Mess Free Grilling With Handi-Foil, + Dr.Pepper BBQ Sauce Recipe

Papa Told Me: I'll grill, if you clean up.

My Pop was out family's grill master; a prestigious title even in a family of 3. In Southern California it's grilling season all year-round; but that didn't stop my father from finding an excuse to upgrade his grill at the beginning of each Summer. Even when I was a young girl, living in a small condo with a concrete porch, we had a large propane barbeque stationed in front of the sliding glass windows. And, to me, there was nothing better then smell of it warming up, and the promise of sweet and smokey slathered meat. Some weeks it seemed like we ate off the grill every night, whole chickens, kabobs, bratwurst, hamburgers and more!

Marinating and basting our selection was often forbidden, and in the case they were used, our entire grill surface had to be lined with foil. Neither of my parents cared for grill cleanup, and I proved a lazy volunteer when ti came time to scrape the char off my father's prized steel grates. And foil worked well enough, but it would inevitably tear and break off during the cooking process and somehow adhered itself to the surface with astounding strength. So, when I discovered that Handi-Foil made more than amazing baking and food transport containers, but grill pans and foil as well, I was tickled to think I could enjoy the memories of grilling without the extra mess. Truffles, however, was simply excited to find a box she could stake out in for several days. (We literally almost threw the cat away twice!)

So strong is my faith in the range of innovative and precision Handi-Foil products that I chose to make a favorite grill sauce I hadn't made since last Summer. My rendition of scratch Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce would be the perfect test when slathered on chicken and spare ribs for a casual weekend meal. With Summer in full swing it's usually just Jay and I at home, as the rest of the family heads off to day camp and vacations out of state. I didn't care I was determined to have all the flavor, and aromas, of a giant cook-out, and I even had some great Eco-Foil (recycled aluminum) pans to store all the tasty leftovers in. So, with my mason jar of sweet and smokey heaven in hand, we fired up the grill.

Because I was terribly curious about the, new to me, Handi-Foil Grill Pans and Sheets, I decided not to wrap our grill for sauce protection. Instead, I tossed our whole chicken in a deep BBQ Pan, rubbed with lemon juice and thyme, and wrapped sliced veggies in the extra thick, and wide, BBQ Grill Foil. I loved how stiff the foil proved to be, and was glad that I didn't need to double it over as I created two several pound veggie steamers full of squash, potatoes peppers, mushroom, and butter. Of course this technique would work in the oven as well, if your grill is already too full of delicious protein!

Easily my favorite product for clean grill cooking were the Handi-Foil grill sheets, with punch outs to allow direct flame access, but a sturdy aluminum base to minimize sticking and mess while cooking on the grill. These grill sheet toppers prevent food from falling, yet let juices and flames flow freely when directly on the grill grates or on a complimenting Grill Pan. Be sure to always support the bottom of the grill pan as it is strong but can bend with the weight of cooked food and heat. (I transfer my cooked grill sheets to a grill pan directly off the grill.) These would have also made for a great way to grill our chopped veggies should we have went for a less cooked, searing, approach of traditional grilling.

I'll admit, the smells wafting from our grill were enough to tempt neighbors down the street to wander over in curiosity- imagine their shock to see us supping our favorite soda as we basted with a sauce infused with it! And I love my sauces thick for a light char on my spare ribs- which typically means hours of scraping and a good 'cleaning' session of baking drips off afterwards. Would you believe we enjoyed this delicious barbeque meal (enough to feed us with leftovers for days) without a moment of grill cleanup afterwards? I simply throw the grill pans and sheets away and stored out leftovers in the deeper pan we had used for the whole chicken.

Of course, what kind of daughter would I be if I put all the grilling skills my father taught me to use and didn't share the results with him? Armed with a few Grill Sheets to share, and a carefully packed care package of food, I drove over to my father and surprised him with dinner and a beer. Still in his uniform from work, I knew he'd had  long day on the road and would especially appreciate having a nice hot meal made with flames and love. And, when he asked if I had a grill to go home and clean up, I smiled ans said "Dad, that's so 1990s, try Handi-Foil!"

You'll find an assortment of Eco-Foil recycled aluminum and Handi-Foil baking, transport, and grilling products at grocery chains nationwide.

What Daughter Says: Spend more time enjoying your food, and less time cleaning the grill with smart grilling aids by Handi-Foil.
 

Exploring The Difference Of Evaporative Cooling With The Luma Comfort EC45S

***I received a promotional item for sharing my honest thoughts on this NewAir product.

Momma Told Me: You're just blowing hot air.


Living in Southern California the Summer weather comes early and stays late- Recently I've been jumping into the car and flipping on the A/C only to enjoy a blast of extra hot air. I assure you, nothing is wrong with my air conditioning- it simply has been that hot, and tipping the 100s at the height of the afternoon. Where we live, in fact, most buildings built after 1980 have central air. Unfortunately, we do not live in one of those buildings. Starting the cooling process early in the morning, at sunrise, is crucial to keeping air flow and circulation. Unfortunately, I can't leave my house wide open when I go out to run errands, and but the time I get the box fans in the windows upon return I'm doing little more than blowing hot air.

Fans can work great, but they can also be an exercise in futility, and not everyone can afford the power or invest in a bulky and expensive air conditioner. I know our HOA does not permit 'window' units that hand out of the exterior of the unit, so our cooling options are very limited.  When looking into cooling you typically pay per square foot, so cooling a home with Independent appliances is usually impractical for the modern family budget. Even worse, previous investments in costly stand alone air conditioners have proved a failure with expensive parts failure and bad warranties. Last Summer Momma Told Me to stop blowing hot air and invest in a more affordable cooling option; and evaporative cooler.

Evaporative Coolers are not right for everyone, but their optimal performance range (climates over 90F and humidity less than 30%) is ideal for our Southern California condo. Since I work out of the house, it's typically only me occupying a single room at any given time and the 125 sq ft coverage area of units like the Luma Comfort EC45S is just right. Not only does this space age, compact, air cooler have a discreet water basin to draw in moisture and cool outgoing air up to 25 degrees, but it's easy to operate as well. With 3 distinct air speeds and patterns, an 8 hour timer function, and 90 degree oscillation I will be able to keep my surroundings equally cool with minimal fuss.

One of the reasons I especially like air cooler devices like the Luna Comfort EC45S is the low energy output that allows the device to operate unattended for hours at a time with it's 2 gallon base. And, at 12.8lbs, it's also lightweight enough for me to envision moving it from the office to the master bedroom at night! If your climate meets the optimal settings for an evaporative cooler investing in one for each main room is often more affordable in operation an initial costs for a larger air conditioning unit. The EC45S runs on about as much energy as a standard household light bulb, and is much safer than freon and chemical containing refrigerant devices.

My birthday is coming up in August and I've already asked the birthday fairy for one of Luma Comfort's attractively modern evaporative cooling devices. Let's face it, I could buy a dozen box fans for $150, but they simply won't do much when they're just blowing hot air. If your home or office is in need of a controlled cooling option consider looking into the affordable and impressively stylish option of modern evaporative coolers.

How do you keep your home cool during the Summer?

What Daughter Says: Consider the right cooling solutions for your home and stop blowing hot air.

I'm A Dashionista- Southwest Chipotle Tres Leches Cake With Candied Bacon Recipe

***I received promotional items in order to facilitate the creation of the following recipe.

Momma Told Me: Every little girl wanted to be Betty Crocker.


Now, not everybody considers cooking fun; but I was one of those little girls who likely has some sort of radiation residual from staring directly into the bulb of  working Easy Bake Oven. I've been obsessed with food my whole life, really; though I hardly consider myself a culinary snob. One thing I do look down upon is  lack of flavor. What is the point of putting something in your mouth, and calories in your body, of it's not going to bring you some sort of temporary enjoyment? Yes, yes, nutrients and energy, blah, blah- All valid points, but even those types of foods should be rich in flavor!

I won't lie, around 14 my parents got divorced and I was left learning to cook with my bachelor father. We relied on  lot of 'just add meat' boxed meals, and cans. My father was always insistent that we consume  serving of fresh vegetables each meal, but I remember one day asking; "Dad, do you like the way the vegetables taste, or are you just eating them because you have to?" He stopped, mid salt shake and furrowed his brow. I was smart enough to know he was trying to balance a 'good father' answer with 'the truth.' Let's just say my father's form of cooking education was that 'salt enhances every flavor,' and high sodium runs in his bloodline. But that's precisely the problem, lots of 'highs' run in my family line, and I often need to watch what I eat (or else I won't be able to enjoy dessert and the sweeter moments in life.)

So, for every boy, girl, and cat- What? The rules didn't say anything about what species you had to be, just that you had to be a U.S. resident- who ever dreamed of having cookbooks with their face upon them, Mrs. Dash has thrown down the gauntlet in search of the next Mrs. Dashionista. I bet you didn't know that Mrs. Dash has 14 unique and flavorful blends of SALT FREE seasonings, did you?  We keep an arsenal of our favorites on hand at all times (hello Fiesta Lime and Lemon Pepper) to kick up our favorite recipes an extra notch. Even better, because these seasonings are packed full of flavor (not salt,) I can indulge a little extra here and there with actual food and flavor (not salt.)

While the submission period for the Mrs. Dashionista Recipe Challenge has closed, the finalists have just been announced, and voting opens today. Up for grabs is a $5k grand prize, and 13 $250 first place prizes. I won't lie, I firmly believe that online voting based competitions are highly unfair and not at all a judge of actual contention (buy popularity and bought votes,) but that is entirely irrelevant to the value to you, my reader. You will want to head on over and check out the finalists to snap up some awesome recipes made with these salt free seasonings.

In the spirit of the competition, I did create my own Dashionista original recipe featuring our favorite, Southwest Chipotle, Mrs. Dash seasoning. I somehow missed that 'healthfulness' (is that a word?) was one of the pro-judging criteria for finalists, so I doubt my candied bacon garnished Southwest Chipotle Tres Leches Cake will make the cut. Regardless, I was trying to think outside the box and show that these versatile seasonings can be used in more than savory recipes, since they are SALT FREE! Not only did the Southwest Chipotle add a beautiful depth of warm (not spicy) flavor to this milk cake, but the candied bacon was incredibly easy and one of our favorite batches yet!

So, if you're still reading this post, then I've done you a great disservice- you really need to get on over to the Mrs. Dashionista app now and check out all the great low sodium, high flavor, recipes their fans have submitted. Perhaps scroll through them a little bit and give someone a deserving boost with an honest vote, okay? Voting will run July 7th, through 13th, 2014, and one vote, per IP may be registered per day. Drooling may occur during recipe browsing, Mrs.Dash and subsidiaries are not responsible for damaged electronics.

What Daughter Says: Times may be changing but this girl still dreams of recipe greatness.

Southwest Chipotle Tres Leches Cake

**click for printable tres leches cake recipe

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 1/2 C All Purpose Flour

1 TSP Baking Powder

1/2 C Unsalted Butter

1 C White Sugar

5 Eggs

1/2 TSP Vanilla Extract

1 TBS (Ground/Processed) Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning

Filling/Frosting:

1 1/2 C Whole Milk

12 OZ Sweetened Condensed Milk

10 OZ Evaporated Milk

1 1/4 C Heavy Whipping Cream

1 C Granulated Sugar

1 TSP Vanilla Extract

Garnish:

1/2 Package Thick Cut Bacon

1/2 C Granulated Sugar

3 TBS Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning

Directions:

Preheat Oven To 350F

Grease And Flour 9x13 Baking Pan

1.) Sift flour and baking powder and set aside. 

2.) Cream butter and margarine together until fluffy. Add your ground/processed Southwest Chipotle powder to taste. Keep in mind the flavor will bake off a bit in the oven, season just stronger than preference.

3.) Add eggs and 1/2 TSP vanilla extract, mix until combined well. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture 2 TBS at a time. Combine well.

4.) Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350F for 30 MINS. Remove from oven and pierce with a fork several times. Refrigerate and allow to cool entirely.

5.) While cake is cooling, combine remaining whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk together. Pour over the top of the cooled cake.

6.) Whip whipping cream, the remaining 1 cup of the sugar, and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla together until thick. Spread over the top of cake

 

If desired you may garnish with Chipotle Candied Bacon. Combine brown sugar and seasoning in bowl and pat onto bacon slices. Bake in a deep baking sheet, double lined with foil, at 350F for 20 MINS. Remove from pan while hot and onto parchment paper or other non-stick surface. Allow to cool

5 Steps To Handling A Pet's Passing: Things To Consider Now

There's no question that pets are family members. Whether they're adopted at birth or painstakingly picked out from the hundreds of deserving lives at a shelter, cats and dogs quickly become a part of our family. When we're children, the hardest part of loving an animal is deciding whether the fields in kitty/doggy heaven are made of butterflies or pet treats. We grieve, and our hearts are inevitably won over by a new ball of fluff some months later. As an adult, tackling the passing of a beloved furry family member can be a tough, and most often unexpected, time. I've prepared a few simple tips to answer the burning questions of this difficult subject, and help ease the process, whether for your family or to help a friend.

1.) Consider death, before life. The hardest time it will ever be to consider the passing of a pet is after the animal has integrated into your family and become a beloved staple. Unfortunately, young or old, a new furry family member means that it's passing is inevitable. While the modern house cat enjoys a hearty 12-15 years of life, and the modern dog (breeds vary) 10-13, animals, like people, can suffer from unexpected illness and injury.

We are fortunate to have the power and resources to prevent extended suffering of an animal in old age or terminal illness, but even those decisions require prior consideration. Much like a human family member it is best to discuss and look into the proper handling of a deceased or severally ill pet far in advance of the situation arising. Considering these circumstances before you adopt or bring a pet into your family will make you more aware of the options during the difficult time, even 10+ years down the line.

2.) Understand what to expect and how to handle it. While you can never be prepared to let go of a family member, knowing more about your pets breed and size will better equip you to handle their passing. Large breed dogs will prove the hardest to handle in situations that are sudden and unexpected. As unpleasant as the topic is, the animal's body will begin to stiffen and become hard to mange in as little as 10 minutes after it's passing. It may be hard to handle your beloved pet in such a manner but steps will need to immediately be taken to avoid further unpleasantness. Educate yourself on safe handling of a passed pet and have the proper supplies packaged in a sort of emergency kit (medical gloves, heavy duty trash bags (x2 or 3), a bog or container, etc).

Be prepared to store your pet's body in a manner that will postpone decomposition, such as in a deep freezer, or have a local veterinarian or pet crematory's number on hand. Much like human handlers, pet crematories will often have an after hours number and can pick up your pet's body in as short as an hour. Expect these services to be additional- if the costs are outside your family's financial budget, the pet may often be brought to a veterinarian for storage up to 3 days. Plan ahead of time and ask these questions long before the services are needed so the process is smoother and you are informed.

3. You have options. For the most part there are 3 scenarios for the end of your pet's life; sudden death at home and burial, sudden death at home and transport to a crematorium, or initiated passing via injection in a veterinarian's office. Ideally a trained professional in vet services will be available to walk you through the handling of a passed pet. If this happens at home, most veterinarian's offices have after hours contacts that will guide you through the steps. Again, planning far ahead is always best as you and your love ones will likely be distraught. If you plan on burying your pet, ensure that it is on your owned private property and in a cardboard or wood vessel a minimum of 3 feet below the surface to prevent scavengers and accidental uncovering.

4. Enlist a friend. It is always a good idea, even at adoption, to have someone outside the family in mind to help handle a pet's passing. Think of this as a furry godparent- anticipate it to be someone near enough to be there in a time of need, but ideally not someone who be connecting directly with your pet throughout the years. It is never easy to cope with and handle the passing of an animal, but having someone there who has pet sit and developed a bond with your animal can be as equally emotionally rough for you and your family. If your animal is a large breed consider someone who will be able to help handle the body in difficult circumstances, while remaining respectful and consoling.

5. Plan a memorial. Especially if you have children who may not be able to comprehend the passing of an animal, but in general a good idea. In most cases your pet will be cremated and you will be give access or the option to obtain your pet's ashes. This may be of note for families with pets 15+ years, though others will wish to hold onto more physical trinkets that represent good memories within the pet's life. You may feel the urge to hold onto everything your pet touched at first but it is always best to cleanse your home of the majority of these items, save those tiny trinkets sooner than later. Having in an in home gathering of your immediate house family members and saying a few words over a good meal can substantially help in the healing of this difficult period.

I'm Enough- And So Are You! Make Your Mirror Magical Today

Momma Told Me: Magic mirrors aren't real.

Kids can be cruel. But have you ever considered that the child inside you can be a bully as well?

When we're young we're most impressionable, and the filters that take decades to develop throughout our lives are often not yet in place. We blurt things out without a second thought, and make observations that can be painfully blunt. We close our eyes and we dream of talking unicorns and becoming perfect dancing ballerinas. And each and every young girl grows into a beautiful woman that retains that childlike spirit inside them. But how much of our fantastic dreams of yesterday, and unrealistic perceptions of reality impact the adult eyes we view ourselves with? Does the child inside you question the reflection of the woman on the other side?

Don't get me wrong, having ambition is great. However, as strong modern women, we can often get lost in those goals and dreams and turn them into negatives, talking down to ourselves without even knowing it. And with all the negativity built into the world around us, it's hard not to get caught up in the perceptions of success and beauty. I recently realized I have been doing a great disservice to the inner me. There were times when we couldn't even make eye contact.

You see, I experience great anxiety in large groups; especially those of my peers. See, that's a big mistake of mentality in that sentence, alone- we are ALL peers. Have you ever heard of  'I am woman, hear me roar?' Grouping ourselves into brackets of lifestyles or success only helps feed the critic inside us all. Realizing that our peers are made up of over 3.4 billion really help cut down on the expectations we hold to ourselves. In fact, I challenge you to eliminate ALL expectations. You are uniquely you, there has never been, and never will be another. Understanding and accepting this then logically states that you are the best you that will ever be.

But back to the story- I recently attended a very large conference with over 4k women (and a few curious men,) and found myself so full of anxiety on the first day I almost didn't leave my hotel room. I changed my clothes at least 5 times, and walked with my eyes downward through the convention center. Every step I took I judged myself even more. My hair wasn't done as nice as that woman, my shoes weren't right for my skirt, my blog wasn't big enough to compete with the celebrities before me. Isn't it funny that every layer we put over our lives, leads us to judge ourselves even more? But who we are is not the car we drive, the clothes we parade ourselves in, or the proucts we choose to buy.

When we strip ourselves down to that naked vulnerability we all fear so much, it's ironically empowering. When we stare into that mirror and make eye contact with ourselves we can at last have that long overdue conversation with ourselves. Suddenly, it becomes easier to see the beauty inside, the us that is truly there. And, when you stop taking the time to anticipate the unsaid words of judgement around you, your inner child is more open to the praise and celebration that is right in front of it.

No, we don't have enchanted mirrors, a-la-fairytales, to reassure us of our beauty- but I've got a secret- any mirror can be magical when your reflection is staring back at you. So today, take the time to close the door, and spend some time with just you and yourself. Tell that inner child about all the amazing things you have accomplished, let all the amazing confirmation from your family and friends be that echo of support and affirmation. Look into those eyes staring back at you, they are strong, they are one of a kind. You are the only you, and therefor the best damn you that there will ever be! You are amazing, and strong, and beautiful- you are enough.

What Daughter Says: The magic isn't in the mirror, it's in you- change the voice you hear today!

Nee a little more inspiration? Check out the real life message of The Mrs band, and their mirror experiment!

Kinda Worldless Wednesday: Safari Bottle Lamp

My readers know I have a hard time getting my, erm, fingers? to stay quiet. I know, it's supposed to be Wordless Wednesday, but this is my space on the web and I'm going to be me and narrate! You may recall my Upcycling Old Bottles Into Lamps post from a few months back. Well, over the past month I have been working on a special gift for an interesting friend.

It is amazing the people who cross our paths in life, right? I have a 'drink' socially *maybe* three times a year, but it turns out our local family restaurant has the best service *at* the bar. So Jay and I began coming into our local hangout on select nights just to be served our dinner by a very special bartender with a big personality. As bartenders go, he is great at taking interest in his customers, even those who aren't drinking. I could tell you about his entire life, but just believe me it's fairly fascinating. So, when we recently learned that he would be leaving us in July to accept his dream job working as a zookeeper in Central Park, we were sad but all together thrilled for him.

Since he collects Cobalt glass, and has generally been my 'bottle supplier,' I knew this Vodka bottle was destined for him the moment he handed it to me. What better way to seamlessly commemorate his time as a bartender transitioning into a zookeeper than with a safari themed lamp made from a liquor bottle? We chose his favorite animals (rhino, hippo, and walrus) and hunted them down as silver charms on eBay and I carefully wire-wrapped them to the frame for the final touch. I have to say that this lamp is meaningful to me, and hopefully to him. What do you think?