Baked Eggs. Really.

Yes, I know roosters don't lay eggs. My niece took this photo and I wanted to use it. A big cock at The Ranch.

There is NO shortage of fresh eggs around these parts. For me, its my MIL and Bestie that have their own fowl running free who are supplying us with our egg fix. Soon, we will have our own laying hens in the country; something I have wanted for a very long time. No one in Texas should be buying store-bought eggs with the abundance of fresh eggs around these parts. If you need a hook up, let me know. She delivers to Austin.

Yesterday, I saw a postings from EasyLunchBoxes about Baking Eggs to achieve a hard-boiled-like juevo.  Really?  I’ll give it a go…in mom’s oven, just in case they decide to explode!  We eat hard-boiled eggs all the time.  Its a quick way for the kids to get filled in the morning and you certainly can’t beat the protein benefits.  Hard boiled eggs are easy to transport for walks in the stroller or morning errands in the car.  The selling point for me was that baking FRESH eggs this way was the ONLY way one reader was able to peel them with ease.  Have you ever tried to peel a FRESH hard-boiled egg vs. a store-bought hard-boiled egg?  Not easy. 

And here is how it goes down:

Preheat oven to 325.  Put your {fresh} eggs in a muffin pan to contain the ova just in case they do explode.  Nobody likes egg in their oven.  I saw some readers who have been doing this for years just put them right on the oven racks; brave souls.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, let cool and peel.  There are a myriad of other suggestions on how to achieve baked-eggs greatness you can go read about.

How did MINE turn out and will I do it again??? Twenty-five minutes later, I cautiously pulled them out of the oven thinking the change in temperature would surely make them explode in my face.  No one likes egg on their face.  They didn’t.  I let them cool on their own for 20 minutes before I attempted the peel test.

Peel Test: Brown Egg.  Totally did not peel with ease.  BALLS.  This was supposed to work. 

Next, Pale Blue Egg:  Totally worked.  Peeled like a charm.

Appearance:  See the brown spots on the eggs?  Others said this was where they sat in the muffin pan.  Doesn’t bother me one bit.  When I cut them, the yolk seemed exactly the same.  We usually don’t eat the yolks unless I am doing egg salad or deviled eggs.

Taste:  HOT DAMN!  There was no difference in taste.  They were smooth and velvety, just they way an egg boiled in water is.

Will I bake eggs again?  Yes, probably.  I like the ease of just popping them in the oven and turning a timer on.  Not that it is so much easier than boiling, but I have to keep an eye on boiling eggs.  I felt like this was just a TAD bit easier in my life.

Now, go try and let me know how your’s turned out or if you have any tips to share!

HAPPY MONDAY! xoxo
bfm

Spicy Cukes

This is a great time of year on St. Croix for home-grown vegetables.  The Ag Fair just wrapped up a couple of weeks ago, which means we are at the peak of veggie season.  For me, it means hoping to make it out to ArtFarm before anyone else to gorge myself on delish cherry toms and spicy green mix or make the trek to KFart west hoping Jackson Farms will be open….OR stopping by the veggie road side stand in La Grande Princess where I can also get a beautiful sermon along with my toms & cukes… OR the lady across from Gas-n Grass has her veggie stand out (get it? gas & grass?)

Toms & Cukes.  THAT is what I am mostly after.  I did not even eat tomatoes until I was pregnant with SJ.  We were growing them and I could not get enough of them.  It was bizarre.  And the craving has not stopped.  I am a total tomato snob, but I’ll save the addiction for a post about tomatoes.  This is a post about Cucumbers.

A friend {really good  one who I am gonna miss the hell out of} made these out of the blue a couple of years ago and shared them with our family.  I make them every chance I get because it is soooooo easy.  Our family DEVOURES them.  I usually make one jar REALLY spicy for mom & dad and one jar just plain for the chil’ren. This is a QUICK AND EASY pickle-style recipe.  No long-term canning required:

SPICY CUKES 

Ingredients:

• 3 large cucumbers, peeled, thinly sliced
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (less if you don’t want it spicy)
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon dried leaf basil

Preparation:Combine all ingredients except cucumbers; heat until sugar melts. Pour warm mixture over cucumbers. Store covered in refrigerator. Serves 6 to 8

I have left out the basil on occasion when it was not available and they still taste great.

Last year, cukes were scarce.  This year, quite the opposite.  In fact, we have a weird wild version that has taken over the road side in our neighborhood.  This year, they are at every roadside veggie stand from east to west, and so far, I have not had a bad one yet.  My kids LOVE them and I don’t mind letting them gorge themselves on cucumbers.  Things could be worse.

Here is hoping your spring brings you fresh veggies and you try something new!

xoxoxo

Reese’s Pieces Cup Cakes.

Yes, you read that right.  If you know anything about our family, you know we LoVe chocolate + peanut butter.  Just see here and here.  I was feeling a little lack-luster about SJ’s recent party, and wanted to do something fun for his birthday dessert.  Enter The Peanut Butter Frosting.

{fyi, not for those with peanut allergies, duh.  sorry.}

Peanut Butter Frosting Recipe:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2 to 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar (I used 2 cups)

Reese’s Pieces, for garnish

Cream butter and peanut butter until well blended, then gradually add in the powdered sugar and blend well. If the frosting is two thick, you can thin it out with a tad bit of milk; add slowly.

I LOVE this recipe for two major reasons:

1.  It tastes like the middle of a Reese’s Peanut Butter cup.  If our family could bathe in it, we would.
2.  It stays nice and stiff.  The humidity does not have a chance with this stuff.  I iced these beauties in the morning and by 4pm they were still just as pretty.

I just used regular Devils’ Cake mix for the cupcakes and they were soooooo moist! C’mon, I can’t do it all!

I originally piped the frosting with a pastry bag using a thick tip, but had a couple of blow outs:

The icing was two thick for the ziploc bag substitution.  I realized the icing was pretty malable.  I could ball it up, flatten it out, then lay it on top of the cupcake.  HELLO EASY STREET!  For garnish, I slap-chopped some reese’s pieces and sprinkled them on top. 

 Oh, they were just beautiful.  I could not wait to see how the kids liked them.

Out they came at the fun-tabulous beach party.

 And well, you know kids will eat just about anything, but these REALLY were delicious.  AND when the moms come up and ask you how you did htem, well, then, you know you did a great job.  So, make these as a surprise for your kids.  The sugar is not going to kill them.  Everything in moderation. 

xoxo- hope you enjoy!  If you try, let me know how they turned out for you.

Egg Nog: Another Holley Family Tradition {a recipe}

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard in the past few weeks from The Fisherman how his mom made THE BEST egg nog when they were kids.  Sans “hooch” of course.  So, of course we asked her to make it.  The Fisherman wanted to drink it while watching National Lampoons Christmas Vacation.  I wanted to learn and share it. Its egg nog, its Christmas, it’s a Holley Family tradition that I want to pass down to my kids.  And I had the master herself here to teach me.

Surprisingly, you probably already have everything in your pantry:

And here we go*:

BEAT: 1/3 cup sugar, 2 egg YOLKS (save the whites)

ADD: 1/4 tsp salt
STIR In: 4 cups milk
COOK over medium heat stirring constantly**.  Constantly.  Pour yourself some coquito.  You’ll be there a while.  My MIL says it ready when it coats a metal spoon.

In the bowl you saved your egg whites, beat them, on HIGH speed, slowly adding 3 table spoons sugar.  Beat to soft peaks.  FACT:  This was my first time to succeed at beating egg whites to a soft peak.  According to The Fisherman, the result is usually me cussing the humidity, drinking a beer and smoking a cig.  Not this time.  My MIL was right there next to me coaching and cheering me on:

Add soft- peaked egg whites to cooled custard and mix with 1 tsp Adams Extract Vanilla.

Chill 3-4 hours if you can wait that long. Add your favorite adult spirit.  We chose Cruzan Rum, of course.  Serve in adorable glasses,  top with Whip Cream and nutmeg.  Sit back, relax and enjoy. {people, please.  No, SJ’s does not have rum in it}

*This recipe makes about one quart.  We tripled it.
** I learned that some people make egg nog without cooking it.  Maybe it doesn’t take as long, but the consistency and taste is not as good, and well, you’re eating raw eggs.

Mele Kalikimaka
bfm

The Holley Family Breakfast Casserole {a recipe}

Good Morning!  It’s a beautiful Sunday morning here on St. Croix.  I got to sleep a little late, but was anxious to get breakfast started because it is the bomb-digitty.  It’s a breakfast casserole with all things bad for you- but ok in moderation.  If you were lucky enough to stay the night at the Ranch after this:

Then you know my super incredible (loving, thoughtful, back-hoe driver) MIL made this for an army of guests the next morning.  We were all so thankful to have delicious, warm, bacon/egg/cheese yum yum in our tummies after a night of imbibing (was there really karoke at The Ranch?? YES THERE WAS!  Thanks to Encore Entertainment). 

I know there are a million variations of this recipe out there, but this one, for me, is super easy.  It can totally be rev’ed up with peppers, onions, etc.  Or leave it just the way it is.  Here is the recipe:

Dump one 8oz box seasoned croutons in the bottom of a buttered casserole dish:

Sprinkle 8oz shredded cheddar cheese over croutons (fyi- take the time to grate your own cheese.  Its tastes so much better.  Better yet, make your own, right?):

Beat together NINE eggs and 1 QUART Half & Half.  Yep:

And pour on top of cheese covered croutons:

Fry up 9 slices of bacon (8 is too little, 10 is too much…random), and slap chop the heck outta’ them:

Do you know the Trini Slap Chop?  Take a second to jump over to YouTube and laugh your butt off.

Sprinkle bacon over the top. 

Bake at a low 325 degrees for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until egg mixture does not jiggle in the middle. 

Every member of your family will eat this up, and if they don’t, well, they’re just not American.  Forget about your diet, eat it in moderation.  Put some country gospel on Pandora and have a Sunday Morning Family Breakfast.

xo
bfm

ps- have you seen the Creme Brulee French Toast Recipe???

Easy Frozen Treats

Yesterday, SC’s BFF Miss B spent the day with us.  The kids are out of school for the week (their school takes more holidays than the VI government), which means I sacrifice my job security so the Fisherman can work.  Thankfully, I work with people who have no kids and can’t possibly understand the idea of not having childcare and let me take off whenever I want.  Wait, Frozen Treats.

I needed projects for the day to keep the little ones busy so they would not kick and scratch each other’s eyes out.  The day goes by so much smoother when that doesn’t happen.  What better project than frozen yogurt pops?  YES!  I had everything on hand: yogurt, plastic cups for molds, wood sticks, sprinkles, food coloring and random fruit.  Again, with this food craft, the possibilities are ENDLESS.  Miss B’s mom even sent her over with adorable butterfly molds.  Here is what we did:

Kids got to scoop their own yogurt:

Sprinkle their own sprinkles:

Drop their own fruit:

And pop them in the freezer (we did this first thing in the morning so they could be ready for their afternoon snack):

Don’t worry about what they look like.  The kids won’t care when they are frozen and ready to eat.  Believe me.  If your sticks don’t stand up straight, cover the tops of your molds with foil or saran-wrap and then poke the sticks through.

SNACK TIME! (and still nap time for SJ)

What better way to spend some time than with your BFF than on the front porch eating frozen yogurt pops?  When it is hotter than you-know-what? 

Now, go make them with your kids and eat them on a hot summer day, or any day.

How easy is this?

Fish Food

Really?  I have never shared our favorite fish recipes?  A reader recently requested this and I am more than happy to share.  Because we eat fish ALL the time. Right?  Right.  Ya, I wish.  Please stop calling me to ask if there is any frozen fish in the deep freeze, because there NEVER is.  I check.

To be quite honest with you, I did not eat fish before we moved here.  I would eat shellfish…lobster, crab, shrimp, etc, but nothing that swam.  I just was not into it I guess.  I even banned tunafish at one point.  I dawned on me that I don’t eat fish, why was I eating shredded fish out of a can?  Well, I’m over that now. 

On the RARE occasions that The Fisherman does bring home fish to feed his family, we do have a few go-to recipes that are easy and we all love.  Both kids LOVE fish, and SC is the first to tell you that raw wahoo is better than raw mahi. 

On really special occasions, The Fisherman rolls sushi.  That’s when he has fresh wahoo and a day to prepare all the fixins.  We LOVE it.  No special recipe, just roll what you want. 

Ok, easy fish recipes:

Fish Tacos:  adapted from Alton Brown’s version.  Its’ a beer battered, fried, yummy version.  Eat with or with out warm tortillas wrapped in love.

• 2 inch chunks/strips of your favorite white fish.  We prefer mahi or wahoo less than 24 hours out of the water, but who really cares, huh?
• flour
• beer (what ever the charters have left on the boat)
• mustard
• salt/pepper for seasoning how ever you want

Combine flour, beer, mustard, seasoning until its a pancake consistency.  Dip fish in batter, lay to rest until crispy golden-light brown in a pan of hot frying oil.  Now is not the time to be thinking healthy, people.  Just enjoy life and go to the gym later.

When we serve the above fried fish taco style, we get all fancy and make our own pico usually consisting of japs, cilantro, local mango / papaya /tomatos and limes from our big a$$ lime bush.  Wrap in your freshly made torts, top with pico and manchego cheese, serve with blackbeans sprinkled with cilantro.  Eat it in your face and love the hell out of it.  This is usually our traditional “Welcome to the island- you-just-had-a-baby-we’d-like-to-get-to-know-you-better-” dinner.  We make all our friends this way.

Pretty easy, huh?  No measurements, just do it.

Next:  Mayo-Parm Crusted Fish
Again, pick up some white-fish fillets about the size of your palm. Mix REAL mayonaise and shredded parm in a bowl.  Mix in some salt / pepper / what ever you want to season with.  Smother the fillets, SMOTHER ALL OVER, with the mayo mixture.  I usually sprinkle a bit of shredded parm on top – it browns nicely in the oven.  Bake in the oven @ 350 for about 20 minutes.  Super Yum-O.  Again, go to the gym after this.  I try to convince myself that the fresh fish cancels out the fattening mayo.

Other than that, we grill a TON.  I marinate fish in teriyaki over-night.  Super easy, no fuss.  Serve with rice & brocolli or what ever the hell you want to serve it with.  Don’t let me tell you what to do.

And, that is pretty much it, pretty uneventful, and pretty simplistic.  I hope I didn’t let you down, but, honestly, fresh fish at our house is few and faw between.

If YOU have a fav fish recipe- share with me- I’d LOVE to try it!

xo

Creme Brulee French Toast

Here it is:  The smell that made those hunk-o-muscles slow down just a bit:  Creme Brulee French Toast. 

Super duper easy and if you’re cool, you most likely have all these ingredients in your house.  Somewhere.  You probably just have to go get a loaf of F-Bread.  And even that doesn’t have to be fresh.  NOTE:  THIS RECIPE IS BEST WHEN MADE THE NIGHT AHEAD SO YOU CAN SLEEP LATE IN THE MORNING AND NOT WORRY ABOUT BREAKFAST.

Gather:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 6 (or more) slices French Bread
• 5 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups half-n-half cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon brandy-based orange liquueor (Grandma’, Contreau, etc)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

COMBINE:
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Mix in brown sugar and corn syrup, stirring until sugar is dissolved.  Pour into a 9×13 baking dish.

Arrange bread in baking dish in a single layer.  In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, half-n-half, vanilla, booze and salt.  Pour over bread.  Cover and chill for at least eight hours or overnight (even easier!)

BAKE:
Preheat oven to 350.  Remove the dish from your cold source and bring to room temperature.  Bake uncovered 35-40 minutes until PUFFED and lightly browned.

ENJOY:
Throw your kids in the car with this breakfast, some paper plates, forks and go somewhere fun to eat this breakfast!  Or, just it in in your boring ol’ dining room.  Either way, it is FREAKING DELISH!

(thanks to the best MIL for printing, sleeving and sending me this recipe for my recipe binder! XO HER!)

Lunch On A Stick.

I can pretty much put anything on a stick and my kids will eat it:

Today, it was pbj (with strawberry jam!) and apple slices.  They LOVE it.  My kids are not picky eaters, they’ll TRY just about anything.  I know they get bored with the same ol’ stuff, but when I do something fun with their food, they eat it up, literally.

NOTE:  Probably not a good idea to send wooden picks to school.  I did it once and I don’t think the teachers approved of the mini-sword fight I heard broke out at the big kids’ table.  Oops.

Bake Me A Cake.

Well, ok.  The kids and I did not bake one thing this holiday season and I have been on a baking kick or a while.  We made Aunt Rhonda’s White Trash Yum Yum last week and polished that one off nicely. 

While snuggling with my Feb 2011 of BHG Sunday night (a bit of nostalgia remembering my Mom doing the same thing) I came across some delish looking cake recipes.  Vanilla & Chocolate, with icing recipes to match…and some new icing tips I badly needed seeing as how I still can’t make my MIL’s 7-minute icing.  Not to mention they looked so beautiful on their cake stands.  I have a cake stand.  White.  From Williams & Sonoma.  A wedding gift that hardly gets used but I love to see it on one of my open shelves in the kitchen.  Dammit, I’m gonna bake me a cake.

SC decided she wanted chocolate with chocolate icing.  Although there are no photos of the actual event, please believe me when I tell you both kids assisted in the process.  They are pretty good about it.  Measuring, dumping, mixing, tasting, licking the beaters.  I love baking with the kids.  It is an awesome learning experience, a time to bond and a time where I am not yelling at them. We usually end up sitting on the kitchen floor licking the bowl and smearing (insert yummy batter of choice here) on or faces.

  And away we baked.  I followed this recipe to the T.  I wanted it to be perfect!

And It was perfect.  Time to Ice, Ice, Baby.  I CAN DO THIS.  IT IS NOT A HUMID DAY AND THE ICING WILL SET!  Well, I followed the chocolate icing recipe along with these terrific new icing tips and……..

And it looks beautiful on my cake stand.  And we ate cake BEFORE dinner.  Because life is too short.  And hopefully, The Rainbow Cake  incident will be the last of my cake meltdowns.