pirate party

We enjoy parties and it was time for a pirate party- AArrgg!  The cake was almost too simple to make and since this party was for kids I used a box cake mix and two tubs of blue raspberry icing (I'd say yuck! but the kids loved it so it was a good move).  My son crushed up some graham crackers for an island and loved placing the sharks in the water ever so meticulously.  It was a busy day so last minute I had the idea to make the apple sailboats with salami sails.  We threw in a tattoo parlor, pin-the-eyepatch-on-the pirate a treasure hunt and some pirate t-shirts and called it a day!

baked salmon patties

These were great- crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle.  I'll make these again for sure.

baked salmon patties (Fill Up To Slim Down by Edward B. Diethrich, M.D., and Jyl Steinback)
2 (6 ounce) cans salmon, drained
1 cup corn flake crumbs, divided (I used low fat Triscuits, broken up)
1 tablespoon nonfat sour cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon mustard
3/4 teaspoons garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 350.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Combine the salmon, 1/4 cup corn flake crumbs, sour cream, lemon juice, egg whites, onion powder and mustard in a medium bowl; mix until the ingredients are blended.  Shape into 4 patties.  Combine the remaining 3/4 cup of crumbs and garlic powder in a zip-lock bag; shake until mixed.  Place the crumbs on a plate.  Place one salmon patty on top of the crumbs and flip over to coat both sides.  Place breaded patties on the baking sheet.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until lightly browned and crisp.

226 calories, 5g fat, 18g carbs, 24g protein
exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1 starch

ninjabread cookie cutters

Have you seen these?  We got them for my husband for Christmas but it's taken us a while to get around to baking with them- Ninjabread cookie cutters!  You can find them HERE.  Instead of baking with gingerbread I went with our favorite sugar cookie recipe which you can find here.  We're going to surprise my husband with a little Ninja party.

ninjabread cookies (amazon.com)
Mix up your favorite sugar cookie recipe and use these cutters to create ninjas!  Then frost and ice with details.

coconut watermelon refresher

I had plenty of watermelon in the fridge and a can of coconut milk and a great memory.  I remembered a great drink I tried while living in Hawaii many moons ago.  This is a simplified version but you can add coconut and pineapple if you wish.  I thought this was just perfect.

coconut watermelon refresher (a quick search and I found Global Table Adventure although I didn't really follow the recipe)
watermelon
light coconut milk
ice cubes

Fill a blender with cubed watermelon.  Pour in half a can of light coconut milk.  Blend until you get the consistency you want.  Pour ice cubes into a goblet followed by your coconut watermelon refresher and add a straw!  Swirl the drink around with the straw to get it nice and cold.  Enjoy!

ice cream cone cupcakes

Today is my ward's first primary picnic of the summer and I put myself in charge of treats.  I showed the primary children all the ingredients for these treats on Sunday hoping to peak their curiosity so they'd come find out exactly what you can do with cake mix, ice cream cones, powdered sugar and sprinkles.  We have a terrific primary and I can't wait for the picnic!

ice cream cone cupcakes (the frugal girls)
1 box white cake mix, batter prepared as directed on the box
1 box ice cream cones (package of 24)

Prepare cake mix batter according to package directions.  Place ice cream cones in a 9x13 pan (you may need more than one).  Fill cones 2/3 of the way full.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until they are cooked through.  Let cool.  If cake rises and bakes over the top of the cone, use a knife to level the cake so it is level with the cone.  Use a 1M Wilton tip to pipe the icing onto each cupcake cone.  Top with sprinkles!

icing
1 big bag powdered sugar
1 cup Crisco
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
water
red, white and blue sprinkles

In a large bowl, beat powdered sugar, Crisco, extracts and enough water to get the consistency of icing you desire.  (I probably used 1/2 cup of water or more but definitely start out with 1/4 cup and gradually add more.)


 

soft lemon sorbet

This sorbet is delicious, no doubt about it.  My oldest made it last night for the sister missionaries.  It had the perfect tartness but was also very sweet.  Just right for the start of summer and went well with the summer salads we served.  I wish I had pulled out some Nilla wafers to serve alongside this sorbet.  Would've been a nice touch.


soft lemon sorbet (Cuisinart)
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped lemon zest

Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to low and simmer without stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Cool completely.  This is called a simple syrup and may be made ahead in large quantities to have on hand for making fresh lemon sorbet.  Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
When cool, add the lemon juice and zest; stir to combine.  Turn the Cuisinart Automatic Frozen Yogurt Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker on, pour the lemon mixture into freezer bowl through ingredient spout and mix until thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Note:  Melts quickly; serve and eat right away.

rigatoni with grilled peppers and onions

This salad was SOOOO GOOD!

rigatoni with grilled peppers and onions (Cassie Craves got it from Real Simple) 
2 medium red onions, sliced into rings (I simply halved mine)
2 large sweet bell peppers, cut into quarters
olive oil
kosher salt and pepper
12 ounces (4 to 5 cups) rigatoni
1 bunch spinach, stems trimmed, or one 5-ounce package
1 cup grated Parmesan
3/4 cup basil leaves, thinly sliced 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high.  In a large bowl, toss the onions, bell peppers, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Grill, turning occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.  Transfer to a cutting board and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta and return the pasta to the pot.  Add the grilled vegetables, spinach, the reserved pasta water and 3/4 cup of the Parmesan to the pasta and toss to combine.  Top with the basil and the remaining Parmesan before serving