Revenge of the Magazine Challenge: Grilled Pizza with Asparagus and Sundried Tomatoes

So.
When we moved, one of the things we talked about was the fact that we might grill more, because the deck is off the open concept kitchen/dining room.  As opposed to our last house, where I had to walk around through the family room to the far end of the house to retrace my steps outside to get to the grill, this is just open the door and step out.
We've taken to grilling a lot.
Despite the fact that we don't often sit outside to eat because of the trains (We have 2 backyards between our deck and the tracks), we carry in things from the grill to eat at the dining room table.  And seeing as there's more to life than burgers, I'm always on the lookout for fun new things to try cooking over propane.
When we renovated the last kitchen, we discovered that you could make pizza directly on the grill.  When I saw this recipe in the June 2008 issue of Everyday Food, I knew I wanted to give it a try.  I was right.  It was worth it.  The was a fantastic change of pace on a Saturday night with a glass of cold white wine.
I present to you now from the June 2008 issue of Everyday Food, Grilled Pizza with Asparagus and Sundried Tomatoes:

#BookClubCookbookCC: Chocolat Roundup and Pie!

So.
It's been a month since I posted the invitation to make hot chocolate, and read Joanne Harris' book, Chocolat.  I'm picking the book up today from the library.
It's been a crazy month here, where we moved, school ended, I packed and moved to a new school, and I have quickly slipped into the entropy that invariably arrives with the first week of summer vacation.
But never fear!  The members of the Book Club Cookbook Cooking Crew have a variety of chocolate recipes for you to enjoy!

Renee from Tortillas and Honey made Florentines.  I've never eaten them, or heard of them, but now I want to make them!  This almond cookie coated with chocolate looks amazing.  I would add the orange zest.

Andrea at Adventures in All Things Food made gorgeous Pots de Creme.  My favourite chocolate French masterpiece is Mousse au Chocolat, but this would probably be a close second...along with any other way I can think of to use chocolate!

Erin at the Spiffy Cookie decided against sweating and drinking, and turned her hot chocolate into Hot Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats.  These would be perfect for your next BBQ...or Tuesday...when you're by yourself and have a need for sugar.

Emily at Life on Food decided to marry 2 of my favourite flavours:  peanut butter and chocolate into these cute little Chocolate Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Sandwiches.  Obviously, these are to be dunked in the hot chocolate so we end up on a chocolate high for the rest of the day!  Count me in!

Sarah of the Pajama Chef also chose a no-sweat, no-bake recipe featuring white chocolate:  Avalanche Cookies. I now want these too with their feature of mini marshmallows and peanut butter.  So many cookies.  So little time.

Finally, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm made a beautiful Black and White Cake.  I love cake.  There aren't enough reasons to make or eat it, honestly.















But what did I make?  My own favourite dessert, or did I guess someone else's as Vianne would do?  I didn't really guess.  I made J's favourite.  I present to you now from the April 2008 issue of Everyday Food, Chocolate Merinuge Pie:

Revenge of the Magazine Challenge: Roasted Chicken Fajita Tostadas

So.
It's Cinco de Mayo today.  I know nothing about this holiday, but think it might have something to do with Mexican Independence.  What I do know is that it's an excuse to drink margaritas and eat Mexican-inspired food according to the interwebs.  For food bloggers, this also means that we post Mexican-inspired food posts.
I can get down with that.
The April 2008 issue of Everyday Food had an article on Lighter Tex-Mex favourites.  I marked 3 of the recipes as things I want to make (these tostadas, fish tacos and stuffed poblano peppers).  Based on the results from this recipe, the others will be delicious too.
I present to you now from the April 2008 issue of Everyday Food, Roasted Chicken Fajita Tostadas:

Party Time: Raspberry Trifle

So.
The beauty of big family dinners is that they're often potluck.  Or perhaps that's just my extended family.  When you're the host, you provide the hot main, and the visitors provide the rest.  Last Christmas, my mom and I were asked to bring dessert for family Christmas.  My mother often makes a mincemeat pie with a sour cream top layer that people who like mincemeat love, and my aunt makes traditional Christmas pudding every year, so I was left to make something else.  You know, something light and decadent for the end of a large meal.
Enter the December 2006 edition of Everyday Food.  I saw this beautiful trifle and knew that I wanted to make it, but you need an occasion for a dessert that feeds 12 plus.  With frozen raspberries in my freezer, and my sad, sad sour cream pound cake, it was an easy decision to take this for Christmas.  By posting this just before American Thanksgiving, I hope you are inspired for your own feasting over the next few weeks.  This one's delicious.
I present to you now from the December 2006 Everyday Food, Raspberry Trifle:

Son of Magazine Challenge: Apple Crisp

So.
I was reading an article today about being a "mean mom".  Don't ask me why I was reading it, seeing as the closest thing to children that I have is 2 cats who do what they like and a husband who doesn't always listen to me either.  But there I was, reading about how to raise kids by being mean.
One of the things that the article said was to not give in and serve dessert every night so it would be a "treat".

*insert cricket sound here*

I grew up in a house where dessert ended lunch and dinner.  It could be a cookie or fruit, but there was always something.  J and I don't eat dessert every night, but we do often have something in the evening after dinner - perhaps a glass of chocolate milk, or one of the many things I bake up.  It's not an every day thing, but there's often something.
The October 2007 issue of Everyday Food included a dessert article called Sweet, Warm and Cozy:  sumptuous, soul-soothing treats that go straight from oven to table.  Of the 4, I wanted to make 3 of them. I bought a new, appropriate shallow dish and have already made 2.  The next one is coming soon.
Might I suggest a return to ending your meal with something sweet?  I'd also suggest returning to slow meals together with laughter, conversation and a distinct lack of mobile phones, but I don't want to be all crazy-like.
Let's start with desert.
I present to you now from the October 2007 issue of Everyday Food, Apple Crisp:

Son of Magazine Challenge: Cheesy Hash Brown Bake

So.
I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned in the past that the only thing my husband makes when I'm here is chili.  He likes to start with the Wick Fowler 2 Alarm Chili Kit and "makes it [his] own" by having me chop an onion to toss in along with a drained can of kidney beans.  It's really good, and thankfully makes enough for a couple of meals plus lunch for me for a couple of days.
The last time, however, I asked J if we could make this with the leftovers of the chili, and we actually ate this the next 2 days for lunch.  It's that good.  Trust me.
So if you're looking for something to do with the leftover chili from your last tailgate, and want a new twist on something delicious, might I suggest this?  It won't be the last time we try it around here.
From the March 2007 issue of Everyday Food, I present to you now Cheesy Hasbrown Bake:

Oh, Paris...

My heart aches tonight.

So.
I don't usually post on a Friday night.  I like to queue things up and leave it to post on its own during the week.  Tonight is different though.
I made a new dessert for dinner tonight as a part of the Magazine Challenge and thought about posting it later.  But as we've watched the unfolding news about the attacks in Paris, I don't want to wait and post this later.  It's not that this is a hugely important thing, but the flavour made me think of France and right now that's bittersweet.
My year as an exchange student in France more than 20 years ago gave my first opportunity to learn to cook from someone other than my mother in a family situation.  I learned to make sauces, souffles, and a dense chocolate cake that was out of this world.  I still make sauces starting with a roux like I learned from Mme Brabant.  I haven't made a souffle or that cake since I came home though.
I found this recipe in the October 2007 issue of Everyday Food.  It's not like the other pudding cake I've made where you pour boiling water over the cake and it self-sauces.  It's 4 simple ingredients that surprisingly come together to make something delicious.  This is more a cross between a souffle and a dense, slightly undercooked chocolate cake.
Tonight, it reminded me of a French dessert I ate long ago, and my heart ached for a city I love and miss.
I present to you now from the October 2007 issue of Everyday Food Chocolate Pudding Cake:

Son of Magazine Challenge: September Planning

So.
I know that there's no July/August planning post on the blog.  That's because the July/August 2007 issue of Everyday Food was a big bust for me.  I found 2 recipes - 2 that I wanted to make, and one I had already made in the past in my pre-blog days.  I may get around to making the Roasted Summer Vegetables and Pasta again, because it was good; and then again I might not simply because it doesn't stick in my mind as something I should make again.  The ice cream sandwiches, however, were fantastic and I will make those again.
Frankly, after 3 years of the challenge I'm surprised that there's only been 1 issue where I really haven't been thrilled with what was on offer.  I draw from a large variety of sources for what we eat, so I didn't know if it was that I just didn't like the sound of anything, or if I had reached saturation point with Martha Stewart and was starting to find things repetitive.  Perhaps it's a little from Column A mixed with a little of Column B combined with summer ennui.  No worries, though.  I soldiered on.  Everyone can have an off issue.
I wasn't sure what to think when I sat down with the September issue.  Would it be feast or famine (kinda literally)?  But with a cover boasting "No-fuss Family Fare", I had high hopes.  It was definitely better than what I had encountered last month.  I came up with a list of interesting things to try to make up for July/August.  A return to interesting food just as I return to work.  Sigh.
Here's what we're going to try on the Mountain this month:

• Stuffed Tex-Mex Yellow Squash
• Salmon with Mustard Dill Sauce
• Pigs in Blankets and Citrus Spritzers
• Black Bean Tostadas with Corn Relish
• Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Herbed Couscous
• Family Dinner Menu featuring 3-Cheese Macaroni and Cheese, Sauteed Green Beans,  Garlic-Roasted Tomatoes, and Apple Cinnamon Upside-Down Cake

Looks like a good month.  Here's to fall!

Son of Magazine Challenge: Spinach-Stuffed Flank Steak

So.
I made this a while ago.  Like, I was still working awhile ago.  The problem with being inconsistent in my blogging is that things languish on my camera and get forgotten.  This is one of those recipes.
J and I both like spinach, and as a result I use it a lot in my cooking.  Spinach is a versatile vegetable, hearty enough to stand up to strong flavours, and healthy enough to make you feel virtuous.
J and I had this one Friday night after I went to the local butcher and had him butterfly the flank steak for me.  The filling went together easily, and the cooking time was relatively short, although we decided that slightly longer would have been better.  The second night, we were much happier with the level of doneness.
From the May 2007 issue of Everyday Food, I present to you now Spinach-Stuffed Flank Steak:

Son of Magazine Challenge: Creme-FIlled Chocolate Cupcakes

So.
I have a confession to make.  I have been eating breakfast every morning.  While it's been a whole lot of peanut butter toast in the past few weeks, I do sit down and make sure that my body has something to run on for a good portion of the day.  Time to eat, a principal does not always have.
I will tell you that I didn't eat these for breakfast.  I'm not above it, but I was taking them for a lunch dessert, or eating one in the evening as a treat with J.  But I didn't make a complete confession on Facebook when I posted a picture of these beauties.  More on that later.
I had to get a jumbo muffin tin to make these.  I wouldn't always recommend doing this, but this makes a dozen jumbo cupcakes.  We were off to a picnic and I was to bring a dessert.  These totally fit the bill.  I made them the day of, after reading reviews that said the cake was dense and dry.  It is dense, and I would recommend cake flour to lighten them up a bit.  But the filling suited the cake.  It is also dense and sweet.  J said that they reminded him of Hostess snack cakes, and I think that's the point.  But these are probably better just because we know what's in them and they go stale faster.
Everyday Food had a feature in the April 2007 on Nostalgic Desserts.  These were just too cute not to consider.  And they're filled with a marshmallow mixture.  How could that possibly be bad?
I present to you now from the April 2007 issue of Everyday Food, I present to you now Creme-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes:

#HotSummerEats: Lemon Cream Pie (Son of Magazine Challenge)

So.

Apparently I think of summer and pastry, which is weird, seeing as I will tell you that pastry is my nemesis.  I bought a pound of lard earlier this spring for something that has since eluded me.  When I found it in the top of the cupboard a few weeks ago, I decided that I might as well try once again to make pastry and made up the box, divided it into balls, wrapped them in plastic and froze them.  Did you know you can freeze pastry dough?  My mom has done this for years.  It's easier to make up the whole box (and the recipe on the box is for the whole thing) and then plan to, at some point either make 3 double-crusted or 6 pies.  This could be one of the 6.
I love lemon.  I know I've said in the past that lemon reminds me of spring, but it's also amazing for summer.  Icy lemonade, lemon sorbet, lemon cake or lemon cookies, I will eat them all.  I'm a huge fan of lemon meringue pie as well, but it's not J's favourite.  When I found this recipe in the May 2007 issue of Everyday Food, I knew I wanted to try it.  With stabilized whipped cream, this won't even melt at your next potluck.  But don't let it sit out too long.  It is whipped cream after all.
I loved this.  J didn't complain when I served it 4 nights running for dessert.  I'd call that a win.
From the May 2007 issue of Everyday Food, I present to you now Lemon Cream Pie:

#HotSummerEats: Panko-Crusted Tilapia Sticks with Dipping Sauce

So.

I don't think fish sticks are something that we often think of when it comes to summer food.  But here's where I'm coming from:  on the Victoria Day weekend, J and I went to visit Toledo and see friends.  On the Sunday night of said weekend, we had no plans; and so were left to our own devices. It was a gorgeous afternoon, and we went and played mini golf.  Then J asked what I wanted for dinner.
It was hot, and I was tired, and I told him that I would love to go somewhere and sit on a patio for dinner with a couple of nice drinks and scenery.  He suggested Webber's, a restaurant that his parents had loved, that was on the banks of the Maumee River, not far from the shores of Lake Erie.  So that is where we ended up.
The patio was lovely - we looked out over the water, I had some delicious berry sangria, and J was thrilled that the Lake Erie yellow perch was as good as he remembered.  He just wished that he'd ordered the shrimp cocktail as well - we could smell the cocktail sauce as they went by.
Fast forward to opening my box from the Sauceology Group:  one of the items included was Caribeque's Island Thyme spice mix.  One smell, and I knew what I wanted to make - fish sticks!
So, for those of us who can't sit on a deck overlooking the Maumee and eat perch, might I suggest these little beauties?
I present to you now from the May 2007 issue of Everyday Food, I present to you now Panko-Crusted Tilapia sticks with Dipping Sauce:

Son of Magazine Challenge: May Planning

So.
I've been hideous at keeping up here.  It's not that I'm not cooking.  I'm just not writing these days.  Hopefully, the writing muse will return and all of my pictures will be used to show you the delicious things I've been up to.
Case in point:  the May 2007 issue of Everyday Food.  I have 1 recipe made already, and another on the menu for this week.  If I haven't blogged it, it's not marked as made.  I think there are 5 things made that I have yet to blog.  5!  At some point, I need to catch up.
But getting back to May, there's lots of good looking things.  Once again, this will be the first time I've made something from this issue.  Better late than never.
Here's what we're planning from May 2007:

• Artichoke Dip
• Spinach-Stuffed Flank Steak
• Lemon Sandwich Cookies
• Lemon Cream Pie
• Panko-Crusted Fish with Herb Dipping Sauce
• Rosemary Meatballs

Looks like a good month.

Bride of Magazine Challenge: Rocky Road Bars

So.
I made these treats a while ago.  I try and make something most weekends so that we have a treat to eat after dinner to eat most nights.  Those weeks I don't, we seem to go for frosty chocolate milkshakes; especially in summer. But with something like this in an airtight container sitting on the counter, we're a whole lot less likely to go running off.
J tells me he's not big on marshmallows, but these seemed to disappear quickly enough.  I liked them because they mixed up in a pan and were quick to put together.  Most people would like them because of their sweet top layer.  I added them to my list of things checked off for the Magazine Challenge.
I present to you now from the October 2006 issue of Everyday Food, Rocky Road Bars:

#TripleSBites: Molten Mocha Cakes

So.

It's the last day of #TripleSBites - and it's been way fun!  Make sure to visit the other bloggers for their spicy, saucy and sexy recipes to celebrate the end of the event!!

During the Twitter party last week, one of the the questions was about whether a dessert should be to share, or individual.  My response was always individual.  I love chocolate lava cake, and this was one to add to my collection from the Magazine Challenge.  Individual desserts from Everyday Foods have worked in the past, and this is lava cake.  How could that be bad?

From the January/February 2007 issue of Everyday Food, I present to you now Molten Mocha Cakes:

Bride of Magazine Challenge: Sour Cream Pound Cake

So.
This is a sad, cautionary tale.  I needed a pound cake for the trifle I made for Christmas dinner with my dad's family.  I remembered that there had been a pound cake I'd been meaning to make in an Everyday Food earlier this year.  I read the recipe and decided that it was just the ticket - other than I didn't really want a tube pan of cake.  I was thinking a loaf was more my speed.  And pound cake is often in loaves, isn't it?
This is where the tale of woe begins.
After comparing Martha's recipe to "similar" ones that I found online, I figured that I could easily just pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and everything would work out.  I made the batter, and set it to baking.  The picture will tell the tale of what happened next.  Good thing it was tasty.
I present to you now from the June 2006 issue of Everyday Food, Sour Cream Pound Cake:

Bride of Magazine Challenge: Glazed Shallots

So.
I'm still making posts for things I made last year.  Sigh.  My excuse on this one is that these little gems graced our Christmas Dinner table.  I didn't really blog much between then and the end of the year.
I've made these and another onion side in the past year.  In both cases, J wasn't convinced that they were going to be good.  In both cases, he was pleasantly surprised.  Frankly, in terms of this recipe, so was I.
I'm not much of a sweet and sour girl.  I really don't think sweet things belong in an entree course.  But I thought these sounded good and they helped to fulfill my quota for Year 2 of the Magazine Challenge.
The biggest challenge?  Peeling a whole pound of shallots.  They're small and fiddly.  Martha did, however, have a tip for peeling them that did make decidedly short work of them.  Soak the shallots in warm water until the skins are wrinkled and cracked.  Then slip them off with a paring knife.  It didn't take me long that way!
I present to you now from the December 2006 issue of Everyday Food, Glazed Shallots:

Bride of Magazine Challenge: Sausage and Tomato Risotto

So.
This is the first weekend we've been home in a while.  It's kind of nice to be here, simply because there's never enough time for the things that I really need to get done.  Updating here would be a good example of what doesn't happen...we won't talk about the cleaning, laundry or grocery buying that gets put off too.
But we're here now, and that's all good.  J and I changed out the water in the hot tub, put up the weather station I got him for his birthday, and put up the Christmas lights yesterday.  I fell asleep on the couch this afternoon.  It's amazing what doesn't get done when I spend the afternoon sleeping.  We had plans to set up the Christmas tree so that the kitten can start learning to climb it, but the best we managed was some meal planning and a trip to the grocery store.  I blame the cold weather.
Cold weather begs for meals like this: hearty, one pot affairs that use cheese, and wine, and make you dream of being in Italy as you snooze on the couch.  It's all good.
I present to you now from the November 2006 issue of Everyday Food, Sausage and Tomato Risotto:

Bride of Magazine Challenge: Roast Beef with Potatoes and Pearl Onions

So.
I set this post up and planned to complete it before the time came for it to go live.  Whoops.
For the eagle-eyed among you, the post went live with one word and no recipe.  Time is not my friend right now.  I keep meaning to get to the blog, and it just doesn't happen with everything else that's happening.  But I keep making new things.  So much to share!
Maybe November will be kinder.  Ha!
I like meals that are quick, easy, and give me at least 2 nights worth of meals.  This one is a winner, hands down.  When I went to the grocery store, there were no shallots.  How is that possible?  I think shallots are a fairly basic ingredient.  They did have bags of tiny red onions.  I thought those would be just as yummy.  They were probably more of a pain to peel.
J told me the next time I want to make a roast, he'd be happy to help eat it.  I'd use this recipe again, and even use shallots.
I present to you now from the October issue of Everyday Food, Roast Beef with Potatoes and Red Pearl Onions:

#10DaysofTailgate: Linebacker-Sized Chocolate Chunk Cookies

So.

The beauty of tailgating is that almost anything goes - so long as it travels well.  When J and I were dating, and I would go to football with him and his family, I was always trying to find something that I could take for tailgating that would travel well.  These cookies would have fit the bill.
J's favourite cookie is chocolate chip.  He doesn't think that there should be nuts or coconut or anything else.  While I don't agree, this recipe is a classic.  The high butter content of the cookie means that it is flat and chewy.  The size means you only want one.  Even it you're sitting out all afternoon waiting for the game to begin.
I present to you now from the September 2006 Everyday Food, Giant Chocolate Chunk Cookies: