Pasghetti and Meatballs

 

Kids like video games (ugh), watching TV (anything on Netflix), hanging out with friends, playing outside and COOKING. Last week end my bestie and I took the night off and hired some mini professional chefs. What a blast! We barely assisted...just giggled and salivated because of the delicious aromas coming from the oven and the stove. The excitement of our children was intoxicating. 

The kids chose the recipe earlier in the day. We picked up groceries, unpacked and started planning. The key to a good meal is a solid plan. 

 

I love that they included set the table. They even pulled out a table cloth and candles.  The meal was so special. 

The boys started on the meatballs, the girls started the sauce. 

Easy Marinara Sauce

Finely chop an onion and two cloves of garlic. 

Sauté the garlic and onion over medium heat; in a tablespoon of olive oil. 

When the onions soften and brown, add two 680 ml bottles of Strained Tomatoes to the pan along with 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. 

Add 1 tsp of oregano, 1 sprig of fresh basil, 1 bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste. 

Simmer for 6-8 hours. Time is the most important ingredient in spaghetti sauce! The longer it cooks, the better it tastes. Your tomatoes will sweeten as they simmer; if you feel the sauce isn't sweet enough when you're ready to serve, add 1/2 tsp of dark brown sugar. 

 

The boys used the above recipe to make the meatballs. It's one I pulled out of a Compliments Magazine years ago. Its a fantastic recipe, always delicious and extra special with the milk soaked bread. Due to food sensitivities, we opted to use beef only. 

 

The mixing of the meatballs could not have been more entertaining! Raw meat was was an interesting sensation for the boys. My son, Drew, was less than pleased but watching him was hilarious. Once all of the ingredients were mixed, the boys expertly rolled out meatballs. 

 

While the boys prepped meatballs, the girls put together a Caesar Salad and Isabella made a beautiful garlic bread. 

 

She used 2 baguettes and my favourite spreadable garlic butter. She cut the bread on her own, buttered the bread and sprinkled with fresh Parmesan Cheese. Immediately before dinner, we preheated the oven to 375 F and baked the bread for about 10 minutes. 

 

The girls needed some guidance cooking the meatballs, which they browned in a pan and transferred to a 350 F oven for 15 minutes, checking for an internal temperature of 160 F. 

When it came time to serve, we left some of the meatballs without sauce, for the picky eaters. We mixed the rest right in with the sauce and served over el dente pasta. 

This meal was such a hit!  The kids ravaged the meatballs...so did the adults. Dinner was fabulous. The kids were beyond proud of themselves, willing to try something new and excited about the fact that they that had created a restaurant quality meal.  What a special night. 

 

Thanks for reading!!  If you liked this blog or have any  questions or you just liked this Big Idea, feel free to comment below!

Anything on a Pie Crust

 

Last week I was feeling ambitious! This week, I'm a bit of a disaster. I'm essentially a goldfish mom, easily distracted and not doing a great job completing laundry, cleaning, any of the extra tasks that really organized moms do!  I'd rather be outside hanging out on a walking path with my dog and my kids and that's ok.  Last week, I was an organized mom. I'll get back there!

Last week, hmmmmm....or was that two weeks ago? When I was a super organized, awesome mom, I made pie crust on Monday. I doubled the batch. 

This was the recipe I used. Its my favourite. Grandma's Secret Apple Pie. Poor Grandma, the whole internet has her recipe, but its so good, I feel the need to share. I share all good things: ideas, shopping tips, parenting advice. I probably share too much! This one, is definitely share worthy. Thank you Grandma, whoever you were or are, your pie crust is the bomb! 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/grandmas-secret-apple-pie-fruit-pie-round-recipe

I still remember the first pie crust I ever made. I was in my twenties, living an apartment with a tiny kitchen; had never baked anything before and I was in charge of the apple pie. I screamed at my husband as I tried to piece it together, I almost threw it off of the balcony. It really made me angry! Pie crust is hard to work with! In the end, the pie turned out great, I apologized to my husband and swore I would never bake another pie. 

I have since learned so many helpful tips and tricks to get the job done! I actually quite enjoy making pies, at this point, but if I'm making pies, I make a lot of pies! Never have I ever made a single batch of pie crust. If I have to clean up an epic mess, there better be one more pie in the freezer for another dinner party. 

Pie crust hates your warm hands. Any of the ingredients you add must be cold, the butter, the water and when you're mixing, use a pastry blender or your fingertips only. Prior to rolling out, chill it in the fridge! 

 

Once you have rolled out your crust, fold it into quarters before placing it in the pan. Always make your pie crust larger than your pan, for ease. Pie crust is easily trimmed and scraps can be rolled up and refrigerated to make tiny pies or turn overs! If you have any rips or tears, join your dough with water and your wet finger tips. 

 

Now fill your pie with anything. I used an apple pie filling I canned from an apple tree in the summer. Or follow the Grandma's Secret Apple Pie recipe. If you've run out of time, leave them wrapped in Saran Wrap for another day!

 

Booze in a pie? Yes. Butter on top of your fruit? Yes. Here's the apple pie filling recipe I follow:

http://www.frugalfarmwife.com/article/home-canned-apple-pie-filling-recipe/

Once your pie is filled and trimmed, pinch the edges; use a fork to seal and create an impression and then vent. Venting couldn't be more important and what an excellent opportunity to add some beauty to your dessert. My favourite way to vent is to use my tiny cookie cutters, though I have been known to hand cut a jack o lantern face at Hallowe'en. 

 

After you egg wash or milk wash your pie crust, be sure to foil the edges of your pie. Pies bake at a high temperature, your edges will brown quickly. Never forget to sprinkle your warm pie with vanilla sugar as it comes out of the oven for an added treat. Mmmmmm!

I baked this pie for my wonderful neighbour. She's always doing nice things for my family, I felt this was the perfect way to say thank you!

 

I used the left over crust to make these mini pies, which I glazed with icing sugar, some vanilla and a tsp of water. They were a hit!!

 

I simply used my mini pie tins and wide mouth Mason Jar to cut. I filled the pies with my canned apple pie filling. 

 

The left over pie crusts became quiche, which my kids love. They freeze supremely well and are extra good with my homemade crust!

http://melsbigideas.blogspot.ca/2017/01/quiche-omelette-doing-two-things-at-once.html?m=0

Time for this mom to hop out of the backyard and get some of that work I keep complaining about done! Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment below with any questions or concerns or if you just liked this Big Idea!

Easter Bunnies Everywhere

 

Easter has invaded my home. I love to switch things up decor-wise and I'm a total sucker for a holiday! These two love birds (bunnies?) have set up camp on my dining table, my dish towels are pink and green, even my bathroom looks like this...

 

Yup. If you know me, you'll realize those are my Christmas "Hope" letters, minus the "E." Do my guests appreciate these little seasonal nods? Probably not, they may not even notice, but I do. They bring me joy, so I'm going to keep these accents around! 

On that note, I've just switched over my Valentine's Printer's Tray to my very favourite lay out. I love the Easter Tray because my kids were so little and sweet when I made it. 

 

So good riddance Valentine's! 

 

I pulled all of my Valentine memories out of my Tray, packed them into the ziplock that I keep in my scrapbooking room and switched to Easter. 

 

Those of you that have read my last article on the Printer's Tray know that the only permanent embellishment on there is the lace border. Everything else switches out. 

http://melsbigideas.blogspot.ca/2017/02/valentine-day-printer-tray.html?m=0

All of the small layouts in the compartments are tightly fit and feature a tab for easy removal. The borders are either sticker borders or have bits of Velcro connected to the back. 

 

As you can see, most of the layouts are decorated with Easter themed paper. I printed all photos in sepia and added orange details with a marker to coordinate with the papers. 

 

I also used a series of stamps with brown archival ink. The tabs are attached with Tom Holtz Tiny Attacher Staples...which are pretty much a tea bag staple.  Super cute!!  I never use just one. 2 or even 3 are much more decorative. 

 

I added details to my son's T-shirt. I had these adorable flocked rub on transfers, which were perfect for this project!  

 

I added this cupcake decoration to the printer Tray handle with appropriately coloured ribbon. Voila! Easter Decor!  Hopefully this inspires you to go out and create!

If you have any questions or you just liked this Big Idea, feel free to comment below. Thanks for reading!!

Bacon Dust Burgers

Mmmmmm....bacon. I love bacon on a burger...but why not put it inside the burger? This past Sunday we hosted family for dinner. The weather as of late has been lovely. Barbeque seemed like an obvious choice and if I'm having BBQ...I want a burger. A Bacon Dust Burger. 

 

I had some help in the kitchen again!!  My amazing niece is a pro with a hand chopper! She helped to make the bacon dust for the patties. 

These patties are simple to mix up and freeze well!!  Can be cooked from thawed or frozen. My preference is frozen!

Bacon Dust Burgers 

Ingredients: 

Half a package of cooked bacon, processed in a food processor or with a chopper to become "Bacon Dust"

1 Family pack of lean ground beef appx 1.75 kg

1 pack regular ground beef appx 0.5 kg

3 cloves of garlic 

1 tsp of onion powder

3 tbsps of Worcestershire Sauce

Salt and Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and hand mix. To shape your patties, I use a 2 cup, oven safe, flat bottomed bowl. My mother in law uses a peanut butter lid, which is perfect...but mine keeps getting thrown out! 

Make a giant meatball and push it into the bottom of your dish. 

 

Rolling into a meatball first helps your patties to cling together. 

 

I line my platter or container with parchment paper, in order to stack my patties. This recipe makes approximately 20 burgers...you're going to need to stack. 

That's it! Freeze for a later date or cook straight away on your BBQ. I always add a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper and some Worcestershire Sauce to the outside before cooking...I can't pass up the opportunity to add flavour!

 

If you have any questions or you just liked this big idea, feel free to comment below!! Thanks for reading!

 

Bacon Potato Salad

 

I love this potato salad; it pairs wonderfully with BBQ.  It was perfected by my brother, with the addition of pickle juice...he also adds eggs, which I often omit. I'm a purist. I love eggs over easy, in which I dip any bread product available...hard boiled is not my thing. If they're your thing...add them. 

Bacon Potato Salad

9 red potatoes 

1 1/4 cup of Greek Yogurt

1 1/4 cup of full fat sour cream 

3 pickles, finely chopped

3 tablespoons of pickle juice

1/2 package of cooked bacon, roughly chopped

2-3 green onions

1/4 cup of fresh parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Quarter the potatoes and add to boiling water. Reduce heat and boil for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes. I often do this step the day before so I don't have to work with hot potatoes. 

Once boiled, cool, strain and cube. 

 

I always prepare this recipe in my serving bowl. The fewer dishes I can dirty, the happier I am!

Next, finely chop your green onions and parsley (reserve some parsley to add to the top of the salad as a garnish) and cube your pickles. Roughly chop your cooked  bacon. Pile these ingredients onto the top of your potatoes. Mixing will occur when you add the wet ingredients to avoid breaking up the potatoes. 

To your serving / mixing bowl, add 1 and 1/4 cup of Greek Yogurt and Sour Cream. Followed by 3 tbsps of pickle juice and salt and pepper.  

 

With a spatula, gently mix the salad together. If you built your salad in your serving bowl, use a piece of paper towel to clean the edges of the bowl and enjoy!!!  

If you have any questions or you just liked this Big Idea, please feel free to comment below.  Thanks for reading! 

Wednesday Wings

 

I love chicken wings. My whole family loves chicken wings. We eat them at least once per week. The trick to enjoying chicken wings and actually having them consumed by your children is...simple ingredients. I love a spicy wing smothered in Frank's Red Hot or honey garlic sauce as much as the next gal. My kids, do not. Let's face it, sauce can be added after the fact! Throw the Red Hot, the BBQ sauce, the honey mustard on the table. Whatever your pleasure. Encourage your kids to try different condiments; be aware, however, that they often add unnecessary sugars, sodiums and calories to your wings, an already fatty cut of meat. This is a Wednesday night meal...not a Pub Fest! Simple ingredients are good for your body, easy to digest and healthy for you and your family. 

In this recipe, I'm featuring my favourite olive oil. We have a local oil store, Soffrittos, filled with wonderful ingredients delicious food and oodles of excellent service. I just love stopping in for a visit and can't live without their garlic olive oil!

Wednesday Wings

 

Ingredients:

Garlic Olive Oil

(this one is a free pour...as much as you like! My recommendation is be generous). 

3 cloves of garlic

Salt and pepper

A handful of thyme 

One club pack of chicken wings

Preheat your oven to 400 F 

Separate your wings removing the tips (set those aside for a quick chicken broth http://melsbigideas.blogspot.ca/2017/02/?m=0) 

from the drumette and the wingette. 

Add your separated wings to a cookie sheet. Crush three cloves of garlic, free pour your garlic olive oil over your wings, add sea salt and pepper and hand mix to gently coat. Place the seasoned chicken wings into the oven for 15minutes. Flip and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. If you require more of a crisp on the skin of your wings, broil for and flip for 2-3 minutes. When you remove from the oven sprinkle with thyme and serve.