Simply Sudie

Boc Boc Burgers

Tonight I hit a home run with dinner.  

Someone alert the media.  I believe the last time that happened was when the babies discovered strained sweet potatoes.

Lately, it seems I can do little right when it comes to our third meal of the day.  And seriously, I have been having one bad thing after another.  

Not one person appreciates the meals I cook, more or less likes the meals I cook.  Not one person.  

I have been pulling out the cookbooks.  Whipping up old favorites.  And the result?  A turned up nose and possibly a smirk.

My sister was telling me about this meal she fixed that her family loved.  And it reminded me of this silly thing I used to fix before kids.  

I thought, if I cannot please them anyway  I might as well have something I like.

It is a crazy little something I like to call Boc Boc Burgers.  

Just a pound of ground chicken breast, salt pepper, ketchup, bread crumbs and egg white mixed up.  I formed little patties the size of sausage patties.  Fried them in a non stick skillet.   Then I took small pita bread and cut in half.  Spread it with yogurt cucumber mixture.  fill with lettuce and sliced tomatoes.  and stuff in the chicken patty.  

Totally yummy.  Healthy.   Kid friendly.  Even Meemee liked it. 

Well, tonight I think I may just have turned my dinner downer streak around.    We shall see what tomorrow brings.

I was so proud of myself that I was planning on taking a picture of it and posting on the blog.  But all evidence of a successful dinner was consumed at a rapid pace.   My sincerest apologies.

(Note:my children are suckers for any food with a crazy name.)

Rainbow Cupcakes

Have you ever tasted a rainbow?

I love making rainbow cupcakes.  It is a silly little thing I do that just thrills my girls.

This week I saw a rainbow cake on Martha, and was inspired to make some of my cupcakes for our school's bazaar this weekend.

First I make white cake from a mix.  Then I divide it into 6 batches.  Using the ROYGBIV rainbow colors as a reference, I start mixing each batch with about 1/2 teaspoon of food coloring.  The colors are very vibrant.  Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo and Purple.  (I omit Indigo.)  

Then I fill the cupcakes with the colored cake mix and bake according to directions.

Each color has a bit left over, not quite enough for a full cupcake.  So with the last bits of each color, I make one rainbow cupcake.

I frost with white fluffy vanilla buttercreme.  But any white frosting will do. Lemon is good too.  It is very sunny. It should cover the colored cake underneath so that there will be the surprise of which color you picked. 

The child (or adult) that finds the rainbow cupcake wins.  You will have to bite into the cupcake to see if you win.  So everyone is biting and looking.  Just silly cupcake fun.

 

 

Meet The Cookies

http://www.girlscoutcookies.org/meet_the_cookies.asp

	Thin Mints: The most enduring and universally familiar Girl Scout cookie. These round, mint-flavored cookies covered with dark chocolate perennially sell the most boxes of any cookie.
	Samoas® or Caramel deLites®: These are round doughnut-shaped cookies about two inches in diameter with a hole in the center, covered in caramel and toasted coconut, and then striped with chocolate. Samoas® are made by Little Brownie Bakers. The ABC version is called Caramel deLites®.
	Tagalongs® or Peanut Butter Patties®: These are round cookies with a layer of peanut butter on top, and covered in chocolate. These cookies come in a red box. Little Brownie Bakers calls them Tagalongs®, ABC Bakers call them Peanut Butter Patties®.
	Do-Si-Dos® or Peanut Butter Sandwich: A sandwich cookie. The round, bumpy perforated oatmeal cookie top and bottom surrounds a peanut butter-flavored layer inside. Do-Si-Dos® (formerly Gauchos) are baked by Little Brownie Bakers. ABC Bakers calls them Peanut Butter Sandwiches.
	Trefoils or Shortbread: These shortbread cookies are shaped like the Girl Scout Trefoil design. Scot Teas were a similar, lighter sugar cookie made by the now defunct Burry. These cookies come in a blue box. Little Brownie Bakers calls them Trefoils, ABC Bakers call them Shortbread.
	Daisy Go Rounds™: Reduced Fat Daisy Go Rounds™ make it easy to snack by doing the calorie counting for you! Each carton contains five ready-to-grab-and-go snack packs full of crispy cinnamon flowers blooming with flavor in every bite. They are made by ABC Bakers.
	Thanks-A-Lot™: A shortbread cookie with a layer of fudge on the bottom and the words "Thank You" in English, French, Chinese, Swahili or Spanish embossed on the top. Thanks-A-Lots™ have been made by ABC Bakers since 2006 and were preceded by a similar cookie called the Animal Treasure.
	Lemon Chalet Cremes™: Featuring a design of Our Chalet in Switzerland, a beloved Girl Scout World Center, this sandwich cookie has a touch of cinnamon-ginger spice that evokes the warmth of a fireside chat on a snowy evening. They are made by Little Brownie Bakers.
	Thank U Berry Munch™: New for 2009. Real premium cranberries provide a delightful tartness in these hearty cookies sweetened with creamy, white fudge chips. They come in a cranberry colored box and are made by Little Brownie Bakers.
	Dulce de Leche: Inspired by the classic confections of Latin America, these sweet, bite-size cookies are rich with milk caramel chips. They come in a turquoise box and are made by Little Brownie Bakers.
	Lemonades™: Introduced in 2006, these shortbread cookies are stamped in the shape of a sliced lemon with a tangy lemon icing. They are made by ABC Bakers and come in a yellow b

Yummo!

Today Girl Scouts all over are kicking off their cookie sales campaign!

So what is your favorite Girl Scout Cookie?  Thin Mint?

You can win a box of your favorite Girl Scout cookie.  

If you comment below with your favorite pick, I will randomly draw a winner.   You have until next Friday to comment.  You can comment once a day.   Winner will be drawn on Saturday and will be posted on the blog.  It is the winners responsibility to check if they won, and to follow instructions for contacting me.  If not, you'll forfeit your box of cookies.  

So, what's your favorite cookie?

Recycled Post

This is an oldie, but a goodie

http://simplysudie.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/12/festive_cranber.html

A delicious Festive Cranberry Pineapple Salad.  

Enjoy!

Brisket, baby

All this talk of food is making me hungry. 

Recently, I found the Pioneer Woman Cooks blog.  This woman can not only write, but cook.  She makes me crave beef.  Not easy to do.

So today, I am making Brisket, baby.  yummm.  It is smelling so wonderful that I don't think I will be able to control my husband.  He likes it when I cook.

Yesterday, little A. and I made cherry crisp.  She is so proud of herself she could pop.  So so cute.  I love that girl.  She did a great job.

On Wednesday, little A. and I are making pecan pies.  mmmm.  I cannot wait!  I love pecans.  I always nibble.  I am so naughty!

Wishing you a delicious Thanksgiving.

A whole new routine

For some reason, a new school year is cause for a whole new cooking routine.  Don't ask me why. LOL  I am trying to get back to cooking once a week. (not quite once a month)  So, very veggie and bean soup tonight (minestrone) with rolls.  Later veggie pasta with baked chicken.  Veggie Pizza.  Soup, soup, and more soup.  Soup is good for the soul.

I am also making and baking for the school bake sale, my class, and a funeral.  The wonderful smells are making me so hungry.  Chocolatey brownies, lemon cupcakes, peanut butter cookies.  yummm.

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July! 

The month of July, in our family, means birthdays and more birthdays!  America, little A., my sweet husband, my mother in law.  It also means lots of birthday cake.  Don't tell anyone but I really don't like cake.  I never have.   My mama always made my favorite strawberry jello for my birthday instead of cake.   So in preparation for all the cake that I will be forced to eat this month, I am eating super healthy asap. 

In the spirit of healthy eating that still tastes good, here is my **new** version of brocoli salad

BROCCOLI SALAD (my healthy version)
2 heads broccoli chopped small
1/4 cup blueberries
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/8 cup finely chopped pecans or almond slices

Sauce:
1 cup lite mayo (or miracle whip)
2/3 cup Splenda
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

Mix sauce well and add to broccoli mixture. Cover and put in fridge. Better the next day.

Yummo! and it is pretty too.

Snackette

My children love to snack little nibblets as much as their mother.  my favorite thing to do is to fix a plate of grapes, crackers, pretzels,  you know, nibblets  or Snackettes.   A snackette is a snack only smaller in size but big fun!

Our new discovery is banana pudding snackettes.  We take Pepperidge farm mini chessman cookies and add a thin slice of banana.  Then top with a smidge of vanilla pudding.  (I cheat and use a pudding cup)  yummy!

Festive Cranberry-Pineapple Salad

Festive Cranberry-Pineapple Salad

INGREDIENTS:

1 (20-ounce) can Dole Crushed Pineapple, undrained

2 (3.25-ounce each) packages or 1 (6-ounce) package Jell-O Brand Raspberry

Flavor Gelatin 

1 (16-ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce

1 medium Dole Apple, chopped

2/3 cup chopped Planters Walnuts 

1. Drain pineapple, reserving liquid in 1-quart liquid measuring cup. Remove 1 tablespoon of the crushed pineapple; set aside for garnish. 
2. Add enough cold water to reserved liquid to measure 3 cups; pour into large saucepan. Bring to boil; remove from heat. Add gelatin; stir at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Add cranberry sauce; stir until well blended. (Note: Due to the presence of whole berries in the cranberry sauce, the gelatin mixture will not be smooth.) 
3. Pour into large bowl. Refrigerate 1 1/2 hours or until slightly thickened (consistency of unbeaten egg whites.) 
4. Stir in remaining pineapple, the apples and walnuts; stir gently until well blended. Pour into medium serving bowl. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. 
5. Top with reserved crushed pineapple just before serving. Store leftover gelatin in refrigerator. 

I love jello salad.   For my birthday, my Mama always made me Jello salad in lieu of birthday cake.  Yum! Yum!  This Festive salad was made by my cousin Tarrin, who is in high school.  It was the hit of our Family Christmas party.  Delish!  and looks great too. Thanks, Tarrin, for sharing the recipe with me.