Couchella: Shrimp and Zoodles

Now a lot of our weekend adventures are to make up for things we were going to do, but couldn't because of the pandemic.  This is a little bit of a stretch.  Yes, Thatboy and I had a bunch of concerts we were supposed to be attending that were cancelled, but going to a music festival wasn't really in the cards.  And hasn't been since we've had kids.  Nonetheless, we thought that hosting our own music festival in  the backyard would be a fun way to make the weekend special. 

So last weekend, I put together a playlist and we turned our backyard into a music oasis.  

The loungers were a big hit, but the unexpected favorite was the canopy tent.  Which was stocked with various types of sparkling water and coconut water.

First things first, we got into the festival mood by putting on metallic temporary tattoos and going a bit radical with our hair.

The playlist consisted of almost 10 hours of music - combinations of the boys' favorites along with bands we were supposed to see this summer.  Each band got a 10 song set and while we listened, we pulled out some of our lawn games.

And making some lawn art.

But for a lot of it, we ended up just chilling under the canopy.

For our food, I tried to go "uber Californian" and did some twists on the typical.  So for lunch, we had mushroom and green bean tacos.  "We" being the adults.  Because I knew my kids wouldn't go anywhere near mushrooms, they got cheese quesadillas, and jicama.

I also laid out a snack table with grapes, strawberry cereal squares, truffle potato chips, kettle corn, and five-cheese potato chips.

After nap we had some tie-dye popsicles that Thatbaby and I had made the day before. 

And then we made dream catchers.

After dinner I passed out the glowsticks and jewelry even though it wasn't dark, because kids don't care, and we had a dance party as Lady Gaga's set started.

Our dinner followed a similar trend to lunch, something typical with a twist.  Growing up our quintessential summer meal with shrimp with saffron rice.  My mom would make it in a pyrex (because this was before the days of sheet pan meals), drizzling the shrimp with garlic, wine, and olive oil and then pouring the whole thing over the rice.  So this comes from that, except subbing in zucchini noodles for saffron rice, because zucchini noodles seems like it's so much more the festival scene, no?  And because you don't REALLY need to cook the noodles ahead of time, you can throw them all together on the same pan.

Shrimp and Zoodles

1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 cloves garlic, sliced

2 Tbsp chardonnay

1 Tbsp lemon juice

24 oz zucchini noodles (I use the prepackaged/frozen - defrosted, drained, and then squeezed in a paper towel to remove excess moisture)

2 Tbsp olive oil, divided

4 oz feta cheese, crumbled

1. Heat oven to 475. Toss shrimp with garlic, chardonnay and lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.
2. Toss the zucchini with 1 Tbsp olive oil, then season with salt and pepper to taste.  Place on a large baking sheet and cook for 6 minutes.
3.  Scatter the shrimp over the zucchini noodles and drizzle with the rest of the olive oil.  
4. Sprinkle with feta and cook for another 6 minutes.  

Crave Wednesdays: Pan-Seared Shrimp Po' Boys

It's so hard to go back to work after a vacation, isn't it?  After a lovely 4 days of eating, running, and shopping, it seems unfair to have to return to normal. 

I hope your Thanksgiving made it equally as difficult to roll out of bed Monday morning!

We started bright and early with The Turkey Trot.  Due to the timing of the race, we ended up missing out on the first hour of the Macy's Day Parade.  As soon as we got to Thatmom's house, I found myself a place on the couch, pulled a throw over myself, and settled in.

After the parade, Thatboy, Thatkid, and TMIL headed to the movies while I made a quick lunch for Thatbaby and I.  Then it was naptime for him, and ice cream making time for me! 

We set up the tables, the moviegoers came home, and before too long the house was filled with family and food.

There was turkey, and stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry relish.  And even a challah shaped like a turkey~

We're also on to the next generation of the kids table.  The last member of the last kids table has graduated from college.  So now these guys get a table of their very own.

Having Thanksgiving at Thatmom's house means that there wasn't any leftover Thanksgiving food hanging around our house.  So we were right back into regular eating the very next night.  A lot of people do turkey sandwiches the day after Thanksgiving.  Here we did shrimp sandwiches!  You can't get much farther from turkey than that! 

Po' Boys are a traditional American food of a different sort.  Native to New Orleans, this sandwich is rumored to have been passed out to "poor boys" for free.  And though it's not tied to any particular holiday, it seems fitting to pair it with Thanksgiving, a holiday typically associated with feeding the hungry. 

It fed the hungry in my house this week.  Both the little guys LOVE shrimp.  Thatbaby can often be found sneaking shrimp off his brother's plate.  In this instance I left the hot sauce and Cajun seasoning off of their portions.  The rest of us got spiced shrimp paired with a sweet sauce and crusty bread.

Pan-Seared Shrimp Po' Boys (From Cooking Light)

1/2 cup canola mayonnaise

2 Tbsp  sweet pickle relish

1 Tbsp chopped shallots

1/2 tsp capers, chopped

1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce

1 1/2 tsp salt-free Cajun seasoning

1 lb peeled and deveined large shrimp

2 tsp olive oil

4 hoagie rolls

1/2 cup shredded romaine lettuce

12 thin slices tomato

4 thin slices red onion

1. Combine mayo, relish, shallots, capers, and hot sauce in a small bowl. 
2. Combine Cajun seasoning and shrimp in a bowl and toss well.
3. Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add olive oil and swirl to coat.  Add shrimp to pan and cook 2 minutes each side until done.
4. Cut each roll in half horizontally.  Top the bottom half of each roll with 2 Tbsp lettuce, 3 tomato slices, 1 onion slice, and one-fourth of the shrimp.
5. Spread top half of each roll with about 2 Tbsp mayo mixture and place on top of sandwiches.

Carving Spree: Sofrito Shrimp with Manchego

Today is the last day to enter the giveaway for a free Spice Box from Raw Spice Bar!

Our favorite local Brewpub had a pumpkin carving event earlier this week.   Of course we had to attend.  We'd spent all week talking about what our design was going to be (and cautioning Thatkid that we may not win).

When we got there, the tables were all set and ready for us with carving tools

And a bucket for our pumpkin guts.

We placed our order and got to work.  Thatkid initially wanted to be the one to scoop out all the insides, but he lasted about 2 seconds before he decided it was too gross.  So Thatboy took over.

When all the tables were done carving, we all brought our pumpkins up to the bar.

And then we voted by applause.   Our little ghost made it to the top 6!

But the pumpkin carving was only half the reason we attended the event.  The other reason was because of the amazing pumpkin beer list on draft!

It was a successful evening for everyone.  I love this time of year!

I also love it because of the great fall foods that start popping up.  Like chilis, squash, and pepper dishes.  Like sausage and peppers - which for me is perfect for this time of year.  But the same could be true when adding other forms of protein.  Like this shrimp and pepper dish.  This one is a sofrito dish - a Spanish vegetable mixture of peppers, onions, and tomatoes.  The flavors perfectly complement each other and I've even used them in chilis.  See?  Full circle with the fall foods.  It's a great addition to arroz con pollo, or even just served on its own with rice.  This sofrito is made stovetop, and it comes together really quickly.  Just like the shrimp you toss in!

Sofrito Shrimp with Manchego

4 Tbsp olive oil

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

20-24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 red onion, cut into wedges

2 red bell peppers, cut into strips

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips

3 medium tomatoes, peeled and cut into strips

pinch of cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

9 oz manchego cheese, cubed

2 Tbsp cilantro leaves

1.  Heat the oil and butter in a skillet .  Add the garlic and cook for one minute.
2. Throw in the shrimp and saute them over a fairly high heat for about 12 minutes.  Remove from the pan and keep warm.
3. Add the onion and bell peppers to the pan, cover, and cook over a low heat for 15 minutes.
4. Stir in the tomatoes, cayenne, and paprika and cook for about 5 minutes.
5. Return the shrimp to the pan, stir together, then add the Manchego and saute for 30 seconds.
6. Season with salt and pepper and scatter cilantro over.

Surprise, Arizona: Shrimp with Ginger

Last year, Thatbrother and I decided to make a pact for a yearly visit to Toxicesq.  Basically like a yearly family reunion.

This year, we decided to plan our trip for March.  Which coincidentally is also when Thatmom's birthday is.  Her 60th birthday.   With that in mind, Thatbrother decided to plan her a surprise birthday party, in Arizona.  He sent out emails to the whole family, planned our itinerary, ordered a cake, and made reservations.  As far as Thatmom was concerned, it was a trip with just her immediate family, the weekend after her birthday.

We set out for Arizona, and at some point in the morning got a call from Thatbrother.  Something had come up and he wasn't going to be able to make the trip.  Which was a complete bummer given how much work he'd put into it. 

We arrived in Arizona around dinner time and met Thatmom and Toxicesq at a restaurant near the hotel.  After we ate, Thatboy, Toxicesq, and I raced to the hotel - where everyone was waiting, and Thatmom's boyfriend conveniently missed the turnoff to the hotel.

Toxicesq had picked up the cake for Thatbrother and it was waiting at the hotel for us.  We arranged it on the table and yelled surprise when Thatmom walked in.  We pretended that this was her big surprise.

But as we were cutting it, the real surprise came out - all our family, singing happy birthday.  Thatmom was so surprised!  It took her a minute to figure out, but once she did, she started crying.  Family means more to her than anything, and her birthday wish is always to spend it with family.

The next morning we all planned to head to Toxicesq's house for breakfast, but one impediment after another had us turning around and heading to a restaurant beside the hotel. 

We split up for the day.  Everyone went to watch a spring training game, except Thatmom and her boyfriend.  Thatkid, who adores his grandmother, wanted to stay with her, so we all went to Toxicesq's home for some swimming.

We all met up together for dinner, then went back to the hotel for some games.

The next morning we made it to Toxicesq's house for breakfast!

Then the rest of the group headed home, and we spent the day with Toxicesq.  More pool time!

The trip itself was really rough. Thatbaby was teething and sick and up all night every night.  But it was worth it to spend time with Toxicesq, and surprise Thatmom.

With all the traveling, I'm really phoning it in on the rest of my life.  I'm exhausted!  My house is a mess, and dinners have been complete throw-togethers.  Which doesn't mean that they aren't tasty, but I'm reverting to the basics.  Shrimp is my go-to easy meal since it cooks within a matter of minutes.  My basic stirfry sauce is fish sauce, ginger, and soy sauce, so that gets tossed in next.  You could add a lot of other vegetables, but I've been lazy lately, so onions it is!

Shrimp with Ginger

2 Tbsp canola oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 tsp minced ginger

6-8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 tsp ground white pepper

1 Tbsp light soy sauce

1 Tbsp fish sauce

1/2 tsp granulated sugar

2 Tbsp chicken broth

2 scallions, cut into 2 inch lengths

1 small onion, sliced

1.  Heat the oil in a wok or skillet.  Fry the garlic until golden brown.
2. Stir in the ginger.
3. Toss in the shrimp, pepper, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and broth.  Stir fry for about 2 minutes.
4. Add the scallion and onion.  Stir once and remove from heat.