Loaded Baked Potato Soup (Skinnytaste.com)

March 2, 2015: As you grow up, you learn that each of your friends is a part of your life for a very unique reason. For example, my friend Holly who I met through work will always listen to my crazy anxious thoughts as they pop into my head. My cousin, Ashlea, is my prayer warrior. Any time I need prayers going out, I shoot her a text. My friend Whitney and I will always be able to pick up where we left off, no matter how long it's been since we've seen each other. And my friend Keri, who I call "History" because she's my oldest friend, Keri was my baked potato peeler. 

Keri & Kate at Keri's wedding- November 17, 2012 

Okay, okay, let me explain. When we were little, Keri and I used to collect pop tabs to turn into the Ronald McDonald House for donations. The tabs are recycled for money, and they money go to buy toys for the children who are staying at the residence. Read more about it by clicking this link. For as long as I remember, Keri has been my friend, and also for as long as I can remember, I have loved baked potatoes. They're still one of my favorite foods- hence this recipe. In Lower School, we could get baked potatoes in the cafeteria, but the problem was that they were wrapped in foil and still had the skin on them. Being the high maintenance child that I was, it was quite the problem for me that my baked potato came with skin on it. "But at home, my mom peels them for me!" So Keri, being the smart, selfless friend that she is, offered to peel my potatoes for me for a small fee- pop tabs. Ten pop tabs got me a peeled potato, and we were both happy campers- we were in business. So when making my Loaded Baked Potato Soup, who better to tell readers about than my sweet friend, Keri, who you will soon learn is much more to me than my baked potato peeler. Below is my toast that I gave at Keri's wedding in November of 2012.

Whitney, Kate, and Keri at Kate's engagement party- October 26, 2013

"Hi, I’m Kate, one of Keri’s bridesmaids, and I have known Keri since we were four years old. Back in 1990, my parents and I were boarding our sailboat, Cracker Jack, in her slip at the Fort Worth Boat Club, when along came another little curly-haired girl and her parents.  Mrs. DeVos gave us a friendly, “Hi there!,” and the little girl waved and said, “Hello!”  The rest is history.

In fact, Keri and I call each other “History,” because, outside of family, we are each other’s oldest friend.  A year after meeting Keri on our boats, we found ourselves in Country Day’s Butler Kindergarten building, not only trying to pick whether to take French or Spanish for the next 13 years, but more importantly, what outfit to wear to the Kindergarten rodeo. 

Kate & Keri at Kate's Wedding- November 15, 2014
The Omni Fort Worth Hotel

Keri, I cannot imagine my past 22 years of history without you.  At sailing camp, there were many long summer days with no wind. At all. We were sweating in the blazing sun on Eagle Mountain Lake in our little Optimist sailboats, not going anywhere whatsoever- so what did we do? We “accidently” capsized the boats so we could fall into the lake, cool off, and laugh at how sneaky we thought we were.  But let’s be honest- we WERE kind of sneaky at times… 

My mom’s first memory of us was when she heard us in the Boat Club Ballroom, laughing hysterically. 

She opened the doors to find that we had tied cloth napkins to our feet and were pretending to ice skate around the room.  To make matters worse, we then blamed it on your dad, saying “Well, Mr. DeVos said it was ok!” Between shimmying up and down your laundry chute and ordering too many Shirley Temples & fried cheese sticks at the club- we were quite the pair.

Frances, Whitney, Kate, Keri, Samantha, and Kate- Kindergarten friends at Kate's wedding-
November 15, 2041 at The Omni Fort Worth Hotel

We’ve been through a lot together.  In fact, seven of us women here to celebrate have been friends for 21 years.  Being friends for so long means we have been through the good times and the bad, the wins and the losses.  We’ve lost adored pets, loved family members, and irreplaceable friends.  But what we haven’t lost across time and across the country, is our ever-lasting, unconditional support for one another.

Keri, you and I have shared almost everything.  We shared Camp Fire, lake days, and even the chicken pox.  We shared our singing debut in the Lower School Talent Show- a performance that was so memorable, in fact, that the song we wrote is performed annually at the Country Day Lower School graduation ceremony.  

Ziplining in Costa Rica- October 2013

In fifth grade, we spent countless hours sharing a pan of paper mache- carefully placing newpaper strips over chicken wire in order to make our Mr. & Mrs. Planters Peanut costumes for Halloween- time well spent, though, seeing as we won the costume contest.  We’ve really done it all.

Fossils & Footprints assembly (1st grade)
Mr. & Mrs. Peanut (5th grade)
Easter Egg Hunt at the Fort Worth Boat Club
Camp El Tesoro

In January 2005, we shared in our excitement for a football game.  The University of Texas Longhorns met the University of Michigan Wolverines on a football field for the first time in the programs’ histories.  In case you Wolverines have forgotten, the Longhorns were victorious that year in the Rose Bowl, scoring a 37-yard field goal as time ran out, winning the game 38:37. 

Kate, Keri, and Whitney at Keri's Bridal Lunch
The City Club, Fort Worth
November 16, 2012

Now once again, a Wolverine and a Longhorn are meeting, but this time, instead of at the 50 yard line, y’all are meeting at the altar.  Your fans probably won’t be chanting “Hail to the victors, Texas fight, or go big blue,” but we will, undoubtedly be cheering for your victory.

So raise your glasses to Keri & Bradley’s newly formed team- may your pep-talks to each other always be encouraging, your cheers for one another always be loud, and your victories always be celebrated with a touchdown dance."

Watching the sunset in Los Angeles, 2011

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Servings: 6; Adapted from SkinnyTaste.com

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

• 4 russet potatoes, peeled (but don't ask Keri to do it. She's peeled enough potatoes in her life :) )
• 3 c chicken broth
• 3 c fat-free skim milk
• salt & pepper as needed
• 1 c light or fat-free sour cream
• 1 c reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 12 tbsp chives
• 6 slices bacon

1. On medium heat, add chicken broth, milk, and potatoes- bring to a boil
2. Once potatoes are softened (appr 10-20 mins), use an immersion blender to puree until smooth
3. Add sour cream, 1/2 the chives, salt, and pepper
4. Cook on low for additional 10 mins
5. Ladle soup into bowls, and use cheese, bacon, and remaining chives for garnishing

Keep on cookin'!

-Katherine

Lemon Grilled Asparagus

Sunday, May 12, 2013: The weekend of Mother's Day 2013, my old college roommate, Hayley, had a wedding shower here in Fort Worth. Her step-sister hosted it with the other five bridesmaids. Chelsea, Sarah, Lindsey, and Hannah are Hayley's sisters, Lauren and JK are two of Hayley's good friends from high school, and Hayley's future sister in law was also a hostess.

Hayley's wedding shower
JK, Jen, me, Hayley, Lauren, Erin, and Emily

We toasted Hayley's wedding with mimosa punch, and showered Hayley with half of the inventory from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. The next day was Mother's Day, and we chose to shower my own mom by grilling out at the lake.

Andy and I got the stuff to make quite the meal- Tequila Shrimp Skewers, salad, Zatarain's Jambalaya Rice, and Lemon Grilled Asparagus. Andy has become quite the grilling-pro and always works as the grill master at Cabana #3. My mom loved the meal, and we all sat down to eat to a beautifully descending sun on the front porch.

Granny popped in to say hi on Mother's Day at Cabana #3

We had made everything except the Lemon Grilled Asparagus before- click on the links above for the recipes.  We wanted a side that was light since we were also having rice, and I thought the zest of the lemon would compliment the spiciness of the Tequila Shrimp well. And it did! We had ourselves a healthy, delicious meal and ended the night with a blazing sunset.

A Mother's Day toast by sunset

Lemon Grilled Asparagus
Servings: 4; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 2

Tequila Shrimp Skewers, Jambalaya Rice, salad, and Lemon Grilled Asparagus

• 1/2 c lemon juice
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 1 tsp fajita seasoning

1. Wash & cut asparagus
2. Soak asparagus in the lemon juice
3. Sprinkle fajita seasoning on top
4. Grill for 6-8 minutes, turning often

Keep on cookin'!

-Katherine

Ham, Cheese, & Veggie Frittata

My mom, me and Abbie, and my dad on-board Kiss Me Kate

My parents' 28th anniversary was Saturday, September 1, 2012.  On the night of Sunday, September 2, 2012, they invited their friends Dr. Sam, Melynda, and me to have dinner with them at the Fort Worth Boat Club.  We had a little happy hour with wine and boiled shrimp at Cabana #3 before walking up to the club for dinner.  The Boat Club recently hired a new chef, and my parents have been raving about her culinary skills for the past couple of weeks.  Dr. Sam was wanting to apply for membership, so we thought it was a perfect culmination of reasons to have dinner at the club.

This was me... not having any idea what was going on.

I had peppercorn tuna, and it was absolutely amazing! It was cooked just right- not too well done, and not too raw for my liking.  It was atop a spread of green pepper hash, which I'd never had before, but my mouth is watering just thinking back at it.  Everything was delicious, and it is a HUGE improvement from the Boat Club's more recent meals.

When my dad told us the news, my mom had to sit down and I was puzzled...
we weren't sure if we believed him!

After we ate dinner, my dad started acting super weird.  He was hopping around and saying, "Just follow me, let's go see what we find, come on!"  He walked down towards the boat ramp where there are about 30 covered boat slips and started trying to jimmy the locks open.  All I could think was that security was going to show up at any minute and arrest us for attempted trespassing.  My dad couldn't open any of the doors, so back to Cabana #3 we went... but he didn't stop there. 

My dad looked like a kid on Christmas morning

He went inside and got a key that he said was "to the tuff shed" out back.  "Maybe this will open one of the doors!" he said with a crazy, goofy look in his eye.  'Maybe his fish wasn't cooked all the way... or he'd had more wine than I realized,' I thought.  He loaded us up in the car- Sam, Melynda, my mom, me, and my dog, Abbie.  'Oh great, back to the whole getting arrested plan.'

The (very 80's'ed out) interior of Kiss Me Kate

Well we got back to the boat slips and my dad unlocked the door.  "Let's look at this one!" he said.  My mom rolled my eyes and said, "This is the one his friend told him about that's for sale.  He keeps talking about it."  Suddenly we heard an "Aha!" come from my dad as he opened the hatch to go inside.  'OH MY GOSH, what is WRONG with him?!' I thought.  I seriously thought he'd lost it.  He starts looking around the boat, smiling, laughing like a loony person, and saying, "Well, what do ya think?" 

Kiss Me Kate!

"About what?" I asked.  "What do you think... about the fact that I bought this boat?! Welcome aboard the Kiss Me Kate!"  My mom sat down on the steps, trying to process, and I just looked around puzzled.  "For real?!" I asked.  I couldn't believe it.  Well, yes, as it turns out, my dad had bought it for their anniversary.  She's a 28 foot 1980 Cris-Craft... my dad has always wanted a Cris-Craft. 

Kiss Me Kate

We took her out on Labor Day, and what an adventure that was.  He'd never even driven her! Turns out a dual-engine is a little bit more difficult to drive than we'd planned... but 20 minutes later we were out on the lake, puttering around.  I'm definitely looking forward to Andy learning how to drive her, and I know we will have many stories (and blog entries!) to come! That night, I prepped breakfasts for the next week.  I had this recipe for Frittatas from Weight Watchers, but the original ingredients didn't yield much product, so I modified it a bit myself.  It's a perfect breakfast to have premade- just warm it up and take out on the water to watch the sunrise... hmm... not a bad idea!  But until then, I'll be zapping it in the microwave at work in the mornings.

Andy and my dad trying to figure out just how she operates

Ham, Cheese, and Pepper Frittata
Adapted from Weight Watchers by Kate Strickland
Servings: 8; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 3

Ham, Cheese, and Pepper Frittata

• 2 spray(s) Cooking spray
• 1 pound(s) Potatoes, hash brown, raw, thawed
• 20 large Egg(s), raw, beaten
• 1 Tbsp fat-free milk
• ⅛ tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp pepper
• 2 oz lean ham
• 1/2 sweet red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 sweet orange pepper, chopped
• 1/2 sweet yellow pepper, chopped
• ½ cup fat-free cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Coat a deep casserole dish with cooking spray
3. Spread potatoes around bottom and press potato up sides of tray
4. Place in oven and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, beat eggs and milk together in a medium bowl
6. Season with salt and pepper
7. Add ham, peppers, and cheese to bowl; mix to combine.
8. Remove potatoes from oven (after cooking for 10 minutes)
9. Pour mixture atop potatoes.
10. Return dish to oven and cook until potatoes are crisp and golden, and the egg mixture is set, about 40 minutes.
11. Remove from oven and let sit about 5 minutes before serving.

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

S'Mores Stuffed Cookies

Jennifer and me camping at PK in 2010

My love for camping began in elementary school, when I was a member of both Camp Fire and Indian Princesses.  Our troop and tribe would go on camp outs at Camp El Tesoro and Camp Carter with our moms and dads.  I think my love for s'mores started on one of these many father-daughter or mom-and-me camping trips.

Andy and me camping at PK in 2010

In the words of Ham from the iconic 1993 movie, The Sandlot, "First you take the graham, you stick the chocolate on the graham.  Then you roast the 'mallow.  When the 'mallow's flaming... you stick it on the chocolate.  Then cover with the other end.  Then you scarf.  Kind of messy, but good!"  "Good" doesn't do s'mores justice.  They're the perfect combination of gooey, crunchy, messy amazingness without which no camping trip is complete.

Michael and me camping at PK in 2008

The last few times I have been camping, it has been to the same spot out at Lake Possum Kingdom by our friend, Brian's, lakehouse.  We load up the trucks with tents, sleeping bags, coolers, hot dogs, and of course, s'mores stuff, and head out to the lake for a night of star gazing, beer drinking, and cool weather cuddling fun.  The timing for camping in Texas is a bit of an art.  You can't go when it is too hot or you will be sweating in your sleep all night.  You can't go when it is too cold or you will have to many layers on to function.  The perfect camping weather is about 60-65 degrees without a cloud in the sky- neither of which is frequent in Texas.

Chelsea and me camping at PK in 2009

Recently, I found a recipe on Pinterest (duh, are you surprised?) for s'mores stuffed cookies.  Say what?!  A s'more INSIDE of a cookie.  Now that's inventive.  Similar to the layered Reese's Brownie Bars and Oreo Cookie Dough Brownies, S'Mores Stuffed Cookies definitely fall into the category of "Is This Real Life?" kind of desserts.  They're super easy to make and much less messy than a traditional s'more.  These insanely sweet treats will leave you (like Smalls in the Sandlot) certainly wanting "s'more."  "Some more of what? I haven't had anything yet, so how can I have some more of nothing?"  "You're killing me, Smalls! These are s'mores stuff!"

Andy and me camping in 2010

S'Mores Stuffed Cookies

S'Mores Stuffed Cookie, photo props to my LPC-S, Phil

• 1 tub Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookie dough
• 1 package marshmallows
• 5 Hershey's milk chocolate bars
• 12 graham cracker pieces

1. Prep a 9x13 pan by either coating it in non-stick cooking spray or with a layer of parchment paper
2.  Spread 1/2 of the tub of cookie dough in the bottom of the pan
3. Layer 1 layer of graham crackers atop the dough
4. Layer 1 layer of the Hershey's chocolate bars atop the graham crackers
5. Cut the marshmallows in 1/2 to make one side flat.  Layer a layer of marshmallows atop the chocolate bars.
6. Place second half of the graham crackers in a layer atop the marshmallows
7. Spread the second half of the cookie dough atop the graham crackers
8. Bake at 350° for appr. 30 min

Keep on cooking'!

-Katherine

New Orleans Shrimp

Baby Charleigh and me

April 23, 2012, was a big weekend for two of Andy and my favorite couples.  First off, as I check Facebook in the morning while grogg-ily laying in bed, I suddenly sat up wide-eyed.  My childhood friend, Chaney, had posted a Facebook status that said, "Prayers for a sfe and wonderful dlivery of sweet baby CHARLEIGH! Your mom and dad are ready to meet you!"  Full-well knowing there was only one Charleigh Marie en route, I quickly sent our friend, Thomas, a text, and asked him if Natalie was in labor.   (Thomas & Natalie are mentioned a lot on the blog, they're kind of awesome).  Thomas told me that, indeed, Natalie had gone in the wee hours of the morning, and their little bundle of joy should be arriving any time.  A baby to play with? Yes, please! I am so so excited for the McDaniels and their new baby girl.  Charleigh Marie came into this world on April 23, 2012 at 4:17pm.  She was 7 lbs 1 oz and 20.5 inches, "and both mommy and Char Char are doing great!!" Thomas' Facebook later pronounced.

Later that night, as I was preparing this New Orleans Shrimp for dinner, I saw another Facebook post.

Keri and me with the Easter Bunny at the Fort Worth Boat Club
She's my oldest friend! We met when we were 4 on our boats, Cracker Jack and Keronca.

In fact, my phone had been going insane with alerts, so I wiped the chili powder from my hands and went to go see what all of the fuss was about.  My other childhood friend, Frances, had posted a status that said, "My best friend is engaged!!"  Fran was talking about yet another one of our childhood friends, Keri, who was currently on vacation with her boyfriend, Bradley.  (Side note: Bradley went to high school with Natalie and Thomas... small world!)  Bradley, Keri, and two of their friends had been spending the last few days lounging around Little Dix Bay with frozen concotions in hand, when Bradley suggested Keri and him "get dressed up and go watch the sunset."  I learned all of this, of course, when I frantically picked up my phone, ignored the fact that she was out of the country, and called my oldest friend to ask her the details about Fran's facebook post.

Bradley, Keri, me, and Andy at The Grove in LA, October 2011

Per Keri, she "threw on a little sundress, no makeup, of course," and told Bradley, wet-hair and all, that she was ready.  "What's the big deal?"  she thought, "We're on vacation in the islands, who cares what I look like!"  To Keri's surprise, once atop the mountain to watch the sunset, Bradley had a ring to put on Keri's finger and a photographer to capture the moment.  "I would've gotten more dressed up if I'd known there'd be pictures!!" Keri exclaimed to me.  Nah, capture the moment.  Even without "getting more dressed up," Keri looked gorgeous in the pics, smling away with a bright and shiny new piece of bling on her left finger.  My oldest friend is engaged!! I am so so excited for Keri & Bradley, and I am even MORE excited because this means my LA-stolen friend is going to be moving back home to good ol' Funkytown!

Bradley, Keri, me, and Andy at Keri's apartment in LA, October 2011

Andy and I talked about the baby and the engagement over our dinner of New Orleans Shrimp that night.  We boasted how proud we are of our friends for their happiness and blessings in their lives, and how happy we are that things have turned out so well for them.  I think we may have even cheers-ed to the four of you, too ;-) ...well, 5 if you count Charleigh! Congratulations to Natalie, Thomas, Keri, and Bradley- two couples and four friends who we are SO glad have had such happiness brought to them!

Bradley, Keri, me, and Andy with the Hollywood Sign in LA, October 2011

New Orleans Shrimp
Pinterest.com
Servings: 4; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 6

• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ancho chili pepper powder *this is different than chili powder!
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp sugar (or sugar subtitute)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 lbs shrimp- peeled & deveined
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter (or butter substitute, such as Smart Balance Light)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 scallions (aka little green onions)

1. Mix the paprika, ancho chili powder, cumin, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl
2. Add the shrimp to the spices and toss to coat evenly.  Set aside.
3. Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet
4. Add the garlic & cook, stirring for 1 min -do not brown the garlic!
5. Add shrimp and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring frequently for 3-4 mins
6. Add the Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and 2 tbsp water 
7. Cook until shrimp are done (1-2 mins more)
8. Top with scallions

Serve atop rice, we prefer Zatarain's Jambalaya-Style rice.

Keep on cooking'!

-Katherine

Chili-Lime Corn

"This is seriously the best corn I've ever had," was the first response I heard when I served up this Chili-Lime Corn this past weekend for our Cabana #3 Labor Day Weekend guests.  This comment was quickly followed by, "Oh my gosh, this really is good!" and "What did you do to this corn?!"  I was beaming!  Of course it is always fun to try a new recipe, but the enthusiastic and flattering responses to my corn this weekend were an added bonus.  I never knew a side dish could draw so much attention!

Macaroni Salad, hamburger, and Chili-Lime Corn

We started off the three day weekend with going to our friends, the Stephenses, house to watch the TCU Horned Frogs take on the Baylor Bears.  Our Frogs must have been a little too lax, thinking they could ride the coattails of their Rose Bowl success last year because they weren't able to pull off the W that we were all hoping for.  They definitely fought for a comeback, but they didn't quite beat those Bears.  Oh well, there's always next Saturday! The evening was fun, though.  Chris Stephens' mom, DeeDee, put together a taco buffet for the small group of guests, and we watched from the comfort of the Stephenses' new leather couch (on their new hardwood floors!)  It's been neat seeing Chris' house transform from brand-new to a bachelor pad to a married couple's home.

My dad, Andy, and me on our sailboat, Cracker Jack

Saturday morning, Andy and I headed out to meet my parents at our cabana at the lake.  Our friends Jennifer, Ashley and her fiancee Ryan, and Thomas all joined us.  Later, my mom's brother, Richard,'s family all stopped by for a bit, also.  That night, Andy cooked up burgers, and I was in charge of the corn.  My mom also made a refreshing Macaroni Salad (also a Weight Watchers recipe) for an additional side.  This corn was a HUGE hit.  Even Andy, who said he didn't think he would like it because he doesn't really like lime, was a big fan.  It's definitely on the redo list for next time we need a quick and easy healthy side.  Everyone except my parents, Andy, and I headed back into town Saturday night.  It was really nice to have a quiet, lazy evening to ourselves (that rarely happens on holiday weekends at the lake!)

My mom and dad watching the sunset

Sunday we woke up to my mom cooking Breakfast Burritos.  Sunday was Andy and my one year anniversary of dating.  September 4, 2010, was the first day that he told me he loved me, and it's the day when we decided to make our relationship official :) *Pause for sappy moment* What a year it has been! Read about our first date on May 4, 2010, here. From The Guadalupe River to Austin, Tulsa, New Orleans, New York City, Oklahoma City, Shawnee, Fredericksburg, Little Rock, and The Frio River- we have been quite the traveling couple! It's been a great year, and I can't wait for the many more to come!  We didn't celebrate our one year anniversary on Saturday because Andy was going back to Wichita Falls for his dad's fantasy football league draft.  I had a long conversation with my Aunt Rhonda about how neat I thought it was that Andy has such great family values.  I'm a lucky gal!  I spent the day with both my immediate and extended family, being lazy and getting some sun.  My parents and I watched the sunset with a glass of wine and tried to enjoy every minute possible of the cool front that arrived.  For dinner, my mom and dad and I went to a restaurant called El Paseo out on Jacksboro Highway.  Their 27th wedding anniversary was September 1, so it was our own little mini-celebration.

Andy and me at the lake for Labor Day Weekend 2011

Monday, more of our friends returned for a little Monday Funday action.  Andy and I were surprised to look up and see my parents idling around on our sailboat, Cracker Jack, so we hopped in the water and swam on out.  Andy learned a thing or two about sailboats, and we puttered around for a bit until Michael drove up.  Andy, me, Michael, Jennifer, and Annalise spent the day laying out in the beautiful 85 degree weather on the (still leaking air from earlier summer holes) raft.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day!  I seasoned some chicken thighs and we had those and baked beans for dinner.  I think what I liked best about this Labor Day weekend was how anti-laborious it was.  It was probably the most laid-back, chillax weekend we have had at the lake in a while.  I hate to see the lake days coming to an end, but if they have to, this was the perfect way to send them off.

Chili-Lime Corn
Weight Watchers
Servings: 4, Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 3 (or you can break the ears into halves)




Chili-Lime Corn



• 4 med corn on the cob, husked
• 2 sprays cooking oil spray
• 1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp lime zest
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp table salt

1. Preheat grill to medium
2. Lightly coat corn with cooking oil spray
3. In a cup, stir together lime juice and zest, chili powder and salt
4. Brush mixture over corn
5. Grill corn until tender, or lightly charred (ab 10 mins), turning corn 2-3 times within the 10 mins

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Breakfast Burritos

Every time we go to our little cabana at the lake, there are a few essentials on our shopping list: water, ice, beer, snack food, burgers/buns, and the stuff to make breakfast burritos.  Breakfast burritos are as regular at the lake as blazing sunsets and late nighting on the porch.  Usually either Andy or I- whoever is up first- goes to the outside refridgerator, pulls out the sausage (sometimes bacon), eggs, tortillas, cheese, and hot sauce and gets to work.  So far this summer, they have been a staple on Memorial Day, the "25th" Combination Birthday Party, and most recently, the Fourth of July.

Andy cooking breakfast on Memorial Day Weekend

The Friday night of the weekend of the 4th, Andy and I met my friends from college, Emily, Jennifer, and Elizabeth, along with Emily's new beau and a few others for dinner at Brownstone on West 7th.  We were hesitant at first because we had heard mixed reviews, but Brownstone turned out to be fantastic.  I had chicken stuffed chicken (which I'm working on finding a recipe for) and jalapeno grits- mm mmm! Afterwards, Andy and I went to the grocery store and headed out to the lake. 

Me, Elizabeth, Kelly, Jennifer
Katie and Emily
at dinner at Brownstone

On Saturday, the 2nd, our good friends Chris, Chelsea, Thomas, Will, Jessie, and Jake all joined us for some lake action.  Andy's parents, sister, brother-in-law, and adorable nephew, Greyson, and my parents all came out, too.  (Click here to read about Greyson's first birthday party back in May.)  We spent the day sporting our American flag bandanas, trying to repair our big float that had popped on a nail, and celebrating 'merica style. 

Andy, me, Chris, and Chelsea on the Fourth of July

On Sunday morning, the 3rd, came the first round of breakfast burritos.  We woke up sunburned, exhausted, and hungry.  Andy made the first batch, and his improvised egg seasoning turned out surprisingly well.  My parents, who had been at the Texas Rangers game the night before, came back out and rejoined us.  Again, we worked on repairing the float (yes, still, but this time the patches worked!) and spent the day floating on our smaller, yet unpopped, floats.  Andy grilled a pork tenderloin that my mom had been marinating, and it was delicious.  Throw it on a Hawaiian sweet roll and you have yourself a healthy version of a slider.

Slate, Thomas, me, Andy, and Jake representing in our American flag bandanas

On Monday morning, finally the 4th, came the second round of breakfast burritos.  I like to say that I think mine were better than Round 1/Andy's... but I'm probably a little partial.  My mom did argue, however, that since she wasn't there to judge both, she'd have to "guess that Andy's were better based on his pork tenderloin cooking abilities."  Ouch, thanks a lot, Mom!  Before hitting the lake, I made an altered version of Bethenny Frankel's Mock-a-Mole Guacamole, so look for that recipe coming soon, too!  My oldest friend, Keri, and her boyfriend Bradley came and picked us up on her boat to go play at Bradley's family's houses.  Of course, the one day we were out on the boat all day was the one day I didn't put on sunscreen.   Oops.

My oldest friend, Keri, and I met at the lake the May before Kindergarten started back in 1991! Please note the repaired float floating in the background.

That night, Thomas and his wife Natalie came back out, and my parents' friends Mike and Sondra and Melynda and her boyfriend, Tim, all joined, too.  The fireworks at Eagle Mountain are not to be missed, so we had all kinds of company arriving.  We had a huge dinner that night complete with all of our guests, plus all of the guests at my parents' friends, The Anthonys', cabana, too.

Greyson Westbrook enjoying his first lake adventure

After dinner, we watched the fireworks from the top of our two-story dock.  It was probably the longest fireworks show I have ever seen- a good 35 minutes (to the point where everyone was thinking 'Ok... is THIS going to be the finale? Nope, it's still going.  Gosh, we have work in the morning...'  Lastly, as is his tradition, my dad busted out sparklers for all of us.  In fact, he told my friends that they were "not allowed to leave until they had a sparkler."

Fireworks at Eagle Mountain Lake

It was really great being back with all of my loved friends and family this fourth.  Last year, I had just started my job, and I worked on the Fourth, but I more than made up for it this year.  So next time you have company for breakfast, or just want to whip up a healthy jump start to your morning, skip Whataburger taquitos and try one of these breakfast burritos- they're better for you and will definitely make for better memories than the drive thru line.


Breakfast Burritos

Carolyn Poirot

Servings: 10, Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 5, not including cheese



Eggs and Sausage

• 1 lb reduced fat sausage
• 1/4 c skim milk
• 10 eggs
• 10 tortillas
• Shredded cheese, as/if desired
• Hot sauce, as/if desired

1. In a large skillet, brown sausage over stove top
2. In a medium bowl, break eggs and mix yolk & whites with milk (milk is optional, but it does make your eggs fluffier)
3. Pour eggs into skillet where sausage was browned (the grease from the sausage will be enough to keep the eggs from sticking to the skillet)
4. Scramble eggs while mixing them with the sausage (I add a pinch of salt, pepper, and sometimes grilling spices to mine for more flavor)
5. Warm tortillas 5 at a time (either in a tortilla warmer or wrapped in a paper towel) by microwaving for 30 seconds, flipping, and microwaving for another 20 seconds
6.  Scoop sausage/egg mixture into a tortilla
7. Top with desired cheese
8. Top with desired hot sauce

Enjoy!

• 

Breakfast Burrito

Candied Almond Salad

My whole life, we have had a sailboat named Cracker Jack that we keep at the Fort Worth Boat Club.  In May of 2005, I was leaving dinner at the Boat Club with my parents when they suggested that we drive down to the waterfront where the cabanas are.  We had always admired the cabanas from afar- right on the water, on club grounds, and only a thirty minute hiatus from town.  We pulled up to the blue and white a-frame that we had talked about before, and my parents stopped the car.  Thinking we were just going to walk around, I hopped out of the car and heard the jingle of keys in my dad's hand.  "Surprise!" they both said together.  They had bought the a-frame lakehouse from Jim Sundberg, former catcher for the Texas Rangers.  I. was. stoked.

The lakehouse/cabana has changed in so many ways over the past 6 years.  We put up white wooden blinds, built a tough shed, replaced the couches (twice), moved the twin beds to make room for futons, replaced said twin beds with white bunk beds, put in all new master bedroom furniture, pulled up the carpet and installed hardwood floors, replaced the remaining carpet with new carpet, white washed the front wall, replaced the dock, built a kayak rack, replaced both the downstairs and upstairs air conditioners, put in new cabinets, pulled out the stove, put on a new side door and screen door, installed an alarm system (unfortunately due to a break-in), replaced the fridge (twice), AND installed new counter tops.  Phew! That was a mouth full.  Needless to say, our little gem has come a LONG way.

Easter Eve 2011

My Granny Poirot, from who I inherited many of my cooking abilities, absolutely loved the lakehouse.  Specifically, she loved the sunsets at the lakehouse.  No matter what we were in the middle of doing, when the sun started to set, Granny called everyone out onto the porch or down by the water.  For 15-20 minutes, we stopped.  We stopped cooking, renovating, replacing, worrying, and stressing.  We stopped planning, organizing, cleaning, texting, talking, and we watched.  "Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?" Granny asked me once.  "God is good, Katherine, He knows we're making memories."

Easter Sunday 2011

When Granny's heart started to give out for the final time in November of 2008, I curled up in her hospital bed with her, squeezing her hand as tight as I could.  Even in as much pain as she was, Granny turned and looked out the window of the Cardiac ICU.  "Wow, Katherine, look at that sunset," she said, "God is good sweet girl.  I love you."  My eyes welled up with tears as I told her that I loved her more than anything in the world.  My Aunt Rhonda's text to let loved ones know read, "Gertie left with the sunset this evening."  Her obituary read "Gertie Poirot went home to be with her heavenly Father at sunset."  What a perfect ending to her wonderful story, and not a sun sets without our family thinking of our amazing, funny, loving, optimistic, selfless, faithful Granny.

Granny watching the sunset

This past Easter weekend, my parents, their friends, Mike and Sondra Cochran, and Andy and I all had dinner out at the lakehouse.  It was fun being together, but no holiday at the lakehouse is the same without Granny.  We had her/my mom's Candied Almond Salad, ham, and chili rice casserole.  Although Granny wasn't there to remind us on Easter night, we all still gathered on the porch, like we do every night when we are at the lakehouse, and stopped.  For 15 minutes, we stopped doing, and we made another memory and watched the sunset, just like Granny would have wanted.

Granny and me watching the sunset, July 4, 2008

Candied Almond Salad
Granny Poirot & Carolyn Poirot

• 1 c sliced almonds
• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 4 little green onions, thinly sliced (yes, they're really called "little green onions")
• Honey mustard dressing (available in light)
• 15 oz mandarin oranges, drained
• 6 c lettuce, washed

1. Melt butter in a pan on the stove
2. Mix in sugar and almonds
3. Stir frequently until browned (careful not to burn them)
4. Combine lettuce, onions, oranges, and candied almonds in a large salad bowl
5. Add dressing as desired, or leave dressing off for each person to put on his/her own- this can always help avoid soggy salad