(grilled) peaches and (ice) cream

I realize that this idea is nothing new, but if you've never grilled fresh summer peaches and topped them with vanilla ice cream, you're missing out!  Mike and I have been making this seasonal dessert for as long as I can remember; way before we had three little beings with whom we could share it.  I remember enjoying it in the backyard of every home we've ever owned and almost every year during our Lake Gaston trip.  The kids enjoy it just as much as we do and I hope you do, too.  Really, try it.  It's the bomb!

grilled peaches and ice cream

ripe peaches, halved and pits removed
brown sugar
butter
vanilla ice cream

Preheat a grill, clean grates and spread a bit of butter on each cut-side of peach.

Place peaches on grill, cut-side down, for a few minutes.

Flip peaches onto a foil-lined small baking sheet and top each half with a small pat of butter and a sprinkle of brown sugar.  Grill, cut-side up, for a few more minutes.

Place peach halves in a bowl and top with a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream.  O.M.G.

Dive in!

Other recent recipes I've shared:

Early Summer Pasta
Super Sausage Sluggers
My ATA Sandwich
Crazy-good Feta Potato Salad

early summer pasta

It's late and you have nothing planned for dinner.  Enter this satisfying, quick, fresh from the garden pasta dish sure to please.  It's sooooo GOOD and completely flexible to whatever veggies, herbs or cheese you have on hand!

Note:  In this version, I roasted my tomatoes because a.) the ones in the garden aren't ready yet and b.) these little grape ones were nearing their last leg.  Drizzle with olive oil and toss with salt and pepper and roast at 400 for about 15 minutes.  Delish!

Early Summer Pasta

1 lb. pasta, whatever you have on hand
1 lb. roasted grape tomatoes
6 ozs. fresh mozarella, cubed
bunch of chives, snipped
handful of basil leaves, chiffonaded
freshly grated parmesan or romano to taste
1 cup reserved pasta water

Cook pasta al dente according to package.  Drain, reserving 1 cup starchy pasta water.  Return pasta to pot.

Throw in roasted tomatoes, chopped herbs and cheeses and mix.  Add pasta water to create a bit of a sauce and get the ingredients working together.  Place into bowls or plates and top with more grated parmesan or romano.

Super yummy, loved by the whole family and crazy fast!

super sausage sluggers

As with almost any recipe that I create, this one came from necessity.  Another night out, on the baseball field this time, and the desire to cook and not purchase subs, again, led to these yummy hoagies on the go.  It was my intention to serve them at home, but the clock ran out and the natives were starving, so I wrapped and we went.  Here's what you need:

1 package of Italian sausage, spiciness to taste
1 bell pepper, any color
1 onion
1 can Hunt's Diced Tomatoes with Spicy Red Pepper
hot dog buns
fresh mozzarella cheese (I usually slice a plain log, but I had these tiny balls left over from caprese bites I made for a party last weekend, so I just sliced those.)
olive oil

Prep time: 5 minutes, Total cooking time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice onions and peppers in half moon shapes.  Place sausage in bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish and drizzle with a little olive oil.  Top with sliced peppers and onions and tomatoes with juice.

Cover tightly with foil and cook for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove foil and stir.  Cook another 30 minutes, uncovered.

Remove dish and turn on broiler.  Place one sausage link, topped with a heap of tomatoes, onions and peppers and some sliced mozzarella in a hot dog bun and place on a foil lined baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining sausage links.  Place tray under broiler.

Watch your Sluggers; cheese should melt and begin to brown in about five minutes.  Remove from oven.

If you're on the go like we were last night, line a sheet of foil big enough to wrap your sandwich in with parchment or wax paper, and roll up from the corner.  They stay hot FOREVER.  We enjoyed them about an hour later and they were perfect.  By the way, Mike LOVES these and I don't really eat sausage and I LOVE them, too.  They are the perfect consistency and offer loads of healthy veggies to boot.  For all of you low carb loving carnivores, they're great without the bun, too.  And my girls who hate sausage?  They thought they were the bomb!  (Or maybe they really were starving??)

Full tummies, happy kids, parents that eat before 9 PM and a Yankees' win.  What could be better?

my ATA sandwich

Sometimes I think the best meals are the result of neglected grocery shopping.  Here's what I came up with for myself while cleaning out the fridge to make the kids' lunch the other day.  Who needs meat?  Not me.

I don't know what it is about this combo, but this sammy was the bomb.  Here's what you need to make it:

Avocado-Tomato-Arugula Sandwich
2 slices sourdough bread, toasted
2 T. mayonnaise  (I used light)
handful of arugula
tomatoes, halved or sliced, depending on variety
half an avocado
salt and pepper

Spread mayo on toast slices and layer slices of avocado on one side.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.  Place handful of arugula on top and cover with tomato slices or halves.  Sprinkle again with salt and pepper and top with second toast slice.  So simple, but screaming with fresh summer flavor.  Can't wait to this with our own tomatoes in a few weeks!

Enjoy!

Recent recipes:
crazy-good feta potato salad
my name is molly and i'm addicted to rosemary

a new look at mcdonald's

I am weird about food.  When it comes to ordering in a restaurant, I'm admittedly snobby, snubbing lots things that are probably perfectly fine.  I've always been atop an ethical fence when it comes to meat, spending months in Vegetarian Land only to return to occasional carnivorous ways; usually in response to some sort of braised, rich deliciousness whispering my name.  I falter.  I'm human.

But a few years ago, I saw Super Size Me and Food, Inc., quickly followed by a YouTube video claiming to display McDonald's products that had lasted eight years without spoiling.  This trifecta of scary food news was enough to permanently change my eating habits in many ways, lead me to give up McDonald's since then and kept me off meat for nearly a year.  Like I said, I'm weird about food.  My kids saw the YouTube video and gave their beloved Happy Meals up as well. 

So, when I received an invitation to attend a McDonald's event aimed to introduce new healthy products and dispel myths associated to their food and the way it's prepared, I jumped at the chance.   The Libra in me needed to ask the hard questions, balance out the scales of information and hear what McDonald's had to say - after all, the information that has led to my reaction is completely one-sided.

Let me tell you, this event, the first of its kind at the downtown Chicago anniversary store, was impressive.  Guests, who included moms, writers, bloggers and Chicago movers and shakers, tasted delicious new items and heard about healthy options from a registered dietician.  We learned how McDonald's has made healthy changes that impact our children in good ways and what substitutions or a la carte choices exist that make meals even more healthy.  I learned that McDonald's will meet any special request when it comes to salt or seasoning and will help you limit sugar whenever possible.  Did you know you could buy a serving of fresh, plump, seasonal blueberries at McDonald's?  Did you know you could replace your Happy Meal fries with them?

I tried the Premium Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken.  (Yes, I made myself eat meat.)  And it was great!  I'd say it was even on par with restaurants I consider to be a step above McDonald's in terms of taste and health.  While I didn't like the chicken wrap I selected, the Blueberry Banana Nut Oatmeal was amazing and the Fruit N' Yogurt Parfait delectable.  As a infrequent flyer when it comes to meat, it's good to know that there are plenty of choices for someone like me, all day long.

How many Happy Meal fries have your kids wasted over the years?  I can't count the number that I have shoved, cold, into my mouth because I couldn't bare to see those delicious nuggets go in the trash.  (Part of motherhood's "No Food Left Behind " plan.)  Well, thanks to a fry revamp, there will be no more waste.  For those of you that choose fries, they will come in a perfect and adorable kid-sized package.

By the way, I did ask the hard-hitting questions about allegations in the movies and videos previously mentioned.  While I didn't get a runaround, I'm not sure I got what I was looking for.  But I did walk away feeling that McDonald's has gotten a bad rap, even though they meet all USDA regulations and go beyond most health standards compared to those we have at home.  For instance, how long would you keep an undressed salad in your fridge?  A few days?  At McDonald's it's 8 hours, max. If I have issues, it seems I should set my sights on the people who set the regulations, not the organizations following the rules.

Is McDonald's my idea of perfection when it comes to the best healthy options for my kids? No, not perfection.  But I now know that McDonald's is making decisions, creating alternatives and preparing and storing food in ways that I can respect.  What a relief to have this convenient and yummy option back in our lineup without worry.  They continue to step up their game when it comes to healthful eating and I'll no longer think about them as a fast food option, but instead, good food, fast.  With so many on-the-go meals needed in our busy lives, it's a relief to have McD's back in the game and assisting parents with our number one priority: raising healthy kids.

Disclosure of Material Connection:  The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value.   Regardless, the opinions expressed are solely my own and I only endorse products or services that I personally believe will be good for my readers.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

sundays

Saturday used to be my favorite day of the week.  No early wake up call, no early bedtime; the perfect sandwich of sleeping and waking freedoms, if you ask me.  But kids came and my night owl tendency morphed into early bird survival and I soon fell prey to a comfy place to fall around 10 PM, Saturday or not.  Now my favorite day is Sunday.

My childhood may not be chock full of Leave it to Beaver simple, happy days, but it was good in its own way.  One memory that I replay often, or that I've stitched together from a few different ones lodged in my mind, involves Sunday nights.  I remember staying in after dinner, following long, hot summer days.  We'd each take our turn getting showered or bathed and don our PJ's.  Then we'd settle in on our butts around the coffee table and eat ice cream.  We might still be able to hear the neighbor kids outside making the most of warm weather and late nights, but we didn't care.  We enjoyed our treat and got to eat in front of the TV.  And if I'm right, I think we watched 60 Minutes.  We must have really liked that ice cream, because it fails to occur to me how four kids sat for an hour and happily watched that show.  I still love it.

Thirty years later, I ache for Sunday nights all week long.  I'm hesitant to ever plan anything, as I know an endless, busy week will be taking its toll by then and I'll just want Dove soap-scented, fresh-air-filled, rosy-cheeked kids snuggled up to us on the couch.  I look forward to the sore muscles from lots of yard work and a nearly accomplished to-do list.

This Sunday night we did just that, and we added couch-eaten ice cream. I flashed back thirty years as I looked at my kids' faces, with chocolate smudges and laps balancing big bowls of our favorite treat.  We didn't watch 60 Minutes, but we did hear the neighbor kids' happy young voices stretching out the weekend to its fullest extent.  There was not one complaint.

These are my favorite kind of moments.  Laughs, love and ice cream goodness with those you love.  I breathed in their youth as we sat there, focusing for a moment on each of their beautiful faces and holding tight to my patience as Riley and Finn argued about who would sit next to me on the couch.

"Tomorrow we'll have a 1st, 3rd and 5th grader," I thought.  Amazing.

And then, after my last spoonful of the most delicious ice cream ever made, Oberweis' Blueberry Pie, I promptly fell asleep on the couch.

Life is good.

crazy-good feta potato salad

Our recent trip to Asheville landed us at a great lunch spot, where we shared a side of feta potato salad.  (Actually, Mike shared HIS feta potato salad with ME!)  It was nothing shy of moan-worthy and all it took was a holiday weekend to lend me the inspiration to recreate it.  Here's my version.  The measurements are approximate for this one - sorry!  But with these simple, down home and affordable ingredients, who needs to be exact?

Feta Potato Salad

3 pound bag small red potatoes, scrubbed
1 cup mayo
1/3 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
3-4 T. snipped chives
pinch of salt


Cook potatoes in boiling water until a knife goes in easily (about 20-25 minutes.)  Drain and cool.

In a large bowl, combine all other ingredients.  Cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces and drop into bowl containing dressing mixture.  Fold together and chill.  Garnish with a bit more snipped chives.

Enjoy the yumminess, but beware:  this stuff is addictive!

my name is molly and i'm addicted to rosemary

It started long ago.  In my early days of cooking, a recipe called for this aromatic herb that I had never tasted before.  I was instantly hooked.  Thanks to a brilliant idea by my mother-in-law, Mary, I even clip sprigs from bumper crops and stick them in vases throughout the house.  I love the fresh scent in a bright, clean bathroom or coming from a mason jar vase next to our bed.  I just love rosemary.

Our recent trip to North Carolina woke my addiction to this herb.  One swig of the homemade rosemary peach lemonade at the Tupelo Honey Cafe sent my senses into overdrive.  I don't know what it is, but this beverage might be the single best thing that I've ever tasted.  I plan to perfect my own version this weekend and will report back, and once my personal prohibition is over, I plan to dress it up a bit more (if you get my drift.)  It will be the end-all, be-all summer drink of choice.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share my favorite ways to use rosemary.  Here goes:

Best Grilled Meat Marinade Ever
I watched a chef in a upscale gourmet shop whip up a version of this about 15 years ago.  I tweaked it and it's been our go-to marinade for 15 years.  (Unless I'm baking, I just eyeball measurements, so these are approximate.)

1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
2-3 sprigs rosemary, de-stemmed and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 thinly sliced green onions
a hefty squirt of Gourmet Garden's chili pepper (keep it in the freezer)
salt & pepper

Cover chicken, pork tenderloin or flank steak (hmm, maybe shrimp?) and leave it sit for 6 hours to overnight and then grill meat like usual.  It will rock your socks.


Roasted Gorgonzola Potatoes
A couple pounds of small potatoes - your favorite kind
3-4 sprigs of rosemary, cut in half
6 ozs. crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
olive oil
salt & pepper

Place taters and rosemary in baking dish and toss with a drizzle of olive oil to coat, and salt and pepper.  Roast in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes, it depends on size of potatoes.  When potatoes are knife tender, give them a slight smash with the back of a spoon.  Switch oven to broil, toss in cheese and return to oven until potato edges look crispy and golden (about 5 minutes.)  You won't eat the rosemary, but it will have left its delicious stamp on the crunchy, cheesy potatoes.

Speaking of potatoes, I've often said it's the food I'd choose to take if stranded on a deserted island.  That's another post all together!

Can't wait to taste what this little gem delivers...