cooking

Then I Bought a Group Gift (Day 6)

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If I can think of a gift that can be given to an entire family unit, I buy it. I shop for my two sisters (married with kids), my brother (married with kids), and my parents. Last year each family received a mini crock pot with a recipe for my favorite crock pot dip. I love mini things, and these little crock pots are really fun. When my whole extended family was together at Christmas, we got them all out one night and set up a chocolate fondue buffet with everyone’s crock pots. Yum!

I tied a recipe card with the classic Velveeta queso dip recipe on top of everyone’s wrapped crock pot.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cut into 1-inch dice
  • 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes (I like mild)
  • 1/2 to 3/4 lb. browned ground beef

Directions

  • Add Velveeta to crock pot with Ro-Tel tomatoes and browned ground beef. Heat until melted, stirring occasionally. Serve with Fritos Scoops or tortilla chips.
  • May need to half the recipe to fit in the mini sized crock pot.

Alternate Idea: See below for the triple crock pot that I saw on the Target website. I think the triple crock pots might be even smaller than the single mini! Maybe somebody will get this for me this year (hint, hint Sewing Sister and Aunt B).

Lunch This Week

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Not only am I tasked with making a lunch for my two children every morning, I also have to pack my own lunch. If you read about the Teacher Emergency Kit, you know teachers are trapped in the school building all day until after the students are gone. It is a rare day that we can step out and pick up a sandwich at lunchtime, and I want more than the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches my kids are getting in their lunch bags. If I am on my game, I make something for dinner Sunday night that can be re-heated over the next few days for lunch. This week, I was on my game.

I made a double batch of Orzo with Roasted Vegetables, which is delicious at room temperature or slightly heated. I do think it only has a leftover shelf life of 2 to 3 days, so I would not plan to eat it all week. Anybody have any other suggestions for adult school lunches?

Ingredients

  • 1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced
  • 1/2 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced
  • 1 medium yellow squash, 1-inch diced
  • 1 medium zucchini, 1-inch diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/3 c. good olive oil (or a little less)
  • 1 1/2 t. kosher salt
  • 1/2 t. freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 lb. orzo

Dressing

  • 1/3 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
  • 1/3 c. good olive oil
  • 1 t. kosher salt
  • 1/2 t. freshly ground pepper

To Assemble

  • 4 scallions minced, white and green parts
  • 1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted
  • 15 fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
  • Toss the bell peppers, onion, zucchini, squash, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned turning once with a spatula.
  • Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.
  • Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.
  • For the dressing combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and the vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pine nuts, and basil. Check the seasonings, add another splash of fresh lemon juice (if desired), and serve at room temperature.

Kindergarten Snack Debut

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Dill Dip with Snyder’s Pretzel Snaps and mini carrots. Recipe below.

This week is our first turn at kindergarten snack. Every student is assigned one day to bring a snack, and it rotates alphabetically. We will probably end up with snack duty about once a month. Any guesses as to how long I have been planning our debut kindergarten snack? Yep, that’s right. The day we got the snack calendar at kindergarten orientation back in August.

I have been envisioning mini servings of some sort of kid friendly dip with a few dipping choices. Kindergarteners eat lunch at 10:10 (am!) and are starving at snack time around noon (real lunchtime). I wanted to send something slightly substantial. My daughter, Miss Priss, squashed my dip idea after seeing the finished product. Apparently, it was too fancy!

Well, I don’t do not-fancy very well, but I also do not want to rock Miss Priss’ kindergarten boat. So, I sent in special snack to my daughter’s teachers; I sent in special snack to the teachers at the school where I work; I sent dill dip in my daughter’s lunch because it is her favorite, and I bought three boxes of chewy granola bars for the class. Should I tell my daughter about the ghoulish granola mix I have planned for October’s snack or just spring it on her at the last minute?

Ingredients

  • 2 c. sour cream
  • 2 c. mayonnaise
  • 3 T. chopped fresh dill
  • 3 T. chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
  • 2 T. grated onion
  • 1 T. seasoned salt

Directions

  • Combine ingredients and chill at least one hour or overnight.
  • Serve with raw vegetables, pita chips, pretzels, etc.

Cub Scout Picnic

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My son had his 2012-2013 Cub Scout kick-off meeting this afternoon. It was a family picnic at a local park. We brought a yummy pasta salad courtesy of Ina Garten to share with the group. This is one of my best large group recipes. It is easy to make, is colorful, and tastes delicious. The peas and spinach are kind of disguised, so even children like to eat this; my son actually requested this dish for his birthday dinner. If you want to use this as an entree rather than a side dish, serve with grilled chicken or salmon on top. What are your best recipes to share with a big group? I love anything that can be made ahead and is (fairly) easy to prepare.

Ingredients

  • 2 boxes bow tie pasta (2 lbs)
  • good olive oil
  • 1 1/2 c. pesto (homemade or purchased)
  • 1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
  • 3 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 1/4 c. good mayonnaise
  • 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 1/2 c. frozen peas, defrosted
  • 1/3 c. pine nuts, toasted
  • 3/4 t. kosher salt
  • 3/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  • Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until pasta is al dente. Drain and toss in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil to keep from sticking together. Cool to room temperature.
  • In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and continue to puree.
  • Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta, then add the Parmesan cheese, peas, pine nuts, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.

The Puffin Test

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If you are a Pinterest addict member, you may have seen one or two pins that show pancake batter baked in muffin tins. Here at theroommom’s house, we are all about breakfast that fits in your hand and can be eaten in the car on the way to school, so I thought this idea was worth a spin. I tested a variety of combinations and am reporting my findings below. To see the original pin, click here— and feel free to follow me on Pinterest at the same time.

The Basics: Mix up a batch of pancake batter and spoon into mini muffin tins. Sprinkle with any variety of toppings. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden at the edges. Eat immediately or let cool and freeze. If freezing, put puffins in Ziploc bags or tupperware. Can be removed one at a time and reheated in microwave or toaster oven.

The Pancake Batter: I used my Basic Pancake Recipe. I don’t think there is anything special about it, so if you have a great recipe for pancakes, use that one (and feel free to share!).

Tested Toppings:

  • blueberries, fresh and dried
  • mini chocolate chips
  • bacon (cooked and crumbled)
  • bacon and brown sugar
  • sausage (cooked and crumbled)
  • sausage with a drizzle of syrup

The Verdict: Both children like the chocolate chip version (big surprise). My daughter also likes the fresh blueberries. My son likes plain sausage. I like the bacon and brown sugar combination the best. Overall, I felt they were a little bland, and the pictures look better than the real thing. They have been handy this week for breakfast. We reheated in the toaster oven, so they developed a little toasty crust. I think they may need to be dipped in syrup, or I need a better pancake batter recipe. They just don’t have enough flavor for me.