Happy Labor Day! (Mary's Egg-squisite Breakfast Casserole)

Happy Labor Day, dear friends!  The Swans made it out for a Red Lodge camping adventure with a large group of friends, with whom we shared our 11 year anniversary this year.  There was a bunch of kids, a pack of dogs, and a caravan of campers.  We did a ton of laughing, a fair amount of drinking, and a gluttonous amount of eating.

We came home and Elora and I fell down the Netflix rabbit hole of Once Upon a Time.  We spent the better part of last night curled up together watching, falling a little bit in love with Prince Charming and explaining important plot points to Thad.  When she wakes her skinny butt up today we will resume our mass consumption.

I've been making an egg casserole the last few weekends, trying different combinations and loving each one, but today I had some camping leftovers to use up so there were a lot more veggies than I had used previously.  The result was a scrumptious concoction that I like to pretend is rather healthy for me.

9 eggs, beaten
2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced onions
1/2 cup sliced peppers
1 cup crumble feta
1/2 cup cubed ham
1/4 melted coconut oil1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 9" x 13" baking dish with cooking spray.  Mix all ingredients in a bowl, and pour into prepared dish.  Bake 30-35 minutes.  Let cool 5 minutes before serving.  Add Sriracha to force your taste buds into a nearly orgasmic state of ecstasy.

Best Mom Ever (White Chili with Ground Turkey)

I hate to admit this, but there are some nights I just don't know what to make for dinner.  But this week I have committed to making dinner from my fridge/freezer/pantry every night (except Colter's birthday on Thursday, at which point I throw this plan out the window for Chuck E. Cheese and pitchers of beer).  Last night was Chicken Tikka Masala made from a surprisingly good little sauce packet I found in the Asian aisle of my local Walmart.  This was met with mild enthusiasm, but the spices in the tikka had me in the mood for savory this evening.

Tonight I was rooting around for ideas on what to make while also using up some ground turkey I had thawed in the fridge.  I googled "ground turkey green chilis" and came across this little AllRecipes gem.  I had already chopped up some onions yesterday for the tikka masala, so all I had to do tonight was open some cans, dump in some spices, and throw in some cheese.

One modification, I used 2 cans of beans and 3 cups of broth, as I didn't want it to turn out too soupy.  I also subbed a 1/2 tbsp of cinnamon and a 1/2 tbsp of chili powder in lieu of a full tablespoon cinnamon.  I think this was an excellent decision.  I also added a couple teaspoons of salt, and this was so good both my kids ate it all, and my little sister followed suit.  This also had just cheddar cheese, and there was no blending of any beans whatsoever.

I've always said that the mark of success for any recipe I try is whether my kids will eat it.  This isn't true for the amazing fresh Vietnamese spring rolls I have made a couple times, but I stand behind this statement when it comes to this chili.  Elora said she loves it more than regular chili, and that is all I need to know to conclude that this will be a regular fixture our (upcoming, squeal of delight) fall menu.

Ladies Night in Red Lodge (RL Smorgasbord)

This summer has flown by, as it is prone to do, and it has been a bit of an undertaking to get some fun packed into the few months of summer we get each year.  We have made it on two camping trips with the new tent, and have had a great time during both, and Thad had the entire week off with the kids due to our daycare being closed.  We may even have a camper by this time tomorrow, because we're insane like that.  Never a dull moment around this way (that last statement was 100% not accurate).

We spent the 4th of July surrounded by wonderful friends, and had a pretty enjoyable time as a family, watching fireworks and riding 4-wheelers (i.e. 'Murica).  This year I am so incredibly thankful that the 4th and Halloween both fall on a Friday, plus Christmas falls on a Thursday this year, so while I may have to work Christmas Eve it still affords me a 4-day-friggin weekend.  I'm also thankful for a job that allows me to leave for 3 whole days and come back to pretty much 0% of crap piled up waiting for me.  Seriously, so thankful.  People shouldn't dread taking time off, and I had forgotten that somewhere in the last year.

The 5th arrived and I set out with some very wonderful ladies to spend a night exploring Red Lodge, MT.  The plan was to eat, drink, laugh, and listen to some sweet rap tunes, and we hit every item on that list like it'd punched our mother.  We had lunch at the Kitchen Wine Bar (amazing tri tip sandwich), shopped for a bit, stopped at a few local watering holes to try out their bar stools, had a watermelon mojito at Natali's Bar (very refreshing) and all around traipsed about town, meeting new friends like the exact dogs from Where the Red Fern Grows.  Sure hope things turned out better for those two.

Dinner was at Bogart's (coconut margaritas may be a new addiction) and then enjoyed a little Cards Against Humanity before retiring to the hotel's "hot pool".  The Lupine in Red Lodge does not do a very good job of regulating the temperature in their hot tub (or scalding tub, as we referred to it), but the temperature of the pool was that of a pleasant bath.  I forced the girls to go on a quick run ALL THE WAY THROUGH TOWN to get some waters and snacks, and we fell asleep to the gentle hum that emanates from the back of my throat.

After a delicious nights sleep we got up early, checked out of the Lupine, and headed on down to the Red Lodge Cafe.  If you've been there, you realize it is an institution, one of the few remaining cafe's that use the brown mugs and serves real breakfast that puts the meat on your bones.  After refueling the tanks we stopped in next door for a Bloody Mary and then bid Red Lodge a fond adieu.  Thank goodness we had the good sense to record some of our best quotes for posterity, because when we are together it's like solid gold.

The next round of hot purse jerky is on me, ladies.  Until we meet again, dial 1.900.Mixalot, and kick them nasty thoughts.... baby got back.

Resident Chef (Thad's Lemon Butter Garlic Knockoff Sauce)

I am enormously blessed because I am not the only cook in my household.  My husband also has a wealth of culinary tricks up his sleeve.  He likes to take a recipe and make it his bitch, mastering it, and then using it to periodically lull his wife into complacency.  His pancake souffle is the stuff that dreams are made of.  He makes a chicken/sweet potato curry that is so good, the kids even eat it.  He made it for a group of 40-50 people a few years ago, in batches, and they all ate it up like manna from heaven.  Seriously, he's got some mad skills.

He decided to do a copycat recipe of Carrabba's Lemon Butter Sauce and boy oh boy, did it turn out delicious.  Forgive my poor photography skills, I sometimes don't clean my camera lens off prior to snapping off random pictures.  Or I might have been terribly drunk.  Which makes for a more interesting story?

This sauce is so buttery and lemony, and it just rings like a bell in your mouth.  The secret to this whole masterpiece is CLARIFYING THE BUTTER.  The result of a little effort, mind you, but you will not regret using a little patience, as you wipe the buttery remnants off your face.  Thad is also pretty liberal with the garlic, and this sauce is none the worser for it.  He's added in mushrooms, which helped rock it even further in my book.

This can be a side dish, as well, but we typically eat the whole pot for dinner.  A little grated cheese will blast it into gustational orbit.  As if anyone had to tell you to add cheese, if you're here at this blog you already know that is pretty much a given.

Summer on my Mind (Beer Margaritas)

Summer is ready to roll, it seems, as indicated by a very nasty hail storm this a couple weekends ago.  In Montana it is pretty much par for the course that extreme weather marks the beginning of our seasons, which doesn't always fall into the same seasons that are displayed on a standard calendar.  We may still get one more snow storm before the end of May, it's just that loco up in here, and maybe even a little tornado warning at or around Father's Day.  It's like a barometric adventure every day!

When summer begins there are several ways to beat the heat.  One of my favorites: COCKTAILS!  From a cold glass *ahem bottle ahem* of chilled Moscato to a nice tall aluminum bottle of Coors Light (here's lookin at you, LG), cocktails make the summer season slightly more fuzzy and 100% more hydrating.  It's science.  Let me introduce you to one of my favorite summer treats.

Behold, the glory that is the Beer Margarita!  This was another Pinterest discovery (recipe HERE) that rocked my proverbial socks off, and they are ridiculously easy to make.  All you need is a frozen can of concentrated lime-aid (thawed), a bottle of beer (I go with Corona), water (just fill the empty Corona bottle and voila!), tequila (about a half a cup, or more, whatever blows your hair back), combine all of the above and serve over ice with lime slices!  You really can't detect the beer at all, they just taste like a lovely, tart margarita.  

I particularly love doing a salt rim on a chilled glass, and a dash of fresh chopped cilantro (along with the obligatory slice of lime) is the perfect garnish for this concoction.  If you love margaritas I thoroughly recommend you try this version rather than the pre-made stuff.  And don't forget the cilantro and salt!!!!

Obscenely Good (Barefoot Contessa Roasted Chicken with Compound Butter)

Have you ever made something delicious, but almost felt embarrassed sharing it because it looked a little pornographic?  No?  Oh, ok then, I guess it is just me.  I made the most delicious roast chicken a while back, and the resulting picture looked a little like a chicken in a highly provocative "come hither" pose, but that could just have been my imagination.  You be the judge:

This chicken was stuffed with fresh herbs and slathered with a delicious compound butter.  The recipe (located HERE) was one I found on Pinterest (titled Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Chicken).  At the time I made this I didn't have any lemons, and if you know me you know that I avoid trips to the store at nearly all costs, so I used an orange I had on hand instead.  The flavor was just terrific, a little sweet but still citrusy, and it played very well alongside all the thyme and parsley.  I just wish that the final result didn't look so.... slutty.

My Triumphant Return to Swans Eat Everything (Vietnamese Breakfast Banh Mi)

It's been months... MONTHS... since I posted, and today I happen to be home with a sick little girl so I thought "What better time than now, on an unexpected day off, to write some blog posts about some of the lovely things I've eaten lately".  There hasn't been a huge amount of nothing going on in Casa de la Swan, just living the dream while getting ready for a summer of camping and fun.  We have a new tent (a Kelty Air Pitch) which I anticipate will make our camping experience 500% faster and less stressful *fingers crossed*  Our first trip happens to be Elora's last day of school, so we are going to hit the camping season hard and fast, with some good friends by our side.

So back to the food!  A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of hosting my good friend Matt for brunch, and since I knew he would appreciate something a little out of the ordinary so I decided to take a culinary trip to Vietnam.  Another good friend of mine (Adriennit, holla!) introduced me to banh mi sandwiches a couple years ago, and they are so fantastically good it's difficult to believe, but they do require a little work (and a good crusty baguette) so I don't make them very often.  But this is what a real banh mi should look like:

The breakfast banh mi is very similar, but with less pate and more eggs and bacon.  I used this Serious Eats recipe and used some jalapeno bacon we got out at Project Meats in Huntley Project, MT (buy local, folks).  I nixed extra jalapenos, as the bacon was spicy enough for all our palates.  The finished project looked like this little slice of fried gold:

We ate the shit out of this sandwich, it was very filling and exotic on a Sunday morning, especially with a spicy Absolut Peppar Bloody Mary as accompaniment.  If you are looking for something new to try I would definitely recommend doing some research into banh mi and trying one out for yourself.  Or just have Adrienne make you one!