Elderberry & Rose Hip Syrup

About two years ago, I was browsing through the Holistic Moms Network national loop (a group that I’m a member of) and I saw a post about “What are you doing to help keep your family healthy during the cold and flu season.”  I was intrigued by the topic and wanted to see what some of the other moms were doing.  Reading through all of the posts, Elderberry Syrup kept popping up.  Everyone seemed to be raving about it.  So, I had to find out more and do a little research of my own.

"European elder is a plant native to Europe, Northern Africa, and Western-and Central Asia. Its flowers and berries have a long history of use in traditional European medicine. Elder berries have also been used for making preserves, wines, winter cordials, and for adding flavor and color to other wines. Native Americans used the flowers, berries, and bark of elderberry trees to treat fevers and joint pain for hundreds of years, but elderberry's real claim to fame is as a cure for the flu. Israeli researchers have developed five formulas based on elderberry fruit that have been clinically proven to prevent and ameliorate all kinds of influenza." – Mountain Rose Herbs

A friend of ours that works at our local natural foods co-op also told us about Elderberry Syrup and said it is fabulous stuff.  He shared that it boosts the immune system and decreases the length and severity of cold and flu symptoms. 

For my family, it’s important to do everything we can to boost our immune system, especially during cold and flu season.  After learning more about Elderberry Syrup, I was sold.  Besides the immune boosting properties, elderberries are high in vitamin A, C, and bioflavonoids.  Elderberry syrup is a staple in our house and we take it daily as a preventative. 

There are so many different versions of Elderberry Syrup – many of them are loaded with sugar.  Refined sugars are not welcome in our home; we choose local raw honey instead.  I add rose hips to my recipe to add an extra punch of vitamin C and sweet flavor, cloves and cinnamon for their medicinal and warming properties, and ginger, which is especially beneficial for fevers, flu and colds.  I also take extra care not to heat the raw honey.  I add it after cooling the syrup in an ice bath.  This helps add potency to the syrup by allowing the raw honey to retain its nutrients.  Raw honey is naturally antibacterial, antiseptic, antifungal and a natural antibiotic. 

I hope you enjoy my version of Elderberry Syrup! 

Be well.

Elderberry & Rose Hip Syrup

This syrup is sweet and scrumptious.  Great to have on hand before school is back in session and also as cold and flu season approaches. 

• ½ cup dried elderberries
• ½ cup dried rose hips
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon chips
• 6 dried whole cloves
• 1 inch chunk fresh ginger, peeled, grated/minced
• 2 ½ cups filtered water
• ½-1 cup raw honey*, preferably local or biodynamic

• Water – cold tap water is fine here, it is not used in the syrup
• Handful of ice

1.     In a medium-size saucepan, add elderberries, rose hips, cinnamon chips, cloves, ginger and water.  Cover with lid, bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for 45 minutes.

2.    Remove pan from stove, strain and mash through fine mesh strainer into a glass 1 quart measuring cup, small bowl or Mason jar. 

3.    Fill small bowl with a handful of ice and cold tap water (fill only halfway).  Place measuring cup into ice bath.  Let syrup cool in the ice bath about 15 minutes or until cooled.

4.    Remove cooled syrup from ice bath. 

5.     Add raw honey to a standard Mason jar.  Pour syrup into Mason jar.

6.    Stir honey and syrup together until they combine.  If the honey does not dissolve right away, let it sit at room temperature for a bit, then stir again. 

7.     Place lid on jar and store in the refrigerator.

* I use ½ cup of local raw creamed clover honey.

Yield: Makes about 2 cups syrup.

Dosage: 1-3 tablespoons daily as a preventative. Consume more with illness.

Storage: 2 months in the refrigerator, but if you’re taking it as a preventative daily, it will not last that long.

Notes: This recipe can be divided in half to make a smaller batch.  If you prefer a thicker, sweeter consistency, use 1 cup of raw honey.  


Can't find bulk herbs locally?  My favorite source for bulk herbs is Mountain Rose Herbs {*Affiliate link included helps support my blog}. 

Tip:  To “peel” ginger, scrape ginger “skin” off with a spoon.  The skin will come off very easily.  

Get Creative: Serve it on gluten free pancakes, drizzle it over vanilla ice cream, or stir into your favorite herbal tea.  How will you use it?

*Mountain Rose Herbs link is an affiliate link, prices are the same for you.  Should you decide to purchase through my blog, thank you in advance and much gratitude for supporting Recipes to Nourish.

Disclaimer: ALL information you read on Recipes to Nourish is purely for informational and educational purposes only.  I love to share and share with love, but I am not a health care practitioner.  This information is not intended to treat, cure or prevent any disease.  If you have questions about food, diet, nutrition, natural remedies or holistic health, please do your own research and consult with your health care practitioner. 

This post is part of Handmade Christmas Gift Carnival @ The Nourishing Gourmet.

Coming Soon: Almost a Swordfish Recipe

Tomorrow we'll be doing a little experiment involving this incredibly delicious swordfish preparation. I didn't film the making of the dish, but when I went to serve it, I decided it was too good not to share, so the plating was captured in all it's brief, but beautiful glory. Will I still be able to "teach" you the recipe? Stay tuned!

Buffalo Burgers w/ Garlic & Herbs

Buffalo Burgers topped with Lacto-fermented Kimchi and carrots.

Grass-fed ground buffalo is awesome.  It’s a nice change from grass-fed beef.  Buffalo has more iron and vitamin B-12 than grass-fed beef.  It is also higher in protein and lower in fat.  It’s a great source of vitamin E, Omega-3 fatty acids and is rich in CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). 

Buffalo Burgers w/ Garlic & Herbs

The fresh herbs really shine through in these flavorful burgers. They are simply delicious!

·      1 pound ground grass-fed buffalo

·      1 clove fresh garlic, grated or minced

·      ½ sprig fresh rosemary, remove stem, finely chop leaves

·      2 teaspoons dried thyme (or fresh if you have it)

·      1 teaspoon fresh basil, finely chopped (optional)

·      1 teaspoon fresh lemon verbena leaves, finely chopped (optional)

·      2 teaspoons chili powder

·      ¼ teaspoon unrefined Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

·      ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

·      1-2 tablespoons pasture butter, ghee or fat of choice (See Resources)

1.     Remove meat from refrigerator, let sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes. 

2.    Place meat in a medium-size mixing bowl.  Add garlic, herbs, chili powder, sea salt and pepper.  Use one hand to combine just until ingredients are mixed.

3.    Melt pasture butter in pan on stovetop over medium heat.

4.    Grab small portion, roll into ball in hands, and flatten into patty shape.

5.     Place 4-6 burgers (depending on size) in preheated pan.  Cook 2-4 minutes per side (depending on how rare you like your burgers).  Do not overcook the burgers; they will continue to cook after you remove them from the pan. 

6.    Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Ideas for Garnishes:

·               Raw cheddar

·               Lacto-fermented Kimchi

·               Sliced avocado

·               Homemade ketchup

·               Spicy mustard or Dijon mustard

·               Homemade guacamole

·               Dark leaf lettuce

·               Sliced tomatoes

·               Caramelized onions

Yield: Varies, about 6-8 burgers.  We make a bunch of mini burgers because my little love prefers them.  

Note: You can really use any herbs you like.  I just happen to have these herbs growing in my garden. 

Easy Oven Fried Chicken....

Crispy, Easy, Oven Fried Chicken

Easy Oven Fried Chicken

When was the last time you sank your teeth down into a juicy, golden, crispy piece of oven fried chicken??

Well we've been doing that a lot around my house and I think we have officially given fried chicken the boot!

Don't get me wrong now I do love some southern fried chicken but I hate working with hot grease, the time it takes from start to finish and the smell of my kitchen afterwards.  That is why I'd only make it a few times a year.

My husband actually prefers oven fried over deep fried. He says he likes that it doesn't have that greasiness to it,  it's moister and that he doesn't have to go to work with his clothes smelling like a grandma's house for a week. LOL

Double breaded and ready for oven frying!!

I've played around with a few oven-fried chicken recipes and this one (a combination of my grandmothers and my regular fried chicken recipe) seems to be the one I'm sticking to for now. It fries so beautifully in the oven and never fails to get golden and crisp. I also like that it doesn't make the kitchen smokey like some oven fried chicken recipes have.

It's seasoned perfectly and smells soooo good when it's cooking. I hope that you and your fam will enjoy this recipe as much as we do!!

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs chicken, cut up

2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon  onion powder
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2-3 dashes hot sauce (optional)

1 cup all- purpose flour

2-3 Tablespoons butter (melted)
2 Tablespoons  olive oil

Watch me make this easy oven fried chicken from start to finish!

Figgy Friday! Burrata Bruschetta with Grilled Figs

My friends at Goodbite featured this lovely grilled figs and burrata cheese video today, and since I've been seeing lots of fresh figs at the market I thought I'd re-post it. If you haven't seen it before, I hope you enjoy. If you've seen it, but didn't get around to trying it, then consider this a friendly reminder that you really, really should!


The original post from last August follows:

If you watch as much food television as I do, you hear the adjective "sexy" thrown around quite a bit, and more often than not, it just doesn't fit. No matter how nice a bowl of chili looks, or how beautifully a game hen glistens, they're not really "sexy."

This burrata bruschetta with grilled figs on the other hand? Totally "sexy!" If there were such a thing as word association flash cards of food, the most common result for this one would be "sexy." Okay, I'm going to stop using those quotation marks now.

Above and beyond how awesome this recipe tastes, it's so nice to be able to post such an aesthetically pleasing dish after the recent string of homely food. I appreciate all the nice comments about the sausage and zucchini stew, but if that thing was a blind date, it would have been described as, "having a nice personality."

Depending on the location, I can't guarantee you'll be able to find burrata and fresh black mission figs, but if you can, you really need to give this a try. I know someone will ask, so I'll tell you right now, there really isn't a great substitute for this heavenly cheese.

A very fresh mozzarella would be the closest, but it would still be like substituting for Beyonce with Wanda Sykes. That's no insult to Wanda Sykes (she has a great personality), but in the sexy department, Mrs. Jay-Z is in a whole other league, and so is this burrata and grilled fig bruschetta. Enjoy!




Ingredients:
burrata cheese
fresh figs
Italian bread
balsamic vinaigrette (1 part vinegar to 1 part extra virgin olive oil - shaken vigorously)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Please Nominate Chef John for a 2012 Tasty Award!

Yes, it's that time again! The Tasty Awards are an annual awards show celebrating the best in food and fashion programs on TV, in film, and online. Last year, we won the award for "Best Home Chef in a Series," and would love to defend the title this year.

If you'd like to help with the nomination, please follow this link and cast your vote. The two categories we qualify in are "Best Food Program - Web" and "Home Chef in a Series." Thank you for the support!

Sandy Beans! Getting Our Grit On with Crispy Parmesan Breadcrumb Coated Beans

We all know our food has to look and taste good, but one of the more overlooked aspects in cooking is texture. This sandy beans recipe is a great example. Sure, a nice bowl of white beans warmed in garlic oil and topped with parsley is a fine thing, but texturally…kind of a snoozer.

Here we're coating the beans with a crispy, cheesy, pleasantly gritty breadcrumb mixture. That's right; less yawn, more fawn. This was inspired by a similar trick I like to use for finishing pastas, and if there's one thing I know about people (maybe the only thing), it's they like crispy and crunchy toppings.

At the beginning of the recipe you'll hear me mention a garlic-infused oil. I will demo this in a future video, but in case you're wondering, here's what I did. Take a 1/4 cup of olive oil and place it on low heat. Add a sliced garlic clove. As soon as the garlic starts to bubble slightly, turn off the heat and let the oil cool to room temp. Do not brown the garlic. Strain this oil and voilà, you have garlic oil.

One quest that never ends for a cook is the search for ways to make common side dishes seem a little more special, and this is one trick I hope you try soon. Enjoy! 

Food Safety Note: One of our concerned viewers reminded me to point out that there is a botulism concern when dealing with garlic stored in oil. So you don't worry needlessly, out of 300,000 Americans, there are only about 25 cases of botulism per year with very few cases resulting from stored garlic. But better safe than sorry, so it's recommended that you store any leftover garlic oil in the fridge and use within 10 days.

Ingredients:

For the crumbs:

1/4 cup garlic olive oil

3/4 to 1 cup breadcrumbs (depends how "dry" you want your "sand")

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

For the beans:

1 can white beans, drained, rinsed

1 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

salt to taste

cayenne to taste

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Roses In Ice....so simple...so elegant

Fresh Roses Captured In Ice

Fresh Floral Ice Cubes

Pretty, little, dainty flowers suspended in ice.  I just love how feminine these fresh flower ice cubes look and they are so easy and cheap to make. They instantly add that special touch to your garden wedding, baby shower, tea party, or romantic dinner.

The purer the water the clearer the ice will be.
I used boiled tap when I should have used boiled distilled.
Live and learn!

When making these floral ice cubes be sure to use only organic, edible flowers. Although your guest probably won't be munching on the flowers (it's mainly for show) you still want to make sure they are safe. The last thing you want to do is poison your guest or make pesticide-laced ice cubes.

Small blooms work best for making decorative, floral ice cubes

You can also use berries, herbs, or fruits. I love how slices of lemon, lime and oranges look suspened in ice. So spa-ish! Strawberries and mint leaves also looks great.

Fresh, floral ice cubes adds instant elegance to any drink

A list of common edible flowers/herbs are:
chamomile
roses
pansies
lavender
begonias
Marigolds
Carnations
Day Lilies
Borage
Mint
Jasmine
Honeysuckle
Lilac


INGREDIENTS
Distilled Water
Edible, Pesticide-free flowers, plants, herbs or fruit

Let's make these Fresh Floral Ice Cubes From Start to Finish!

Beautiful Breast of Lamb with Honey Parsley Vinegar Sauce - Hey, My Eyes are Up Here!

You know I love lamb, as evidenced by the various chops, shanks, legs, and shoulders I've featured in the past. These are among the most popular meat recipes on the blog, so it seems many share my love. Here we have a brand new cut to celebrate, the lamb breast.

This is not common in your regular supermarkets. There's an inverse relationship between the size of the parking lot, and the chances you'll find breast of lamb in the meat case. However, a visit to a real butcher (look for lots of tats and facial hair) should be rewarded with some slabs of this bony, fatty, but richly flavored meat.

Since I hadn't cooked this in ages, I decided to play it safe, and use a time-tested Mediterranean-inspired spice rub, and it could not have worked more perfectly. The exotic spices made the rich meat seem even more decadent, all of which was nicely balanced by the vinegar sauce's astringency.

A bright green chimichurri sauce on a well-marbled piece of meat is one of the best things ever, and this dish definitely borrows from that playbook. It's not like you'd want to eat a spoon of the condiment right out of the bowl, but slathered over the glistening meat, it's a thing of beauty.

I hope that if you are a fan of lamb, and you haven't tried lamb breast yet, that you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 pieces lamb breast, about 3 1/2 pounds

For the spice rub:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs seasoning (dried rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano blend)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon paprika

For the sauce: (note - this is all "to taste")

1/2 cup packed chopped Italian parsley

2 cloves crushed garlic

1/3 cup white wine vinegar, more as needed

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 or 2 teaspoon honey

juice from 1 lemon

pinch of salt

View the complete recipe

Coming Soon: Beautiful Breast of Lamb

North South East West Carolina-Style Barbecue Sauce

The only thing I know for sure about Carolina-style barbecue sauce is that there isn't one. The base is usually always vinegar and pepper, but then depending on which part of the state(s) you're dealing with, there are countless additions and variations.

This one features fresh apple to add a little extra something, but otherwise it's a fairly straightforward, totally in-your-face with tang and heat barbecue sauce recipe. It was fantastic on a molasses-brined pork chop that you'll see in an upcoming video.

One note for those of you that pay particularly close attention to these videos; you may wonder why I mash the cooked apples in the saucepan, when I'm going to put the sauce in the blender anyway. Extreme sauce ugliness, that's why.

I was originally going to leave the sauce unblended, with the hopes the apple would basically disintegrate into the sauce, but when I stirred in the mustard the sauce suddenly looked like the opposite of something you'd want to eat.

Happily a quick trip to the blender made everything okay again, and I was blessed with a superb summer grilling sauce. It's beautiful for basting, or as a can't-miss condiment. It was really nice on these chops, but I think it shines brightest with pulled pork. I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 apple, peeled, cubed

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

View the complete recipe

Relaxation Through Deflation

Maybe it's just me, but I find time-lapse video of cooling, deflating blueberry clafouti quite calming. If you're feeling a little stressed, watch this video and see if it doesn't relax you. Enjoy!

Squash+Zucchini+Tomatoes=Trio of Perfect Flavors

Flavorful Squash & Zucchini

Summer squash and zucchini

Sautéed squash and zucchini is one of my favorite side dishes for the summer. It's quick, easy, light, flavorful and goes so great with grilled meats. Not to mention there is something elegant about sauteed squash and zucchini.

I've become totally spoiled by the farmers market when it comes to purchasing produce but they had squash and zucchini on sale at Harris Teeter this week.  I can't resist a sale so I got about 10 of each. Cheesy squash casserole and sweet, moist zucchini bread is in my future.

The onions and garlic in this dish really add a nice layer of flavor. That Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese adds the bang factor and the fresh tomatoes cools is all down for one delicious dish!

Perfectly cooked!

What are you waiting on, go grill up some fish or chicken and prepare this flavorful sautéed squash and zucchini on side!

NOTE: DO NOT OVERCOOK!!!  The squash and zucchini should be tender but firm to the bite. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the squash and zucchini. I think I did mine between 4-6 minutes. Just keep checking it. Remember we want tender, yet firm to the bite. 

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 white onion, diced
1 zucchini
1 squash
1 Roma tomato, chopped


1/4 teaspoon salt (or season to preference)
1/8 teaspoon pepper (or season to preference
parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or season to preference)

Watch me make this flavorful sauteed squash and zucchini from start to finish!

Fried Peanut Butter & Jelly Pinchy Pies – One Chef's White Trash is Another's White Treasure

I was doing some research on shrimp toast for an upcoming video, and I became obsessed with the thought of frying things on white bread, which led to being obsessed with the thought of frying things in white bread. These fried peanut butter and jelly pinchy pies are the result.

The technique was ridiculously easy, but naming these delicious discs was another thing altogether. They aren't cakes, donuts, or fritters; so I was sort of stumped on what to call them. I decided to make up something completely new (or at least Google says so), and the pinchy pie was born.

As I mention in the video, the possibilities are endless as far as stuffings go, so I can see this really catching on. I think I'm actually going to trademark the name, and maybe hit the state fair tour. These would totally fly out of any Ferris wheel-adjacent food stand.

Regarding the title: While frying stuffed Wonder Bread is about as stereotypically "white trash" as it gets, I don't like or condone the use of that term. I only used it here because I couldn't think of anything as clever. Enjoy!

View the complete recipe

Spreading the Homemade Mayonnaise Love

A beautiful homemade mayonaisse from
In Jennie's Kitchen! Photo (c) Jennifer Perillo

My friend and future partner in crime (if this food blogging thing doesn't work out, we're going to rob a bank together), Jennifer Perillo, just posted a homemade mayonnaise recipe on her blog, In Jennie's Kitchen, and was kind enough to credit me with the stick blender technique described therein.

I didn't invent this great trick, but since I don't remember who did, I really have no choice but to continue taking full credit. This video is so old, there's a good chance you've not seen it before, and if that's the case, and you have a stick blender, you'll want to give this a try so you can cross "homemade mayo" off your culinary bucket list. Enjoy!

Click here for the original post with ingredients amounts.

Fennel-Smoked Salmon – Over the Top Was Not Over the Top

As I was eating this fennel-smoked salmon recipe, I was also enjoying a baseball game on the radio. During a critical point in the game, one of the players was thrown out trying to take an extra base; a major blunder, which the announcer blamed on, "trying to do too much." I had to chuckle, since I had just done the same thing with the salmon.

We've done a hot-smoked salmon video before, using a simple foil tray to hold and protect the fish, but his time I wanted something more aromatic and edible. It worked like a charm. This was one perfectly cooked piece of salmon.

As I say in the video, had I just served the fish over the simple, yet wonderful tomato salad, I would have had a winner, but I tried to do too much. I thought adding the smoky, caramelized remnants of the fennel would elevate the dish to even more epic levels, but that did not happen.

The fennel was tough and stringy, and after a couple bites it was pushed aside so I could concentrate on how great the rest of the plate was. Not only did the heat seem to toughen the vegetable, but also the fact I'd sliced it with the grain made things even worse. In hindsight, the grilled fennel should have been discarded and some fresh, raw fennel should have been shaved into the salad.

I hope you give this a try, especially if you have problems with salmon sticking to your grill grates. Since the fish never touches the grill here, it's easy on, easy off. Just this feature alone makes the technique worthwhile. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 salmon filets

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 fennel bulb (aka root, although I don't believe it's actually a root)

cold water plus a teaspoon of vinegar

For the salad:

1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

pinch of sugar

juice from 1 lemon

3 tablespoons olive oil

fennel tops for garnish

View the complete recipe

What's In My Picnic Basket?

This rare fall-like weather beckoned for an evening family picnic at the park today! I love spur of the moment picnics. They're always the best!! Whether you are making your own food or stopping to get some subs or chicken, check out my list below for some tips!

Here is my 5-Point Picnic Checklist for a wonderful picnic in the park. 

1.) Bug Control
Pesky flies & bees can ruin a family picnic. Pack some bug repellent to keep them at bay.

2.) Clean Up Supplies
Always take a trash bag just in case you may need it. Hand sanitizer, wet wipes and damp washcloths (packed in a ziplock baggy) will probably come in handy.


3.) Picnic Basket & Blanket/Tablecloth
Choose a roomy, cooler picnic basket that will keep all of your items cold. Add ice packs if needed.  Pack a picnic blanket that has a waterproof backing and stakes on the  four corners to stake it into the ground. You may want to bring a tablecloth if you are eating on the picnic tables at the park.

4.) Food & Eating Supplies
I prefer to stick with easy, finger foods like wraps, chips, etc. They're easy to eat and cut down on the ned for utensils.  Keep it simple.

5.) Safety
Safety first. Always. Hopefully a first aid kit won't be needed on your picnic but it's better to have one handy for common outdoor accidents like bug bites, sting, cuts, & scrapes. In my first aid kit I pack band-aid, cortisone cream, antibiotic ointment, allergy meds, pain relievers, epi-pen, etc.


I'm using the metro basket by picnic time. You can buy them at Target  for $32.49 but I got it from the Ebay store Ebags for only $25 (including shipping) Gosh I love a discount!!!

Check out my video to see what I have packed in my picnic basket!

What do you take on your picnics???

Barbecued Peaches Because You Have Ten Minutes

You've just finished grilling extra-thick pork chops, and like any good cook you're letting them rest. Not wanting to waste a nice smoky bed of still-hot coals, you take some ripe, juicy peaches, slather them in barbecue sauce, and grill them until just heated through. You serve them next to the pork, and while you eat, your guests shower you with praise, warming you like the mid-July sun.

I used Michele's SFQ barbecue sauce for this, but your favorite brand or recipe should work, especially ones that have a little spicy kick to them. Enjoy! 

View the complete recipe

I'm Hot to Tot

Photo (c) Average Betty

How good is my potato tot recipe? It was just chosen by Sara, from Average Betty, as her favorite in a "Tot-O-Rama" taste test, alongside versions from Chefs Michael Symon and Mark Zeitouni. But that's not the impressive part…this all happened despite the fact I don't actually have a 'tater tot recipe. Take that, chefs that cook things first!

Apparently AB was so taken by my crispy onion ring recipe (posted below in case you missed what may be my best recipe of all time), that she virtually included me in her Tot-O-Rama using a coating inspired by our ultra-crispy rings. She was right about one thing; I will be giving this tasty-looking tot a try in a future post!

Thanks to Sara for sharing her great "Tot-O-Rama" video, and be sure to follow this link to read the entire post. Enjoy!

Our Crispy Onion Rings Recipe (click here for recipe)

Summer Cooking Tips

Beating The Heat Of Summer Cooking

Many of us are starting to feel it. That hot summer sun that has a tendency to completely drain you. It's been hot AND humid here. I'm talking about the kind of dry heat that feels like it's taking your breath away the minute you step foot outside.

I won't lie, I'm totally LAZY in the summer and cooking is the first thing that gets cut down drastically.  I can't even tell you how many times this month this conversation has been had in my house:

Husband:  Are you cooking dinner tonight?
Me: No.

Luckily I'm married to a man that has no problem at all fixing himself a sandwich or bowl of cereal, but I know in the back of his mind he was probably hoping and praying that I snap out of it. Well I did finally snap out it.

Needless to say I now have a very happy hubby and a toddler who is thrilled that family dinner time is back in full-effect. I did miss it.

Here are a few tips that I'm using to make summer cooking a breeze.

1.) Plan a weekly menu

I usually follow this rule religiously to help make grocery shopping easier but I really slack in the summer.  When making your list take advantage of the array of fruits and veggies that in season and on sale. Make dishes that can be served cold like pasta salads. Plan simple meals that are quick to prepare. I usually avoid things like lasagna, soups or anything that will require me to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

Here was my dinner menu for this past week. Super simple and I didn't spend more than 45 minute per meal.

Monday- Grilled Tilapia, Yellow Rice, Cucumber Salad
Tuesday- Homemade Individual Veggie Pizzas, Grilled Corn on the cob
Wednesday- Steak Tacos (steak cooked in slow cooker), black beans, corn on the cob
Thursday-Pizza Hut Pasta & breadsticks
Friday- Grilled Chicken & Veggie Kabobs, White Rice

2.) Use the mornings & nights 
It's normally cooler early in the mornings and at night. Use these cooler times of the day to prepare meals or to just chop up ingredients. I LOVE cooking/prepping at night for some reason. I open the door and windows and that cool air just blows in. I love the sounds of the crickets and frogs. When I cook at night it just feels a lot calmer. I prepared an easy turkey lasagna and garlic bread on Wednesday night and froze it in individual servings. This will be lunch for next week because I know we are all tired of sandwiches.



3.) Pull out the crock pot, microwave, toaster ovens etc.
Now is the time you will be thanking yourself for purchasing these items that you probably always forget to use. I swear by my crock pot. I seriously LOVE it....like...love it like a person. There is nothing as satisfying then throwing some ingredients in a pot, turning it on low and coming home 8 hours later to a hot, home cooked meal.  Seriously, who invented this thing???? I also use my microwave a lot. I use it to steam veggies, heat up food, fry bacon, etc. Don't know where I'd be without it. These items do not put off a lot of heat compared to turning on the oven or stovetop so find recipes that utilize them.




4.) Grill it
The grill is a summer staple and for some it's a year 'round thing. The beauty of grilling foods, beside those sexy ass grill marks and fabulous taste, is that all the heat stays outside instead of in your kitchen. Almost anything can be prepared on the grill. I plan on getting pretty creative with the grill this season. I'm not really a "grill girl" because that's my hubby's domain, but I've got quiet a few recipes I'm ready to try out like grilled pancakes and peach glazed chicken.





5.) Crank up the air
I know a lot of energy-saving, green folks will frown upon this, but if you've ever been in the company of a hot woman in the kitchen... it's not a good thing. If I'm hot while I'm cooking I become evil and cranky at the drop of a dime.  If you choose not to turn up the air then place a small oscillating fan directly on you to help cool you off and while you're at it pour yourself an ice cold drink.





I hope these tips help! If all else fails find a cooking buddy and take turns cooking dinner during the week. My sister-in-law and I use to do this a few years ago and it was AMAZING only having to worry about dinner twice a week. Hmmm....I think I will start that up again. Jenny are you ready????

How do you stay sane in the kitchen during the hot months??