Ready for a Change

I get to a point in every season where I'm ready for a change. And I have hit that wall hard this Springter (that's Spring/Winter for those of you who haven't been experiencing the nasty weather in the Midwest this month).

I chopped off my hair. Yep, about 6 inches. GONE. Now I'm yearning for highlights.

Somehow, any cute clothes I once owned mysteriously disappeared from my closet, and I have nothing to wear.

I can't handle another Saturday movie night at home because it's too cold/dark/rainy/dreary/foggy/horrible to leave the house. Talk about cabin fever.

My shoes. Oh, my shoes. They are all frayed and salt-blotched from the snowy season.

And I am so ready for warm-weather food.

To indulge at least one of my summer dreams, I am sharing with you a few photos from last summer's farmer's market haul. Please hum Will Smith's "Summertime" to yourself quietly as you view them.

Mother Dearest by Lady of the House

Have you bought a Mother's Day card yet? Chocolates, flowers and brunch aside, what spills from your heart is the most important part. Send her some love...

Smock's motto is: Create meaning. And I'll argue that's a lot easier with a lined envelope!

Pup and Pony. What a pleasing card. Oh, good luck trying not to buy everything in their shop!

And my personal favorite: Anna Bond's delightful creations for her very own Rifle Paper Co.

xoxo

{ Lady of the House }

Cobb Salad with Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

Today I will share with you a one act play.

Dinner One Night
By: Erin

Erin is in the kitchen, peering into the fridge. She closes the fridge. 
Enter: The Husband.

Erin: [Turning to The Husband.] Wanna have Cobb salad for dinner?
The Husband: [Scowl. Squint eyes in a dubious manner.]
Erin: It has bacon and hard-boiled eggs in it.
The Husband: Ok.

End scene.


Do you have leftover Easter eggs? If so, you can re-enact this play at your house tonight. Let me know how it goes.

Cobb Salad
Serves: 4

1 large head Romaine lettuce, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tomatoes, chopped
4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
6 slices bacon, crumbled
1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled (or shredded cheddar for the non-blue cheese eaters)
2 cooked chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1/3 cup honey Dijon vinaigrette (recipe below)
Pepper, to taste

Arrange lettuce on individual plates or a large platter for serving. Neatly arrange tomatoes, eggs, bacon, blue cheese, and chicken on top of lettuce. Drizzle vinaigrette over top. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.

Honey Dijon Vinaigrette
Adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook
Makes 1 cup

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons minced shallot
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons honey
Salt and pepper, to taste

Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Alternatively, combine ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake until well-blended.

Onion Roasted Potatoes

As I mentioned, I spent the weekend with my family in Buffalo. Of course, we spent time in the kitchen cooking some cozy meals to block out the Buffalo snow. (You read that correctly. It was snowing. In April. Sigh.) Being a good Irish man, my dad loves potatoes. So, Mom and I had to incorporate his favorite tuber into our Sunday supper.

Now, I must admit, I'm not the biggest potato fan personally. I do love orange, sugary sweet potatoes. But plain, old Russets? Eh, not so much. There are a few preparations, though, that get me jazzed about all-purpose potatoes.

My mother-in-law introduced me to the simplest way of roasting potatoes. She raised three hungry boys, so she knows her stuff when it comes to fast and delicious! The family secret is this: onion soup mix. You just sprinkle it over chopped potatoes, bake, and, voila! Dinner is served. So if you have a packet of onion soup mix left over from your pot roast, then this spud's for you!

Onion-Roasted Potatoes
Source: My Fabulous Mother-in-Law (I should probably give the ultimate credit to Lipton, because they do list this recipe on the back of the box.)
Serves: 4-6

2 pounds of your favorite potatoes, cut into 1" pieces
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 envelope onion soup mix

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread potatoes onto a large baking sheet so they're in one layer. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with onion soup mix. Stir so potatoes are evenly coated. Roast in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, until potatoes are golden brown and tender, stirring halfway through. Serve with ketchup.

With Whip by Lady of the House

We celebrated our daughter's first birthday on Tuesday, and in what might seem an uncharacteristic post for me, I've decided to share the simple recipe we used for her chocolate birthday cake. It's light as air, fluffy goodness that if I can make, you absolutely can!

Here's what you'll need...

1 3/4 cup unsifted flour

1 3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup cocoa (unsweetened)

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 l/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup boiling water

For the frosting...

1 pint heavy whipping cream

a splash of vanilla extract

a level tablespoon of confectioners sugar

And here's what you'll do...

Combine dry ingredients in large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients except boiling water. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Remove from mixer. Stir in boiling water. (Batter will be very thin.) Pour into 2 greased and

floured 9-inch or 3-8 inch layer pans or l (13 x 9-inch). A layer of parchment paper is also helpful if you have some. And I used three varying sizes of layer pans, and pulled the little guy out at about 25 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes for layers, 35-40 minutes for 13 x 9

minutes or until tester comes out clean. cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan.

top with fresh whipped cream.

xoxo

{ Lady of the House }

Not my usual post

I have to apologize in advance, folks, because today's post is a little unusual. You see, I am visiting my family in sunny Buffalo, and I don't have access to my usual blog stuff. But I know your Monday wouldn't be complete without a word from Erin (stop chuckling, I can hear you!!), so here I am.

I don't know about visits to your hometown, but when I make my way back to Western New York, it's all about the food. My mom picked me up from the airport, and we wasted no time. We headed straight to Charlie the Butchers for beef on weck. "What in tarnation is beef on weck?" you're asking yourself. Glorious, slow roasted beef (carved by Charlie, of course) piled high on a salty, caraway seed-studded kummelweck roll. I just stuffed my pie hole with Perry's Panda Paws ice cream, and my mouth is still watering at the thought of beef on weck. Mmmm.

Mom and I also love going out for breakfast, so the next morning we headed over to Ohlson's Bakery for cinnamon swirl french toast. I ate it too quickly to take a picture, but I did snap a shot of their cinnamon syrup. Whatever genius decided to add cinnamon to syrup deserves a statue cast in gold. With diamond eye balls. And carrera marble shoes.

And then there's Wegmans. There are no words for the wonder that is this grocery store. But there is a picture of some of their bulk candy. And here is that picture.

So, come to Buffalo. The eating is better than the weather.

P.S. Where do you visit in your hometown? Comment or give us a shout on our Facebook page.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Just a few days ago, I was discussing the gorgeous, sunny, warm weather in Milwaukee. Well, this is Spring. I shouldn't have been surprised when the weather forecast dipped back to the 40's. Sigh.

With the return of the clouds and cold came my craving for a cozy dinner. Enter Tuna Noodle Casserole. Not that I'm knocking a handy can of Campbell's, but this isn't your standard mushroom soup meal. This is from scratch goodness.

If Spring is sticking around in your town, keep enjoying those salads. But if, like me, you're drowning in April showers, Tuna Noodle Casserole might be just what you need.

P.S. Did you like today's post? Show us the love by "liking" us on Facebook!

Tuna Noodle Casserole
Adapted from allrecipes.com
Serves: 6

4 tablespoons butter, divided
8 ounces egg noodles
1/2 onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 ounces baby portobello mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper
2 (6- or 7-ounce) cans tuna, drained and flaked
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
3 tablespoons bread crumbs
3/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking oil spray.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles and cook until a dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes, until onion is softened. Add mushrooms, increase heat to medium-high and cook for another 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender.  Transfer onion and mushroom mixture to a small bowl.

Add 2 tablespoons butter to the now-empty skillet. Once butter is melted, whisk in the flour for 1-2 minutes. Very slowly, whisk in the milk. Stirring frequently, continue to cook until the mixture is thickened and smooth, about 5 minutes. (When you pull a spatula through the sauce, it will leave a trail behind in the pan. See blurry picture below.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Combine cooked noodles, onion and mushroom mixture, sauce, tuna, and peas. Pour into the prepared baking dish.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter and combine with breadcrumbs and cheese. Sprinkle on top of the casserole. Bake for 20 minutes, until lightly browned.