More Basketball, Male Bonding, and Mac & Cheese

Another whirlwind day during the height of high school basketball season. I had a 2 hour dentist appointment this morning, then visited with my mom, and arrived back home at a very late 2:05pm. I prepared this homemade mac & cheese in 25 minutes, along with plugging in my Chi iron, tending the fire, letting the dog out, only to be out the door again at exactly 2:30pm to pick up the player after school. The away game bus was to leave at 3:30, so time was of the essence to have a nutritious snack before he left again for the game. When I arrived at the school, he brought along the other 4 sophomores on the team. I didn't know if anyone wanted my mac & cheese, so I gave them an option-mac &cheese or a snack at WaWa. (a 7-11 type store, only better). They chose my mac & cheese! Back at home, the mac & cheese was done at 2:55, and I had also sauteed up some Little Smokies. Perfect timing, and things were going smoothly when I left the room to iron my hair. I heard the sounds of laughter, joking, and putting each other down, and I felt all warm and tingly with the male bonding going on at the table. Next thing I heard was a whack and a thud, followed by a small tinkle of broken glass. "Emily B. would want you to clean that up," I heard my son say. "Remain calm," I told myself, but I knew they were using paper plates, so I was confused at what the tinkling sound could have been. Down went my Chi iron, and off I went into the dining room.
the culprit...


then the damage...

a broken candle bulb

the little tinkle of broken glass...
No harm, no foul, and it was well worth the hassle of cleaning up. These boys have been friends and teammates since grade school...good stuff, the memories they are making.

Back to the Mac



Standard recipe off the back of the box, with a few jazzes
1 pound elbow macaroni, boiled for 4 minutes
White sauce made with 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) melted in large skillet.
Add 1/2 cup flour, stir and cook till smooth.
Add 5 cups milk, cook and stir till thick & bubbly.
Add 1 tsp seasoned salt (Lawrys), 1/2 tsp regular salt, and pepper.
Add 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, and 1 cup Locatelli Romano cheese (or Parmesan)
Stir till cheeses are melted.
Pour over cooked macaroni in a large bowl and mix well.
Pour into a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
Top with 1 cup additional shredded cheddar, and 1/4 cup Locatelli(or parmesan)
Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes, till bubbly.

What was left after they housed it.

Home Sweet Home & Skillet Chicken Fajitas

Mom, What are We Having? wasn't home at all yesterday. I'm beginning to think I should change my name to Fliesbytheseatofherpants. I was planning on a chicken stir-fry meal, but had to drive Andy to Marlboro (2 hours each way) to the home of his college girlfriend for a ski trip. As I was racing to get back here for a 4:30pm tip-off to a double-header basketball(JV and varsity)game against the #6 ranked team in South Jersey, I knew my stir-fry plan was about to fly out the window. A victory warranted a celebration of fast food at 8pm. I also couldn't argue with a teen who played well and scored 19 points in the JV game. I almost pulled a fast one, and made the stir-fry for the sake of a post, but in keeping it real...this isn't really a cooking blog, it's an honest look of what we eat for dinner everyday. Plus I can't tell a lie...it's almost President's Day!

It's good to be home today to regroup before a road trip again tomorrow. The wood stove has had a roaring fire going all day, and all I want to do is sit in front of it and keep my feet warm. That thing is as old as this house (1974). We almost replaced it with a gas fireplace a few years ago, but I am glad we didn't. It's a lot of work to keep it going, and sometimes I curse at it, but I love the snowy log cabin scene on the front doors!



The house is at a population of only 3 until the weekend. The rest of the fam will be sorry they missed the Chicken Fajitas I am making tonight. I've been making these the same way since the 80's, when the Mexican mother of my next door neighbor in Virginia told me to add a few potatoes in along with the meat. I don't use potatoes in the summer when I make fajitas on the grill, but again, everyone has their own version. This has always been a family favorite, I even taught my mother and sister to make this, which is a stretch,(they rarely venture out of their standard menus). Here we go.



1 chicken breast (boneless skinless) per person
1 potato per person (this is a very large potato)
1 onion, sliced thin (you can use more)
1 green pepper, sliced thin (you can use more, also red & yellow peppers too)
vegetable oil
Mrs. Dash (any kind)
salt & pepper
flour tortillas
shredded cheese
salsa
any other fixings you like

I like to use an electric skillet, but any large skillet is fine.
Slice chicken across in 1/2 inch slices.
Peel and cube potatoes.
Heat 2 TBSP oil in skillet. Add chicken and potatoes, and season the heck out of them with Mrs. Dash, then salt & pepper.
Cook covered on medium heat, stirring a few times, till chicken is almost done and potatoes are getting soft.
Add onion and green pepper. Cook uncovered till onions and peppers are soft, chicken and potatoes are golden.
Heat tortillas in a small skillet, one at a time, and keep warm.
Serve with cheese and salsa, and your favorite taco condiments.
That's it!
I realized in the pic, the potato chicken concoction doesn't look like what you're used to. But I promise the addition of the potato brings a depth of flavor to the filling, as opposed to just stretching out the meat.



I also made a simple mexican rice, and a can of refried beans.

For the rice, again heat a large skillet, and add 1 TBSP oil. Add 1 cup brown rice(white if you like), and saute a few minutes on medium heat till fragrant. Add 2 1/2 cups water, 1 (8oz.) can tomato sauce, salt & pepper. Bring to a low boil, then turn the heat to low, cover and simmer at least 30 minutes or so till rice is done, and liquid is absorbed. (white rice takes only 20 minutes)

Sauce for Picky Eaters

Kind of a boring post today. I have a feeling this little "year in the life" blog experiment will become somewhat repetitious and boring, but I will keep at it. It's Sunday, and we almost always have some version of pasta. Other than a good steak, I could eat pasta everyday. When I was a kid, my older sister used to come home from work late at night and make a simple rigatoni with tomato sauce, covered with shredded mozzarella. She just used 2 small cans of tomato sauce seasoned with oregano, basil, and garlic salt. We loved it, and I still make it for lunch sometimes when I want comfort food, only now I add a ton of crushed red pepper flakes. It's cheap, easy, and fills you up, too bad it doesn't fit into my diet these days.


Today I will make sauce using only tomato paste...it's possible, and quite tasty. I have many recipes for sauce, from simple to complicated. My kids hate chunks in sauce, (pieces of garlic, onion, and tomato), so I came up with this a long time ago. Sometimes I take heart on picky eaters, although they might beg to differ. I only had 1 pound of ground beef thawed in the picture, but you should probably use more. I'm following the concept of using what I have these days, as two expensive car repair bills, college tuition and books have hit the budget hard since Christmas, so I must've been thinking one pound was enough this morning. I have plenty in the deep freeze, but I got busy, and forgot to take more out.



1 1/2 pounds ground beef (bought in bulk at the warehouse store)
2 pork chops (again bought in bulk, I repack and freeze 2 per pack)
6 6oz. cans tomato paste
olive oil, spices
pasta (on sale for 59cents a box!)
garlic bread using frozen Italian rolls (Amoroso's are the best here)
salad

Brown pork chops in a small amount of olive oil in a large saucepot. Remove, and brown ground beef. Remove the ground beef and strain the fat, if necessary. Turn the heat off to add the tomato paste. This next part is tricky...start adding 2 cans of water per can of paste, stir well. You can use a total of 3-5 cans of water per can of paste, in total, depending how thick/thin you like your sauce. I start out with 2, and add more water if needed. (Today I used a total of 2 1/2 cans of water per can of paste) The sauce will need to cook for a few hours to thicken. Add your favorite spices, here I used oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bring this to a slow boil, then to a simmer. Return the meat to the pan, and simmer for at least 2 hours. You can leave it partially covered, or not. Just watch and stir every now and then so it doesn't stick.

As I stated before, everyone has their own little tricks, tips, and ingredients for sauce. Some people don't use green (as in spices), some don't use garlic, and some use a ton. I really enjoy finding and trying different recipes. I love sauce in any shape or form, as long as there's plenty of it and it's not burned, I'm not picky. But don't forget the locatel (Locatelli cheese)! I bought the cheese shaker the other day for $3.99 at Shop-Rite, it matches the pasta bowl, also purchased at Shop-Rite at least five years ago. I didn't realize they matched until I took the picture, they're sure to become family heirlooms some day! (I have no vested interest in SR, I prefer the commissary, but sometimes they have some quirky things)



P.S. How about the Perciatelli pasta for 59 cents a box? I haven't had that since I was a small child at my cousin's Italian grandmother's house. I usually buy Barilla, and they don't make that cut. What a treat!
Tomorrow will be more musings than food, as I'll be on the run to take college boy to visit a friend in Marlboro, then back by 4:30 to the JV game. If I'm on time, I might get a shot at the Freehold Raceway Mall. Yippee, civilization!

Magical Bliss

Being the mom of four sports-minded boys, I've been to my share of events at all levels, including traipsing all over the mid-Atlantic with one who played college basketball. I have many fond, and some not so nice, memories of the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. With my youngest son a sophomore in high school,(that's him, above at the foul line) I'll admit, I've been looking forward to coasting these last 3 years. At this point, he doesn't seem to have a desire to play at the collegiate level, maybe that will change. But for now, he has a decent GPA, and is having fun with basketball and tennis, and has his sights set on Fordham. Which suits me just fine...none of the hassle of trying to be recruited and finding the right fit...been there, done that. I can sit back and watch other parents dream big. But something happened the other night...I got "it" back. "It", is my love of basketball. Here "down the shore" in winter, there's not much to do. It's cold, but there's not much snow. Excitement comes from school activities, a movie, or a trip to the mall 50 miles away. Sometimes it's nice being at the end of the earth where it's mostly quiet. But step into any high school gym in Cape May County on game night in basketball season during the cold, windy, winter, and you just might be treated to something special...hot and steamy, raucous crowds, chants, cheers, and jeers. Sit back and watch the video below. My son isn't on the floor in the video, he's on the bench, as he plays JV, and dresses varsity at a public school with 1200 students, no small feat here in New Jersey...but it's early in the season ;)

Cape teen’s basketball shot makes ‘SportsCenter’ Top 10 - pressofAtlanticCity.com : Cape May County

Posted using ShareThis

What a game! The next day at practice, word spread that the final clip of the game would be on ESPN's Top 10 plays that night. So we waited in anticipation until 11:50pm, glued to the television, with the DVR set on record. The countdown began...it wasn't #10, not #7, not #5....could it be? Commercial at #3...another deep breath,...it was #2!!!! Holy Cow! This game wasn't for a championship or title, yet both of these teams left everything on the floor that night, playing with 120% heart and soul. Yes, they are rivals, but they are not each others' only rivals. Unbelievable, yet it was believable, as we were there, and experienced that rare moment of pure, magical bliss that sometimes comes with the sweet taste of victory.


In celebration, here's my version of Cranberry Bliss Bars. I took two recipes from Mr. Breakfast and Recipezaar, and adapted them into what I thought would be more similar to the bars from Starbucks. (in a hurry and not good at finding links just yet, but I will add later)

Base
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chips

Frosting
4 oz cream cheese
2 TBSP butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar


Topping
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 tsp vegetable oil

For the bottom layer, cream butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with electric
mixer. Add eggs and vanilla. Add flour, ginger, salt, and baking powder, mix well. Mix in dried cranberries and white chips. Spread in a greased 10x15 baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

For the frosting, beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla, then add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing well. Spread over the cooled bars.

For the topping, sprinkle the chopped cranberries over the top. Melt the white chocolate chips and the oil in microwave, 30 seconds at time. Drizzle over top. Make sure chocolate topping is set before cutting. Cut into 20 large squares-5 x 4, then cut each square in half diagonally to create triangles.



Oh,and Mom, what are we having is McDonald's! Dad and I have a date at the Lobster House...a big surprise party and I have to get ready! Honestly, we do fast food at times, the kids of course love it (who doesn't?), and sometimes it's a necessity!

Snow!

I've never had a serious interest in photography, but look at that perfect snowflake I captured this morning! Thank you for the camera, Jimmy!

Since today is my day off (from cooking), I will share with you some of my favorite snowy things in celebration of our huge 1.5" snowfall. I was going to make Cranberry Bliss Bars, but we have too many snacks in this house right now.


These cookies I just opened are from Trader Joe's. We had so many homemade cookies this year, I put off opening them until now, since they have a freshness date of 4/10. They are so good, and the packaging is so cute, you could give these for gifts. Hmmm, maybe I won't bake at all next year. I wish I could go to TJ's more often, but I am 2 hours from the nearest one. We bought these at TJ's Union Square, in Soho on a Sunday afternoon in December...talk about crowded, there was a line at the door just to get in!


Another gift I received from my son's fiancee was this darling ski cap candle from Anthropologie. I haven't burned it yet, because I want to keep him forever! Have you heard the superstition of unburned wicks? A friend of mine told me once a candle comes into your house, you must burn the wick to ward off bad luck. I better get on that right now! So if I ever give you a candle, you'll know it wasn't re-gifted...just sayin'.
Should I take my chances with luck on this guy? I think I will for a little longer, he's just way too cute!



The answer to "Mom, what are we having?" is easy tonight. We are having pizza and subs! Zach has a basketball game at Wildwood Catholic...you just can't beat it...high school basketball with a loud, raucous crowd in a steamy old gym on a cold snowy night, followed by the legendary food right next door at A&LP Pizza.

Oh, No! Not Chicken Again!

I'm spinning wheels again today, I had a 9am dentist appointment, then I decided to run some errands afterward. First, a stop at Starbucks to treat myself to a Caramel Creme Brulee. I was SOL, since they stopped selling the holiday treat yesterday! I was so disappointed, as I have been on a strict calorie diet, and felt it was too much of an indulgence, now I've been left out in the cold...lesson learned...treat yourself before it's too late! With my plain ole non-fat Latte in hand, I trudged on to Bed, Bath, & Beyond, then Ross (why did I bother?), Michael's, Famous Footwear, Pearle Vision, Walgreen's and finally to Shop-Rite. Other than the prescription at Walgreen's and the groceries at Shop-Rite, I bought nothing. I must have been avoiding doing housework, I think. With the sun shining brightly, raising the temperature to 40 degrees, it felt good to be outside.

Another thing off the menu at Starbucks? Cranberry Bliss Bars, also a holiday-only treat. I will be making those tomorrow from several recipes I came across...in your face Starbucks! You shouldn't be taking things off your menu during a recession, because we will find a way to replace them!

We are having a simple roasted chicken dinner tonight, along with bow tie pasta, and a vegetable medley. During my shopping trip to Shop-Rite to pick up some bananas, I noticed Perdue Oven Stuffer Roasters were on sale for .89 cents a pound. "Works for me," I thought.

Roast Chicken
Preheat oven to 350.
Remove giblets from chicken, and do what you wish with them.(throw away)
Rinse chicken well, inside and out and pat dry with paper towels.
Season chicken with your favorite spices, here I used salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Cut a stick of butter into 10 pieces.
Put 3 pieces of butter in the chicken's cavity along with celery, onion, lemon, whatever you have.
Place the rest of the butter on top and in between the wings & legs...easier than melting a stick of butter, and it ending up in the bottom of the roaster pan.
Roast in the oven for about 2 hours.



Buttered Pasta
Everyone knows how to make this, but add some crushed red pepper, garlic salt, and some Locatelli cheese to it. If you've never had Locatelli cheese, run to the store and get some! My kids only like the Parmesan cheese in a can, and I like it as well, but Locatelli is so tangy and salty, I like to pour it in the palm of my hand and lick it off when no one is watching. I even bought a special shaker just for it!



Hopefully, we will be waking up to a nice coating of snow in the morning. Like a kid, (or maybe just a freak) I will be up in the middle of the night watching the radar on the Weather Channel and waiting by the window for the first flakes to fly!

A Chilly (Chili) Day

No snow here, just a few flurries, but it's been cold, like everywhere else. Of course today is a busy day, like every other day...I feel like Ray Liotta playing Henry Hill in the last scene of Goodfellas today...you know the scene I'm talking about, helicopters chasing him (not in my case), running here and there, gotta pick up this, gotta take that, gotta cook this...stressed out!

So I'm making the fastest easiest homemade chili recipe out there. I like good food, and today I need it fast. I've also made some snowflake cupcakes, just white cupcakes from a mix, with homemade frosting tinted blue with sprinkles.

The Ensembles.





Easiest Fastest Chili
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 8oz. cans tomato sauce
1 16oz can Bush's chili beans (I like the taste of these better than plain kidney beans)
2 TBSP. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
salt & pepper

Brown ground beef in a 5qt. dutch oven, season with salt & pepper. When the beef is halfway brown, add the onion and green pepper, continue browning until the onions and green pepper are soft. Drain fat if necessary.
Next, add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans and seasoning. Simmer 30 minutes on med-low to medium heat. Serve with crackers, cheddar cheese, sour cream, etc. I also like to cook small macaroni separately, and add it to the individual bowls.
There you have it, a hot steaming bowl on a chilly night after a barn burner high school basketball game hits the spot!



Back to the star of the show, my cupcakes....I love my NYC style simple cupcakes with lots & lots of frosting. No frosting in a can for me, it tastes like the paste you ate in second grade (don't even try to hide it...you know you ate it or tasted it!) I will admit to using cake mix from a box, though. This recipe makes a ton of frosting. I always have some leftover, and it will keep a few days in the fridge, perfect to layer with peanut butter on a triple layer graham cracker.

Homemade Frosting
2 sticks butter, softened
2 16oz. boxes powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla

Beat softened butter till fluffy about 3 minutes in a large mixer bowl with electric mixer ( a Kitchen-Aid stand mixer is a must have for any kitchen). Add 1 box powdered sugar, milk and vanilla, and beat this till smooth. Add the remaining box of powdered sugar and beat again. (make sure you start out beating the powdered sugar on low speed) Add your favorite color food coloring, the old-fashioned kind in the bottle is just fine. I find that fancy paste food coloring has better colors, but is not easy to work with. (at least for me) I'm not into all the fancy cake decorating though, just frosting and sprinkles makes me smile!