Feel Good Balsamic Chicken Skewers

     "Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it."  - Salvador Dali     

   It's been 11 years since I became a mother. That's over a decade of obsessing over my children's clothes, manners, school work, feelings, schedules, parties and the list goes on. Honestly, I can't even recall how many books, e-books, guides, and even blogs I've read just to make sure that I'm on top of our family's activities.  It even came to a point wherein I gave each child his/her designated pen color on the calendar so that I will not miss anything.  OCD alert!

    Then, once in a while, no matter how organized and effective our systems can be, there will be occasions when we just "slip up".  Whether your child has food allergies or not, those rare incidents often leave a tremendous mark in our conscience.  An instant self nomination to the "Worst Mother of the Year Award." 

     My latest nomination happened just before the school ended, I mistakenly thought that Child #3 doesn't need to bring lunch for school anymore.  Since it was the start of the week long early dismissal days, I only sent a package of his favorite seaweed snack and a handful of grapes.  

   "What can possibly go wrong? It was only a Field day and  he will be out at 1 pm."   

    With less than an hour before dismissal, I received a call from the school.  The secretary told me that I need to pick up my son because he has crying inconsolably and it was after the PTO provided the whole school with pizza for lunch.  Panic suddenly crept in.  I immediately asked her if the nurse knew about it and if they administered an Epi-pen shot.  What a huge relief when she told me, my son didn't eat the pizza and in fact, he was not given any at all.   

    When I arrived in school, the principal and his teacher told me about the lunch room incident and my son's refusal to talk to anybody.  At that time, he was already calm inside the classroom and has even asked his teacher if he could wait until dismissal to go home.  A request she gladly approved. 

     On our way to the car, I asked his side of the story.  Tears flowed right away and he told me he was really hungry and there was no food to eat.  He knows he can't have the free pizza and he's only allowed food from his lunch box. It was not about the pizza, it was the fact that he has no food for lunch because he ate all of it during snack time.  He said that he doesn't want to tell them (the teachers and staff) that there's nothing left in his lunch box.   When I asked him why he didn't call me, (our house is less than 1/2 a mile from school and I'm home that day), he said he was really sad to talk.  Heart breaking enough?

    I don't know what else to do to comfort him than promise him that when we get home, he'll have his favorite chicken BBQ with Herbed Sweet Corn. Thank God, I have these marinating for days in the fridge! Within a few minutes, he happily ate his late lunch with a big smile.  Yes! I was forgiven too.  

     This simple and easy to prepare dish is not only comforting but a real crowd pleaser. The trick is it to let it marinade for a long time. It can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days or longer in the freezer.  It can be cooked on the grill, in the oven and even on the stove top.  

     The combination of sweet, sour, salty and spice is very child friendly. Since the meat is flavored without a sticky and messy sauce, these skewers are perfect for potlucks and even kids' lunch boxes.  For a more grown up version, add a pinch or more of powdered cayenne pepper.  You can also serve it with your favorite dipping sauce.  Child #1 likes it with bottled BBQ sauce on the side while Child #2 likes it with ketchup.  

      

     Is there a dish you often serve to your child when he/she had a bad day?  Love to hear what it is.  

   

- Roz

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or chicken breast)
1 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. chili powder

1. Cut the chicken thighs in half.  About 2 inch squares.
2. In a glass container with lid, whisk the vinegar, black pepper, chili powder, sea salt and garlic powder until well combined.
3. Add the chicken pieces and make sure it is well covered with the seasonings.
4. Cover and marinate at least 24 hours in the refrigerator.
5. Thread chicken onto skewers.
6. Lightly oil the grill plate and cook for about 7-9 minutes on each side or until the chicken is cooked through.
    If using the oven, broil for about 8-10 minutes on each side.
    Stove top, lightly grease a cast iron skillet or grill pan.  Place the chicken skewers when the pan is starts to smoke.  Cook for 6-9 minutes on each side or until the juices run clear.

4 Ingredient Slow Cooker Beef BBQ

           Last weekend, I was cleaning the pantry and I can't help but notice some items that had been there for a while.  Admit it, you also have those bottles of sauce that you always meant to use but never did.  Anyway, allow me to give myself a little pat on the back because the products I found are not expired yet.  Yay!!!

          Since I hate wasting food especially now that I mostly buy organic,  I decided to experiment again in the kitchen.  This time I made something very simple.  As in, I only used four ingredients and my BFF, the crockpot. 

           If you have been reading my recipes before, I'm sure by now, you know that I love to layer flavors.  That means marinating, searing and having at least 10 ingredients.  I have to say, I was a bit scared when I made this BBQ.  It's just too easy.  My 4 year old can actually do this.  Oh well, I took the plunge and gave it a go.

           The end result exceeded my expectations. Tremendously! Beef was almost falling apart soft.  It was well seasoned all the way through.  The sauce was thick and had a caramelized flavor without being salty or acidic.  I can't believe it was the same bottled BBQ sauce.  The taste was totally hearty and homemade.

           My kids can't even wait to try it because the house smelled so good when they arrived.  As you can see, I wasn't even able to take a pretty photo.   After learning that we have cooked rice available, they immediately dug in and even asked for more.   Guess what? The leftovers even made it to their lunch boxes today. 
         
           Who knew something so delicious can be this simple? 

- Roz          

 

 

Ingredients:

 

 

3-4 lbs. beef short ribs or chuck, cut into 3 inch cubes

1 cup beef stock (I used Kitchen Basics All Natural Unsalted Beef Stock)

2 cups BBQ sauce (I used our favorite Wegman's Kansas Style)

1 cup chopped white onions

 

 

1. Combine the BBQ sauce and broth in your crock pot.

2. Add the beef and onions.

3. Mix well so that all the meat is all covered with the sauce.

4. Cook on high for 8 hours.

5. Serve it over rice or pasta. You can also serve it with potatoes or on top of a salad. 

Best Places to Eat in Wildwood, New Jersey

     Hello Frugalista Friends!  It's great to be back after a long blogging vacation.  If you follow me in Instagram, I'm pretty sure you already know what I was up too.  If not, don't worry, I'm posting the experiences so that we can catch up.

 

      For starters, I welcomed the first weekend of June with our family's yearly trip to the Wildwoods --- North Wildwood, Wildwood and Wildwood Crest.   Why that early?  Well, here's an insider tip, the room rates for the month of June are way lower than the regular summer rates.  The weather is often beautiful and the big crowds aren't there yet.  That means very few lines and lots of space on the boardwalk, shore, swimming pools and even parking.     

 

       This year, I am even more excited to go the shore because the small business owners, local restaurants in particular, did their best to open in spite of being greatly affected by Hurricane Sandy.  Since my trip will not be complete without having a bite of these yummy vacation treats, I decided to share with you my favorites.  Though most aren't that friendly to my children's restricted food requirements, I still posted them.  After all, I don't have any food allergies. In those rare times that I do indulge, I make sure it's worth every bite.  As for my kids, I did have a big stash of home cooked meals packed for the trip.  What a lifesaver especially when you will eating out.  

 

 

 

 

        We arrived around 6 pm so our first stop is the boardwalk.  Funnel cakes, pizza, burgers and more are readily available.  Since most aren't exactly gluten, dairy, egg, soy and dairy free, I stick to the Polish Ices which are friendlier to my children's food allergies.  What are those?  Well, it is basically identical to the Italian Ices or Slushies that we love so much.   Why they call it Polish instead of Italian? Well, I dare not ask. They are quite serious about the difference though as when my kids asked if they can have "Italian" Ice, the servers told them that they don't have those.  A big plus with this treat is that  one can ask for samples without any cost. Yup! Free tastings! 

 

 

 

          My trip to Wildwoods will not be complete without a snack at Maui's Mad Dog House.  This bright yellow hotdog place which has been featured in Dinner, Drive Ins and Dives show is not your typical stand of your ballpark favorite. These are gourmet hotdogs without the high price.  My favorite is the Soprano which is hotdog on a bun loaded with sautéed spinach and garlic in olive oil with white wine and parmesan cheese. Yum! Totally not for my food allergy kids.  The fries are to die for too. It's gluten free but is fried in peanut oil.  Dining here is an experience so if you don't have peanut allergy and is not strictly gluten free, this place is a must in your list.

 

       Another specialty restaurant to try is Smoke n Bones BBQ.  Only open for dinner Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, this small but friendly place by the water is a real crowd pleaser. If you are fortunate to be in the area on the weekends, I suggest you check their menu online and give them a call ahead of time.  We usually call in our order and just pick it up. The place gets really crowded too.  What makes their BBQ so special?  They do it the old fashioned way which means slow cooked for days.  Take note, this place isn't allergy friendly but the ribs and sides are super yummy and very affordable.  Oh, almost forgot, they are open for breakfast everyday.

 

       Last but not the least is Cool Scoops.  This retro ice cream place is the "cool" place to go for dessert.  Not only are the flavors delectable, the shop itself is one of a kind. It is filled with lots of memorabilia including a larger than life Elvis statue.  Even though it's loaded with museum like collections, the atmosphere remained very friendly.   The best part about Cool Scoops is that they offer dairy free, food allergy friendly ice cream which is made with either soy milk or rice milk.  They even have gluten free ice cream cones! Since the owner also has food allergies, (yes, she told me so.) they know first hand how to handle items to avoid possible contaminations.   A big relief to us with special food requirements. 

 

       So friends, that's it for my Friday Finds this week.  I hope I was able to give you a glance at the Wildwoods.  If you're getting hungry so am I.  So, what's for dinner? 

 

- Roz