Coconut Shrimp welcomes Football Season

Isn't buying a deep fryer is like buying cigarettes? I'm not one for fried foods and it seems like a messy way to cook but I was feeling adventurous and gave this recipe a whirl. I used a large saucepan with a lid to prevent any oil splatter and it worked like a gem! These shrimp would be perfect for a party or potluck. Butterfly the shrimp to serve as a main dish for added presentation, if you care.

Coconut Shrimp


1 egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup beer
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups flaked coconut
24 shrimp
3 cups oil for frying

In medium bowl, combine egg, 1/2 cup flour, beer and baking powder. Place 1/4 cup flour and coconut in two separate bowls.

Hold shrimp by tail, and dredge in flour, shaking off excess flour. Dip in egg/beer batter; allow excess to drip off. Roll shrimp in coconut, and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) in a deep-fryer. (OR add an inch of Canola oil to a large sauce pan or stock pot and heat until bubbling slightly.)

Fry shrimp in batches: cook, 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Using tongs, remove shrimp to paper towels to drain.

Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce. Try 1/4 cup orange marmalade or pineapple preserves with about 1 tsp Dijon mustard and 1/2 tsp horseradish. Add all to taste and I promise, you will never order prawns out again!

*This recipe is surprisingly simple and takes very little time but the 30 minutes in the frig is crucial if you want the batter to stay on the shrimp when frying. Use extra large shrimp and you have fewer to drudge and fry!

Creamy Cinnamon-Sugar Dip

This dip is so wonderful because kids and adults both love it! Serve with fruit for the mommies and Teddy Grahams for the kiddos and you have the perfect playgroup snack. Greek yogurt is low in sugar and high in protein, so tell your babe to eat up!!

Creamy Cinnamon-Sugar Dip



1/4 c. cream cheese
1/4 c. greek yogurt
1 TBSP brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 TBSP milk

Mix all 5 ingredients together in a bowl, until smooth. Viola!

Delish Side Dish 2!

I love potatoes in every form. If you do too, you MUST try this simple, flavorful, easy dish. This are Heaven wrapped in tin foil.
Pioneer Woman's Potato Bundles



4-5 Russet potatoes, cut into chunks
Yellow or white onion, cut into chunks
Butter
Heavy cream (or milk)
Kosher salt
Paprika
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced parsley

Pile potatoes and onions on a square of foil. Add 2 tablespoons butter, splash on some cream, then sprinkle (GENEROUSLY) on salt, paprika, and black pepper. Wrap bundles tightly and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, or until extremely tender.

Delish Side Dish 1!

Since zucchini is always on-sale during the summer, I have probably made this dish once a day for the last 2 months! I love it for lunch instead of a salad.
Japanese Zucchini



1 handful chopped white onion
1-2 medium zucchinis, cut however you like
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Sautee onion in a pan with a tiny bit of oil for about 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and sesame seeds. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until tender.

Stuffed, Wrapped Jalepeno Appetizers

If you haven't experience the goodness that is the Pioneer Woman, you are missing out. She knows that fattening food keeps a man as easily as a roll in the hay. :P Looking at her site makes me nostalgic of my Texas roots and her mention of her husband always reminds me of my cowboy uncle. These are a Sunday staple in Dallas. My football fan friends love these! They whip these up, as though it were merely openin' a bag of chips!

Cream Cheese Stuffed, Bacon Wrapped, Jalapenos


Ingredients
Fresh Jalepenos
8 oz block of cream cheese
package of REAL bacon, cut in 1/2 if using large jalapenos, or 1/3 if using smaller ones.

Directions
Cut jalapenos in half and clean out the seeds and membrane. Leave seeds if you like it hot! Spoon cream cheese into jalapeno like you would peanut butter to celery. Wrap with bacon slice and hold in place with a toothpick.

Bake on a pan with a rack (or a broiling pan) so the bacon grease can drain, for 25-30 minutes. Broil for a few minutes following until bacon is crispy brown around the edges.

Voila! Serve hot and room temperature. Perfect for parties!

Notes
*When cleaning out a jalapeno either be mindful of the seeds or wear latex gloves so your fingers don't hate you the next day. Leave a few seed in if you prefer some heat.
**I only had large jalapenos but smaller are better because the bacon overlaps.
***Husbands love these!

Lemon Bars

Nothing enhances life better than flour, sugar, and butter! Two of my girlfriends introduced me to this recipe a couple years ago. You could actually pay Kevin for car repair with lemon bars, which one of them did. :) We eat these gooey and straight from the oven because we can't wait for them to cool! But once cooled, the crispy edges are delish!

Bake Sale Lemon Bars
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

Combine the flour, 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar, and butter. Pat dough into prepared pan.

Bake for 20 minutes, until slightly golden. While the crust is baking, whisk together eggs, white sugar, flour, and lemon juice until frothy. Pour lemon mixture over the hot crust.

Return to the preheated oven for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden brown. Dust the top with confectioners' sugar. Cut into squares.

Lemon Poke Cake

Don't mid that it is COVERED in sprinkles, because the cake is delicious. Preston loves sprinkles, so for his birthday, I decorated this cake with only him in mind. He was ecstatic! I aimed to make a cake that, once the inch deep layer of sprinkles were scraped off, was still pleasing to the adults. You can't go wrong with lemon desserts in the summer!


Lemon Cake with Creamy Lemon Frosting
1 package lemon cake mix
1 (3 ounce) package lemon flavored Jell-O
1 cup boiling water
1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip
1 (3 ounce) package instant lemon pudding mix
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk

Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions for a 9x13 inch pan. Poke holes in cake while still hot with the round handle of a wooden spoon. (I had to assure my husband that I wasn't ruining it) Make gelatin with only 1 cup of boiling water. Pour liquid gelatin over cake while hot. (I had to assure my husband that it wouldn't be soggy. He remained unconvinced.) Cool cake completely.

Beat together whipped topping, pudding mix, milk and vanilla extract. Ice cake once it is completely cooled. Refrigerate until ready to serve!

*My cake-pessimistic husband loved this cake, even with the sprinkles. And said "you have to make this again."

Jalepeno Pepper Jelly

Inspired by a friend who is in a hard core jelly making phase and by my love of THIS and THIS, I tried making my own pepper jelly/sauce/chutney. I never took myself for a canner but I now own a boiling-water canner if you ever want to borrow it :)

Jalepeno Pepper Jelly
Serve over cream cheese or brie and serve with Carrs Table Water Crackers and Wheat Thins for a sure to please appetizer!


3 red bell peppers, minced
4 jalepenos, include the seeds of 2
1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
6 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 (6 fl oz) package of liquid pectin
5 drops of red food coloring

In a large saucepan, combine minced peppers (I used my food processor), vinegar, sugar, and cayenne pepper. Cook over medium high heat. Stir frequently until mixture begins to boil.

Stir in pectin, boil 5 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Mix in food coloring. Skim off foam and remove from heat.

Ladle into sterilized jars. Seal and process in a boiling-water canner for 5 minutes.

*The original recipe I found on-line called for green bell peppers, of which I am not a fan. I think the flavor is over-powering. But how cute would green pepper jelly and red pepper jelly be in a basket of wine, cheese, and crackers, for a gift?!?

BLT & Chicken Pasta Salad

I came across this 15 minute meal in a grocery store magazine and it is easy and delicious. My favorite combo! I served it with raspberries and blueberries mixed in lavender honey yogurt for a cool summer meal high in anti-oxidants!

1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
2 cups, cubed chicken (I used pre-cooked)
2 cups halved grape tomatoes
2 cups thinly chopped spinach
1 bunch green onion
4 strips bacon, cooked CRISPY and crumbled
3 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP white wine vinegar (I prefer it with a extra bit)
1 TBSP Dijon mustard

Cook orzo according to directions, rinse with cold water to cool, drain. Stir together all ingredients! Toss to coat pasta with oil, vinegar and mustard. Serve hot or cold.

Ground Turkey Meatloaf

I snagged this off Jennie-O's website a few years ago when I was just learning to cook and it is one of my favorites, still, after having tried many others!



Meatloaf
1 c chopped red onion
3 cloves minced garlic
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 c bread crumbs
1 large egg white
3/4 cut ketchup
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a small skillet with cooking spray. Add onions and garlic. Cook over med-high heat for 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to large bowl; cool for 5 minutes. Add in turkey, bread crumbs, egg white, 1/4 cup ketchup, Worcestershire, salt & pepper. Mix well! Spread remaining 1/2 cup of ketchup over top.

In a loaf pan, I usually cook this for 55-60 minutes. I prefer it this way because it's better for meatloaf sandwiches, which I LOVE. I actually make meatloaf to eat in a sandwich, drenched in ketchup, like a 6 year old. ;) But if you make as mini meatloaves, you can kick up the heat to 375 and cook for only 30 minutes. One pound of meat made 12 mini loaves so if you're dieting, they make a great healthy lunch the next day. I glazed the top of the mini meatloaves with a mixture of ketchup, honey, soy sauce, Worcestershire, like my girlfriend Karen does. I just added in a pot til it tasted like I knew it should.

Salmon and Broccoli

This recipes is from Allrecipes.com. It is packed with tons of flavor, is super diet friendly, takes 2 minutes to put together, & makes no mess at all to prepare!



3 7 oz Salmon fillets
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1 TBSP bottled minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp Herbes de Provence
1/2 cup chopped red onion

Mix the dijon, garlic, and herbs in a bowl. Spread a heaping TBSP of the mix on each fillet, sprinkle each fillet with the red onion, divided evenly. Cook in a 400 degree oven for 20 mins!

Since my oven was already hot, I paired it with Roasted Garlic Lemon Broccoli.


Fill a baking dish with broccoli florets, drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil, sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt, and a dash of garlic powder. Bake for 15 minutes and 400 degrees. Squeeze a slice of lemon over the broccoli when it comes out. Viola!

Roasting broccoli is a great way to cook broccoli versus steaming it. Steaming can leech the nutrients from the broccoli so you might as well drink the water in the steamer bowl and skip the broccoli! Preserve nutrients and knock down the goitrogens and sulfer by roasting it! HUH? People with sensitive thyroids have to limit foods high in goitrogens and sulfer, like cauiflower, cale, cabbage and broccoli, found in RAW forms of these foods. COOKED forms of these foods are fine!

3 beans plus a green

Four-Bean Salad



1 can garbanzo beans
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can green beans (NSA- no salt added)
1 bunch finely chopped green onion
1/2 c cider vinegar
1 TBSP honey
1/2 tsp dry ground mustard
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp black pepper

Dump the canned beans into a colander and rinse thoroughly. Shake to dry. Move beans to a large glass bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Toss to coat. Serve hot or cold.

While helping me cook, Preston ate at least 1/2 a cup of beans one by one from the bowl while I chopped onions. Once they sat in a bowl in front of him, he didn't eat a single one! Since he doesn't like to eat at dinner time, I encourage this munching, as we go. He thinks he's such a sneak but little does he know...

Preservative Free; Trans Fat Free

Easy & delicious. Makes a great dip as well!

Ranch Dressing



1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mayo (use Smart Balance Omega Plus)
1/2 cup sour cream (use Fat Free)
2 TBSP fresh dill
2 TBSP fresh chives
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
dash pepper

Stir and refrigerate one hour before serving.

Peachy Keen

Kevin requested peach margaritas tonight and after experimenting with everything from fresh lime juice and fresh peaches to Triple Sec and canned peaches, our taste test declared this the winner. He said that these are better than On The Borders.

Peach Margaritas



4 oz tequila
2 oz peach schnapps
2 oz sweet and sour
1 1/2 cups fresh frozen peaches
1 1/2 cups ice

Blend and serve in matching "his" and "hers" margarita glasses. ;)

Warm All Over

I haven't made these since last summer, oh man, I forgot how good they are!

Raspberry Margaritas!



5 oz Sweet and Sour
2 oz Tequila
1 oz Cointreau
1 oz Chambord
2 cups ice

Serve blended or on the rocks! If you make these on the rocks, be sure to use a premium, clear, tequila, like Patron or Casadores, for a lovely raspberry colored drink. No one wants to drink a BROWN margarita! I like my margaritas blended because it slows me down and fills me up so I can't drink as much. Better for the brain, better for the body!

Margarita May!

Grapefruit Margaritas



1/2 can frozen limeade concentrate
3/4 cup ruby red grapefruit juice
3/4 cup tequila
2 cups ice

I stumbled on this recipe online and I am so glad I did. I love margaritas, one of my favorite cocktails! I haven't tried it with fresh grapefruit juice yet but Ocean Spray works well. As does cheap tequila!

Crock Pot BBQ Chicken

BBQ Chicken
12 frozen boneless skinless chicken breast tenders
2 Cups BBQ sauce*
1/2 cup Italian dressing*
2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce.

Throw all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low for 7 hours. Shred with fork. Serve over a baked potato (Daddy's) or bed of spinach (Skinny Mom's). Any way you want!



*The best way to eliminate excess sugars and preservatives? Make your own! And it couldn't be easier and tastes SO much better!

Barbecue Sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
4 TBSP white vinegar
2 TBSP yellow mustard
2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp celery seeds
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

This is my "crock pot" bbq sauce. I almost NEVER use a measuring cup/spoon so the measurements are approximate. I use this recipe often for pork and chicken. Since it isn't a dark sauce, I sometime mix in a couple TBSP of bottled Hickory BBQ sauce to give it a smoky flavor and to give it color.

Italian Dressing
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
2 tablespoons salt

Let your toddler measure the dry ingredients into a Tupperware container and shake to mix! To prepare dressing whisk together 1/4 white vinegar, 2/3 cup canola oil, 2 tablespoons water and 2 tablespoons of the dry mix. Let the ingredients "marry" overnight!

Nacho Ordinary Saturday Night

FLAUTAS


2 pounds pork roast
16 oz pico de gallo
7 oz Mexican tomato sauce (If you don't want heat, use regular tomato sauce instead)
7 oz salsa verde
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin

4 slices jack cheese, cut into 3 strips.
12 tortillas
olive oil

Throw the pig, salsas, and spices into a crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours. Shred and pull apart beef with fork. Pour meat into colander and drain excess liquid, so they don't get soggy when you bake them. Spoon a couple ounces of pork into a tortilla and layer with 1 strip of cheese. Roll tortilla, pin with a toothpick. Place on a single layer cookie sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until crispy.


Serve with sour cream (or plain greek yogurt!) and guacamole!

My oiler and tooth picker hard at work.


Skinny Mom Modification:
In the past, I have used a beef pot roast instead, simmering it on the stove for under an hour but pork doesn't fare so well this way. To keep it tender, I use the crock pot. A lean pork roast only yields 110 calories for 4 oz and has less fat than beef. So the additional cook time is worth it. To get a little more bang for my buck in terms of health, I use multi-grain tortillas instead of flour. I even prepared a few tonight with La Tortilla's Low Carb Tortillas, which have only 50 calories each. (They make a GF tortilla/wrap as well.) I prepared mine without cheese and ate two for under 300 calories, total!

Freezer Favorites

I am a working mommy and too tired to cook many nights. When I don't feel like cooking, instead of PB&'J's or cereal, I often rely on TJ's chicken sausages to satisfy us all. Mango is my favorite. They are GF (gluten free) too.

Sweet potato fries are also a staple in this house. These are from Costco, but TJ's sells them too. I like these because they don't get soggy and because P loves "french fries."

Perfectly Pesto

...If you are being carb or calorie conscious, spoon a few TBSP onto grilled chicken instead of pasta.


Pesto
1 1/3 cup packed basil, without stems
2/3 c Parmesan cheese
2/3 c olive olive
4 TBSP pine nuts
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic

Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend for about 30 seconds!

Whole Wheat Pancakes

....Decorated with Ghiradelli white chocolate chips & Knott's boysenberry syrup.*

Whole Wheat Pancake Mix
Serves 3

3/4 c whole wheat flour
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
dash salt
1 tsp sugar
1 cup milk
1 egg white
1 1/2 TBSP melted butter
1 scoop ground flaxseed

Whisk all ingredients until smooth. Scoop 1/4c mix onto hot griddle. Before flipping, sprinkle with a toddler-sized (small) or husband-sized (Medium) or Kevin-sized (TOO MANY!) amount of white chocolate chips. Serve with boysenberry syrup.

My fantastic, measuring cup manager enjoying the fruit of our labor.

*Knott's boysenberry syrup is full of HFC (High Fructose Corn Syrup) so it is a treat. More often I use TJ's (Trader Joe's) lemon curd to sweeten P's pancakes. Heat a tablespoon and drizzle like a glaze.

Welcome to...because food is love!

I'm always trying to devise a way to keep up with the hundreds of recipes that I try. Recipes that I want to pass on to my future daughter-in-laws. ;) What a shame to forget a once-tried, fantastic dish! And I do it all the time! In a quest to live a paperless life- not because I'm an environmentalist- but since paper clutters my house, gets lost, and pisses me off. I bookmark recipes on my computer but almost always modify so to document the changes I've made to the recipes I've compiled, I've started a food blog. Please note that I have probably found this recipe elsewhere and merely added my own flair to it. Not with the effort to claim it but because I don't have sour cream, only plain yogurt. So do not sue me. I am not taking ownership over these recipes, unless, well, I take ownership over it. My goal as a mommy is to make healthy food that tastes good and to teach my son about proper nutrition. I also have a passion for fine wine, expensive alcohol, gourmet meals, and baked goods so this combines all my loves.