Hard Boiled Eggs

Hard boiled eggs are hardly a new concept. But I've learned a few tricks worth passing on, which is why they are getting their very own post. The girls enjoy them, as do Geoff & I, so I've been keeping them stocked in our fridge, enjoying them either for a quick snack or to accompany lunch.

To Hard Boil an Egg:

1. Place cold eggs gently into a medium-size sauce pan and cover with COLD water.

2. Turn burner on high and bring water to a boil.

3. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, turn burner down to medium and cook for 20 minutes.

4. When finished, run under cold water, then rest on a towel to dry.

5. Store in refrigerator until ready to eat.




Tips

-Use older eggs. I'm not talking rotten eggs, I'm talking the eggs that have been in your fridge for awhile but are still viable. They are easier to peel, and it is a great way to prolong the eggs' lives by two whole weeks!

-Add a generous amount of table salt to the boiling water. This makes peeling the eggs easier. (I've also heard adding a dash of vinegar has the same affect, I've just never tried it.)

-To make it easier to distinguish between the hard boiled eggs and the others, add a tea bag to the boiling water to tint the shells brown. (Sorry brown egg aficionados, this is most effective on the white variety. Marking the shells with a pencil or a pen would also do the trick!)

-To make them easier for little people to eat, use an egg slicer to serve them sliced.... my girls always like having the option of enjoying it eggsactly how they like it, be it whole or sliced.

Cranberry Scones

I was introduced to scones when we lived in New England; I've been a huge fan ever since! This recipe is unbelievably easy to make, especially when you mix up the dry ingredients the night before. I like to serve these when guests come over. They are good as a light breakfast; they also make a delicious entrée accompaniment.





1-¾ cups all-purpose flour
2½ tsp. baking powder
2½ Tbsp. sugar
¼ tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. butter, soft
½ cup Craisins
1 egg
5 Tbsp. heavy cream, plus extra for brushing on top of scones
coarse sugar crystals

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar & salt. Cut in butter until it is well blended. Stir in Craisins.

3. In a separate bowl beat the egg & cream. Add to the flour mixture, stirring gently with a fork until the dough comes together. If the dough seems to dry, add a splash of cream; you do not want it to be too sticky.

4. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Gently pat into a 6" circle about 1" thick. With a sharp knife, divide the dough into 8 equal wedges. Space scones apart on a baking sheet or baking stone. Lightly brush the tops with cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar crystals (regular sugar works great as a substitute). Bake until golden brown @ 450° for 12-14 minutes.

Serve warm with jam or butter.

Baked Pineapple

Here is the recipe I wrote about back in March on my sister blog {www.lifewiththelovelies.blogspot.com/2010/03/pineapples-from-heaven.html}.

The girls aren't particularly fond of pineapple, but this dish is such a hit with people I had to share.

20 oz. can crushed pineapple
2 eggs beaten
½ cup sugar
2 Tbps. flour
1 stick butter
5-6 slices bread

1. Beat eggs, mix in sugar & flour.

2. Add crushed pineapple. Mix well and pour into casserole.

3. Melt butter. Tear 5-6 slices of bread into small pieces. Mix butter & bread pieces together and put on top of pineapple mixture.

4. Bake for 30 minutes @ 375°.

Serve warm.

Dirt Dessert

Today's playdate called for something fun & clever. Dirt Dessert is far from a new invention, but if I was going to make it, I was going to go all the way. This is our deceptive interpretation of the tasty pudding treat.



2 cups cold milk
1 4-serving size package instant chocolate pudding
8 oz. Cool Whip, thawed
1-1/2 cups Oreo cookies (about 20), crushed (divided)
14 gummy worms
7 Whoppers candies
7 terra cotta pots
7 stemmed flowers

{The day before I made the dessert I soaked the pots in hot water (no soap as the pots are porous), then wiped them with rubbing alcohol, rinsed, and let them dry over night. I also dipped the flower stems in alcohol to kill & remove unwanted chemicals.}
1. Prepare instant pudding with 2 cups cold milk, as directed on box. Refrigerate 5 minutes to thicken.

2. Stir in Cool Whip & 1/2 cup crushed Oreos.

3. Place one Whoppers candy into the hole of the pot to plug the hole (this also makes for a fun surprise at the end).

4. Spoon in pudding mixture to fill pot half-way. Add one gummy worm, then fill put with pudding. Place one gummy worm on top, letting the head peak over the edge. Cover with crushed cookies and garnish with a flower.

5. Chill until ready to serve.

An alternative to terra cotta pots would be to use clear plastic cups, in which case you would not need the Whoppers candy. This can also be made in a much larger terra cotta pot, garnished with a bunch of flowers, then scooped with a small sandbox shovel.

Time Out Hotdish

This recipe came from the family I nannied for when I was living in Duluth. It was always a perfectly warm & filling supper after a long, cold day. Packed with Minnesota staples, this meal is a crowd-pleaser at our house no matter what the temperature outside.


1-2 lbs. ground beef
8 oz. wide noodles, cooked
1 can creamed corn
1 cup ketchup
1/2 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced

1. Brown ground beef in a 2 quart pot & drain fat.

2. Return browned beef to pot and add onion, chili powder, garlic, corn, ketchup & green pepper. Mix in noodles.

3. Fill casserole half way full with hotdish, cover with cheese, fill casserole with hotdish, then top with cheese.

4. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted & hotdish bubbles.

Depending on the size of the casserole you use, you may be able to fill two casseroles. I can usually fill one large, and one small.

Beef Taco Skillet

From start to finish this takes about 25 minutes to make. The prep work is minimal and the payoff is big. It was a gigantic hit with my family, especially Geoff. I'm definitely adding this one to the rotation.

1 lb. ground beef
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) tomato soup
1/2 chunky salsa
1/2 cup water
6 flour tortillas (6"), cut into 1" pieces
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Brown beef in skillet over medium-high heat. Drain fat.

2. Return beef to skillet, then stir in soup, salsa, water & tortillas in skillet and heat to a boil.

3. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Top with cheese and serve when cheese has melted over top.

Serves 4.

Bruschetta

This recipe is courtesy of Reanna Robinson, whom I have known since the early days of elementary school. She offered up her prized concoction to assist in my quest for a delicious homemade bruschetta. I made this savory appetizer last night to accompany our homemade manicotti (yes, I was busy!) Let's just say even with my cup of morning coffee, I'm thinking about dishing up some bruschetta.

I've decided to add in Reanna's notes.... not only did I find them helpful, but the pop of personality put a smile on my face as I patiently worked my way to the end result.



Tomato Mixture

12 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 Tbsp. minced garlic (I used more, love it!)
2 Tbsp. shallots, minced
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice (I used store bought)
salt & pepper to taste
1/3 cup EVOO (ya know, extra virgin olive oil)

Mix all ingredients together. Makes 8 cups. Tomato mixture tastes best when made ahead & refrigerated for about an hour.

Oil for Bread

1/4 cup EVOO
1 clove garlic, minced

Combine garlic with EVOO and brush onto cut surfaces of diagonal-sliced baguettes. Bake @ 400° for 8-10 minutes, then broil until golden brown (watch carefully so they do not burn), either in the oven or a toaster oven. Allow to cool.

Cream Cheese Mixture
(aka, the best part)

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. chopped olives, optional

Combine using an electric mixer.

Assemble Bruschetta

1. Spread delicious cream cheese mixture on cooled, baked baguettes.

2. Top with tomato mixture and serve.

Do not make too far in advance as bread gets soggy over time.

If you adamantly object to the cream cheese mixture, simply skip that step. I have no doubt it will be tasty even without it, I just haven't been able to say no to the cheesy garlic in the middle.