Tater Tot Hotdish Burger

The cool weather of late (of course, not today) has me in a 

Minnesota State (Fair) of Mind! 

It might also be that I just saw the official roll out of new delicacies

on a stick that one can find at said fair...but regardless of the reason

this little creation I dreamed up a few weeks ago has me thinking

of home.

Two things that Minnesotans love: Hot dish (anything baked in a 

casserole dish, for those not in the know) and Burgers. 

Minnesotans especially love the classic Tater Tot Hotdish, which

is a ground hamburger and cream of mushroom soup base, topped

with tater tots.  Sounds rather rude, but it is perfection in a 9x13.

 Marrying these two favorites seems like a no brainer, 

SO WHY DID I JUST THINK OF THIS? 

Oh dear lord, this is absolutely a must try.  

And on the plate in under 30 minutes...what are you waiting for?

 What you need?

burgers (however you like: turkey, veggie, beef, buffalo)

frozen tater tots

3/4 cup yellow onion (chopped)

3/4 cup mushrooms (dry cleaned and chopped)

6 oz. whipped cream cheese

hamburger buns

salt & pepper

oil for sauteing

Saute the onions and mushrooms in 2 T. oil, generously cracking

salt and pepper while they cook down over medium heat.  

Do this while cooking the burger, season each side of the 

burger with salt and pepper.

Also oven cook tater tots (according to package directions)

 When the onions are transluesent and the mushrooms are soft, 

turn off the heat and fold in 6 oz of whipped cream cheese.

This will act as the "cream of mushroom soup" 

component of the classic Tater Tot Hotdish.

 Building the perfect Tater Tot Hotdish Burger:

bottom toasted bun

burger

generous dollop of creamy mushrooms and onions

5 crispy tater tots

top with the other toasted bun.

And because gluttony likes green company,

serve with a mixed greens salad.

I want full report, if you make this for your

great aunt in Northern Minnesota.

xo.

Papa's Forest

 Like a postcard, this is the drive into Papa's Forest!

We headed back to Minnesota last month to spend some precious
time with my in-laws. My most favorite day of the entire trip was spent
carefree up in the woods. Here are a few pictures I snapped of the
kiddos and Zac from that glorious day.

 Given the chance, Benny would spend all day on the

big tractor.  It truly is his happy place, even though

it is sitting idle in the barn.

Zac and I went for a long ride through the woods on the 4 wheelers.

It was so amazing.  It is always fun to go off and feel lost in the woods.

Then Zac took Logi for a ride.  She loved it until they saw a huge

animal (a bear-squirrel, as described by our 5 year old love) and 

was scared on any subsequent ride.  Zac still has zero clue what

animal they encountered, so it is safe to assume it was Harry.  

Yes, yes that Harry!

Off they went.  Seriously, this was the best day.  Our trip 

home to Minnesota was overshadowed with the sadness

of my father-in-laws battle with pancreatic cancer, but on this

day nothing seemed to matter but the wind in the trees and

the cold on our cheeks and of course, Harry!

The Okee Dokee Brothers in concert

Call me crazy, but we do not own the Frozen soundtrack.  We have seen the movie and can casually hum along, but we do not know the words (which has been a bit awkward at the birthday parties as of late!!).  This is because since the day I became a mom I have incorporated my music into my children's lives.  Yes, I did have the foresight to pull the plug on the Beastie Boys, once Logi turned 1...but they have grown up on the music genres I love most:  folk, bluegrass and reggae. 

A couple of years ago, I was very excited to receive some tunes from my friend from growing up.  Kid music.  But, the best kind of kid music I have ever heard!!! Oh-to the-Em to the-Gee!! That my friends would be The Okee Dokee Brothers!  A couple of dudes who grew up together out here in Colorado, but now reside in Minnesota (which of course would be reason enough for me to looove them!)  So, disc one has been our favorite for the last couple of years, it rarely leaves the car and it rarely turns off, even when the kids aren't with me (which of course means it is kid tested, mother approved, duh!).

Lucky us, The Okee Dokee Brothers played in Colorado last week, in support of their second album's release!  Here are a few snaps from my phone, of a lucky little afternoon for some of my favorite little kids:

 Jake, Logi and Benny!  These kids are

second generation friends, as I grew

up in Minnesota with Jake's daddy. 

 Logi is very timid in crowds, but quickly

warmed up to the celebration!

 They are seriously the sweetest little friends

Moving here and reconnecting with Jake's dad

has been one of the greatest blessings to our life

in Colorado, especially getting to watch these two 

sugars grow up together.

 Logi and Jake scooted up front (where

it appears Lo worked on finding her

sits bones).  The 'brother' to the right (Joe)

went to college at St. John's in Collegeville, which

of course I love because all of Logi and Benny's

uncles were Johnnies. The 'brother' on the left (Justin)

had a ridiculously infectious smile, and I would 

imagine he brings a whole lot of happiness to his

people.  I want him to move next door.

 Barefoot Boogie!

 This was our favorite song (an auctioneer bit), 

the kids were raising there hands to 'bid'. 

 

So thankful we got to enjoy this afternoon

with the kids and some ridiculously good 

tunes.  Check out their website and catch

a show, when they are in your area.

xo. 

Quinoa & Roasted Butternut Squash Hot Dish!

The Minnesota in me can't whip up a side dish, containing condensed 

cream of soup, without calling it a hot dish.  Sorry.  Not sorry. 

I made this dish in December for a luncheon potluck at my daughter's school, with items I had in the kitchen. I didn't know how it would turn out, but after several moms asked me for the recipe at the luncheon, and another mom just stopped me last week to ask, I decided it was time to get this recipe on the blog. 

What you need:

• 3 cups dry quinoa (which cooked in 6 cups of liquid, water or stock, will yield ~8 cups of cooked quinoa)
• 8 ounce block of cream cheese, room temperature soft
• 2 boxes of condensed cream of mushroom soup 
• 2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 large onion
• 1 large butternut squash
• Olive oil
• Sea salt & black pepper

Also, I highly recommend you make the Maple Spiced Pecans, also on this blog, as they are the perfect addition of sweet and spicy crunch to this hot dish.  

 Get all that tough skin off the squash quickly, with a vegetable peeler.

I seriously just thought of this in the last 6 months after many a squash 

struggles.  Major 'duh moment'!!

 I cut the 'neck' of the squash off, then bisect the bottom of the squash

for easy removal of the the seeds and pulp.

 Slice the 'neck' of the squash into roughly 1/2 inch slices. Then

cut into roughly 1/2 inch cubes.

 Cube the bottom half of the cleaned out squash.

Place the cubed squash on a foil lined baking sheet, topped with 

parchment paper (the foil is only for easy clean up, not needed

if you are a bit more motivated than I am).  Toss the cubes with a 

generous amount of olive oil, sea salt and cracked black pepper.

I forgot about the onion, but remembered to toss it in, right before the

pan made it's way to the oven.

Place in a 400 degree oven.  Roast for 1 hour, tossing with a spoon

after half hour.

While the squash is roasting, and the quiona is cooking (just follow directions 

on the dry quinoa package), combine the 8 oz block of cream cheese, 2 boxes 

condensed soup and 2 cups of stock (chicken or vegetable) in a large bowl with a whisk.

This is my favorite brand of condensed soups.  It is also gluten free,

which is wonderful for those with dietary restrictions.

 Add the cooked quinoa to the sauce and stir.  Add sea salt to taste.

Fold in the roasted squash and onions.  

Place in an oiled baking dish.  At this point you can cover the dish and

 place in the refrigerator to bake off later.

For the perfect crust, use the vegetable peel to shave off a bit of butter

and place on top.  This too is one of my favorite little ideas/ 'duh moments'

Sprinkle a little sea salt on top of the shaved butter, and place in a

375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes.

The top will be golden brown.

Yum!  This hot dish is meal enough, when topped with the

 Maple Spiced Pecans and served with a side of greens. 

Here are a couple other ideas for this delicious hot dish: toss in additional roasted vegetables 

(zucchini, asparagus, root vegetables, portobello mushrooms), stuff large portobello mushrooms

and bake off or serve along side grilled poultry or beef.

Seriously, yum! 

10 Year Wedding Anniversary!

I cannot believe that today my sweet husband and I celebrate 10 years of wedded bliss.  It feels like yesterday, but when I pause and think of our years in Oregon, Oklahoma and now Colorado, since that date, it starts to feel like a lifetime ago!

August 16, 2003

 

I loved my tea length dress, with just a splash of antique lace

peeking out of the bottom.  It was perfect for a garden party and dancing. 

 

I had hoped to be super organized and scan some pictures (yes, when we were married the film was not digital...crazy!) but alas, I am in Minnesota and I did not have my act together before I headed this way.  But, I will share some fun details of our very special day.

 

We got married in the yard I grew up in.  My mom is a ridiculous gardener (her gardens have been featured on tours) and the big yard on the river with her gardens as the backdrop was all I had ever wanted for my wedding day.  I wanted to play off of the setting, so instead of having a florist arrange pristine bouquets and centerpieces, we ordered thousands of flowers, (with lots of variety, that you would actually find in a Minnesota garden) from wholesale and did all of the arrangements ourselves (we ladies all got together the day before the wedding to knock this out.  How very pinterest-before-pinterest of us, huh!) the splashes of color were placed in Mason jars, old milk jugs, antiques, etc.  It was perfect.  It was us (well, that is a stretch as my husband did not care about the ridiculously cute milk jugs my mom and I found at a junk store...but whatevs!)

 

We couldn't decide what we wanted to serve for dinner, and after meeting with several caterers for tastings and menu selecting, we decided to really go for it and serve our favorite pizza and salad.  It was a hit.  Who doesn't love them some pizza?  We served the pizza on big boards, propped up by big, industrial size cans of roasted tomatoes and roasted red peppers.  We found the cans up in the UP of Michigan at a little Italian market, and hauled them back.  They really did the trick in helping to create dimension on the tables so the pizza didn't fall flat (yes, it's just pizza...but I still wanted it to look fabulous).

 

We know I love cake...this is fact.  Well, I knew I wanted to have lots of cake at the wedding, since I had this amazing antique plant stand (that basically looked like a conglomerate of vintage cake stands), so we found a baker who make us 8 different flavors of cake.  They were so tasty, and truly everyone got to pick a favorite.  We also did jars of all of our favorite candy all around, including one of my favorite ideas from the day:  JARS OF RING POPS...so everyone, young and old, could pop on a 'wedding ring'!!! 

 

Since I grew up on a river (as did Zac, just a different river...but still one that drains into the Mississippi-  can you say meant to be??? haaa) and we both love canoeing and being on the water.  To pay homage to this love we used a canoe as a big vessel to keep all of the drinks cool for the celebration.  We moved the canoe out back near the rivers edge, and filled it with ice and cool drinks.  It was lovely and gave a nod to something that is very important to us, being on the water. 

 

With clothespins, we decorated a tree in the back yard with card stock printed, standard size, pictures of Zac and me from our 5 years of dating.  All the fun adventures we had camping, skiing, traveling and just being...on display in the tree as a little walk down memory land (well, a 5 year lane)

 

As a parting gift to all of the friends and family that traveled near and far to spend this day celebrating with us, we sent them home with a box of donuts with a note attached, 'breakfast on us'...as it is a given that we also LOOOOVE DONUTS!!!

 

Oh boy, it was such a great day!  I can transport back to that moment in a flash.  My favorite place on earth, marrying my favorite person on earth.  What a blessing that day was and what a continued blessing our life has been.  I am thankful for him each and everyday.  I am excited to zip to the airport to get him today, as he flies in from Colorado so we can celebrate!!!

 

Oh, did I mention that at 2am, 3 weeks before my wedding I decided that I needed a perm???  Oh, this is truth and I let my girlfriends do it!  It was a disaster (ummm, who would have thunk it) and my mom was so unimpressed.  Her exact words, 'next time you think you need a perm at 2am, please call me...'  haaaaa.  It all had to be cut off!  All part of the memory of this wonderful time, 10 years ago!  

 



Today

Today was perfect.  A perfect Sunday of this holiday weekend, spent with most of my family, in Minnesota.

I flew home to Minnesota a couple weeks ago, and am so thankful we still have a full week left to soak up every bit of home.  Why yes, I have lived away from home (my mom's home, on the river, in central Minnesota) for nearly 10 years (14 if I count my college years in Northern Minnesota) but I still call it 'home'. 

This trip home is such a mixed bag of emotions as my mom is preparing to sell the house I grew up in (the house she built, on a year sabbatical from the college she taught at, at that time, when I was little) and move the house she planned on 'snow birding' to in Arizona.  This makes me sad, as home continues to be my favorite place.  The backyard, more than anything.  Through the years whenever I have been asked about the place I go to in my mind (whether it be for the visualization of peace, safety or happiness) it is usually the plush grass of the backyard that I have played in, danced in, slept in, ran in and even got married in.  Wow.  I am sad.  It isn't tragic, but at times the realization that 'coming home' will never be the same is just to much to think about. 

Today there was a chill in the air all day (which I am always game for) and we spent the greater chunk of it running around outside.  chasing, kicking the soccer ball (until my niece, Avree, accidentally drop kicked it into the river), grilling out and picking lilacs, which are blooming late this season (I personally like to think they waited for my arrival).  I will miss this place so.  I am going to soak up every minute of all my favorite nooks throughout the house and spend as much time as possible out back listening to the river and taking it all in.

I will do a proper 'home' blog, when I return to Colorado and can put together some pics...but for now I will just enjoy every bit of my favorite place, and squeeze in some new memories with my littles. 

Sweet PoTater Tot Hotdish...oh yes I did!

I am not reinventing the wheel with this dish, but I did basically give it some big, fatty rims with this simple addition.  Holy cow!

A friend's husband just had major surgery, so of course I am sending meals and treats over to lighten their load.  I planned on making chili, enchiladas and thee ol' Minnesota gem of all gems in the hotdish department, Tater Tot Hotdish (I wish there was a way I could bedazzle those sweet sweet words)...so anyhoo, I am at the market, getting ready to grab a bag of standard tater tots when like a slap to the face I noticed SWEET POTATO TOTS!!!!  Wowza!

 Say what!!!

I prepared the standard hotdish (of course I forgot to document this, but if you need a play by play, check yourself...then google it) 

I browned 1 lb of ground beef (93/7) with 1/2 cup diced onions and 1 cup diced mushrooms.  Once that was all ready to go, I added 1 box of cream of mushroom soup concentrate, 8 oz. cream cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream and salt and pepper.  I then added 1 bag of frozen green beans and 1 cup frozen corn.

I put in a baking dish and topped with the sweet potato tots.  Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

DelishFest2013.  Promise. 

Harvesty Wild Rice

I call it 'Harvesty' because this is thee o' Minnesota staple (wild rice),

 jazzed up with delicious tastes of things enjoyed by yours truly when the weather dips.

What you need:
 

• 5 cups prepared wild rice (prepare the night before, to lighten your load).  A friend recently gave me a cooking tip, as I often burn wild rice (the water dries up), add additional water from the get go of cooking, and when the grains are adequately cooked, drain off the additional water.
• 2 T oil
• 1/2 large onion (white or yellow, chopped)
• 1/2 cup portobello mushrooms (patted clean with cloth and sliced)
• 3 T. dried cranberries (or cherries)
• 1/3 cup raw pecans
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 3 T butter
• sea salt and cracked black pepper
  
  

  

  Set aside the prepared wild rice.  In a large saute pan heat 2 T. oil over medium heat, 

  add the chopped onions and sliced mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes.

  
  

 

Add the chicken stock, dried berries, pecans and s&p.  

Reduce heat to medium low and allow the sauce to simmer for about 4 minutes

 

After it simmers, it will look like this bit of 'harvesty' heaven.  

Add the prepared rice and butter to the saute.  Stir and continue to 

season  with sea salt and cracked black pepper.

 NomNomNomFest2013.  Pairs well with anything, even a fork!