Logan Wolfram

Enjoying Life for Dessert

What’s for Dinner?! Sweet Potato and Sausage Soup

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First, I have to just step on my soapbox for just a quick second since I have your attention.

I had to go to Sam’s Club today.  We’re big fans of bulk shopping around here.  It’s a lot cheaper.  And I buy our produce there all the time…it’s good, fresh, and costs a lot less.  Plus, my kids and my husband really love the samples they do there!

Anyways, Tid Bit was getting hungry when we went.  It was only 11am, but I think he was hoping I’d get him a cinnamon pretzel.  I told him if he was hungry I’d get him a hot dog but that’s it.  So we were standing in line to get one when I was done with the main shopping part. He kept poking his finger into a bag of red, orange, and yellow peppers I bought while we were waiting. (Aside…I’m going to teach you how to make some killer stuffed peppers here soon too.)  I didn’t want him to mess them up and so I said “Do not do that again, or we will leave without getting a hot dog.”  So what do you think he did since I’m such a fabulous parent and all?  He obeyed perfectly and then apologized.

Ok, so that’s not actually what he did…at all. He poked his finger right onto that gorgeous waxy looking red pepper…didn’t poke it hard, but he tapped it.  A test…hmmm…I think I know who always wins those.  So what did I do then you may ask?  Well, Kudos to me today… because I did just as I said and wheeled that cart right towards the door, which had to be like a whole football field’s distance away from where we were.  And Tid Bit lost it….screaming.  Thinking maybe if he screamed louder then I’d relent I guess.  So I held my head high, looked straight ahead, walked with purpose, and seriously contemplated that the next time that happens and I have the WHOLE FREAKING WORLD staring at me and making judgements about my parenting…I think I’m going to add in a pageant wave… just for effect.  Bring it people…watch me wave!

Sorry about that, but I just had to get it out.  I know you’re really here today because you want a good recipe.  I’m in the process of making it myself so to keep you from waiting right now (and to make sure I get it posted today) I’m going to add in the pictures of the process later this evening.

This soup is probably one of my all-time favorites.  I love hearty and flavorful soups and this one meets both of those requirements.  It is also one of those that is even better the next day!  The original recipe says to cut the sausage into rounds, but I cut the sausage lengthwise and then crosswise to make half-rounds because I like to have bites that have a little bit of everything each time!  It’s also really gorgeous…look at this picture.  This is the one that originally snagged me because it was on the cover of Bon Appetit Magazine several years ago.  So if you don’t know yet if you trust me when it comes to recipes, then for this one, trust Bon Appetit.

And just in case you’re wondering when you get to the part where you can choose linguica or chorizo sausage…that will depend on your ability to tolerate a little spicy heat.  My personal preference is the chorizo, but that tends to be on the spicy side for my kids, so I go with the Linguica because it is more mild.  Best case scenario I think for the whole family though is to mix the two, but that means you are buying a package of both and dividing them which gets pricey for the first time you make this. (You can totally freeze the extra for another time though.)

The cook times on this are pretty exact too which is nice.  You can serve this up in less than an hour from when you start it.  I’d recommend doing all the prep work earlier in the day though because chopping everything takes about as long as cooking it all.

I cut enough potatoes to fill a gallon size ziplock bag. Also, this Gaspar’s brand is the linguica & chorizo that I really like!

I just realized that since the day I posted this turned out to be a crazy one, these are the only pictures I took of the process!  Sorry!

If you read the post on how to make your own chicken stock then this is the perfect place to use it! 

And please also, for crying out loud, when you get to the part about cutting an onion and you start to take out a paring knife, look back HERE because you might benefit from an onion cutting tutorial! 

And now, I give you…the recipe!

SWEET POTATO AND SAUSAGE SOUP
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 10- to 11-ounce fully cooked smoked Portuguese linguiça sausage or chorizo sausage, cut in half lengthwise and then crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 medium onions, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams; about 2 large), peeled, quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 pound white-skinned potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
6 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 9-ounce bag fresh spinach

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook until brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Transfer sausage to paper towels to drain. Add onions and garlic to pot and cook until translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add all potatoes and cook until beginning to soften, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Add broth; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Using potato masher, mash some of potatoes in pot. Add browned sausage to soup. Stir in spinach and simmer just until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls and serve.

H is for Hummus…recipe that is!

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It’s H week at Tid Bit’s school. 

      And H 
        is 
       for 
  Hummus

 Months ago the teacher and I talked about making hummus as the special snack for the letter H.  And I was just emailing the recipe to her a minute ago and thought you friends out there might like to know how to make it too.  Besides, with the Super Bowl coming up this weekend, you probably need a good easy dip recipe right about now.

I’m sure there are a million good hummus recipes out there, but this is a fantastic basic one that we really like around here.  I’m a big fan of additions of things, so get creative once you make the basic recipe.  Add roasted garlic, or roasted red peppers, or olives, or whatever else strikes your fancy…or if you really want to get crazy, instead of chick peas use black beans.  You rebel you!

So anyways, here’s the recipe that I use.  It’s easy and it’s good.  And just fyi, tahini paste is made from sesame seeds if you have no clue what the stuff is.  I’d recommend getting it at a Mediterranean food store if you have one near you…it’s WAY cheaper for the exact same stuff!

2 can chick peas (garbanzo beans) drained…reserve liquid to side in case you need to add some back to mix in and make hummus more smooth later
1/3 c. tahini
6 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
some red pepper flakes (to your own taste…probably wouldn’t put much for kids though.)

Grind all together in food processor til smooth and creamy.  Serve with warm pita bread, veggies, tortilla chips…whatever you want!  To make it with black beans, do the exact same recipe, just substitute black beans for the chick peas…truly that simple!

I’ll have to post another good Super Bowl dip tomorrow…Dead Lady’s Dip we call it and I’ll tell you why when I post.  I’ll also be giving you an amazing recipe for a soup that is probably in my Top 5 Most Favorite Soups of All Times, which is saying alot b/c I’m totally a soup lover!

TTFN! (That’s Ta-Ta For Now for all you people who haven’t ever read Winnie the Pooh….shame shame!)

– Logan

Filed Under: Eat

What’s for Dinner?! In 1947….

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Oh friends,

My mother just called me laughing so hard she was crying…and then when she finally was able to breathe clearly enough to tell me why, I joined her and it started all over again.

My dad is kind of a pack rat.  His dad was even worse!  So for the past year or so, my dad, uncle, and aunt have been sorting through books and magazines that their father had still when he passed away years ago.  Somehow it took this long for them to get to all these books…but that’s a boring long story that I’ll spare you.

My parents are at the lake where most of these old gems are kept, and Mom found a real doozie today.

Some of the reading material from way back when is really hilarious.  Lots of it is offensive, and this one…well i don’t even know what category to put it in since it’s actually both!

So for your delight, and perhaps your dinner in a case of desperation or famine…I bring you from Better Homes and Gardens 1947….

Ham Banana Bake

Ham-Banana Bake
“Firm, whole bananas wrapped in ham, baked in cheese sauce” –

6 bananas
6 thin slices boiled ham
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
2 tablespoons butter or fat
2 tablespoons enriched flour
1 cup milk
1 cup grated American cheese

Peel bananas. Spread ham slices with mustard. Wrap a slice around each banana. Arrange in greased shallow baking dish. Melt butter; add flour; blend. Gradually add milk. Cook over low heat until thick and smooth, stirring constantly. Add cheese. Stir until melted. Pour over ham-banana rolls. Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) 30 minutes. Serves 6.  – Mrs. James P. Kelly, Detroit, Michigan. (who actually won an honorable mention for this recipe)

Bringing you love, recipes, and a side of vomit today,
Logan

PS. So, the bigger question is…what would you serve with this tasty entree?!  Best idea as decided by myself and my mom, wins this pair of really awesome wood and porcelain earrings that I made today (they’re about 2 1/2″ long)….bring on your ideas! I’ll give you all til 5pm on Tuesday Feb 1 to comment!

*** The winner is Kelli! I have to tell you all…as much as the calf hoof aspic makes me want to wretch, and as much as real sides could potentially salvage a meal like this, the winner of this (my very first contest) goes to Kelli and the hot dog soup. It, like the ham banana bake, reeks of gross Americana and more mortifying to me is that it was shared with Kelli as a real suggestion of a meal. So Kelli, shoot me an email with your address and I’ll mail you your earrings! And just in case you all needed a visual of what appears to be hot dog soup, my sister unearthed one from a book called “Regrettable Foods.”

I do want to add though since Ashlee posted that something similar was made to the Ham-Banana bake on Iron Chef America, I will indeed be testing the recipe.  More to come…

Will you be my Valentine…if i give you Sugar Cookies?

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One of you gals asked me to do a post on Valentine’s for kids classes at school.  I figured I’d show you a picture of the materials we’ve gathered and give you a quick run-down of our ideas.
Below, i pictured a bunch of scrapbook paper that i picked up for $3 at Hobby Lobby today.  I’m drawing some hearts on the back and letting my 4 year-old cut them all out.  It works on his fine motor skills and he thinks it’s fun. The hearts i have to say are hilarious though because they were clearly cut by a 4 year-old.  He’s proud of them though and for that reason, I am too! I think perhaps to save me some time though, I might create a template in Microsoft Publisher of different sized hearts on one page, and then just run all of these pretty papers through the printer so that i don’t have to keep drawing hundreds of hearts.
 I also cut some construction paper in half and let him fold those halves in half again to make a smaller card.  Then he’s signing his name inside each one and decorating each card as he likes with pretty hearts and a glue stick! There are about 18 kids in his class, so this project is one that if you have little kids, I’d suggest doing over several days so they maintain interest.  We have now worked on it twice, to achieve a whopping 5 completed cards.  If the situation gets desperate though, I’ll help cut out the hearts and let him go to town pasting and creating them.
The chinese boxes and cookie cutters in the picture were inspired by the idea I had to make Caterpillar cookies for Little Bit’s first birthday party a couple of weeks ago.

I thought it’d be more fun for Tid Bit (I’m in the process of coming up with a new nickname for him on here because i can’t keep track) if we made cookies together and decorated them with fun icing and each child’s name (clearly I’ll do the penning.)  We’re going to put them in the boxes and give those along with the Valentine’s cards that he’s working on. 

I’ll post pictures of the entire finished product once it’s actually finished…closer to Valentine’s Day, and I’ll put a Fab-O sugar cookie recipe that I recently discovered below.  It uses powdered sugar instead of regular granulated, resulting in a really shortbready tasting cookie…DELISH!  I scoured the internet and cookbooks to find the perfect recipe and for now, this one is about as perfect as I can find! And it makes really good thick cookies, which i love.  I guess if you’re a thin cookie person though, that’s just all up to you and your rolling pin!  To make the icing just mix powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk (or soymilk) til it’s the consistency you want.

(And as another side note for my friends who have food allergies like my little guy, to make this recipe dairy free, i substituted 1/2 the amount of butter with Fleishman’s Unsalted Margarine, and 1/2 with Earth Balance Buttery Sticks which i buy at Whole foods.  You really need to mix the two to get it right.  The margarine makes a flavorful, but super soft and sticky dough by itself, and the buttery sticks sometimes have a slightly oily taste but have a harder consistency…by mixing the 2, you’ll keep a good buttery flavor from the margarine and keep the texture right from the buttery sticks.)

Amazing Sugar Cookies
yield: about 75 medium cookies

Directions:
  1. With paddle attachment, mix butter for 30 seconds. Add a 1/3 of the powdered sugar, mix on first speed for 1 minute. Add another 1/3 of the powdered sugar, mix another minute. Finally, add the last 1/3 of sugar, mix 1 minute.
  2. Combine eggs, vanilla, and almond extract together, add to butter/sugar mixture. Mix for 30 seconds.
  3. Add a 1/3 of the flour, mix 1 minute.
  4. Scrape.
  5. Add the next 1/3 of the flour, mix 2 minutes.
  6. Scrape.
  7. Add the final 1/3 of the flour, mix 3 minutes.
  8. Refrigerate until able to be rolled out and cut into desired shapes. (if you’re using the dairy free version i told above,  I’d refrigerate it AT LEAST 24 hrs before rolling out to make sure it really sets up.) Bake at 350 for 9-15 minutes depending on the size you cut them!)

Ok…got to run. The Hubs gets every other Friday off from work, so I don’t want to spend too long on here!

Logan

What’s for Dinner?! Shrimp and Grits…

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I know you’ve all been waiting for this…and I’m sorry to make you wait ALL DAY long, but you weren’t going to make it for dinner tonight anyways because you probably didn’t already have all the ingredients. (And if you did, then you should know that I’ve just carved out a place for a shrine in your honor in my own well stocked pantry.)

So here it is….

No wait. First I have to tell you real quick that when I turned on the oven tonight to roast the broccoli, I’d forgotten to remove the awful oven liner that was destroyed from the potato fiasco just last weekend…and it stunk up my whole kitchen in the short time it took me to nurse the baby to sleep!  So, our lovely guests were welcomed with the scent of second-time-around burnt potato juice and olive oil mixed with a little Mulled Cider candle….it was well…you can just imagine!

I have a bunch of pictures for you too tonight!  But you’ll have to forgive me that the picture of the finished shrimp and grits was taken about an hour after it was freshly made, and it was in tupperware instead of all nice on the plate!  Cut me some slack though?  We had company and it’d have been weird to go whipping out the camera to take pictures of the food…you know it would have been!

Ok, now this recipe is one of my all-time favorites for company because you can do really ALL of the prep work way ahead.  By the time your guests come you are really just tossing it all together, looking effortless as you do it, and then you serve them up a major flavor punch that’s pretty to boot!

First…cut up your bacon and put it in a big ol’ saute pan and make it perfectly crispy!  I did this part at 9:45 am today.  Wait…while we’re here, I’ll tell you that this pan below is the BEST pan I have EVER had…I use it for everything!  It’s made by All-Clad and is probably 10″ across with about a 2″ side.  It cooks everything so well, but it ain’t cheap.  And also, while you’re looking below…the other kitchen tool I couldn’t do without is that pair of kitchen shears.  Those are made by Cutco and they will cut through bone they are so good.  Again, these cost more than you think a pair of scissors should, but if you can outfit yourself with a small handful of bang-up kitchen tools, you’ll be so glad you spent the money.  Plus, they last way longer that your Uggs will…and we know those were a splurge!

Ok, this other little picture to the right here is a little favor i do for myself with this dish as well.  While the bacon cooks, go ahead and measure out the garlic, lemon juice, and about a dozen or so drops of Tabasco and just put it in a tiny tupperware to add when you cook later.  Just saves time and makes it easier.  And YES…i cheat and use bottled lemon juice and pre-minced garlic!  After a year of smelling like garlic from when i cooked in a restaurant, i don’t want to smell like it anymore…so unless i am really counting on a fresh garlic flavor punch…i use the pre-minced stuff.  So sue me!

Next, make sure you slice your mushrooms with the same precision and perfection that i have exemplified…as shown below.

 Chop up your green onions/scallions while the bacon is cooking too.  I personally think that it’s easier to cut when i leave the rubberband on the end for a little while.  It’s also easier to cut with my right hand, but it was preoccupied in this picture with a camera…for your benefit.

I bet your bacon is done now…so get it out and put it on a paper towel to get off some of the grease.  Pour out all but maybe a couple of Tbsp of grease from your pan… then shove your pan to cool at the back of the stove till dinner time.  See how i have my recipe stuff all ready for later now…bacon on a plate, onions in a bag, lemon juice mix in the tupperware, mushrooms perfectly sliced…and it’s just 10:10am!

 Now that you’ve done that…measure out all your grits, cheese, and seasonings.  I put the grits and cheeses in zip-lock bags so i can just dump them in when it’s time.  If you use tupperware, while it is more “green”, it makes a bigger mess when you’re cooking, and then you don’t seem as impressive. I should also note in case this wastefulness makes any of my tree-hugger friends unhappy, I do in fact recycle the bags.

Peel your shrimp sometime during the day too…and put them in a tupperware so they’re ready to just dump in.  I didn’t figure you needed a picture of me peeling a shrimp…plus, The Hubs would not be thrilled with me for holding a camera and peeling shrimp at the same time!  Shrimp juice….ewww…

So, you’ve prepped everything…put it all together in the fridge so you don’t forget anything and then you can follow the directions below to impress your guests when you assemble it!

Now that dinner is pretty much done, you can go lie on the couch and eat bon bons…especially if you’re a SAHM…because it’s probably 11am by now and you have several hours of soap operas, bon bons, and nothingness to attend to until dinner comes around.

And for all my outside-the-home working friends, if you do all this prep before you head to work or the night before, then you can just toss it all together for a quick yummy meal!  I’m sorry though that you won’t get to enjoy the soap operas and bon bons during the day… maybe your boss will let you have some during a break.

When i originally posted, i forgot to include pictures of the finished dish! oops…here they are!

So, without further ado…here it is…the actual recipe!

2 lbs peeled shrimp
10 oz bacon, chopped
4 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
3 cups sliced scallions (green onions)
2 garlic cloves minced
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Tabasco, Salt and pepper, and chopped fresh parsley to taste

Rinse and pat dry the shrimp.

Chop the bacon and cook til crisp. Remove to paper towel to drain and reserve drippings in the pan.

Add the shrimp to the skillet and saute til they start to turn pink. Then add the mushrooms, scallions, and garlic.

Saute til the shrimp are cooked and the mushrooms are tender. Season with Tabasco, Salt and pepper, and chopped fresh parsley to taste. Toss the bacon back in with the shrimp mix. Serve over cheesy grits

Cheesy Grits recipe
2 1/2 c. water
2 1/2 c. milk (i put about 1/2 skim milk and 1/2 of it half and half…because those are what i keep on hand)
1 c. grits (i like to mix part yellow and part white)
1 c. cheddar cheese
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese (the shreddy kind is best, but i forgot to get that at the store, so i resorted to the powdered stuff…I can actually tell a difference though)
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp pepper

Bring the water and milk to boil in a pot and then add the grits. Stir them alot so they don’t clump and when it thickens pretty well, then add in all the other stuff.

Enjoy!

Serving up love and calories to you tonight,
Logan

Filed Under: Eat

What’s for Dinner?! Brunswick Stew…and homemade chicken stock

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As promised earlier…recipe for Brunswick Stew!  I really don’t think that you can mess this up unless you burn it on the bottom of the pan, but I’ll tell you what i do most of the time (because every time it’s a tad different based upon what i have in the pantry!)

Make this in the morning because it MUST cook all day if you want it to be amazing…which I’m sure you do! And for you working gals out there…throw it all in the crockpot for the whole day and it ought to turn out wonderfully! I’m a stockpot kind of person ,when I can, because I like walking by and giving it a stir!

First I’m going to tell you how to make homemade chicken stock…the cheater’s way!  Step 1. Go to Sams or Costco or the grocery store and get a rotisserie chicken. Step 2. Eat the chicken for lunch or dinner with simple sides. Step 3. SAVE every single piece of that carcass and the juice in the bottom of the pan. Step 4. Put all of that in a stockpot. Quarter an onion (use the method i showed you earlier today!) Cut some celery into about 3 inch lengths (I’d say maybe 3-4 stalks). Put some carrots in too…maybe a cup or so. These can be cut big as well, or really cheat and use baby carrots. Put a couple Tbsp minced garlic.  Fill the pot up with lots of water, and add salt, pepper, I put some Lawry’s seasoned salt, maybe a tsp of thyme, and a Tbsp parsley flakes.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer a long time UNCOVERED…at least 3 hours, and up to about 8 makes it really great!  The darker the color, the richer the broth.  When you’re done, strain out all the bones and veggies and store the stock.  I normally just freeze mine in about 6 cup (that’s 1 1/2 qts) containers, so I can use it whenever I want. Also if you’ve made it really concentrated, then when you make soup or something with it, you can usually add as much water as you have stock to make more.  So if you have 4c. stock, then add 4 c. water and your broth will still taste super rich.  Also, make sure that you say things like “oui, oui” and “bon appetit” when you make this, you’ll be very European now making your own stock and all.

Ok. Now for the Brunswick Stew.
Ingredients.
cooked chicken (you can use a whole chicken, a rotisserie one, about 6 breasts. It doesn’t matter…just cook it first and rough chop it. It’ll get all shreddy in the soup)
2-ish qts chicken stock or canned broth (stock makes everything richer tasting…see above for how to make it.)
1 can rotele tomatoes
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
2 cans creamed corn (today I only had 1 can creamed corn, so I used one of regular corn too…)
1 bag frozen baby butter beans
4 potatoes diced (any kind is fine…today I had baking potatoes that were huge so I just used 3)
2 c. chopped carrots
2 med onions diced (again, I had giant onions today, so I just used 1)
about 3 Tbsp brown sugar
about 3-4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 lb BBQ pulled pork (buy this already made somewhere. But, if you don’t have it, or don’t have time to get it like me today…omit it.  Just makes it better, but it’s amazing even without the pork.)

Put all of this in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer…all day!  Your pot will reduce by at least 1/3 or more. Make sure you scrape the bottom well when you stir it so it doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pot.

You will love this.  And, it makes a lot…so share it or freeze it, or eat it every day for lunch the rest of the week!  I’d love to know what you think of it when you try it, so be sure to leave a comment!

**After I initially wrote this post I did a step by step guide to making homemade chicken stock (complete with pictures and everything.)  I linked it up top, but if you missed it, you can click HERE to hop over and learn how!