elliemoon

BANG BANG IN MASSACHUSETTS

if you read enough foodie blogs, you will inevitably hear about bang bang shrimp and a place called bonefish grill. neither are available in our state. so, if you want to try the bang bang, you've got to be willing to make it yourself. i was lucky enough to find this recipe on michelle's blog and bought a head of cauliflower the next day. i had to see what all the bang bang hype was about::

turns out the bang bang is worth every last drop of the hype. i was going to say it was the shiz, but i didn't want to offend you. please try this. really. you have to. it is absolutely amazing. i can't believe i almost didn't make it! i was sold until i saw that the sauce has mayonnaise in it. i get a little weird about mayo. i believe it has it's place in the world and when i'm told to use it in new places, i'd rather not. but oh man, it works here. it really does. i don't know what more to say about this except that looking at that last picture is making me want to have it for breakfast. thanks for this one michelle! i feel like i owe you a favor! big b wants me to try it with the actual shrimp but if it ain't broke. also, big b ate cauliflower. lots of it. yes it was fried a bit, but in a small amount of coconut oil! it was healthy fried.

happy saturday and sunday! 

 

 

 

HIVE TIMES TWO

it's assembled, it's painted, it's placed, it's buzzing::

one hive closer to the honeybee sanctuary of my dreams! 

 

BEST EVER SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP

while pregnant with kai, i became obsessed with the spinach artichoke dip served at one of our dinner spots in boulder. to be completely honest, i was obsessed with it long before the pregnancy. the pregnancy just gave me an excuse to be openly obsessed. later, i took my mom's recipe for plain artichoke dip and reworked it to simulate. what came out is pretty close to an exact replica as far as i'm concerned. i tell myself this because i'm 2000 miles away from the real thing, but it is close::

spinach artichoke dip, the recipe:

2 14 ounce cans of artichoke hearts

3/4 cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated)

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup mayonnaise

3/4 of a block of cream cheese, room temp (6 ounces)

1/2 cup chopped scallions

1 clove garlic

1 box of baby spinach, fresh (5 ounces)

chop up almost all of the box (or bag) of fresh spinach. i usually have a couple of handfuls leftover to toss in my salad. chop up the scallions and saute them in a dab of butter. add in a few grates of the garlic clove (not the whole thing). saute until the scallions start to soften, then add the spinach and cook until the spinach has completely wilted and cooked down. put this mix aside to cool. chop up the artichoke hearts and grate the cheeses. in a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayo, parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, artichoke hearts, and the cooked spinach mix. stir thoroughly until everything is creamy and nicely intermingled. fill up your baking dish, or dishes, and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. serve with tortilla chips.

my mom's recipe calls for no cream cheese at all and a full cup of mayonnaise. it is greasy, very greasy. but i felt i needed to disclose that fact because, the truth is, any combination of mayo and cream cheese will work as long as it adds up to a cup. i tried a few different ratios until i came up with what i use. i tried once with just a cup of cream cheese and it was missing that little tang from the mayo. but to each his own. go with what you know! this recipe lends itself well to being monkeyed with. i always add a few more pinches of grated cheese, sometimes an extra spoonful of mayo, etc. this one should win you some points!

 

WATERCOLOR PAINTS DIY

did you know you can make watercolor paints from a handful of items you probably already have kicking around the pantry? safe and cheap and fun and non-toxic::

ours took about five days to completely dry but they were worth the wait. results were spectacular. i went heavy on the food coloring because some of the comments i found online recommended it. our colors were strong and bright! for our palette we followed this recipe. with three days of rain on the horizon, i'm glad to have these at the ready.

happy long weekend!

 

 

IN THE INTERIM

and i'm back! without having to sell my soul for a new computer! it was an easy fix and we're plugged back in. mother's day, first swim in the lake (for the kids), spreading more soil and planting this season's garden; it's all been done. next up? birthdays, birthdays, birthdays! and hopefully some crafting. 

 

 

NO TECH

i am going computer free this week. largely because it's not working. and so it will go to the mac shop today and i will hope that it still has a few years to give. until then, have a lovely rest of the week and i will see you monday. 

 

KAI IN THE KITCHEN

he would be there indefinitely if he had his way::

this was the latest pick from his favorite cookbook. he was a bit disappointed with the outcome. these were like a gourmet fudgsicle. i think the recipe was a little too heavy on the espresso powder and not heavy enough on the sugar. i have a better version on the docket that should cheer him up, and it's much healthier to boot. not that this set back deterred him in the least. he just flipped a few pages and went on to the next recipe. i better get him going on some dinner lessons before we all drown in butter and cookie dough!

 

LIGHT DAWNS, A TACO TIP

after years of collapsed-taco-shell frustration and failed attempts at arranging and propping up, i finally figured it out. so, just in case you are as slow on the uptake as i am, i thought i'd share my revelation: just flip them over::

perfectly toasted shells. open! ready to be filled. happy taco night! don't say i never taught you anything :)

 

BEST RANCH DRESSING RECIPE

better than the best. the ultimate! last weekend i organized my bookmark folders. i went from the overloaded "baking" and "cooking", to many new and more precise folders. isn't this story exciting? at any rate, i now have a "salads/dressings" folder and realized i've been sitting on this amazing recipe for a long, long time. i used scallions in place of chives and black pepper in place of white::

this is so simple and so quick and so unbelievably good. here are the steps: 1. make it. 2. try not to drink it straight from the jar. that's it. you really need some of this in your fridge. it will make you happy just knowing it's in there, waiting.

happy may!!