A song of satisfaction

We recently celebrated a birthday in the office. I brought in some Blueberry Lemon Squares, which happen to be one of my favorite things to make in the summer. Buttery shortbread, tart lemon and rich blueberries all sing together in delicious harmony! At the end of the day, there wasn't a crumb left. And I thought I heard an even greater chorus around me. Yes, the happy tummies of my co-workers were continuing to sing the Song of the Blueberry Lemon Squares! Joy, joy! Who knew a simple melange of butter, flour and sugar could transport one to such great heights?

Gentle reader, this is your lucky day. I am going to share this recipe with you so that you, too, can conduct a choir of buttery, sweet voices. You will spread joy, and you will come home with an empty dish.

Blueberry Lemon Squares
For the crust:
1 c butter, softened
1 c powdered sugar
1 tea. vanilla extract
2 c all-purpose flour
1/8 tea. salt

For the filling:
1/2 c sugar
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 lemon (juice and zest)
1/8 tea. salt
3 eggs
2 c fresh (or frozen) unsweetend blueberries

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

To make the crust, coat 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Use your mixer on low to beat together butter through vanilla until just fluffy. Add salt and flour and beat until mixture forms small crumbs. Press crumbs evenly over the bottom of the baking dish. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Reduce oven to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Use your mixer to whisk together sugar through salt and lemon zest. Add eggs and lemon juice, then whisk until smooth.

Spread blueberries in an even layer over crust. Pour the filling over the blueberries. Bake 30-40 minutes or until filling is puffed. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely. Cut into squares.

...do you hear the music yet?

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Only 24 hours

My client this week is a lady I definitely identify with. Picture this...
- she likes to cook

- she's interested in eating healthy
- she wants to eat well, that is, delicious food
- she likes variety
- she has a great kitchen.

Sounds like the recipe for a good supper to me! But...
- she would have to cook for 1
- she is a busy professional
- she works hard and is tired at the end of the day
- she doesn't have time to think of a menu, shop for ingredients, cook supper, and then clean up
- she's on a first-name basis with the Zoes cashier.

Friends, we only have 24 hours in a day. Sometimes that's just not enough to do all that we really want to do. Take heart! There is no shame in realizing that you can't be a Super Hero. We do the best we can, but we all need a little help in some area.

Now aren't you glad I started this business? I can help you take care of that Monday-Thursday dinner time dilemma. My client's only dilemma now is what to eat first! With all these choices waiting for you in your freezer, what would you pick first?

Mexican Shrimp and Grits
A Southern favorite gets a South-of-the-Border twist with the addition of green chilies and Pepper Jack cheese.

Roast Beef Wellingtons
Baked Puff Pastry filled with a mixture of roast beef, Swiss cheese and mushrooms served with a horseradish sauce.
         Roasted Asparagus
         Asparagus roasted simply with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Pork Tenderloin with Fresh Peach Salsa
Juicy pork paired with a salsa of this summer’s freshest peaches and jalapenos.

Sundried Tomato and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken
A rich, fresh mixture of tomatoes and cheese take chicken breasts up a notch.
          Vegetable Ribbons
          Zucchini, carrots and sweet potatoes are thinly sliced and tossed with a touch
          of butter and herbs.

Linguine Smoked Turkey
Linguine with smoked turkey, green beans, green onions, tomatoes, cheese, and black olives all tossed in an Italian herb dressing.


Personally, I went ahead and invited myself over for Shrimp and Grits Night.
                                                                                                                                                                                  

Miss Jelly Bean

On my way to this past Saturday's cook day, my client called to tell me how excited her two-year-old was that Miss Leigh was coming to cook. "Is she going to bring me jelly beans?"

Well now, how could I pass that up? If a tot has you branded as the Bringer of Delectable Treats, then you have a bounden duty to uphold that reputation. So I went to the Jelly Belly cannister and picked out all the pink jelly beans--her favorite--to keep my good name.

But I did leave the family with more than just sweets. While it was stormy outside, I cooked up my own storm inside with the full 4-servings of 5-entrees service. Since one person in the family is a little particular about whole vegetables, I made sure to keep them pretty small. Whereas in a Beef Stroganoff one might see large, lovely slices of Baby Bella mushrooms glistening with gravy, I chopped up those slices to a more easily digestible dice. We still have the flavor and nutrition, but personalized for my client's taste.

Check out this menu...

Fish Filets with Florentine Topping
Fish with a creamy spinach and Parmesan Cheese topping
     Baked Vegetable Rice
     A colorful and flavorful baked rice

Light Beef Stroganoff with Buttered Egg Noodles
A lightened version of the classic: sirloin steak strips with a creamy mushroom and onion sauce served over egg noodles.

Cheese and Vegetable Manicotti
An Italian Vegetarian Pasta with 3 Cheeses and Italian Vegetables in a traditional-style Italian red sauce

Cranberry Glazed Pork
Thinly Sliced Pork Roast topped with a Fruity Cranberry Glaze
      Roasted Green Beans
      Green Beans roasted with Garlic and Onion finished with Balsamic Vinegar

Chili Cheese Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas
Chicken Strips, Black Beans, Jack cheese, and Red Bell Peppers in a Mexican salsa rolled in Flour Tortillas and topped with cheese and Picante sauce

This is the real deal, y'all! Enchiladas with Penzey's Spices.
No "spice pack" for this chef or her clients!

Once you start talking with people about their food preferences, you find out little quirks in their cooking to take care of their families. In my family, we fixed pear salad 4 different ways--one with mayo, one with no mayo, one with MiracleWhip, one with no cherry. When at my grandparents, I like to "put on a pot," knowing that my Papa likes his coffee with 1 1/2 packets of Splenda and 2 spoons of creamer. Taking that little extra step to make something special for those in our household is a big way to show them we care.

What little food kindnesses make you feel loved?

Nourishing another family

Today was another great day of cooking! Sadly, I forgot my camera, and my phone camera photo is so spotty, it could be viewed as a masterpiece from the Impressionist era.

I did want to share this menu, though, because it was designed for a special diet: low fat and a small amount of red meat. To help keep track of their dinners, I printed nutrition facts for each of the dishes I cooked. This is a service I'm happy to offer my clients.

Most of the recipes here came from Cooking Light and Weight Watchers with, of course, a few of Chef Leigh's special revisions. These dishes don't rely on a lot of butter and oil for flavor, so the ingredients are able to sparkle on their own!

You could be eating this healthy this month, too...

Pistachio-Crusted Tuna

Tuna steaks with a roasted, crunchy pistachio crust
         Sugar Snap Peas and Asparagus with Tarragon Butter
         Crisp sugar snap peas and tender asparagus dressed with a tarragon-chive butter

Chili-Cheese Black Bean Enchiladas

Vegetarian enchiladas with a creamy cheese and black bean filling

Garden Style Baked Chicken

Chicken breasts with a fresh summer herb and savory panko bread crumb topping, roasted on a bed of red bell peppers and zucchini

Ginger Pork Stir Fry with Jasmine Rice

Stir-fried Pork Tenderloin strips in a Pineapple Teriyaki Glaze with Snow Peas, Sweet Potatoes, and Red Bell Peppers

Flank Steak with Caramelized Onions and Balsamic Glaze
Steak and slow-cooked Vidalia onions with a sweet-tart glaze
                Cauliflower and Green Onion Mash
                Similar to mashed potatoes, this side dish has a delicate taste

Bon appetit!

Summer salads

As requested, here are recipes for two salads from the Independence Day celebration. These are great right now, because you don't go near a stove. Did anyone else see 102 on the thermometer this afternoon?

Watermelon-Tomato Salad
(From my friend, Rita, and her fabulous recipe vault! We doubled this recipe to serve 30.)

5 c watermelon cubes
1 1/2 lb tomatoes, cubed
3 t sugar
1 1/2 t salt
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 c red wine vinegar
1/4 c olive oil
crushed black pepper, to taste

Combine watermelon and tomatoes. Sprinkle with sugar and salt and let stand 5 minutes. Add onion, vinegar, oil and pepper. Toss to combine.


Fresh Corn and Avocado Salad
(This is what my Grandma calls "zernin'"--that is, you just guess how much should go in. I'll try to approximate, but all these ingredients are up to your own tastes. This amount served 30.)

9 ears sweet corn, cut off the cob
3 avocados, pitted and diced
4-5 tomatoes, diced
3 green onions, sliced
1-2 limes, juiced
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

Mix it all up and you're done! Yes, the corn is raw. Other tips when making this:
- Add the lime juice slowly and keep tasting. You don't want it to be too tart.
- Mix lightly and gently. Otherwise the avocado starts falling apart.
- Cilantro would be a nice addition; however, my family does not like this herb. Party poopers.

Bon appetit!

Double Independence Day Celebration

This Fourth of July, my family had a double celebration: our freedom from tyranny and also Mama's freedom from work a.k.a., retirement! We planned a relaxed cook-out at Carter's Lake in North Georgia. The view was spectacular and the food superb. The lake breeze even cooled our scalding temperatures down a bit.

Now for a few pictures and the menu...

Can you believe this view?

Bottled cokes in our old washtub were a hit.
We should've had more Orange Crush.

Southern Classic Appetizers:
cream cheese and pepper jelly & corn and field pea dip.

Justin (brother-in-law) and Papa enjoying the convo.

Hilary, my sister, had patriotic lanterns hanging all in the pavilion.

The spread with wildflowers.

The Menu

Rib Eye Steaks

Watermelon & Tomato Salad

Asparagus

Potato Salad

Cucumbers

Fresh Corn & Avocado Salad

Garlic Texas Toast

for dessert

Grandma's famous Ranger Cookies

Homemade Peach Ice Cream

Homemade Chocolate Chip Pecan Ice Cream

The guest of honor: my mama!
(With my cousin Rachel, who looks more like her than Hil and I do.)

We are so thankful for those men who had the guts to write and sign the Declaration of Independence. Our celebration was made possible because of their bravery and because of the bravery our Armed Forces still show every day.