Summertime…

It is summer in the northern hemisphere and I have really been enjoying it to the absolute fullest.? Eating, hanging out with friends (old and new) and family, traveling and eating some more.? I have picked out some pictures to highlight the first couple of days of our trip to Washington, DC and then to Pittsburgh before we headed to see family for the remaining 2+ weeks. Washington, DC Checking out the dino’s at the Smithsonian Crashing the Smithsonian staff picnic in the National Mall The White House bee keeper’s collecting honey Pittsburgh, PA (The Strip District) Best little donut shop!? Tiny and with little donuts… German Chocolate Favorite spice shop ever! Best sandwiches ever!? White bread, French fries, coleslaw and your choice of meat…very efficient these Pittsburghers! Pastrami somewhere under all of the sides… Greek treats from one of the street vendors.? Delicious!!!! Greek street vendors… Once we left Pittsburgh we headed to Tony’s family to celebrate the 4th of

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Summertime…

Summertime…

It is summer in the northern hemisphere and I have really been enjoying it to the absolute fullest.? Eating, hanging out with friends (old and new) and family, traveling and eating some more.? I have picked out some pictures to highlight the first couple of days of our trip to Washington, DC and then to Pittsburgh before we headed to see family for the remaining 2+ weeks. Washington, DC Checking out the dino’s at the Smithsonian Crashing the Smithsonian staff picnic in the National Mall The White House bee keeper’s collecting honey Pittsburgh, PA (The Strip District) Best little donut shop!? Tiny and with little donuts… German Chocolate Favorite spice shop ever! Best sandwiches ever!? White bread, French fries, coleslaw and your choice of meat…very efficient these Pittsburghers! Pastrami somewhere under all of the sides… Greek treats from one of the street vendors.? Delicious!!!! Greek street vendors… Once we left Pittsburgh we headed

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Summertime…

Planning a Picnic

First select the location.? Parks are great but some museums have areas that allow picnics giving your group something to do afterwards.? No matter where you plan your picnic, ask your guests to bring a blanket and their favorite dish to share.? You provide the music, ice and desert.? This is a great way to enjoy the great outdoors and good friends on a summer afternoon.? ? If you don’t want to do the potluck meal, make up a simple menu and ask each guest to choose what they would rather bring.? Good choices are easy to eat finger foods like sandwiches and roll ups, fried chicken , fruit, cheese, breads, chips, olives, raw veggies and some salads.? Keep it light, cool and easy to eat.? Remember anything with eggs or mayo needs to be kept cold and don’t leave it sitting out for more than an hour or two.? Also, make sure your guest know how many people are expected so they can bring enough of their dish to go around. ? There are a few “Must Haves” for outdoor picnics.? By making a list and making sure these are included, it cuts down on any stress that may arise from these items being left at home.? The items are: An extra blanket just in case someone forgets theirs Different types of music.? You want to try pleasing everyone but nice soothing music seems to fit everyone best. Lighting if you are planning on going on into the late evening or night hours. Plastic or paper dishes, cups and napkins Plastic silverware A real knife for cutting and serving Salt, pepper and sugar Ice Bug spray and citronella candles And don’t forget to bring plastic bags (for cleanup), dish cloths and paper towels. ? Whether you spend the after meal time touring a museum, playing ball at the park or just being lazy, remember the whole event is to have fun and enjoy the people you are with.? So keep it simple and as stress free as possible.

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Planning a Picnic

Shop Cuisinart Griddler – Chef’s Catalog

? Foodbuzz Daily Special The floating hinge makes it easy to adjust this grill for contact or open cooking. Use the flat grill plates as a breakfast griddle or ridged side for grilling or a combination half griddle/half grill. Reverse to the ridged sides for contact or open grilling. Grill/Griddle selector knob and adjustable temperature controls feature a “Ready” indicator light. Features easy slide-out drip tray to collect grease and keep countertop clean. Removable, reversible grill plates, drip tray and scraping tool are dishwasher-safe. Product Features • Sturdy panini-style handle with hinged floating cover adjusts to thickness of food • Panini press/contact grill will grill sandwiches, breads and quesadillas • Flat and ridged plates cook pancakes on one side and sausages on the opposite side, regulated by separate temperature controls and indicator lights • Open flat grill plates cook burgers, steaks, boned poultry, fish or vegetables • Removable, nonstick/grill/griddle plates drain grease for healthy cooking and clean easily • Power “on” light • Attractive brushed stainless-steel and cool-touch housing Includes: • Base with reversible griddle/grill plates • Removable drainage tray • Cleaning and scraping tool • Illustrated instruction book and recipe guide with 19 recipes

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Shop Cuisinart Griddler – Chef’s Catalog

Ricotta Pancakes with Strawberries and Syrup

So I woke up bright and early this morning as seems to be my M.O. lately and pulled some bacon out of the freezer.? My thought was that I would make breakfast sandwiches when everyone woke up.? This was one of those lazy Sunday mornings that I NEVER seem to get and I was just planning on enjoying it.? The girl’s woke up and crawled into bed with us (I was reading and Tony was still sleeping).? Dogs climbed in and it got way too crowded for me so I got up to tackle breakfast… That’s when the plans all changed.? I wanted something fresh and light.? After the requisite 5 minutes of standing in front of my fridge wondering what to do (I know you do it too…), my plan came to me! Light and Fluffy Ricotta Pancakes with Strawberries and Strawberry Syrup (adapted recipe from the kitchn) Fluffy Ricotta Pancakes makes 8 1 cup ricotta cheese 3/4 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar pinch salt 3/4 cup milk 3 eggs, divided 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Set ricotta in a fine mesh strainer about 30 minutes before you start cooking, to drain off excess liquid. We used fresh ricotta from Whole Foods that was pretty dry. If you are using a commercial brand that’s runny, you may want to drain it longer (or make your own ). Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Combine ricotta, milk, egg yolks, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Beat the egg whites in an electric mixer until stiff. Add the dry ingredients to the ricotta and milk mixture, stirring gently until just combined. Whisk in a small amount of the egg whites to lighten the batter, then fold in the remaining whites. Heat a griddle over medium-high heat, and brush the surface with butter. Use a ladle or measuring scoop (we used a 1/3 cup measure) to pour batter onto the griddle. Cook pancakes for about 3 or 4 minutes, then flip, cooking until both sides are golden brown. Changes I made:? Less sugar. I was making syrup and strawberries for these so I reduced the sugar to 1 1/2 tsp. Did not brush the griddle with butter.? I cooked them without any oil or fat and they turned out beautifully. For the topping all I did was slice up some strawberries and add some sugar to them and let them sit.? How much sugar?? Not sure so just do it to taste (if you want them sweeter add more…). The syrup I “made” was just a jar of Smucker’s Simply Fruit Seedless Strawberry micro waved for about 40 seconds until it was a syrup like consistency! ***The pancakes on their own are 6 Weight Watchers points add your topping to it and total it out for a total point value. You may have noticed that it’s been a long while since I last posted.? I am really working hard to change this!? I spent an incredibly busy month doing things for BMX.? We travelled one weekend out of the past month but had another weekend of clinics and then the State Championship in which Kyra is now ranked 8th for 9 year old rookies in the state of FL .? I was just totally uninspired in my cooking through all of this and really didn’t think you would want to see the sandwiches that we were sometimes forced to eat

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Ricotta Pancakes with Strawberries and Syrup

Left Over Pork Roast

What do you do with leftover pork roast? I usually slice mine and make a sandwich using rye bread, mayonnaise, mustard, pickle slices and lettuce. Then it hit me. I use the same ingredients in my chicken salad so why not make pork salad. So I did and it’s great and very time saving. Everything but the lettuce and bread is already blended so there is no need to pull out the mayo, mustard and pickles. Just spread it on your bread and add the lettuce.

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Left Over Pork Roast

Horseradish Sauce

I love a beef, pork or chicken sandwich with Horseradish Sauce and every time I go to Arby’s I pick up a couple extra packs of their sauce to go with my sandwiches at home. I know, that isn’t nice but over the years I bet I’ve bought at least 10 different brands of Horseradish Sauce and still haven’t found one that I really like. Some are too sweet, some are too hot, some are not hot enough and some have a strong lemon taste. This recipe came out perfect for my taste with the perfect heat and flavor. (If using 1/4 cup of horseradish is too much heat for your taste, cut down on the amount. And of course, if

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Horseradish Sauce

Grown Up Grilled Cheese and My Favorite Tomato Soup

Isn’t there just something so comforting about soup and sandwiches? It can be as simple as you want it to be, or you can make it a little extra special just by changing things up a bit. I didn’t grow up on grilled cheese and tomato soup like most people, I actually acquired a taste for tomato soup as an adult. I would always buy it pre-made and spruce it up a bit with dried spices and Parmesan cheese…until about a year ago when I watched an episode of the Martha Stewart show where Katherine Heigl cooked up a pot of her favorite tomato soup . I was so excited about this soup that I made it that same day (or it might have been the next day…). I fell in love with its simplicity, it’s exactly what I think tomato soup should be, healthy and delicious. There is no cream in this recipe, however…it does obtain a cream-like texture after its been blended (I highly recommend using an immersion blender). I substitute a little bit of olive oil for the butter and I like to add freshly torn basil leaves to the soup when it’s almost ready to serve. This soup is awesome. Click here for the recipe . My favorite tomato soup went perfectly with an upgraded grilled cheese sandwich that was inspired by Ellie Krieger’s Sweet and Spicy Grilled Cheese . I didn’t have the exact ingredients to make Ellie’s sandwiches so I improvised and made them with what I had in the fridge. They turned out great and I will definitely be making these again. For those of you watching your calories (like I am), a good trick when making these is to use freshly shredded cheese…it melts so much better and in my opinion you don’t have to use as much. Also, by adding the extras (onions and jalapenos) you won’t miss a little less cheese…so it’s all good! Grown Up Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Recipe from Aggie’s Kitchen sliced whole wheat bread block mild cheddar cheese, shredded fresh jalapenos, seeded and sliced red onion, sliced thin salt and pepper to taste butter (I like Smart Balance) cooking spray In a warm skillet coated with cooking spray, add sliced onions and cook over medium heat until they start to soften, about 10 minutes. Add sliced jalapenos and continue

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Grown Up Grilled Cheese and My Favorite Tomato Soup

Sliders

Sliders So many restaurants are offering “sliders” instead of full sized sandwiches and burgers. I’ve found them to be the perfect size for kids as well as myself. I even bought a “slider cooker” for hamburgers. But I have run across 1 problem when it comes to making my slider burgers… bread. I have a terrible time finding the perfect size rolls for my mini burgers. The burgers themselves are too small for most dinner rolls that I found in the deli ending up with a lot of bread with each bite. Finally I’ve found the solution. Hot dog buns ! One hot dog bun cut into thirds is the perfect size for slider burgers. They are also perfect for slider sandwiches. For my sandwiches I spray my “slider cooker” with non-stick spray, put the bottoms of my hot dog bun into each slot, add my cheese, top it with the hot dog top, put the cooker’s press top on and cook on low until the cheese melts. Perfect size slider sandwiches. So, if you’re into sliders, try using hot dog buns cut into thirds.

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Sliders

Harissa Steak Sandwich

I really don’t cook much. (This is Larry, Aggie’s husband, by the way.) And when I say I don’t cook much, I should probably say I never really ever cook. Sure, I can bust out some fried egg and cheese sandwiches with the best of them, and “Daddy’s Pasta” made with only the finest butter, salt, and pepper is one of our kids’ favorite meals (or at least top 5). But when it comes down to it, I sadly have to admit that Aggie does pretty much 99% of the cooking in our house. So when Aggie asked me if I ever wanted to be a guest blogger on aggieskitchen.com, I said “Oh yeah definitely”. Pretty much the same “Oh yeah definitely” response she …

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Harissa Steak Sandwich

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