Expeditions in the Kitchen

Happy Mother's Day

I'm very blessed to have two wonderful mothers in my life, my own and my mother-in-law. These two women are my role models, and perhaps someday I can be like them and hopefully raise my own kids as well as they did. They are selfless and servant-hearted--this is what makes them the outstanding mothers that they are, but it is also why they don't always get the recognition that they deserve. That is why this post is dedicated to them, to the women who deserve honor and thanks the most, but seldom receive it.

My mother’s Rock n’ Roll Bars*

Growing up, my family took a week long vacation to Lake Okoboji, IA every summer. I loved these trips, not because the place was that exciting, but more because of all the traditions and memories we had established there over the many years. When I was little, I made friends with other girls on the beach at the resort and we made all sorts of sand creations together, from castles, to sea turtles, to dragons. As I became a bit older I started to be on the lookout for cute boys wishing for a "summer love" to come my way. Ha! I remember one time, I think I was in 7th grade and this little boy came up to me on the beach and held out a walkie-talkie to me and said his older brother and his friend thought I was cute and wanted to talk to me on the walkie-talkie. When I asked where they were, the younger brother pointed to a bush about 50 feet away that they were hiding behind and immediately I saw two boys dart out of it and run away embarrassed! Oh dear. Family traditions included renting a boat for a day, eating breakfast at least once at O'Farrell Sisters (a small, unassuming restaurant in a trailer park that was famous around the lake for their breakfasts and pies made by the cute old ladies that ran the place), relaxing on the beach and swimming in the lake every morning, playing multiple rounds of mini golf in the afternoon, and playing Uno every night.

The week before vacation my mom would prepare two big coolers full of food for the week and one of the things she always made sure to have is a big batch of her Rock n’ Roll Bars.  These bars are one of her staples, they have made many appearances on road trips, picnics, in care packages while I was in college, and even now when my family comes to visit Scott and I she often brings a batch of them for us.  They are more than just a staple though, they are really, really good!  While they share similar flavors with the much loved skotcheroo/Special K bars, I much prefer these because of their texture, the fact that they are something different, and, well, I just like them better.  Chocolate on the bottom, gooey marshmallows in the middle, and crisp, airy, rice cereal covered with butterscotch and peanut butter on top, what’s not to like?!

*These bars originally went by the name Rocky Road bars, but when my younger brother was little he thought we were saying "Rock and Roll bars" and called them by that name instead.  My mother loved his name for them and it’s been Rock ‘n Roll bars ever since.

My mother-in-law’s Holiday Salad

I first had this recipe at Scott's family Christmas with his grandparents and relatives.  This was the first extended family event I went to before we were married.  I had heard many times from Scott and his brothers about the prime rib served every Christmas and the ridiculous amounts of it that they eat--not just because they want to or that it is good, but because it’s almost an issue of pride between them of who can eat the most.  Myself on the other hand, I can become intimidated by big, massive, sometimes fatty, sometimes bloody, hunks of meat. It just doesn’t excite me the way it does for Scott and his two carnivorous brothers.  So while the boys piled their plates high with meat, I took my modest slice of prime rib (which, by the way, I liked much better than I expected) and scanned the table laden with food for something more up my alley.  What I found was my mother-in-law's Holiday Salad .  I think I may have had three or four servings of it that day!  It has crisp greens with sweet red apples and green pears, shards of savory swiss cheese, tart dried cranberries, and toasted pecans all coated in a homemade poppy seed vinaigrette.  It is the perfect salad for me.  Now when the boys pile their plates high with prime rib every Christmas, I head straight for my own “prime rib” and pile my plate just as high with my mother-in-law’s Holiday Salad.

Thank you moms for your recipes, examples to follow, wise counsel, encouragement, friendship, time and devotion, for your unconditional love, and everything else that you’ve given and continue to give. 

Rock and Roll Bars

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup flour

2 rounded Tbsp. cocoa powder

1/2 cup butter melted

2 eggs at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 bag miniature marshmallows

Topping:

1 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup peanut butter

2 1/2 cups Rice Krispies

Preheat oven to 350F

Whisk together the first three ingredients in a medium bowl.  In a large bowl whisk butter, eggs, and vanilla together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth.  Spread into a 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350F for 15 minutes.  Spread 1/2 of a bag of miniature marshmallows on top of the chocolate layer and bake another 3-5 minutes more.  Marshmallows should still be white in color and slightly melted together, do not bake until they turn golden because then the bars will be hard to cleanly cut through later.  Let bars cool while you make the topping.  Melt the butterscotch chips in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir, melt another 30 seconds if needed, stir again.  Add the peanut butter to the melted butterscotch chips, stir to combine and then add the rice cereal gently folding them into the butterscotch peanut butter mixture.  When bars have cooled dollop the rice cereal mixture evenly all over the bars as it is hard to spread.  With a rubber scraper spread the rice cereal mounds as best you can to create an even top layer. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

Holiday Salad

2/3 cup oil

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. chopped green onions

3/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. poppy seed

8 cups torn mixed salad greens

1 medium apple chopped (I would recommend not using a Red Delicious)

1 medium pear chopped (I recommend a D'Anjou)

1 cup chopped toasted pecans

1 cup shredded swiss cheese

1/4 cup dried cranberries

 Thoroughly whisk the first six ingredients together for the dressing.  Put remaining ingredients together in a large salad bowl and toss together with the dressing and serve.