Hot Dogs In the Crockpot (?)

Remember the hot dogs you could buy at 7-11 or other convenience stores?  The ones that slowly simmered on the heat rollers in the glass window of a hot box?  These are every bit as good (or better) and are so convenient for a crowd.  They are gently browned on the outside, tender & juicy inside.

Easy as that.  Place hot dogs in crockpot.  Cover.  Cook.

I’m sure there are some of you out there thinking this is not a classy recipe.  It isn’t.  But it’s a great one when you have a bunch of people needing a hot meal - summer or winter.  

I was in charge of my mother’s family reunion a few weeks ago - and I was supposed to come up with something warm for a main dish.  It had been raining, and nobody wanted to barbecue.  Most of us had had pulled pork WAAAAYYYY too many times this summer.  Pulled pork has been the standby picnic food for so long I can’t remember what it replaced as a trend.  

After about an hour... they're starting to plump up.
Notice there is no liquid in the crockpot?

I had seen this idea several times on Pinterest, but I was skeptical.  I didn’t want these to resemble the “boiled in water” hot dogs from my childhood.  (The ones that split wide open when they’ve simmered too long on the stove in a pot of water).  

You'll notice there are "premium" all-beef hot dogs mixed in with the el-cheap-o chicken & pork variety.
They all turned out fabulous.  The longer you cook them, the more "BBQ-ed" they look & taste.

The verdict - a BIG success!  They were not quite like those on a grill - but not bad at all.  In fact - if you overcook them, they burn on the outside just enough to convince kids that they came from the grill.  

It’s so nice to keep them warm as well.  This method (or “recipe”) is one I will use again.  Oh... and this would be fabulous for tailgating!

For the method, go to:
www.changeabletable.com

BLT Pasta Salad

One (more) thing I’ll miss about summer is reaching into my garden for a nice, fat tomato to enjoy a BLT - practically no effort involved.  This salad has the same appeal, but you don’t have to butter and toast the bread, add condiments, etc.  A heaping serving on your plate makes a great meal.

I took this salad to a family reunion on Saturday, and not a speck was left.  I’ll take that as a sign of success.  I’ve seen this same idea all over the internet for more than a year now, but the recipes used seem to be a complicated combination of several unusual spices and ingredients.  That’s what I liked about this adaptation - most ingredients you already have at home, and you can tweak to your heart’s content.  

This is best assembled right before serving - but it’s still tasty after refrigerating.  I wouldn’t recommend adding avocado to the entire salad if there’s a chance you will be storing leftovers.  You could serve diced avocado in a small bowl on the side for those who enjoy it.

Fresh chives add just a hint of subtle onion flavor, but if you prefer - add sliced green onion.  For convenience, I cooked the pasta the night before and added the milk before refrigerating to keep it from sticking together.  Then all I had to do was mix the dressing, add everything, and toss. 

Several recipes called for Ranch dressing - but I opted to just add garlic salt and let the other flavors shine.  The bacon, fresh tomatoes, and avocado really came through that way.  Using romaine kept the lettuce from totally disintegrating in the mix.  If you are being careful with calories, skip the mayo and add greek yogurt - and substitute low-fat sour cream for full fat.  If you like mustard on your BLT’s - you could even add a little squirt to incorporate that flavor.  And if you are missing the toasted bread - why not try a few croutons? 

For the complete recipe, go to:
www.changeabletable.com

Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bites

These little gems may not LOOK like peanut butter cups - but they sure fooled me.  Very simple ingredients (without those things you can’t pronounce) have to make these better for you than the real thing.  The one-or-two-bite size of these brownies make them a good fit for a buffet, or for finger desserts.

I made these to try on my family recently in place of brownies.  Although they aren’t in the same category as their all-time-favorite (Mint or Marshmallow Brownies - link is HERE) - it was good to get them 'out of their box' for a change. 

I could have made these from a brownie mix (which works, if you’re in a hurry) - but this recipe fills 36 mini muffin cups just right.  The fact that these are ready to serve in individual portions is a plus - great for a potluck, picnic, or even throw a few in a lunchbox.  Great to keep in the freezer too - take them out a few at a time to enjoy. 

You’ll need mini-muffin tins for these, and the only challenge might be getting them out of the pan.  Don’t wait till they are completely cool to remove.  My mistake was topping them off in the pans, which made them a bit tricky to remove (in one piece) later.

When I took a taste after they were finished, I wasn’t expecting them to take on that “Peanut Butter Cup” flavor - but the peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, and drizzled peanut butter were terrific together.  

You have lots of choices of combinations of chips.  I’m not sure they still make the peanut butter swirl chocolate chips - but they are wonderful!  I found it easy to buy the combo peanut butter & milk chocolate chips.  You can also try plain peanut butter chips and use the chocolate chips you already have on hand.

A glass of milk with one or two of these make a great chocolate/peanut butter rush.  They get softer as they age, and the flavor intensifies as well.  This is a fun, easy, bite-size alternative to cookies or brownies.

For the recipe, go to:

www.changeabletable.com

Classic Creamy Macaroni Salad

The humble macaroni salad often takes a back seat to Grandma’s potato salad, fresh summer fruit, homemade ice cream, and the burgers & dogs.  But - every outdoor summer event wouldn’t be the same without this classic salad on the table. Every family version is different, but this is a nice combination of all you love about it.

This year, summer seems to have shown up late - and now it appears it’s sneaking out the back door early.  Although I’ve been to several BBQ’s and reunion meals - I have yet to see anyone bring a really good old fashioned MACARONI salad.  Lots of other salads, but this one has been painfully absent.  With Labor Day coming up - I had to make it for old time’s sake.

Although I’ve made it before several times, it turns out different every time. I’m sure it’s because of the hurry I’m in when I think of it - last minute, of course.  I decided I need to find a good classic version that I can file the recipe away and pull out when I need it.

After looking at several recipes, I noticed a trend.  People either love it slightly sweet, or very “dill” and salty.  I like it both ways, but I’ve noticed my family likes to season theirs once it’s on their plate with either freshly ground pepper, seasoning salt, or a combination of the two.

There are three things I think are important in a good macaroni salad.  Those are lots of crunch (celery), pickles (either dill or sweet), and olives.  Then it can’t be too dry - so it needs lots of creamy sauce.  

I liked this version because it was neither sweet OR salty - and you can season it to your heart’s content once it’s on your plate.  I’m not a real onion fan - so I opted to add just a few tablespoons of sliced green onion (so you can SEE it and remove it - if you’re an onion hater)  Red onion is also a great choice, if that’s your preference.

My favorite thing about this recipe is the combination of mayonnaise (which you can even make yourself if you want, recipe is HERE), sour cream, and pickle juice.  It was just right.  The hint of dry mustard, celery seed, and freshly ground pepper was the finishing touch.

This would be a great addition to your Labor Day menu.  You'll find the recipe at:

www.changeabletable.com

Look Forward to Lunch - "Stick-wiches"

Three of my eight grandchildren started school this week - and that makes Moms realize they can’t depend on mac ‘n cheese and PB&J anymore.  Here are some economical ideas that will make any kid look forward to breaking into a lunch packed from home.  With these in their sack, and they might find they have some bargaining power to trade...

My daughter Aryn, and my daughter-in-law Tara have officially survived their first week of getting back on a schedule, establishing a homework routine, tucking the kids in earlier, AND worrying about lunch again.  Each of them have their own bag of tricks for this time of year, and they are the best mothers!  

Love the containers wrapped in familiar school supplies...
A tin can supports the pencil vase, and an 8-oz tomato sauce can is behind the crayons.
Use elastics to hold it all together, wrap with ribbon (or not!) - and you're done.

Today, Aryn sent me these photos she took of a presentation she was in charge of organizing for her ward Relief Society Meeting last night.  I thought it was awesome!  (It’s fun to be able to feature one of my children - isn't she great?) 

Aryn's friend Angela (the counselor in their Relief Society)
put together this visual comparing the processed convenience foods
we typically reach for with healthier (and less expensive) alternatives
that can be made at home.  An additional step that doesn't take that long
can yield dollars over an entire school year.

Their meeting focused on getting yourself organized so you can spend time doing what matters most in your family (see a great talk or video on that very topic)  Sometimes I find myself doing everything BUT what I really need to do - I’m great at avoidance.  When I actually take the time to do a little preparation beforehand, I always wonder what the big DEAL was about taking the first step and doing it.  Maybe you can relate.  

Aryn found (and sent me a link to) an excellent article on avoidance - wish I had read it when I was mothering all my children.  It’s called “Going on a Bear Hunt” - and the link is HERE.  You’ll love it - no matter what stage of life you’re in - it’s well worth your time.

I’ll share the recipe Aryn found for “Stick-wiches”... but enjoy all the other hints and tricks in the photos.  These little sandwiches are so much more fun than two slices of bread with the same old fillings in the middle.  They even made ME hungry.  Food is so much better when you can rearrange it, or present it in a new way.

(The link to the recipe for the great packable Brown Bag Bar Cookie shown above, is HERE)

For the recipe for "Stick-wiches" - go to:

www.changeabletable.com

Gigi's Fabulous Caramel Cake

If you are looking for a moist and buttery cake - this is it.  It would be entirely satisfying to consume it without the caramel frosting - but then you wouldn’t know what you are missing.  If I were to rename this - it would have the word “Praline” somewhere in the title - which would only be accurate if you added pecans.  (Hmmm... that’s an idea)

I first stumbled upon this recipe on cjaneinthekitchen - a great food blog.  When she described the frosting as having the same flavor & texture as brown sugar fudge - I immediately bookmarked it.  It’s also found on several other blogs, and I’ve added their tips to the recipe as well.

The original recipe is from a little gem of a cookbook called “Southern Cakes”.  If I’m ever able to visit the south, I won’t head back home till I’ve enjoyed a few of them.

This is a “hot milk” type cake - which I've found yields a more moist, dense texture than cakes made by creaming the butter and sugars.  Whipping the eggs and sugar prior to adding to the dry ingredients yields a really nice, fine grain & texture.

The cake itself lives up to it’s name, but I especially loved the caramel frosting.  And it is T-H-I-C-K.  You have been warned.  I don’t have a problem with a heavy layer of THIS frosting - but I could never enjoy the same amount of other greasy, shortening based frostings.

This is a perfect summertime, take-to-your-family-reunion kind of cake.  The frosting holds up well on a hot day, and the super moist cake isn’t crumbly.

For the recipe, go to:

www.changeabletable.com

  

Honey Orange Dip or Dressing for Fruit

Fresh fruit doesn’t need much help when it comes to being appetizing.  A dip or dressing - if needed at all - should be light and refreshing to allow the fruit to do all the talking.  This fits the bill - and it’s healthy as well.  Unlike many heavy, creamy, super-sweet “dips” - this one compliments without overpowering.

Summer is at the door - and I’m ready to take my meals outside to enjoy before the weather gets too hot to handle.  This dip and/or dressing is easy to portion into individual size containers to pack with a lunch.

The original recipe called for non-fat plain yogurt.  But I wanted to try it with Greek yogurt to see how that would change it.  It added a creaminess that plain yogurt can’t duplicate.

Honey, lemon, orange, and ginger all work with the yogurt to be just barely sweet AND tart enough.  

Be sure to add some type of fruit pick (plain toothpicks work just as well) to make it simple to dip away during your next picnic on an upcoming lazy summer day.  

For the recipe - go to:

www.changeabletable.com

Allison's Fiesta Taco Pasta Salad

This is a fabulous main dish salad - just right for a cool summer meal.  It makes a great impression as a side salad as well.  As I’ve always heard it said - “the secret is in the sauce”.  That is certainly true of this salad.  The only challenge to this recipe is locating a store that carries the seasoning, and making sure your avocados are perfectly ripe.  

I’ve been waiting to post this recipe for a few months now - because it’s one of my favorites and it deserved to wait until summer appeared.  Everyone who tries it asks for the recipe - and I’m willing to share it with one condition...  That you acknowledge where it came from!  

The food blogging world can be a bit selfish sometimes - and I’m probably guilty of it myself.  Some recipes are borrowed from good friends and genius cooks.  And there really are some recipes that are truly my own. Then there are those that are combinations of both.  But I have always felt that a wonderful recipe should not be passed on without acknowledging the source.  I would call it “truth in sharing”.  

That said - this is from a person I barely know:  Allison Peterson (no relation - my “Petersen” is spelled with an “E”)  She was so happy to share it - and I thank her.  It was served at a Relief Society meeting and I begged her for the recipe.  I knew it would be perfect for my father-in-law’s 90th birthday in April - and everyone loved it.  

As mentioned above - Hidden Valley Ranch FIESTA Ranch Dip makes all the difference.  Most stores only carry the traditional Hidden Valley Ranch flavor.  Then a few more carry the “Spicy” version.  But I’ve only found this FIESTA Ranch at Walmart and (when I’m lucky) at Harmon’s here in the Salt Lake Valley in Utah.  I know you can also find it online.   It’s a wonderful mix of southwest flavors - not entirely unlike taco seasoning.  In fact - when I can’t locate it, I’m going to try substituting taco seasoning.

A few reserved fresh tomatoes and avocados sprinkled over the top are the teaser.  The remainder are hiding in the wonderful mix of Fiesta sauce-bathed ingredients.  (For a great way to prepare avocados EASILY - check out the link HERE.  Note:  make sure you place the avocado on a CUTTING BOARD before removing the pit... that’s my disclaimer!)  

This doesn’t look like much - but it is pretty tasty!  For the recipe with a few bonus tips thrown in - go to:

www.changeabletable.com