Old Bay Chicken - Crockpot

Katie here! Okay I'll say it about this meal - Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!  I found a pin on Pinterest for the "Ultimate List of Slow Cooker Recipes" by the blogger Hodgepodge.  So I bit and found an Old Bay recipe for chicken. I'm originally from Maryland and well....I literally start drooling when Old Bay is mentioned. When I say that this was easy, it is an understatement!  We had the chicken as is, but I think it would also be tasty as a sandwich with maybe some coleslaw on it.  I typically purchase frozen organic boneless chicken thighs from Costco and keep them in the freezer for emergency dinners.  This recipe is great for a fix it and forget it dinner.  Below are my exact measurements for the recipe.

2 lbs of frozen boneless and skinless chicken thighs
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1/2 of a large onion, roughly chopped
2 tbsp of Old Bay seasoning

Throw all of the above ingredients in a slow cooker.  Toss to coat.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Shred chicken with fork once done.

Spring Cleaning - Where to Donate

Katie here!  I recently moved and the months leading up to putting our house up for sale I did a massive purge.  It was insane to see what my Husband and I had been living with for all these years! Items pre-marriage to tons of post marriage accumulations.  Over the years we have held yard sales and given majority of our items to Goodwill. The drop off at Goodwill is just so easy!  But as I started to accumulate odds and ends I wanted to explore other charities in the area too.  Here is a list of charities that I have donated to over the years.  Maybe there are few items laying around your house that you weren't sure whether to trash it or where would the appropriate new home for it be.

Food for Others - Located in Merrifield VA, they collect food for unemployed and low income residents in the NOVA area, among other services.  We all need to clean out those cupboards every once and a while!  Instead of throwing out that unused baby formula or jarred foods, drop them off here, as well as other canned goods, etc., taking up space in the cupboards.  Drop off is quick and easy. Just pull up to their loading dock.  They will weigh the food and give you a donation slip.

Suited for Change - A Washington DC based organization, they help low income women by providing counseling and clothing for career and employment development.  I use to be an auditor and had to wear suits everyday.  Once I left public accounting I had no need for the suits.  Drop off is easy.  They have literally curbside pick up.  Check out their website for their next drop off location.

OneSight - Got out-to-date glasses?  We had 10 pairs! This organization will give your glasses to those in need in poor areas across the world.  For some individuals this could lead to employment opportunities that were otherwise unavailable. OneSight has many drop off locations, such as, Target Optical (in most Target stores), Sears Optical, and Sunglass Huts.  I dropped mine off at Target.  And they will give you the tax donation slip as well. Click on the OneSight link to find a donation center near you.

Falls Church Community Service Council - Got furniture?  This organization provides human services to the poor or disadvantaged in the Falls Church area.  They work with a coalition of churches and human service organizations.  We donated two large couches and a desk to this organization.  They will come to your house to pick up the items. They also accept food, diapers and house supplies.

The Human Society - We have an adorable chocolate lab. And let's be honest she is spoiled.  We have a ton of toys that she has out grown or become disinterested in over the years.  Instead of just pitching them we donated all of her gently used toys, puppy supplies that she had out grown, old bedding, and old towels.  They also have a thrift store that sells household items to help support the centers. I dropped the goods off at the Fairfax Administration Building.

Vietnam Veterans of America - Once we moved into our new house we had a bunch of items that the previous owner had left and some household items that just didn't work in the new house.  In addition we had several bags of clothing to donate.  This organization will come to your home and pick up the items for you. Just go online to schedule a pickup date and leave the items in the front of your house the day of pickup.  They will leave you a donation slip on your door. 

Minted Mashed Peas/Soup

Nothing says spring like a beautiful sharp green. I should know this as my name does mean the green of spring. I really do get all giddy when the first flowers begin to push through the ground and we get that vibrant color budding on trees. To celebrate the coming of spring, and those spring holidays, Passover and Easter, I thought I would post one of my favorite easy peasy spring green recipes.

Minted Pea Soup seen here

The first time I served these peas up was to the Mr's family a couple of weeks ago at our Seder dinner. That night I used my original recipe for Minted Mashed Peas which has a much thicker mashed potato consistency and they were found to be an overwhelming success. The dish resembles baby food a bit (which is actually where I got the idea from) but it is absolutely delicious and will surly brighten up any table year round. I froze my extras and used it a week later as this amazing Easter pea soup by adding additional fresh mint and chicken stock. The soup works great as a starter to a nice meal or as a pairing with a spring salad or sandwich.

Original Minted Mashed Peas
2 bags frozen peas
1/2 onion, chopped
1 C Mint, chopped
1/4 C parsley, chopped (optional)
1 C Chicken Stock
1/2 C butter
4 Tbs EVOO
S&P

Heat 2 tbs EVOO and 2 tbs of butter in a large pan. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add one bag of frozen peas and season with salt and pepper. When the peas are warmed through pour the mixture into a blender or food processor. Add fresh herbs and slowly add stock until you have achieved a thick soup like texture. Return the original pan to the range and heat the remainder of the EVOO and butter together in the pan. Add second bag of peas and season with salt and pepper. When the peas are cooked through smash them with a potato masher, fork or wooden spoon to break them up a bit. Pour the pureed mixture into the mashed peas and mix everything together. Serve or refrigerate.

Spring Pea Soup

Add
1 C fresh mint
1 Quart good chicken stock
S&P

Add additional chopped mint and chicken stock to the recipe above. If you prefer a less chunky soup you can omit the smashed pea step and just blend the entire batch together. 

Shamrock Cinnamon Buns

I fully realize that we are well past St. Patrick's Day here but I am going to claim pregnancy brain. I never got around to posting this super fun and easy luck o' the Irish treat that I took over to a friend's house for brunch mainly because I can't seem to remember to write posts these days. I have finally started cooking on a regular basis again but I can't seem to get my act together to remember to photograph and post... probably because I usually inhale the food before it even hits the plate.

Anyway. I know this is super late but I loved how they turned out so I figured I would share for those of you who like to plan for next year. I realize that Pillsbury cinnamon buns don't really count as as a recipe but they were too cute not to post and you could always substitute our real Tangerine Pistachio Sticky Buns for the store bought ones if you are feeling extra crafty in the kitchen

1 roll of cinnamon buns

green food coloring


Unroll each individual cinnamon bun so that it is a long strip of dough. Form the dough strip into a shamrock shape making 4 small loops and one tale (the stem). Pinch tightly together to ensure each roll keeps its shape and then bake in a glass baking dish as directed on the packaging.

When the buns are out of the oven mix food coloring and frosting in a Ziploc sandwich bag until the desired color has been achieved. Cut the corner of the bag and use it to pipe the icing out onto the hot buns.

Provencal Leg of Lamb

Katie here!  After a few months off from having a baby I'm excited to be back in action again!

With Easter on the way I thought I would share one of my favorite Leg of Lamb recipes.  It is so easy and packed with flavors.  It comes from the Barefoot Contessa's How Easy is That? cookbook.  Highly recommend this book.  Tons of tasty recipes to enjoy.  This dish is always a crowd pleaser and people think you spent hours slaving in the kitchen, when in fact it is a fix it and forget type meal. I served it with steamed green beans and boiled red potatoes.

6-7lb bone in leg of lamb - fat trimmed
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
9 cloves of garlic chopped (don't be scared by this amount.  It isn't garlic heavy in the taste)
1 tbs fresh rosemary leaves chopped
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
3 lbs red tomatoes, cored and thickly diced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup honey
1 large onion sliced
4 sprigs Thyme
2 sprigs Rosemary
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place the leg in a large roasting pan, fat side up.  Combine the mustard, 1 tbs of the garlic, the rosemary, balsamic vinegar, 1tbs salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Spread on the lamb.  Place the tomatoes, olive oil, 1/4 cup of honey, onion, remaining garlic, 2 tbs salt and 2 tsp of pepper in a bowl and toss.  Put the mixture around the lamb in the pan and add the sprigs of Rosemary and Thyme.  Drizzle the lamb with the remaining 1/4 cup of honey.

Roast for 20 minutes.  Turn heat down to 350 and roast another 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until meat registers at 135 degrees on a thermometer.  Place lamb on cutting board and allow to rest for 15 minutes.  Serve lamb with tomatoes and juices.

Dairy Free Vodka Sauce

Homemade vodka sauce is the most delicious thing ever and I have been craving it in my dreams. There are a lot of things that I dont eat these days but I would say the two biggest would be I dont eat a lot of meat (unless its hidden in a dish) and dairy has become my friendenemy.  I love dairy, and I crave it night and day, it just makes me terribly sick. Some things are worse than others, milk and icecream are basically out of the question but butter or a slice of cheese are still within my limits.

Lucky for me I happen to have an arsenal of dairy free experience from my nine months as a dairy free nursing mom. One of my favorites is this dairy free vodka sauce. It tastes just like the original, creamy, thick and delicious without any of the heartburn or reflux after so I am one happy camper. I served this up at a play group party a couple of weeks ago and since everyone seemed to love it (even the kiddos) I figured I should get on posting it soon. If you are not dairy free you can always substitute the coconut milk back out for regular cream or whole milk and continue on your way.

2 tbs of EVOO
1 C of good chicken stock (you may want more or less)
1/2 onion, chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1 tbs tomato paste
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (I use fire roasted)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste- I used less this time since I was serving to toddlers)
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/3 c vodka
1/2 c So Delicious Coconut Creamer Original flavor- I purchase this at Whole Foods
1 box of your favorite pasta
1 package of fresh basil, chopped

Heat oil in the bottom of your sauce pot. Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes until they are golden brown. Add tomato paste and garlic and continue stirring for about 2 more minutes. Add the tomatoes, sugar, red pepper flakes, salt and vodka and bring the heat up to medium-high stirring to mix the flavors. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 10 minutes while frequently stirring to ensure that the alcohol has time to cook off. Reduce the heat to low and add the cream.

While making the pasta sauce bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta as directed. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce with the chopped fresh basil. Toss and then slowly add chicken stock to the mixture until the sauce is the consistency you would like. The stock adds a bit of flavor while also helping to thin out the sauce.

Kids In The Kitchen

Kids in the Kitchen is one of my favorite JLW events of the year. I have been volunteering with the organization since 2009 and have not missed a year. Granted, I am a foodie at heart and I love kid events so its right up my alley but I really do think its fun for the entire family. So if you are looking for plans this weekend please join us at the Junior League of Washington's Kids in the Kitchen on Saturday, March 2nd (10:00 AM - 2:00 PM) at the YMCA National Capital (1711 Rhode Island Avenue, NW).

This FREE event will have activities galore for kids of all ages including cooking activities, yoga, sports games, unique demonstrations, guest chefs and nutritional experts. It aims to empower youths to make healthy lifestyle choices and help reverse the growth of childhood obesity and its associated health issues. 

Some of my favorite activities from past years include a vegetarian meal station where local chefs provided recipes and prepare kid friendly vegetarian meals for you and your family to taste. The ever popular obstacle course that lets the kids blow off some steam and of course the chef hat decorating which little B just loved last year. 

Table: A Restaurant Review

It has been months since we have had a date night and it is definitely my doing. It's hard to desire to take your wife out on the town when she spends most of her time flip flopping between getting sick and complaining about the life being sucked out of her. With the worst of the first trimester behind us, a sitter swap and a new restaurant in our sights we decided to venture out for the evening last weekend.

I know I no longer get out much anymore but I must say that Table was amazing. I felt just like I was in a friends cozy kitchen that had been dropped into a modern urban setting. I loved the completely exposed open kitchen.  You literally feel like you are on the set of an amazingly talented chefs cooking show as the line whips up deliciously comforting food steps away from you. It was so inspiring to see how cool, calm and collected the line worked throughout the dinner service. It was almost like dinner theater to me!

The food was absolutely delicious. The Mr and I shared the scallop appetizer, followed by a pork belly and clams dish and the wild boar bolognese and finished up the meal with the pumpkin bread pudding which now of course has me itching to make one of my own. Every bite was superb and while I would go into more detail about the actual items consumed I feel it would just be a tease since the "hyper seasonal" menu is sure to change before you read this post.

One last interesting note is that the menus were all hand written in pencil which will allow them to update as frequently as needed. In theory I love this concept but I found it to be a bit cumbersome in practice. The cursive was difficult to read at times so I found myself asking a lot more questions about items than I would usually have to. I will say that since that night I did go get my eyes checked and maybe that was actually the real issue at hand. 

I would definitely recommend Table as a great place to have your next date night. While I did see one family who was brave enough to bring their toddler aged children in for a meal I would say this one is definitely better left up to the adults.

Amber's Ham Biscuits

Nothing says Christmas like a little ham in my life. Being a VA girl I feel it is in my blood to celebrate the Christmas season with some good ol VA ham biscuits. I know these are not the classic VA salty ham biscuit but they are delicious and a great party food to serve up to your family and friends over the holidays. You can prep them in advance and then pop them in the oven as you run through them at your events. I am sad to say that I burned mine a bit today (a bit of a hostess malfunction) but my guests didn’t seem to mind so that goes to show you just how delicious they truly are.

These biscuits are the perfect addition to any of your holiday parties from a brunch buffet to late night appetizers before watching the ball drop. My only suggestion is that you make plenty because these babies go fast!

Amber’s Ham Biscuits

1 Onion, chopped

½ C butter, melted

2 tbs Dijon mustard

2 tbs Worchestershire sauce

2 tbs poppy seeds

24 party rolls (I use the kings Hawaiian because they are THE BEST)

1 lb ham shaved thin

20 slices of swiss cheese, thinly sliced

Heat the oven to 400. To make your sandwich spread you will sauté onion in butter until tender but not brown. Add mustard, worchestershire sauce and poppy seeds to the onion mixture being sure to mix well. Place spread in the refrigerator to cool. Slice the rolls in half and smear the cooled spread on to each piece of the roll. Top the spread with a slice of cheese and then ham. Since the Kings rolls come in a sheet I slice the entire top half of the sheet of rolls away from the bottom at once. I follow the entire process as if I am making one large sandwich and then fold it back together. Heat the biscuits at 400 for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the rolls are slightly brown. Once the sandwiches are heated I slice them along the edges with a bread knife which quickly cuts them into perfect bite sized pieces! Be sure to serve these warm, they are by far the best when the cheese is gooey and delicious.

Sausage Rolls

Katie here!  Here is a great recipe that I've used for finger food at parties.  The best part is that you can make this in advance and freeze it for later.  This recipe is pretty easy and packs some great flavors.  I found the recipe on Epicurious.com.  If you want to make this in advance freeze the rolls prior to cooking.  Thaw 24 hours prior to cooking in the fridge and then follow portion of recipe below to cook.

1 1/2 lbs pork sausage
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper
1 (17oz) package frozen puff pastry thawed
2 eggs beaten

Preheat oven to 375.  In a large bowl mix together the sausage, basil, oregano, thyme, and salt and pepper (to taste) until all the seasoning are well mixed.

Roll out all the pastry into one large rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick.  Put the wide side of the rectangle to your left.  Form the sausage meat into a log, about 1 inch thick and long enough to fit the width of the pastry.  Lay this log along the whole edge.  Roll the pastry around the sausage, brush the beaten eggs at the join and cut so that the pastry has just enough room to slightly overlap.  Repeat the process with the remaining sausage meat and pastry.  Line up all the sausage rolls making sure the seam on each is at the bottom and not showing.  Brush the tops with the eggs and cut the sausage rolls into either 1 1/2 or 3 inch logs.

Spread about on inch apart on baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until meat is fully cooked and pastry is golden brown.