Star Gazing

Today's post is a total bonus!!! I am giving out tons of fabulous recipes.

So, this evening, my sweetheart took the kids to work out at the gym. I currently have shin splits, so I went and luxuriated in the library. I returned home three minutes before they returned and I knew they would be hungry. I decided that it would be the perfect night for a star gazing party.

To begin, I cooked the quickest meal I could find that would hold everyone over till late when I woke them up for our midnight snack. Grilled Cheeseball Sandwiches!!! A lovely blogger posted a great cheeseball recipe for this snack, but hey, I'm in a hurry here. So... three ingredients, 3-4 minutes, and dinner! There aren't any side courses because... Shhhh. I want them to be hungry, for later.


Grilled Cheeseball Sandwiches
Favorite cheeseball (homemade would be to die for... but hey! I'm in a hurry)
Whole grain Bread
butter

Heat the griddle. Slather cheeseball onto bread, butter top and bottom, Cook, flip, cook and eat! How's that for simple!

At 10:00, the full moon lit up the sky. We set up our evening meal under the stars and went to wake our small ones.
They clung to us like sleepy Koalas until we deposited them outside, wrapped in blankets. Immediately they wakened to the charm of the night sky and the novelty of a night revel.

Briz pointed out constellations and the North Star. We watched a shooting star. We smelled the freshly cut grass. We listened for owls. We snuggled to get warm. (It was 38 degrees). We spoke in whispered tones so the night magic would stay. We dipped apples in Carmel cream dip. We bit into savory Pizza Pockets. We toasted the night sky with a Butter Punch.

The children were loathe for their special night to end, so we went on a moon lit walk. The moon lit up the pastures and we watched horses sleep, and ducks protect their ducklings under their wings. We returned home and warmed up with Amaretto Hot Cocoa and slipped our little people back into bed. We decided to make this a monthly tradition during the summer months- It was too magical for the children.

Here are some of the elements of our stargazing party.

Butter Punch
(I call it this because of it's unique smooth flavor. It is soooo simple, yet it is the perfect drink to match a savory meal as it doesn't detract with its own strong flavor.)

2 liters Diet Shasta Grapefruit Soda
1 can frozen white grape juice concentrate
lots of ice

Yep! That's it. I have substituted Fresca for the Shasta in a pinch, but it's not quite as good. This punch is great to serve at weddings.

Caramel Creme Dip
(As an apple dip lover, this is maybe the best- I'm not sure if I like this one best or the one with toffee bits. ) This is another EASY recipe.

Mix equal parts of Tom's Gourmet Caramel Sauce and cream cheese softened. I'm sure you could use a cheap Caramel sauce but you would get a cheap tasting dip. Tom's tastes like the best homemade Caramels. I guess you could make your own!!! I've got to try that.

Pizza Pockets

Pizza Dough- you can use the cans- I make my own
Pizza Sauce
Veggies -I used red and yellow peppers and onions
Meats - I used pepperoni and Canadian Bacon
Olive oil
Mozzarella cheese
rosemary
Parmesan cheese
kosher salt

Saute the veggies in a little olive oil till tender crisp. Mix with pizza sauce. Roll the pizza dough out into 7x4 inch squares. Place 1/4 cup of the sauce/veggie mixture on the dough. Layer meat
then cheese. Roll dough over filling then pinch and seal. Brush the top with olive oil. Sprinkle with a bit of Parmesan, kosher salt, and rosemary. Bake at 450 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Castle Pizza Sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. olive oil
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
2 tsp. honey
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Saute' garlic in oil until tender. Stir in tomatoes, honey, salt, pepper, and herbs. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or until sauce reaches desired thickness. Sauce may be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Cinco De Mayo

I was surprised to discover that Cinco De Mayo is not widely celebrated in Mexico. I assumed that it was their independence day, but it is not. It is a regional celebration to celebrate a Mexican victory against amazingly superior French forces. Anyway, it is a great opportunity to learn about a culture we rub elbows with regularly.

My greatest success with this dinner was involving the children. By enlisting them to help with the food and the decorations, their excitement lasted days longer than the actual dinner. Luckily Stefani at Blue Yonder just produced another Book of Days with just the right ideas for children and our dinner party.

With brightly colored tissue paper from the dollar store, we snipped "papel picado" banner like cut paper designs that traditionally hang in rows along Mexican streets.

With packages of disposable cooking trays, also from the dollar store, each child designed and poked a tin luminary.

Mexican Wedding Cookies made a simple cooking lesson for the week.

My friends all shared in the food preparation, and brought delicious enchiladas, pork tacos, salsa, chips, lime cilantro rice, and black beans. We truly had a Mexican feast. Have you ever tried Cheesecake Chimichangas? I don't know how authentic they are, but they are to die for. Truly. Heaven. Abigale Vincent from Texas shared the recipe with me from a favorite taco joint in her town. How lucky we are!!!

No Mexican celebration is complete without a pinata. To keep costs low, I purchased the lips pinata on Valentine's clearance at Walmart. I had the girls decorate it to turn it into something else. Though not elegant... they had fun and I didn't break the bank. I love to watch the different personalities as they take a wack at a pinata. Some are timid, others aggressive enough to break the stick, and others just plain enamored with the brightly colored hangy thing.

After all ten children had dented the strange face, the women had a go.

Every kid and adult secretly wants to be the one that breaks the pinata. I had the satisfying experience of hearing the crunch of the cardboard as the candy went flying.

The children favored us with a lovely rendition of the Mexican Hat Dance, then ran crazily around the back yard. Ole!


Cheesecake Chimichangas Recipe
1 package phyllo sheets
1 box Jello no-bake cheesecake
1 package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cube melted butter

Make cheesecake filling according to directions then blend in the cream cheese. Cut phyllo sheets in half. Keep phyllo under a damp towel to keep moist and workable. Layer 2 phyllo sheets, and scoop in cream cheese filling. Roll like a burrito. Using a pastry brush, paint the phyllo wrap closed with melted butter. Deep fry until light brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve plain or with fruit. I served it with cherry pie filling and it was great but Abbigale served it with a raspberry sauce and it was heaven. Enjoy and let me know how you like it!!!

Top of the World

We needed a quick and easy break from the normal tonight. I remember dining by candlelight on the top of a freeway overpass with a date years ago. It was simple but the change in scenery made it special.

Little Mother carried the lightweight table, I carried the picnic backpack, complete with tablecloth, candle, and sparkly drink.

The girls loved watching the world go underneath them. Many passing under us waved. We waved back. We connected with a world we did not know personally and discussed the amazing fact that so many people we did not know were going about their business and God knows them all.

The food was a complete hit. Sunshine gave the Southwest Pockets a "V", our family's victory sign for a delicious meal. The other favorite was a simple snack of Nutella and apples.

Southwestern Bundles are a classy take on a simple favorite. Try them. They travel well and are fabulous and easy... a great combination!


Southwest Pockets
(Makes 8 pockets)

2 cups diced cooked chicken (I used the Costco canned chicken)
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 4 oz can diced green chilies
1 tablespoon chopped green onions
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon cumin
2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup dry seasoned stuffing, coarsely crushed or seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds (optional but fun)

In a large bowl cream together cream cheese, 1/2 cup softened butter, green chilies, green onions, chili powder and cumin. Add chicken and combine; set aside. Separate crescent rolls to form 8 rectangles, pressing seams together. Place 1/2 cup of chicken mixture in the middle of each rectangle and roll up ends to cover filling. Seal edges securely. Dip each folded roll into melted butter and then carefully roll in stuffing mixed with sunflower seeds. Place on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Top with Black Bean Salsa.


Black Bean Salsa - This is also a wonderful dip for chips. Trust me it disappears!

1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
8 ounces frozen corn
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped ripe tomatoes, drained
1-2 avocados, chopped

In a large bowl, combine beans, corn, cilantro, green onions, red onions, lime juice, oil and cumin. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or overnight. Just before serving stir in tomatoes and avocados.

Picnic of Chance

To celebrate Spring, we took a walk around our neighborhood. At each corner we rolled the dice, at an even roll we went right, at an odd roll we went left. In addition, we rolled to see which numbered food we would eat.

Our picnic consisted of 6 items: Mediterranean Wraps/Bagels, Kale Crisps, Sweet Potato Crisps, Strawberry Ladybugs, Soda, and Rice Crispy Treats. The roll of a six meant we ate the Rice Crispy Treats first. The roll of the dice continued till we had gobbled up the entire picnic.

The dice took us around our neighborhood in new ways. We picked out our favorite landscapes and houses. At one point my children said, "Mom, those people driving by are staring at us!"
"That is because they are wishing they could have such a nice picnic too."
"Oh. O.K."

Here are some of our picnic foods. The Kale Crisps and the Ladybugs came from Family Fun.

Mediterranean Wraps- So healthy and absolutely delicious!
Ingredients:
Rosemary Wraps
Gouda Cheese
Honey Maple Turkey
Olive Salad or imported olives, chopped
Mixed Greens

Layer the ingredients on a wrap. Roll up and cut in 1/2.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes - We eat these like candy... and no, I don't like sweet potatoes.
2 sweet potatoes, sliced thinly
olive oil
Rosemary
Kosher Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray cooking sheet with olive oil spray or cover with olive oil. Toss sliced potatoes with a little bit (1 T) olive oil till coated. Place in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Salt and pepper and sprinkle with Rosemary. Roast for 16 minutes.

Kale Crisps- I knew these were a "healthy snack" but wasn't sure if the kids or husband would eat them. I thought they had a bit of a kale aftertaste. BUT, everyone had thirds and fourths. They all asked me to make it again. Next Time I'll experiment with a season salt.


Ingredients:
Kale
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coarsely chop Kale, place in bowl or plastic bag and toss with 1-2 T of olive oil until coated. Lay on baking sheet with none overlapping and sprinkle with salt. Cook 8 minutes or until crisp.



Strawberry Ladybugs
Strawberries
Red Grapes
Chocolate Chips

With a sharp knife, score the back of the strawberry to make the wings. thread the strawberry on a skewer. Top with a Grape. With finger, press in chocolate chips for spots.