Ladies Night In (and Orange Sorbet)...

Some army wife friends and I have started a wonderful new tradition, which hasn't been officially named, but I privately refer to it as Ladies Night In. The title basically gives away the whole concept. We're all ladies (in the sense that we're females, haha!) and instead of going out, we relax together inside.

With food. And wine. And excellent conversation. 

Throw in the occassional dirty joke, and we've got a party! 

To add to the fun, we rotate houses each week, so we all have a chance to host. This means we each enjoy a great meal every week, but only have to cook once a month. Totally win - win. Of course, I agonize for weeks before it's my turn, wondering what I should make for my friends. You recently got a sneak peek at our dinners with Michele's guest post: Roasted Vegetable Couscous. 

This is what I compete with, people! It ain't easy, I gotta measure up, right? 

So far, I've made a lot of soup (like my Creamy Onion, and a new roasted zuchinni soup that I'll tell you about sometime). Oh, and finger foods. I love finger foods. Sadly, dessert has always been my issue. I like eating dessert, but the cooking of it? Not so much. I don't know why, but the whole idea ties me up in knots. What if it's not good? What if it's too sweet? Dear God, what if it's not sweet enough?!

Yeah, it's a real problem. 

On Ladies' Night though, I'm stuck. So, I've been forced to expeiment with my dessert skills. This last time, I was so pleased with the results, I decided they were good enough to share with you!

Nom nom nom nom.... Homemade Orange Sorbet! Served in a fancy, biodegradable orange cup, ha. The serving style definitely elevates this simple dish into something more unique, don't you think? 

I decided to play around with sorbet because: a) It seemed simple enough, and b) My mum bought me an ice cream maker for Christmas, and I really needed to use it before she asked me for the thousandth time, 'Honey did you try the ice cream maker yet?!' 

Yes, yes I did. 

Turn out, sorbet is easy to make and totally delicious. To get started, you need:

1 cup of water. 1/2 cup of sugar. The peel of 1 orange (I used my veggie peeler for this, super easy! Try not to have any of the white pith on the skin as you peel, because it's bitter and yucky. 'Yucky' is the technical term, ha). You also need 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and 2 cups of fresh squeezed orange juice, about 8-15 oranges, depending on size. 

Before you ask, the answer is YES, you MUST use fresh orange juice. 

Ok, so maybe not. I guess you could use the stuff in the carton, but I take no responsibility for your final product if you do so. The beauty of this sorbet is its delicate flavor, and I worry that concentated juice will upset the balance. 

Onward! 

To make your sorbet base, start by adding the water and sugar to a pot on the stove over medium-high heat. At first, the mixture will be cloudy. However, as you bring it to a boil, the sugar will dissolve and once again appear clear (see photos below). When the sugar/water reaches a boil, add your orange peel to the pot and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Simmer for five minutes. 

Remove from heat, strain the orange peel out of your mixture, and let the syrup cool.

Once cooled (this doesn't take very long, maybe 15 minutes), stir the orange and lemon juice into the syrup. Combine well, then place in the refrigerator to chill completely. I've left mine to cool anywhere from 3 hours to 3 days. This sorbet base will keep in the fridge for several days, so it's easy to make in advance then toss into your ice cream maker when you're ready.

From here, simply follow the instructions on your ice cream maker. I allow mine to churn between 15 and 20 minutes. Eat right away or scoop into containers for freezer storage (Note: If you freeze the sorbet after churning, allow the sorbet to soften on your counter for a few minutes before serving. Sorbet freezes hard, and those few minutes will make scooping much easier).

OR, scoop into a fancy orange cup and serve with a sprig of mint leaf! Obviously, I think this is cool. And because I appreciate y'all so much, I'll let you in on my secrets...

To make an orange serving dish:

Slice a thin piece off the top of the orange, run a sharp paring knife around the inner rim, then scoop out the insides with a spoon (Hint: you can juice the pulp for your sorbet, or just eat the yummy wedges of orange). Be careful not to poke a hole in your "cup". If your orange doesn't sit flat, shave a bit off the bottom to level it out, also being careful not to poke a hole in it. Nobody wants melty sorbet leaking onto their fingers, right? 

Then, pop your orange cup into the freezer before adding any sorbet. The hulled out oranges freeze quickly, in about 20 - 30 minutes. If you place them in the freezer just before churning your sorbet, they will be ready for filling when your ice cream maker is done. 

Why do I love these orange cups? Well, they're obviously adorable and snazzy. BUT, they also help keep the sorbet frozen, especially on hot summer days. Cool, huh? 

I knew you'd think so too. 

And that's it... simple, yet delicious. Plus, with the orange cups (and mint leaf), you look fancy and will impress your friends.  

Happy cooking, my friends. If you try out this recipe, feel free to send in your photos and I will post them for everyone. I love hearing from you! 

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Follow me on Facebook @ OurArmyLifeAccordingToTheWife

or on Pinterest, my newest obsession @ ArmyLifeFromTheWife

Email me: armylifefromthewife@gmail.com

The Standard Form:

Orange Sorbet

Ingredients:

1 cup water

½ cup sugar

Rind of one orange

2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice (about 8-15 oranges, depending on size)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Orange cups, for serving

Mint sprigs, for garnish

Directions:

Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then add the orange rind. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Strain the syrup to remove the rind. Allow to cool.

Once cool, stir the orange and lemon juice into the syrup. Chill in refrigerator at least three hours and up to three days.

Follow directions on your ice cream maker for churning (mine churns 15-20 minutes). Serve immediately in orange cups (directions below), or place in freezer for future use. If freezing, allow sorbet to soften on the counter a few minutes prior to serving. This will make scooping easier.

To make orange cups:

Slice a thin piece off the top of the orange, run a sharp paring knife around the inner rim, then scoop out the insides with a spoon (Hint: you can juice the pulp for your sorbet, or just eat the yummy wedges of orange). Be careful not to poke a hole in your "cup". If your orange doesn't sit flat, shave a bit off the bottom to level it out, also being careful not to poke a hole in it.

Then, pop your orange cup into the freezer before adding any sorbet. The hulled out oranges freeze quickly, in about 20 - 30 minutes. If you place them in the freezer just before churning your sorbet, they will be ready for filling when your ice cream maker is done. 

Garnish sorbet with a mint leaf if desired. 

The Bounty in the Basket

Recently, the Hubs and I find ourselves on a non-processed food kick. Meaning, we're doing our best to slowly eliminate all the processed foods in our pantry and fridge, one item at a time.

Yeah, so this was basically my idea and I've dragged the Hubs into it. But for the most part, he's not complaining. He's such a good hubs. 

This idea began slowly. I started by adding more fresh fruits and vegetables to our diet. Eating salad more often was about as creative as we got for several weeks. Then, I discovered this great co-op called Bountiful Baskets. 

Ever heard of it?

The basic idea is this: Either every week or every two weeks (depending on your location), you purchase "baskets" full of fresh produce at a discounted rate. This is a co-op, and all volunteer, so don't expect awesome customer service. Instead, you arrive for pick-up (with your own bags or boxes handy), load up, and move out. 

Did I mention they also sell bread, and granola, and juicing packs, and fresh herbs, and all kinds of other enticing items?? 

Well, they do! These add-on items can change weekly, but I've noticed others are fairly consistent in our area. 

The produce each week is a complete surprise, and I love it! This forces me to think outside the box with my meal planning. Items I may not have purchased at the store are suddenly at my disposal. I mean, I can't very well throw it away, you know? So I find ways to use whatever comes my way. 

This was what I received in my last 'basket': 

Here is what you're looking at:

1 large bunch of bananas

1 bag of apples (plus 3 individual apples)

1 watermelon (woot!)

1 cantaloupe

3  heads of broccoli

4 green peppers

2 heads of iceberg lettuce (previous weeks have contained romaine, which I personally prefer)

1 head of cabbage

2 cucumbers

4 ears of corn

2 artichokes 

My, oh my! Though I've eaten artichokes in restaurants, I've never made them at home. Totally new experience for me. Also, I don't ever cook with cabbage, so sometime this week I'll be testing out a recipe for Bubble and Squeak. 

Next week, my basket could be entirely different. For some, this might be an annoyance, but I really enjoy it. 

This past basket day, I also purchased the additional bread pack: 

This included 2 loaves of whole grain bread, 2 loaves of English muffin bread, and a baguette. I adore English muffin bread, and it's almost all gone already.

This co-op isn't for everybody, but check it out if you're looking to save some money on your produce and you don't mind a little adventure. Also note, you can purchase fully organic baskets as well! 

As for me and the Hubs, we're working hard to eliminate all those processed foods. If it's something we really love (like ice cream!!), I'm finding ways to make those items myself. This way, I know exactly what goes into each treat. 

And you will receive the benefit of all my new recipes! Keep an eye out later this week for my Orange Sorbet recipe. It's easy, and delicious, I promise. 

Let me know if you try Bountiful Baskets, and feel free to send in pics of your bounty. Happy shopping!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Follow me on Facebook @ OurArmyLifeAccordingToTheWife

or on Pinterest, my newest obsession @ ArmyLifeFromTheWife

Email me: armylifefromthewife@gmail.com

Cooking for One: Salmon Foil Packets

When you're a military spouse with no kids, you do a lot of 'cooking for one'. Field time, schools, deployment, staff duty... there are dozens of reasons your spouse won't be home for dinner every night. The simple task of making a meal becomes daunting when you consider how many leftovers a single dish will create. I'd be eating lasagna for a month if there was no one here to share it with!

Well, there IS a solution.

The answer? Basic recipes with only one or two servings each. These aren't always easy to find or create, but it can be done, and I want to help! Hence, this new series (which I hope to have guest contributors for, like you!), Cooking for One.

In general, one of the easiest 'Cooking for One' categories is seafood. You can purchase exactly the amount you want (1 or 2 servings) at the seafood counter. For me, the Hubs is very particular about anything from the ocean, so I use his time away as an opportunity to cook things he may not eat. Gotta find those positives where you can, right?!

So today, we're going to start with a basic cooking method and one of my favorite finned friends: Salmon Foil Packets!

Salmon Foil Packet, just before entering the oven 

Including your prep time, this recipe takes about 30 minutes (but that includes 20 - 25 minutes of baking in the oven). This is easy to toss together, is good for you, and my favorite part... it often uses up all the odds and ends of produce hiding in my fridge.

To get started, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Cut one or two pieces of foil into a 12-18 inch long piece (this depends on the size of your salmon and the amount of veggies you plan to use. I always cut mine the bigger size. Better to have extra space than not enough, yes?).

Then you just layer all your ingredients!

I start with lemon slices on the bottom. I can't have seafood like this without that tangy lemon flavor.

* Note: If you choose not to use any lemon slices, I suggest using a thin coat of non-stick spray on the bottom, or use non-stick foil.  

Next comes the salmon itself, followed by my favorite seasonings (usually garlic, a little lemon zest, salt, pepper. Nothing too fancy).

Then, a big old glob of butter. For my health nut friends, you can substitute this if you like. However, you want to use something in place of it which will provide a little moisture.

And finally your veggies. I clean out my pantry and crisping drawer on this step. On this particular night, I had a zucchini, a tomato, a small amount of red pepper, and a bit of leek to use up. So that's what went into the packet! You can use whatever veggies you have on hand, about 1/2 cup - 1 cup worth for each portion. Before scattering them around your fish, season well (I normally use a little salt and pepper, maybe even some lemon pepper if I'm feeling really wild).

Finally, add a little sprinkle of parsley on top of everything. You can easily skip this step if you want. But I love the little bit of color the parsley adds to the top of the salmon.

Then, twist and pinch, and close up that packet! It doesn't need to be pretty, it just needs to seal well so not too much steam will escape. Like so:

Yeah, it looks silly. But that salmon will taste oh so good, I promise!

Place your foil packet on a cookie sheet, throw in the oven, and walk away for 20 - 25 minutes. Paint your nails, watch some TV, kick back with a glass of wine. Whatever makes you happy.

When your kitchen timer beeps, remove the cookie sheet from the oven and prepare to enjoy.

You can eat these right out of the foil packet, but be careful of the steam when opening.

I was too impatient, and ate this right out of the oven! You can place your final product on a plate too (and I usually do).

Simple, fast, and good for you... without those pesky leftovers!

I hope you enjoyed the first post in my new Cooking For One category. I'd love to hear about any recipes you make when your spouse is away... feel free to email me with your ideas, and become a guest blogger!  As always, the standard recipe is below.

Happy cooking!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Follow me on Facebook @ OurArmyLifeAccordingToTheWife

or on Pinterest, my newest obsession @ ArmyLifeFromTheWife

Email me: armylifefromthewife@gmail.com

The Standard Form: 

Salmon Foil Packets

Ingredients:

4 - 6 lemon slices

1 salmon filet (6-8 ounces)

Seasonings, to taste (ex: Salt, pepper, garlic, lemon zest, lemon pepper)

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon parsley

1 cup raw vegetables of your choosing, chopped

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Cut a large piece of foil (approximately 12-18 inches long).

Layer your ingredients in the center of the foil: lemon slices, then salmon, seasonings, butter, and parsley.

Season your raw vegetables if desired, then scatter them around the salmon filet.

Twist the foil closed to form a packet with no holes for steam to escape. Place on a cookie sheet and into the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the salmon is done.

Remove from oven, open foil carefully as steam will escape, then enjoy!