Category Archives: Food & Drink

Shamrock Shortbread

March 15, 2013

Seriously, why did I make these? I think I have single handedly eat ALL of these Shamrock Shortbread. They’re buttery, tender cookies, dotted with milk and mint chocolate chips.

Shamrock Shortbread

1 cup butter (room temp)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

2 egg yolks

2 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup chocolate chips (I used a milk/mint chocolate mix)

Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer. Add the salt, vanilla and egg yolks and beat until smooth. Add the flour and mix till dough comes together. Add the choc chips. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1/4″ thick and cut out your shamrocks. Bake at 325 F for about 12-15 mins or just until the edges of the cookie start to turn golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

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Food & Drink

Shamrock Floats

March 5, 2013

St. Patrick’s Day will be here before you know it. I’ve started to decorate and I’m hunting down cute party supplies. I have a yummy minty green drink for you to serve. This frosty treat is so simple, it only has two ingredients (a carton of Lime Sherbet, and a 2 liter bottle of Sprite). Scoop the sherbet into a pitcher, punch bowl or individual glasses and then top with Sprite. I served my minty green drinks with some yummy minty green Pistachio Wedding Cookies. The recipe is from the gorgeous food blog Mother Thyme.

I dressed up my milk bottles with little gold shamrocks. These were so easy to make. I used gold heart stickers from We Love Citrus and a tiny strip of gold washi tape (I use Minted’s). I also dressed up my paper straws with a little more gold washi tape. If you are looking to host a party, visit We Love Citrus. This San Diego based shop, has unique party supplies to make your party treats extra special.

And I have a fun treat for O + P readers, how does 20% of your purchase at We Love Citrus sound? Go check out We Love Citrus and leave a comment telling me what caught your eye. Then the first 20 folks to email me your email address will get a 20% off code.

I’m also reusing the Pom Pom bunting I made for Olivia’s first birthday party.

Food & Drink

Chocolate Coconut Camp Cookies

February 20, 2013

Well, I’m back with another campsite recipe today, yesterday I shared my Campfire Nachos that we made this weekend. This is the first time I’ve made these cookies while camping, and I’m kicking myself that I’ve never done this before. Denali and Dylan helped me make these on the little stove in our trailer. I’m training them, so that by the time they are in High School, I’ll only have to cook a couple times a week.

I’m not one of those mom’s that “plays” well with my kids. Like, I don’t really sit on the floor and play with toys with them for very long. But, I am good at involving them in tasks around the house, like cooking and cleaning. All three of my kids have spent a lot of time sitting on the counter helping and watching me cook. Kids love feeling grown up and doing grown up things, I know I did. These cookies are ones that I made when I was a kid, probably the first start to finish recipe I made on my own.

I’ve added coconut to these classic no-bake cookies. And now I don’t think we’ll camp without these simple ingredients again. They made an excellent after-hike snack.

Chocolate Coconut Camp Cookies
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa

2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup coconut
wax paper

At home, measure out the sugar and cocoa in one ziploc bag and the oats and coconut in another. This simple step will make life a lot easier at the campsite.

In a small sauce pan, stir and bring to a boil the butter, milk, sugar and cocoa. Boil for exactly 5 mins., stirring often. Remove from the heat, moving quickly, stir in the oats and coconut and then place a teaspoon amount in mounds on wax paper. Let the cool for about 10 mins and then enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Company’s Coming Cookies by Jean Pare.

Food & Drink / Travel

Campfire Nachos

February 19, 2013

We really needed to get away this weekend. Our family needed some quality time together. And really in my opinion, there is no better time with your family then when you are camping. There are very few distractions (no phones, TVs, or computers) and you all sleep in tight quarters which allows for great bedtime conversations.

We took Riley out to Red Rock Canyon, we’ve camped there before, it’s only an hour from our house. This time of year it warms up to the high 60’s during the day and it’s a nice chilly 40 F during the night. The kids love climbing in the bluffs and going for hikes. I really do love desert camping, especially with kids. It’s really the cleanest camping there is, you just dust off the sand and you’re good to go without a shower for quite a few days.

I really enjoy cooking while we are out camping. Yes, we do love a good hot dog over the fire, but it’s fun to mix it up with some other meals. I’ve shared a few of my other camping recipes here before (like Sweet and Sour Meatball Hobo Meals, Homemade Chocolate Graham Crackers, and Campfire Orange Cinnamon Rolls). This weekend I made a few new ones. The first one I’m sharing is really simple and uses absolutely no dishes. These campfire nachos were loaded with yummy, hearty toppings to keep campers happy and full.

Campfire Nachos
1 lb ground turkey
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can of chopped green chilies
1 can black beans
1 tomato
1 bell pepper
2 cups grated cheese
1 bag of corn chips
foil

Cook and season the ground beef at home. When it’s cool, place in a large ziploc bag and freeze the meat. Doing this ahead of time will make things so much easier for you at the camp site. And freezing the meat will allow you to keep it cold in your cooler for a couple days.

When you are ready to assemble your nachos, cut up the tomato and bell pepper and drain the cans of beans and green chilies. On large pieces of foil, let everyone load up their nachos, ending with the cheese. Wrap up the foil tight, because you want the steam to get trapped in the foil and help melt the cheese. Place the foil bundles on a grate over a good hot fire that has lots of coals. Everything should heat up and melt in about 10 mins. You can serve with sour cream and salsa of course, but I like to keep the ingredients simple. The less I have to keep cool in the ice box, the better, when I’m camping. Enjoy them while they are hot!

And here’s a look at our weekend. I don’t think I share a lot of family pictures here on O+P. So, here we are, without showers and makeup.

Olivia had a blast. She is naturally a very curious and busy child, so she has a fantastic time exploring and wondering around the desert. She also loved hiding around the back of Riley and playing peek-a-boo with us.

I hope you had a great weekend. Where do you find that QUALITY family time? Is is outdoors in nature or do you have another favorite place where you connect? I’d love to know, so please share.

etc. / Food & Drink

Chocolate Chunk Shortbread

February 11, 2013

I made a Valentine’s version of my Mark’s and Spencer Chocolate Chunk Shortbread today. I LOVE making and eating shortbread. These buttery cookies are some of the simplest to make, with very few ingredients. And really, is there a better cookie then a tender, buttery chocolate filled shortbread?

I used Nestle’s Valentine’s Morsels and I cut out heart shapes just for Valentine’s Day.

Chocolate Chunk Shortbread

1 cup butter (room temp)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

2 egg yolks

2 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup chocolate chips

Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer. Add the salt, vanilla and egg yolks and beat until smooth. Add the flour and mix till dough comes together. Add the chocolate chips.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1/4″ thick. Cut out the cutting. Bake at 325 F for about 12-15 mins or just until the edges of the cookie start to turn golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

These cookies store really well in the freezer, but I have a feeling they won’t last long enough to make it there. Are you making any last minute treats for Valentine’s Day? I’d like to make a special breakie for my hubby on Thursday, maybe Creme Brulee French Toast. It’s been a jam packed weekend (had my brother and sister in law‘s 2 toddlers for the last 5 days) and I’m headed to an equally busy week, so I’ll see how it goes.

DIY / Food & Drink

Valentine’s Message Cupcake Toppers

February 8, 2013

I recently discovered that Airheads Candy can be used like fondant for decorating cakes, cupcakes and cookies. Airheads come in a variety of yummy, fruity flavors and the best part is the fantastic vibrant colors.

I made these fun edible Valentine’s Message Banners for my cupcakes in no time at all. I simply cut strips of the airheads about 1/2″ thick. Then, using some alphabet cookie stamps that I have (mine are from William’s Sonoma), I stamped in messages. The pliable candy can then easily be bent and placed however you’d like on cupcakes.

My mind is already racing with lots of other great edible decorations that could be made from Airheads.

I’m entering this in Airheads Craft Your Valentine Contest. If you have a minute, and you like my use of airheads, please place a vote for me here.

DIY / Food & Drink

Football Straws and Lemon Lime Bitters

January 15, 2013

Yesterday when I shared my recipes for football food (Coconut Lime Wings and Mango Salsa), I promised I would share my drink recipe as well. Lemon Lime Bitters is a drink from my childhood. I grew up in Papua New Guinea. Often on a Saturday, we would go to the local hotel to swim. If you purchased a drink or meal, you were free to use the pool. A Lemon Lime Bitters was my drink of choice. It’s the most refreshing drink and the bitters gives it a unique and unforgettable flavor.

I know it’s Winter and this seems like a Summer drink, but our citrus is all ripe and I want to enjoy it as much as possible. The limes I used for this drink are very unusual. They are Bearrs Limes, the skin and flesh is yellow and they have a milder lime flavor. I think they’re flavor is somewhere in between and lemon and a lime.

Lemon Lime Bitters
ice
Lime wedges (mine is a Bearrs Lime from our garden)
lemon lime soda (Sprite or 7 up)
Angostura Aromatic Bitters
lime cordial (I love Rose’s Sweetened Lime Juice)

1. Fill a glass with ice
2. Squeeze a 1/4 of a lime into the glass and then throw it it.
3. Pour 2-3 tbsp. of lime cordial into the glass (depending on how sweet you like your drinks)
4. Fill the glass with soda.
5. Finish with a couple dashes of bitters.
6. Mix and enjoy!

I also made these football topped straws for our drinks. They are very simple to make. I found this great football leather print paper at the craft store. I simply cut out a small football shapes, punched two holes in them on a diagonal, and then inserted a striped paper straw. I like the black and white straws, because they look like referee uniforms.

Entertain / Food & Drink

Coconut Lime Wings and Mango Salsa

January 14, 2013

It’s football season and that means it’s time for football finger foods. I have to admit, the one reason I watch football, is for the snacks. So what’s more classic game food then wings and chips and salsa?This year I put a little tropical twist on these classics. For playoff games I made Coconut Lime Wings and Mango Salsa. Here in California the pleasant afternoon weather allows us to take our football party outside. This Sunday, between games, we packed up our snacks and headed to the park to enjoy the sunshine and throw the old pig skin around.

Come back for the drink recipe and the football straws tomorrow. It’s a refreshing favorite from my childhood.

Coconut Lime Wings
3 lb. chicken wings (about 2 dozen)
1 can of coconut milk (I used light)
1 tbsp. Thai red curry paste
juice of 2 limes
zest of 1 lime
2 tbsp. grated fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves crushed
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. honey
4 tbsp. chopped cilantro, plus 2 tbsp. for garnish
1/4 cup flake coconut

Combine all the ingredients above, except the flake coconut in a bowl. Mix well. Place the chicken wings in a large shallow container (I used Rubbermaid’s 1 Gal large rectangle TakeAlong container), pour the marinade over the wings, cover and refrigerate. Allow the wings to marinade for at least 5 hours, over night if possible.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Place the wings on the tray and pour about 1 cup of the marinade over the wings (discard the rest of the marinade). Bake the wings for 35 mins.

While they are cooking, toast the coconut in pan, tossing and turning it until it is just golden. When the wings are done, remove them from pan and then brush the tops of them with the drippings left in the pan. Then sprinkle the coconut and cilantro on the wings. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This recipe is adapted from here.

Mango Salsa
2 ripe mangoes chopped
1-3 tbsp. of jalapenos finely chopped (depending how spicy you like things)
1/2 cup red bell pepper chopped
1/4 cup red onion chopped
juice of one lime
1/2 tsp. salt
a couple dashes of hot sauce

Mix all the ingredients in bowl and store in an airtight container in the fridge. It’s best if it has time to marinade for a couple hours. Serve with white corn chips.

To make prep, serving and then storage of leftovers easy, I headed to Target for a great deal on Rubbermaid containers. Just visit Target Online and print out this coupon.

Rubbermaid’s Easy Find Lids Containers are the perfect way to take food to the big game party. The lids snap to the bottom of the containers, so you’ll never lose a lid or leave one behind at the party again. And the TakeAlongs are a great value and great quality – perfect for giving food in as a gift, and leaving behind. All Rubbermaid’s containers have leak-proof seals to prevent messes and spills on the way to the party. And they come in a huge range of sizes. Large sizes for wings, chips and salads and even tiny ones for dips and sauces.

I also wanted to let you know that Rubbermaid is hosting a Game Day Party Sweepstakes. They are offering the chance to win an Easy Find Lids Party Pack, a 48Qt Cooler and $100 VISA gift card! To enter the sweepstakes click here. Entries are limited to one entry per person / per email address / per day. Sweepstakes starts December 19, 2012 and ends January 21, 2013.

And if you’d like to know more about Rubbermaid and their great offers, you can visit them on twitter, facebook, and pinterest.

“This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™, but all my opinions are my own. http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO”

Food & Drink

Sparkling Cider Cupcakes

December 31, 2012

We’re family friendly here at the McConnel’s house. For celebrations when we pop a bottle of the bubbly, it’s of the cider variety. Last year, for New Year’s Eve, I made Champaign Cupcakes. They were very yummy but, pretty boozy tasting for kids. So, this year I decided to make Sparkling Cider Cupcakes. This recipe is my adaptation of one of my mom’s famous cupcake recipes. This elegant cupcake is light and moist with a hint of Martinelli’s Apple Cider (a great California Company).

Sparkling Cider Cupcakes
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3 eggs (separated)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup cider
1/4 cup sour cream

With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter sugar mixture, mix well. Then add the cider and sour cream, mix well again. Beat the egg white to stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the batter. Scoop into cupcake papers and bake in a 350F oven for about 20 mins. Cool on a rack.

Sparkling Cider Frosting
1 cup Martinelli’s Sparkling Cider
1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In a small sauce pan, simmer the sparkling cider over med-high heat till it reduces to about 2 tbsp. It will be a thick amber syrup consistency.

Beat the butter with an electric mixer. Add the cooled sparkling cider syrup and beat one minute. Then add the powdered sugar and beat on high for 2 mins. until the frosting is light and fluffy. Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.

I topped these cupcakes with New Year’s Eve Ball Drop Toppers. We’re spending New Year’s Eve with my parents and their church friends up here in Eureka, CA. We’ll be playing games and eating (yes, more eating). What are your plans? Hope you have a memorable evening.

etc. / Food & Drink

Loaded Goat Cheese Enchiladas

January 15, 2012

My family has really taken a liking to Goat cheese. We love it in pasta with butternut squash, in frittatas with spinach, so why not in Enchiladas. With the new year, I have been trying to make sure dinners are healthy and pack as much of the good stuff in as possible. These are super yummy and no one would know they are on the healthy side.

Loaded Goat Cheese Enchiladas

28 oz. can green chili enchilada sauce
5 oz. of goat cheese
16 oz. can of both corn and black beans
2.5 oz. can of sliced black olives
2 lbs. chicken breasts
1/2 of a red onion chopped
10 whole wheat tortillas
1 cup pepper jack cheese grated

Cut up the chicken breasts into 1/2 inch chunks. Cook chicken in a fly pan with a couple tbsp. olive oil. Add red onion to the the chicken for the last couple of minutes, just the soften the onion. Cook the chicken through. In a large bowl combine 1/2 the enchilada sauce with the chicken, onion, corn, beans, and olives. Cut the cold goat cheese into 1/2 inch cubes and mix into the chicken mixture. The goat cheese will melt a bit.

Fill the tortillas with the chicken mixture and roll them up. Place them in two 9 x 13 inch pans (they are really loaded so only 5 in each pan). Pour the second 1/2 of the enchilada sauce over the rolled tortillas. Top with the grated pepper jack cheese. Cover with foil and bake in a 350 F oven for 20 mins. Remove the foil and bake another 10 -15 mins. until the top is melted and golden.

Serve with sour cream and salsa.