Friday Treat {2} - Creole Grilled Potatoe Pouches

As I've mentioned I have three kids and of my three, my middle daughter happens to be the pickiest when it comes to food.   One of her oddities is that she doesn't care for potatoes. Not mashed, not baked, not french fried or even Augritin or flavored potatoes.   However there is one exception to that rule.  She loves and even requests what she calls pouch potatoes.  This is a potato dish I make on the grill. I first got this idea from my mother in law during one our cook outs.  Her pouches are usually loaded with onion, peppers, potatoes and cheese.  Basically your loaded baked potato. Which of course my daughter doesn't like.  However I was in the mood for something different one night and just randomly grabbed some spices out of the cupboard.   The recipe below is the only form of potato my daughter will eat. 

Ingredients

6 Medium Size Russet Potatoes, unpeeled but scrubbed

Aluminum foil (2 pieces about 14 inches long)

Non-stick canola spray

Salt and Pepper to taste

Creole* Seasoning (about a tsp total) 

Directions

1. Lay foil down, dull side up.  Spray with non-stick spray

2. Slice potatoes in bite size pieces. (I usually quarter the potato then slice it into 1/4 inch slices)

3. Layer about a quarter of the potatoes on the foil.  Then salt and pepper to taste as well as a good shake of creole seasoning. Spray potatoes again with non-stick spray.  Repeat until you gone through all the sliced potatoes.    

4.  Take second piece of foil.  Spray dull side and the place on top of potatoes.  Fold and crimp foil until a pouch is formed. 

5.  Place on grill for 30 minutes...flipping frequently.  (I have a smoker and move the pouch over to the warming side  about 15 minutes into cooking to keep it warm as I cook the meat. This insures that the potatoes and meat are done at the same time.) 

6.  Slice through the top piece of foil with a sharp knife. BE CAREFUL - steam will rise from the pouch.   If done correctly you'll have a convenient foil bowl to serve steamed but flavorful potatoes. 

Hopefully your family will enjoy this tasty but healthy version of a potato based side dish. (And yes I did say healthy...sneaky mom that I am.) 

*I use Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning...and while it does have a bit of a kick...it is mild enough even for me.  This is NOT Cajun seasoning.

©Becki Gylberte All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No portion of this work may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.

Wednesday Snippets {2} - The Arrival

It's time once again for a Wednesday snippet.  This comes from a scene where Mrs. Brindle, the headmistress of the Dormitory is recruiting Leah and Marie. Enjoy!

“Aren’t you going to join your sister, Leah?” Mrs. Brindle shifted.
 

I shook my head. “No.”

She tipped her head. “I promise I’m not going to run off.” When I continued to stare at her, she gave me the same look Mom gave me when she was tired of dealing with me. “You’re more reluctant to trust, aren’t you?”

It was true. More than one adult in the past few months had asked for my trust only to ship us off to the next home. “Adults lie, Mrs. Brindle.”

She opened her mouth, whether to protest or agree I have no idea, because just then Marie ran back into the room clutching her stuffed animal.

“Leah, it was right where she said it would be. Tucked under all my clothing.” Plopping back down next to me, she gave me a nudge with her shoulder. It was something she always did when she wanted to rub my nose in about being right.

“Really?”

Marie bounced onto the couch next to me, the dog held tight against her chest. “So you have to listen now. You promised.”

I had, but it didn’t mean I had to like it. “Okay, what did you want to talk to us about, Ma’am?”

“I’d like to talk to you about coming to the Dormitory with me. I’m not like the other adults you’ve met. I won’t force you into coming. All the children who reside there are there of their own free will. Do you know what that means?”

I wanted to roll my eyes. I was thirteen, not stupid. “It means they choose to come.”

“That’s right, Leah. They choose to go with me. Unlike here, at the Dormitory we have teachers and doctors and nurses who live on the campus. It’s like being in boarding school or at college. Everything you might need is available. We have basketball courts and baseball fields, bike trails and rock walls, along with pretty much any kind of outdoor equipment an active child would like to play on.”

“Really?” Like any kid I loved being outside, riding my bike and climbing rock walls. Was there anything better? Dad had taken us to Planet X for our last birthday and we’d climbed their rock wall and played laser tag.

“Yep.” She smiled at me. “In fact, our gym teacher takes the kids outside on a daily basis, of course depending on the weather. We have a track and field day coming up next month, and he’s been coaching the kids at the track. We find that being active physically helps the kids control their differences.”

I fidgeted in my seat. What she was saying seemed too good to be true. A place where we could simply be ourselves without hiding? I glanced at Marie. “What about Marie. She likes regular classes and stuff.”

“Yes, does the Dormitory have regular teachers, too?” Marie asked quietly. That was my sister, the bookworm. She loved to learn. I liked school, but I wasn’t as nerdy as Marie.

“Of course. Mr. Standish is our fifth through seventh grade teacher. If you come to the Dormitory, he’d be your teacher. He teaches all the core subjects you’d normally get in school. Reading, writing, social studies, while Mrs. Razzle teaches math, science and labs. She also teaches our advanced placement classes. From what your case worker told me, Marie, you’d probably enjoy those classes. I do believe that they are planning on making homemade ice cream next week. And she has several labs in progress right now. She and her kids supply a good chunk of our produce for our meals.”

I wanted to groan. Now Mrs. Brindle had done it. She’d appealed to Marie’s nerd bone. “And did I mention, Leah, that Coach Pristash runs our archery team? He’s taken them to the state finals four times in the past five years.”

I’ll have to give it to the woman she was good. Excitement poured through me. How had she known that I loved archery? “He does?” 

 

©Becki Gylberte All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No portion of this work may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.

Sunday Fun {2} - No Sew Fleece Pillow

Once again, its time for Sunday fun. This week the idea comes from my own kids. Last year my oldest daughter had a class called Building Blocks. At first I thought this was a class for Industrial Tech or possibly even a math class, but when she came home telling me about the cool smoothie they made and how their project for quarter would be a fleece pillow.  That's when it dawned on me, this building blocks class was actually what dear old mom called Home Economics.  Anyway she had such a blast in this class, she suggested I feature this week.   As before I went on the web and found simple directions for it, and you can find the originating site HERE.

What you will need:
Fleece (in two different colors or patterns)
Scissors
Ruler
Chalk
Fiberfill

How to make it:

Cut 2 identical heart shapes from the fleece, 1 of each color or pattern. To allow for a 4-inch fringe, be sure to cut the hearts 8 inches larger than you want your finished pillow. We cut ours 26 inches across and 22 inches long for an 18- by 14-inch pillow.

On 1 fleece heart, use a ruler and chalk or a disappearing-ink pen to draw a heart 4 inches in from the edge of the fabric (see illustration). Measure and draw fringe that's about 1 inch wide and 4 inches long (up to the center heart, as shown).

Stack the hearts with your chalk lines on top. Cut the fringe, through both layers of fleece, stopping at the center heart.

Begin at the bottom point of the heart and tie the top piece of fringe to the bottom piece by double-knotting them. Continue up the side of the pillow. At the dip at the top, knot together the top 4 fringes (2 pairs) into 1 double knot to cinch the opening more tightly. Then go back to knotting just 2 fringes until only 4 pairs are untied.

Stuff the heart with fiberfill. Tie the remaining fringes. Brush off any chalk that still shows. Ink lines should disappear according to the package directions.

For a twist on this gift: Try a different shape, such as this lion pillow. We knotted together squares of orange and yellow fleece and brought our king of the jungle to life with cord whiskers, and felt eyes and nose attached with tacky glue. For square pillows, cut off and discard the corner fringes before you begin knotting.

©Becki Gylberte All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No portion of this work may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.