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.

April Fools Day Dinner

I experienced limited success trying to give my children fun jokes today. I tried to redeem myself at dinner. Early in the day I unveiled the menu. Backwards, of course, because it is a crazy type of day.

Strawberry-Banana Lemonade
Cupcakes with a side of Broccoli Salad
Eggs over easy, their favorite
and for dessert, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

We dressed in our most foolish finery.

We dined at a most foolish table. Ties hung from the chandelier, boots held flowers, and the side dishes rode on trucks. (I love hot glue!) It was so fun to give the little truck a push and see it roll to the next person!

Ladybug kept flatulating when she moved. (poor girl was sitting next to me and I was thrilled to work a push button whoopee cushion for the first time so I got a little carried away).


Two at our table kept spilling their water because they had holes poked under the rim of their cups.

After dinner, we played truth or dare. Dad ran around the yard in his finery squawking like a chicken. We found that Ladybug's teacher caught her picking her nose. Sunshine stood on her head and drank water... and then went nuts with the whoopee cushion which was her favorite part of the evening.

Dinner was consumed. Everyone loved it. YEAH!!!!!

Cupcakes were meatloaf cupcakes frosted with garlic mashed potatoes dyed a lovely pale purple.

The Strawberry Lemonade was difficult to slurp through a straw, though we all had a great time trying, because it was jello.
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches really were what they seemed. I just made the sandwiches with toasted angel food cake and the cheese was strawberry cream cheese mixed with Cool-Whip and dyed a lovely orange. Finally my sort of success on April Fool's.

Snow Bound Camping

Our family does some of our best bonding camping. Our preferred way is as rough as we can make it. The further we are from any signs of humans, the happier we are. We are in the midst of another cold and snowy spell, I wonder if I can recreate any of the joys of camping in my limited time budget.

Ladybug is creative. I set her to work on the tent. With a stepladder, a tarp, an yardstick, and some packing tape, she creates a very credible tent in our front room while I start our Dutch Oven favorites.
Briz gathers the children around and tells them stories from our past camping trips. They then look at pictures and remember the time dad almost went crazy trying to defend us when a truck alarm went off. After recounting an owl sighting, they read a family favorite, Owl Moon.
We light the "fire" (candle) in our tent, eat, then roast marshmallows. My new favorite roasting marshmallows are the ones covered in a coconut. When roasted, they produce a crispy sweet and crunchy crust on the outside and for whatever reason, a much gooier center. We start roasting over the candle, then switch to the flame on our gas stove, because is was quicker. For singing around the campfire, we sang "Rose" in rounds and "I Love the Mountains". Even my reluctant singer took part. Have you ever examined the beauty of a pea pod? Hold it in front of a flame. The veins and peas are visible and it is quite exciting. Full and sticky, the small campers snuggled up in the tent to watch the movie Dash.

After dark, we took out the flashlights and made shadow pictures on the wall.

I missed the smell of pine, so next time I will spray the pine scent I use on our fake Christmas tree around our tent. The food was amazing but like most good camp food, not number one on the Weight Watcher program. Hot dogs only taste good in the mountains. But I discovered that Dutch Oven tastes just as good in the oven.

Dutch Oven Sausage and Vegetables
This is the quickest and tastiest Dutch Oven dish we make. Only the spices, onion, sausage, and potatoes are constant. The other vegetables are as you wish or whatever is at hand.

1/2 pound cooked smoked sausage
1-2 onions in thin wedges
1-2 cloves garlic
1/2 sweet potato or potato per person (I love sweet potatoes in this dish)
Any other vegetables you have. I have used:
carrots
green pepper
mushrooms
turnips
parsnips
2 tsp. thyme
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. rosemary
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Saute the onions, garlic and sausage till onions are soft. Add rest of vegetables, stir till mixed and add the spices. Cover at cook at 350 degree heat for 30 minutes.

Apple Soda Dumplings
These tart sweet buttery morsels are as good and easy as it gets. This is a must try.
2 large Granny Smith apples
1 12 oz. can of lemon-lime soda
2 8 ounce cans refrigerated crescent rolls
1 stick real butter - yes a whole stick
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

1. Use a Dutch oven large enough to fit all apples in one layer.
2. Cut each apple into eight pieces. Wrap each piece in one crescent roll
3. Melt butter in the bottom of the Dutch oven and roll each piece in the melted butter before placing them in the bottom of the pan.
4. Mix cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle mixture over all apple pieces. Carefully add the soda so as not to wash away sugar from the dumplings. It will steam and look really cool.
5. Based on oven size, adjust the amount of briquettes on top and bottom and bake until dumplings turn golden brown. (in conventional oven 30 minutes at 350 degree heat)

The best part of this camping experience is that clean up was easy and I get to sleep in my own bed tonight!