Two bombs, really. After an entire summer of needing 4-5 gallons of milk per week, I now have nearly TWO gallons of milk dated YESTERDAY. The kids miscreants do this to me a few times a year. They fixate on something, eat/drink TONS of it to the point that I can't seem to KEEP it in the house without buying 2 or 3 at a time then- KAPOW! It becomes hazmat lurking in my fridge or panty.
I'm going to need at least three ways to diffuse the situation
You dropped a bomb on me, baby
You dropped a bomb on me
Starting off with some potato leek soup: leeks, potatoes, celery, and an onion.
Dice veggies, and dump in crockpot along with 1 box chicken broth, ground pepper, and preferred seasoning. I used Penzey's "Bouquet Garni".
Set crockpot on low for 4 hours. Veggies will be very soft and tender, even the celery.
You could probably whisk, or put through blender- I use adore my immersion blender.
I don't want it entirely smooth. I blend up 2/3's or so.
Slowly stir in enough milk to achieve the right "soup" consistency. I used about 4 cups.
We were in motion, felt like an ocean
You were the girl for me
You were the first explosion, turned out to be corrosion
You were the first for me
But you turned me out, baby
Another use for extra milk is the simple frittata. Or baked egg casserole if you have men in the house... as "men don't eat quiche."
I mixed 9 eggs (the number I had left) and @4 cups of milk. This will create a fluffier frittata, with some extra liquid after baking.
Added seasonings, I used ground pepper, Herbs , sprinkle of nutmeg, and stirred together.
Thinly sliced a zucchini and a leek. Microwaved for 6 mins. Stirred. Microwaved another 6 mins. Drain excess liquid.
Added most of a package of ham lunch meat, sliced and spread across zucchini and leeks.
Spread shredded cheese, about 1.5 C. I'm sure my 14yo son will eat. this. up.
For the grownup tastes in the house, I put spinach, blue cheese, 2 small sweet peppers, 2 leftover sausage links, and a sliced up garden tomato into a pie dish.
Pour the eggs mixture over both dishes. Oven has been preheated to 350.
The pie sized frittata took a full 60 mins to bake.
This one was much larger and deeper and took 1 hour and 45 mins to bake!!
Worth waiting for, however...
Just like Adam and Eve, said you'd set me free
You took me to the sky, Id never been so high
You were my pills, you were my thrills
You were my hope, baby, you were my smoke
You dropped a bomb, hey, babe
And, getting close to wiping out the remainder of the 2nd gallon.... Preheat oven to 350.
6 C milk, 6 eggs, 3/4 C cocoa powder, 4tsp vanilla, 1 C sugar (1/2 C sugar - 1/2 C Splenda here). Whisk together, pour into lightly sprayed dish.
Place dish into a large pan, adding hot water to create the infamous "water bath" necessary for custard. Why? I don't know... it's just done! The cocoa powder will separate and float to the top, looking kinda gnarly, honestly. Don't panic.
Set timer for 15 mins, took custard from oven, whisked choc powder into milk again- this time the milk was hot and the choc blended. Put back into oven for an hour+, til center was set.
Chocolate custard on top, chocolatey base settled at bottom. Serve warm or chilled.
High from the fumes of not one, but 2, dessert aromas lingering in the air, I offered to cook for a few friends. And their kids. And my kids' friends. I had 2 desserts and still a ton of produce to deal with....
Potatoes, cabbage, and a melon.
Chop up cabbage and toss into pressure cooker. Recipe says shredded. Cutting cabbage finely makes a mess. If cooking in skillet, finer probably necessary. Recipe also called for red cabbage and I have green... pretty sure I'm only using this recipe for some sugar.
I love sweet and sour cabbage. Especially a German style. Added 2 cups of water, set on high for 7 minutes. Or I will, closer to dinner time.
Since I'm grilling the meat, I'd rather grill as much of dinner as possible. Potatoes are great on the grill, in foil pouches. Drizzle olive oil on foil and cut up potatoes. Sprinkled with BBQ Penzey's.
Cut up some new potatoes, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with Rocky Mountain from Penzey's.
Wrap up into pouches. Grill on low heat for about 45 mins, while cooking other parts of the meal.
Fresh fruit is always rather nice as a side... time to slice up this honeydew....cause I lurve melon preparation.
I can't watch this scene...
There. It's over with.
Sliced eggplant into planks, for easier grilling. drizzled with olive oil and more of the Rocky Mountain.
Started grill, high heat on one side for the eggplant and then steaks,
potato pouches in the middle on low heat
chicken on other side with low heat
Grilled meats and potatoes, rotating on cooking surface and above for indirect heat. Served potatoes right from pouches
Gave away some produce, froze some for another time... now...
#3 Cook Like a Mad Woman
Anybody have any ideas? TONS of fruit. TONS. It has sat on the counter for a week and a half... no Doritos left in house... small orchard worth of fruit. Dessert. Yeah...Pie... who doesn't like pie?
First up, Banana Cream Pie. Recipe calls for pie crust... um, yeah... this is what I think about making pie crust.
I have 2 open packages of graham crackers. That's more like it!
Using food processor, crush graham crackers into crumbs
Melt and add 1 stick of butter. (some grahams were cinnamon sugar grahams, so I didn't add more sugar).
Press into crust, bake at 350 for about 11 mins.
Set aside to cool and start the filling. Flour, sugar, and gradually add milk. Sorry for the Diet Pepsi background clutter there... but, it's honest. I'm powered by diet pepsi and sarcasm. One without the other is just, uh, unpleasant for those around me.
Cook over medium heat until it starts to thicken. Whip 3 whole eggs together, but don't add yet.
Pour some of the hot milk/flour mixture into the eggs and whisk, then pour into the pan and whisk smooth
Once thickened, remove from heat and allow both filling and crust to cool.
Slice bananas into cooled graham crust
Pour filling on top and then
Carefully spread whiped cream over it. Ok, I cheated. I used Cool Whip.
Whipping cream would have required a trip to store... Cool Whip was in the freezer here already.
Put into fridge to chillax...
Big bowl of pears. And a lemon. Kinda pretty... but still perishable.... I honestly had no idea what to do with so many pears... google time...
Came across this recipe, sounded interesting: Cheddar Pear Pie. Ingredient list did not include a crust, just a crisp style topping. Peeled and sliced pears
Layered into a crock as my own pie pan was already filled with banana cream goodness. Tossed pears with lemon juice.
Mixed dry, crisp ingredients, cheese, and cold butter in food processor.
Added dry ingredients to sliced, lemon juiced pears
Tossed until goopy
Noticed recipe DID include a crust.. yah, I'll get right on that. Cheddar Pie Cobbler, Sonny.
Covered top of goopy pear mixture with the crisp topping.
Baked at 325 in the toaster oven (350 conventional oven).
Dessert Euphoria...
...that resulted in my inviting and then feeding 11 people for dinner....
