Share it Sunday!

It's October already and the weather here in Bucks County Pennsylvania has been gorgeous!  The last 4 days have been like mid-summer and the kids are having a blast playing outside attempting to get the most out of the days dwindling light.

Last week I stumbled over an external hard-drive that I had forgotten about and found true treasure!  Photos of my kids that the photographer of the kids cookbook I co-wrote took of them while shooting the book.

The time has flown by too quickly and my babies are now 9 and almost 12!  Sniff!!

2 other things I would like to share with you are....

I think most of you know of The Pioneer Woman...right?  Ree Drummond is adorable, to read her writing is to feel like you know her!  I have been a fan of hers for years her sense of humor cracks me up.  If you have never been to her site - you must take 30 minutes and explore.  Ree covers everything from her recipes, to her & her husband's love story (adorable), to life on the ranch, to homeschooling, but my favorite part of her site is Tasty Kitchen where anyone who has a passion for cooking shares their recipes.  In the years that I have been a part of the Tasty Kitchen community, I have met friends, found some great recipes, gotten a glimpse into how this country eats.

Reading peoples profile is my favorite part - you see their likes dislikes, hobbies and more.  I have easily read over 5000 profiles since joining TK about 5 years ago and found out that the potato seems to be the most popular favorite food...who knew - that and Mexican Food.  The Mexican food thing blew my mind 5 years ago...but now I get it.  Now, where I live, we have many more places to enjoy it and I for one could eat it 5 days out of 7!

My second favorite part is seeing the photos and reading the stories of life on an enormous working ranch in Oklahoma.  A completely different life from a girl born and raised in Philadelphia.  It fascinates me and calls to me.  I just have to experience this some day!

Here is a shot Ree took of one of their calves just about to be bottle fed - OMGosh what a cutie!!  

Finally, I would like to share is this....one of my favorite places to shop online - The Spice House.  I wish, I wish, I wish that they had a store here...or would let me open one up (really, I would love it and I know just the place to do it)!!  I am obsessed with some of their products and I LOVE that you can order many spices in baggies to replenish your supply.  It is so much less expensive that way.

The 3 things they sell that I can't live without are one, Chicago Old Town Premium Sugar.  The word obsessed comes to mind.  I use it in so many things and have talked about it previously on my posts.  Sugar, cardamom, cinnamon and vanilla combined to give your dishes incredible flavor.  I can open the jar, close my eyes and inhale the scent and instantly be relaxed! This is the most pricey of what I order, but I honestly can not live without it!  I bite the bullet and order the big jar which usually lasts me 4-6 months...during the holidays when baking is in high gear - I go through it faster.

The Spice Houses Vulcan's Fire Salt is a favorite of my husbands and I love it too!  The heat and POW it adds to meats and shellfish (we love it on grilled shrimp) is right up our alley,

They also have a fabulous selection of gift boxes - I have given these a number of times as gifts and everyone has loved them!  My favorite??  The Premium Sugars Collection!

The Spice House website gives you a bunch of recipes - they pretty much have recipes for any spice you can buy!

Do you have any favorite or happy things to share??  What do I need to know about...a person, a place or a thing???  Share, I would love to know!


Disclosure:  I am not being compensated or asked to promote any of these things...they are just people, places and things I love, enjoy or desperately want and just wanted to share with the world.

Lobster Guacamole

If you are a regular reader of my Souffle Bombay then you know I love being in the kitchen and whipping things up.  Most of what I post on here are dishes, that in my opinion, anyone can make.  To me, food doesn't have to be super time consuming to be fabulous and the way I see it anyone can cook...they just have to want to.

Food brings people together, whether it's a surprise baked treat for your kids when they get home from school, apps for a Friday night neighborhood hangout or a 4 course anniversary dinner.  "Breaking bread" brings people together, creates memories and makes people happy.

Do you have a favorite food?  One that you crave and only get on special occasions or have to travel far to get and enjoy?  Me...I love a great appetizer - I could probably go along the rest of my life happily eating one small plate after the next (and if shrimp were in involved...I'd be a happy, happy girl).

My husband's favorite...favorite...favorite is lobster.  He doesn't have the opportunity to have it often but man...when he does get it he is so freaking happy!  So when I was contacted by LobsterAnywhere.com to try out their service - what do you think I said??

A resounding Y-E-S because after all I do love making my sweetie-pot-pie happy!

Within 48 hours of saying yes, I received the a box full of tasty goodness!  2 lobster tails, a half dozen of the biggest shrimp I have ever seen, a bag of delicious New England Clam Chowder, a supercute lobster towel and a box of ridiculously delicious box of chocolates!

The shrimp I received were SO big that I wish I had placed a quarter on the plate to show you the actual size...if I form my thumb and pointer finger into a big "c"...THAT is how big they were - and they were so delicious that I may be dreaming about them for weeks!

LobsterAnywhere.com offer us a taste of New England.  Beautiful live lobsters, lobster tails or lobster meat plucked fresh out of the cold North Atlantic waters or the coast of Main!  They offer 5 soups/bisques and so much more like stone crab claws (swoon) lobster cakes, clams, mussels and shrimp - I'm getting giddy just talking about it!  Can you imagine live beautiful lobsters just showing up at someone you loves front door on their birthday, anniversary or "just because I love you on a Wednesday afternoon"?  What a fantastic gift - and the prices of LobsterAnywhere.com's live lobster I think is incredible!!  I KNOW how much we pay when we are out to eat for lobster when my husband orders it.

Earlier this year we were out to dinner in downtown Philly with 4 other couples.  My husband ordered a steak and on a whim since we had a sitter (were staying the night in the city and "living it up") both he and one of his pals at the last minute each ordered a lobster tail to go along with their entree.  The price wasn't on the menu and when the bill came we almost died - EACH tail was $100.00 that my friends is not a typo... sigh!  Needless to say in the future he will never do THAT again, lol!  I honestly don't think he's ever even paid half that for a lobster or a tail in his life - who knew!  So when I see a service like LobsterAnywhere.com I get a little excited knowing I now have a new idea for him when I want to do something special.

They offer so many choices that just about anyone would be thrilled with a box from them showing up at their front door!  Can you just imagine surprising someone your love or what to thank (parents, grandparents, newlyweds, employees, etc) with a 5-6 pound lobster or a traditional Lobster Pot?? THAT is memorable!!   I am a huge fan of having dinner gatherings at home...especially out on the patio - what could have been a dinner out that costed a fortune (and often lasts too short) turns into a full night with family or friends at home...much better in my book!!

My husband ate his lobster tail the way he likes best - simply dipped in butter.  Me, I decided to turn mine into an app.  I was going for a deconstructed guacamole - I lined up the elements on a plat,e almost like a salad, but then I decided to just mash it all up, add the lobster and have at it and MAN was it good!!  My husband who was prepared to not like it (since he wants his lobster straight up) was like wow...wow!  I am SO going to remember to make Lobster Guacamole for special occasions!!

Guess what??  Guess What!!

Joe (from LobsterAnywhere.com) and I hatched a plan to give one of YOU a chance to taste some of their incredible lobster!!  I'm so excited!!

Raise your hand if you have ever heard of a Lobster Roll!!  Ever had one??  I have heard and read so much about Lobster Rolls all my life and finally had my first (and only) one from a food truck in DC that people always line up for.  Let's just say this will make you do the happy food dance!

One lucky winner will win 2 pounds of premium lobster meat, 8 authentic split top rolls (you need to have the right roll!!) and a box of Maine salt water taffy - how fun is that!!!!  Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Lobster Guacamole

1 cup cooked lobster meat cut into chunks
2 avocados
Juice of half a lime
Koster salt to taste
2 TBS minced red onion
2 TBS minced jalapeno
Optional: Red pepper to taste

Mash your avocados with the lime and salt, add in the onions, jalapeno and red pepper if using.  Fold in the lobster and serve.

It's that simple...it's that special!  I ate this with a fork, however you can certainly serve with chips.  This serves 1 as a meal or 2 as an appetizer.

Enjoy!!

Disclosure:  I received a box of product from LobsterAnywhere.com and was so impressed I just had to do a post about it.  I was not paid to write this post, I just wanted to share my high opinion of the product/service.  After the fact, I approached them to do a giveaway and they happily agreed.

*My husband detests Cilantro, lol!  If I was making this just for me, I would have added a TBS or so of chopped Cilantro in, however it was delicious without it :)

Ham Cheese and Broccoli Pie

This time of year, life starts getting crazy for many of us.  The days have begun to shorten...I can't believe at 7:00 its getting dark, every year I get surprised when this begins to happen. lol!  School and sports are in full swing, the kids want playdates with new and old friends, and if you have a dancer...well need I say more?  Not to mention you HAVE to make time for Fall TV, lol!!  So far I am digging The Blacklist, X Factor, The White Queen and I am counting the days until The Walking Dead returns!  I guess if zombies did take over the world - we would have no more need to think about making fancy meals - we'd be happy eating out of a can!!

I know I am not alone when I say that sometimes it really is a struggle to get dinner a decent dinner on the table.  One trick/tip that works for me is to make an Egg Pie.  It's so simple and versatile.  It comes together quickly (especially if you prepped your ham/cheese/broccoli previously) and can be baking with no attention needed while the kids are doing their homework, decompressing from their day OR you could have made it the night before or earlier in the day.  It is fabulous reheated or at room temperature (which also makes for a great school or work lunch)! Throw together a simple side salad and you are all set!  My kids 2 favorites are this Ham Cheese and Broccoli Pie or this Cheddar, Bacon & Spinach Pie.

I love to change up the add in's...sometimes it's bacon and cheese, sometimes I add in asparagus, thinly sliced & seasoned zucchini, spinach or roasted peppers.  I have been meaning to blanch some kale and try a bacon & kale version. You get the idea.  Also, no shame at all in using a premade crust!  Just pour your mixture in, bake away and when you're done - BAM - your pie "dish" requires no washing!  What's not to love about that?

What's one of your favorite quick dinners that you feel good about feeding your family?

Ham Cheese and Broccoli Pie

1 uncooked fresh or frozen deep dish pie crust
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 TBS flour
1 TBS melted butter
Salt & pepper
1/2 cup diced broccoli
1 cup chopped ham
6 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grab your thawed store bought pie crust in the tin or press your homemade crust into a pie dish then place it onto a baking sheet.  Set aside.  Whisk together the milk, eggs, flour, butter, salt and pepper until combined.  Stir in the broccoli, ham and cheese.  Pour mixture into your pie crust, being careful not to overfill, and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the pie is puffed up and golden brown on top. Once removed from the oven, allow the pie to cool/set for at least 10 minutes.

Colleen's Notes:  Use whole milk, if using lowfat or skim, you will need to replace 1/2 cup of it with whipping or heavy cream.  Feel free to add in any veggies you enjoy or replace the ham with cooked, crispy bacon.

Enjoy!!

Pasta with Kale & Bacon

A number of people have asked about the recipe for the pasta dish that Samantha, my 9 year old daughter, helped make while trying out Calphalon's new Elite Non Stick Pans.  I was cracking up at some of the comments about the my Sicilian Calamari recipe - when it comes to squid it seems that you love it, hate it or have never given it a try!  I say start with crispy calamari which I adore!  As a matter of fact I have a prize winning recipe for it which made it into the Food 52 Cookbook - how cool is that??  Here it is - Spicy Calamari.  This is one of the most requested dishes from my husband, family & friends - really!!  Give it a try!!  Guess I should get around to taking a better picture than that one - it was one of the first posts here on Souffle.  Seems that it always disappears before I can think of it.  If the spicy sauce isn't your thing here is a straight up recipe for Fried Calamari.  Enjoy!!

I only quick snapped a photo of Samantha's Pasta Kale & Bacon dish with my phone.  Above is a pic from the next day, when what was leftover was reheated for her for dinner.  She did a great job making this - I was HER assistant, she did just about everything except scoop out the kale from the boiling water and dump the pasta.  I'm still nervous about her being to near boiling water and my pots are heavy - she can't even lift them when they are filled with water.  When it comes to kids in the kitchen, in my opinion, you set the parameters for what they can and can't do as well as how they do them, other than that - as long as they are not being wild and are focused and into what they are doing, let them go...they usually can do anything and will happily surprise you!

The four of us L-O-V-E pasta and THAT makes me so happy since every one of us has a number of things we just don't like or are allergic to.  The nights we have pasta - I get to make 1...yup, O-N-E dinner...no short order cook-ery!  Hooray for me!!

If you have a favorite pasta dish, I would love to hear of it and possibly recreate it!  My tummy is grumbling at the thought!!

Oh and here is my little chef on the set of a kids cooking pilot...this past Thursday we were in NYC for the taping...more on that later!  

Spicy Grilled Cole Slaw

I have been saying all along that I just didn't want this summer to end, but we all know that it did. Turns out that, its ok, I guess I forgot the beauty of a picture perfect fall day and hey, NOT having to vacuum the pool isn't a bad thing!  Today is another of those incredibly beautiful fall days - it's gorgeous out!  Lucky me, I had a chance to meet a fellow food blogger friend, Mary Kay, for lunch in beautiful New Hope, PA this afternoon. We toasted ourselves on our recent recipe win with what turned out to be a better bottle of wine than we expected...but that is another story.  Talk about an adorable town and the perfect place to be on picture perfect days - that town (and the town of Lambertville just a short walk over the bridge on the New Jersey side) is a place you need to check out if you are ever in Bucks County, PA To meet a friend for lunch...talk about maximizing a perfect fall day.

Have I ever told you that I DO NOT like sauerkraut?  Blech, now way, now how do I want to eat it or smell it.  Now cole slaw...THAT my friends is a different story.  I love it!  When it comes to vegetables, most of my life I only liked them raw.  These days I have found a way to prepare most veggies in a way I enjoy them, however I don't think that will ever happen with the krout!

I picked up a two gorgeous heads of cabbage last week.  One red and one green.  They were exactly the same size, so smartly compact and bursting with beautiful color that I couldn't resist.  I thought, "oh maybe I will sautee them with some pancetta for my husband" - he loves that.  But they sat in my kitchen for a bit and I almost forgot about them until the other night when I was grilling burgers (and not just any burger...wink...stay tuned).  I thought, I'm going to throw these babies on the grill to char them up a bit...why not?

Aren't they pretty in the setting sun?  

Coleslaw is one of those things that I think many of us enjoy year round - BUT grilled cole slaw...that seemed more fall/winter to me for some reason.  Maybe it was the gorgeous color of it, similar to the incredible leaf show mother nature puts on each year.  I wasn't in the mood for a mayo based slaw, so I started adding some of what I add for the base of my pulled pork and took it from there.  The result was really, really good.  Crisp, clean and crunchy.  It was even better the next day, my husband was going back to it at all hours for a couple days...a nibble here and a nibble there.  I think this will be my go-to slaw with subtle tweaks for the season and or dish I am making at the time. :)

Spicy Grilled Cole Slaw

1 small head of red cabbage
1 small head of green cabbage
2 bunches of scallions/green onions
2 jalapenos, minced (see notes)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 TBS chopped fresh parsley or tarragon
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or less/none if you are not into spicy)
Salt and pepper to taste

Optional: 1/4 cup of your favorite nuts toasted and chopped

Cut each cabbage into quarters.  On your well greased grill, grill your cabbages for about 3-4 minutes per side...all 3 sides.  Remove from grill and cool.  Remove core sections, slice thinly for slaw and place in a large bowl.  Combine your apple cider vinegar, sugar, parsley/tarragon, red pepper, salt & pepper and shake well.  Pour over slaw and mix well.  Allow it to sit at least an hour before serving.  Toss & serve.

Colleen's Notes:  Depending on your preference for heat either mince the whole jalapeno or remove the stems and seeds first.  Leaving the inside stem and seeds in will increase the heat level...something my husband and I enjoy. Add in some poppy seeds or matchstick slices of apples to transform this coleslaw into something else.  Perfect on a pulled pork sandwich or just by itself!  This is delicious made a day ahead!

I hope you enjoy it!  Let me know if you try it as well as how you customize it!

Lettuce and Cheese Wrap

Well, here it is, the first day of fall...as much as I tried to keep summer going it's over, sniff!

On the bright side (literally), the leaves are beginning to change and here in Pennsylvania it will soon be spectacular!  Pumpkins are popping up all over and I for one can not wait to roast my first one.  Ice hockey and dance are just beginning for my kids and we have settled into the school year routine.

My kids opt to pack lunch for school.  They take a look at the month's cafeteria menu and circle one or two days that look interesting to them to buy, but other than that I pack it for them.  I always tell my kids that I pack their lunch with love!  I occasionally leave little notes in their lunchboxes and always say "I LOVE YOU" into it before I zip them up...they think I am nuts!  I tell them that one day, when they go to open their lunch the whole cafeteria will hear " I LOOOOOOVE YOUUUUUU" kind of like the "Howler" letters in Harry Potter, hahahaha!! If only I could actually make that happen...my 11 year old son would die, lol!

In addition to the silly, crazy, mom-way I pack their lunches, I am also choosy as to just what it is I pack them.  I want to feel good about what they have for both snack & lunch and I want be sure they have good things to help them get through the day with the energy and edge they need to do well.

One way I know of is to choose foods that I feel good about, whenever I see the REAL® Seal on products, I am confident that what I am buying not only meets with my satisfaction but supports American farmers and both of those things make me feel good.

The REAL® Seal tells me that I am purchasing a genuine dairy product for my family and not one with substitutions and that my family is getting the full nutrients I expect.  I don't notice a price difference - just a difference that I feel I can trust.  While my kids are away from me I feel that is one way that I can help impact their day.

The REAL® Seal: A Made-in-America Guarantee

-Products bearing the REAL® Seal must meet specific guidelines and are certified as having been made in America without imported, imitation or substitute ingredients. Companies register these products and provide product ingredient labels.

In an increasingly globalized world, the made-in-America requirement is especially important. The REAL® Seal means not only that the product is a real dairy food but that it was made from milk from cows on U.S. dairy farms.

More than 350 companies use the REAL® Seal on more than 10,000 products. The actual number of REAL® Seal label images is far greater than 10,000, however, since products may be packaged in multiple sizes. For example, a particular brand of yogurt may be registered as one product, but is sold in three different containers: six ounces, 16 ounces, and 32 ounces. As a result, the number of label images in the marketplace could be three or four times the number of registered products.

My 9 year old daughter Samantha is not a red meat eater due to her food allergies, she happily eats a ton of dairy products to give her the protein she needs.  She is obsessed with cheese to the point for the last 3 years her "slogan" is "I LOVE Cheese!!"  Which is infectious... a bunch of her friends at school have adopted the slogan and they all shout it out at the most random times...I can't make stuff like this up...my daughter worked it into her dance recital...as the curtain closed you heard her say "I LOVE Cheese!!!" and when our Monsignor chose 3 kids to ask what their favorite food was during her First Holy Communion Mass (he was using it to point out a lesson) and happened to pick her as one of the 3 - out came "I LOVE Cheese!"...our mouths hit the floor that THAT opportunity arose for her at a time like that, hysterical!! 

Well she does in fact love cheese and her favorite "sandwich" to bring in for lunch is her "SAMwich".  Which is really more of a burrito, pictured above. Ever since she began bringing that into school for lunch a couple of years ago, a number of parents have asked me what it is she's eating because their daughter wanted a "SAMwich" too! lol!  Choosing cheese with the REAL® Seal is my way of filling her SAMwich with a little extra love!

Another favorite of both her and my son's is Irish Soda Bread - something I make once a month.  I choose buttermilk with the REAL® Seal.

Sour cream and cream cheese are always and I mean always in our fridge.  I love whipping up cold and hot dips featuring one or both of them - the variety I always buy bears the REAL® Seal.

I am not a full blown "healthy" shopper.  As a family we eat plenty of treats and sometimes cut corners a little on certain days.  But I do go out of my way to make sure we get some of the best quality products both our supermarket and farmers market have to offer and the REAL® Seal is one of the ways that makes me feel good about my choices.

Here are a few of my staple recipes for this time of year that I choose REAL® Seal ingredients for, enjoy!

One of my favorite quick & easy dips for football season - 5 Ingredient Hot Onion Dip

Irish Soda Bread (just about the best you will ever taste - it's sweeter and more cake-like)

These adorable Pumpkin Pie Shooters are perfect for your holiday tables!

Easy Stuffed Mushrooms another game day staple.

Mashed Potato Pie is always a hit with both kids and adults at gatherings.

The SAMwich

1 flour tortilla, burrito size

1/3 cup shredded cheese, Samantha favors a Mexican blend

1/3 cup shredded/chopped lettuce

Sprinkle the cheese and lettuce over the tortilla, fold the sides in and roll it tightly shut.  Press down hard to flatten it a bit, then immediately wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.  This is best made in the morning before school.  If left to sit overnight the tortilla will pick up the moisture from the lettuce and become a little soggy.

Colleen's Notes: If your child enjoys condiments, take a small amount of sour cream and sprinkle in some taco seasoning. Blend it and spread some on the the tortilla before you sprinkle on the cheese and lettuce. Feel free to add diced chicken as well.

Disclosure:  I was compensated to write this post, however the opinions expressed are my own.  I am am a long time user of REAL® Seal products, so this offered assignment was an easy yes.

Enjoy!!