Lost in the shuffle.

The past few weeks have been a blur!  Between wedding planning (who’s getting married?) and well, life, I haven’t had a chance to share everything!  So here’s a run down of things that have gotten lost in the shuffle.

pizza and wine

Sometimes frozen pizza is necessary.  A few weeks back, one of those times happened.  This was my first time trying Trader Joe’s 3-Cheese Gluten Pizza and I must say it was awesome.  This will be purchased again.  And the wine?  It was a red wine blend that somehow appeared in our wine rack.  Though I don’t consider myself a “red wine drinker” this was actually rather tasty.

frozen dinner

With the frozen pizza, I served frozen green beans.  What can I say, it was a Betty (not Martha) kind of night.  But I did doctor up the green beans with caramelized onions and balsamic vinegar.

jam bars

I baked!  My Momma mentioned jam bars she made using a recipe from the Pioneer Woman and it made me excited to try Jenna’s Jam Crumb Bars.  I used strawberry jam and Big Guy loved ‘em.

green pizza

St. Patty’s Day seems like moons ago, but I can’t help but show you our creation.  Corned Beef and Potato Pizza.  I made a few changes to the recipe – using a gluten-free pizza dough mix, less creme fraiche and a “real” potato instead of frozen mashed potatoes.  Big Guy also cooked up some corned beef to chop up.  The pesto guoda is where it’s at, though!  It is an insanely weird color but it is insanely delicious.  But honestly, can you go wrong with pesto infused cheese?  It was available in limited amounts at Trader Joe’s.

Can you believe it’s the last week of March?

 

Bourbon Blondies

This past weekend I realized that I had not baked since Christmas.  Christmas I tell you!  That’s unheard of.  Well, I put on my apron and ended my non-baking streak on Sunday.  I baked cookies for me and bourbon blondies for him.  To say that these were successful is an understatement – Big Guy returned the container (empty) promptly on Monday evening after taking all the leftovers to work.

As for the cookies I baked myself…peanut butter and chocolate chunks.  Enough said.  But it gets better – they’re gluten-free.  So I got to actually enjoy my baking.  They didn’t photograph well but they sure did taste delicious and that’s all that matters.  I have a few more gluten-free cookies I have up my sleeve “pinned” on Pinterest that I can’t wait to try.  Even non-gluten-free folks loved these rich, decadent cookies.

And onto the bourbon blondies!  It’s pretty obvious that Big Guy is a fan of blondies (aka ME – har-har-har) and you can believe he loves a blondie even more when you throw some bourbon (Maker’s Mark, please) in (another har-har-har).  Since I don’t drink bourbon, this is as close to a bourbon blonde that he’s going to get.

 

The ingredients aren’t too complicated – unless you don’t keep bourbon on hand – but don’t leave it out.  And don’t leave out the walnuts.  That was actually the first thing he noted that he loved the most about these bars.

 

Are you a bourbon lover?  (I actually really like bourbon in a lot of recipes…just not in my drink!)

Snickerdoodle Mix

For the past couple of years, I’ve taken a random day before Christmas to bake.  These goodies are packaged up for me and Big Guy to distribute to friends and co-workers.  Well my bake-a-thon was last Sunday.  Five hours of nonstop baking and washing dishes!  Thankfully I had great “management.”

quality controller

Yes, that really happened.  He wanted to bring his leather chair into the kitchen but I wasn’t having that – so he settled with a tailgating chair.  But honestly, him and the Christmas movies we had playing are what made this bake-a-thon so much fun.  The only thing that would have made it better was a glass of wine in my hand.

I made a variety of items but one quick and easy treat is actually not even baked.  Shhhhh.  So if you need a last minute item to whip up for a holiday party or a sweet treat for guests, this Snickerdoodle Chex Mix is just the recipe you need.

The recipe only calls for a handful of items and I actually cut down that list by purchasing Kettle Corn Pop Corn (I found it at our local Walmart – it’s in a red bag).  Because I used kettle corn, I didn’t need the sugar and I really didn’t think the cinnamon was necessary either.  So you’ll need Cinnamon Chex and Chocolate Chex along with pop corn and butter.  Mix together the cereals and pop corn and then toss with the melted butter.  Pour out onto parchment paper, spreading out to allow it to dry.

Friday Favorites: Food for Holiday Parties

Whether it’s an intimated dinner party or a full-fledged tacky Christmas party…here’s a few of my favorite “pins” of food to take to a holiday party this year…

Favorite “Spin” on a Favorite App:  I adore bacon wrapped dates so why not try apricots?

Favorite One-Bite App:  Goat cheese + Bacon + Roasted Red Pepper

Favorite Salad:  How fun is this?  Cornbread Layer Salad.

Favorite Cookie:  You had me at salted caramel…

Favorite “No-Cook” App:  Antipasto Skewers.  I’m obsessed with mini pickles, and yes, I know they’re not called mini pickles.

Favorite “Sweet ‘n Savory” App:  Jerk Chicken topped with Rum Glazed Pineapple.  

Favorite Spiced Nut:  First of all, I love pistachios. Secondly, maple makes everything better…kind of like bacon.

Favorite for a “Brunch-time” Party:  I’m a little obsessed with butternut squash lately…they’re like little nuggets of gold, I tell you.

Favorite Cocktail:  Because it’s not a Christmas party if there’s no cocktail involved.  Just sayin’.

Happy Partying!

Christmas Cookies

It’s December!  We can finally talk everything and anything Christmas (despite some of the world wanting to start before Halloween).  Today’s a manic Monday…but here are two cookies that I’ve made recently that would be perfect for any Christmas cookie exchange or any holiday party.  Enjoy!

Angeletti

Angeletti Cookies - I made these for Chris’ sisters.  They’re like little sugar cookie balls.  Cute and delicious.  And super easy to make!  Want to know why I really like this recipe…the butter is melted, not softened (I always forget to lay out).

Pecan-Lace Cookies

Pecan-Lace Cookies - I made these cookies for Big Guy to take home this past weekend.  These cookies take a little time (you can prep the dough far in advance but it must refrigerate for at least 2 hours) because you can only fit 6 on a baking sheet at a time.  They’re fun though!  You roll the dough 1 teaspoon at a time into a ball.  When baked (only 8 minutes) they spread out and look like lace.  So Southern.

 

Happy Baking!

Thanksgiving Thursday

I know, I know…Thanksgiving is a week away.  Buuuuuut, I have some recipes to share that just might make you switch up your menu.  In the past Big Guy and I have had a mini-Thanksgiving of our own since we go our separate ways on Turkey Day.   This year we’re actually spending Thanksgiving together but we still prepared a feast this past Sunday.  The menu was prepared weeks in advance (I’m serious) and it was absolutely delicious.

The menu:

Baked Brie with Cranberry Sauce

Leg of Lamb

Maple Bacon Sweet Potatoes

Green Beans with Caramelized Onions

Caramel Apple Pie

Cranberry sauce is typically served during the meal, but I switched things up a bit (I never said this was a traditional Thanksgiving dinner).  For an appetizer, a hunk of brie, warmed, served with crackers and an Old-Fashioned Cranberry Sauce.  Cranberry sauce is so easy to make – please don’t buy the jarred stuff!

I know that lamb isn’t a Thanksgiving food, but we knew we’d be eating lots of turkey in the near future.  Big Guy wanted to tackle lamb (something he’s never cooked a whole leg of) so lamb it was.  We followed a recipe in one of his “grillin” books but it was super simple (well the seasoning part, I know nothing about grilling).  We cut slits in the leg and wedged in garlic and rosemary.  It was then sprayed with olive oil and sprinkled with herbes de Provence and salt.

I think the leg of lamb took about 2 hours to cook (I can’t make any promises-Big Guy is the meat man) to achieve medium-rare.  The final product was amazing!  Super tender and flavorful.  During the cooking process, he brushed the leg of lamb using a rosemary bundle with garlic infused olive oil every 30 minutes.

The Maple Bacon Mashed Sweet Potatoes were also super easy.  I simply pierced the potatoes with a fork, wrapped in a damp paper towel and then microwaved until tender.  Beware – they’re super hot when you remove them!  Let cool, then mix the flesh of the potatoes with a smidge of butter, milk and maple syrup then top with crumbled bacon.  Divine.

The Green Beans with Caramelized Onions were also pretty amazing (and easy!).  But anything with caramelized onions are good in my book.  I left out the walnuts but I’m sure they’d be a delicious addition.

Quite the Sunday dinner, eh?  I absolutely adored the potatoes but then again I love anything related to sweet tators.  And the green beans tasted so decadent with the caramelized onions.

For dessert, I whipped up my first apple pie (well, first that I’ve ever made) for Big Guy.  And I just realized that I forgot to serve the caramel with the pie.  Oh dear.  Caramel-Apple Crumb Pie.

Seriously y’all, the house smelled amazing after making that pie.

And I’ve been eating leftovers all week…I added some of the cranberry sauce to oatmeal one morning, tzatziki with the lamb, a lamb and cranberry sauce topped salad…I’ve gotten created around here.

What’s on your Thanksgiving menu?

Forgotten Food

I guess it’s not technically “forgotten” but there are a few things that I’ve been messing my up kitchen making that I haven’t mentioned!

Honey Bun Cake

Not the most photogenic cake but Big Guy loved it!  In fact, it’s on the way to the guys he works with now.  The only change I made to the recipe was using Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.

chewy pumpkin spice granola bars

These lovely bars are gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free…healthy!  I did leave out the dried cranberries (due to lack of dried cranberries) and I plan on taking these to work tomorrow AM.  I made mine into little granola bites instead of bars for portion control.  (Obviously that’s not a picture of the bars that I made…)

Joe made me dinner!

I worked late earlier this week and needed something quick and easy for dinner.  Joe to the rescue!  Pumpkin soap with goat cheese crumbles.  Delicious.  (Tomorrow is all about TJs! Get excited!)

Ritzy Rolos

These were a fantastic tailgate treat!  Two ingredients:  Ritz crackers and Rolos.  Simply lay our the Ritz, top with a Rolo and bake…once soft, top with another Ritz and let them cool.

And I can’t wait to share last night’s dinner with you!

Happy Thursday.

 

 

A lonely Guinness.

There is one magazine subscription I’ll never cancel.  Cooking Light has my heart.  In fact, I just renewed for 3 years.  I’m set until December 2015.  (Now that was weird to type.)  My love for this magazine stems from the fact that no ingredient is considered “bad.”  They follow my belief in that little thing called “moderation.”  Bacon’s in the magazine, beef’s in the magazine, butter’s in the magazine.  Food is supposed to be enjoyed.  And boy do I enjoy the food that comes out of my kitchen by using recipes from Cooking Light.  

On Tuesday I got the urge to bake.  The funny thing is, I rarely eat what I bake because of the whole tummy vs. gluten battle.  But I enjoy baking.  And I enjoy the smell of my house even more after baking.  I remember running across a recipe for Maple-Stout Quick Bread in the latest issue of my beloved magazine and I also remembered a lonely Guinness in the fridge from another recipe.  It was meant to be.

 

I gathered all the ingredients and the bread was in the oven in no time.  The only substitution I made was using fat-free Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and I only had light brown sugar on hand.  The cooking time made me laugh, though – 43 minutes.  Such a random number.

And while I caught up on DVR and chatted away on the phone the house began to smell amazing.  And 43 minutes later, this came out of the oven:

 

There’s no longer a lonely Guinness – but now Big Guy has a special treat this evening!

Munch Mix for Fall

This easy-to-make snack mix is perfect for any Fall occasion  or gift.  I plan on taking it with us to the tailgate on Saturday.  The best part, mix and match to make it unique to what you like.

In my Fall Munch Mix:

Cheese crackers

Pretzels

Cinnamon popcorn

Peanuts

Reese Pieces

Cocoa Puffs

Candy Corn

What would you add to this Munch Mix to make it “yours”?

Asheville Retreat

This past week I traveled to Asheville, NC for a work “retreat.”  I realized on my way there that I had not been to the mountains in over 5 years.  And that is a shame.  I’ll always be a beach girl but I must say, the two days I was in Asheville was fantastic.  (Though I’m not sure I’d be singing the same tune if our retreat had been in January.)  The weather was perfect for being in such a walkable town.  The days were pretty much booked with work “stuff” and meetings but we did manage to squeeze some fantastic dinners and treats into the trip.

On Wednesday night, we started the retreat off with dinner at Nine Mile which is in the Historic Montford area.  This Caribbean-inspired restaurant had so many things on the menu I wanted to try.  But I was craving a salad.  And I went with my craving.  I chose the “Easy Skanking” salad.

Easy Skanking
Grilled 3oz tuna steak wtih mixed greens, grilled pineapple, grape tomatoes, raw sunflower seeds, gingered feta & a sprig of fresh mint. 

I picked the Jalapeno-Lime Cilantro dressing to drizzle on top.  Divine!  The salad was so fresh and the tuna was perfectly rare.  I loved the ginger-twist of the feta cheese.

Thursday was a full day of meetings.  But for dinner we decided to dine at Laughing Seed, an “organic, seasonal, farm-to-table vegetarian” restaurant.  I started the table off with the local cheese plate.  I must say, it’s so nice to go to a restaurant where “gluten-free” is specified on the menu and you don’t seem weird for ordering “gluten-free” fare.  For dinner, I went with the Laughing Seed Salad:
Romaine lettuce, spring mix, grated carrots and red cabbage, cherry tomatoes, red bell peppers, cucumbers, red onion, fresh corn, blanched broccoli, mung bean sprouts and clover sprouts, topped with sunflower and pumpkin seeds.

This salad was huge…and I ate every.single.bite.  The champagne-dijon vinaigrette was amazing!  Homemade dressings are where it’s at.

And on Thursday night we splurged.  We ended the night at French Broad Chocolate Lounge.    I wanted one of everything.  However, my friend (who’s a native of Asheville) insisted that I give the liquid truffle a try.  And that’s something I’ll never regret.  It was worth every calorie.  I loved the flavor selection but settled on the salted caramel liquid truffle – a little sea salt is the perfect compliment to chocolate.  Simply perfection.  I think I was tipsy off the chocolate, though.  And I couldn’t leave without a real truffle – so I selected six perfect truffles to take home.  The pictures doesn’t do my sweet treat justice at all.

Asheville, I promise to not take five more years until I return again.