Food and Family

We have had a fabulous week surrounded by generations of family from both sides. Our kids have been so excited to have all their cousins to play with this week. We've had lots of good times, fun pictures, memorable moments and of course tons of playing!

GR's sister Elspeth and family arrived at the end of June for a two week visit, Saturday night (6/30) my sisters Barbara and Mary Ann arrived with MA's two girls, Sunday night my parents drove in for an extended 4th of July visit and Monday GR's Aunt Marilyn flew in from Wisconsin for a week long visit.

I'll start my stream of posts about our visits with these pictures from the beginning of the visit with my family:

Sunday night dinner consisted of Corn Dog Muffins, broccoli and garlic herb shrimp and pasta. We spent all day Saturday at GR's parents house having family pictures taken, and playing with cousins, and when we packed up for home, I forgot to bring Alex's little high chair seat home with us, so he ate dinner on a big chair, just like the rest of us.



CORN DOG MUFFINS
2 (8.5 oz) packages cornbread mix
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups milk
6 hot dogs, quartered and chopped.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease muffin tins, or use papers.

Stir together the cornbread mix and the brown sugar in a large bowl. Whisk the eggs and milk in a small bowl until smooth. Fold the eggs into the dry mixture until moistened. Stir in hot dog chunks. Spoon mixture into muffin tins until 2/3 full.

Bake 14-18 minutes or until golden brown.

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After our last failed attempt to have S'mores for our FHE treat awhile back we made sure to get the bunsin burners we needed to for our S'mores Maker at our next trip to Walmart. So with everything we needed, we told the kids we'd have S'mores for dessert if they cleaned their plates. Sam and Stella needed a little extra motivation and so we had ourselves a little race:



GARLIC HERB SHRIMP and PASTA
1-2 pounds raw shrimp
1 tablespoon butter
1/8 teaspoon chopped garlic or 1 clove garlic chopped
3/4-1 teaspoon Morton Nature's Seasons Seasoning Blend
Generous pinch of dry basil
2 boxes PastaRoni Garlic and Herb Pasta

Prepare shrimp for cooking (thaw, de-vain, shell if necessary).
Prepare pasta as directed on the box.

While pasta is boiling, melt butter in a skillet, add shrimp and garlic. Sprinkle with seasonings. Cook until shrimp are curled into a circle and pink.

Add shrimp to pasta and serve.

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Fitting us all around the tiny flame was a bit of a trick, but by the end we figured out a good rotation that kept everyone roasting, stacking, smashing and eating. And I've found a new use for the metal BBQ skewers we never use ... they make great S'mores sticks to supplement the four that came in the box! We have three more burners ready to use - ready to use many many more times this summer!



Monday morning before packing a picnic lunch and visiting the zoo, I made my friend Alyson M's Cream Scones for breakfast. I've been wanting to make these scones for over a month and today was just the day to have them. With all the willing helpers I needed to make two batches to give everyone a turn. First I made Cherry Chocolate Chip ... and then Golden Raisin with Orange zest. This is a fantastic recipe for scones and so quick to make!



ALYSON'S CREAM SCONES
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup "mix-ins"
1-1/4 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing
Turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl. Whisk to blend well. Add the "mix-ins." Stir in dry ingredients with a rubber spatula while pouring the cream, continuing to stir until a soft, sticky dough is formed.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly (8-10 times). Pat the dough into a circle 1/2" - 3/4" thick. Cut the circle into 8 wedges and place the wedges an inch or so apart on an ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush each scone with cream and sprinkle generously with the raw sugar.

Bake at 425°F until golden brown and springy to the touch - about 15 minutes.

Mix-ins can include dried fruits, nuts and chocolate bits, or a combination. Favorite mix-in ideas:
* Dried tart cherries with golden raisins
* White chocolate chunks with quartered dried apricots
* Chocolate chips with dried tart cherries
* 1/2 cup dried currants along with the zest of one orange