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Our family has been spending a lot of time at a barn near our house this summer. While only the youngest actually takes lessons, we have all been enjoying visiting the barn. There have been two foals born in the last two months. They are so much fun to watch as they chase each other in the field in the evenings.

This week it was my daughter’s favorite lesson pony’s 5th birthday. All the “barn girls” really wanted to have a party for him. We looked for a recipe for a horse birthday cake and finally just decided to make up one of our own. Handsome Honeydew loved the cake or fancy pile of grain. The recipe is below.

There are barns all over the country that offer lessons or trail rides, here are just a few you can find on A Day’s Outing -

Glenmore Equestrian Center Keswick, VA
Charlie Horse Farm Shelby, NC
Ruggiero’s Horseback Riding Lake Luzerne, NY
Affordable Horseback Riding Lessons Littleton, CO
Warrior’s Path Riding Stables Kingsport, TN

Handsome’s Birthday Cake Recipe

8 Cups of Grain
4 Cups of Shredded Carrots
2 Granny Smith Apples
½ Cup Warm Black Strap Molasses

Place grain, 2 cups of carrots, 1 apple chopped and warm molasses in a food processor, and pulse a few times. Line a cereal bowl or small mixing bowl with plastic wrap, toss in a few shredded carrots, fill the bowl with mixture, making sure that the bowl is packed tight and full. Place plate on top and flip over, remove wrap and serve.

Serves one pony!

Our whole family loves Phở, a Vietnamese noodle soup, usually served with beef (phở bò) or chicken (phở gà). The soup includes noodles made from rice and is often served with Vietnamese basil, cilantro, lime, bean sprouts, and fresh chilis that are added to the soup by the diner to taste after the soup is served, but while it is still boiling hot. I wanted to share this recipe because I though it turned out wonderfully.

I have tried to cut corners and make this several times, as there are no Phở restaurants in our small town. The broth is THE key in the recipe and you just can’t skimp. I found the lengthy recipe below from Andrea Nguyen of Viet World Kitchen and followed it precisely and it was well worth the time spent. While it was near perfect, I thought the broth was a little mild. Next time I will really char the onions, double the ginger, increase the fish sauce, whole coriander, and cloves and possibly add a little ground coriander. I will also use all backs and/or thighs (or a carcass from previous dinner) and not worry about using meat from them. I will then cooks breasts separately and slice them paper-thin. Not using a whole chicken, would have been much faster and healthier. I would also double the recipe and freeze half of the broth, it was a lot of work for only two dinners for my family.

I now have a great appreciation for all of the Phở I have eaten out. Below is the recipe exactly as it appears on Andrea’s website with photos from when I prepared it.

Chicken Phở Recipe (Phở Gà )

Serves 8

Broth
2 yellow onions, about 1 pound total, unpeeled
Chubby 4-inch section fresh ginger, unpeeled
1 chicken, 4 pounds, excess fat and tail removed
3 pounds chicken backs, necks, or other bony chicken parts
5 quarts water
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1-inch chunk rock sugar* (about 1 ounce)
2 tablespoons coriander seeds, toasted in a dry skillet for about 1 minute until fragrant
4 whole cloves
1 small or 1/2 large bunch cilantro (bound stems about 1 inch in diameter)

Bowls
1 1/2-2 pounds small flat rice noodles (bánh phở), dried or fresh
Cooked chicken, at room temperature
1 yellow onion, sliced paper-thin, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes and drained
3 or 4 scallions, green part only, thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, leafy tops only
Black pepper

Optional garnishes
3 cups bean sprouts (about 1/2 pound)
10 to 12 sprigs mint (húng) 10 to 12 sprigs Thai basil* (húng quế)
12 to 15 fresh cilantro* (ngò gai) leaves
2 or 3 Thai or serrano chiles, thinly sliced
2 or 3 limes, cut into wedges

Make the broth-
1. Place the onions and ginger directly on the cooking grate of a medium-hot charcoal or gas grill (as pictured, to the right) or a gas stove with a medium flame, or on a medium-hot burner of an electric stove. Let the skin burn (if you’re working indoors, turn on the exhaust fan and open a window), using tongs to rotate onion and ginger occasionally and to grab and discard any flyaway onion skin.
After 15 minutes, the onions and ginger will have softened slightly and become sweetly fragrant. There may even be some bubbling. You do not have to blacken the entire surface. When amply charred, remove from the heat and let cool.

2. Rinse the cooled onions under warm running water, rubbing off the charred skin. Trim off and discard the blackened root and stem ends. Use a vegetable peeler, paring knife, or the edge of a teaspoon to remove the ginger skin. Hold it under warm water to wash off any blackened bits. Halve the ginger lengthwise and bruise lightly with the broad side of a cleaver or chef’s knife. Set the onions and ginger aside.
3. Rinse the chicken under cool water. Detach each wing by bending it back and cutting it off at the shoulder joint. Add the wings and neck, if included, to the chicken parts. If the heart, gizzard, and liver have been included, discard them or save for another use. (Some cooks like to simmer the heart and gizzard in water and slice them for adding to the noodle bowls.) Set the wingless chicken aside.
4. Remove and discard any loose pieces of fat from the chicken parts. Wielding a heavy cleaver designed for chopping bones, whack the bones to break them partway or all the way through, making the cuts at 1- to 2-inch intervals, depending on the size of the part. This exposes the marrow, which enriches the broth.
5. To achieve a clear broth, you must first parboil and rinse the chicken parts. Put them in a stockpot (about 12-quart capacity) and add cold water just to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes to release the impurities. Dump the chicken parts and water into the sink (make sure it is clean), and then rinse the parts with water to wash off any clinging residue. Quickly scrub the stockpot clean and return the chicken parts to the pot. Put the chicken into the pot, breast side up.
6. Pour in the water and snuggle the chicken in between the parts so that it is covered with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Use a ladle or large, shallow spoon to skim off any scum that rises to the top. Add the onions, ginger, salt, fish sauce, rock sugar, coriander seeds, cloves, and cilantro and cook, uncovered, for 25 minutes, adjusting the heat if needed to maintain a gentle simmer.
At this point, the chicken is cooked; its flesh should feel firm yet still yield a bit to the touch. Use a pair of tongs to grab the chicken and transfer it to a large bowl. Flush the chicken with cold water and drain well, then it set aside for 15 to 20 minutes until it is cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, keep the broth at a steady simmer.

7. When chicken can be handled, use a knife to remove each breast half and the whole legs (thigh and drumstick). Don’t cut these pieces further, or they’ll lose their succulence. Set aside on a plate to cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate; bring to room temperature before assembling the bowls.
8. Return the leftover carcass to the stockpot and adjust the heat to simmer the broth gently for another 11/2 hours. Avoid a hard boil, or the broth will turn cloudy.
9. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve (or a coarse-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth) positioned over a pot. Discard the solids. Use a ladle to skim as much fat from the top of the broth as you like. (To make this task easier, you can cool the broth, refrigerate overnight, lift off the solidified fat, and then reheat before continuing.) Taste and adjust the flavor with additional salt, fish sauce, and rock sugar. There should be about 4 quarts (16 cups) broth.

Assemble the pho bowls
10. If using dried noodles, cover them with hot tap water and let soak for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are pliable and opaque. Drain in a colander. If using fresh rice noodles, untangle them, place in a colander, and rinse briefly under cold running water.
11. Cut the cooked chicken into slices about 1/4 inch thick, cutting the meat off the bone as necessary. If you don’t want to eat the skin, discard it first. Set the chicken aside. Ready the yellow onion, scallions, cilantro, and pepper for adding to the bowls. Arrange the garnishes on a plate and put on the table.
12. To ensure good timing, bring the broth to a simmer over medium heat as you are assembling the bowls. (For an extra treat, drop in any unused white scallion sections and let them poach in the broth. Add the poached white scallion sections (called hành chần) to a few lucky bowls when ladling out the broth.) At the same time, fill a large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil.
For each bowl, place a portion of the noodles on a vertical-handle strainer (or mesh sieve) and dunk the noodles in the boiling water. As soon as they have collapsed and lost their stiffness (10 to 20 seconds), pull the strainer from the water, letting the water drain back into the pot. Empty the noodles into a bowl. If you like, once you have finished blanching the noodles, you can blanch the bean sprouts for 30 seconds. They should wilt slightly but retain some crunch. Drain and add to the garnishes.
13. Top each bowl of noodles with chicken, arranging the slices flat. Place a mound of yellow onion in the center and then shower some scallion and cilantro on top. Finish with a sprinkle of pepper.
14. Raise the heat and bring the broth to a rolling boil. Do a final tasting and make any last-minute flavor adjustments. Ladle about 2 cups broth into each bowl, distributing the hot liquid evenly to warm all the ingredients. Serve immediately with the garnishes.

*Notes:
Yellow rock sugar (a.k.a. lump sugar) is sold in one-pound boxes at Chinese and Southeast Asian markets. Break up large chunks with hammer.

It’s strawberry time.  You can pick your own berries at a pick-your-own farm or you can find strawberries at a farmers’ market.  There are also plenty to be found at your local grocery store.

Once you get those beauties home, it’s time to hull them and make something wonderful. Look for berries that are small to medium size – they tend to be sweeter than the large ones.  To hull a strawberry you can either use a specialized toolor a small paring knife.  You simply want to cut away the stem and a small cone-shaped section of the top of the berry - leaving as much of the fruit intact as possible.

Once you have hulled the berries, it’s time to eat.  I love to eat strawberries by simply dipping them into a bit of sour cream and then into brown sugar.  For a more sophisticated dessert, nothing is better than Zingerman’s Strawberries with Balsamico ( … or Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar)

Zingerman’s Strawberries with Balsamico

2 Quarts strawberries, hulled
5 Tablespoons well-aged Balsamic Vinegar
Sugar (optional)

In a blender or food processor, puree ½ quart (1 pint) of the strawberries with the vinegar.

In a large bowl, toss the remaining strawberries with the strawberry puree. Add a little sugar if desired. Macerate in the refrigerator, covered for at least an hour before serving. Serve the strawberries as they are with fresh whipped cream on top, or spoon them over ice cream or pound cake. If you want to plan a dessert ahead of time – the Strawberries with Balsamico will keep for several days in the fridge.

It’s strawberry season. Enjoy!

Find local farmers’ markets on A Day’s Outing…. and don’t forget to download the iPhone app so you can find new places to visit while you’re out and about.

There are markets in the warmer parts of the country that already have flowers for sale from their local farmers. For other areas, your corner florist has beautiful blooms that can brighten your home. Whether you grow your flowers yourself or buy them from someone else, you want to take care of them to help the flowers last longer.

Here are a few simply steps to extend the beauty of the flowers once you have them home:

Trim the Stems
Use clippers or shears for woody stems and sharp scissors or knives for other flowers. Cut the stems at a sharp angle. This angle prevents stems from sitting flat in the bottom of the vase and it creates a larger surface area to help the flowers absorb water. Never hammer or crush stems - this shortens the life of the flowers. If possible trim the stems under water. This helps prevent air from getting locked in their veins and helps them draw the water up more easily.

Remove the leaves
Trim all the leaves off the flowers’ stems that will be below the waterline of the vase. Leaves rot when submerged under water, encouraging algae and bacteria in the container and shortening the life of the blooms.

Treat the Water
Using warm water in your vase allows the water to be absorbed more quickly. A bouquet purchased from a store often comes with a packet of cut flower food for conditioning the water. For flowers you bring in from your own garden or the farmers’ market, add 1 teaspoon of sugar, per gallon of water. This will help to prolong the life of the flowers. Also add a drop or two of bleach to the water to prevent bacteria and algae from growing. Be sure to change the water in the vase as soon as it appears cloudy.

I didn’t realize it, but there is a fierce competition in Philadelphia for rights as the best Philly cheese steak.  I was driving down the dreaded Interstate 95 from New York to Virginia with my family, and we decided to have lunch in Philadelphia.  I had no idea what we were getting ourselves into as we looked for a “the best” cheese steak.  A quick check on our phone, and we found ourselves at the corner of 9th Street and Wharton in Philly cheese steak heaven.

This corner is where Geno’s Steak House and Pat’s King of Steaks go head to head.  The lines for both takeout restaurants were around the block. I wasn’t prepared for the crowds, how much a lunch for four would cost or how absolutely fantastic the lunch would be. We could have eaten at either place, but we decided to eat at Pat’s. Walking around the building, I could see that locals ordered their food in a very specific way.  Luckily, there is a sign for tourists that teaches you exactly how to order.  It took us 30 minutes to slowly wind around the building and arrive at the window to order, but when we got there, we knew what to do.

The food at Pat’s King of Steaks was fantastic.  I did learn that we should have shared two orders of french fires – no one can eat that many!  And, if you go, don’t try and grab a table before you have your food.  I watched several people sitting at tables “saving” them for their group, while other folks walked around looking for a table with hot food in their hands. I almost missed the station with hot peppers, they’re fantastic — don’t miss these.

So, the next time you find yourself on I 95 around Philadelphia, and you have an hour to stop for lunch, head down to 9th Street.  I know you’ll love Pat’s, but if you do go to Geno’s, let me know how it was.

Find fun things-to-do in Philadelphia and other great towns on A Day’s Outing…. and don’t forget to download the iPhone app so you can find new places to visit while you’re out and about.

I know this may sound terrible, it’s actually really good and even my kids like it. I was looking for healthier recipes to start off the New Year and get some new things into what had become a very boring dinner rotation at my house.

You can use any marinade and veggies that you like. I’d love something with chilies and lime, but I was trying to make it agreeable to the whole family. You will need enough marinade to coat each of the pieces AFTER they are cooked and enough to add to the tofu and veggies.

Marinade-
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce or Bragg Liquid Aminos Soy Sauce Substitute
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1/8 cup canola oil
2 garlic cloves minced
2 inch ginger piece, peeled and grated
3 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil

For the Tofu-
2 16 ounce bricks of extra-firm tofu
Cutting board and knife
Several Paper or dish towels
Non-stick or a very well-seasoned cast-iron pan
*I love my oversized Lodge cast iron pan
Marinade

Veggies-
Stir-Fry cut veggies (onions, carrots, celery, red peppers, shitake mushrooms, snow peas, bean sprouts, etc)

Dry-Fried Tofu Directions-
Tofu comes packed in water. Drain the tofu and cut it so that your pieces are a half an inch thick. Then cut those pieces into triangles.

Put the tofu pieces between several paper towels or woven dish towels and gently press enough to get a lot of water out, but not hard enough to squish it.

Using a non-stick or well-seasoned cast-iron pan at medium heat on an electric stove, low to medium-low on a gas range. Slow cooking is the key to keeping the tofu from sticking and insures that the water has time to evaporate out before the outside is browned. Do NOT use oil. You want to leech all of the moisture out of your tofu, so do not use oil–leave the pan dry. Leave the tofu down for enough time to brown, when you first place it in the pan, it will stick. As the water leeches out, the tofu will release from the pan. I have a really hard time letting it cook long enough.

Place your tofu in the pan leaving room around pieces. You will need to fry several batches to give them enough room. As the tofu cooks, use a spatula to frequently press down on each piece. You will see the water seeping out and sizzling in the pan. Once the bottom sides are very firm and golden in color, flip the tofu pieces and fry the other side, again frequently pressing each piece with a spatula. When they are golden and firm on both sides, they are done. The ones in my picture above are a little over done.

As they are done frying, coat them in the marinade. Begin cooking your veggies in a large wok, adding extra soy and toasted sesame oil as needed. When all of the tofu is fried, add it and the marinade to the veggies and serve over rice. I also added a few toasted sesame seeds for texture and taste.

I love corn pudding and I have been trying different recipes for the past few years. I think I have finally found the one I like the most. It’s certainly an artery clogger, but it’s delicious.  This recipe is adapted from the famous Blue Willow Inn Cookbook, the Blue Willow Inn was voted best small-town restaurant in the South five years in a row by the readers of Southern Living Magazine.

4 eggs, beaten
1 stick melted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 16 oz cans creamed corn (do not use unsalted corn)
2 16 oz cans whole corn
1 tbs vanilla
fresh ground nutmeg
pinch of cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all ingredients except both kinds of corn. Gently mix in creamed corn. Add whole corn, taking care not to crush kernels. Pour into ungreased 9 X 13 baking dish. Bake one hour or until top is golden and custard is set.

My mom has always told me that the fastest way to chill a bottle of wine or champagne is to fill the wine bucket two-thirds with ice and then the remaining one-third with water.  Chilling drinks this way is fast.  If you are in a huge hurry, add a teaspoon of salt, as well.  This really speeds up the process.

A little wine history:
Wine has been produced in America for over 300 years.  Today, wine is produced in all fifty states.  While California leads the way, wonderful wines are made across the country.  The U.S is the fourth largest wine producing country in the world after France, Italy, and Spain.

You can find local wineries on A Day’s Outing.  Search in our category “Farms, Food & Wine” for a winery close to your home or find one while you are on vacation using our handy mobile app.

I love food halls, although I have yet to find a list of nationwide locations. One of my favorites Elizabeth and I visited while we were in Philadelphia at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show. Philadelphia’s food hall, Reading Terminal Market, is exactly what I think a food hall should be, while there are gourmet cheeses, great butchers and seafood counters, there is also a wide selection of local specialties. There is everything from the best Philly Cheese Steak and Reuben to wonderful Amish made bakery items, smoked sausages and pretzels.

I am wondering what other food halls there are across the country. I have been to Pike Place Market in Seattle and the famous Harrod’s Food Hall in London, they were both amazing, but Harrod’s is over the top. Where are your favorites?

I know I am lucky. I have the best mother-in-law.  Sharron is a dream come true.  She makes Sunday dinner for the family, grows fresh vegetables for us in her garden, and she and my father-in-law take the children on great outings.  One afternoon, they ventured out with the kids onto an “island” in the middle of a river for a picnic.  The children didn’t realize that the island was only there because the river was low.  They just knew they were having a picnic on an island in Virginia!

While I’m not sure if Sharron brought her famous Cheese Straws along on the picnic, I think they would be a yummy addition to any outing.  They are also fantastic for the holidays. Here’s the great recipe.

Mother-in-Law Cheese Straws

Ingredients
1 1/2  cups  Butter, softened
1 pound block Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 1/2  teaspoons  Salt
1  to 2 teaspoons ground Red Pepper, depending on desired spiciness
1/2  teaspoon Paprika
4  cups  All-purpose Flour

Preparation
Beat first 5 ingredients at medium speed with a heavy-duty stand mixer until blended. Gradually add flour, beating just until combined.

Use a cookie press with a star-shaped disk to shape mixture into long ribbons, following manufacturer’s instructions, on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Cut ribbons into 2-inch pieces.

Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Makes about 10 dozen

Tip:   You can also turn this same dough into Cheese Wafers.

For wafers, combine ingredients above as directed. Then chill dough for 2 hours. Shape dough into 4 (8-inch-long) logs.  Wrap each in plastic wrap, and chill 8 hours. Cut each log into 1/4-inch-thick slices; place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.  Bake at 350° for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container 1 week.