Mysterious Splashes and Squeezes

Recipe: Chicken, Craisins, and Walnut Salad (Sandwiches)

It's true that we just got back from somewhere a lot more exciting (and photogenic) than this chicken salad but we've been devouring this salad (and/or sandwich, depending on who you are in this household) for almost 3 years so I couldn't wait another moment to share it with you. *pictures of our July 4th weekend to come... someday

Devouring? A "typical" chicken salad? Really, Kara... the food(-ish) blog world doesn't need one more person over-hyping a recipe. So with that, I will make a promise to you that this is no over-hype... sure it might just be that we have warped taste buds or the fact that we like anything in salad form (egg salad, tuna salad, etc.), but this Chicken, Craisin, and Walnut Salad truly is one of our favorites.

Is it the mysterious splashes of hot sauce? Or the squeeze of lemon? We'll never know (not that we're ever left with much time to figure it out)... all I know is that this is one of the two most often requested dishes around here, which to me says it is anything but typical. It also says "make me tonight... or tomorrow... or better yet, both!" (these leftovers are highly coveted in this house)

Chicken, Craisin, and Walnut Salad Sandwiches
adapted from Bon Appetit

1 1/4 lb skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 1/4 c thinly sliced green onions
1 c coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
3/4 c Craisins
3/4 c mayonnaise
1/2 c chopped fresh parsley
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1 (scant) tsp hot pepper sauce
12 slices wheat bread, lightly toasted

Arrange chicken in single layer in medium skillet; add enough water to cover. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Cover; reduce heat to low and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting boat. (chicken can be made in advance using this method, or slow-cooked and shredded using this recipe)

Cut chicken (or shred) into 1/2-inch cubes. Mix chicken and all remaining ingredients except bread in large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide salad among 6 toast slices and top with remaining pieces of toast.

Late to the Party

Recipe: Wheat Berry Salad with Chickpeas, Craisins, Feta and Mint

There are two things you can count on around here... that I'm always going to be the last to do or know about anything - which most certainly applies to new (or once they get to me, old) trends, and that I know nothing, and I mean literally zero, about anything related to pop culture, or that is cool or hip (for that matter, do "we" even say the word "hip" at this point?).

While I'm sure this surprises no one, not the least of which you all - after all, you've been privy to just a few of the recipes I throw around in our kitchen (frittatas? sausage soup? bar cookies? a fruit trifle? and sometimes, two chocolate recipes at once?), it did feel good to wipe yet another embarrassing admission off my chest.

Over two years ago, I read post after post of Susan's (among others) about bulgur, farro, quinoa, and a number of other whole grains that I'd never even heard of (truth be told, at the time, I was cooking whole wheat couscous, calling it a whole grain); and, they sounded not only delicious but each also boasted incredible health benefits. Thus it's fitting, albeit late as expected, that I've finally located (honestly, this was half the battle), cooked, and fallen hard for... wheat berries.

Since then, though, you can be sure that I've seen right through (past, and around) the hour-long cooking time required to transform these once dry and light-as-air pellets into tender little nuggets of chewy, wheaty, wholesomeness. In the very short time that we've been acquainted, our new pal has already met us in two delicious recipes (one of which got unfairly short-changed being served past the bewitching hour of decent photos), leaving us with over half a bag of the little gems waiting for their day to shine. And shine they will... as these low-maintenance guys certainly don't need much help.

How to cook wheat berries:

Add 1 cup dried wheat berries to a medium-to-large sized pot and fill pot with water, covering the wheat berries by at least an inch or more. Bring the water to a boil and then turn down to just simmering for about an hour, or until tender. Drain the wheat berries. From here you can either use them right away or store them in an airtight container in your refrigerator for several days.

Recipes with wheat berries that we've enjoyed:
Wheat Berry Salad with chickpeas, Craisins, feta, and mint (chickpeas were my substitution)
Wheat Berry Salad with black beans, feta, onions, and red onion vinaigrette (black beans were my addition; we loved this vinaigrette!)

How Far We've Come

It's been been very interesting watching my food tastes change, maybe even mature, as I've done some growing-up, myself. I wasn't necessarily a picky-eater as a child - not that I had much of a choice in the matter... if I didn't eat my dinner, it showed up as my breakfast - and just in case you were wondering, food you didn't like once isn't much better 8 hours later), but I certainly had a whole food group that I called "gross".

What's most intriguing to me is that save for one specialty, I now love all of the things that I once loathed. Orange roughy (think tilapia in the 90s), egg salad, spinach, and the infamous squash casserole. I'll spare you the details on the squash casserole - it'd take quite a bit of coaxing to get me to consume another bite of that stuff - but as for the rest of the group formerly known as "gross", I'd happily make, serve or eat some any day.

I suppose since I missed it during my formative years, spinach has made its way back with a vengeance... and with dishes like this Spinach and Orzo Salad around, I couldn't be happier.

This side dish was a huge hit... I fear, now, that it risks being made so many times it's liable to send spinach right back to the "gross" food group. But I'll take my chances...

A few notes:

• This recipe makes a LOT; halve it and you'll still have plenty for hearty helpings for at least 4 plus some left-overs
• I used white balsamic which as it turns out is a bit lighter (in our opinion) in flavor and worked perfectly - plus, our salad didn't have the slight tinge that regular balsamic would leave
• Do NOT leave out the pine nuts or the feta

It's recipes like this that make me oh-so-thrilled that I've learned the error of my ways in my early food likes and dislikes... and even happier that our crop of fall lettuces (spinach included) has pushed her way through and promises (knock on wood) an abundant harvest!

Home-Grown

We're swimming in a sea of red (tomatoes) these days... and honestly, I can't think of a more welcome sight.

Last year was our first attempt at our vegetable garden and while it was successful and we immensely enjoyed the fruits of our labor, we also realized how much we had to learn. Who knew that tomato plants generally grew so massive that they would topple over in even the slightest breeze? Thankfully tomatoes are just as easy to clean (and eat!) after being picked up off the compost-fed ground as they are picking from the tree.

This year with sturdier cages and some home-'grown' contraptions to ensure our plants remained upright and healthy, our crop has been even more plentiful. And thus, almost daily I am searching for another use for our beautiful, vine-ripened fruit.

Pasta dishes are few and far between in my repertoire so this tangy pasta salad was a welcome change of pace. It seemed endlessly adaptable - so I did just that.

What's been your favorite way to use up your garden-fresh harvest this (ever-fading) summer?

(Kinda) Greek Pasta Salad
adapted from AllRecipes

1/2 c olive oil
just shy of 1/2 c red wine vinegar
splash of balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp basil, torn or chopped into small pieces
2 tsp oregano, chopped into small pieces
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 tsp sugar
1 1/3 c rotini pasta (uncooked)
15-20 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 c diced red bell peppers
3/4 c crumbled feta cheese
1/2 c chopped green onions
1/2 c turkey pepperoni, cut into thin strips

In a saucepan, cook pasta according to directions, leaving out oil.

In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegars, garlic powder, basil, oregano, black pepper, and sugar. Add cooked pasta, tomatoes, red peppers, feta cheese, green onions, and pepperoni. Toss until evenly coated. Cover, and chill 2 hours or overnight.

A Real Boost

I like to sing but only when no one's listening. Do you know anyone like me? It's not really about the singing - but someone who is full of energy and confident of themselves when it's well, just them, but the second there are others around (hey, where'd you come from?!), it's all apologies so heavy you can see any confidence that had been there quickly draining away. I'll sing to my heart's content by myself but wouldn't be caught dead doing so in a room full of people (trust me, this is a good thing); insert the word "cook" in that same sentence, and that's how I feel about cooking and entertaining around 99% of the time.

"So you're saying there's a chance" (hope I quoted that correctly - I inherited the innate ability to misquote everything from my mother-so-dearest)

Enter this dish - it lives in that minuscule but crucial 1%. If you're at our house and I serve you something not showered with numerous comments on how I coulda-woulda-shoulda... you'll probably be about to dig into this Grilled Chicken and Strawberry Spinach Salad.

Grilled Chicken and Strawberry Spinach Salad

Marinated grilled chicken (see recipe below)
one large bunch of fresh spinach
1 pint fresh strawberries, washed and thinly sliced
Mrs. Barbin's dressing (see below)
crumbled blue cheese
mixed nuts (optional)

Marinated Grilled Chicken
3/8 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
2 1/4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 1/4 TBSP Dijon mustard
2 1/4 TBSP lemon juice
1 1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 chicken breast halves

Mix first 8 ingredients together in sealable container and add chicken breast halves. Let the chicken marinate for at an hour or more. Grill chicken until done basting with remaining marinade. Off the grill, let the chicken breasts rest briefly before slicing on the bias.

Mrs. Barbin's Dressing
6 TBSP red wine vinegar
6 TBSP sugar
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients together, whisking to thoroughly combine. Can make ahead and store in refrigerator; let come to room temperature for about 15 minutes and shake vigorously before serving.

Wash spinach and separate into equal portions on each of 4 entree-sized bowls or plates. Top with 1/4 of the sliced strawberries, grilled chicken, some blue cheese crumbles and the mixed nuts. Dress the salad and toss to evenly coat.

Sure, some might say that strawberry season is drawing to a close, but I plan on doing everything possible to make it last (and not just because it's been one of my favorites). And after trying this salad, I'm confident that you'll be joining me in the effort.

Survival

How many times have you ever headed out, craving that one dish from your favorite restaurant, only to arrive at an empty building with a huge and sadly permanent sign reading: CLOSED?

For a while I thought my family and I were cursed or just had really poor taste (still a real possibility), but I recently came across this study that explained things with a bit more perspective. Turns out most people think, like me, that restaurants close down at alarmingly high rates, when in reality (at least in the markets that was studied), the frequency is quite a bit lower then we think. I still want to know why it seems all of the restaurants I like close, but at least know I know it's not just me.

Regardless, another restaurant (or food-establishment), not one that we necessarily frequented but when we did get a chance to go, it was always delicious, has come and gone... or at least gone from any market that we are close to... eatZi's. They used to have at least two locations in Atlanta and one close to my old office in Maryland... but they are no more.

And how did I come to find this out - searching online for an old favorite recipe of theirs that was once published in the Atlanta-Journal Constitution - luckily, the recipe is still there, even though the only way you'll get to eat it is if you make it... which I highly recommend.

eatZi's Gemelli, Chicken and Cranberry Salad

1/4 lbs gemelli (or other short, twisted) pasta
1/4 c pine nuts
1/4 c frozen corn
10 oz chicken
1/4 lb asparagus
2 TBSP fresh rosemary, chopped
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
Kosher salt and ground white pepper, to taste
6 TBSP honey
3 TBSP Dijon mustard
Juice and zest of 1/4 orange
1/2 c olive oil
1/2 c dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, toast pine nuts in a single layer in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove corn from freezer and set aside to thaw.

Poach chicken in a small amount of water until no longer pink. Remove from water and drain. When cool enough to handle, cut chicken into 1/2-inch cubes. Blanch asparagus until of desired doneness. Drain and cool. When cool enough to handle, slice into 1-inch pieces.

In a large bowl, mix rosemary, vinegar, salt, pepper, honey, mustard, orange juice and olive oil.

In another bowl, combine pasta, pine nuts, thawed uncooked corn, chicken, asparagus, orange zest and dried cranberries. When well-mixed, add to bowl with dressing and toss to combine.

A Whole Lotta Fuzz

Remember these?

I thought it was about time that I showed you some of the ways we enjoyed these delicious treats... other than just a quick rinse and sinking your teeth into the peach, plain and simple. Sometimes that just can't be beat...

But when you're looking for a little more... here are some of our favorites that I'd suggest...

Sliced Peaches and Grilled Chicken Balsamic Salad
*the homemade balsamic dressing with this salad is out of this world, really... it works well on just about any romaine (or even spinach) salad you can imagine; one of our other favorite side salads includes candied walnuts, crumbled bleu cheese and slices of pears with the balsamic

Marinate your chicken breasts in your choice of Italian dressing for at least one hour refrigerated or 30 minutes at room temperature.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

2 TBSP sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
3 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1 tsp finely minced onions
1 clove garlic, crushed
3/4 cup olive oil

Combine dry mustard, seasoned salt, and pepper in small bowl. Stir in vinegar, sugar, onions, and garlic. Let stand at least 1 hour. Just before serving, pour through a strainer into a small bowl to remove garlic. Beat in olive oil with wire whisk.

*I often make a double recipe of the dressing and refrigerate the remainder; just be sure to pull out your dressing at least 30 minutes before serving and mix well to reincorporate the olive oil.

2 chicken breasts, marinated, grilled, and sliced on an angle
Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 1/2 hearts of Romaine lettuce
1 1/2 green onions, sliced on the bias
1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
1 firm ripe peach, sliced

Put all ingredients, except for chicken slices and Balsamic Vinaigrette, together in a large salad bowl and toss gently. Add dressing and toss so salad is evenly covered. Top with slices of grilled chicken.

As for the tasty-looking cake below, I turned to an experiment in Peach Pound Cake. You'll probably have the same reaction my sister-in-law had when I told her what it was... "huh, peach pound cake??" but this was pretty good stuff. I thought this was delicious as an indulgent morning treat... though admittedly, I had to give the rest away quickly so I didn't turn into one big peach, myself.

Peach Pound Cake

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 c fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (165 degrees C). Spray an 8x4 loaf pan with cooking spray and coat with white sugar.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Reserve 1/8 cup flour for later; sift together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually stir into the creamed mixture. Use the reserved flour to coat the chopped peaches, then fold the floured peaches into the batter. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

*BONUS: another highly recommended use of fresh peaches

We have loved being creative with our delicious and beautiful fruit... I never realized that peaches were so versatile but we certainly enjoyed finding that out!!

New Version, Same Great Story

The Grubbs take DC - version 3, edition 1

Some stories are best left to the pictures... especially when time is of the essence - which seems to be our life in a nutshell these days.

Our dear friends, Jayne, Jason, and BG (well, we have yet to meet BG but we are sure to become fast friends) arrived fresh from Kernersville, NC, Friday evening; we met them at the house shortly after our 3rd to last (who's counting?!) Wake softball game. They were so kind to bring with them this enormous container of deliciously beautiful peaches (which are the genesis of quite a few recipes, assuming I get around to posting them - but trust me, these peaches are/have been amazing).

We munched on some snacks including fresh tomato bruschetta and one of our other favorites, carrots and pretzels dipped in TJ's original hummus before diving into my latest batch of homemade vanilla ice cream topped with a warm fudgy chocolate sauce.

Saturday, we had a leisurely morning, best for our preggers momma, and enjoyed our favorite sausage biscuit casserole, fresh veggie frittata, and fresh fruit before heading into the city towards our destination.

The Library of Congress - this has fast become one of Chris and my favorite spots in DC and to the point, we've been there twice in the past month and a half.


If you have a chance to visit, definitely check out both the exhibit on Thomas Jefferson's Library and Creating the United States.

I should really let the pictures speak for the rest of the weekend... but suffice it to say we made it back home to some relaxation including National Treasure II (we were motivated by the beautiful structure that we'd just visited), of COURSE some guac and TJ's spicy flaxseed chips, followed by a yummy dinner of our latest go-to... Honey-soy-basil grilled pork tenderloin, balsamic dressed crunchy romaine salad, and Costco garlic bread. But the crowning glory was my attempt at my mom's amazing ice cream cake - and granted he is a bit biased, I am happy to report that a certain Grubbs family member gives this recipe 5-stars and we all highly recommend you try it.

We finished the night, and essentially another short DC weekend, with a night tour of the monuments and the WWII Memorial.

And I leave you with these images - to help you reflect on and remember those who gave their lives in sacrifice of all that they believed this Nation could become. We are so grateful.

Red, Vanilla, and Blue

Another food-eating holiday has come and gone... though I am happy to report that this one was taken full-advantage of.

Since I tend to be a wee Patriotic... and not to mention finally having an entire house and backyard deck to play with, I was excited to make a whole day of our Fourth.

We enjoyed the afternoon with Bril, Karen, and their little Olivia and our neighbors, Andrea and Chris, as well as pretty much the rest of our street. We still love neighbors!

Everyone came over in the late afternoon and we snacked on some guac and new chips (not being a traitor to our favorite TJ's spicy flaxseed chips but just trying something new... oh, and they were sold in large quantities at Costco), fresh tomato bruschetta self-serve style, and an experiment in chicken wings (this recipe is fantastic - I do recommend the Tabasco addition... and I also recommend buying the chicken already cut into drummettes... chopping cartilage was NOT FUN).

A few hours later, we had the guys grilling the burgers, my mom's 5-bean bake (a new staple for us) cooking in the oven, and I put the finishing touches on our favorite "fancy" fresh green salad - complete with crisp Romaine, candied walnuts, homemade balsamic vinegarette, sliced scallions and pears, and bleu cheese. Karen had perfectly added to the menu with her crowd-pleasing "cheesy potatoes" *think home-cooking at its best here.

After being treated to some neighborhood fireworks intermittent with the scattered showers that have plagued DC Fourths for the past few years, we were all ready for a sweet to finish the night. I was so excited to share my new-found homemade vanilla ice cream recipe. *I substituted 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract as I'm still holding out on buying real vanilla beans - the horror, I know It was another 7/4/08 experiment (much like the chicken wings) and turned out to be a keeper.

We enjoyed scoops of the fresh ice cream either as part of a homemade chocolate chip cookie sandwich or just as an accessory to the traditional cookies.

It was a great day spent with great friends; we hope for a repeat at the start of the Olympics - we're considering everyone taking a country per night or just doing one huge "Opening Ceremonies" party. ...to be continued

The Embarrassing Truth

Until yesterday at approximately 3pm, I'd never once been able to successfully hard-boil eggs!

And while I hold my head high admitting this fact, it just doesn't seem right... for a number of reasons:

I love eggs

I love egg-salad (!!), and

I cook a fair amount and this is just one of those basics

But alas, you just can't make this stuff up. I think this is akin to Food Blogga's cupcake mastery; I know I breathed a huge sigh of (years of) relief as I cracked the first shell and out came a beautifully hard-boiled egg.

The fruit of my efforts (can you even call it effort??) were delicious egg-salad sandwiches for an easy, lazy Saturday dinner enjoyed out on our deck.

Easy Egg-Salad
*this "recipe" was delicious though I don't think you can really ruin egg-salad... but just in case you're wanting some recommendations

5 large eggs, hard-boiled
1/4 c Hellman's Canola mayonnaise (or until desired consistency is reached)
2 TBSP chopped fresh chives
2 TBSP minced onion
1 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper (to taste)
Season-All (to taste)
4 slices of whole wheat bread
2-3 pieces of the dark green parts of romaine lettuce

Coarsely chop the hard-boiled eggs using knife or fork until the eggs are broken into small pieces. Add small amounts of mayonnaise until you reach the desired consistency (the egg yolks will help with the consistency so you probably need less than you think). Add chives and onion. Season with salt and pepper, and Season-All (this is just what I used this time - try your favorite seasonings here!).

Toast your bread and top with a piece or two of the lettuce. Scoop the egg salad onto the sandwich, slice and enjoy!

*this made two generous sandwiches and enough left-over for another 1/2 sandwich the next day!

Life may never be the same!!!

*I am often a less-than-formidable blogger... only an idiot (me!) wouldn't post how I got the eggs to come out so well!

Kara's steps to hard-boiled eggs (tried and tested ONCE): Place eggs straight from the fridge into your pot and fill the pot until the eggs are covered by about an inch. Bring the water to a rolling boil - after that point, watch carefully for about a minute. Remove from the heat and cover your pot - wait about 12-13 minutes and then pour out the (still) very hot water. At this point, I ran my eggs under cold water a few times. Depending on how soon you want to use the hard-boiled eggs, you can leave them in a sealed container in the fridge (unshelled) for a few days. I left mine unshelled in the fridge for the afternoon (about 3 hours) and then peeled them again under cold water, though I know there's a more precise method for exact peeling, but this worked pretty well.

Just Talkin'

Just because I'm not doing much of my own cooking (and certainly am not inspired by what I actually have managed to throw together) doesn't mean I haven't been paying attention to anything food-related. I gotta do something while dreaming of finally getting into my cute new kitchen (5 weeks and 2 days, but who's counting?!).

This morning on the Today Show (haven't seen that show in ages and had forgotten why I love it so much!) a contributing editor from Bon Appetit (another of my personal favorites!) provided some tips on cooking delicious, gourmet recipes year-round while maintaining a level of frugality; I liked her recommendations of buying in-season (a tip that she repeated numerous times) ingredients and produce, and changing what you cook throughout the year according to those ingredients - and she didn't mean just the fresh fruit and veggies you eat but also what you make with them! Another tip she mentioned was not to be tempted by the first thing that you see right when you enter your grocery store because very often, the less-costly but equally tasty and beautiful produce lie just around the corner. *My two cents... you've probably heard this before: shop around the perimeter of your store and not the interior - though admittedly, this is more of a calorie-reducing strategy than a cost-cutting measure.

The nice lady from Bon Appetit also proposed a few recipes that she claims get you more "bang for your buck" - ways to eat fresh and healthy without going broke. As we like pretty much anything with avocados, I'll definitely give the spinach salad a try; this will allow us to take advantage of using in-season ingredients, too! Yet another to add to the "to cook" list!

And, as a quick 180 from the yummy food talk... did anyone catch the "Ice Man" feature on the Today Show this morning? Turns out that through an interesting mind over body-type exercise, he can withstand freezing temperatures for long periods of time! Tomorrow he will attempt to break his own world-record by remaining submerged in ice for over 71 minutes - a record I will go out on a limb and say will remain his for a very long time.

Home SWEET Home

Like mother, like daughter (tries to be)...

During the past 3 days of a whirlwind visit home to Atlanta, I was reminded what an amazing cook and hostess my mom is... I can only hope that one day I'll be able to entertain, cook and bake with the ease that she does, but until then, I will continue to seeking her advice and copying her creative flair.

Upon our arrival, even into the wee hours of the night, thanks to an AirTran delay, we were treated to one of my summer favorites... a cold salad with marinated strips of steak, potatoes, and fresh green beans and asparagus. It hit the spot, as I'd been strangely craving red meat. This is a great salad for a crowd, and guys especially like it because of the strips of tender steak throughout.

As soon as we'd had enough of that, my dad, who, I'd noticed, had been lingering around the kitchen, whips out some homemade ice cream sandwiches. My mom had sandwiched some vanilla ice cream between two of her giant "Kitchen-Sink Cookies" and individually wrapped each one.

Friday we visited and had a quick lunch with Granny and then headed back to my parents to prepare for the evening festivities. Before everyone arrived, as if we weren't going to eat enough later, we had a casual (but delicious) meal of "white gazpacho" with a variety of bite-sized mix-ins, including cooked shrimp, green onions, sliced almonds, and diced tomato. Talk about refreshing!

That evening, we hosted some family friends for a fun and competitive night of Tripoley... AND, of course, everyone brought some munchies and mom provided the dessertS. I've asked her, from now on, to give me advance warning when she's going to serve something as incredible as the layered ice cream cake she pulled out later in the evening - so let this be your notice as well.

(This goes without saying) but this cake is both professional looking AND delicious (and secretly SO easy to make!)... it was absolutely perfect for the heat of an Atlanta summer.

Ice Cream Cake

1 qt each of chocolate, butter pecan, and coffee ice cream

1 1/2 pkgs of chocolate wafers

1 1/2 jars of Smuckers Chocolate Fudge Sundae Sauce

1 jar of Smuckers Wet Walnuts

Line a 10-inch spring form pan with chocolate wafers. Line sides of pan with wafers; you will need a layer of ice cream to hold wafers in place. Spread first quart of ice cream in pan. Next place a layer of chocolate wafers and then spoon 1/2 jar of chocolate fudge sauce. Spoon second quart of ice cream over cake. Repeat wafer and fudge sauce layer. Spread third quart of ice cream and top with walnut sundae topping, some fudge sauce, and crumbled/broken chocolate wafers. Freeze before serving.

*Mom altered the recipe by making a chocolate wafer crust (processed wafers with butter) and pressed it about 2-inches up the sides of the springform pan. To cut some of the richness of the dessert, we recommend not using all of the fudge sauce.

In a great weekend that was all about food (as it turns out)... Saturday afternoon, we met up with our friend, Denise, for what we thought would be just a fun lunch. Turns out we were treated both to a delicious Cuban meal at Papi's (we recommend the Cuban Sandwich, I had it without mayo and it was still amazing) and a walking tour of everything new and upcoming in Midtown. Yes, I'm from Atlanta... but don't ask me how to get ANYwhere in the city, though I now know all about the new SoNo District and how the city is revamping the Buckhead strip to be Atlanta's "Rodeo Drive" (you still won't find me there).

That night we headed (with the rest of Atlanta) to Stone Mountain for the Laser Show which has always been one of my favorite things to do. The show was even more patriotic this year than usual so it was very well-received. And so was my mom's picnic spread... gouda and crackers, shrimp salad on croissants, broccoli salad, and fruit salad. Coming home to left-over ice cream cake wasn't half-bad either!

As usual, Sunday was bittersweet... we visited again with Granny who had finished recovering from Friday night's game night, and great friends, Lindsay and Ron, but then packed up and headed out for one last meal, at The Brickery, on our way to the airport.

And while our flight, this time, actually wasn't delayed, we decided to volunteer to get bumped in order to get a free roundtrip! THIS kind of delay didn't put me in nearly as foul of a mood as I'd been on Thursday trying to get home to mom's cooking.

Thanks, Mom & Dad, for such a great weekend! See you soon!!

*If you're interested in any of these other recipes, let me know... I'm waiting for my mom to pass them along but I'd be happy to send them your way as soon as I get them myself!

What's Your's?

What's your "go-to" meal? The one you fix when all else fails - either you're pressed for time but still want a healthy meal or you just can't think of anything else to make?

Abby asked that very question the other day and at the time, the only thing I could think of was my good ole' egg-white omelet (filled with whatever I have around... some of my favorites are caramelized onions, fresh chives, canned or fresh tomatoes, turkey bacon, turkey deli meat, etc.), but as I was quickly fixing a very impromptu dinner tonight, I realized just what my real "go-to" is... any variation on a grilled chicken salad. I always have skinless, boneless chicken breasts frozen (stock up when they are on sale) and am never without at least a head of two of Romaine lettuce (from my Costco 6-pack!); once you have those two ingredients, the rest depends on your creativity and what you have in your pantry and/or fridge.

Tonight I was inspired by some left-over whole wheat bread. I cut the bread into large cubes, brushed them lightly with olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt, and set them on my grill pan with the chicken. We rarely have bread around but if I have the opportunity to do this again, I will - it was great and I loved the texture... next time, I'll probably add in some minced fresh herbs, or if I'm planning far enough in advance, I might infuse the olive oil with some rosemary or garlic for extra flavor.

As for the chicken, I usually rotate between a few different marinades but tonight I simply used some chopped, fresh thyme and Italian salad dressing (my favorite... Ken's Fat-Free Italian). To finish the salad off, I threw in some (delicious and healthy) avocado, thinly sliced cucumber, and bleu cheese.

I love this meal because it's different each time so it never gets boring - plus, it's so quick to pull together! If you're in a bind for a quick meal or you just want to try something new, check this out... 101 Simple Meals that are ready in 10 minutes or less. I'm not sure I completely buy the "10 minutes or less" part so if you try any of these, let me know how they turn out... and, I'd love to hear if you have any of your own tried and tested, quick and healthy meals.

RAT in the Kitchen?

Before anyone makes a comment about rodents in the kitchen... it's JUST a movie, okay? But a darn cute one.

I'd been dying to see Ratatouille ever since it came out (the release of the latest Harry Potter barely even diluted my excitement for this one!) and since Chris is easy to please with any animated film (his collection consists of Cars, Finding Nemo, Happy Feet, Monsters Inc., Shrek and Shrek II, Madagascar, The Incredibles... to name a few), we headed out to catch this latest Pixar wonder Sunday evening.

There are so many great things about this movie - including some great motivation for all of us to keep cooking, or trying to cook, all of the scenes of Paris (I do love Paris, anti-American sentiment and all... yes, this from this most patriotic girl), and how the artists are able to make even a (normally, to me) gross little pest so absolutely adorable.

I will absolutely, 100% for sure purchase this movie on DVD for my continued viewing pleasure and there's a chance I will see it again in the theaters (okay... not really, but it's THAT GOOD).

The movie served its purpose... though it doesn't take much to motivate me to cook. Remembering that I had some shrimp frozen, I went searching online for a yummy recipe around my main ingredient. I was rewarded with a recipe using tons of my favorites... including corn, avocados, cucumbers, lettuce (yes, I CRAVE salad)... all topped with shrimp!

*I just about doubled the amount of chili-garlic sauce/cumin/salt/pepper that they recommend to "marinate" the shrimp in for added flavor; and as one of the reviews suggested, I cut the corn off the cob before cooking and sauteed that in with the shrimp and chili sauce instead of boiling

The end-result was delicious (and I loved the bright colors!); I will definitely be coming back to this recipe time and again... and not only because I am now the proud owner of both chili-garlic sauce and toasted sesame oil.

Not bad for the end to a busy weekend... watching a super cute movie about a little guy who makes it big in the world of food and having our own fun in the kitchen!