catching fireflies fun and unique gifts

cheesy broccoli soup

Soup season has officially begun now that the temps are dipping into the 30's & 40's in the evenings.  One soup combination that I have a hard time resisting is the perfect marriage of broccoli & cheese.

This hearty variation I found in our Michigan Cookbook will definitely leave your family full & satisfied.

4 cups of water

1 12oz package of frozen hash brown potatoes

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped carrots

4 cups chopped broccoli

2 packages of chicken broth mix

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups skim milk

6 oz pasteurized American cheese, cubed (Velveeta)

In a large stockpot, put water, potatoes, celery, onion, carrots, broccoli, chicken broth mix, salt & pepper.  Bring to a boil and simmer until vegetables are tender, 15-20 minutes.  Blend flour with milk.  Slowly add to vegetables, stirring constantly, until thickened.  Add cheese cubes & stir until melted & smooth. 

Serve up with warm crusty bread & enjoy!

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who needs birthday cake?

Since our Berkley catching fireflies location is turning 11 years old this Saturday, I thought it'd be fun to share a few fun birthday cake recipes with a twist like...

birthday cake pancakes ... now that's the way to start your birthday!

And for an afternoon treat, how about some birthday cake popcorn?

Take the edge off adding another year to your age by sipping on this fancy cake batter martini.

And since we have our resident store kitty, Piper... this pretty pink treat is just for her!

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neighborhood fall fiesta

With summer vacations behind us and fall schedules getting into a groove, Steve & I thought it was a fine time to reconnect with our neighbors & hear all about thier summer adventures.

So I dropped these invites in their mailboxes a couple of weeks ago & we had a fine fall party last Sunday.  (Not realizing that the 1st Lion's game was also on at this time, I made sure to have our television tuned to the channel for score updates throughout the afternoon.  GO LIONS!)

Since tomatos & basil are so tasty right now, I made a few of these delish skewers to add to the appetizer selection.

So many of the neighbors thanked us for hosting this little get-together and it was soooo easy to make it happen.  All you need is a few chairs, card tables (covered with cute tablecloths helps:-), some random weeds/flowers placed in flower vases/jars, a few of your favorite beverages on ice, paper plates, plastic forks & napkins.  And voila... you've got an afternoon of getting to know your neighbors a bit better!

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mmmmm.... michigan

Now that we're hosting Tessa, our German exchange student... it was the perfect excuse to whip up some Michigan shaped cookies to celebrate.

I used the simple recipe on the card that came with the cookie cutter set & they came out just perfect!  (upper peninsulas & all)

Nothing like a geography lesson that also doubles as a sweet treat!

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move over meat...

And make room for some of these great grilled side dishes! 

With the heat index hitting the high 80's I'm all for cooking the whole dinner outside.

Grilled Potatoes with Smoked Paprika from Cookin' Canuck

Grilled Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms from My Recipes

Grilled Tangy Onion Flowers from Betty Crocker

Pesto-Topped Grilled Summer Squash from Eating Well

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It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

A beautiful day for a neighbor, Would you be mine? Could you be mine?

We just had two new families move in on our street so we put together a couple of welcome packages filled with delicious scones from Elwin & Co and tasty blueberry butter from Yellow Door.

I remember our next door neighbor did something very similar for us when we moved to the area seven years ago and it just warmed my heart.

It's funny how an act of kindness that takes 15-30 minutes to put together can have an impact that lasts years.

And who says it has to be new neighbors?  Isn't this cheerful package clever & fun?

Once my kitchen is back to working order, I'm tempted to whip up these jars of deliciousness.

And this takes my small gesture to another level of neighborhood love!

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sweet summer sips

There aren't too many days during the summer where I don't have a pitcher of lemonade in my fridge.  I'm also a huge fan of all the fruits that are fresh from the market this time of year... so what better way to blend my two cravings with these succulent sips?

Watermelon Lemonade from Gimme Some Oven

Raspberry Lemonade from My Recipes

Strawberry Lemonade from The Family Kitchen

Cherry Lemonade from Our Life in Food

Cheers to delicious drinks under the summer sun!

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more tempting treats for teachers & dads

Looking to whip up some sweet treats for some special people in your life?  These marvelous morsels from our NO BAKE BOOK do not take much time to make & will no doubt be gobbled up just as quick.

(quicker if our Basset Hound, Gus had his way... he's very attentive when it comes to any action happening in the kitchen:-)

1 -12 oz pkg of chocolate chips

1 teaspoon of Crisco

3/4 cup chopped cashews, almonds or macadamia nuts

3/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries

1/2 cup dried cherries or apricots

Melt chocolate chips & Crisco in microwave (1 minute)  Stir in nuts & dried fruit.  Drop mixture by spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let cool until firm (about 2 hours)

 

3 tablespoons of butter

2 1/2 cup mini marshmallows

2 cup pretzel sticks coarsely broken

12 caramels

2 tablespoons peanut butter

Melt marshmallows & butter in microwave (30 seconds)  Mix in pretzels until coated & drop onto waxed paper.  Melt caramels (45 seconds) & stir in peanut butter.  Drizzle over pretzel drops.  Let cool until firm.

*I noticed these are still quite sticky even after they're cool, so I think a great substitue for marshmallows would be white chocolate.

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terrific treats to make, take & give

These two tempting books just came in at our Berkley & Rochester locations and the recipes looked soooo good, we had to share a few with you.... Perfect timing for those of you looking for new ways to say thank you to the teachers who spent the past year with your little darlings.

Yields 2 1/2 pints

3 cups rhubarb

3 cups strawberries

6 cups sugar, divided

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 package powdered pectin

Scrub & wash rhubarb and place in large sauce pan.  Wash the strawberries & remove their caps.  Mash the berries and add to the rhubarb.  Add 4 cups of sugar and lemon juice & mix well.  Cook on med/high heat, stirring occasionally, until boiling, approx 4-5 minutes.  Stir in remaining sugar & pectin.  Boil for 5 minutes (or longer if you'd like the mixture to become thicker).  Pour into hot, prepared jars & cover tightly with two-piece lids.  Allow to cool, then refrigerate.  Will keep in refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

Yields 6-7 cups

1 package (12 oz) frozen raspberries

1 package (12 oz) frozen blackberries

1 package (12 oz) frozen strawberries

juice of 1 small lemon

4 cups sugar divided

1 package powdered pectin

Thaw frozen berries in separate bowls, keeping the juice with their berries.  Crush the berries in their juice, on bag at at time, in a large saucepan.  Add lemon juice & stir.  Add half of the sugar and bring to full boil.  Stir constantly for 5 minutes.  Add remaining sugar and stir.  Bring back to boil.  Add the pectin and continue boiling, stirring constantly, 1 minute.  Remove from heat & skim foam from the top. Pour into sterilized jars.  Will keep in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

1 cup lightly roasted pecan halves (10-12 minutes on a baking sheet at 350*)

1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place all ingredients in a bowl & mix until the nuts are well covered.  Transfer nuts to prepared sheet & arrange in a single layer.  Set aside overnight, until nuts have dried.

2 cups light toasted shelled peanuts (15-20 on baking sheet at 350*)

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Preheat oven to 250* & line baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place peanuts, oil, garlic powder, curry powder in a bowl & mix until all coated.  Transfer nuts to prepared sheet and arrange in single layer.  Place in the oven & bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven, sprinkle with salt, immediately loosen the nuts with a metal spatula and set aside to cool for 1 hour before serving.

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mini margarita cupcakes for the misses

Since Girl's Night Out fell on Cinco De Mayo this year, we whipped up some themed cupcakes for our sweet snacks.

I found this tasty recipe via RecipeGirl.com

Yields 24 regular cupcakes or 48 mini cupcakes

CAKE:
9 ounces Margarita Mixer, bottled liquid
3 ounces tequila
1 (18.25 ounce) box white cake mix
3 large egg whites
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 Tablespoon lime zest

LIME BUTTERCREAM ICING:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 to 6 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lime zest

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake tins with paper liners.

2. Prepare cupcakes: Whisk together margarita mix & tequila in a small bowl.

3. In a large bowl, blend cake mix, egg whites, vegetable oil, lime zest and 1 1/4 cups of the margarita mix from step 1. Blend on low for about 30 seconds and then increase speed to medium and blend for two additional minutes. Batter will be slightly lumpy.

4. Spoon the batter into cupcake liners (about 3/4 full). Bake for 20-25 min, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool for about 10 minutes in the pans, then remove them to a rack to cool completely. *For mini cupcakes - bake for 16-18 minutes

5. Prepare icing: Once cucpakes are completely cooled, prepare the icing. Place butter in a large bowl and beat with electric mixer until butter is fluffy. Add 5 cups of powdered sugar, salt, lime juice, and lime zest. Mix until thick and creamy. Add more powdered sugar until the frosting is of a good spreading (or piping) consistency. Ice cupcakes in whatever manner you prefer... spreading or piping the frosting.

I added some green sprinkles, straws & umbrellas to give them a little personality. 

Gus & Tuesday intently watched me make these so I coudn't resist treating them to a little bit of the left over frosting :-)

And the all the ladies liked them too!

A perfect treat for Cinco De Mayo, a summer soiree or just because.

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