An Easter Picnic

I'm dreaming of an Easter Picnic.

 A nice, lazy, drive-in-the-country, to a park with shade kind of picnic!

Yes! A Destination Picnic!

Pack a picnic in the car, drive somewhere pretty and lay out a blanket. This is totally do-able for us! 

First of all, we are invited exactly nowhere for Easter. We're completely free from obligation, nowhere to go, so why not a picnic? 

Second reason;  Nobody is coming to our house. My mom, our Aunts and Uncles, our brothers and sisters and friends are, for the most part, back in NJ or distributed across the country. Holiday's for us are only marked by the good china and extra side dishes. You'd never know it was a holiday until you saw the lace tablecloth. We rarely have company. Am I lonely? Nah. I knew what I was doing when I agreed to move far away, I'm good.

 I want this holiday to be more about Celebration and less about Lamentation.

 Third, reason; the weather in Texas in April is Glorious!!! Heaven on Earth! Spring at it's finest!  Really enough of a reason to stand alone as the only reason: Bluebonnets, everywhere! 

So, I'm forming this "relaxing picnic" idea in my mind. Maybe we'll do some Geocaching instead of Egg Hunting.

We've Geocached on Easter before, with success! I have the pictures to prove it! 

Hubby and Daughter 1 Collaborating, Easter, 2010

3 Daughters, NO fighting!

Daughter 3 found a Turtle
We put it back!

Priceless Smile!!

We can work our way  westward on 290 toward Chappell Hill and Brenham. The Bluebonnets will be starting to show and we can take our annual Spring Flower Drive and end up in a nice park.

Texas Bluebonnets on 290

 1

So the idea of a picnic is growing in my mind, maybe we'll bring the dogs. Maybe a Frisbee, the binoculars.. I have my lists going.. A few folding chairs, a blanket, some Pinot Grigio..

Don't forget the bottle opener! 

The Dream

I don't want to cook or deal with hot food, so I'm going to focus on a cold meats menu. Thank you to my readers for the menu suggestions, this is what we have decided on:

Easter Picnic Menu

Shortbread Cheddar Crackers 

Smoked Gouda, Sharp Cheddar, Sliced Baby Swiss & Brie

Grapes, Olives, Figs & Salami. Grape Tomatoes & Marinated Mozzarella Balls.
Colored Deviled Eggs

Sliced Baked Honey Ham

 Boneless, Cold Fried Chicken

 Cole Slaw 

Macaroni salad

Baked Beans (hot)

Assorted condiments, Rye Bread and Rolls

Treadmill Worthy Brownies

Lavender Lemonade with fresh mint sprigs

White Wine, Bottled Water. Coffee (Thermos)

In order for me to make this picnic as relaxed as possible I must consider my own stress level. If I'm on edge the whole scheme won't go well. You know it's true, if Mom's in a bad mood nobody will have fun. So, a timeline for preparing the dishes in advance is needed:

3 weeks - cheddar crackers - make and freeze. 

2 weeks - bake and slice ham, freeze

 1 week - grocery shop for everything but the bread. Make lemonade, put in mason jars with mint sprigs and freeze.

4 days - pack picnic necessities. Blanket, chairs, dishes, non perishables (see your lists)

         WINE OPENER !!!

3 days - make brownies, slice and wrap in parchment paper and freeze.

Soak chicken in buttermilk (up to 36 hrs)

2 days - start Mac Salad.  Make beans, put into small crock pot in fridge.  Make Cole Slaw.

Day before- buy bread and rolls. Fry chicken, pack in container with paper towels. Remove freezer items in time to thaw. Finish Mac Salad. 

Early morning - plug in crock pot filled with beans. Heat on high for 3 or 4 hours. Make coffee for thermos.

Pack cooler with chilled items, and basket with dry items. 

*Secure lid on beans for safe travel*

The Cheddar Shortbread--

For Christmas my Aunt sent me some delicious herbed shortbread crackers. We loved them so much! I've been researching recipes ever since and 

 I practiced 3 different recipes before I developed my own. I based it off of a recipe I found on dirtygormet.com if you'd like to check out the original you can find it there. We didn't care for quite so much blue cheese so we substituted sharp cheddar, but had to adjust the other ingredients to accommodate the fact that cheddar isn't as mushy as blue cheese. Also, we have big appetites, so I doubled. 

Here's my version:

Cheddar herbed shortbread's

Hippie Crackers

2 sticks butter

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp coarse ground pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp minced rosemary

1 tsp dry minced parsley

2 tsp dried sage, minced

1 tsp dried thyme, minced

2 cups AP flour

                                                 1/2 cup corn starch

                                                 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Mix butter and cheeses in mixer until creamy. Add herbs salt and pepper. Combine. Add flour and corn starch. Pulse to combine. Mixture should be crumbly, but shape able. If its too crumbly add a little butter,  Transfer to work surface and firm into 2 logs Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. Slice into 1/4 inch cookies and press into  grated Parmesan. 

Bake  at 350 for 10 minutes, remove from oven and carefully flip each cookie. Return to oven and bake for 10 more minutes.

The Mac Salad--

This recipe is passed down from my mother-in-law, from her mother-in-law. This was the original macaroni salad recipe used in the family owned deli in the 60's & 70's, The Hilltop Deli, in Sayreville NJ. It's very authentic to what you'd expect to find in a deli. If you're from NJ you know what I mean. If you're not, please trust me, its yummy. 

1 lb elbow macaroni, cooked al dente

1 c white vinegar

1 c white sugar

1 c finely diced bell pepper

1 Tbsp celery seed

2 or 3 big globs of mayo

1 . heat vinegar and sugar on stove until sugar is dissolved, cool

2. toss vinegar sugar mixture with macaroni. refrigerate in freezer bags for several hours, or over night to allow it to set

*NOTE* After soaking its possible for there to be some liquid left, drain out the liquid before next step

3. toss macaroni with peppers and celery seed, add mayo to taste. yummmo!

The Fried Chicken--

Boneless chicken breasts, quartered

And soaked in buttermilk overnight (up to 36 hours)

Remove from buttermilk and shake the following mixture on all pieces both sides. Set on rack for 10 minutes. 

Shake-- 

                 2 Tablespoon Paprika

                 1 T garlic powder

                 2 tsp salt

                 1 tsp cayenne pepper

                1/2 tsp parsley

                1/2 tsp thyme

Dredge in flour and fry in Crisco at 325 for 7 to 9 minutes. Set on rack to dry. 

The Baked Beans --


1 lb dry Navy beans
2 Onions, diced
1 lb Bacon, plus the pan drippings
1 Green Pepper, diced
1 Onion, diced
2 Jalapenos, diced
2 cups ketchup
1 1/2 cups BBQ
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 cup Honey Mustard
1/2 cup Dark Brown Sugar


My mother in law taught me to make beans from scratch. We use 1 pound of dry navy beans, sorted of rocks and soaked in water overnight.

Drain and rinse the beans well in a colander then set on the stove in a thick bottomed pot with enough water to cover the beans by at least 3 inces. Bring to a gentle boil then reduce and simmer until tender with 2 diced onions. This can take between 2 and 3 hours.

They are done when they're soft

*It is very important to understand that the beans must be completely cooked by the boiling method. They will NOT continue to cook when they're transferred to the baking pan*

Meanwhile, fry a pound of bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and add 1 diced green pepper, 1 diced onion and 2 diced jalapenos. Saute a few minutes until they begin to get soft. 

When beans are done drain the liquid above the beans, leaving the liquid at the level of the beans. Add 2 cups ketchup, 1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup honey mustard 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, 3/4 of the bacon (crumbled), the onion and pepper sauté (including the bacon fat).

Mix well and pour into large baking dish. Top with remaining bacon (crumbled) and bake at 325 for 1 hour or until bubbly. Omg. That's all, just omg.

You can make that in advance, then spoon into your small crock pot insert and refrigerate. Freeze or eat the leftovers. 

The Treadmill Worthy Brownies--

 A few years ago I stumbled across a brownie recipe with a funny name. Treadmill worthy brownies! Funny enough to pique my interest, so I gave them a try. They turned out to be one of those "best kept secret" types of recipes that everyone asks about. They are moist and chewy and reminiscent of an old fashioned bakery style. I cut them into individual servings, press them into course sugar, and wrap them in parchment paper and plastic wrap. For a picnic they are neat, with no cutting needed on site. You can get the recipe, by Gail Welch, at the cooking website, Justapinch.com. 

Treadmill Worthy Brownies


The Lavender Lemonade--

I love this stuff! I cant get enough of it, its pretty, its delicious, its refreshing, and it mixes well with alcohol!  The recipe I use is one that I found on the internet, on a site called Thug Kitchen. If you're offended by foul language DO NOT click the link. If you can look past the cursing, or even enjoy that kind of thing then you can find the recipe here: Thug Kitchen - Lavender Lemonade

Happy Easter!

Banana Bread Waffles

Banana Bread Waffles 

1 stick butter, softened

4 ripe bananas

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 1/2 cups AP flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

In mixer, cream butter, add bananas, sugar, eggs,  milk and oil and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.

In separate bowl mix dry ingredients, minus the nuts.

Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture, 1/2 cup at a time. Scrape sides. Stir in nuts.

Heat waffle iron. Spray with cooking spray, then pat dry. 

(You only need to spray 1 time)

Make waffles according to iron directions. Serve with whipped cream, Carmel sauce and sprinkled nuts. 

Seared Scallops with lemon dill cream

Seared Scallops with Lemon Dill Cream

1 lb sea scallops, thawed

Salt & pepper

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 stick butter plus 2 tablespoons

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

4 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1/2 cup heavy cream

Thaw scallops, pat dry, season with salt and pepper

In medium high saucepan, melt 1/2 stick butter.

 Add minced garlic and dill. Sauté for about 2 minutes. 

Add lemon juice. Cook another minute, stirring.

Add cream slowly, stirring constantly until well blended, remove from heat.

In another saucepan set on medium high, melt 2 tablespoons butter with olive oil. Add scallops and sear for about a minute and a half. Flip and sear on other side. Lower heat to medium. Deglaze pan with wine and continue cooking until wine evaporates. 

OMG! Hope you give this a try its special!

Cranberry Apple Sausage Stuffing

Here is my traditional Sausage Stuffing recipe, jazzed up with apples and craisins. I separate some out for stuffed mushrooms too.

Cranberry-Apple Sausage Stuffing

1 cup diced onion

4 stalks celery, diced

2 tablespoons plus one stick butter

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp dried sage

2 (16 oz) tubes sage sausage

3-4 peeled and diced baking apples

1 cup craisins

2 1/2 quarts chicken stock

3 bags croutons 

For mushrooms:

1 pkg white buttonMushrooms

1/4!cup diced onion

3/4 cup diced bell Peppers

6 strips Bacon, cooked and crumbled

Sauté onions and celery in 2 tablespoons butter until softened, add sausage and cook through until meat is browned. Add apples craisins, stick of butter and stock. Bring to a gentle boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

For stuffing, stir in croutons and spread into baking pan 

Bake for 30 minutes at 350.

I normally make in advance, storing in freezer bags until ready to bake. 

For stuffed mushrooms, before mixing in croutons, set aside  4 or 5 cups of the cooked sausage broth mixture.

Remove and dice mushroom stems. Set caps on a greased baking dish.

Sauté onions mushroom stems and peppers until softened. Add sausage broth mixture and crumbled bacon. 

Remove from heat and toss with 3 cups of croutons. 

Top mushroom caps with stuffing mix and bake for 15 minutes at 325. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, then bake for another 7 minutes.

Yumm! 

Chicken Pot Pie

Have you ever made something, then a few days later your family wants it again? Well I got myself into one of those situations this week when I made chicken and dumplings.

There was enough left over to feed the family again for a second dinner, but only a few dumplings. My daughter and I took care of those dumplings for lunch, then mixed the leftover meat and gravy with the left over peas and carrots. Threw that in a pie shell and topped with some leftover mashed potatoes and cheese to make leftovers into a whole new meal, chicken Pot Pie!

The problem is that they wanted the meal again, right away! It was a lot of work to make dinner one; Chicken and Dumplings. It was a little work to make dinner 2; Chicken Pot Pie.

How to make dinner 2, without the work of dinner 1?

Here is what I did:

I omitted the dumplings and allowed my stewed chicken to cool in the morning, then used instant mashed and a frozen pie shell to put the pie together in the evening. Still work but worth it! Also, the recipe made filling for about 3 or more pies. I had 2 frozen shells so froze the leftover filling for another meal. 

Chicken Pot Pie

Seasoning for chicken: 

 1 Tablespoon Paprika

 1/2 tsp salt

 1/2 tsp pepper

 1 tsp garlic powder

 1/2 tsp onion powder

 1/4 tsp chili powder

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons butter

5 large boneless skinless chicken breasts 

2 large onions, diced

8 stalks celery, diced

1/4 cup finely diced celery leaves

3 Tablespoons parsley

1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, ground

2 quarts chicken stock

1 (12 oz) bag frozen peas

1 (12 oz) bag frozen carrots

1  1/2 cup prepared stuffing mix

1/4 cup cranberry sauce (optional)

Mashed tater topping

5 to 6 cups cold, leftover mashed potatoes, or instant.

2 eggs

1 cup shredded cheddar

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan 

Salt, pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Mixed together in a bowl, set aside.

Directions:

Season chicken and set aside to allow seasonings to penetrate the meat. In the meanwhile, dice the onions and celery.

On high heat sear the seasoned chicken in olive oil and butter on each side until well browned. Remove from pan, set aside. (Don't worry, we'll add it back in later)

*technique tip* chicken is NOT cooked inside but has good sear marks on outside. . Purpose is the sear marks will create flavor in pan when deglazing) 

Add onions and celery to pan  and sauté, adding more butter if needed for several minutes. 

When pan drippings dry and turn dark, dark brown, deglaze the pan with chicken stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and replace the chicken and drippings back into to pot. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Remove and dice chicken pieces, set aside to cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile,  bring remaining broth to boil and cook to reduce. About 30 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons cornstarch to 1 cup broth until smooth. Stir into broth to thicken. Add the chicken back in along with some peas, carrots, and stuffing. stir and allow to cool. Mix in cranberry sauce. Fill frozen pie shells with chicken mixture 

Then top with mashed potato mixture. Bake at 425 for 10 min then lower oven to 350 and bake another 30 minutes until browned

*use a cookie sheet underneath to keep spills clean*

This is what they look like when they're done. We've done this many times by mixing leftover thanksgiving ingredients and topping with the mashed potatoes mixture and its always a huge hit! Hope you enjoy it!!