Happy Camper Ice Cream Sandwiches

My sweet 12 year old just came home from being at camp for two weeks and he had a blast! One of his favorite treats was chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches...he requested I make them for dessert last night. You can make your own cookie dough, buy it from the store or use the last tub from your kids school fundraiser...truly doesn't matter... just grab your kids, some cookie dough, your fave ice cream and make a batch together!

1 half gallon of your fave ice cream (I used Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla)
1 batch fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, cooled completely
1 bag mini chocolate chips

Pour mini chips onto a plate and set aside. Soften ice cream in microwave for 20-25 seconds. Place one scoop of ice cream on flat side of cookie, top with another cookie and press gently together. Roll edges of cookie sandwich in chocolate chips. Wrap in waxed paper, place in ziploc and put in freezer to firm up (about 30 minutes). Remove from freezer and enjoy!

You can switch all of the goodies in this recipe to suit your family's tastes. You can roll your treats in anything that floats your boat...crushed oreos, mini m&m's, graham cracker crumbs, sprinkles, toasted nuts.

Try:
oatmeal raisin cookies with cinnamon ice cream
chocolate chip with chocolate or coffee ice cream
sugar cookies with strawberry ice cream
peanut butter with chocolate ice cream
snickerdoodles with butter pecan ice cream

Buttermilk Brined Panko Crusted Onion Rings

I made these last night to serve with big juicy cheeseburgers...talk about yumm-o! I created this "in my head" yesterday, so please forgive me if the recipe seems to ramble...I typed it as it came to me. I have always made beer batter rings in the past, but so love the crunch of Panko, I came up with what you are reading here.

3 or 4 large onions (I used Vidalias)
1 quart buttermilk
Seasoned salt
Fresh cracked pepper
Garlic powder
Kosher salt
3 cups flour
3-4 cups Panko
Veg Oil

Peel onions, cut off ends and slice into 1/4" slices. Seperate into individual rings. Place rings in gallon ziploc. Pour buttermilk over onions, add 1 tsp seasoned salt & 1 tsp pepper. Seal bag and shake to combine. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

In glass baking dish, combine flour, 2 tsp seasoned salt, 1 tsp pepper and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Stir with whisk or fork to blend. Pour Panko into another baking dish and season with 1 tsp kosher salt. Take your onion rings out of fridge and pour off half the buttermilk into another baking dish. Drain rings in a colander.

Dip each onion ring into seasoned flour, shake off excess and dip in buttermilk brine then into Panko, gently pressing Panko onto ring. Place onion rings on large rimmed baking sheet and once all rings are coated, let rest on baking sheets 20 minutes.

While rings are resting, heat 1 1/2 " to 2" veg oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Oil is ready when it begins to "pop" (about 7 minutes or so). Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

When oil is ready place 4-5 rings in hot oil and fry until golden brown about 1 minute), turn rings over with wooden skewer or chopsticks and fry another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove rings and drain on paper towel lined plate. Place cooked rings on large baking sheet and keep warm in oven while frying remaining rings.

Serve with homemade Honey Mustard dressing (here on blog) or what ever dipping sauce makes you happy!

Mexican Seafood Cocktail

I love this refreshing seafood cocktail especially during Houston's hot summers! It makes a wonderful party dish.
For my recipe challenged friends, please don't get daunted by the multiple steps in this recipe! It comes together quite easily and effortlessly...I promise!


For The Sauce

1/4 cup green olives, chopped*

1/3cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup chile sauce

1 tablespoon fresh oregano

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon serrano pepper, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup lime juice

1 cup Clamato juice



For The Pico

1/2 cup tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/4 cup white onion, diced

1 teaspoon garlic, minced (about 2 cloves)

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt



For The Seafood

1 1/2 avocadoes, peeled and diced

1/2 cup Anaheim Chiles, roasted, peeled and diced**

1 1/2 lb. shrimp, boiled and peeled ( cut larger shrimp in half)***

1/2 lb. lump crabmeat (buy the freshest you can find - can't find it in your local market...skip the crab & add another 1/2 lb. shrimp)



In food processor or blender, combine all sauce ingredients and puree, scrapping sides down with spatula as needed.

In glass bowl, combine pico ingredients. Pour sauce over pico and stir to combine. Gently fold in shrimp and crab. Cover and refrigerate over night.

Two to three hours before serving dice avocado and fold into seafood mixture.

When ready to serve you can serve individual cocktails in tall sundae or parfait glases. For large gatherings, serve in your prettiest crystal bowl. Serve with warm tortilla chips.

*Remove pimento from olives before chopping.

** Heat grill to high heat and roast chilies until blistered and black on all sides. Remove from grill and place chilies in large ziploc. Seal and let peppers rest 5 minutes. remove from bag and peel away charred skin. Cur stem off and split chilies open to remove seeds. Now you are ready to use in recipe.

*** I buy peeled (I loathe peeling shrimp) RAW shrimp. NEVER buy the already cooked ones...they are always mealy and overcooked. To prepare shrimp for this recipe, I bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tsp Tony Chachere seasoning. Add shrimp and cook just until shrimp float to top (3-5 minutes). Remove from heat and pour shrimp into large colander in sink. Immediatley place shrimp in a bowl and place in fridge to cool.

BBQ Pork Burgers with Slaw & Caramelized Onions

This amazing burger got rave reviews last night!!! Think McRib....only a whole lot tastier and not made with mystery ingredients! Served on homemade burger buns (see previous post for recipe), your whole family will say "Thanks Mom".

1/4 cup mayo (or plain greek yougurt)
1 tbsp milk
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
pinch kosher salt
2 cups packaged cole slaw (I LOVE Rainbow Mix)
1 cup your fave BBQ sauce
pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp Mesquite Seasoning (I use Goode Co. Mesquite Shake)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 lbs ground pork
1 large Vidalia onion, sliced into thin rings
1 tbsp butter

For The Slaw

Whisk together mayo, milk, 1 tbsp of the vinegar, black pepper, sugar and pinch of salt. Add slaw mix and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours.

For The Caramelized Onions

In a large skillet over medium low heat melt butter. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, unitl onions are deep golden brown, about 35-40 minutes. Remove from heat until ready to serve.

For The Burgers

Heat grill to medium high heat.

In small bowl, whisk together bbq sauce, remaining tbsp vinegar, cayenne pepper, mesquite seasoning and garlic powder.

In another bowl, combine ground pork and 1/3 cup bbq sauce. Gently mix with hands to combine. Shape into 6 patties.

Place burgers on grill and brush with some of the remaining bbq sauce. Cook, turning once until cooked through, about 7 minutes per side, basting with sauce.

To Serve

Rewarm onions over low heat during last few minutes burgers are cooking.
Toast buns if desired. Place a burger on bottom half of bun. Top with some of the slaw and onions. Add top half of bun and serve.

Homemade Burger Buns

Tori had a blast helping make these tasty buns! This recipe is so darn easy to make, you may never buy buns from the store again...seriously!

To Make The Dough

1 1/4 cups whole milk
1cup heavy cream
1/4 cup warm water
1 pkg dry active yeast ( or 2 1/4 tsp jarred yeast)
1/4 cup sugar
5 cups flour
2 tsp salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Bring milk and cream to a bare simmer and remove from heat. Let cool until it reaches 105-115 degrees.
In stand mixer, stir together warm water and yeast, let sit 5 minutes.
Add milk mixture, sugar, flour and salt to yeast mixture and with paddle attachment, mix at low speed, just until flour is incorporated. Increase speed to medium and beat 6 minuutes. Dough will be sticky.

Place dough into a large oiled bowl( I use olive oil spray) and turn dough to coat with oil. Cover with a clean cotton (not terry cloth) dish towel and let rise in a warm spot until double in size, about 2 hours.

To Make The Buns

Butter two large baking pans. Punch dough down (Tori's favorite part), then roll out on a floured surface with flour coated rolling pin into a 14" circle (about 1/2" thick). Cut out as many rounds with a 3" cutter (I use a drinking glass), arranging buns on baking pans, 3" apart. Reroll scraps, then cut out more rounds.

Cover pans with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until dough holds a finger mark when gently pressed.

Preheat oven to 375. Brush buns lightly with some of the egg. Bake buns untl golden brown on top and bottom and sound hollow when tapped, 20-25 minutes. Remove first pan from oven and repeat with second pan. Remove buns from baking pan and let cool on racks.

***you can also use a bread machine to make your dough. Place ingredients into machine, set to dough mode and turn machine on. From here follow recipe...blend until flour is just incorporated, using a spatula to scrape sides down. after machine takes its "dough rest break" (lasts about 2 minutes, depending on your machine) let machine beat dough for 6 minutes, turn off machine and proceed to next step in recipe.

Pollo a la Brasa aka Grilled Peruvian Chicken

Tori and I made this for dinner last night and it was FANTASTIC!!!

I always so enjoy cooking with my children...it really brings us together and gives me a chance to spend wonderful quality time with them. Harrison is off at camp for another week, Emily has VBS this week....so, it was just Mom and Tori. She helped me shop for our ingredients and when we got home went right to work creating the marinade for this dish. I cut up the chicken while she enjoyed smelling all the spices involved... the earthiness of cumin, the smoky sweetness of paprika and the minty-ness of the oregano. Once she tossed everything in the blender and hit the on button, the kitchen smelled heavenely!!!

Everyone agreed that this chicken is a keeper! Tori served it with steamed green beans, a simple rice pilaf and extra lime wedges for squeezing on our chicken at the table.

Peruvian Grilled Chicken

1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
5 cloves garlic
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paparika (NOT hot paprika)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp veg oil
1 whole chicken, quartered (about 3 1/2 - 4 lbs)
lime wedges

Blend soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano and oil in blender.

Place cut up chicken in a gallon ziploc and pour marinade over chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat. Place in fridge and marinate 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat grill to medium high heat & oil grill rack. When grill is ready, remove chicken from marinade and place chicken skin side down on rack. Grill 15-20 minutes per side, turning occasionally and moving chicken around until cooked through and well browned. Serve with lime wedges.

Weeknight Shrimp Scampi

Kosher salt
1/2 lb linguine
1 lemon
1 lb. extra-large (26 to 30 per pound) shrimp, peeled and deveined
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/8 to 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
2 Tbs. thinly sliced green onions


Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the linguine in the boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve about 3/4 cup of the cooking water and then drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, finely grate 1-1/4 tsp of zest from the lemon and squeeze 2 tbsp of juice. Toss the shrimp with 1/2 tsp of the zest and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat until the foam subsides. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic just begins to brown, about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and cook until just opaque, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and lemon juice, bring to a boil, and cook until slightly reduced, 1 minute.

Add the drained pasta, mascarpone, and 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Toss well, adding more cooking water as needed, until the pasta and shrimp are coated and the sauce looks creamy. Remove from the heat. Toss in the remaining 3/4 tsp. lemon zest and the green onions. Correct seasoning with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a salad and plenty of warm bread...Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Chicken Piccata

8 boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets
Kosher salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp capers, rinsed & chopped
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3/4 cup chicken stock (homemade or storebought)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus more to finish dish to taste
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 tbsp unsalted butter


Season the chicken with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add as many cutlets as will fit in a single layer and cook until lightly browned on both sides and just cooked through, 1 to 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a plate and tent with foil. Repeat with the remaining chicken, adding another tbsp of oil between batches if needed.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the capers, garlic, and the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the garlic softens and becomes fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice, raise the heat to high, and cook, stirring, until the mixture reduces by about half, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat and sprinkle in half of the parsley and the butter and season with more lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over the chicken cutlets, sprinkle with the remaining parsley, and serve.

Summer's Harvest Pasta Salad

This is not your traditional chilled pasta salad, although leftovers taste great straight from the fridge!

6 slices bacon
1 lb. corkscrew, bowtie or penne pasta
3 ears of corn, kernels cut from cob
1 1/2 lbs. zuchini, chopped into 1/2" pieces
3/4 cup of your fave pesto *
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper

Fry bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Cook pasta in large stock pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then add veg to pot with pasta and cook two more minutes. Drain and set aside.

In large skillet over medium heat, combine pasta/veg, pesto and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water tossing to coat pasta/veg with pesto. Season to taste with salt and add additional pasta water to moisten (if needed). Top with crumbled bacon, parmesan cheese and a generous amount of fresh cracked pepper.

* You can use homemade pesto or store bought...my fave brand is Texafrance Traditional Basil Pesto.

Chicken Lo Mein...Take-Out Straight From Your Kitchen

The whole family will enjoy this chinese take-out classic, it not only tastes great, it's better for you too! You can switch the veg out, add more or less, you can use fresh lo mein noodles or spaghetti...whatever makes you happy!

1 lb fresh lo mein noodles (or spaghetti)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup Mirin rice wine
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tbsps potato starch*
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp dark sesame oil
2 tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast, sliced into thin slices
2 cups veg ( I love red peppers, carrots and brocoli florets)sliced thin**
2 scallions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine stock, mirin, soy sauce, potato starch, sugar and sesame oil. Whisk until potato starch & sugar dissolve; set aside.

Heat large skillet (or wok) over medium high heat. Add 1 tbsp canola oil, swirl in pan and add chicken. Stir-fry until just cooked through, 4-5 minutes; transfer chicken to a plate. Add remaining tbsp canola, then add your veg, scallions and garlic. Stir-fry until softened, about 3 minutes. Add chicken stock mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken and noodles. Toss noodles to coat with sauce and heat through. Serve immediatley.

* You will find potato starch in the baking aisle at the grocery. I use Bob's Red Mill brand. Potato starch dissolves easier than corn starch and also doesn't have the pasty flavor corn starch can impart.

** To slice nice thin carrot ribbons...grab the potato peeler! Pull peeler across carrot, creating thin ribbons. You can use whatever veg floats your boat....add mushrooms, zuchini ribbons, chinese cabbage.

Berry Lemonade Pie

I love lemony desserts, especially in the summer! The berries really pair well with the lemon custard and I think the flecks of vanilla bean (and true vanilla flavor) knock this one right out of the park! You can use regular, low fat or fat free ingredients...whatever makes you happy.

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
6 tbsp butter, melted
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk (I use reduced fat)
2 (3.4 oz.) packages lemon instant pudding mix
2 tbsp. lemon zest
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened (I use reduced fat)
1/2 vanilla bean, cut in half and scraped
1 (12 oz.) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
2 cups assorted fresh berries (I love using strawberries, blueberries & raspberries)
Whipped cream, optional


Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in microwave. In medium bowl combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Pour melted butter over crumbs and stir well to combine. Press crust into pie plate and bake 7-8 minutes. Remove and let cool completely before filling.

Whisk together evaporated milk, pudding and lemon zest in a bowl 2 minutes or until mixture is thickened.

Beat cream cheese and vanilla "seeds" (scraped with paring knife into bowl) at medium speed with an electric mixer (or in stand mixer) until light and fluffy. Add lemonade concentrate, beating until smooth; add pudding mixture, and beat until blended. Pour into crust. Cover and chill 8 hours or until firm. Before serving top with fresh berries. Serve with fresh whipped cream if desired.