Power Bars

Last spring we went to the Caribbean island of St. John in the U.S.V.I.  And it was awesome.  

Something we do every time our family goes there: the snorkel sail on the Pepper.  That's a bunch of nouns bunched together, I know, but hear me out:

1. Get on sailboat, which is called the Pepper.  It is a very nice boat owned by some very nice people.

2. Get sailed to a point in the ocean.

3. Get out and snorkel around.

4. Get back in the boat and, on the way home, eat a fantabulous and healthy lunch with the crew of two.

In other words, a very fun day.

And I had the fortune to taste some homemade and deee-licious power bars during that lunch.

Now, Pepper's owners have recently written a book called Between the Sheets.  It's about their clients that they take on those snorkeling sails (not me, I assure you! xD) and the people in the house that they rent out on St. John.

It's a great book that aptly describes island life - where time is an approximation - and it also has some island recipes.

Including those power bars.

So of course I made them.

And they're just as good as the first time I had them.  And they're very satisfying to make.  But they make a lot - two whole 9x13 inch pans - just warning ya!

Power Bars

4 cups oats

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup flour

2 sticks butter, melted

6 eggs

1/4 cup applesauce

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon vanilla

Dash of cinnamon

2 cups dried fruit mix, chopped (preferably pineapple, papaya, mango, and coconut)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease two 9x13 inch pans.
2. Combine oats, brown sugar, and flour in a large bowl.
3. Combine with melted butter.
4. Stir in eggs, applesauce, honey, and vanilla.
5. Add cinnamon and combine thoroughly.
6. Stir in fruit mix.
7. Spread evenly into two prepared pans and bake 20 minutes
8. DO NOT REMOVE FROM OVEN.  Turn oven off and keep pans inside until the bars are no longer gooey.
9. Remove and let cool completely before cutting.

Breaking it down:

Combine your oats, brown sugar, and flour...

This is incredibly fun to make because there's so much of it and it just requires a wooden spoon! :D

Add butter...

And eggs...

And vanilla and applesauce and honey and cinnamon.  Yes, I know that's not applesauce over there.  I had no applesauce to work with and I desperately wanted to make these, so I substituted crushed pineapple inside.  Let me tell you, applesauce works and tastes better.  Although maybe it's slightly less tropical.  Your choice!

Add the chopped fruit - and yes, you DO need to chop it even though it's already chopped.  Just chop it into quarters, whatever kind of fruit it is, and you should be fine.

Bake the bars at 350 degrees for 20 minutes and let them cool in the oven if they're still gooey.  I've made these bars twice and they always have been gooey...

But delicious.  And semi-healthy!

Enjoy!
-JJ

P.S. You probably noticed the awkward change in font.  That's because my computer was being screwy and I had to do some very technical copying-and-pasting, and I'm just wayyy too lazy to go back and retype it in the proper font.  If you didn't notice, then I guess you haven't spent too much time on my blog yet!  Look at the suggested posts below to explore! :D

Kris' Macaroni Salad

This is a recipe, like the pickle wraps, that I learned from my godmother, Kris.  And, just like the pickle wraps, this recipe is very simple.  And somehow I've found a way to make it even more simple than usual.

See, I didn't have any gherkins.  (By the way, I love gherkins, so this is a really big deal.)

But I did have a jar of relish.  Relish=cut up pickles.  See where I'm going with this?

So really, you can use chopped gherkins or relish - the macaroni salad comes out pretty much the same either way.  If you happen to love gherkins, like moi, then you will notice the difference if you use relish, but it's kind of a good difference.  For lacking gherkins, anyway.

Sorry, I'm really using the word "gherkins" way too much.  I just love typing it.  Gherkins.  Lol!

Kris' Macaroni Salad

1 box ring (anellini) noodles*

1 cup finely chopped green olives (approximately 1 jar)

1 cup finely chopped sweet gherkins OR pickle relish

1 cup Miracle Whip**

1. Cook the noodles according to the directions on the box, omitting the salt.  Once cooked, place in a large bowl.
2. With a wooden spoon, combine noodles with chopped olives and chopped gherkins or relish.
3. Add Miracle Whip and stir until evenly combined.  Taste.  Add more Miracle Whip if necessary. Store covered in refrigerator.

*The only place I've found these noodles is in Minnesota.  If you can't find them where you live, you can use regular ring noodles, but the texture won't be right.

**This HAS to be Miracle Whip.  No mayo.  NONE.

Breaking it down:

Cook your lovely ring noodles.

Chop olives like this:

The chopped gherkins should be about the same size.  Or you can use relish.  Anyway, combine the pickles and the olives and the noodles...

Add Miracle Whip and don't even THINK about using mayo instead...

And give it several good stirs.

There you have it!  A really yummy macaroni salad, perfect to eat with hamburgers or hot dogs or anytime during the summer.

Or anytime at all, really. ;)
-JJ

Casino Party!

So.  I had a casino-themed party, complete with dance floor and card games, and oh, did I mention the cake pops?

Yep, dice cake pops.  I made over 150 for this party.  It's sort of sad.  Almost.

Needless to say, they were a hit.  I served them in styrofoam boxes decorated to look like really huge dice.

I also served Shrimp Louie Spread, which has quickly become a favorite amongst my family members, if not my friends.

I like it bests on water crackers, but Ritz and other buttery crackers work, too.  The worst part about the spread is that after chopping all that salad shrimp, you can't seem to get the smell off you.  Even after taking a ridiculously long shower.  (Personal experience :D)  So I recommend making the spread the day before.  And then airing out your kitchen.

But what's a party without decorations?

I made my own homemade dice decorations, and so can you with this simple how-to:

You will need: A pencil, a dry-erase marker/really dark, big Sharpie, white boxes, and something to trace around.  Shot glasses and quarters work well.

Trace circles around your glass/coin on the sides of the box.

Use a pencil first!

The circles don't have to be absolutely beautiful, don't worry.

Trace a fairly-smooth circle with your Expo marker or Sharpie...

And then fill it in.  And after a few of these circles, you'll have your very own dice boxes.

As for the rest of the house, I draped green cloths over the tables to make them look more Vegas-like...

Hung red lights adorned with old playing cards (from a not-as-full-as-I'd-like-it deck and hole-punched with a small amount of care)...

...and decorated the rooms with these awesome things.  I don't even know what to call them, but they're really cool.  And I have no idea where I got them.

It was a blast.  And so worth the hours of dipping cake pops.
-JJ

Pickle Wraps

Ever since my godmother showed me how to make these for lunch one day, I've loved making pickle wraps.  They're great as a snack, an anti-sandwich, or (what I usually do) an appetizer.  They're ridiculously simple to make, and despite the way they look and sound when you hear the ingredients, they taste awesome. :)

Pickle Wraps
REQUIRES SOFTENING

jar of whole dill pickles
8 oz cream cheese, softened
package roast beef slices
PAPER TOWELS

1. Using a paper towel, dry off a pickle.  Use another (or the same) paper towel to dry off a slice of roast beef.
2. Spread the roast beef with cream cheese.
3. Place pickle at one end of the roast beef slice and roll.
4. Repeat until you run out of pickles/roast beef.  (You won't run out of cream cheese.  Probably.)
5. Either serve as is or cut into slices and stick toothpicks in them.  To store, place in an airtight container or wrap a platter of pickle wraps in plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator.

Breaking it down...
These are the three ingredients you need:

If you can get those brands exactly, they worked the best out of all the times I've made pickle wraps.  Thicker roast beef slices tend to tear less when you spread them with cream cheese.  It also helps a lot if the cream cheese is really soft.  So, dry off a pickle...

...and dry off a roast beef slice...

Spread the roast beef slice with cream cheese...

Place a pickle on it...

...and roll it up.

Then slice.  It sort of looks like a strange kind of sushi, doesn't it?

You'll have lots of leftovers which are good eats for lunch or heck, right away. :)

Place your sliced pickle wraps on a shmancy platter...

Spear them with toothpicks...

...and serve!

And no, I'm not kidding about the "they taste really good" part.  If I was, I'd be posting it on April 1st.  And I'm not.  So trust me, and try these.

Bon appétit!

-JJ

Crêpes Champignons

That's French for "Mushroom Pancakes."  Essentially.

Lo and behold, I've actually made good on my promise to go vegetarian!  And here, as I said it would be, is a recipe from the Cheese Factory Restaurant cookbook.  This isn't actually one of the dishes I've had there - or ever seen served there.  And I can understand why.  Be prepared for a very French (which translates to "lots of work") kitchen adventure that results in a totally-worth-it dish.  Just don't say I didn't warn you.

Note: This is the halved recipe, because you probably don't want to be making the restaurant-sized batch (which yields 35-40 crêpes).  And actually, the mushroom filling portion is only a third of the original, and it works out perfectly.  (Also, the measurements are slightly nicer.)

Also: What I did instead of following the directions is italicized.  It's easier, trust me.

Crêpes Champignons

REQUIRES CHILLING TIME

Crêpes:

3 large eggs

2/3 cups milk

1/3 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cups flour

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 tablespoon

1/8 cup brandy

1/2 tablespoon butter or a nice can of Pam

Mushroom filling:

2 1/6  cups whole milk or any milk

1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms (1 1/4 oz.), stems removed and discarded or fresh shiitake mushrooms,

     and you don't have to remove the stems

1 bay leaf

1/3 stick butter

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 pound sliced white button mushrooms (If you don't have enough, just use more shiitake mushrooms -

     that's what I did!)

1/2 tablespoon brandy

1/4 cup flour

1/3 teaspoon grated nutmeg or less

1 teaspoon salt or less

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper or less - all these "or less"s are if you don't want as strong a mixture

Mushroom sauce:

1 cup mushroom filling (see above)

1/6 cup reserved shiitake-flavored milk

1/3 cup whole milk or any milk

1/6 teaspoon salt

4-6 whole white button mushrooms, medium to large with 1/2-inch stems or just the prettiest ones

1/3 tablespoon butter

A note before we delve into the directions: You don't have to be totally exact with the measurements.  If you are, I am awed.  If you aren't, you're like the rest of the human race.

Crêpes:

1. Combine eggs, milk, half-and-half, water, salt, flour, melted butter, sugar, and brandy in blender or with hand mixer.
2. Chill in refrigerator at least 2 hours.
3. Heat nonstick skillet; add 1/2 tablespoon of butter and swirl it to coat the pan OR Pam your pan in between crêpes.  (Confused?  Learn how to make simple crêpes here.)
4. Pour 3 tablespoons batter (or ladle it out until it looks right) into skillet, and tilt skillet to spread evenly.  Cook over medium heat for about 1 minute.  Flip crêpe, then cook until brown spots appear on the underside.  Remove and repeat with remaining batter, buttering/Pamming the skillet between each crêpe.

Mushroom Filling:

1. Place milk, shiitake mushrooms, and bay leaf in a 2-quart saucepan.  Heat until almost boiling, the remove.  Cover and set aside for 20 minutes.
2. Strain shiitakes and discard bay leaf.  Reserve mushroom-flavored milk.
3. Mince shiitakes in a food processor using metal blade attachment.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in another skillet and add onions.  Sauté onions until translucent.
5. Add sliced button mushrooms and cook over high heat, stirring frequently.
6. Add shiitakes and brandy and cook 1 to 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.
7. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan.  Add flour and whisk vigorously.  Cook 2 minutes; stir constantly.
8. Add all but 1/6 cup shiitake-flavored milk and whisk vigorously to incorporate flour.  Add nutmeg and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat; whisk until thickened.
9. Cook 2 to 3 minutes longer and add mushrooms mixture. Stir until well blended.  Add salt and pepper as desired.

Mushroom sauce:

1. Purée 1 cup mushroom filing, reserved shiitake milk, whole (or other) milk, and salt in a blender/food processor until smooth.
2. Slice and sauté reserved mushrooms in butter; set aside for garnish.

Assembly:

1. Fold crêpes in half, and then in half again, forming a triangle.  Fill the very top fold with 1 heaping tablespoon mushroom filling and place in serving dish.
2. Cover with foil and heat in 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
3. Reheat sauce in microwave or in a saucepan over the stove.
4. To serve, place crêpe(s) on a plate and pour sauce over it/them, and garnish with reserved mushroom slices.

Lots of funky measurements and a huge number of directions.  Let's do this:

Crêpes:

Mix eggs, milk, half-and-half, water, salt, flour, melted butter, sugar, and brandy with a hand-mixer...

Chill for 2 hours.  (I made the filling and sauce during this time.)  Pam your skillet...

...and ladle batter into skillet.

Tilt to spread evenly, cook for a minute, flip, and cook for another minute.

Remove and repeat.

Mushroom filling:
Heat milk, shiitake mushrooms, and bay leaf in a saucepan until almost boiling...

 Cover and set aside for 20 minutes.  (During which I did the rest of the filling.)  Strain shiitakes...

...and mince in food processor.

Heat butter and onions...

Sauté until translucent.

 Slice button mushrooms...

 ...and add to onions.

Add shiitakes...

 ...and brandy...

 ...and cook 1-2 minutes before removing from heat.

In a large saucepan, combine butter, flour, and shiitake-flavored milk, stirring constantly...

...until thick.  Add nutmeg.

Cook a few minutes and then add mushroom mixture...

Add salt and pepper as desired...

...and mix well.

Mushroom sauce:
Purée 1 cup of the mushroom filling, reserved shiitake milk, milk, and salt in a food processor...

...until smooth.

Slice reserved mushrooms and sauté in butter.

Assembling your crêpes:
Fold crêpes in half and in half again, forming triangles...

 Spoon a generous tablespoon of mushroom filling into the top fold of each crêpe...

...and place in a serving dish.  Cover with foil...

 ...and heat in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.  Warm sauce in microwave, and spoon over crêpes when they're done.  Add a reserved mushroom slice as a garnish and you're all set!

These are delicious and definitely worth all the work. :)
-JJ