Gifts for the Kids ~ Van Gogh Magic in Photoshop + Baked Zucchini Fries Recipe

Today Larr and Ellie repainted the stairwell and the hallways upstairs. It is a big change. I think I will like it once the pictures are back on the wall. Once it is done, I will share photos of it with you.

A while back Ethan shared an image that he found on Tumblr that he loved. I think he may even have had it as his background for a while. I thought it was a great idea, so I decided I would make my own version. Here's the inspiration. (I am sorry to say that I don't know its original source.):

From a technical point of view, that is easy enough to do. It turned out that the challenge was in finding the right photos. Luckily, I found one of Ethan in Goblin Valley from about 2 years ago. The dusky light was just perfect and I am very pleased with the result:

(Ethan with a Starry, Starry Night sky, thanks to Van Gogh.)
And so of course I wanted to make one for Ellie, too. After looking at Van Gogh's paintings and thinking about what images I had of Ellie, I thought this was a fun combination:

(That would be Ellie and "Night on the Rhone" by Van Gogh.)

It was so much fun to make that I was sure they would love them. Then I happen to ask Ethan in a round about way about what I was making. He replied that it might be weird to have photos of just himself in the apartment he will get some day. I had not thought about that, but I had already done the art. In the end I decided to risk it and give the gifts to the kids. Larr and I figured that if they did not like them, we would keep and display the images. I had them mounted on wooden blocks with silver edges. It is a service that Walmart offers and they are lovely. It turned out that I think the kids liked them. I still love them, so I might make a second set. We will have to see about that later.

Here's a snack we tried out today:

Baked Zucchini Fries
via: Budget Bytes

1 lb. zucchini squash
¼ cup all-purpose flour
⅛ tsp salt
1 cup panko bread crumbs
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning blend
1 large egg

Rinse and dry the zucchini. Cut the ends off and then cut each one into strips, approximately ⅓ inch thick.

Place the zucchini strips on a large zip top bag and add the flour and salt. Shake the bag to coat the zucchini in flour. In a wide, shallow bowl combine the panko bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine. In a second wide, shallow bowl, whisk a raw egg with about 1 Tbsp of water until fairly smooth.

Begin to preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with foil and then place two wire cooling racks over top. One by one, take the flour coated zucchini strips and dip them in the egg and then the seasoned bread crumb mixture. Place the breaded zucchini on the wire cooling racks. The wire racks keep the zucchini up off of the baking sheet and allows hot air to circulate underneath, which will prevent soggy bottoms. Also make sure there is a small amount of space between each strip to allow circulation.

Once all of the zucchini strips are breaded, bake them for approximately 15 minutes or until they are a medium golden brown color. Cooking time will vary with the thickness of your zucchini strips, so keep a close eye.

A Whole Lot of Creating Going On This Weekend

We were very busy this weekend.

Ellie had her last cyclocross race of the season. She misplaced her shoe and was not going to race, but changed her mind at the last moment. Ellie raced in her jeans and hoodie instead of her team kit - she said it felt funny, like a racer. She earned first place in the JW 13-14 division, which also moved her up to second place in the 2011 Colorado Cyclocross Cup. On the way home from Boulder we stopped by a great thrift store to look for more blue wool sweaters for the chair reupholstering project I am gearing up to do. It it much more difficult than I had anticipated to find the variety of blue wool sweaters that I am hoping for. I may have to actually knit up and felt some bits to achieve the look I am going for.

During the afternoon I was by myself as Larr and Ethan were at the Colorado School of Mines library doing research. Ellie was hanging out at Christy's house. This left me free to do a bit of digital scrapbooking.






On Sunday we did a lot of cooking. Ethan got a wild hair and decided to make some candied bacon. I know it is all the rage, that and chocolate covered bacon, but I had not planned on trying it. It turned out to be very tasty. Ethan called it "dog treats for humans."

I made a simple yellow lentil and bacon soup for Ethan's lunches this week. I also made a nice sausage and pasta dish, as well as some lemon bars so that Grandpa Don could enjoy a home cooked meal.

Pasta with Sausage and Cream Sauce
adapted from Creme De Colorado Cookbook

1.5 pound Italian Sausage, mild
2 cup Heavy Cream
1 cup Dry White Wine
1 TBL Fresh Parsley, minced
1/2 tea Nutmeg, ground
1/2-1 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
12 oz. Pasta, cooked al dente, drained
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 TBL Fresh Parsely, minced

If your sausage comes in links, remove the casting. Cook the sausage in a skillet. Pour off any fat or grease that is in the pan.

Stir in the cream, wine, 1 TBL of parsley and nutmeg. Simmer 3-4 minutes.

Place the heated pasta in the serving dish. Stir in the nutmeg.

--
Simple French Lentil Soup with Bacon
adapted from SimpleBites.net

2 cups French lentils (rinsed, cleaned and soaked for 24 hours)
8 strips of bacon, diced
1 medium onion, diced
4 carrots, diced
10 oz. spinach, chopped (I used a box of frozen spinach)
8 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups stock or water
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried Oregano
salt & black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Soak lentils in water for 24 hours, rinsing and changing the water every 12 hours or so.
2. Cook the bacon in a skillet until fat has been rendered, then pour it out.
3. Add onions, carrots and season with a pinch of sea salt. Sauté until onions are translucent, about another five minutes. Add garlic and cook a minute further.
4. Place the drained lentils, along with the cooked vegetables, the spinach, herbs and stock in a crock pot and cook for a at least 6 hours on high. Simmer until lentils are tender. If you in a hurry you can cook the soup in a pressure cooker. You can also cook it in the oven in a Dutch oven. Cover and simmer on low for 1 1/2 – 2 hours or
5. Taste and correct seasoning if desired. Serve hot with a dollop of crème fraîche.

--------------

Candied Bacon
via NourishNetwork.com

4 cups granulated sugar
4 cups water
1 (12-ounce) package center-cut bacon
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Nonstick cooking spray

Combine granulated sugar and water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Add bacon and cook 5 minutes or until bacon appears cooked around edges. Drain bacon on paper towels until cool enough to handle.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Thread each strip of bacon onto a wooden skewer. Combine brown sugar, mustard, and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge bacon in brown sugar mixture, shaking off excess. Place bacon on the rack of a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 F for 15 minutes or until crisp, turning bacon halfway through cooking time. Cool completely.

Makes 18 pieces

Lemon Bars
via The Enchanted Cook on More Than a Mount Full blog

Lemon Bars
adapted from Amy Parks as published in CHS Sweetheart Family Recipes

Makes 18 squares or 36 small triangles

Oven 350 degrees F

Crust:
1 cup butter (2 sticks), cut in small pieces
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup confectioners sugar

Filling:
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 1 ½ lemons)

Confectioners sugar for dusting

To make crust, place butter, flour and confectioners sugar in food processor and pulse until dough begins to come together.

Place in 9x13 baking dish and press dough until it covers the bottom and up the sides to form an edge. Bake in oven for 15 minutes, then remove to cool completely. Leave oven on at 350 degrees F.

Meanwhile, make the filling by mixing all the filling ingredients together.

Pour filling into crust and bake in oven for 25 – 35 minutes or until filling is set and no longer jiggly when moved gently from side to side.Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Dust with confectioners sugar. Or if you prefer, you can make a lemon glaze with 2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice mixed with 1 cup confectioners sugar.

Prepping for Snow Mountain Ranch

Every year Alpine Valley School families go to Snow Mountain Ranch near Winter Park for a weekend retreat. We rent a large cabin intended for family reunions and have the overflow folks stay in the lodge that is just a short bit away. We do semi-communal meals. Here's what I am packing for us to eat:

Friday Dinner:
Cream Cheese Chicken

1 Pk. Italian Dressing Mix (generic works nicely)
3-4 Chicken Breasts, cubed
1 Stick Butter
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
8 oz. Cream Cheese
Noodles/Brown Rice/Grilled Polenta

Saute the chicken in the butter. Next, add the dressing and stir. Then add the soup and the cream cheese. Let simmer until well blended. Serve over noodles or rice or grilled polenta.

You can also make this in a crock pot.

Saturday:

Breakfast: Biscuits and Sausage Gravy


Lunch:
Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

Dinner:

Grilled Steak with Montreal Seasoning

Orzo Salad

4 cups Chicken Broth
1 1/2 cup Orzo (pasta)
15 oz. Garbanzo Beans
3/4 cup Red Onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup Basil, finely chopped
1/4 cup Mint, finely chopped
1-2 cups Fresh Mozzarella (I used Queso Fresco - Mexican Crumbling Cheese) cubed
3/4 cup Red Wine Vinegrette

Bring the broth to a boil and add the orzo. Cook until nearly al dente. Cool the pasta slightly. While the pasta is cooking, chop the onion, basil, mint and cheese. Toss all of the ingredients and mix with enough red wine vinaigrette to coat. Serve cold.

Snack: Chex Mix M&Ms and Gold Fish Crackers added


Sunday Breakfast:

Cinnamon FRENCH TOAST Casserole by The Pioneer Woman

Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 1 Hour Difficulty: Easy Servings: 12
Ingredients

* 1 loaf Crusty Sourdough Or French Bread
* 8 whole Eggs
* 2 cups Whole Milk
* ½ cups Whipping (heavy) Cream
* ¾ cups Sugar
* 2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
* Topping
* ½ cups All-purpose Flour
* ½ cups Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
* 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
* ¼ teaspoons Salt
* 1 stick Cold Butter, Cut Into Pieces
* Fresh Fruit (optional)

Preparation Instructions

Grease 9 x 13-inch baking pan with butter. Tear bread into chunks (or cut into cubes) and evenly distribute in the pan.

Mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla. Pour evenly over bread. Cover tightly and store in the fridge several hours or overnight.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add nutmeg if desired. Add butter pieces and but into the dry mixture until mixture resembles fine pebbles. Store in a Ziploc in the fridge.

When you’re ready to bake the casserole, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove casserole from oven and sprinkle crumb mixture over the top. (If you’re using fruit, sprinkle on before the crumb mixture.) Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture. Bake 1 hour or more for a firmer, less liquid texture.

Scoop out individual portions. Top with butter and drizzle with maple syrup.

(Feedback - This was very popular, just as I had expected. I did not have the maple syrup,but not a single person who ate this seemed to notice. I made enough for about 15 people, so I think that is a bit of reliable data.

Possible alternations: Next time I may consider adding in small walnut or pecan bits into the topping. I may also throw in some chopped apples that have been sauted in butter, cinnamon and nutmeg. Or I may simply try adding in bits of dried apple. Either way = yum!)