, ND cookbook)

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
dash salt
1/2 c butter (room temperature)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. flour
3 bananas, mashed
Any add-ins as desired - i.e. pecans, chocolate chips

(I top batter with pecans before baking)

Batter can be divided among two smaller loaf pans or one larger loaf pan.

Mix ingredients well and bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until done. Enjoy.

the art of searing

My sister and I were just talking about how we love the crisp, caramelized goodness of seared meats. It creates amazing flavor, but it can be an oily, messy and smoky process. I found this advice on one of my fave sites - www.williams-sonoma.com.

Searing involves browning a food–typically meat, poultry or seafood–quickly over high heat, usually to prepare it for a second, moist cooking method, such as braising or stewing. For years, cooks believed that searing sealed in juices and kept the meat from drying out, but food scientists have proven that it does just the opposite, drawing juices to the surface and releasing them into the pan or fire.

Cooking meat over high heat with a small amount of fat sets off a series of reactions between the sugars and the proteins, essentially caramelizing the surface, which results in a more complex and richer flavor. The crisp, browned surface of a seared piece of meat is also more appetizing than the dull, gray look of meat that hasn't been properly browned before moist cooking.

When getting ready to sear, keep the following tips in mind:

Be sure to pat the meat or seafood dry with paper towels before searing, or the moisture will hinder proper browning. (This is a must. I've had unsuccessful searing occur when extra moisture is present. The searing turns into steaming - not good. Especially true for scallops, salmon, roasts, tenderloins...)

Use a large, heavy pan, such as a cast-iron fry pan or a Dutch oven.

Oil the food to be seared rather than the pan, because an oiled pan will soon start to smoke at the high temperatures needed for searing. (This is another must. I've set off many a smoke detector by a smoking pan. My sister recently told me about oiling the meat rather than the pan - great tip!)

Allow space between pieces of meat or one piece of meat and the sides of the pan. Too much food crowding the pan will lower the temperature, trap moisture and create steam, preventing the meat from browning properly.

Turn the meat frequently to brown it evenly on all sides.

Make the most of the pan drippings created by searing by deglazing the pan before continuing with the recipe. (Oooooh... deglazing is one of my favorites. The pan drippings and brown bits can be used to create amazing sauces. Whatever you do, don't wash the pan before you take advantage of the flavor.)