Fun Friday Favorites: Freezing corn, Pizza Dessert, and Maxi Dresses

I’m feeling kind of sticky as I type this…yesterday, the boys and I went to my parents’ house to freeze corn and that kinda work is super. sticky. and. messy. but. oh. so. good.  So, if a key sticks and you think I can’t edit, you’ll know the reason behind the errorrrrrrrrrrr.  Just kidding.  Oh, I kid.

I will tell you that this blog is making me a better mama.  I’m trying to cook a little more so I can share new recipes with you, bake a little more so I can share recipes and pics of yummy things for you to make, and play with the boys a little more…to remind myself that life is about those little things that we need to stop and enjoy.  Basically, I’m trying to be Super Mom.  (Wish me luck.  Lots of luck.)  But that’s good because who doesn’t love a little playtime with their favorite five year old?  And who doesn’t love a homemade, decadent slice of Pizza Dessert?  Today, my Fun Friday Favorites will have a lot to do with food and family and fashion.  A typical Fun Friday, I guess…

 

1.  Freezing Corn –

Yesterday, the boys and I drove to my parents’ house to freeze corn.  This has become a yearly tradition for us to do together.  Actually, I can remember doing this out at my grandparents’ farm when I was young.  Hot.  No A.C.  Fans a blowin’.  Working in Grandma Helen’s kitchen until the late hours of 11:00 or so.  But those were good times.  And I’m proud that we still do this.  Plus, who doesn’t love some delicious freezer corn in the middle of winter?  I’m so thankful my mom and Papa Joe let us help and in return, we come home with bags and bags of corn to put in our freezer.

Fine helpers working on corn!

Fine helpers working on corn!

Shucking the corn

Shucking the corn

Lots of corn, ready to freeze!  Nate wanted me to let everyone know..."Maxim is standing on a chair" :)

Lots of corn, ready to freeze! Nate wanted me to let everyone know…”Maxim is standing on a chair” 🙂

 

On a side note, as we sat around the kitchen table at lunch, the boys were talking about how fun it was to pick corn.  I can’t even.  Really?  This is when I knew I had to speak the truth…”You boys are so much like your daddy.”   Nate was confused by my comment.  “Well, you have his work ethic.  Thank You, Jesus.”  (I can’t lie.  Their daddy is such a worker.  Me?  I think I recall always grumbling when we had to go and pick corn.  I’m weak.  I know.)

Yes, we had to eat corn on the cob for lunch!

Yes, we had to eat corn on the cob for lunch!

Anyway.  A day spent freezing corn…it is a lot of work.  But now that I’m older and more mature…I love it.  I appreciate the “bounty of our harvest”, but more importantly, I love getting to do this with my parents and make memories with our boys.

 

2.  Frozen Corn Recipe –

We've got corn!

We’ve got corn!

Husk the corn and remove all of the silks (we do this by using a damp wash cloth and wiping the ear to remove all of the silks).  Cut corn on cookie sheets, to keep the corn contained to one place.  (Unless you are me.  Then, it doesn’t matter.  Because I had corn everywhere.  Not quite as tidy as my mom or Papa Joe.)

Frozen Corn Recipe:

4 quart corn that’s been cut from the cob

1 quart water

2/3 cup sugar

4 tsp salt (heaping)

Mix together and bring to a boil.  Boil lightly for 10 minutes.  (This will take about 20-30 minutes or so for this entire step.)  Corn milk will be clearer and not so ‘milky’.  Pour onto cookie sheets to cool.  (Use a fan to blow on the corn, to speed up the process, if you’d like.)  Place cooled corn in quart freezer Ziploc baggies.  Freeze.  *We lay bags flat in the freezer on cookie sheets, about three bags per stack.  Once frozen (a day later or so), remove the cookie sheet and bags are easier to stack for freezer storage.  Then, in the cold of winter, grab a bag of corn.  Defrost it and cook it over the stove.  Enjoy!  Soooooo good!

 

3.  Pizza Dessert –

IMG_2614

This stuff is very addictive.  If you make a large cookie sheet pan of this dessert, it will be hard to not want to eat half of it in one sitting.  Or at least a quarter of it.  (I may or may not have done this before…)

Pizza Dessert Recipe:

2 16 oz. rolls of Pillsbury sugar cookie dough (You will use 1 and a half rolls)

2 packages of cream cheese (8oz. each)

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. sugar

Sliced fruit (peaches, strawberries, kiwi, bananas, pineapple, etc…) – cleaned, cut

Glaze Recipe:

3/4 c. water

1 c. orange juice

1/4 c. lemon juice

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3 Tbsp. corn starch

1 c. sugar

Dash of salt

Combine sugar, cornstarch, dash of salt.  Then add lemon juice, stir.  Add orange juice, water, and bring to boil.  Cook 1 minute and cool completely.

Maxim helping make the glaze.

Maxim helping make the glaze.

Slice one and a half of the rolls of the cookie dough 1/8″ thick or so, and cover the pan.  I use a roller and saran wrap, so the dough doesn’t stick to my roller.  Then, I use my fingers to press it down as the crust (still using saran wrap or your fingers will be sticking to the dough).  Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  (While cookie dough crust is baking, make the glaze.)  Cool cookie dough crust completely.  When cooled, mix cream cheese with the vanilla and sugar.  Spread the 3/4 of the cream cheese mixture onto the pizza dessert crust (the other 1/4 of the mixture I used for the boys’ “Fruit Pizza Cookies”).  Lay your cut up fruit onto the cream cheese mixture in any design you wish.  Then, spread cooled glaze on top.  Chill and serve.  (*Keep in refrigerator.)

*We used the half roll of cookie dough that is left over to make cookies.  I had the boys make little “Fruit Pizza Cookies”.  They spread the cream cheese mixture on top, then arranged fruit, and I sprinkled the glaze over the fruit.

My secret to spreading the cookie dough crust.

My secret to spreading the cookie dough crust…You must use Saran Wrap.

Nate and Maxim making Fruit Pizza Cookies.

Nate and Maxim making Fruit Pizza Cookies.  (Yes.  Maxim had to have sprinkles, instead of the fruit…)

 

4.  Our new grill –

Grill baby, grill.  That's our latest slogan.

Grill baby, grill. That’s our latest slogan.

We bought a new grill last weekend.  I can’t even tell you how much we’ve grilled.  Basically, every night except one.  Brats, hamburger patties from Fareway (YUM), hot dogs, steak, chicken.  You name it, we’re grilling it.  Definitely a new favorite of mine.  I have to pace myself or I may want grilled hot dogs every. day.  Even Hubby said, “Man!  I can’t believe how good a hot dog tastes when it’s been grilled!”  I couldn’t have said it better, Baby.

 

5.  Mossimo Maxi Dress from Target –

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I see this dress every time I am in Target and I love the style of it (I’m a sucker for v-necks).  I think it’d be perfect with some black wedges or even flip flops…

 

6.  Bailey Blue Maxi Dress from Von Maur –

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Another cute maxi dress.  If you don’t mind a strapless dress.  I love the colors in this, too. It’d look nice with a little short cardigan, as well.  Only $48.00 and again, you can click and shop from your own home.  So easy and boom.  You have a new maxi.

 

7.  Playing with my favorite five year old –

I LOVE this little guy!!

I LOVE this little guy!!

I realize school is starting soon.  And our baby will be going to kindergarten.  I am trying to  seize every moment and make the best of it.  So, when I was asked by my favorite five year old, “Mom, will you play animals with me?”… I stopped folding laundry and doing dishes (because we moms are multi-taskers) and said, “Sure Baby!”  We had fun putting the wild animals together, setting up the farm animals together, and putting the Arctic animals together.  He LOVES his animals and could play for hours with them (even by himself).

Maxim had the lions all set up on the "mountain".

Maxim had the lions all set up on the “mountain”.

 

I hope I’ve encouraged you to bake a little, grill a little, shop a little, work a little, and play a little.  Remember to stop and see the little things…those are the things that make us smile!

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

 

 

 

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2 Comments
  • Francy
    August 1, 2014

    Wow, what a busy week you have had! Thanks for the great recipes and reminding me to be more of a mom instead of a maid. Can’t wait to try that corn!

  • Melanie
    August 1, 2014

    Thanks… to you and the boys for all your good help with the corn! Great recipes. Some of my favorites, too. You’re such a good mom and Patrick is a wonderful dad, too.

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