We don't know about you, but we love the taste of childhood! (Except for paste.) This section features a bunch of delicious recipes designed to delight the child inside of you! Got a great recipe to share?
Burr. It’s getting chilly here in Madison these days. I’ve been wearing my hat (which I DO love) on my morning walks. Even though it bums me to think about bundling up until at least March, I am delighting in the little things that come along with the cooler weather… like comfort foods! I wrote an article for our last magazine (which you can download here) for the Yum section about comfort foods and how they are connected with our childhood memories, specifically highlighting one of my all time favorites- mac ‘n cheese. Eliz Greene contributed a fantastic recipe for “Fancy Mac and Cheese” that is an adult twist on a timeless favorite. One of our dreams is to open a Kim & Jason restaurant, featuring all sorts of classic dishes from childhood with grown-up flair. Someday…
The other day on The Food Network I caught Tyler Florence doing the same kind of thing to yet another classic comfort food- grilled cheese. Have you ever thought of adding sliced green apples to your grilled cheese, or how about bacon and dijon mustard? Yum! Leave it to Tyler to jazz up the average cheese and bread sandwich, creating a work of art.
So, instead of grumping about the cooler weather, put on your favorite fleece pants and serve up some childhood classics, grown-up style.
Enjoy Tyler’s recipe…
Tyler Florence’s Grilled Cheese
8 slices country-style white bread, sliced 1/2-inch thick
12 ounces farmhouse Cheddar, sliced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 slices bacon, cooked to desired doneness
1 green apple, thinly sliced
Dijon mustard
Heat griddle or large skillet over medium-low heat. Alternatively you can use your panini press if you have one.
Assemble sandwich: Generously spread Dijon on 4 slices of bread. Top with slices of Cheddar, 3 pieces of bacon, apple slices and additional Cheddar. Place the remaining bread on top and spread with butter. Place on skillet buttered-side down and butter the remaining side. Cook until cheese is slightly melted and bread is browned. Flip the sandwich and continue to cook until cheese is thoroughly melted and sandwich is golden brown.
Club K&J members: share YOUR recipes, strategies, victories and challenges in your quest to escape adulthood!
Technorati Tags: comfort foods, Tyler Florence, Eliz Greene, grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese, childhood memories, The Food Network, Madison
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I found this awesome recipe the other day at Ainsley’s Mom, a blog written by a woman named Karla from TN, who happens to be a Chicago Cubs and Bears fan!
If you’ve ever purchased anything from our online store, The Lemonade Stand, you already know that among a number of goodies, you get a packet of lemonade. Afterall, what else would you expect after visiting a lemonade stand? So, you can imagine my delight when I saw this recipe. Enjoy!
Lemonade Pie
1 can sweetened condensed milk
6 oz of frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
12 oz cool whip, thawed
2 graham cracker pie crusts
Mix all ingredients together and divide between the pie crusts.
Freeze at least 2 hours before serving.
(Can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.)
Club K&J members: share YOUR recipes, strategies, victories and challenges in your quest to escape adulthood!
Technorati Tags: Ainsley’s Mom, recipes, lemonade pie
Related Posts:by Kim Kotecki
My sisters and I were infamous for our (terrible) Mother’s Day breakfast in bed.
Burnt toast and orange juice.
Sorry mom! What she really dreamed of was a trip to Hawaii.
Since you will probably not be sending your mom to Hawaii for Mother’s Day, surprise her with a Hawaiian breakfast treat. (preferably in bed)
Pear Hawaiian French Toast
Ingredients:
Syrup:
3 Tbs butter or margarine
2 Tbs packed brown sugar
1/2 C pineapple juice
1/8 tsp ground ginger
16 oz Fresh Sliced Pears
Chopped macadamia nuts (optional)
French Toast:
1/2 C milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
6 thick slices egg or French bread
Melt butter in skillet; add sugar and stir until melted. Stir in pineapple juice and ginger; boil until slightly syrupy. Add pears; turn to coat; boil until slightly syrupy. Cook on ow heat for 5 to 10 minutes or just until pears are tender.
French Toast: Combine milk, eggs and vanilla, beat well. Dip bread into egg mixture, cook in buttered skillet or griddle until golden brown on both sides. Top with Pear Syrup, garnish with macadamia nuts.
by Kim Kotecki
A few years ago for our anniversary, Jason and I rented a cabin at Devil’s Lake in Baraboo, WI. We now affectionately refer to that cabin as the hobbit house, as we had to duck to get through the front doorway. Jason and I are tall, but we’re not considered giants.
One of the things we were really looking forward to doing was building a campfire outside the cabin, gazing up at the stars, and of course making smores. Romantic, right?!
It rained the whole weekend.
Did I say rained…I mean poured! We ended up reading a few books and getting a lot of rest, but were pretty bummed about getting jipped out of the campfire and smores.
We made the best of it, however. (Please note: Firefighters, stop reading now!) Jason had the idea of making our smores inside using the small flame on the gas stove. So we enjoyed our sticky treats while standing over a very old stove in our teeny hobbit-like cabin. We laughed and laughed.
I bet you didn’t think this birthday card we offer was actually inspired by true events. (I’m so glad we didn’t burn down that little house.)
Everyone who claims the title of U.S. citizen is familiar with the ingredients for your average smore. I found some fun recipes that will help mix up your smore routines.
Peachy Caramel Smores
This seemingly healthy but fun recipe is from FamilyFun.com. Find the whole recipe here.
“It’s summer, and peaches are abundant, ripe, and heavy with juice–just right for making this campfire dessert that tops off the natural flavor of fresh fruit with a light caramel sauce and toasted marshmallow.”
I also found an article written by Kelby Carr. She gives a bunch of ideas that will transform your everyday smore into something quite unique. Here are some of her variations:
Nilla Wafer, White Chocolate and Banana Smores
Put a half-banana on a stick and hold over campfire. Take two vanilla, or ‘Nilla, wafers, insert chocolate and banana. Tasty, and even kind of pretty.Healthy and Happy Strawberry, Dark Chocolate and Oatmeal Cookie Smores
Get (or bake ahead) a whole wheat version of oatmeal cookies, which you can often find at organic and whole food stores. Bring fresh strawberries. Add dark chocolate, which is known to contain powerful antioxidants. Combine, cook and enjoy!Chocolate Chip Cookie, Marshmallow and Caramel-Filled Ghirardelli Smores
Get downright indulgent with this mix of oh-so bad but oh-so good ingredients. Heat your marshmallow over the fire. Place Ghirardelli or other caramel-filled and thin chocolates onto two oversized chocolate chip cookies. Place your marshmallow on top of one, and close like a sandwich. That is an extreme smore!
Our seventh anniversary is a month away. I hope Jason gets me a smore keyboard.
Club K&J members: share YOUR recipes, strategies, victories and challenges in your quest to escape adulthood!
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