It’s a cool cloudy day around here.

We’re expecting a boat load of rain this weekend.

This yummy soup will hit the spot!

Serves: 6  Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 T butter

1 T Olive Oil

4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 T fresh thyme

S&P

2 T flour

2 cups half-and-half  

2 cups chicken stock

1 bag diced potato (near the hash browns in the meat section)

2 cans whole clams and their juice

1 10 oz bag frozen corn

WHAT TO DO:

In a medium pot over medium high heat sauté bacon with 1 T olive oil.  When just crispy add in butter and onions, celery and thyme. Season with S&P and cook 5-7 minutes. Add flour and cook for two more minutes.

Add half-and-half and stock and bring to a bubble, then stir in potatoes and clams. Season again with S&P.  Bring soup back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, until potatoes are cooked and soup has thickened up nicely.  Stir in frozen corn and cook for an additional 5 minutes.  Serve with garlic bread and salad.

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But I’m not a baker…

So I rarely make them.

But this is a relatively easy recipe to get yummy scones on the table on a weekend morning.

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 T baking powder

1 t salt

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup unsalted butter, very cold, cut into chunks

3/4 cup cream

1 egg

1 pint blueberries (locally grown)

2 T sugar in the raw

WHAT TO DO:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

In your food processor bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.  Pulse quickly to combine.  Add cold butter and pulse quickly to cut butter in until it looks like coarse sand.

In a separate large bowl combine cream and egg.  Mix well.  Pour off just a bit into a small bowl then pour the flour mixture in.  Stir a bit just to combine.  Fold in your blueberries very gently being careful not to burst them.

Now comes the creative part…

You can turn out your dough and form into a large square or circle and cut them into traditional triangles or you can do what I do and just drop them into circles on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the scones with the reserved cream/egg mixture and sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Serve with Blueberry Butter.

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Grab them and get in the kitchen and make these fun recipes together!

Back by popular demand…

Here is the recipe that started it all!

I couldn’t get the boys to eat meatloaf and mashed potatoes!

So foolish considering that they like everything in that dish.

But they wouldn’t actually put it in their mouth sooooo….

We came up with a fun way to make them together.

Meatloaf Cupcakes were born!

Here’s a lighter turkey meatloaf version…we’re slimming down for summer!

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 ½ lbs ground turkey

1 egg, beaten

1 clove garlic, chopped

½ c bread crumbs

2 T Worcestershire sauce

¾ c chili sauce (you can use ketchup too)

½ c onions, finely chopped

½ c carrots, finely chopped

½ c mushrooms, finely chopped

½ c red pepper, finely chopped

½ c canned fried onion strips

S&P

1 lb russet potatoes peeled and cubed

½ c milk

3 T sour  cream

2 T butter

S&P

WHAT TO DO:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Place your peeled cubed potatoes in large pot of cold water over high heat.  Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender (about 8-10 minutes after water boils depending on the size of your cubes).

In a large bowl combine ground turkey, egg, bread crumbs, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, chili sauce, onions, carrots, mushrooms, red pepper, fried onions and S&P.  Mix together with your hands until combined.  Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray.  Mold your meatloaf mixture into cupcake sized balls and place in muffin pan.  You’ll get about 8-10 cupcakes.  Place in oven and cook at 375 for about 25-30 minutes.

Drain your potatoes and return to pan.  Pour in your milk, sour cream and butter, and season with S&P.  Using a hand mixer whip your potatoes until smooth and set aside to cool a bit.  Take a large plastic Ziploc bag (or a pastry bag if you have one) and cut a small hole in the bottom corner.  Spoon your mashed potatoes into the bag then pipe out the potato on top of the meatloaves to look like frosting on a cupcake.   Serve ‘em up hot, who doesn’t love cupcakes?  Especially for dinner!

Meaty Morsel:  Decorate the tops of your cupcakes with BBQ sauce, ketchup, mustard, cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, anything you or your kids can think of.  Let them have fun with this, they’ll have more fun eating it!

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Matzoh!

Best thing about Matzoh!

Chocolate covered matzoh!

Make this!  It’s amazing.

WHAT YOU NEED:

1/2 lb matzos

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 t vanilla extract

½ t cinnamon

1/8 t kosher salt

8 ounces chocolate chips

WHAT TO DO:

Line cookie sheet with foil  OR

Lightly oil a cookie sheet or spray with Pam.

Lay matzo on pan  – place whole matzo then need to break pieces to fit the pan.

Melt brown butter and sugar in saucepan.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and you have a smooth toffee.  Stir in vanilla, cinnamon and salt.

Brush matzo with toffee mixture.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 3-4 minutes until it bubbles.

Watch closely – burns easily.

Cover with chocolate chips – put back in oven until chips start to melt.

Remove from oven and and spread the chocolate until matzo is completely covered.

Place cookie sheet in freezer until hard then remove, break into pieces and store in tupperware.

OPTIONAL – Sprinkle chopped nuts on top before freezing.

I usually do 1/2 w/nuts…1/2 without.

Related posts:

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• Cupid’s Arrows
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Yes I’ve been on a casserole kick.

I can’t help it.

I just love the fact that they can be made in advance!

And with school starting and activities heating up I just like to know that a yummy dinner the boys will like can get on the table fast.

There is nothing not to like in this dish.

I toss in some protein and veggies to make it a complete meal in one.

Not to mention the fact the boys like all the stirring help they get to do.

Now let’s get to the good stuff!!

Cheesy Macaroni Surprise

Serves: 8  Prep Time:  10 minutes  Cook time: 35 minutes

1 lb wagon wheel pasta

3 T  butter unsalted

3 T all purpose flour

3 cups whole milk

1/2  t fresh grated nutmeg

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded swiss cheese

1/2 kielbasa link, diced

1 10 oz box frozen peas

S&P

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Set a large pot of water over high heat to boil.  In a large saucepan melt butter over medium high heat.  Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute.  Slowly whisk in milk, and bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly.  Once the milk has thickened add in nutmeg and season with S&P.  Reduce to medium low heat and melt in cheddar and swiss cheeses.  Allow to cook on low for a few minutes.

When water is boiling season water with salt and add pasta.  Note package cooking time and reduce by 2 minutes, the macaroni will continue cooking in the oven later.  Once pasta is cooked, drain and return to pot.

Add your peas and sliced kielbasa to your cheese sauce and pour over the pasta.  Mix well.  Transfer to a greased 13×9 baking  dish and top with additional cheese if desired.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.

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I switched out chicken (or veal) cutlets for turkey cutlets instead, hey turkey cutlets were on sale at the store…can’t pass up a bargain!

I doctored up the sauce a bit as you all know I can’t follow a recipe to save my life what with my recipe OCD and all.

I like this dish because the kids can help with the prep and it’s a great light and easy meal.

Perfect for the end of summer.

Give this a whirl…you’ll be glad you did.

Serves: 4  Prep Time: 10 minutes  Cook Time: 15 minutes

1 1/2 pounds turkey cutlets

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 T garlic powder

1/2 t ground black pepper

16 sage leaves, divided (8 minced, 8 whole)

8 slices thin prosciutto

3 T olive oil

1 cup dry white wine

1 large shallot, chopped fine

2 t lemon juice

3 T butter

1 T chopped parsley

Pat cutlets dry with paper towels. In a large bowl combine flour, garlic powder and pepper.  Dredge turkey cutlets in flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Lay cutlets flat and sprinkle evenly with minced sage. Place 1 prosciutto slice on top of each cutlet.   (These are great steps for the kids to help with, just be sure they wash their hands after handling the raw poultry!)

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add whole sage leaves and cook for about 15 to 20 seconds. Using slotted spoon, remove sage to paper towel-lined plate and set aside for garnish later. Add half of cutlets to pan, prosciutto-side down, and cook until light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook on other side until light golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and keep warm under some aluminum foil. Repeat with remaining cutlets.

Pour off excess fat from skillet, reserving about 1 Tablespoon. Add you shallots and cook until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes.  Add in you wine to deglaze your pan being sure to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom.  Simmer until reduced to about 1/3 cup, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Turn heat to low and whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Off heat, stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper. Pour over turkey and top with fried sage leaves and extra parsley.

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WHAT????

What kid in their right mind would not want mashed potatoes and all that yummy creamy goodness?

Then I stopped to think for a second and I realized that for quite some time my boys wouldn’t try mashed potatoes?

WHAT????

How dare you scoff at a potato! A mashed potato!

You are Fitzpatricks for the love of all that is holy.

Your people have survived against all odds with the help of the magical pratties!

WHAT????

So I tried to remember how I got them to eat them for the first time, and I realized it’s the magical practice that I have leaned on time and time again…

I called the boys into the kitchen when those little beauties came out of the water and asked them to make them with me and decide what goes in them.

Now they are “their” mashed potatoes.

Now they take ownership and pride in their potatoes.

Now they will actually try them and realize that mashed potatoes are nothing but GOOD.

Here is Keegan’s recipe. Keep in mind that these measurements are an estimate. He got a little crazy with the parmesan cheese.

1 lb baby red potatoes, mashed (You could use any kind of potato, I just don’t like to peel them.)
2 T chicken stock
2 T cream
2 T sour cream
2 T unsalted butter
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (though something tells me Keegan threw in closer to a 1/2 cup, he kept saying, I think it needs more cheese, mommy.)
S&P

Toss all ingredients into a large bowl. Let the kids have fun mashing those potatoes! Mix well, let the kids get creative about what they’d like to add. Dish it out and let them enjoy trying their delicious masterpiece!

Related posts:

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Serves 6  Prep Time: 5 minutes  Cook time: 20 minutes

1 1/2 lbs baby red potatoes

3 cloves garlic, peeled

S&P

splash of cream

1/4 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

2 T butter

Cut your potatoes into quarters and toss them in a medium sized pot with the garlic cloves.  Fill with cold water.  Set over high heat and bring to a boil.  Once the water is boiling season the water with salt.  Cook until fork tender about 8-10 minutes.  Drain well and transfer to a bowl.  Toss in remaining ingredients and mix with hand mixer or smash with a potato smasher.  Serve with a bit of sauce from chicken marsala.

Oh oh oh, guess what? I’m guest posting today over at my girl Katie’s at Sassy Silly Spunky Momma She is just awesome and you should go on over and check her out.

Related posts:

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It was great fun!  Totally overwhelming and exhilarating, exciting and exhausting, intimidating and intriguing.  We all had a blast and I learned a ton.  I’m so glad to be home and can’t wait to do it again.  Keep your fingers crossed, I’ve got pretty much everything crossed, and I’ll keep you posted on when and where you’ll be able to check us out.  For now I can tell you that we shot 4 segments comprised of 6 recipes for a half hour show.  4 recipes from our cookbook and 2 new ones.  It was crazy, and I loved every second…stay tuned!

So we got back home to a beautiful weekend and I felt like celebrating!  What do you do in New England on a gorgeous weekend when you want to celebrate?  Buy a lobstah!  Uh, that’s lobster for those of you who don’t speak New Englandese.  The boys and I piled into the car, went on down to the fish mahket, uh market, and picked out some good ones.  They were on sale to boot!  Bonus!

Now here’s a tip for ya, don’t let your kids name their lobsters.  The one phrase that I remember my mom saying over and over when I was a kid was, “Ah, ah, ah, there’s going to be tears…”  Now granted that usually proceeded my brother landing a round house kick upside my head, but pretty much, she was always right on!  Anyway, that was was playing through my head as the boys named their new pals and they went to the pot.  Mom was right, there is definitely going to be tears…

4 1 – 1 1/2 lb lobsters

1 T butter

8 small red potatoes

2 onions quartered

4 garlic cloves

2 sprigs fresh thyme

S&P

8 cups water

1 stick butter, melted

In a large lobstah pot, heat butter over medium high heat.  Toss in onion, garlic, potatoes, and season with S&P.  Toss in your thyme sprigs and let everything soften a bit, about 4 minutes or so.  Pour in some water and bring to a boil.  When the water is boiling toss in your lobsters and cover.  Cook 8 minutes.  Remove lobsters from water and serve with drawn butter, a bib, and plenty of napkins!!!

Stay tuned tomorrow when I make the leftovers into lobster salad!

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Little bit of history for you this fine Monday morn.  What the shiznet is a schnitzel?  Well, it is quite simply a breaded veal cutlet, or any pounded thin cut of meat.  Yup, that’s right, all the Italians out there are talking at the computer with their hands screaming, hey we invented cutlets, but au contraire mon frere, or in this case mein bruder, as the Germans whipped these bad boys up centuries ago.  Check out what Miriam-Webster says about zee schnitzel…

Main Entry: schnit·zel

Pronunciation: \ˈshnit-səl\

Etymology: German, literally, shaving, chip, diminutive of Schnitz slice, from Middle High German snitz; akin to Old High German snīdan to cut, Old English snīthan, and perhaps to Czech snět bough

See, how cute is that?  It means little slice.  And it is a little slice, it’s a little slice of heaven!  I made ours out of some pork chops that were on sale and threw them over a big salad.  Totally cost effective and delicious all at the same time.  The hubs ate 4!  Here’s how you make them.

Fitzpatrick’s Fo’ Shizzel my Pork Schnitzel

8 thin sliced pork chops pounded thin

2/3 cup flour

1 t garlic powder

S&P

2 eggs beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs

4 T olive oil divided

2 T butter, divided

2 sprigs of thyme, divided

2 cloves garlic whole, divided

1 lemon cut into wedges

Set out three bowls to make your breading stations.  In the first bowl combine your flour, garlic powder, and S&P.  In the second bowl, combine your eggs and milk, the panko bread crumbs in the third.  Start my dredging your cutlets in the flour.  Shake off any excess then dunk them into the second bowl of eggs and milk.  Finish off by putting them into the third bowl with the bread crumbs.  Place them on a baking sheet or cutting board and let them sit for about 10 minutes.

In a large skillet put 2 T of oil and 1 T of butter over medium high heat along with your 1 garlic clove and thyme sprig.  Once the oil has heated up remove the garlic and thyme and add in 2 cutlets.  Cook for about 3-4 minutes keeping an eye on them.  Flip them when they are golden brown, cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.  Remove from heat and sprinkle with salt.  Set under some tin foil to keep warm.  Repeat with 2 more cutlets.  Toss out your oil and butter and start fresh heating remaining 2 T of oil and 1 T butter and garlic and butter.  Repeat process for the remaining cutlets.  Squeeze some lemon over all the cutlets and serve immediately with additional lemon.  SOOOOO good!

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