1 day without the dishwasher

Not bad! It was nice to get up this morning and I didn’t have to clean out the dishwasher and immediately put in our cups and spoons from last nights ice cream! I generally dry the dishes and put them away but if I have to dry before they are all done I let the last little batch air dry. I find that I am keeping my sink cleaner too! And if you love Flylady then you know how she feels about a clean sink!

The Love-Hate Relationship with my dishwasher

I am tired of washing dishes.  I prepare 2-3 meals per day for my husband and 3 kids and seriously, I feel like all I do is load and unload the dishwasher.  Is it really saving me time and effort?  Lets see, do I take the dishes directly from the table and put them in the machine?  No.  I rinse them first because there is nothing like pulling something out of the dishwasher and having food that was previously stuck on, now baked on.  Do I fill it full of pots and pans?  No.  I wash most of my pots and pans by hand because they are decent brands that I don’t want ruined.  Knives?  No, same reason.  So, why do I use the thing?  Well, I am about to find out.

I am going on a 7-day trial of banning the dishwasher.

I did this once before we had children and I didn’t mind it at all.  After meals my husband and I stood beside the sink while one washed and one dried and put away.  It was a great bonding time and a great sense of teamwork.  And, when the next meal came around, everything was just where it should be.  Now, I am not crazy, it won’t be as romantic as that this time around but my girls are nearly 3 and I am sure they would love helping make a mess, oops, I mean wash dishes.

I’ll post as to how the week goes.  I will start with dinner dishes tonight!

P.S. An empty dishwasher will be a great stash for dirty dishes should we have unexpected company!

Sagaponack Corn Pudding

I also found this from the Barefood Contessa. I love all the corn recipes with corn in season right now!

Sagaponack Corn Pudding

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
5 cups fresh yellow corn kernels cut off the cob (6 to 8 ears)
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
4 extra-large eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup (6 ounces) grated extra-sharp cheddar, plus extra to sprinkle on top

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease the inside of an 8 to 10-cup baking dish.Melt the butter in a very large saute pan and saute the corn and onion over medium-high heat for 4 minutes. Cool slightly.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, and half-and-half in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal and then the ricotta. Add the basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Add the cooked corn mixture and grated cheddar, and then pour into the baking dish. Sprinkle the top with more grated cheddar.

Place the dish in a larger pan and fill the pan 1/2 way up the sides of the dish with hot tap water. Bake the pudding for 40 to 45 minutes until the top begins to brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Baked Salmon Fillets Dijon

from Living Waters Ranch

4 (4-oz.) salmon fillets
3 T prepared Dijon-style mustard
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/4 c. Italian-style dry breadcrumbs
1/4 c. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a shallow baking pan with foil.  I used my Pampered Chef bar pan lined with parchment.  Place salmon, skin side down, on foil.  Spread a thin layer of mustard over each fillet and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Top with bread crumbs and drizzle with melted butter.  Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.

This was a great salmon dish!  I needed something that was easy and mild (again, I have kids) yet has wonderful flavor.  I served it with white (instant) rice seasoned with butter, salt, and pepper, and a green salad.

Dinner Review

We had Chicken Pot Pie for dinner with fresh corn-on-the-cob and (Rhodes) dinner rolls. It was so delicious and something that even the baby could enjoy since it has such a mild flavor. I love Rhodes frozen rolls because they are so easy, even I can make them rise, lol.  For the crust on the pot pie I used a Pillsbury refrigerated crust that comes in the dairy section and is rolled up.  They come two in a box and are perfect for dishes such as this.  Here is a picture of our yummy meal!

Cheesy Crab Enchiladas

Cheesy Crab Enchiladas
from “A Taste of Heaven” Living Waters Ranch

2 (8-oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 env. ranch salad dressing mix
3 T plus 1/4 c. milk, divided
1 sm. red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T butter
1 lb. fresh, frozen or canned crabmeat, flaked
2 (2.75-oz.) cans sliced ripe olives, drained
1 (4-oz.) can chopped green chilies
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
8 flour tortillas (8 inches)
1/2 c. shredded Colby cheese
For Garnish – chopped green onions and tomatoes, chredded lettuce, sliced
ripe olives

In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, ranch dressing mix and 3 tablespoons milk until smooth. Set aside 3/4 cup for topping. In a skillet saute onion and garlic in butter until tender. Stir in crab, olives, chilies, salt and pepper. Fold crab mixure and 1-1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese into remaining cream cheese mixture. Spoon about 2/3 cup down center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in a greased 9×13 baking dish. Combine the remaining milk and reserved cream cheese mixture until blended; pour over tortillas. Sprinkle with Colby and remaining Jack cheese. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through. Serve with green onions, tomatoes, lettuce and olives if desired. Makes 8 enchiladas.

I made this the other night for my family and it was delicious! I used “krab”, lol, that is imitation. My husband thought that it might have been good with a thin layer of enchilada sauce before the colby and jack cheese at the end. I just added a layer of salsa on top (skipping the garnish) and it was so good! We had half the pan left over and I just put in back into the oven to warm the following evening and it was just as good the second time around. We’ll definately be making it again!

Southwestern Lasagna

Southwestern Lasagne
1-1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 med. onion, chopped
1 (15-oz.) can enchilada sauce
1 (15-oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (2.75-oz.) can sliced ripe olives
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 egg
1 c. cottage cheese
1/2 lb. Monterey Jack cheese, thinly sliced
8 corn tortillas (8 inch) halved
1/2 c. shredded chedder cheese

In a large skillet, cook ground beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the enchilada sauce, tomatoes, olives, salt, garlic powder, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes. In a small bowl, combine egg and cottage cheese. Spread 1/3 of meat sauce in a greased 9×13 baking dish. Top with 1/2 of Monterey Jack cheese, cottage cheese mixture and tortillas. Repeat layers. Top with remianing meat sauce. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting. Makes 6-8 servings.

Serving Suggestions: fresh fruit, corn

Hamburger Patties (German Frikadellen)

1#+ hamburger
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. white pepper
2 pinches shredded parmesan
1 t. Italian Seasoning
1 egg
1/4 – 1/2 c. bread crumbs

Mix together beef, salt, pepper, parmesan, and Italian Seasoning.  Mix in egg then bread crumbs to desired consistency.  Roll into balls then flatten a little like patties but very thick.  With a little EVOO in skillet on medium heat brown both sides of the burgers then turn the heat down and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

I served these patties with steak fries, cream corn, and fresh peaches.  It was a fantastic meal and so easy to prepare.  Definately one I will make again.  (Thank you Sabine!)