Countdown to Kickoff

GO BUCKS!
Today's tailgating menu:
Beer Bratts (Bob Evans bratts imported from Ohio, boiled in Guiness Draught and then grilled)
Candy Buckeyes (of course)
Homemade Hummus and veggie sticks
Whatever else I have that I think to add to it. After all, we're tailgating at home.

Game's on ESPN at noon!

White Bean Dip with Pita Chips

A couple of years ago, my mom bought me Giada de Laurentis's book Everyday Italian.  I have leafed through it and used a recipe or two, but had not explored it in depth.  Then, I recently watched The Food Network's Chef0graphy about Giada de Laurentis.  Even though it was late, I was inspired to grab her book off the shelf and go exploring.  The next morning I made two recipes to eat at a picnic we were going to that day.  One of those recipes was the White Bean Dip with Pita Chips.  It essentially is the Italian version of hummus.  It is so incredibly good!  Last night my husband asked if there was any left to dip some vegetable sticks in.  There wasn't, but there is now.  I actually made a double batch.  I hope there's still some left by the time he gets home from work!  Just kidding.  It's tempting though.  It's also wonderful in tuna salad instead of using mayo.  It adds more flavor, not to mention nutritional value.
White Bean Dip with Pita Chips
1 (15 oz) can cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (or 2 tbsp dried)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon)
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
In the bowl of a food processor, combine all ingredients except the olive oil.  Pulse on and off until the mixture is coarsely chopped.  With the machine running, gradually mix in the olive oil until the mixture is creamy.  Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired.  Serve with pita wedges, toasted baguette slices, vegetable slices, etc.
Personal Note:  I substitute half the olive oil with plain, low-fat yogurt.  I also usually make a double batch since it goes so quickly

Smoothies

I love smoothies! I especially love homemade smoothies. I know exactly what wonderful, flavorful, healthy ingredients the smoothie-of-the-moment is made of when I make it myself. Smoothies are a great way to enjoy seasonal fruit. Below is my basic smoothie recipe. Each smoothie tends to be unique, depending on what I have on hand (i.e. what is in season at the local farmer's market). Today we enjoyed blueberry smoothies and blackberry smoothies. The other day it was peach/blackberry smoothies. I have also been known to use frozen fruit from the grocer's freezer, but it's not quite the same. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.
Smoothie

½ cup water or juice
½ cup plain yogurt (low or fat free)
½ banana
½ - ¾ cup fruit (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, or pineapple, etc.), mix and match as desired
¼ tsp. cinnamon (optional)
2 tbsp. wheat germ (optional)

Blend.

Personal Notes:
I add ice or use frozen fruit for a slushy smoothie.

I use water if the fruit is local and in season or a particularly flavorful fruit, juice if fruit is from the frozen section of grocery store.

If I use juice, I use apple juice with berries and orange juice with pineapple or
peaches.

World's Best Cookies

Summer and picnic season has me thinking about family.  My mom's family has a reunion every year.  Usually I am unable to attend, but I think about the whole family often.  One of my favorite summer/reunion time memories is my grandma making World's Best Cookies.  She would make these during the last week of July as my cousins were scheduled to roll in from where ever they were stationed at the time (my uncle was in the Army).  Then, on the first Sunday in August, we would pile into our cars, with the cookies, and caravan to Washington, PA for the family reunion.  Aside from the samples at Grandma's house, she would (try to) keep the cookies under tight wraps so that there would be some left for the reunion lunch.
Grandma got sick and passed away rather quickly in late 1997.  We didn't get a chance to ask her about every detail we now wish we had.  Several favorite recipes I think she had committed to memory and are now gone.  However, we did find this one and I made sure that I copied it for my files.  I have held on to it tightly.
Although we will not be able to make it to the reunion this year, I am looking forward to an upcoming picnic with my Mom and Grandpa.  My goal is to make a batch of Grandma's World's Best Cookies for dessert.
World's Best Cookies
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup cooking oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup corn flakes -- crushed
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup nuts -- chopped
3 1/2 cups flour -- sifted

Combine ingredients.  Shape into small balls.  Bake at 325 for 12 minutes.
This was all the direction that I found.  I start with softened butter in my mixer and gradually add the ingredients in the order given.  Years later I found this recipe in Southern Living's 30 Years of Our Best Recipes as Crispy Oat Cookies.  I was so thrilled to see it in published form that I bought the book on the spot.

Roses

  Stainless Steel bud
  Olympiad blossom
I love flowers:  tulips, grape hyacinths, carnations, starburst lilies, roses...  They add such color and beauty to the world.  Each one also reminds me of various times in my life as they were notebly present during those times.  Tulips and grape hyacinths welcomed us to our new home when we moved during my elementary school years.  Carnations, the state flower of Ohio, always seemed present during my childhood and were wonderful for placing (white ones) in colored water for showing how xylem worked.  Stargazer lilies were carried by my bridesmaids.
Roses have also been constant.  Each color has a different meaning.  For Valentine's Day at my school, student organizations would sell roses for fundraisers.  Individuals would buy a rose to be sent to someone special and that person's significance was indicated by the color of the rose.  As an adult, the colors stir other feelings.  Yellow reminds me of our grandmothers because yellow was their favorite rose color.  Bright red reminds me of love, but also of home.  I am a Buckeye, and BCS or not, nothing is like a good ol' fashioned Rose Bowl at the end of the season.  Over the course of a few years, I was gifted with a rose garden.  It started as four rose bushes (two Oklahomas and two Olympiads).  Next we added three Stainless Steels.  Finally, the border was added.  I now have a beautiful scarlet and grey rose garden!  It's a touch of home built with a lot of love.
Many people tell me that they don't have roses because they have heard about how much work they entail.  Please, don't let this stop you!  They are really not that labor intensive and the reward is well worth the effort!  I spray my rose garden weekly and fertilize it monthly.  If it hasn't rained within the past week, I water it.  I honestly think the most labor comes from the harvesting, and that is labor well rewarded.  The other day I counted 50+ buds on my seven rose bushes.  50!  When harvested correctly (and it's not that difficult), each bush will produce dozens of roses each year.  We decorate the house, take them to work, give them to friends and new neighbors, etc.
There is also a certain zen in caring for a garden, be it rose, vegetable, or other.  It's a time of hands-on caring when you can reflect on life or just focus on being a caregiver to a silent, yet responsive, recipient.  It's almost like going for a long, contemplative walk in the woods.  It's very theraputic and well worth the effort.

Peaches

I love going to the farmer's market this time of year.  The fruit is in!  For the last few weeks we've been feasting on fresh, locally grown strawberries.  Then, last week when I went to pick up some strawberries for jam, I was greeted with peaches!  I decided it was time to expand my jam-making experience.  My neighbor and I went to the farmer's market yesterday and loaded up on peaches.  We met in my kitchen this afternoon and now I have two batches of fresh peach jam cooling on my counter.  There's something satisfying in preserving food for the year to come and making jam isn't all that difficult.  There are also still plenty of peaches for dessert tonight and the next few breakfasts.  I also plan to chop some to freeze.  They will be great this winter for cobbler, served over Angel Food cake, etc.  We're also contemplating canning sliced peaches next month when the freestones are ripe (they are SO much easier to slice).  I haven't canned anything beyond jam, but it looks like it should be even easier.  In addition, we're looking forward to blueberry and, depending on supply, blackberry jam next month. 
By the way, I am looking for a good, juice-only, sweetened jam recipe.  If you know of any, please send them my way.  Thanks!

Dutch Pancake

Are you looking for a new breakfast idea?  A friend of mine posted the following recipe on her blog and my family has been loving it (thanks Laura!).  I have seen it published under several names, but she calls it a Dutch Pancake.  It's quick, easy, and may be something new to add to the breafast (or breakfast for dinner) menu.  You'll need an oven-safe skillet approx. 9 inches in diameter.
Dutch Pancake

3 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. flour
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 T. butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and melt the butter on low heat in a large skillet on the stove. In the meantime, mix remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl.  When the butter is completely melted, pour the batter into the skillet and cook for 3 minutes on the stove.  Next, insert the pan into the oven and bake for about 10 minutes. It will puff up real big and golden.  Slice in triangles, like a pie.  Serve sprinkled with powdered sugar or spread with applesauce or jam.