Wednesday, July 29, 2009

A Midsummer's Night Scream

When I was born, I didn't have your typical birth announcement. Rather, my dad created an announcement that was made to look like a playbill, that read, "A Midsummer's Night Scream," starring, "my name" and produced by "my parents." It had the doctor and nurse's names as directors and my weight and height, etc. too.

Pretty creative, eh?

So needless to say my birthday is on a Midsummer's Night and each year my mom would cook whatever dish I wanted to eat for dinner. This recipe is a Sweet Pea Mom original and what I have requested in the past for my birthday dinner. Yes, even as a child, I loved this recipe.

Don't let the red cabbage component of this compound salad throw you for a loop. Man, it is good, probably the best part of the salad.

We make this recipe every couple of weeks with our own family and even the boys like it, albeit they are still working on "developing a taste" for the red cabbage.

Smoked Turkey (or Ham), Cheese and Red Cabbage Potato Salad

5-6 red or new potatoes, diced and cooked al dente
1 pound smoked turkey or ham, sliced thick and diced
1 cup of swiss cheese, julienned
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
4 cups finely shredded red cabbage
1/3 cup white wine
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped chives or shallot
1 1/2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons water
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Boil the potatoes until al dente, about 5-6 minutes. Drain and place in a bowl. Add the turkey and cheese.

Place the shredded red cabbage in a separate bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix the wine through the parsley to make the dressing, pour 1/2 the dressing over the potato mixture and 1/2 over the red cabbage. Toss both bowls well.

To plate, place a bit of red cabbage on the plate, top with the potatoes and then the walnuts.

Serves 4

Bon Appetit!
SPC

Monday, July 27, 2009

Farm in the City

Who says you have to go into the country to learn about food origins? COSI's annual Big Farm Days was a hit again this year:


G got so "into" milking the cow, I am thinking we may have a future farmer on our hands.

Speaking of farming, our CSA is going strong, this was our *half* of the share this weekend:

Time to come up with some new healthy produce recipes. Last week I made a new kind of corn salad from UNcooked kernels off the cob. It was brilliant and super tasty. Look for that recipe later this week...

Until then, our meals for the week:

Greek Tuna (a SPH creation), Mediterranean String Beans, Hummus and Pita
Chipotle Cheddar Burgers, Eggplant "Chips," Corn on the Cob
Grilled Chicken Bratwurst, Tzatziki, Sauteed Red Cabbage, Grilled Peaches
Greek Style Orzo Pasta Salad (new recipe)

Have a great week!
SPC

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Do you watch?

My favorite reality show:


My favorite contestant?:


This mom can cook and anyone who can keep it together with children under the age of 4 is a rock star in my book. Go Melissa Go!

Do you all watch The Next Food Network Star? Do you pause the DVR when the challenge is revealed and consider what you would cook for each challenge? Are you an armchair chef?

I answer a big 'ole "yes" to each of those questions...
SPC

Monday, July 20, 2009

Refreshed

I am refreshed. Renewed. Ready to have a great week.

SPH and I arrived home yesterday after a marvelously laid-back and go-slow weekend in Louisville. Why Louisville? Something different, something close enough so my parents wouldn't be too nervous with the boys alone all weekend, something with good food, good culture and good bourbon.

We slept in. We ate fabulous food. We didn't worry about nap times, bedtimes, bath times or remembering bibs, sippy cups or diaper bags.

Need a little refreshment of your own? While I can't say that I'll be right over to watch your kids for an upcoming weekend, this watermelon salsa *is* amazingly refreshing. I owe my Aunt Di and Jill big time for introducing this lovely to me:


Click here for the recipe
. Oh, and you need a cool watermelon slicing and dicing trick? Cut off each end of the watermelon and then stand it up on one end. Using a sharp knife, peel off the rind until all you have left is a wonderfully delicious watermelon football of sorts. If you have the seedless variety, all you need to do now is slice and dice, easy peasy.

Once again, I am behind the eight ball on planning meals for the week, so I'll have to wing it until I get to the grocery later today or so...

Have a great week y'all,
SPC

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Corn fed

Last week on FE.com I posted about our grilled corn on the cob tasting. Then I saw my girl Whitney at Rookie Cookie post this brilliant trick to help make removing the corn from the cob easier.

Want another idea of what to do with all that extra corn?

Click here for the recipe for Tomato, Basil and Corn Tortellini.

This is a Sweet Pea family favorite summer supper!

SPC

Haut Chocolate, Part 2

Yesterday was my birthday so I took the day off. I tried to do as little as possible and just enjoy the day. I had a fantastic birthday, one of the best on record. Guess what I got last night from my darling SPH?



A Vosges bacon and chocolate candy bar!! As I type this, I am about to take my first bite, so think of this as a live, on-blog taste test of sorts...

(opening bar, smelling, tasting)

Oh my goodness, it is good! I mean, really, really good. (another bite) Yep, it's a winner. I think I am in trouble. I used to say that my two favorite foods are bacon and chocolate, just not together. Hmm, can't say that any longer...

SPC

Friday, July 10, 2009

Haut Chocolate

I have a birthday coming up soon.

I have a new item for my wish list:

I am not sure if I will love it or hate it, but I have got to try it.

Vosges Haut Chocolate, you have combined my two all-time favorite foods in one handy bar!

Has anyone out there tried this?

SPC

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Busy day

We're back from our local children's hospital where G experienced what seems to be a rite of passage for everyone (except R!) in our family: ear tubes. SPH, yours truly and now G can all proudly where a "I survived ear tube surgery" badge. Of course, SPH and I had our tubes in the late 70s, so I am figuring G's surgery style was a bit more modern.

G did great, and he looked so stinkin' cute in his little man hospital jammies that I was bummed we weren't allowed to take any pictures. So imagine my sweet, sweet G in yellow flannel jammies, which open in back:

(pause for mental picture)

In true G form, he flirted, chatted up and smiled at everyone. Even when they took him into the OR, he was a sweet little man, ready for his big ear tube adventure.

When we told R that G was going to need tubes in his ears, he paused and then asked, "you mean like paper towel tubes?? How will that work?"

Thankfully, G's tubes are a bit smaller and went in just fine. He came home with us, ate a bit and is resting...and if my intuition is right, he'll be up and at 'em, like nothing happened in no time.

SPC

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

BLT Pasta

Fearless Chef asked me for my recipe for BLT Pasta. Ask and you shall receive. Click here for the recipe for this yummy awesomeness:



And Fearless, have you had your baby yet?

SPC

Monday, July 6, 2009

New York, Fourth of July and a little bit of Sesame too

Hope you all had a yummy and fun 4th of July weekend. We were gone for a week, arrived home Friday night from our annual trip to Chautauqua, only to turn around Saturday, go to a parade, a lunchtime party/picnic and then back home for a grill out with our neighbors. Phew!
For the grill out with our neighbors I made my cousin Jill's amazing Watermelon Salsa, which I will post soon...it is sooooo good.

This year's trip to Chautauqua was wonderful, perhaps the best yet, despite crummy weather and lots of rain. The theme for the week was all about children, and the speakers and events were cosponsored by Sesame Workshop. But the highlights of the week were watching G get down with his bad self watching Sesame Live! (and trying to get on stage so he could, "go touch Cookie Monster!") and seeing R lead his class of Chautauqua Children's School in the 4th of July Parade.

I could not for the life of me figure out how to rotate this one file...I think it had a bug, but it was too good not to share. G danced like this the better part of the show...



Hey, Steel Magnolia...check out the kid in front of R! There were lots of Tigers at Chautauqua this year!

So after an amazing week and weekend, I am in full re-entry mode. But thanks to our latest CSA delivery this weekend, I hardly have to go to the grocery! Our meals for the week:

Seared Tuna with Grilled Summer Squash and Spring Onions, Strawberries
Cobb Salad
Ham, Cheese and Red Cabbage Salad, Watermelon
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Thighs and Vegetarian Summer Rolls
BBQ Chicken Grilled Pizza, Caprese Salad
Mushroom Tortellini with Tomato and Basil and Corn, Cherries

Now excuse me...R is at Safety Town, G is napping, and I am off to enjoy a little down time!

SPC