Epic Camping Post, Part 2

The first time that I had a tin foil dinner was when I went camping with Brett.  I followed his instructions on how to put it together - ground beef, potatoes, carrots - and then I added a bunch of seasoning.  It tasted horrible.  I asked Brett if that was what they usually tasted like, and he said, "Yeah.  Just put a bunch of ketchup on it."  Great.  So now I was eating textured ketchup.  Not my idea of a camping meal.  So this time, I took it upon myself to create a tin foil dinner that actually tasted good.  I'm not one to eat things just for tradition - it needs to taste good too.  They turned out absolutely perfectly.

If you want the recipe (and trust me, you do) you can get it by clicking here.  Of course, we topped the dinner off with some Reese's smore's.  Brett is the master marshmallow roaster, and they were sticky gooey deliciousness.

Kennedy learned how to roast marshmallows (with Brett's help of course) and also how to skip rocks while we were there.  I discovered that I'm about as good at skipping rocks as Kennedy is.  But even though my rocks sank to the bottom of the river, I had fun eating smores with Kennedy all the same.

And she enjoyed her crackers, Reese's and marshamallows separately.  Once they were cooked and all together, she wasn't so sure about how she felt about the hot gooey marshmallow.  She didn't like how it stuck to her fingers.

My least favorite part of camping has always been the sleeping part.  Ugh.  I'm almost always so uncomfortable and I can hear the wildlife which usually freaks me out.  This time was no different, but there were some additions to the misery.  Kennedy decided not to sleep in the bed we brought her in favor of sleeping on the air mattress with us.  Or more specifically, on me on the air mattress.  And I was essentially sleeping on Brett because Kennedy kept squishing us over.  We were all sleeping on one half of the bed.  And to make matters worse, the campers next to us (they were actually quite a ways away, but it sure didn't sound like it) decided to have a dance party right when we wanted to go to sleep.  In the middle of the night I woke up to the Backstreet Boys.  And it continued for the next hour or so.  All Backstreet Boys.  But, in the morning we had a delicious breakfast and two happy kids, so all in all, it was a successful trip.

Pink Pie

As you probably know, Kennedy has been potty training for the last few weeks.  When she has a big success or several in a row, we have been giving her treats - usually just a very small candy or toy.  The other day she asked if she could have a treat after going potty, so I asked her if she wanted some raspberry cream pie.  She said no.  I was sure that that was not what she really meant, so I changed tactics.  I got the pie out of the freezer and asked, "Do you want some pink pie?"  The reaction was immediate.  "Yes!"

In fact, her reaction was so strong that we fought with her for about 20 minutes to get her to take two more bites of corn chowder so that she could have a piece of this pink pie.  Literally.  20 minutes.  And a couple of trips to time out due to severe demands and tantrums.  She tried to convince us that the pink pie was the corn chowder.  Nice try.  Once she finally got her pie though, she was in heaven.  This is what the pie looked like before:

And this is what it looked like once Kennedy started digging in:

As you can see, she was a very big fan of the crust.  I'm sure that it was because it was made of Oreos.  I don't blame her - the pie was absolutely divine (incidentally, if you want the recipe, click over to my food blog on the side bar).  I even caught a yum face.

She devoured this thing!  And the next day I let her have another small piece and she did the exact same thing.  The mess she made was worth the clean up to see her loving this pie so much.  It was adorable.

So pink pie it was.  It became a mess of crumbs and stickiness on Kennedy's face, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Convinced that you want some?  You can make a trip up to Brookings and we will gladly have some waiting for you, or you can just click here for the recipe.

Williams-Sonoma Vanilla Cheesecake

I had a couple of questions about the cheesecake I mentioned in my last post, and I would be happy to share the recipe with you!  It's just a plain old cheesecake but the recipe is from Williams-Sonoma.  Isn't it beautiful?  I think it could have used the extra ten minutes.  I've made this several times before and I think I undercooked it just a tad this time, but it still tastes wonderful.  And for Noelle, this one needs no water bath!  I can never seem to get my crust even, no matter what I do.  There's always too much in the corners of the pan, but oh well. Feel free to skim or skip if you aren't interested in making it, but if you ever want a good and easy cheesecake recipe, make sure to come back here and get it!  Believe me, no water bath equals easy.

Vanilla Cheesecake

from The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook and Williams-Sonoma Dessert

CRUST:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing (my springform pan is non-stick, so I didn't grease it and it came out perfect)

FILLING:

4 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, at room temperature

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract (you can also use vanilla paste, which is fantastic)

3 large eggs, at room temperature

To make the crust, preheat the oven to 400.  Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan.  In a bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter.  Stir until the mixture is well blended and the crumbs are evenly moist.  Pour into the springform pan and press evenly onto the bottom and about 1 1/2 inches up the sides of the pan.  (They suggest using a flat-bottomed mug to do this.)  Bake until lightly golden and set, about 10 minutes.  Let cool on a rack.  Reduce the oven temperature to 300.

To make the filling, in a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, flour, and salt.  Using a mixer set on medium-high speed, beat until very smooth and fluffy, stopping and scraping down the sides frequently.  Add the sugar, sour cream, and vanilla.  Beat until well blended, again scraping down the sides frequently.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Pour into the crust.

Bake the cheesecake until the filling is set but the center still jiggles slightly when the pan is gently shaken and the edges are slightly puffed, 60-70 minutes.  The filling will firm as it cools.  Let cool on a rack to room temperature.  Cover and refrigerate until well chilled (overnight is best).  Enjoy!

Winning Holiday Recipes: Part 2

Here are the last 3 recipes from my holiday baking extravaganza.  I know that I only have 5 recipes over on the side, but I didn't include the recipe that is already a tradition.  I have eaten my Grandma Emigh's Coffee Cake every Christmas for breakfast since I can remember.  It is delicious and easy and just feels like Christmas.  So without further ado, here are the recipes.  I hope that you enjoy them!

Peppermint Snowballs

from Judith Scholovich via Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies and Bars

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

FILLING:

2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon milk

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

2 tablespoons finely crushed peppermint candy

1 drop red food coloring (optional)

TOPPING:

1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

6 tablespoons finely crushed peppermint candy

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar; add vanilla.  Stir in flour; knead until mixed well.  reserve 1/2 cup of dough; shape remaining dough into 1-inch balls.  For filling, combine cream cheese and milk in a small bowl.  Stir in sugar, candy and food coloring, if using; mix well.  Make a deep well in the center of each ball; fill with 1/4 teaspoon filling.  Use reserved dough to cover filling.  Reshape if necessary into smooth balls.  Place on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes.  Combine topping ingredients; roll cookies in mixture while still warm.  Cool on wire racks.

Potato Chip Crunchies

from Dorothy Buiter via Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies and Bars

2 cups butter, softened

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup crushed potato chips

1 cup chopped pecans

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Gradually add flour and mix well.  Fold in the potato chips and pecans.  Drop by tablespoonfuls 1-1/2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.  Flatten with a fork.  Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove to wire racks to cool.

Coffee Cake

from Glenda Emigh

1 box yellow cake mix

1 small package vanilla instant pudding

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

TOPPING:

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Mix all ingredients for cake well.  Pour half the batter into a well greased angel food cake pan.  Spread evenly.  Cover with a little bit more than half the topping mixture.  Pour the rest of the batter on top and spread evenly.  Cover with the rest of the topping mixture.  Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.

Winning Holiday Recipes: Part 1

I promised people that I would put some recipes up from the wonderful things that I made this holiday season.  We tried 10 new recipes this year, and the top 5 are listed over on the side bar (in no particular order, my order and Brett's order are different).  I'm going to share the first three recipes with you today.  The first is for Chocolate Snowballs, which I don't have a picture for, but believe  me they are beautiful piled high on a plate.

Chocolate Snowballs

From Mary Lou Welsh via Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies and Bars

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Confectioner's sugar

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg, milk, and vanilla; mix well.  Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Shape into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake at 350 for 7-8 minutes or until the tops are crackled.  Remove to wire racks to cool completely.  Roll cookies in the confectioner's sugar.

Frosted Cocoa Cookies

From Diane Moran via Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies and Bars

1 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup baking cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

FROSTING:

1/3 cup butter, softened

3 cups confectioner's sugar

1/3 cup baking cocoa

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

3 to 4 tablespoons of milk

In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla.  Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.  Roll into 1-1/2 inch balls.  Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake at 350 for 13-16 minutes or until set.  Remove to wire racks to cool.  For frosting, in a small mixing bowl, combine the butter, confectioner's sugar, cocoa, and extract.  Add enough milk to achieve desired consistency.  Drizzle over cookies.

The last recipe is for Cranberry Bread, which I got off of The Pioneer Woman blog.  Click here for a link to that recipe.  She has a seriously addicting blog, so you should check out some of the other things she has on there.  Her recipe calls for blueberries, but I just substituted the cranberries to make it more festive.  I did use Rachel's Yogurt, although she says that you don't have to.  She also has a recipe for a dipping sauce to go with it which I didn't make because I only had 2 yogurts.  Anyway, I hope you enjoy the recipes!  Look for part 2 soon, but not too soon since we are leaving for Texas tomorrow for the New Year!

Bloody Mary Dip

When airlines were still giving out free drinks and snacks, Brett would order bloody mary mix to drink and we would dip our pretzels in it. It was so yummy that I have been thinking about how to make a dip with those same flavors for some time.

I was playing in the kitchen the other day and decided to try it out. I looked up the traditional ingredients of a bloody mary online and used them to create a dip. It isn't perfect, but I would really appreciate some feedback if you would like to make it and try it out! I think it needs a little bit more of a tomato flavor (which I think I can get with tomato paste), but I have had comments that it is too strong and that it doesn't have enough kick. I need to know which is the more common opinion. If you could help me out, I would be grateful! Just so you know, it does strengthen over time, so if you leave it over night it will be a little bit more spicy in the morning. Enjoy!

• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 tablespoons tomato sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced and crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Tobasco
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon dill

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Serve with celery, chips, crackers, bread, pretzels, and anything else that sounds good!