Strawberries {by the numbers}

{5.28.15}
It's berry picking time!

Here it is "by the numbers"-

1 hr

12.25 lbs $1.80/qt or $4/qt pre-picked 

Double batch of low sugar strawberry jam

Double batch strawberry sauce

1 qt to give away 

1 qt to keep and eat today 

My cute little helper

And a funny face for the road.

It was a good morning. It was the first day the fields were open so the picking was easy and plentiful. ;)

dutch oven ravioli

I wish I was an experienced dutch oven chef but I'm not. I'd like to be and hope to be someday but I'm not yet. This recipe looks interesting and easy enough so we tried it at the cabin. It was very good and so simple! We'll make this again!

Recipe & Photo from 50campfires.com

Dutch Oven Ravioli

 

Author: Chelsey Janes

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

• 1 25 oz bag frozen sausage ravioli, thawed
• 1 large 45 oz jar spaghetti sauce
• ¼ cup fresh Parmesan cheese (can use grated)
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup water

Instructions

1. Spray the dutch oven with cooking spray or line with tin foil and spray with cooking spray. Put a thin layer of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a 12″ dutch oven. Place a single layer of the ravioli over the bottom of the oven.
2. Cover the ravioli with half of the remaining spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle on the parmesan cheese. Place another layer of the ravioli on top of the sauce. Pour on the rest of the spaghetti sauce.
3. Top the sauce with the mozzarella cheese and add a little more Parmesan cheese. Pour the water around the edge of the pan to add some additional moisture.
4. Cook in the dutch oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. The sauce should be bubbling and the cheese will just start to brown.

dutch oven fry bread

I would love to perfect this recipe. I just need more time and experience with dutch ovens. Maybe i'll get there someday. In the meantime, this was yummy; just had a couple bumps in getting them cooked through.

Recipe & Photo from GrassHavenOutdoor.com

Dutch Oven Fry Bread

YIELD:	6-8 servings
HOME PREP:	5 minutes
SITE PREP:	60 minutes
GADGET CHECKLIST:	skillet, paper towels,
INGREDIENTS:	3 cups flour ½ teaspoon salt 3 teaspoons baking powder ¾ cups milk E xtra water to make it come together Vegetable oil for frying
AT HOME:	Combine the flour, salt and baking powder in resealable bag. Assemble other ingredients for transport to the campsite.
AT THE CAMPSITE:	Add the milk to the dried goods mixture bag. Knead with your hands (we do this on the outside of the bag – it’s less messy). Add a little water (about ¼ to ½ cup) to make sure it all comes together. Don’t over knead. Let the mixture rest for 30-45 minutes After the dough has set, heat oil or shortening in a large skillet or griddle. Scoop out an orange sized piece of dough. Add a little extra flour if it is too sticky. Press the dough flat to form a circle, stretching it a little as you go. Add the dough circle to the skillet and fry on one side until golden brown. Flip the bread to the other side, frying another 30 seconds or so. Place fry bread onto a paper towel lined plate. Cook remaining dough in a similar manner,
CHEF'S NOTES:	Add cheese, garlic, cooked onions, honey or any other addition to the bread. Sweet or savory it makes a good starting point for anything you throw at it. Fry bread can also be grilled. Take dough and place onto a marshmallow stick or skewer and roast over an open fire.

spinach bacon mushroom feta crustless quiche

I found this recipe while surfing the web. It comes from Budget Bytes and is pretty good, but I modified it a smidgeon. This is on the rotation of ready-made breakfast foods I make 1-2 times/month. It is yummy!

Spinach, mushroom BACON & feta crustless quiche (aka frittata)
Adapted from: Budget Bytes

Ingredients:
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/2 t. minced garlic or 1/8 t. garlic powder
5 oz. frozen spinach, thawed
4 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
4 large eggs
1 c. milk
1/4 c. feta cheese
1/4 c. grated parmesan
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350*. (If your frozen spinach is not already thawed, thaw it in the microwave. Empty spinach into colander and let it drain while you begin to prepare the rest.) {I like to put the spinach in cheesecloth or a double layer of paper towels and squeeze it to get the water out.}

2. Place the sliced mushrooms in a skillet coated with non-stick spray (or butter), add the minced garlic and sprinkle a little salt and pepper. (If using garlic powder add it to the egg mixture in step 4.) Turn the heat on to medium-high and saute the mushrooms until they release all of their moisture and no more water remains on the bottom of the skillet (5-7 minutes).

3. Spray a 9" pie dish with non-stick spray. Squeeze the rest of the water out of the spinach and spread it out on the bottom of the pie dish. Next add the cooked mushrooms, crumbled feta and bacon.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs until fairly smooth. Add the milk, parmesan, and another small sprinkle of pepper. Whisk to combine. (This step can be completed while the mushrooms are cooking.) Pour this mixture into the pie dish over the spinach, mushrooms, bacon and feta.

5. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese over top. Place the pie dish on a baking sheet for easy transfer into the oven. Place the quiche into the preheated oven and bake until golden brown on top and the center is solid (approx 40-60 minutes). Slice and serve!

{meal plan} April 2015

Here's some of what we ate in April. Most of these recipes should be found here.

Broiled chicken atop green salad

{obb} roasted red potatoes & pearl onions 

{obb} cheesy chive garlic potatoes

{obb} berry kiwi fruit salad

Broccoli Salad

Grilled hot dogs & Tangy Hamburgers

Grilled ham & cheese

Skillet Mac & Cheese

PBBOCCC

Paps Baked Chicken Legs

Asparagus & shrimp pasta

Roasted asparagus 

Alice Springs Chicken

Zesty green beans

Dutch oven ravioli

Dutch oven fry bread 

Cilantro lime chicken tacos or stop green salad

{our best bites} cheesy garlic and chive potatoes

ANOTHER GREAT FIND FROM OUR BEST BITES...

I've been disappointed with my Special Potato recipe I traditionally make for Easter dinner and other occasions. I feel it lacks the flavor it used to or my taste buds are changing. Either way, I was on the hunt for a similar dish but with different/more flavors. Thank you OUR BEST BITES! You always come through for me. :)

"These creamy potatoes are loaded with the fresh spring flavors of garlic and chives. Chives are an easy herb to grow in your garden, and they will produce all summer long. These potatoes are also delicious on any holiday table and are a great addition to a potluck. Serve alongside your favorite steak or with burgers."

Cheesy Garlic & Chive Potatoes
Recipe from Our Best Bites
Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

2 lbs baking potatoes or leftover baked potatoes

1 1/2 c sour cream

1/4 c freshly chopped chives (or 2 T dried chives)

3 cloves garlic, pressed

2 T grated onion 

1 1/2 t kosher salt

1/4 t freshly cracked black pepper

1 1/4 c grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided

1 1/4 c grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese, divided 

Directions:

1. Cook potatoes a day ahead.  Preheat oven to 425. Wash potatoes, with skins on, under cold wat. Pat dry. Pierce each potato a few times with a knife and then place directly on the oven rack. Bake about 1 hour or until you can easily pierce the Pistons with a knife all the way through. Remove from oven and cool completely. Cover potatoes with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. 

2. When preparing the potatoes the next day, preheat oven to 350. Using a large-hole box grated, grate potatoes with skins on. Some of the skin (most of it actually) will naturally peel off and you can discard it. 

3. Combine sour cream, chives, garlic, onion, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add potatoes and gently toss to combine. Add 1 c cheddar cheese and 1 c Swiss or Gruyere cheese and fold in to combine. 

4. Place mixture in a 8x8 baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 c cheddar and Swiss or Gruyere cheeses on top. Sprinkle a few chives on top, if desired. Bake 30-40 minutes until hot and bubbly and lightly browned around the edges. Cool 10 minutes before serving. 

Tip: Use a pair of clean kitchen shears to snip the chives.

Make-ahead instructions: you can prepare this dish 1-2 days ahead of time and refrigerate it until it's ready to bake. If making baked potatoes earlier in the week, bake up some extras and then use them in this recipe. 

{our best bites} Berry-kiwi salad with mint-lime dressing

Seeing as we've been TRYING to eat better, healthier, less-processed foods I was worried about Easter coming up and all the sweets that naturally accompany it. I was so excited to try this recipe as our healthy, yet sweet dessert option. We really liked this! All the kids and adults gobbled it down and I think I'll be bringing it to every family gathering and celebration. It was nice and sweet and GUILT-FREE!

Light, fresh, and easy, this fruit salad comes together in minutes and is an elegant addition to any baby or wedding shower, Mothers Day brunch or Saturday morning breakfast.

BERRY-KIWI SALAD WITH MINT-LIME DRESSING

Ingredients:

1/4 c freshly squeezed lime juice (1-2 limes)

2 1/2 T honey

1 T finely chopped fresh mint leaves

3/4 t poppyseeds

1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced

1 c blackberries (or raspberries, I don't like the seeds from the blackberries)

1 c blueberries 

1 c kiwi, cut into 1/4" pieces

Directions:

1. Whisk together lime juice, honey, mint leaves, and poppy seeds in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Gently toss berries and kiwi together in a medium-sized bowl. Drizzle dressing over the fruit and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately. 

*Note: Strawberries aren't quite in season yet so I cut them up first, put a little sugar on them and let them sit and macerate. Right before we were ready to eat I mixed in the fruit and dressing. It was delicious.

I doubled this recipe for our Easter dinner of 13 and had just a couple servings left. I will probably always at LEAST double this if not triple or more. I think this will probably be my "go-to" dish for all get togethers this summer and whenever else. It was a BIG HIT and so good for you! Hooray!