Leek Frittata

This little frittata is just the perfect way to celebrate spring. My mother in law was here for a visit last week, we had lots of fun doing "girl" things! The weather was glorious so Saturday we did the trek to the tulips fields in the Skagit Valley. On our return I wanted to stop at a road side market called the Snow Goose. Their sign boasted of local leeks and rhubarb....they also had local artisan goat cheese and I knew the two things I wanted to make...THIS is the first. We enjoyed this frittata on the patio Sunday afternoon, it was a treat!

All that remained after the family had their fill....and I think I did some threatening not to eat it all in the first sitting. Actually, every time I've made this frittata it has been a huge hit. You think I would learn to just go ahead and make two....this would be the perfect thing to serve at a Mother's Day brunch. The leeks are cooked in a little butter until they are soft and melt in your mouth sweet. The goat cheese provides a lovely tang and smooth creamy texture. Thyme is the herb that gives added flavor, I love thyme; mine survived the winter and is thriving in my garden right now.

Leek Frittata

Inspired by: Dana Treat

1/4 stick unsalted butter

2 large leeks, white and pale green part only, diced

1 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

1 T. water

1/4 tsp. salt

6 eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup soft goat cheese

Salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a pie plate with Pam and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the leeks along with the salt and stir to coat. Add the thyme and cook until starting to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the water and reduce heat to low. Cover the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are meltingly tender, about 25 minutes. If there is still liquid in the skillet, remove the lid and allow liquid to cook off. Remove from heat and allow them to cool for a few.

In a medium bowl, crack your eggs and give them a good whisk. (G-if you poke the yolks with a fork the eggs are easier to whisk...) Add the milk and whisk again. Add the leeks and mix together, then add half the goat cheese. Stir carefully.

Pour egg mixture into the pie plate and crumble the remaining goat cheese over the top. Bake for 20 minutes, making sure the center is set. Allow frittata to sit for 5 minutes before slicing.

Click here for the printable.

Enjoy!

Ginger

Hunter & Brie

We had to put our dog down last week. This is Hunter. We had 13 wonderful years with him, he was a really good dog. He actually wasn't just a dog, he was a member of our family.  Everyone loved him. He was an English block, chocolate lab. I miss him.

One of our favorite things to do was sit in the yard early in the morning and have coffee and sniff the air....well, I had coffee while he sniffed the air.....I  miss those mornings with him....

This is what he'd do while I took food photos. The best light is usually outside....

Or this...I always got such a kick out of how he'd roll around on his back, such a dog's life he led....

Hunter was never great at returning anything you'd throw for him. Once he got it, it was his and wasn't giving it back without a fight....you can see in this photo he's "talking/growling" at me because I'm getting too close to his two tennis balls.....

Hunter always looked so cute when he perked his ears up. I think he's giving an ant here a "what for," for getting too close to his tennis balls....

I miss my faithful companion. The thump, thump of his tail against the floor or cabinet any time I came near to say hello and give him a pat. I miss him coming out of the garage to greet me when I return home. I miss the way he was always right there to clean up anything I happen to drop on the floor. I miss his stinky breath. His "wolf's" to let him in the house, or help him out of a sticky situation.

It's tough right now because I find myself looking for him, anticipating his presence, wishing he were here with me in the quiet afternoons. But I know he's no longer in pain and probably running through a field or swimming in a lake.  Hunts and I were buddies, he was special boy. His ashes will be sprinkled in an apple orchard here in Washington so every spring when the apple trees in our yard bloom I will think of him and be thankful for the time we had together.....

In honor of Hunter and his love of cheese I'm sharing a really simple appetizer with you today. Brie with fig jam on a water cracker. It is divine! The sweet jam, creamy cheese, and crunch of water cracker...DELISH! Pour yourself a glass of chardonney and toast to the ones you love!

All you need is some Brie, fig jam, & water crackers. You could also use a Wheat Thin, but you definetly want something with crunch. Brie of your choice, I like this log of Brie because it's easy to cut and put on the cracker...

This is a close up of the fig spread I like. I find it at our Fred Meyer on top of the olive bar. They also have one with orange flavor added. I did not like that one much....

Other things Hunter loved:
1. Bananas
2. Looking out the front window and barking at anything that walked by
3. Peanut butter
4. Licking all the dirty silverware & dishes in the dishwasher
5. His family
6. Any scrap we'd give him from the table
7. Lying in the sun
8. Swimming round and round at the lake
9. Being with his "people"
10. Riding in the car with me and sniffing the air out the window....
11. Getting his ears scratched
12. Eating chicken manure from the garden....that might explain his breath right?
13. Chewing on his bone
14. His mama....

Thanks for reading. If you have a dog you love give him/her an extra pat tonight for me...
Ginger

Ninjago Birthday Party!

Somebody turned 9 last month. He LOVES Lego's and his latest craze is the Ninjago series. I'd like to share with you what we did for his birthday. My hope is that it might inspire something for the next birthday party you throw.

First,  my philosophy on kid parties: Having thrown lots of birthday parties in my years being a mom I've come to learn a few things..... The most important thing for me is that the birthday child have a good time. I no longer worry about perfect invitations, or having all the matching plates, napkins, balloons, etc...I've come to realize my kids could care less about all that; for them, it's about creating an experience that allows them to bond with their friends and enjoy themselves. We do our best to not go overboard on cost and spend money on things that will be tossed in a day or two.  We try and be creative with what we have and use things around the house whenever possible.  My kids wear what they want on their special day, I want them to be comfortable and feel good about themselves. We have lots of conversations before the big day about what they want their birthday party to look like. We make lists, we brain storm ideas, we work together. I make a box cake for their birthday mostly because they don't care. They enjoy the sugar any way it comes right?

I take lots of pictures at the party. I'm going to do my best to walk you through what we did.

Ben, usually has an idea of what he wants his cake to look like. Lately, he has wanted to do the decorating....here he is ready to go.....everything is laid out, he knows just what he wants to do.

I take lots of deep breaths and let him do his thing. He really is quite good....and it is HIS party.....

We used a round cake to look like the battling stadium the Ninjas fight in. He put the Ninjas all around the cake battling the snakes/bad guys. I found Lego candles at Target as well as the number 9. We made some mini cupcakes with a little bit of the batter. We put the frosted cupcake upside down in the center of the cake with the "9" candle and two snake staffs. The Ninjas are battling to get the snake staffs. I always make my cakes a couple of days ahead and freeze them. I find the cakes far less "crumby" when you frost them frozen.

This year Ben chose to have 3 of his best buddies over for the whole day rather then 9 friends for a couple of hours. It worked out great, they had a blast. Here they are all ready for their Ninja training.

Ninjas need to be quick on their feet. They've got to run fast and make quick turns.

They used their training time to run fast. We gave them each 2 turns so they could try and improve their times, which of course they did.

Ninja's need to be able to avoid obstacles and move through obstacles. Here the Ninjas had to pass through the swim noodles.

After passing through the swim noodles the had to get a quarter off the base of the Swingball set without getting hit by the swingball. I believe Molly took great pleasure in trying to whack those boys with the ball. After several attempts all the boys were able to complete this obstacle. Getting low was the key...

Hunter enjoyed the party too. He loves it when his "people" are in the yard with him.

Next, the Ninjas had to defeat this terrible monster who appeared.

The boys threw "shurkins" aka water balloons at the monster to make him go away. They had LOTS of fun with this.

Case in point.....look at his face! Lucky for me I had the camera otherwise I would have been....well wet....

Next the Ninjas need to be able to leap over things. Oh to be a 9 year old boy....they had lots of fun with this too. I know the pictures are blurry but I still think they are cool. Look how high they can jump!

Very fun. They took some dives over them. Some rolled under them....boys, boys, boys, they had a blast!

The final task before earning their Ninja colors was to practice the sword and skythe skills. Ninjago guys are masters of spinjitzu, so of course they had to spin...9 times around, yes with a sword in their hands. Remember I only had 4 of them...

Can I just say this was a riot to watch. You want to entertain 9 year old boys for a while.....this will do the trick. There was no blind fold, they just got to beat the tar out of their "target" which was a pinata I picked up at the Hispanic store in town. It didn't matter that it didn't go with the "theme" it was Ben 10, it still had the Ninja colors and again they got to beat the tar out of it....

Can you see that proud smile on his face? He connected so hard that he sank the "skythe" right into the side of the pinata. We had to work that bad boy out. Oh yeah!

 Inside the pinata were their Ninja colors and some candy of course. I bought the shirts at Old Navy during their stock up and save sale. It was buy one and get one free. Molly found the Ninja pictures on the computer and adjusted the colors accordingly.

Now that the boys are official Ninjas, first they strike a Ninja pose......

They are now set off on their Quest to find their weapons. They were given a clue at the house. They are also stuffing their mouths with as much candy as would possibly fit.....

Off they went to the forest near our house in search of their next clue. Isn't this a cute picture? They just walked off that way, shortest to tallest....so adorable! I know a little blurry but still adorable....

The clue was found in "The Forest of Tranquility" right next to the.....

the rope swing so of course we needed to have a little fun.....

Look at me!

The clue in the Forest of Tranquility sent them to the park where their weapons were found in a tree. Here are the Ninjas with their weapons.

The weapons: a sword purchased in the cheap section of the toy area at Fred Meyer. The blade was covered with soft pipe insulation and wrapped in duct tape. Nunchuks, we had these from a previous Halloween costume. The shurkins were made from pipe insulation and duct tape, again soft and squishy. The skythe is a Nerf axe.

Once the weapons were found a battle began. Everything was soft and boys were told not to aim for the head/face area.

Once we returned it was time for cake and ice cream. This is the boys first look at the cake. I love how they enjoyed checking out everything Ben had created.

Of course it was cheers with the mini Sunkist's I picked up at Target. Who remember Sunkist soda pop?

The candles were lit.....

A wish was made. It was a great day for all. Ben said at the end of the day, "That was the best birthday ever." Music to a mother's ears....

The boys spent the rest of the afternoon playing in and outside. Running free and being Ninjas. We fed them pizza later. The day ended with an episode or two of Ninjago on TV that Ben had recorded. It was the week that the green Ninja was revealed which really added to the excitement of a Ninjago birthday party.

The boys took home the shirt, candy from the pinata, and a Lego mini figure. But more importantly they have great memories with good buddies that will last a lifetime.

I also have to say I am a HUGE supporter of Lego. I think they make great stuff and inspire amazing creativity in my son. Last year, my son dressed up as Ole Kirk Christiansen for his famous person assignment. I think it would be really cool if Ben worked for Lego some day, we think being a Lego designer would be a really cool job.

I hope this party inspires you to throw one of your own. Hopefully it will spur your creativity and maybe be a starting place for a birthday party. If you've got a question, put it in the comment section and I will answer it.

Enjoy!

Ginger

Vanilla Bean Scones

The way to my son's heart is through a vanilla bean scone. This is a recipe that might need to be passed along to his future wife someday....boy were these good! But even better I found a place to get vanilla beans for much less than I paid at Fred Meyer.....bulk section at Central Market...I'm sure any bulk section would potentially be less. Only $2 each in the bulk. They were supposed to be mini, but I didn't have success making them super small, not that my kids minded in the least! Next time I will try and get them rolled out a little longer then make them smaller. They are supposed to be like the petite vanilla bean scones you get at Starbucks, I think they might be a little better.....

Vanilla Bean Scones

Inspired by: The Pioneer Woman

Scones:

3 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar

5 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled

1 whole large egg

3/4 cups heavy cream

2 vanilla beans

Glaze:

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 cup whole milk

1 vanilla bean

dash of salt

Preheat oven to 350

Split the vanilla beans down the middle lengthwise and scrape out all the vanilla "caviar" inside. Stir caviar into cream. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Sift together flour, 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder, & salt

Cut cold butter into pats, then use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour. Keep going until the mixture resembles crumbs.

Mix vanilla cream with egg, then combine with flour mixture; stir gently with a fork  just until it comes together. It will be crumbly.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and lightly press it together until it forms a rectangle. Use a rolling pin to roll into a rectangle about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick. Use your hands to help form if necessary.

Cut the rectangle into 12 symmetrical squares/rectangles. Next, cut each square in half diagonally to form two triangles.

Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 18 minutes. Remove them from the oven just before they start to turn golden. Allow them to cool 15 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Vanilla Glaze:

To make the icing, split one vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the caviar. Stir caviar into milk; allow to sit for a while. Mix powdered sugar with the vanilla milk, adding more powdered sugar or milk if necessary to get the right consistency.

One at a time carefully dunk each cooled scone in the glaze. Transfer back to cooling rack and allow them to set up.

If you'd like to see the visual play by play click here

Click here for the printable.

Enjoy!

Ginger

Hamburger Rice

We all know sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures right? Well that is where I found myself on Monday night.....I had defrosted 1 lb. of ground turkey and I wasn't quite sure what I should do with it....the day got away from me and I had to think quick on my feet....I remembered an episode of Rachael Ray where she made Hamburger rice for a group of kids who were visiting the show, they all seemed to like it.....off I went.....The kids really did love it and it will probably remain a great last minute dinner....I mixed it with brown rice which bumps up the health factor along with ground turkey instead of ground beef. Really, you could do lots of variations with this, just think about how you like your burger and go with it....here's what I did:

Hamburger Rice

Inspired by: Rachael Ray

1 cup cooked brown rice

olive oil

1/2  medium sized onion diced

1 lb. ground turkey

Sprinkling of Johnny's Seasoning Salt

1 T. Worcestershire

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tsp. yellow mustard

Toppings:

Shredded cheese

cooked bacon

sliced avocado

sauteed mushrooms

diced tomatoes

diced pickles

Heat skillet over medium high heat, use on turn of the pan of olive oil. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add ground turkey and continue to cook until meat is no longer pink. Sprinkle on Johnny's Seasoning salt and still to combine. Add Worcestershire, ketchup, & mustard stir to combine. Add cooked rice and mix all together. Serve with desired toppings.

Enjoy!

Ginger

Rosemary Rolls

These have been a hit at our house over the last couple of weeks. I've made them 3 times and there are never any left! These rolls will be something I keep in my "back pocket" when I serve a dinner I know will not land on my kids favorite list. Fluffy white goodness seasoned with rosemary and sea salt can be good motivation to finish your vegetables....I've been making the rolls in a pie pan and I like to set it right in the center of the dinner table. I think it looks kind of like a flower when they are all baked up. The rolls are super simple to make and absolutely delicious! Thanks once again to The Pioneer Woman.....

 I picked up a bag of dinner rolls in the frozen bread section at the grocery store.

The morning I want to serve them for dinner, I spray my pie plate with Pam and arrange 8 frozen dough balls. Next, cover it with a dish towel and go on about your day.

When you come back to prepare dinner your rolls will look like this....

Melt 1 Tablespoon of butter and brush the rolls with it. Finely chop up some rosemary and sprinkle it on top. Finish with a little sprinkling of sea salt.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes and prepare yourself to fight off any of your dinner guests to make sure you get one! My kids also think it would be fun to try sprinkling with cinnamon and sugar and baking them....maybe for breakfast next week?

Enjoy!

Ginger