Frozen Watermelon Pops

I don't know what part of the world you are in, but HOLY HELL..it is hot and nasty humid here in Florida. My little tadpoles(children) are living in the pool. Thank goodness for the pool!

I love to bring them out fun summer-y treats when they are outside. And we all know how annoyingly messy Popsicles can be! So frozen watermelon is your answer folks. no fuss no mess.

I get these really cute mini watermelons at the store and use one side to make the pops and the other half as the "pop holder". Too cute huh? I had previously used a circle cookie cutter to make my pops but I saw that Family Fun had used a star cookie cutter. Duh.! Cute for the 4th of July.

FROZEN WATERMELON POPS

Print This Recipe

1 watermelon

Craft sticks(or popcicle sticks)

Foil

Cookie Sheet

Cut you watermelon in half. Reserve one side for the "pop holder"

Cut thick ring slices (about 1/2 inch thick) of watermelon

Use your cookie cutter and cut out your shape

Insert your craft stick into your watermelon shape, taking care not to poke it through.

Place on you foil lined cookie sheet and freeze for a few hours.

Bakewell Tart

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.

I loved this challenge and so did everyone else who tasted it! The tarts were easy to put together, but again something I would have NEVER made unless I got my monthly nudging from the Daring Bakers!
I made mini tarts, cause everything is cuter small, right?
I made some homemade strawberry and cherry jam that was crazy good and another batch with chocolate(you didn't think I would leave out my first love did you?)

For the jam I cut up 5 ounces of strawberries and 5 ounces of cherries, added about an ounce of sugar to a pan and let them cook down. I mashed them up a bit and added some vanilla and orange zest. YUM

BAKEWELL TART

Makes one 23cm (9” tart)
Prep time: less than 10 minutes (plus time for the individual elements)
Resting time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Equipment needed: 23cm (9”) tart pan or pie tin (preferably with ridged edges), rolling pin

One quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (recipe follows)
Bench flour
250ml (1cup (8 US fl. oz)) jam or curd, warmed for spreadability
One quantity frangipane (recipe follows)
One handful blanched, flaked almonds

Assembling the tart
Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatised for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam onto the pastry base. Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart. Smooth the top and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy and brownish. Remove from oven and strew flaked almonds on top and return to the heat for the last five minutes of baking.

The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish.

When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly squidgy and the crust should be crisp but not tough.

Sweet shortcrust pastry
Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes (minimum)
Equipment needed: bowls, box grater, cling film

225g (8oz) all purpose flour
30g (1oz) sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
110g (4oz) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)
2 (2) egg yolks
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (optional)
15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) cold water

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.

Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough.

Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

Jasmine’s notes:
• I make this using vanilla salt and vanilla sugar.
• If you wish, you can substitute the seeds of one vanilla bean, one teaspoon of vanilla paste or one teaspoon of vanilla extract for the almond extract

Frangipane
Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Equipment needed: bowls, hand mixer, rubber spatula

125g (4.5oz) unsalted butter, softened
125g (4.5oz) icing sugar
3 (3) eggs
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract
125g (4.5oz) ground almonds
30g (1oz) all purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in colour and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle. In the words of Douglas Adams: Don’t panic. Really. It’ll be fine. After all three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow colour.

Little Mermaid Birthday Cake

Well well well..I did it to myself again, went overboard on my little ones cake. Last year I made her the Sleeping Beauty Birthday Cake(my first decorated cake). So this year I told her I was going to make her cupcakes. Oh good lord, she hat a fit. She said she wanted "a pretty cake like when I was 3". Oh great, did I create a cake snob??

When we went to the party store to pick out her party decorations, I really pushed hard for Hello Kitty. That would have been such a cute and easy cake to make. But nooooooo,
my little cake snob had to go with the Little Mermaid decorations. Grrrrrrr. I knew I had my work cut out for me.

I have never covered a cake in fondant before, and while I loved the cake, I obviously need a hell of a lot of practice. I marbled the fondant so it would look like "water" . All the sea life was also made from fondant. I actually thought that Flounder looked like a yellow sperm in a fish form!!LOL. Maybe someday I will get the time to take a cake decorating class.

Cute Cute Cute

duh..I forgot to tell you the day....

Dork with a capital "D". yes indeed that's me.

Sorry I forgot to tell you that my segment will be airing on Tuesday June 23. Check your local listing for the times here.

TV time again for me!!!

Hey guys I am excited to let you know I am going to be on the show "Daytime" again. This will be my 5th time being featured on the show.

Check here to see if it is on in your area and what time it airs. They are up to over 90 TV markets across the United States(opposed to 19 when I first was on).
I am going to record it on my DVD recorder and see if I can get it onto my computer, but I can't make any promises, cause I am know NOTHING about computers.

Also, sorry I have been M.I.A lately from all of your blogs. Being that the kids are out of school, I have been crazy busy keeping them occupied.

Grilled Peaches w/ Mascarpone and Agave

First, stop looking at my bruised basil.

I had a few things around the house that were reaching their death point..peaches, mascarpone and basil. So I decided to make a yummy treat. And let me tell you how good these bad boys were...After I finished my peach, I stood over the sink and licked my plate clean. Yes that is correct, I actually licked it clean..uh huh..like a dog. I couldn't resist the plate full of melted cheese mixed with the sweetness of the agave nectar and the tiny bit of crunchiness from the demerara sugar. Oh nooooo, I am not ashamed to admit that I licked it clean!

I bet if you make these you will do the same!

GRILLED PEACHES WITH MASCARPONE AND AGAVE NECTAR

Print This Recipe

Peaches(however many you want to serve)

Mascarpone Cheese(3 tbsp per 1/2 peach)

Agave Nectar(no specific amount)

Basil(1 leaf per whole peach)

Demerara Sugar

Preheat your grill to around 400

Cut your peach in half and remove the pit

Grill cut side down for about 5 minutes

While peaches are grilling mix the cheese and a bit of agave nectar together to sweeten the cheese up a bit.

Scoop about 3 tablespoons of cheese onto each peach half.

Drizzle with agave nectar and sprinkle some demerara sugar on the top. Place some basil on each peach.

EAT PEACH....LICK PLATE

Salmon in foil

Seafood OMG, SEAFOOD. Our friends from the sea have never graced the pages of The Hungry Housewife blog. Why? Well 1/2 of my household hates it. My son and I are the only seafood lovers. One day last week I had my "want to kill myself" migraines (uh huh..they last for like 3-4 days, and my life is miserable). However dinner still needed to be cooked and I had nothing out.
I served my husband and daughter hot dogs(GASP, at least I made them on the grill and not the microwave) and I pulled out some frozen salmon from the freezer. I had no clue if it would cook properly in its frozen state, but I was hungry and in pain. But it worked perfectly and was delicious.

FROZEN SALMON IN FOIL

Salmon

Lemon

Compound Butter(recipe below)

Foil

Kosher salt and pepper

Heat your grill to roughly 400'ish

Place your salmon onto a large square of tin foil

Cut of about a Tablespoon of compound butter for each fillet and place it on top

Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper

Add some lemon slices

Close the foil up tightly around the salmon and grill for 20 minutes

Yum yum yum!!

ALL PURPOSE COMPOUND BUTTER

1 stick butter

juice and zest of 1/2 of a lemon

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

2 cloves garlic minced and sauteed in butter

Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together and place on a sheet of cling wrap. Form into a log by rolling in between the cling wrap and freeze until hard.

"The Diagram"

Well here is is. You all requested it, now here it is in black and white. My husbands diagram on what treat he wanted me to make him from my previous post. If you missed it click here
So I didn't follow his directions exactly, but seriously, he couldn't have just told me what he was craving?
Ok, question..how is it that a man can draw out perfect directions on how to "make" a simple treat but yet can't stop and ask for directions( or read directions on how to put a kids toy together)??????? Hmmmm, I don't get it! Men, you can't live with them and you can't live with them..oh I mean without them! hehehe

Nilla Wafer S'mores

Well during this months P.M.S it was a sad sad sight. I had melted some chocolate and was dipping everything in sight, pretzels, Cheez Its, potato chips, peppermint candies, apples..well to be honest, anything I could think of. Chocolate takes over me like a tone of bricks. Remember my husband, the one who has not one clue about cooking or baking? The dork drew a diagram for me of what he wanted me to make for him!! Yes he drew a diagram. And I though I had issues! So being the good wife(even though I was P.M.S'ing), I carefully inspected his intricately detailed diagram and went to work. lol In his "diagram" the whole thing was supposed to be covered completely in chocolate, but my chocolate had cooled off sightly from my dipping extravaganza and I didn't feel like warming it up again. So he got a ploppy drizzle on top.

These are like Nilla Wafer S'mores. Everyone loved them, even the kids(shocking)

Here's what you need

Nilla Wafer S'mores

Nilla Wafers

Milk Chocolate

Large Marshmallows

Coconut(optional)

Cut a marshmallow in half on the horizontal.

Place a Nilla Wafer down, slather some chocolate on top to act as glue. Place the cut marshmallow on the chocolate. Then drizzle with melted chocolate. Add a sprinkle of coconut if desired.

****I know this is "Rocket Science" hard to do and I will draw you a diagram if needed!!! LOL LOL LOL

Chicken and Vegetable Bake

Today I hang my head in shame and present you with a dish without butter. Without heavy cream. Without Parmigiano-Reggiano . It is not secret that I love my butter and I love my heavy cream. But last night I got a wild hair up my ass and decided to forgo the fat. I just threw what I had on hand in a casserole and baked up a delicious and HEALTHY dinner. My husband even commented that this was probably the healthiest dinner I had ever made. This dish is Soooooo versatile. Add what ever veggies you have on hand and it would be fine. Mushrooms, carrots,yellow squash etc. would have been great. But what you see in the picture is all I had to throw in. Quick and easy, yep sure was!

Chicken and Vegetable Bake

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken boobs, cut into 1" cubes

2 zucchini, cut into 1" cubes

1 onion, roughly chopped

6 Melissa's Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes, cut in half

2 tomatoes(I am digging Ugly ripe right now), roughly chopped

Olive oil

5 or so sage leaves

Sprig rosemary

Thyme(about 1 tsp)

Garlic Powder

Kosher Salt and pepper

Balsamic Vinegar(a few shakes)

Preheat oven to 400

In large bowl toss all ingredients (except tomatoes) including herbs and spices with olive oil.

Put in casserole dish and add tomatoes.

Bake for 30 minutes

**again add what ever veggies you have on hand*