Category: Food

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Nature’s Bounty

One of the most amazing things—for me–about summer,  is that around just about every corner, we are blessed with fruit and vegetable stands. So on the off chance that the gardens don’t do so well, we can always run down the street and grab a bushel of tomatoes to can…or pears, or peaches, or apples. This one is about a block away from our house.

But if you want a slightly different experience, you pack up the kids and head on over to the local Farmer’s Market. This one at our Thanksgiving Point often has more things than produce–but it’s always an adventure. Jewelry, wood work, furniture and even clothing were all over the place–mixed in with the fruits and veggies.

The little gal chose a hand carved wooden spoon for her treasure.

I was drawn to the peaches, apples and real, live local honey butter. Yum is just not a big enough word.

We gobbled up a loaf of banana bread from this gal and then went back for more. I tried to pretend we weren’t the same people who had just been there…I thought maybe a foreign accent would help…but she totally caught on. So we bought two more loaves.

Hey, they were small, ok?

While we nibbled on the banana bread the sky started looking a bit strange…

and dark…

and rainy…

and cold.

As it started pelting down, we hightailed it to the car asap with our bounty so we didn’t get soaked. I mean seriously, who wants to drive all the way home in sopping wet, sticky clothes? Nobody–that’s who!

Ummm…wait.

Oh, never mind.

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Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Marvelous twist on a classic favorite.

And tell the truth–you know that positively everything is genetically enhanced when chocolate is involved. I read it somewhere–therefore, it is of course true. You will also be pleased to know that this sweet little cookie was approved by the State Childcare Program as a good snack choice for daycare children because it has so darn much oatmeal in it. So you can breathe easy while you snarf these down…they’re good for you…heh, heh.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups butter

1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1cup sugar

2 eggs

3 tsp. vanilla extract

2-1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa

2 tsp. baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

6 cups oats

12 oz. chocolate chips (optional…ok, not really)

Heat oven to 375*. In a mixer bowl, beat butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoons on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes. Cool slightly and remove from pan.

Have them for breakfast with a glass of milk.

Call it oatmeal.

heh.

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Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
 
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:
Ingredients
  • 2-1/2 cups butter
  • 1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 1cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2-1/2 cups flour
  • ½ cup cocoa
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 cups oats
  • 12 oz. chocolate chips (optional...ok, not really)
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 375*. In a mixer bowl, beat butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoons on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes. Cool slightly and remove from pan.

 

 

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Baby Peach Love

We found this treasure, smuggled from the big box from Farmer’s Market. Some little soul had hidden it away with the toys, before nap time.


One would think that there just isn’t anything more scrumptious than a juicy, tree-ripened peach…

and dang…

they’d be right.

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Trippy Food–Prairie Style

Remember last year’s Trippy Food–NYC Style? Well, this is the travel food prairie version.

Seemed like after driving on the lone highway, dry and dusty for miles and miles–we couldn’t help ourselves.  Whenever we saw an ice cream place the car automatically just swerved in…

all by it’s self.

Ok, I found a picture of one piece of the Asiago Bread from the Farmer’s Market…

and one teensy weensy corner of the Streusel Cake to show you. Neither of them lasted very long.

Of course the Peanut Spread and the Blueberry jam are like some kind of food of the Gods.

Yeah, so I checked and they DO eat them on Mt. Olympus. So there.

Ever heard of Taco Joe’s? Wunderbar. The thing on the right is a crunchy taco wrapped in a cheesy flour tortilla and then grilled like a burrito. I know–kind of a brain twist. But it was so good. And the crunchy taters came with everything. I’m all about crunch.

Wasn’t kidding about the ice cream stuff. I don’t even know where this was, but heck, it’s ice cream–how could you go wrong?

This was actually complimentary breakfast at the Holiday Inn where we stayed–cheese omelets and biscuits. Lovely.

Dairy Queen should really be in some hall of fame somewhere because it’s the absolute best ice cream in the kingdom. {sigh}

Very, yummy…very cinnamony cinnamon roll also from the hotel breakfast.

Twist cone…no words are needed.

Chicken Alfredo from a Roadside Steakhouse in South Dakota. Look at all that cheese. Dang.

Nothing beats the homemade roast beef and potatoes we whipped up on Sunday from our own little hotel room.

I heard that.

Oh, yes we did.

When you need the comfort and the taste of home doesn’t everyone call Pizza Hut? Hmmmm?  I’d like to just pluck that little piece on the left right through the computer screen.

I think I’ve figured out why they need all the trains around there. It’s for the busloads of ice cream that my family can eat in 5 days. It’s a disorder…

probably won’t be fixing it.

Roadside Steakhouse, SD. Three cheers for any joint that will whip up a grilled cheese for a two-year-old at a moment’s notice…

and bring out ribs like these on the same tray. One fell out of my slippery fingers and I swear I nearly cracked my head on the table trying to get it back.

No, I didn’t eat it…but I cried about it.

At the tail end McDonald’s really hit the spot. Really. Hey, I sincerely like McDonalds…nearly everyone can find something they love.

Thank Heavens somebody figured out the idea of food for us humans to eat.

It’s such a good idea.

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Mexican Summer Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing

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And here, my friends, we have the most illustrious Mexican Summer Salad–or Bajio Salad–as it’s known at our place. It’s truly just a glorified–reeally glorified taco salad–like the grown-ups make. The key ingredient here is the dressing—we’ll get to that later. We serve ours up buffet style where all the ingredients that you could ever want or imagine that you could ever want are in individual bowls just waiting for you to choose them. There are many ways to do it, but since it’s my blog, I’ll tell you the only true and correct way…how I do it. Being Queen has it’s privileges you know.

1) Start with a warmed flour tortilla and sprinkle lettuce all over it.

2) Next add seasoned, shredded chicken, beef or pork.

3) Spoon on black beans, refried beans or Mexican rice.

4) Add shredded cheese, tomatoes, olives and bite sized tortilla strips.

5) Top with the Magical Cilantro Ranch dressing—See below.

Try to be dainty now, and it’ll be hard. There’s something about this salad that tends to bring out starving wolf-like behavior. Go slow and no one will notice that low growl coming from your side of the table.

Magical Cilantro Ranch Dressing

1 packet of ranch dressing mix
2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup milk or buttermilk
3 tbsp chipotle peppers
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp fresh, chopped cilantro

Combine all ingredients in a bowl of a food processor or blender and pulse until thoroughly blended.
Chill in the refrigerator for about an hour.