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What’s for Dinner Wednesday: Miss Meg’s Marinade

19 Jun
In honor of Meg's last week, a recipe from her to me.

In honor of Meg’s last week, a recipe from her to me.

“What’s for Dinner Wednesday” is my editor Meg’s brainchild. As my blog was in its infancy, it was Meg who asked me if I’d like to do a weekly post with my recipes for the Cranston Herald’s Facebook page.

Of course I said yes, and “What’s for Dinner Wednesday” was born.

This Friday is Meg’s last day at the Cranston Herald as she has gotten an exciting new job, working as the press secretary for our  Congressman, James Langevin.

We will miss her soooo much. So, so much. Meg is a wonderful editor, a wonderful boss. A great listener and someone who knows just what to say, how to say it, and when.

Did I mention that we’ll miss her?

Recently, Meg passed along a recipe to me for a new marinade. She found it on Allrecipes.com and said she thought we’d like it a lot and that it was easy. I said I’d try it soon, and just in time for her last “What’s for Dinner Wednesday” post, we did.

And yes, we liked it a lot.

So today, in honor of Miss Meg’s last day at work this week, I am sharing with you the recipe she shared with us.

Thank you Meg for all you’ve done and best of luck in your future! I know you will go far!

Remember to save a little bit for basting later on!

Remember to save a little bit for basting later on!

Miss Meg’s Honey Marinade

originally from Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil)

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves cut into 1″  cubes (I used chicken tenderloin and cut them into 1″ cubes.)

2 cloves garlic

5 small onions, cut into 2″ pieces

Skewers

You can add bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, grape tomatoes, or anything you’d like to your skewers!

Marinade first, skewer second.

Marinade first, skewer second. Ready to grill!

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, honey, soy sauce, and pepper. Before adding chicken, reserve a small amount of marinade to brush onto kabobs while cooking. Place the chicken, garlic, onions and peppers in the bowl, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours (the longer the better).
  2. Preheat the grill for high heat.
  3. Drain marinade from the chicken and vegetables, and discard marinade. Thread chicken and vegetables alternately onto the skewers.
  4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the skewers on the grill. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until chicken juices run clear. Turn and brush with reserved marinade frequently.

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Monday Musings: Change is good.

17 Jun
Time marches on.

Time marches on.

This time of year is a hectic one for those of us who work in schools, and as an education reporter, June is by far one of the most hectic times of all. However, one of the things I enjoy about June in particular, is the fact that I am asked to cover many types of graduations, moving up, moving on and farewell celebrations.

In the past ten days or so, I was blessed to witness a fifth and sixth grade farewell, a preschool graduation, a fifth-grade farewell, a middle school honors night and two high school graduations. At each one I really had no connection to any of the people being honored and yet I had goosebumps at every event, and felt my eyes well up on more than one occasion.

For you see, at each event, as I watch the parents and the students enjoying their special moments,  I am reminded of my own family and of my own life as a parent.

I am reminded that no matter how hard we try, how hard we hope and pray that time will slow down and maybe even stop for a bit, that life marches on and every day, every beginning and every end of the school year, brings forth change of some kind.

And I try to remind myself that change is good, that these are celebrations and happy times.

Each day as I watch my oldest walk out the door to the school bus, I can still see her on the very first day of kindergarten, getting onto that bus in her little sandals, with her backpack on her shoulders. As I sat at the middle school honors night last week, I watched the students who will be leaving middle school for high school and realized that next year that will be her.

Where does the time go?

I think I sang “Six Little Ducks Went out to Play”  the loudest at the preschool graduation last week, as I thought of my baby, going into third grade next year. Wasn’t it just yesterday that we were at her preschool graduation? Weren’t we just singing that song for each one of them at their own special preschool ceremonies?

I watched this year’s fifth-graders say farewell to their elementary school last week, it struck me that my middle daughter is going to be there in a blink as she moves onto fifth grade next fall. I am thankful that our school goes up to sixth grade for elementary school because I know I won’t be ready for her to say goodbye to elementary school just yet when next June rolls around.

I need more time.

But it is the high school graduations each, that hit me like a ton of bricks every year. We are moving so quickly towards that goal and I sit there every year thinking that soon this will be us. That soon these will be our daughters graduating high school and then college.

My dad recently told me that my college graduation was “one of those moments” that is forever burned in his brain. The sight of me walking with all the other grads into the ceremony is one he said he’ll never forget.

I don’t know if I can wrap my head the fact that these types of milestones will soon be our own. I don’t know if I can stand it.

But as I listened to each of the graduation speakers this weekend, both students and dignitaries, the resounding theme to each of them was change.

And how change is inevitable, but that change is good.

And so, as another graduation season comes to a close, all I can do is take their word for it.

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Fun Friday: “Cook-A-Doodle-Doo!” A story and an activity for you!

14 Jun
This is a great summer read for you and your family!

This is a great summer read for you and your family!

It’s strawberry season!

Strawberries are one of my all-time favorite fruits no matter what time of year, but in the summertime they are extra delicious! I love to pick them, cook with them and to eat them!

Strawberries are great whether cooked or fresh, and of course, there is nothing like a great Strawberry Shortcake to top off any summer meal!

Last year, my friend Sue brought a book over to my house called “Cook-A-Doodle-Doo!” and it’s a perfect story for this time of year. The story is by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel and is illustrated by Janet Stevens.

In the story, the rooster is on a mission to find something better to eat than chicken feed. He enlists the help of several of his animal friends to cook his granny’s Magnificent Strawberry Shortcake.

Through many twists and turns in the kitchen, the group, who is new to cooking and baking, maneuvers through the recipe’s instructions, learning the true meaning behind such things as beating eggs and cutting butter.

One thing that I love about the story is the fact that in the margins of the pages these terms are explained for the young readers so that they can understand more about the ingredients and how they are used. As cute and humorous as the story is, it’s a learning experience for the reader as well.

But the best part of all? At the end of this fabulous story is the recipe for Rooster’s “Great-Granny’s Magnificent Strawberry Shortcake” and it’s a perfect way to end the story, by baking together with the kids, and of course, by eating the fruits of your labor!

I won’t give away the rest of the story, nor will I give away the recipe here. I hope that you’ll gather your family, your ingredients, and get a hold of “Cook-A-Doodle-Doo!” so that you can enjoy some good times in the kitchen this summer!

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What’s for Dinner Wednesday: Balsamic Chicken with Rosemary (A South Beach recipe)

12 Jun
This was both simple and delicious!

This was both simple and delicious!

This is a recipe we tried and liked some time back. It’s a South Beach Diet recipe and it was simple, easy and delicious! At this time of year we need quick and easy with all of the end-of-year meetings and events, so I pulled this recipe out again. In this photo, ours is served with couscous and a sauteed vegetable medley of broccoli, cauliflower and zucchini.

BALSAMIC CHICKEN

From the South Beach Diet Book

INGREDIENTS

6 Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves, minced or 1/2 teaspoon dried

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 – 6 tablespoons white wine (optional)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Refrigerate overnight.

Refrigerate overnight.

DIRECTIONS

Rinse the chicken and pat dry.

Combine the rosemary, garlic, pepper and salt in a small bowl and mix well.

Place the chicken in a large bowl. Drizzle with the oil, and rub with the spice mixture.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Spray a heavy roasting pan or iron skillet with cooking spray. Place the chicken in the pan and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken over.

If the drippings begin to stick to the pan, stir in 3-4 tablespoons water (or white wine if using).

Bake about ten minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the portion registers 160 degrees and the juices run clear. If the pan is dry, stir in another 1-2 tablespoons of water or white wine to loosen drippings.

Drizzle the vinegar over the chicken in the pan.

Transfer the chicken to plates. Stir the liquid in the pan and drizzle over chicken.

Serves six

Per serving: 183 calories, 26 g. protein, 4 g. carbohydrates, 6 g. fat, 1 g. saturated fat, 270 mg. sodium, 65 mg. cholesterol, 0 g. fiber

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Fun Friday: Spiced Chickpeas for an After School Snack

7 Jun
Everyone enjoyed this snack!

Everyone enjoyed this snack!

I forget sometimes that as much as I love sweets, that there are some people in this house who like the salty, more savory flavored foods. My three kids have a mix of tastes but my snacks are often the sweet kinds because that’s what I like best.

However, recently I found a recipe in the Stop and Shop Magazine for Spiced Chickpeas, which are roasted in the oven, and although I didn’t think I’d personally love them, I decided to try them as a snack for my family. The funny thing is, I personally loved them. Everyone loved them. In fact, I just bought two more cans of chickpeas so we can make them again since it’s been a little while since I made them last.

The recipe was simple and had very few ingredients besides the chickpeas, so it makes it tasty, easy, extremely healthy and affordable. If you’ve never tried them before, if you’re a sweet treats kind of person yourself, I encourage you to step out of your snacking comfort zone and give these a try!

SPICED CHICKPEAS

Makes four 1/2 cup servings

INGREDIENTS

1 can (15.5 oz.) chickpeas (garbanzo beans) about 2/3 cups

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or canola oil (we used olive)

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Dash of cayenne pepper or to taste

1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (optional)

Nonstick cooking spray

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Drain, rinse and dry chickpeas on paper towels.

Combine olive oil and spices in bowl.

Add chickpeas and toss until evenly coated.

Spread chickpeas evenly onto a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and crispy.

Shake chickpeas around every 10 minutes or so for even crisping and to prevent sticking.

Remove baking sheet from oven and transfer chickpeas to a serving bowl. Enjoy while warm!

Per serving: 180 calories, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 26g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 0 g sugars and 6 g protein

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What’s for Dinner Wednesday: Pork Marinade

5 Jun

Dinner: marinated pork, rice pilaf, and carrots/apples/craisins

ORIGINALLY POSTED JANUARY 16, 2012

One of the things I often purchase at Aldi’s at least once per month are their Pork Tenderloins. They’re inexpensive, just the right size for our family (I buy two if we’re having company for dinner) and they come in an “original” flavor, as well as a couple of other flavors. I like the original flavor because we can do whatever we want to the pork. Sometimes we use teriyaki, sometimes we do barbeque, and sometimes we do a simple pork marinade.

Today I’m sharing the recipe with you for the Pork Marinade. Of course, it’s a recipe from my mom and the instructions say “Also good on steak,” and “Don’t double.”  So don’t.

PORK MARINADE

4 TBL Soy Sauce

2 cloves (1 tsp) garlic, crushed or chopped (we usually use minced out of the jar if we don’t have fresh.)

2 TBL olive oil

2 tsp Brown Sugar

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp pepper

ziploc bag marinated pork tenderloin

Throw it all in a bag and you’re good to go.

That’s all there is to it! Super easy. Throw it all in a ziploc bag or tupperware marinater, throw in the pork and you’re good to go. This can be made ahead and frozen, pork and all, for future use as well. When I was pregnant with my third daughter, during my nesting or as I like to call it, panicking, I marinated and froze many different bags of pork, steak and chicken (different marinade for chicken, I’ll share it another day) ahead of time and we were able to use them for weeks and months afterwards.

Hopefully this budget-friendly dinner idea works well for you too!

Enjoy!

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So what are you doing this summer?

3 Jun
Bike riding is just one of the fun, free summer activities you can do with your kids!

Bike riding is just one of the fun, free summer activities you can do with your kids!

We are at the point of counting the number of school days until school is out (14 left after today). I can’t wait. I love summer, my whole family loves summer.

We don’t usually make any big plans for the summer, but yet somehow we do a lot and the summer always goes by much too fast.

Since I’m at the point where I’m thinking ahead to summer activities, I’m guessing that I’m not the only one. I thought that today I’d share a list of fun, free summer activities that we do. Most everything is something you can do with your kids also, no matter where you live.

But I’d like to ask you, what kinds of other fun, free things do you do over the summer with your kids? Be sure to leave a comment and add to my list!

1) Riding bikes: There are several local bike paths that we can take advantage of, and we also use a lot of the big, open school parking lots for wide open biking riding opportunities too.

2) Free bowling: AMF has free bowling EVERY DAY all summer long, two games per kid, not counting shoe rental.  You can click on the link to sign up your kids! It’s great for hot days, because it’s nice and cool inside, and it’s great for rainy days, as it gets them out of the house for a bit.

3) Free movies: Regal Cinemas has free movies all summer, as does Showcase Cinemas, once a week. Other movie theaters may be doing the same sort of thing near you too!

4) State Parks: Many state parks all over the country have free entry days or special event days that are free. Check out this link to find one near you!

5) Museums: Many museums are free on Fridays or have free events on Fridays. Check out the calendars for museums near you to see if they do Free Museum Fridays or something similar.

6) Free Summer Music Concerts: Near us, you can go to a free outdoor music concert almost every night of the week. Local bands in our area play in various cities and towns throughout our state and it’s a great night out with the family to sit outside and hear them play. They are also usually all different sorts of bands from oldies to calypso to swing. It’s great fun for the kids to hear something different and it gives them quite the repertoire of music appreciation.

7) Dinner on the beach: Many of the beaches near us are not free during the day but are free at night. Beach passes here are quite expensive, so instead, we’ll often plan a picnic on the beach and bring our dinner down there. We swim and play from early evening until sunset. There’s nothing better, in my opinion, than watching my kids play in the waves as the sun is going down. And to me, it’s often even more special and memorable than a regular day at the beach, although we enjoy that too.

8) Visit your local library: We love our local libraries. I can’t say it enough. A regular visit to the library is one way for us to spend an hour or more in a cool, calm place. But our libraries really kick it up for the summer. We can go to any of their branches to see local performers, participate in a craft, or to participate in their summer reading programs. Be sure to check out your local libraries to see what they offer for summer activities.

9) Letterboxing: My family loves letterboxing and we spend some time in the warmer months finding local letterboxes. If you have never done it before, give it a try! If you click on the link you can read one of my older posts about it.

10) Hiking: Sometimes just taking a nice afternoon hike is all you need to wind down your day. Many local trails are nice and shady, so you can keep cool while you get some exercise with the kids. You may see some wildlife along the way, and don’t forget your bug spray!

So tell me….what can you add to this list? Leave a comment and tell me what fun things you do with your family in the summertime!

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Fun Friday: Oven Fried Parmesean Zucchini Rounds

31 May
This recipe from the Sugar Free Mom blog make a great after school snack!

This recipe from the Sugar Free Mom blog make a great after school snack!

Happy Friday to you!

Part of my Friday routine usually includes a visit to my Grandma Rose with my kids after school. We spend some time together, have a few snacks and treats and then off we go until the next visit.

One thing Grandma Rose is famous for is her Fried Zucchinis. She has a knack for slicing them, coating them and frying them perfectly. Whenever there is an event, she makes about 100 of them.

The funny thing is: she doesn’t even like them!

Let’s just say it’s a good thing I am not the one responsible for bringing them to events. I’d probably start out with 100 and end up with about 50 of them by the time I arrived.

Lately, with our low fat dietary restrictions, I’ve been finding other alternatives to some of our favorite foods, and this recipe from the Sugar Free Mom blog was a great option for us. The author of the blog, Brenda is a local mom in our community.

The zucchini rounds are baked, not fried and they are much lower in fat. Brenda adds in Parmesan cheese to her recipe, where Grandma Rose does not, but it adds a great flavor to it.

Here’s the recipe as Brenda has it on her blog. Be sure to visit her blog as she has loads of great recipes on there, and she has lots of healthy options. No matter what your restrictions are, you will find something you like on her blog.

Sugar Free Mom’s Oven Fried Zucchini Rounds

I used my Pampered Chef slicer to make prettier sliced zucchini.

I used my Pampered Chef slicer to make very pretty sliced zucchini.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 large zucchini, sliced (6 cups sliced rounds)
  • 1 whole egg
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 1/2cups Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • olive oil cooking spray
  • DIRECTIONS
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Spray baking sheets with cooking spray.
  • Beat the egg and white in a shallow bowl, set aside.
  • Place the Parmesan, garlic powder and parsley in another bowl and mix well.
  • Dip zucchini rounds in egg mixture then in Parmesan and place on baking sheet.
  • Do not overlap zucchini on baking sheet.
  • Bake for 10 minutes then flip them over and bake until 10 minutes or until the are golden brown on top.

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What’s for Dinner Wednesday: Anthony’s Stir Fry in Valerie’s Cast Iron Skillet

29 May
This was a recipe with all the best ingredients.

This was a recipe with all the best ingredients.

Many of you who have been reading this blog since its inception and even those of you who used to read my Sauce vs. Gravy recipe blog way back when, know that recipes mean more to me than a good meal.

To me a good recipe is one that means something to me because of a connection that I have to it, whether it is from a family member or a friend, whether it’s a dish I ate at a memorable event or maybe even stems from a family tradition that we hold near and dear.

Recipes connect me to others and to memories of others.

Today’s recipe is from my friend Anthony. Anthony owns Reel to Real Recording Studio here in Cranston and we will sometimes bump into each other at local events, but we are friends on Facebook so we “see” each other on there all the time.

Recently, Anthony posted a photo on Facebook of a stir fry he was making for dinner at his house. It looked delicious. I had to have it and I asked him if there was anything special in the stir fry as far as a sauce, but he said it was simple: olive oil in the bottom of the pan, and Worcestershire sauce mixed in while cooking, basically made to your liking. Anthony listed some ingredients he will often throw into his stir fry, including chicken or shrimp,  zucchini, broccoli, and cauliflower.

The next time I went to the store, I bought chicken AND shrimp, zucchini, broccoli and cauliflower. I couldn’t wait to get home to make our dinner that night. There was going to be something in this dish that everyone loved.

Even better, I was going to be using our new cast iron skillet, given to me by my cousin Valerie just a few weeks ago. When Val asked me if we had a cast iron skillet, I said that we didn’t, and she said she had an extra one that she would bring to me when she came down for Alexandra’s First Communion.

When she arrived, she gave me the pan and along with it, an envelope with my name on it. Because we were having the party, I didn’t get to read Valerie’s note until the next day, but when I did, I almost cried as I read.  In the letter, Valerie told me the story of the skillet and how she’d found it while shopping with her brother in-law during their annual summer consignment shop shopping trips. She mentioned that it’s just she and he who love these shopping trips. Her husband and his sister are not fans of the “junk” that Val and John bring home.

The story of my cast iron pan makes everything I cook in it, including Anthony's Stir Fry, that much more special.

The story of my cast iron pan makes everything I cook in it, including Anthony’s Stir Fry, that much more special.

The skillet was part of a set of three, “dusty, rusty, neglected diamonds in the rough,” Valerie wrote. She told me of how she and John bought the pans and took them home. She knew that these treasures only needed “a good home, a hot bath, and someone to make them feel useful again, things we all want.”

Valerie cleaned and seasoned our skillet for us, giving us the last of the three rescued trio of pans in the set that she and her brother in-law had found last summer.

“Good, old, seasoned cast iron is a treasure. it is a work horse in the kitchen. It holds the heat well, cooks evenly, is the original ‘non-stick’ cookware. it makes mean fried eggs, crusty hash browns and frittatas to die for,” Valerie said.

Last week, my new cast iron skillet made a fabulous stir fry, Anthony’s Stir Fry, and it was delicious.

Good friends, good pans, and treasured family members. I am blessed to have them all.

Give Anthony’s Stir Fry a try with your favorite ingredients in it.

And if you have a cast iron skillet of your own, definitely use it.

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Fun Friday: Just a reminder

24 May
Remember that this weekend is not just for cookouts!

Remember that this weekend is not just for cookouts!

As we come up on Memorial Day weekend 2013, often seen as the unofficial summer kick-off weekend, many of us have plans over the long weekend that might include cookouts or gatherings with friends.

In my job as a reporter, I’ve had the honor of attending many Memorial Day remembrance ceremonies over the years, and I like to take the time to remember the reason why we have a long weekend, the reason why we have a Monday holiday here in the United States.

Although I enjoy the long weekend and I look forward to our annual traditions, I will not forget those who have died, especially those who have died defending our country, our rights and our freedom to celebrate with friends.

Enjoy the weekend and enjoy the day, and God Bless those who have gone before us as well as those who protect us now.

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