HaPpY BiRthDaY cArA!!

last sunday was mine and kasia's friend cara's birthday. what better way to have a party than to bbq on a warm (okay, HOT) summer day?? it was so hot, i couldn't be barefoot on our deck. the bbq was so hot, i had to wear an oven mitt over my hand as i flipped the burgers, turned the corn, and dropped the jalapeno poppers! that was a first......

i was so excited to make the jalapeno poppers since it had been quite a while since we've had them. kasia and i set off early saturday morning to the farmer's market in downtown salt lake city in search of veggies for the bbq. we were sad to see that it was still a little too early in the season to get what we needed. we got cherries and snap peas instead.....we always win when we go.



so the jalapeno poppers......so much fun to learn to make. bacon takes food to the next level. who doesn't love a veggie wrapped in bacon that is stuffed with cream cheese???

ingredients

*jalapenos, halved and seeded (depending on the hotness you want)

*2 bricks cream cheese

*1/4 c grated cheddar cheese

*1/2 bunch green onions, chopped

*bacon (1 per jalapeno)

*TONY'S

*toothpicks

the first thing you want to do is make the stuffing for the poppers. the longer it has to harden and set, the easier they are to stuff and grill. i usually try to make the stuffing a day before and just let it chill in the fridge. dice up the onions and toss them in a bowl with the softened cream cheese, grated cheese, and as much TONY'S as you want!

ps......DON'T heat up the cream cheese!!!!!! i didn't do this, but i know some people might think, oh, i can just throw it in the microwave! wow, not smart. i usually just take them out of the fridge an hour before i make the stuffing

while the stuffing is chilling in the fridge (or the next day), it's time to get the jalapenos ready!! kasia taught me to blanch them so the keep the awesome green coloring. it also makes the peppers easier to work with. when i make these, i usually take out all of the seeds and membrane......mainly because i personally don't think the people of utah know how to handle heat. after i seeded and cut them, i tossed the jalapenos into a pot of boiling water for 2-3 minutes. i immediately put them in an ice bath. they are so beautiful!!!!!

the next step is the best in my mind......BACON!!!!! you'll want to partially cook the bacon so they don't have to spend as much time on the grill.....

we had so much bacon we had to cook!!!! i had over 2 dozen poppers......so i needed 2 pounds of bacon!!

it got to the point when i had to get out kasia's cast iron pan to double fist the frying.

i felt like i was having a heart attack just looking at the pile of bacon grow.......especially since the pieces aren't cooked all the way through. i will tell you though, our kitchen smelled amazing!!! bacon plus the smell from the grill!!!!

after the bacon is cooked, it's time to stuff the peppers!! i wanted to give the bacon time to cool off....since i'll be man-handling the bacon and don't want hot grease on my hands. fill the pepper until it's level with the sides of the halved pepper. you don't want it too full!!!!

i think this was all of them. the good news was that i was able to do this in the living room while i was watching mine and kasia's favorie movie....FAST FIVE!!!

next step is to wrap the peppers with bacon.......which then turns them into the poppers!! it's a good idea to soak the toothpicks for 10 minutes before using them...this way they don't burn on the grill. i forgot, but it wasn't the end of the world!! wrap 1 piece of bacon per pepper, using the toothpicks liberally. i usually use 2-3 per popper. throw them in the fridge until just before putting them on the grill!!

last step is to throw them on the grill!! the benefit of leaving them in the fridge is to keep the cream cheese from melting as quickly and oozing out of the edge of the pepper. these things bbq fast, so don't turn your back on them!!!

i don't have an "after" picture because they went pretty quick!! always a crowd pleaser!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARA!!!!!!!!!

coconut lime sugar cookies

so in a previous post, i mentioned that Kasia and i have an addiction to limes. this follows in that vein. how can we help it when limes are so cheap, so easy, and soooo delish? i found another recipe on pinterest for these coconut lime sugar cookies. i knew i had a bag of shredded coconut left over from a previous roommate, and the limes were a no-brainer. it was fate. again, no trouble getting Kasia on board with this one!

INGREDIENTS:

*2 1/4 C flour

*1/2 t baking soda

*1 t baking powder

*1/2 t salt

*1 1/2 C sugar, plus 1/3 C for rolling

*2 oz cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces

*1/2 C sweetened shredded coconut, chopped fine

*6 T unsalted butter, melted and still warm

*1/3 C vegetable oil

*1 large egg

*1 T milk

*2 limes, juice and zest

DIRECTIONS:

*preheat oven to 350*

*in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, coconut, soda, powder, and salt

*in a large bowl, add 1 1/2 C sugar, lime zest, and cream cheese

*pour warm butter over the cream cheese mixture and whisk to combine.......the mixture won't be completely smooth yet, and that's fine

*add oil, egg, milk, and lime juice to cream cheese mixture and mix until smooth

*use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet, until a soft dough comes together

*scoop dough into balls and roll in sugar

*place dough on cookie sheet and use the bottom of a glass to flatten a little

*bake cookies, one tray at a time, for about 10-11 minutes

*let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack

these were the softest sugar cookies that i've been able to make. we made ours a little on the smaller side so we could have enough to deliver to friends. Kasia was smart and made up a little glaze with powdered sugar, lime juice, coconut, and butter to drizzle on top. i think when we were all done, we had close to 80 cookies. we took some up to our cute little neighbors upstairs and put them in their newly painted cookie jar. so fun!

i love cauliflower soup!!

i swear pinterest is going to be the death of me. i take a gander every now and then while on my lunch or at home. i found a recip for the Cafe Zupas' Cauliflower Soup. i was dying to make it and didn't think i'd have a hard time selling it to Kasia. we both love Zupas and so why not try to recreate it in our own kitchen? i wanted to have it ready for Kasia when she got off of work, but it took a little longer than i had expected to get it smooth and creamy. plus, i had to watch an episode of my favorite TV show NCIS!

ok, so i mentioned that i found the recipe on pinterest. i don't have the time/money/energy/space to come up with things like this on my own yet. i do love taking pictures of my ingredients before they become dinner/lunch/leftovers (which is what i have for lunch today!)

INGREDIENTS

*2 T butter

*1 medium onion, chopped

*1/4 C flour

*1/2 t salt

*2 C milk

*1 1/2 C water

*1 can chicken broth

*1 head cauliflower, cut into 1" pieces

*1 t dijon mustard

*1 C shredded cheddar cheese

*1 C shredded pepper jack cheese

*paprika

*Tony's cajun seasoning (a staple at our house)

*dash of tobasco sauce

DIRECTIONS

*melt butter over medium heat in a large pot

*add onion and cook until golden, stirring occasionally

*stir in flour and salt; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently

*gradually add in milk, chicken broth, and water

*add cauliflower

*bring to a boil and reduce heat to low

*cover pot and let simmer about 15-20 minutes until cauliflower is tender

*scoop mixture into a blender, small batches at a time (with center blender cover removed to allow steam to escape)

*return mixture to saucepan and keep heat on medium until hot, stirring occasionally

*remove saucepan from heat

*stir in mustard and cheese until melted an smooth

*add spices and tobasco to taste

**make sure to blend until smooth**

i love this soup and was eager to share it. i called my bff natalie and she brought some rolls that we slathered with butter and tossed in the oven. so good!!