Nacho Lunch: Busy Summer Days

Even though the Boy and I are officially on holidays, it seems as though we have been busier than ever!  Between catching up on medical appointments and baseball playoffs it seems like we haven't been home much!  City playoffs are going on so we didn't get to the cabin  but that's okay we got to watch the team blow 2 games, 2 players and 1 coach get ejected, one big win and one oh so tense come from behind win....whew...it was a busy weekend.  Not to much to report food wise....well okay that's a complete lie I have oodles of pictures of tasty food ready but I just have to find the time to write the posts.

Today for lunch the boy and I used some left over grocery store rotisserie chicken to make some super duper chicken nachos! Yeah! That's right, we had nachos for lunch and it was delish!!

Line a baking sheet with parchment, pour on some multi grain chips, top with chopped peppers, onion, tomatoes, chicken, cheese, and anything else you feel like having (hot peppers, olives......)

Here's to making more time for writing!

Until next time, stay warm and eat well!

Cilantro Lime Rice: Dinner on The Road

Baseball season is in full swing in the Little Kitchen and this means that at some point during each week there is a need to play away games.  I have been quite on the ball (pardon the pun) with dinners on these nights.  (*pats self on back*)  Tuesday night I even was ahead of the game (groan) and got our 'travel dinners' ready so all we I had to do was heat and go Wednesday evening!!  The boy and his team are to report to the diamond an hour before the game starts to get themselves ready.  This means he has to be there for 5:30 if the game starts at 6:30.  At times, the away games are pretty far from home and require a bit of a drive.  For home games this is no problem as we can even drop him off, come back home and then go back for game time.

A bevy of veggies

For the last couple of away games I have had a travel meal ready for Hubby and I to eat at the game.  The game plan is to assemble and store in the fridge, heat up the meals before leaving, arrive at the diamond on time for the Boy to meet the team, Hubby and I enjoy a meal together at the diamond!  You may be thinking at this time "Hey genius, why not just eat at home before you leave?" I will tell you, when leaving at 4:30 for a game, it is too early to eat.  Yet when you realize that the average ball game can easily last over 2 hours....sigh....too early to eat before we go but too long to wait for dinner.  The solution is here.  Planning and prep work are needed! The effort is so worth it and keeps us from having to stop at drive throughs and gas stations to eat.  (BTW, the Boy eats at home right after school, then again in the car, then again when we get home, then again......you get the idea!)

I even chopped up some veggies to have with hummus as a snack for the ride home.  Of course I had to pack the beautifully different coloured peppers separately so the Boy would still eat the green peppers.  Pack it all together and store in the fridge waiting to be added to the cooler.

Cilantro Lime Rice with Beans
For the rice:

• 1 small onion, chopped (I used 1/4 of a large white onion)
• 1 cup bell peppers, chopped (I like using a little bit of each colour, this one was green, orange, red)
• 1 (or two) jalapeno peppers
• Zest of 1 lime
• juice of 1 lime
• handful of cilantro, rinsed and chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil (or butter, or canola oil, or whatever you want to use)
• 1 cup rice (of your choice)
• liquid as per rice directions (I use water but stock or broth would be tasty)

Heat a pot over medium heat and add the oil.

Saute the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno until fragrant (NOTE: if you are using a long grain rice, don't over cook the veggies here.  They will cook with in the liquid with the rice and you don't want mushy veggies! If you are using minute rice (because your lovely Hubby did the shopping and the giant box of minute rice was on sale and that is all yo have) then cook the veggies longer as minute rice only takes, well a few minutes to cook.

Add the rice to the veggies and stir it all up.  Now add the water.  Slap on a cover and allow to cook as per any rice package directions and let the rice cook.

Squeeze the lime juice and toss in the lime zest and stir it all in.

Add the chopped cilantro, stir again and enjoy....or spoon into your travel containers.

This rice is just plain yummy.  A bit of heat, lots of lime, and a bit of cilantro...yummy!!!
The beans....now I like just plain old baked beans with this but this time I made some re fried bean type dish to go with it.  These beans were darn tasty (and a bit spicy!) but as the rice was also spicy, I opted to have plain old baked beans with my rice and Hubby had the spicy beans.

Re friedish beans

• 1/2 small onion, diced fine
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 3 or 4 chipotle peppers, chopped fine
• 1 can navy beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup water ( or stock)
• 1 tbsp oil

Heat a pot over medium heat and add the oil.

Saute the onion until soft and stir in the cumin and the chipotle peppers.
 
Add the rinsed and drained navy beans, stir it all together.  Let the beans get heated through.

Grab a potato masher and start mashing the beans to your desired consistency.

Serve with the rice. (Or spoon into your travel container with the rice)

Once your containers are full (and everything in the container is piping hot) place the covers on, wrap in a towel and place in a bag. Add another towel if needed to help keep the food hot until eating time!

Note: When making this the night before, make sure you heat up the beans and rice hotter than you think, especially if you are wrapping this up to go.  This way it will stay warm until you eat.

Double up the towel and fold around the hot containers

Tuck a couple of drinks in the bag, some seeds, and you are ready!

Remember to wrap some cutlery in a napkin so you can eat!

 Now as luck would have it, we I packed everything up to go, we even started driving, got on the perimeter highway.  My phone buzzed with an incoming email...the game out in rural Manitoba was cancelled and they would be having a practice at the home field.  The diamond out in Sanford Manitoba is still under water....sigh.  We turned around and came home.
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We ate our travel dinners at home, then got into the yard (and the glorious sunshine) to get some work done, the boy went to practice....sigh...

With the weather being nothing but rain and wind, (and the baseball schedule) it has been darn near impossible to tend to the lawn so it did look a little like this:

 Oops.....

Stories From the Road and Beyond and Yes, a Little More Baseball

So sorry I have neglected my blog and all of my lovely readers.  We got so incredibly busy with baseball and baseball activities in St. Louis, then the long drive home, then the unpacking, then the going back to work....it all just piled up sooooo quickly!  We were getting back to the hotel so late, I didn't feel to much like taking food photos or typing for that matter. Here is the low down on the rest of the trip to fabulous St. Louis:

St Louis is in bloom!

1) The Canadian Rookies won their tournament!! Unfortunately I missed the game (bad parent!) as Hubby and I had to start the long drive home so we could meet the bus and pick up the Boy!  For those who understand baseball jibber jabber.....the Boy hit a 2 run double to bring the Rookies ahead by one, the other team scored a run, the Rookies had the bases loaded, 1 out, and went with a suicide squeeze bunt....and it worked!!!! Woot Woot!!

2) We attended Opening day festivities in downtown St Louis.  It was a fun time, with lots of music and some food...I especially enjoyed the free ribs from O'Charleys!!

3) We went the the Saturday game at Busch Stadium with the Padres playing the Cardinals....the Cards lost big time!!!  We had lovely seats in left field right behind the bull pen!! (Yes, we were out in left field! ha ha ha) The Boy and I each had a ball park bratwurst and shared some nachos. Hubby went for the pulled pork BBQ with baked beans.  We don't get to see MLB games too often so we don't feel guilty about eating the food! The Boy also managed to scarf down a pretzel!

Hello pitchers.....

4) The 12 hour drive to Fargo, North Dakota was long. We took food with us and stopped only for gas and restroom breaks. The Dinner we had at Ruby Tuesday's was lovely. We raided the all you can eat salad bar and called it a night!

5) We actually caught up to the bus Monday afternoon at 1pm, about 2km from the drop off point!

6)  I have officially lost count of how many loads of laundry we have done since arriving at home.

7)  After unloading the car we went grocery shopping.

8) I made chicken pot pies for supper Monday...the freezer needs to be restocked and I have to find a day to do a big freezer filling cooking day.

9) Returning to work means getting into full swing for out school production...I am the stage manager and may be away from blogging during the show and rehearsal times.

10) Life is slowly returning to normal, but I am still catching up on sleep.  I became quite accustomed to naps while on vacation!

What a great looking team!  That's the Boy, the tall one in the middle of the back row

 Now that the winter program is almost over, it is time for regular season baseball....and that means more games, more food, and more fun!!

Until next time, stay warm and eat well!

Swinging Side Dishes- Creamed Spinach

Due to the fact that snow sticks around the prairies so long we have been lucky enough to have some interesting travel opportunities.  Thanks to the Boy's baseball program, during spring break from school, the boys jump on a bus and travel South to greener pastures, quite literally!!  *Play ball!!*

This pic was taken in Muskogee, Oklahoma

In the past two years we have been to Jackson, Tennessee and Tulsa Oklahoma.  Of course the week or so that we spend South is generally filled with baseball practices, games, and tournaments.  The team gets tired but they get to play on grass and outdoors well before everyone else at home.  They also get to play teams that pitch faster and hit harder.  It is a great opportunity!!  The boys work their buts off all winter in order to go on this trip and they are getting excited for this year!

On first base in Owasso, Oklahoma

One of the yummy things about these trips South is getting to try all of the wonderful new foods.  If it weren't for these trips I never would have tried tasty yummy things such as okra (fried and pickled), properly fried catfish, properly fried chicken, grits, real biscuits, Frito pie, deep fried pickles, and of course the Boy's favourite: creamed spinach! 

Tonight the Boy confessed to a hankering for some creamed spinach...this is one of my favourites too...
I do have a quick and easy recipe for creamed spinach that is perfect for this type of craving.  I originally used the recipe from Martha Stewart but over time I have changed it somewhat.  This is what I made tonight:

Easy Peasy Creamed Spinach
Printable recipe

• 2 10oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed (hey, it is winter here, cut me some slack)
• 1 small onion, diced small
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed (or grated)
• 6 0z block cream cheese
• pinch (or grating) nutmeg
• 1 tbsp oil, butter, or coconut oil

Heat a pan over medium heat and add the oil.

I like to use a small grater to get the garlic into the party!

Saute the onions and garlic until soft.

Squeeze the excess liquid from the thawed spinach and add it to the pan.

Grate or add a pinch of nutmeg to the pan and stir.

When the spinach is heated through, add the cream cheese.

Let the cream cheese get all melty and mix it in with the spinach.

Eat!

Until next time, stay warm and eat well!!

(And play ball!!)

Welcome Back Baseball Pretzel Bites

Today is an exciting day in the Little Kitchen! It is the first day ball fans get to watch their beloved New York Mets play a game...of course we are in the comfort of our own living room and the Mets are in sunny Port St. Lucie but thank you to modern technology, we get to watch!!

We all know what this means!!  Pretzel season has officially opened!  I have been waiting so patiently for this.  I do love pretzels! So much that I make pretzel rolls, pretzels, and now pretzel bites and stuffed pretzel sandwiches!!  Have I gone off the deep end??

Perhaps, but that is another post.

Not too long ago, Kate over at Diethood posted her recipe for her pretzel bites.  If you have never clicked your way to her blog, you really should.....I drooled while I read the pretzel bite post, saved it and today was the day to make them!  Pretzels go so well with baseball. They were made for each other

Once I had the dough made and it had its chance to rise, I started rolling out ropes of dough and cutting them into 1 inch (about 2 cm) pieces.  An idea came to me....we all know how much I like to make fold over type of sandwiches so I grabbed the corned beef, cheese, mustard, and sauerkraut from the fridge and made a couple of stuffed pretzel sammies!!

I saved a couple smallish balls of dough and rolled them out.

Cut up some corned beef into smaller pieces and cheese into cubes.

Layer these with mustard or sauerkraut.

If I had some Swiss cheese and thousand island dressing, the sammie on the left would have been a Reuben!

Seal up the dough by pinching it all around the dough.  Make sure the dough is completely sealed.

Simmer in the hot water/baking soda bath, brush with egg wash, sprinkle with salt, and bake until golden brown....that would be about 15 minutes.

Pretzel Bites

Printable recipe here

·         2 cups warm water

·         2 tbsp light brown sugar

·         1 pkg active dry yeast (2 ¼ tsp)

·         ½ cup butter, melted

·         5 cups all purpose flour

·         3 tsp salt

Hot water bath

·         6 cups water

·         ¼ cup baking soda

Egg wash

·         1 egg

·         1 tsp water

Combine the warm water, yeast, and brown sugar.  Set aside for about 5 minutes and let it get all foamy.

Add the melted butter, the flour, and the salt.

With the dough hook, mix everything.  The dough will come together.  If the dough is sticky, add a bit more flour.

Knead the dough for about 5 minutes.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and set it in a warm spot to rise until double in size, about an hour.

Put a large pot of water on the stove to boil.  Once it is boiling, reduce the heat slightly to a high simmer and slowly add ¼ cup of baking soda...it will bubble up so add it slowly!

Roll out ropes of dough and cut each rope into sections that are about 1 inch long.

Simmer in the hot baking soda water bath for about 1 minute.  Transfer to a baking sheet, brush with an egg wash, sprinkle with salt.

Bake at 425F for about 15 minutes until golden brown.

 Serve with mustard and cheese sauce for dipping!!!

Until next time, stay warm and eat well!

Another Cake!

Tonight I recieved my first 'emergency' call from a friend making the Ginger Spice Crackle cookies and I need to admit that it kind of made my day!  I love hearing that people are baking and cooking!  Horray!

On another note, tomorrow evening my son's baseball team is having their Christmas party.  Of course they will have their indoor practice first, then party. I decided to make another attempt at a baseball shaped cake.  I really wanted to try my hand at a fondant cake with a 'paint job' to look like wood grain but I have some time constraints this week.  I really don't know what made me think doing star tips all over the cake would be less time but it is something that I do know how to do already.  This cake is 100% Devil's Food Chocolate...my go to cake.  I changed this one slightly from the one I made for the big birthday party. I must admit that I am not too happy with the laces on this ball.  I think they are too close together.   We are our own worst critics, aren't we? I do however love the base lines!!  The graham cracker crumbs worked really well!
The best part about making this cake is the scraps from cutting it down to fit the ball halves together and from flattening the top of the cake...yummy!!!  I hope the boys like this one!

Bases Loaded Baked Potato Soup (nice job SF Giants)

Monday night is aquafit night with the girls and sometimes, especially in the winter it is difficult to warm up after being in the water.  I  had found a couple of recipes for baked potato soup and for potato chowder, which all looked delicious but I felt like I wanted a cross between the two of them.  I searched for some other recipes and decided to experiment tonight with a few different ideas I had been toying with.  I wanted a creamy soup but without the cream (so I could use more bacon!).  But I also didn't was to use milk (or cream) as I have a tendency to just curdle milk when I cook with it. (No, I'm not too picky...am I)

I basically wanted all of the yummy goodness of a fully loaded baked potato in a soup format that I could heat up quickly when I got back from the pool. What follows here is my melding of ideas from other recipes...the very creamy and delectable:

Bases Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Printable version

• 3 large baking potatoes, baked, peeled, and mashed
• 6 strips of bacon
• 1 litre veggie stock
• ¼ to 1/3  cup flour (depends on desired thickness of soup)
• ½ large onion, diced small
• ¾ cup Shredded cheddar cheese (some is for the soup and some is for the garnish)
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ cup frozen corn kernals
• 1 bunch Green onions, chopped (some is for the soup and some is for the garnish)
• Salt and pepper

In a large pot fry until golden:

• 6 strips bacon, chopped

Remove cooked bacon leaving the bacon fat in the pot.  Save the bacon to garnish the soup.

Add to the pot:

• the diced onion
• pinch of salt and pepper

Cook the onion until translucent and add;

•  ¼ to 1/3 cup flour to the pot and stir to cook the flour (like making a roux).

(I found that I had to add a tablespoon of olive oil to get all of the flour coated)

Cook the flour to a minute or two to get rid of any raw flour taste and add:

•  1 litre (4 cups) veggie stock (make sure you stir or wisk the stock into the roux to avoid any lumps of flour.  The mixture may get thick.  If it gets too thick add more stock.

Mash in:

• cooked, peeled potatoes.

Continue to cook until potatoes are heated through and stir in:

• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ cup sour cream.  (you can add more if you want more if you'd like)

 Stir until cheese is melted and sour cream is stirred in.Add to the pot:

• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 of the green onions, chopped

At this point, taste for seasonings to see if you want more salt and pepper.
Once the corn has thawed and the soup is a nice bubbly mass of hot potatoey goodness, you can eat!

Ladle into bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of cheddar, green onions, and bacon.

Soooo goooood.....

It's a small, small World Series Pretzel Rolls

Things are tense at my house!  With the Mets not even in any of the playoffs, Hubby is now rooting for the Rangers and my son is rooting for the Giants...the cheap shots, slight bickering, and show boating has begun.  I honestly wasn't too happy with the Buh bye Yankees pretzels I had made the other night.  They just didn't have the texture I wanted.  I think I had the water/baking soda bath too hot.  Oh well, live and learn.

The other night I joined foodbuzz and have been making new food blogging friends, pouring over countless recipes and ideas, and basically marvelling at the wonderous photos other foodies have posted.  I am in awe!!  I found a recipe that I just had to try for Pretzel Rolls.   They were a hit!  Easy to put together and baked up nice and pretzel brown!  I doubled the recipe and made them in 3 ounce portions instead of 2 ounce portions but they are amazing! 

 

Pretzel Rolls

Printable version

For the rolls:

•    3 cups warm water 
•   4 ½ tsp dry active yeast
• 4 tsp sugar 
• 9 cups all purpose flour 
• 4 tsp salt, kosher 
• ½ cup melted coconut oil (or melted butter)

For the poaching:

• 1 large pot boiling water
• ¼ cup baking soda

For brushing the tops:

• 1 egg, beaten 
• 1 tsp water

For sprinkling:

• Coarse salt

Directions:

In the bowl of your stand mixer, or in a large bowl, mix

•  3 cups warm water 
• 4 ½ tsp yeast 
• 4 tsp sugar

 Let this get all foamy and fun loving.

 

Add:

• ½ cup melted coconut oil (or melted butter) 
• 4 tsp salt 
• 9 cups flour

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Mix with the dough hook (or a wooden spoon) until a nice elastic dough forms.  This might take about 5 minutes.  The dough comes together so nicely to form a soft, slightly sticky dough.

Cover with a tea towel and set in a warm spot to rise for an hour.

Meanwhile back in the Little Kitchen:

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or with silicone liners.

Put a large pot of water on the stove, but don’t turn it on yet...just getting ready.

When the timer beeps, or when the dough has doubled its size, punch it down and turn it out onto the counter, which you have sprinkled with flour.

Measure out even pieces of dough.  I like to measure out 3 oz portions with my scale and get 22 rolls from this recipe.

Form each piece into a ball and place on the baking sheet leaving some room between each roll.

Cover with a tea towel and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 F and turn your pot of water on to boil.

When the water is boiling, slowly add the ¼ cup baking soda to the pot....SLOWLY...it will bubble, foam, and spill over if you dump it all in at once.  Lower the heat to a simmer.

Poach the rolls a couple at a time for 30seconds, gently turn them over and continue poaching for another 30 seconds.

Remove from the pot, drain, and transfer back to the baking sheets.

Brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle with the coarse salt.

Using a sharp knife, cut an x (or a t) into the top of each roll.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until a nice dark golden brown.

As a side note, today was an accident free day!! Yesterday's wake up call has been answered.

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