The Perfect Picnic

It's Memorial Day weekend, which means BBQs and picnics galore! Reader Kiasa emailed asking me for some picnic ideas, specifically:
- Not-so-typical sandwiches
- Salads sans mayo
- Desserts that travel well


Here are a few of my ideas...and please leave a comment with your own ideas! If you have specific recipes for the above, that would be great, but I'm sure Kiasa (and everyone else) would love any great picnic ideas you might have!

My ideas are yummy yummy, but I'm also suggesting things that are easy to prep and carry. I'm all about EASY.

NOT-SO-TYPICAL SANDWICHES
- Caprese Sandwich: Slice a baguette, sprinkle with a bit of olive oil (not too much so you don't get soggy). Top with sliced fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, sliced tomatoes, salt & pepper.
- Turkey Boursin Baguette: Slice a baguette, spread with Boursin cheese, top with sliced pepper turkey and leaf of romaine lettuce (or spinach for more vitamin punch)

SALAD SANS MAYO
- Alfredo Tortellini Salad: My friend made this for an outdoor party once and it was AWESOME. She used jarred Alfredo sauce from Trader Joe's, cheese tortellini (cook & drain), sliced and cooked zucchini, mushrooms and onions. Mix all together and serve cold. You could throw in whatever vegetables you like!

DESSERTS THAT TRAVEL WELL
- Chocolate Oatmeal Coconut Cookies: I know, cookies don't seem all that inspired, however these cookies are AMAZING and cookies travel well, so it fits the bill!


If I were packing this picnic today (I wish I was!), I'd also throw in a bag of chips and some Hansen's sodas and call it a day.

Time for your Perfect Picnic ideas!

Week 61 Menu & Happy Easter!

We just finished a WONDERFUL day. I won't bore you with details, but it was perfect in so many ways and I feel abundantly blessed. Happy Easter!


I have dirty laundry to clean, empty boxes to fill, moving trucks to reserve, farewells to make to good, dear friends...cooking is honestly the last thing on my mind (let alone finding time for food shopping). I'm just planning on using up food in the freezer this week. I still can't believe we're moving. Wow.

MONDAY:
- Eating at our friends' new home!

TUESDAY:
- Easter leftovers

WEDNESDAY:
- Chicken Cordon Bleu (in the freezer)
- Rice
- Salad

THURSDAY:
- Chicken Masala (simmer sauce from TJs, with garbanzo beans added)
- Rice

FRIDAY:
- Goodbye party thrown by friends

SATURDAY:
- Goodbye party with Book Club

SUNDAY:
- ????

Now PLEASE post some real menus. :)

For you San Diegans out there...while I have your ever so rapt attention - and since it's my blog and I can do what I want - if you want a decent, used car, buy ours! :) Click here for info.

Easter Plans

What a neglectful food blogger I've been! Easter is a mere 2 days away and I've barely breathed a word about it. And, to be honest, I still have no idea what we're doing for our Easter menu on Sunday...that's what the last minute is for, right? :)

Since I'm not providing any helpful information, I'll guide you to my menu from last year (click!). And, if you haven't already posted your Easter feast plans on this week's Menu (which many of you have - thank you!), please leave a comment on this post telling us what you'll be cooking and/or eating on Sunday! Again, I'm relying on YOU for the inspiration. And please share recipes if you have them!

Now, have a Cadbury Mini Egg on me!


Wait! I just remembered...I want to share a quick recipe with you. Reader Michelle posted this last year for Easter - SUPER EASY, SUPER DELISH. There, I feel like I've done my job. :)

CREAMY HOLIDAY POTATOES
From TWFD reader Michelle
If you are looking for a yummy potato recipe, we have one we use for holidays that is divine. Buy frozen, shredded hash brown potatoes, put a layer in a baking dish, sprinkle salt over the potatoes, continue layering potatoes and salt until dish is 3/4 full. Pour heavy cream over all until potatoes are not quite covered. Bake at about 300 degrees for several hours until done. They will be golden brown and a little crunchy on top but creamy and yummy under the crust. If you are using a dish the size of a 9 x 13 cake pan, you will use about 3 cups of cream.

Week 60 Menu & Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I usually go crazy on St. Patrick's Day...all of our food is green...green french fries, green salad, green fruit dip, green mashed potatoes, green rice krispie treats, green punch...you name it, I've turned it green...although, I've yet to figure out green corned beef!


This year, however, St. Patrick's Day is also graduation! Tomorrow, Nate will have the luck o' the Irish on his side as he defends his PhD Thesis, "Allele-specific Gene Regulation in Humans." What? I'm sure it will be fascinating and I am so excited for him! We're going to have a little dessert party tomorrow night with friends...where I'll pull out the green desserts, of course. Go Nate!

I can't even think about menus right now. Which is why this week's menu is LAME. I need to start packing since we're moving so soon...maybe I should pack my kitchen first so I CAN'T cook. Last night, Nate was saying that me having a food blog is like him (the scientist) having a painting blog. Ha ha ha ha...

MONDAY:
- Going out to a restaurant to celebrate!

TUESDAY:
- Lentil Soup (click on the link and scroll almost to the bottom...a delicious and easy recipe)

WEDNESDAY:
- Leftovers (which means, more soup.)

THURSDAY:
- Pizza

FRIDAY:
- Pasta

SATURDAY:
- Eat out

SUNDAY:
- Easter Sunday...I'll post the Easter dinner menu later this week!

PLEASE share menus the next few weeks. I need you to inspire each other since I'm a loser.

Okay, one more time...Go Nate!! :)

Pretty Easter Centerpiece

My good friend and neighbor Adrianne has done yet another beautiful and impressive thing that I'll never get around to doing. It's a good thing for you I have talented friends to shake things up a bit on the blog. :)


Adrianne grew some grass...no worries, this grass is legit. It's wheat grass and it's beautiful. I mean, it is SO PRETTY! And a great idea for an Easter centerpiece. For easy-peasy instructions, click on over to Design Mom. She says it takes about 1-2 weeks for the grass to grow. Since Easter is 1-2 weeks away, it's perfect timing for you to get your own basket of grass growing! Your Easter guests will be mightily impressed.

And since this IS a food blog, I suppose you can always grind your grass up and drink it. Um, yum? Probably not. But anything that tastes that yucky has got to be good for you, right?

A Chocolate Valentine for You!

Time for your chocolate valentine! Seriously, what is Valentine's Day without chocolate?


Adrianne made this beautiful Chocolate Ganache Tart (click for recipe) today. She even shared a few slices with us! Adrianne and I did a little taste test during the photo shoot...it's sooooo rich and sooooo good. I'm going to be a good girl and eat ALL of my dinner tonight...don't want to miss dessert!

Happy Heart Day!

May your Valentine's Day be filled with loved ones...love notes...


...and pretty paper hearts.

A Happy Christmas!

Today was magical...one little girl so enthralled with her gifts she refused to eat (or even open more presents!) and one little girl so innocent and new, sleeping the day away.


Happy Holidays! I hope your season is filled with chocolate, toys and love!

Winter = Hot Chocolate (even in San Diego!)

I know you're all going to laugh at me (I would, too, if I lived somewhere else right now), but it has been quite chilly here in San Diego lately. I swear! :) Anyway, it's been good hot chocolate weather...so thought I would share my two most favorite hot chocolates with you.


First, Williams-Sonoma has the best hot chocolate. You'll see in the picture that right now I have the peppermint, which is good, but I think the plain is even better. Why is this stuff better? Because it's hot CHOCOLATE, not COCOA. The only way to go is to actually have chocolate shavings melted in your milk, not powdery cocoa stuff. SO GOOD.

Second, Mexican hot chocolate. Right now I have Ibarra, but Abuelita is great as well. This hot chocolate comes in blocks that you melt in the milk (again, so much better than cocoa)...and the flavor can't be beat!


Today Cate had her first hot chocolate. She was SO excited and loved every drop. It was really fun sitting there drinking it with her. Today was the last day of just "Mom & Cate"...my mom gets here tomorrow AND...it's official, we go to the hospital Saturday night to have the baby! That's right, even with crazy amounts of contractions for 10 days now, no dilation and no baby arrival in sight. Unbelievable. Anyway, Cate and I had a great day together, topped off with hot chocolate and reading books. Life is good.

Food on a food blog? No way!

I know I've been a miserable food blogger lately, and I'm certainly grateful for your continued support! Believe it or not I actually cooked something last night! I really wanted a good, yummy dessert. Nate remembered that we have about 500 gallons worth of different kinds of hot chocolate in the pantry...which sounded good, but I still wanted something to nibble on as well.


Shortbread sounded like it would hit the spot - a perfect companion for the hot chocolate. So I got mixing and Nate got melting. It ended up being just what I needed.

I found the shortbread recipe on AllRecipes. It came out great, and it was EASY. Just what I needed in my contracting state. Interesting b/c it calls for brown sugar, which surprised me, but the reviewers said you HAD to do brown sugar, so I trusted them - it worked great.

Definitely a good holiday giveaway cookie. You can see I didn't spend much time trying to make them look good, but that's because I knew they wouldn't last long out in the real world anyway.

Christmas Treats!

We are very lucky because we happen to be friends with a girl named Nikki who is crazy when it comes to Christmas cookies...every year she spends HOURS and HOURS and HOURS making treats for friends and family. Not only does everything taste good but her presentation is impeccable. She's as worried about the packaging as she is about the food...in fact this year she almost didn't make her box o' treats because she didn't have the right box! Thankfully a box stepped up...everything looked AWESOME and tasted even better!


Believe it or not she scaled back this year - just cookies and pretzels. But just look at those puppies...I can't believe they're homemade. Scaled back? I think not! So cute, so well done.

Thank you, Nikki, for another year for wonderfulness! (Quick note to my local friends out there: while Nikki's work is certainly inspirational, I can guarantee you will never get anything close to as cool as this from me. :) )

Oh My Darlin'...Clementine!

Nate always says that eating Clementines makes it feel like Christmas...I have to agree.

Featured Recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake

I know Thanksgiving is over, but as I was eating a slice of the pumpkin cheesecake I made last week, I thought I better tell you just how good the recipe is.


My friend Adrianne sent the recipe to me and it is AWESOME. A great cheesecake and super easy to make. You don't even have to do a waterbath when you bake it, which earns lots of extra points with me.

One quick note: make sure you don't overcook it...I took mine out a LITTLE late and the crust was a bit overcooked in the corners. I did a little research and found that you take a cheesecake out of the oven when the center 3-inches of the cake is still jiggly. Mine was firm, so I could have taken it out earlier and had better crust. Regardless, the cheesecake was great!

Thanksgiving Prep: The Best of the Best!

Nate said I should have done a Thanksgiving post where everyone shares their best recipes & food traditions. Gotta admit, that's a great idea...so now's your chance!


My favorite Thanksgiving recipe that I make every year is Cranberry Slush. This is a Thanksgiving tradition from my mom's family. It was my great-grandmother's recipe and it is DELICIOUS. You'll love it, unless, of course, you're my sister and are CRAZY and don't like it. She's the only one I've met who doesn't, but let's keep in mind she actually said the following words last night: "I don't really like chocolate." Told you she's crazy.

Please share your Thanksgiving Bests!

Thanksgiving Prep: Timing

Timing is everything, right? That couldn't be truer than when you are cooking Thanksgiving dinner. ESPECIALLY if you only have 1 oven. It is tricky. I thought I'd share my schedule - hopefully it's helpful to some of you out there.

Quick Jane tip - once the turkey goes in the oven and I know approximate times for everything (based on schedule below), I write the schedule with specific times on post-it notes and stick that to the wall above the oven, That way I don't forget when to do things. It helps so much!

A few days prior:
- Get that frozen turkey in the fridge! You need 1 day for every 4 pounds to defrost in the fridge, and trust me, it's much better to defrost this way rather than in water in your sink (that's the fast way, but truly not as effective...think, partially frozen turkey Thanksgiving morning).

Tuesday:
- Cut up bread for stuffing - leave out on cookie sheet until stale. I'm doing this Tuesday so I'm sure it will be ready for Thursday.

Wednesday:
- Make the desserts (I've decided to go with Pumpkin Cheesecake).
- Make any casseroles that can sit in the fridge overnight (in my case the Broccoli Casserole, minus the Ritz cracker topping. Will put the topping on on Thursday).
- Cranberry Slush - the first half of the recipe. It needs to be frozen overnight.
- Cook squash. I'm making squash rolls (on Thursday) and we're eating squash as a side dish. Since I can cook the squash ahead of time, I'm going to.

Thanksgiving Day:
- Make the stuffing. (Whatever stuffing doesn't fit in the turkey, refrigerate until later.)
- Prep & stuff turkey in the morning and get in the oven. Butterball has an awesome online guide, which includes a calculator to determine how long you need to cook your turkey. My 13 pound stuffed turkey will take 3 3/4 - 4 1/2 hours at 325 degrees.
- Prepare corn souffle & top broccoli casserole - keep in fridge until later.
- ~2 hours before turkey is done, start making the squash rolls.
- ~1 hour before turkey is done - prepare & cook mashed potatoes. Keep in pan with lid on until dinner.
- When turkey is done, take out and cover with foil until later. Casseroles & Stuffing into the oven (make sure stuffing doesn't burn - probably won't cook as long). When casseroles are done, put rolls in the oven.
- Mix and heat up butternut squash that's already been cooked (will just heat in the microwave)
- Make gravy while casseroles are cooking.
- Make husband carve the turkey. :)
- Mix cranberry slush at the VERY END as your about to eat.

Just writing this up is making me tired. Glad I have my sister here as sous-chef. :) Even though it's a lot of work, it is totally worth it - I can't wait to eat it all!

Thanksgiving Prep: Dessert!

Time to talk dessert. I have no idea what I'm going to do this year for dessert, so I can't really give you my plan yet. I love dessert, but I always get so worn out from making the dinner that I tend to cheat a bit when it comes to the sweets. Hence, no real dessert insight here on the blog.

I WILL provide you with an amazing (and easy) French Silk Pie recipe from my sis-in-law Cora's family (see below). And as far as pumpkin pie goes, I always just follow the directions on the can of pumpkin and it comes out just fine (and yes, I buy pre-made crust). See, I am certainly no Thanksgiving dessert expert. Today I'm counting on YOU to share your best Thanksgiving dessert recipes! Please post!!!

French Silk Pie
- 3. oz unsweetened chocolate squares (melted and cooled)
- 1/2 C butter
- 1 C sugar
- 1 T vanilla
- 4 Eggs

Melt and cool chocolate. Cream butter - add sugar and vanilla and mix. Add chocolate. Add 2 eggs and beat on high 5 mins. Add 2 more eggs beat on high 5 minutes. I use a pre-made graham cracker crust. Top with whipped cream. Keep refrigerated.

Thanksgiving Prep: The Menu

I can't wait to eat all the food we have planned for Thursday! My little sister is coming to town and I'm going to work her hard on Thursday. It will be really fun cooking with her and having all those yummy leftovers afterwards!


And now, ladies & gentlemen...the Menu. Click on the bold titles to see recipes!

- Turkey
- Gravy
- Mashed Potatoes: I make with warm cream (milk if I don't have cream), melted butter, salt & pepper, and a splash of soy sauce
- Stuffing
- Corn Souffle
- Broccoli Casserole
- Butternut Squash: Just going to cook it, mash it, add butter salt & pepper
- Cranberry sauce: This year we're going canned whole sauce, but click through for a yummy recipe for Cranberry Orange Relish that I normally make, when I'm not about to have a baby.
- Cranberry Slush: This is one of my family's traditions, going back to my great-grandmother. It is amazing. I have friends who have been known to spike it for extra kick - Great Grandma's rollin' in her grave! :)
- Squash Rolls

I'm also going to make some Rhodes rolls on Friday to use for leftovers - good for making little turkey sandwiches. Again, I normally make Butterhorn Rolls from the Better Homes & Gardnes cookbook, but I need to take it easy this year.

Hope the menu is helpful and that the recipes come in handy! They are all excellent. Tomorrow we're talking dessert - get ready to share your favorite recipes! Tuesday will be scheduling the cooking - the least fun but most essential part of a successful Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving Prep: Stuffing

Below is my mom's stuffing recipe. This is what I make every year - it's not fancy, but it is so good. There are TONS of fancier recipes out there that I'm sure are delicious, but I like my stuffing simple & straightforward. As with all my mom's recipes, there are no measurements. So sorry!!! Also, there's lots of good info in the comments on the Gravy post, so make sure you read them!

Quick note on more Thanksgiving Prep posts to come: Tomorrow I will share my entire menu for Thanksgiving, including recipes. Monday is all about dessert - so get your favorite recipes to share ready! Tuesday is about timing the meal prep - this is probably the trickiest part of cooking on Thanksgiving. Wednesday...we may be done, we shall see! The coutdown begins!

CLASSIC STUFFING
From Phyllis Wallin, my mom
- Bag cubed bread loaf
- 1 medium onion
- diced celery
- grated carrots
- salt
- pepper
- sage
- 1 stick butter melted
- chicken stock if needed
- 1 egg well beaten

I (Jane) buy a loaf of cheap white bread, cut into cubes and let dry out for a day before making the stuffing. I use less than a whole onion (nate doesn't like onion that much) and then a few carrots & celery. Sautee the onion and celery in the butter. Mix all the ingredients together. I don't think I've ever needed to add chicken stock. As I mentioned in the Turkey post, I put as much stuffing in the turkey as I can (don't forget you can stuff the neck too!) and then I put the rest in a casserole dish, cover with foil and bake until it's hot all the way through - then when turkey is done, mix all the stuffing together. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Prep: Good Gravy!

Let's talk gravy. Thanksgiving wouldn't be Thanksgiving without good gravy. And it's not that hard to make! I'll walk through how I do it - keep in mind this not a very exact recipe, but hopefully enough info to be useful.

1) Reserve your juices from the turkey. Skim the fat off the top, if you can. I have to admit I don't usually do this because there isn't always that much, and my gravy always comes out fine. There are techniques for separating the fat - but I don't remember them. Sorry! (Maybe some of you out there can share your tricks of the trade.)

2) Thickening - you can go two ways:

SLURRY: For good gravy. Simply whisk together some water & flour (kinda thick, but thin enough you can pour it). Add to your simmering meat juices to thicken. You may need to use a sieve at the end to take out lumps.

ROUX: For fantastic, smooth-as-silk gravy. Yummier and truly not any harder. Here's what you do: Cook equal parts butter & flour in a saucepan on low heat, whisking constantly. 3-5 mins to make a white roux. You can cook a few minutes longer for a nuttier flavor, but the longer you cook roux the less it will thicken your gravy.
You can refrigerate or freeze unused roux for later. Like the slurry, add in small parts to your meat juices to desired thickness (and remember, your gravy will thicken over time and once it cools). How much roux? Well, I'm going to make 4 T butter/4 T flour next week. If it's too much, I'll save for later. If not enough, easy to make more!

3) Getting the right amount of gravy is usually a challenge, especially at Thanksgiving with many guests. You want a lot, but there aren't THAT many juices from your turkey. You can add some chicken broth to your juices, but I think that's sad - detracts from your delicious turkey flavor. Last year I used a turkey gravy base from Williams-Sonoma to increase the amount of gravy. It tasted great. This year I noticed in the Trader Joe's Thanksgiving flyer that they have a jarred turkey gravy - haven't tried it, but I think I will as I'm CERTAIN it will be less espensive than good ole Williams-Sonoma. Just make sure you use these products as supplements to your homemade gravy - it will taste much better than just using these handy gravy products alone!

Another way to get more volume...I simmer the neck and giblets that come with the turkey - enough water to cover. I use that broth as well as the pan drippings and that helps make lots more gravy without having to resort to using chicken broth.

4) Seasoning is simple - salt and pepper.

It's not hard to make good gravy. I promise! If you haven't done it before, give it a try. If you are a gravy expert, please share your tips!

Thansgiving Prep: THE TURKEY

Today is all about the turkey. To those of you out there who will be doing this for the first time this year, have no fear - it's not that hard. You'll do great!

Jane's Turkey Confession: I always buy a Butterball (which is already brined, etc) and just follow the directions on the package. Done and done. I've never had one come out badly - always juicy and yummy. If you buy a frozen turkey, make sure you read the thawing instructions and give yourself time to let it thaw!!!

I DO put my stuffing in the bird...actually only about half of the stuffing I make fits into the turkey, so I bake the rest of it. When the turkey is done, I combine the two stuffings together - that way you get the juicy turkey stuffing, but you'll still have enough for everyone. I'll share my stuffing recipe with later...

Here are two great tips from some friends!

Tip #1 (from friend's hubby Aaron): Cook the turkey upside down (breast down). It won't be pretty when you're done, but most of us carve the turkey before dinner is served anyway. I haven't done this but have heard that it makes for VERY moist and yummy meat. Aaron also said he cooks the turkey at a lower temperature for a much longer time.

Tip #2 (from my Boston friend Dottie): A tip for great turkeys without losing precious sleep from a friend we both know.
1) Stuff your turkey and do whatever else you do to make it tasty
2) Place the turkey in a brown paper grocery bag on the roasting pan. If the bag's not big enough, put another paper grocery bag at the uncovered end, and hopefully over the other bag.
3) Staple the bag closed.
4) Cover entire bag with cooking oil. I usually don't get the underside that's actually hitting the pan.
5) Bake at 425 degrees F.

A 22 lb. stuffed turkey is done in 3 hours. (adjust time accordingly for the size of your turkey). I (Dottie) have been doing this for over 10 years and the results are always fantastic. The skin is crisp, the meat is always moist. If I've overcooked the turkey, the meat is still moist, the skin perfect but the meat is falling off the bones.

Thanks for the tips, Aaron & Dottie! Now, if you have any questions, comments, suggestions, recipes, anything - please share!