Dancing Taste Buds --- Crescent Roll Appetizer Pizza!

What a whirlwind of a week! We had a wonderful trifecta going on here ... my baby celebrated her crossover into double digits -- 10th birthday (yikes!), out of town guests arrived in honor of said birthday girl, and gleaming beams of sunshine warmed our faces! Rolls of laughter and streams of happy tears were part of the picture perfect goings-on. It’s been a while since I laughed so heartily that I cried. Felt really good. Have to do that more often.Since I was preparing food for a crowd (made me think about Marjie), I thought it would be fun to experiment with some one pan meals. Years ago I had a version of today’s recipe as a vegetarian appetizer. So, I thought to myself, why not turn it into a brunch meal by tossing on some meat and serving larger portions. It was a hit with my guests. All the grown ups devoured it. The kids didn’t touch it; I think my son may have even wrinkled his nose. Of course the beast had no problem sneaking bites of salami as I was prepping this meal, and the girls kept snagging cucumber slices. Does your family do that? Swipe bits of this and that as you are cooking? Still it was no biggie as I had plenty of food, and planned something else for them as this is not a gluten free meal anyway. I'm working on a gluten free version of it.Have you seen this recipe before? It’s been featured in those mini magazines they sell at the check out line at the grocery store. Made with Pillsbury crescent roll dough and cream cheese, it couldn’t be easier. I tossed on some leftover grilled chicken plus some cubed salami, and the result made my taste buds dance. If you want dancing taste buds, check this out. Soon.

Ingredients:

2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (I used the low fat ones)
1 brick cream cheese – softened
½ cup sour cream
¼ teaspoon dill
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

RAW veggies: 1 cup chopped fresh broccoli, ½ of a red pepper, 1 carrot shredded, ½ of a cucumber, seeded, and 3 green onions, sliced thin.

1 cup diced leftover grilled chicken, warmed up
1 cup diced thick salami

Preheat your oven to 375. Spread the crescent dough out onto a large, non stick sheet pan, pressing the seams together to form one large flat sheet of dough. Bake for 10 minutes, or until just lightly golden. Remove from over and let cool.

Meanwhile, combine the softened cream cheese and the sour cream until smooth. Stir in the dill and garlic powder. Spread onto the cooled crescent dough. Top with veggies and meat. Cut into squares and serve immediately. (Be careful cutting on a non stick pan.) This can also be put in the fridge a day early and served cold.Just look at this! It was soooo good. This little meal is bursting with texture ... crunchy veg, creamy spread, chewy crust, and flavorful meat. I just loved every bite. This would be great as an appetizer for summer potlucks as well as a great brunch dish. Totally yummy! Go ahead, try it and let your taste buds dance!

Garden Tuesdays - Eco Friendly Weed Killing: The Student Becomes The Teacher!

Welcome to Garden Tuesday at It’s All Gouda! How was your Memorial Day weekend? Were you able to get out and enjoy some sunshine? Hope so. I'm posting this tip a little early because I have out of town guests. Plus, I'm so excited to share today's topic!

Today’s garden installment deals with that timeless struggle of man vs. nature. I’m talking about weeds. I learned something new about killing weeds this week, only to find out that it’s not new at all! Here’s the story. My 7th grade daughter, along with two classmates, wrote an eco friendly article for their school newsletter on “green” tips. I particularly enjoyed the article, as I know she had fun writing it. Within her article, however, was a bit about killing weeds with boiling water. It was identified as a non-chemical approach, and mentioned to be found particularly helpful in instances where pulling weeds is not very successful such as for those buggers that find their way into cracked sidewalks, patios, and driveways. Naturally, in order to be eco friendly, it was recommended to use water left over from cooking, such as when boiling pasta, etc.

I told my eco-friendly child that I had not heard of the boiling water method before. She responded that it was true and very effective. I retorted that I didn’t say it wasn’t true, just that I had not heard of it before. Okay, now I’m not snotty, but I’m sure my face showed that I was skeptical.

So, the very next day while said child was at school, I researched killing weeds with boiling water. Oh. My. Gosh! What planet have I been on? This method has been around since Cro-Magnon times. Well, maybe not that long, but since pioneer times anyway! According to my research (don’t I sound like Dorothy Ann from Magic School Bus?), this method is very effective at killing weeds, especially stubborn ones, because it essential cooks the invader all the way down through the roots. Even better, it totally destroys any seeds or spores just waiting to create replicas all over creation. Ah, my smart little girl. So the tables have officially turned. Now the student becomes the teacher!

I decided to put it to the test, cuz, well, I'm a hands on kinda girl. There were a couple weeds in my garden bed that were willing subjects.Ah, those weeds have been laughing at me. Laughing, I tell you!! Until a couple days ago, the weather here has been perfect for weed propagation. I needed to get the garden beds completely ready (I did this weekend) which meant lots of weed pulling. Anywho ... my point is that I tested this in my garden beds. I have to say that I don’t think this method is wise to use for killing weeds in large spaces like gardens for a variety of reasons (wasteful of water resource, could adversely sterilize your soil, etc.); however, for my little test, it worked great. Join me now as we eradicate two weed invaders. I boiled not quite 2 cups of water in a measuring cup that has a nice spout on it.I poured about a ½ cup or so of water on the invaders, making sure I poured it on all the leaves as well as a direct hit on the stem/root area.It smelled like I was cooking spinach. Then I went about my chores.Two hours later I came back and this is the sight that greeted me. Who's laughing now weeds?

The next day I weeded my entire garden by hand. Actually, it ended up being a pretty easy job because my square foot garden soil is still surprisingly loose and fluffy. This is year two for this garden, and I’m so pleased with my soil. I decided to give it a boost mixing in some compost, and it was such a breeze to work in. Since you never, ever walk on the soil in the square foot garden, it never gets compacted. But this post is about eco friendly weeding, so I’ll get back to that now. Those two weeds that I, um, watered, were completely annihilated, roots and all.

So, for those of you who don’t want to use Round Up on your patio or sidewalks or driveways, hit the little invaders with a dash of boiling water. Problem solved. Do you have any garden/yard tips that you've just learned?I can’t wait to show you what’s going on in the rest of the garden. Tune in next week, as I’ll update you on the garbage can potatoes (they are doing AWESOME), as well as the rest of the goodies that I planted. Tomatoes, cukes, and peppers are well established, and the beans, peas, beets, carrots, radishes, lettuces, and herbs have been sown.

Yummilicious Fudgilicous! Back to Basics Chocolate Fudge

A full year has passed since my littlest eater transitioned to a gluten free diet. A year free of food related tummy aches, a year without tummy medicine, and a year of new recipes. Like many folks these days, we are knee deep in a "back to basics" type of lifestyle.

Since wheat products are no longer part of our daily repertoire, I had to reinvent old standby recipes as well as learn new ones, particularly when it came to treats. Chocolate chip cookies are no longer part of our diet; however, chocolate fudge has become a mainstay. A year ago, I had to hunt down recipes and learn about making fudge. Today, I can make fudge blindfolded ... in my sleep ... with one hand tied behind my back.

Fudge making is soooooo easy, and the results are sooooo good. Best of all, fudge is very basic, versatile, and forgiving. All you need is about 8 minutes, and you are good to go. Chocolate fudge is one of my kids favorite things on the planet, and the little squares of goodness are great for packing in lunches, savoring for dessert, or sharing at a potluck. Do you ever find that you have a couple of opened bags of chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, mini-marshmallows, or nuts hanging around? If you answered yes, consider making an easy-peasy batch of fudge.

Here’s a basic recipe. Prepare to be impressed with the extensive ingredient list:

3 cups chocolate chips (semi sweet, milk, butterscotch ... any combo will work)
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

That’s it folks. That’s all you need to whip up an 8 x 8 pan of fudgiliciousness. Of course, you can add all sorts of yummy things like a ¼ cup of walnuts, peanuts, or even pine nuts to the mix. Feel like making rocky road fudge? Add a ½ cup of mini marshmallows and some nuts to the finished product. You can make a separate batch using peanut butter chips and swirl it into a chocolate batch. Add a handful of dried cranberries and have folks try to guess the secret ingredient! For those who like to live on the wild side, you know who you are, you could even add a ½ teaspoon of cayenne and a little cinnamon to the basic recipe to create a rock your socks off spicy fudge!

Here’s how to make the basic recipe:

Line an 8 x 8 pan with wax paper. In a heavy saucepan, preferably non stick, heat the condensed milk and chips together over med-low heat, stirring almost constantly until melted. I like stirring with a wooden spoon. I love my wooden spoon. About a minute after all the chips have melted, the mixture will take on a shiny hue. When that happens, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Add any extras like nuts at this point.
Pour the entire mixture into the prepared pan. Use the spoon to press the mixture into the pan and even out the thickness (the mixture will be thick and slightly sticky).Excuse me for a moment while I lick the spoon. Aw come on, doesn’t everybody like to lick the spoon? Actually, I rotate letting my kids lick the spoon. Ahem. Back to the fudge ... Let cool slightly, and then cover with plastic wrap pressing the wrap down on top of the fudge. Put in the fridge until cold and firm. Remove from the fridge and pan, and cut into small squares. Prepare for the stampede of fudge craving maniacs to swipe every piece. Smile as your ears are greeted with yummy noises. Ah, I’ve done my part to make the world a little better place. Personally I think chocolate fudge would help bring about world peace. Yeah, it’s that good.My kids prefer it plain. Hubbyman will eat it in any shape or form. This batch was made with semi sweet chips, a handful of butterscotch chips, and some walnuts. So, what's your favorite type of yummilicious fudgilicous?

Garden Tuesday - Garbage Can Potatoes!

Welcome to Garden Tuesday at It’s All Gouda. Do you enjoy Greek Mythology? As a youngster, I was enraptured with those larger than life stories. I clearly remember the first time I turned the pages of the story about Persephone and Demeter, and how their personal joys and sorrows caused the seasons. I was totally swept up in Demeter’s overwhelming sorrow due to being separated from her daughter Persephone, which resulted in the cold and dreary months of winter. I rejoiced along with her when Demeter’s sorrow transforms to joy as she is reunited with her daughter for a few short months each year, and the glorious days of summer return to the land.

Well, those of us who reside in the Pacific Northwest are quite familiar with Demeter’s tears for a good portion of the year. But all is not lost. The warm rays of summer’s sun have been blessing my little part of the universe lately, and just like Demeter, my mood has brightened considerably.

Today’s post is actually a tutorial of sorts. (For you homeschoolers out there, this is a great garden project. It works well for any age group.) Years ago when my teenage kidlin’s were wee tots, I read an article in Family Fun magazine about how to grow potatoes in a garbage can. and I was immediately intrigued. I mean how cool would it be to tell your family and neighbors that the potatoes they were eating were grown in such an unusual vessel? Well, to my surprise, a friend of mine actually saw the same article and gave it a go. She’s a very successful gardener, and really raved about this method. This is a great method to produce a very large yield. I tucked this away in my memory banks as something to try.

Fast forward to this past weekend, when I was getting ready to plant my potatoes. I’ve been holding onto these spuds for a while as I particularly liked them and wanted to grow them myself from this particular bunch. It’s been far to wet to plant them until now, so you’ll notice that they’ve sprouted WAY BEYOND what is normally planted. Plus, I usually cut the potatoes up and just plant pieces of them, making sure each piece has a spouted eye on it. Still, these overly zealous sprouted potatoes were in great shape so ... waste not, want not.

Here’s what you need:

1 large plastic garbage can (I used a 20 gallon one which is on the small size. Feel free to go bigger)
Drill for making drainage holes in can
Garden fabric or large rocks, pieces of pottery etc. for blocking draining holes
Gardening Soil – lots
Potatoes that have sprouted. (remember: you can cut the potatoes in half or thirds before planting making sure each piece has a sprouted bit on it)

Let's begin. Gather your kidlin's and let this be their project!Turn your garbage can upside down. Using a power drill, cut out drainage holes in the bottom of your can. Hubbyman did this for me. These holes are small, and so he positioned nine small holes as shown.Next, you’ll need to cover the holes to keep the dirt from coming out just as you would for a potted plant.I choose to use yard fabric, but large stones or pieces of broken pottery would work just fine. Use what you’ve got.

Now dump in about 12” of gardening soil into the bottom of your can, breaking up any large clumps.Place your sprouted potato pieces on the dirt as shown.Cover with about 4” give or take, with additional soil.

Pick out a good book to read and wait for the plants to grow. In fact, you may want to pick out several books. Or take up a new hobby. Or build a deck. Or paint your house ... inside and out.

Ahem. The point is that it will take your plants a few weeks to make an appearance. Once they are about 6” tall or so, add about 3 more inches of soil covering up the leaves and everything on the bottom ½ of the plant. Repeat this process throughout the growing season until the can is almost full. Oh, and be sure to water your garbage can potatoes just as you would the rest of your garden. At the end of the growing season, dig out your potatoes, and wow your family and friends with your tale of the potatoes ala garbage can!

This is a great project for kids. It’s also perfect for those who are new to gardening or who perhaps don’t have a lot of space to grow potatoes in their yard. It’s perfect for patio gardeners, too. Like I mentioned earlier, it will produce a high yield without taking up a lot of space. Best of all, it doesn’t require a lot of hard work at all.Unlike this octo-legged fellow who’s working quite hard on its web.

So what do you think? Care to give garbage can potatoes a try?

Super Stuffed Peppers ... On The Grill!!!

Happy Saturday greetings to you all! Guess what? Guess what? That magnificent solar orb in the sky is blazing bright today over the Pacific Northwest. Not only that, it’s hot, hot, hot!

As such, today’s weather called for an equally dazzling meal. Check out these gluten free babies. I made stuffed peppers on the grill. Not just any ole stuffed peppers ... these babies are overstuffed with all sorts of Mexican style goodies. I’ve actually made gluten free stuffed peppers twice in the past couple of weeks. The first time I made them using ground chicken for the meat portion and I cooked them in the oven. They were terrific. Today, however, I used ground beef and made them on the grill. Grill trumps oven, hands down. One of the secrets that makes this so yummilicious is the cubed cheese in the filling. It makes the most delicious pockets of gooey yumminess! Mmm, mmm, good. Let's begin!These super stuffed peppers are so easy to assembly. I used up bits of this and that that I had handy, and my oh my did hubbyman love these.

Super stuffed peppers on the grill

1 lb ground beef
4 peppers halved and seeded (I used red, green, yellow, and orange peppers)
1 cup or so of leftover cooked rice, cold
¾ cup black beans, rinsed
¾ cup corn
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 cup cubed mont. jack cheese or mozzarella cheese
1 egg beaten with a couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons green salsa
2 tablespoons red salsa (can substitute tomato sauce)
Salt
Seasoned Salt
Black Pepper
Mexican Oregano
Chili powder

Preheat your grill to 400 degrees. Partially fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil. Remove from the burner, drop in your pepper halves, and let sit in the hot water for about 3-5 minutes. Remove and drain.

Meanwhile, combine all the other ingredients. Place peppers in a tall sided aluminum pan. I used two pans placing 4 halves in each pan. Over stuff each pepper making sure to fill the pepper cavity completely. The filling shrinks during cooking.

Place a double sheet of aluminum foil on the grill, and put your pan(s) on top of the foil. Pour about ½ cup of hot water into each pan. Close the lid and grill for 50 minutes.

Couple of notes: Placing the peppers in the boiling water for just a couple of minutes prior to stuffing really makes a difference. You know how sometimes the pepper remains too crunchy? Well, this precooking bath really eliminates that. Be careful, though, not to let them sit too long or they’ll be too soft.See what I mean by overstuffed? Yeeowza! Serve with additional salsa, shredded cheese (I used cotija), and avocado. Prepare to hear yummy noises. Oh, and like most recipes here at It's All Gouda, this is gluten free, all the way, baby!

My only regret with these is that Marjie is allergic to peppers. I wonder what other veggies take well to stuffings like this? Any ideas? What’s your favorite stuffed pepper recipe?