Protein Ranch Dip

Protein Ranch Dip 

½ cup cottage cheese
½ cup sour cream
1 tsp grated shallot
2 Tbsp ranch seasoning
½ tsp seasoned salt

Blend everything with an immersion blender until smooth OR leave it chunky - it's that good!!

Croissant Sourdough

Croissant Sourdough

I followed my traditional Sourdough recipe HERE with the following exceptions...

Stretch and Folds: After the dough has rested, you will perform a series of “stretch and folds” over the next 1 ½ hours. The goal is to strengthen the dough through a gentle kneading process. You will also add cold butter into the dough during this process which will be evenly dispersed throughout the dough through the folds.

To “stretch and fold,” wet your hand (so it doesn’t stick to the dough). Reach around the dough down to the bottom of the bowl, pull the dough up and over and place it on top of the dough. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the stretch and fold. Turn another quarter turn and repeat. Perform one more quarter turn, stretching and folding the dough. Cover and set aside. Take note of how the dough feels through this process. It will go from feeling a little shaggy to smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl and wait about 30 minutes in between stretch and folds.

Stretch and fold #1: After 30 minutes, perform your first set of stretch and folds. Cover the dough and let rest for 30 minutes.

Stretch and fold #2: After 30 minutes, grate the cold butter. Put half of the grated butter on top of the dough. The other half of the butter should be placed in the refrigerator to chill until the next set of folds. Stretch and fold the dough again, incorporating the flakes of butter into the dough. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

Stretch and fold #3: 30 minutes later, add the rest of the butter to the top of the dough. Stretch and fold again. The butter will continue dispersing throughout the dough. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

Stretch and fold #4: After 30 minutes do your final set of stretch and folds. You should notice the dough feeling more cohesive and strong. If your dough still feels loose, add in another couple stretch and folds to help strengthen and tighten the gluten strands.

Rest: Cover the dough and let rise for 6-7 more hours. You will know the dough is ready to shape when the dough has risen about 70%, jiggles when you shake the bowl and has scattered bubbles visible on the sides and top.

These stretches and folds are different because the wait time in between is 30 minutes, there are 4 stretch and folds and I usually proof my sourdough overnight in the oven but with this recipe it's important to keep the butter cold - you want your dough temperature to be between 68-70 degrees.

Pre-shape: Tip the bowl upside down, allowing the dough to fall onto a clean counter surface. Be gentle to avoid degassing the dough as much as possible. Wet your hands and the bench knife if needed and push the bench knife under the dough on one side and your free hand on the other side to tuck the dough under itself. The goal is to introduce some tension into the dough. Repeat this process, going around in a circle until you have a ball of dough.

Bench Rest: Let the dough rest uncovered for about 30 minutes at room temperature. The dough will flatten a little as it sits. This allows the gluten in the dough to relax and prepares the dough to be shaped.
Shaping: Prepare a bowl or banneton. Place a kitchen towel or hair net in the bowl and liberally flour as needed. Sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough. Using a bench knife, lift the dough up off the counter and place it on top of the countertop – floured side down. This ensures that the flour is staying mainly on the outside of the dough.

Going around in a circle, pull the dough sideways towards you and then fold up to the top of the round. Move 90 degrees and repeat the same process pulling the dough sideways and then folding up to the top. As you continue this process around the dough, increase the tension as you pull. Gather the bread into a circle and place into a lined bowl.

Note: It is possible to shape the dough without any extra flour. The dough can stick to the kitchen towel but doesn't stick to the hair nets if cold proofed.

Cold Fermentation: Cover the dough with the tea towel and refrigerate overnight or up to 12-18 hours.

*If you want to bake the same day, you can let the dough rise for about 2-3 hours until puffed up and risen. Chill the loaf in the refrigerator for an hour or two – or stick in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to chill the butter in the dough before baking.

Preheat the oven: Put a dutch oven (top and all) into the oven and preheat to 450°F for 20 minutes. You are working with high temperatures, so make sure you have some good hot pads. Once preheated for 20 minutes, pull the loaf out of the refrigerator. Remove the covering. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the dough. Flip the dough over so it is now sitting on the parchment paper. Take off the bowl/banneton and the kitchen towel.

Scoring: Score the dough. Take the bread lame and score on one side of the dough, at a shallow angle about 30º and 1 inch deep. Score straight from the refrigerator on the cold dough for best results.

Baking: Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the 450°F oven. Take the lid off and place your bread into the Dutch oven (including parchment paper – this helps with the transfer). Put the lid on and put back in the oven. Lower the temperature to 425°F and bake for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, take the lid off the Dutch oven and continue baking for **10 minutes until the bread is baked through and reaches 195-200ºF temperature. Remove the Dutch oven and let the bread cool on a baking rack. Enjoy!

Note: Butter will leak out of the dough as it bakes at these high temperatures. It gives a buttery, crispy crust that is delicious – make sure you use parchment paper on the bottom of the pot so it doesn't make a mess everywhere.

**Next time I will try 5-10 uncovered

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs, whisked
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips

flaked sea salt, for sprinkling

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, then bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, swirl the pan constantly until the butter passes the foamy phase and becomes a deep amber color. Remove from the heat, pour into a separate bowl (this allows the butter to stop cooking) and allow the butter to cool for 20 minutes.

While the butter is cooling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Set aside.
Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla to the cooled butter and stir to combine. Pour this mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture. Stir using a wooden spoon until the dough comes together and the ingredients are evenly incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Using a medium (2-tablespoon) cookie scoop, drop the dough 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. I always add extra chocolate chips on top for that bakery look. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are lightly golden. I like them baked for 10 so they don't get too crispy.

Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, sprinkle a small amount of flaked sea salt on top of the cookies as they are cooling.

*Fine to double in the KitchenAid

**Yields 32 large cookies

***I like to freeze them so we can make a few every time we have a hankering!!

Bowtie Pasta Chicken Salad

Bowtie Pasta Chicken Salad

1 pkg (16 oz) bow tie pasta
Swiss cheese, shredded
Pineapple tidbits, drained
Green onion, chopped
Red grapes, halved
2-4 chicken breasts (or 8-10 tenderloins) grilled, then chopped

Measure cheese, grapes, onions, & pineapple ingredients with your heart and to your liking♥️😊

Brown Butter and Sage Pull-Apart Bread

I saw this recipe from The Pioneer Woman and thought it sounded delicious! It was OKAY. It was very high maintenance for a simple dinner roll - because of that, I didn't think I'd make it again. My husband's comment was "I can feel myself getting fatter with every bite - like a heart attack waiting to happen" For that reason I definitely WON'T make it again!! LOL

Brown Butter and Sage Pull-Apart Bread

Nonstick cooking spray, for the pan
1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
1 1/2 cups grated Havarti cheese
12 frozen dinner rolls, thawed

Coat a loaf pan with baking spray.
Add the butter to a skillet over medium heat. Let the butter melt and foam, swirling the pan to keep the butter moving, until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and 1 tablespoon of the sage, then set aside off heat.

Put the grated Havarti on a plate.

Flatten 1 dinner roll into a 5-inch round with a rolling pin. Brush both sides with the butter mixture, then press the round into the grated cheese, covering both sides. Cut the round in half, stack together and place side by side in the loaf pan. Repeat with the remaining rolls. Top with the remaining butter mixture, cheese and 1 tablespoon sage. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake until golden and cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes. Best served warm.

Sourdough Bread

My daughter, Maisie and I went to a "how to make sourdough" class a couple months ago and we are obsessed. She's a little more obsessed than I am! It was so fun - I really wish I would've taken all 3 of my daughters with me!

We've made sourdough several times since then and we keep getting our little sheet of paper out to remind us how the steps and the recipe go - so I decided just to type it up so we can see it here for convenience!

FEED: You need to feed your starter a couple of days before making the sourdough. Use the ratio 1:1:1 100 g starter, 100 g warm water, 100 g bread flour.

NIGHT routine before you want delicious bread the next evening.

An hour or so before you want to use your starter, set it out on the counter to bring it to room temperature. You would've fed it recently in the week, so it should be bubbly through the glass on the sides.

Get out your food scale. Place your bowl on top and zero out in grams. Add the first ingredient and zero out each time for precise measurements.

ADD:

100 g of starter

360 g of warm water
Next, mix these ingredients together with a fork until well combined

Add wet to dry
520 g bread flour (approx 3 cups)

2 tsp salt

Mix everything together with your fork until all the loose flour is off the sides of the bowl. It's going to be extremely sticky and not look like very smooth manageable dough. Get your fingers wet and mix just a little bit, but don't overdo it because you're going to get your hands covered in dough. Let it just sit as is for 10 minutes covered.

Come back to it after the 10 minutes with some water on your fingertips and work it into a ball inside the bowl, but only until your hands start to get sticky again, which will only be a few seconds later. Cover it again.

Leave it alone again for another 30 minutes.

When you come back to it, do more of a stretch and fold type of maneuvering with your dough. Cover the bowl & wait another 30 minutes and do another stretch and fold round. This is helping get the air pockets inside & rise higher. I found when I do at least 3 rounds of the above with 30 minutes in between, it rises larger.

So, basically from the time you made the dough until the end of all the stretch and fold rounds, it's been like an hour and a half - 2 hours.

Keep it covered and leave it on the counter overnight for 10 - 12 hours.

MORNING:

Flour the counter and take your dough out of the bowl from rising. Gently shape into a ball and dust your proofing basket with flour. Tighten the shape of the dough and make it into a soft round circle. Place the dough smooth side down into the proofing basket so the seam side that you created when tightening it is facing up.

Cover with your towel and put it in your fridge for up to 8 hours or leave out on the counter if your going to cook between 4-6 hours later.

Once you're ready to bake, take the bread out of the fridge while you are warming up your oven to bring it more to room temperature. Pre heat to 500 degrees.

Once the oven is up to temperature, you need to score the top of your bread. Put a piece of square parchment paper or silicone baking slind over your proofing basket and flip the bread over softly so now your smooth side is up and you can get it ready to put it in the Dutch oven. Go ahead and score it with a razor. Score from the bottom up when doing designs. Your first score needs to be deep.

Place your dough in the Dutch oven with the lid on and then immediately turn the temperature down to 450 degrees. Bake 20 minutes covered.

Now, after it's been covered for 20 minutes, you're going to want to take the lid off and continue baking for about 20 minutes more.

When i take the Dutch oven out of the oven, I immediately take my bread out to cool on a rack.

22 hour process:
10-12 hours rise
4-5 counter or up to 6-7 in fridge proofing
1 bake
2 hour rest

Whipped Goat Cheese

Something that I'm really proud of is that I teach my kids to do basic things to give them confidence in what they know they can do and what is possible - AND to help me get everything done! WIN WIN!

My daughter, Biz, learned how to make a charcuterie board a few years ago and is the resident pro. When I tasked her with making this Whipped Goat Cheese for the board - she went straight into action and it was perfect!! 

Whipped Goat Cheese

5 oz goat cheese

1/3 c heavy whipping cream

honey

Whip together goat cheese, heavy whipping cream and drizzle honey over the top. Toasted baguette is my favorite to dip with, especially while it’s still warm. But really any bread, cracker, or fruit and veggies is good

How easy is that! It's so fun to see her have the confidence to take something like this on and to exceed all expectations! 

CHEATER Decadent Mashed Potatoes

CHEATER Decadent Mashed Potatoes

4 trays Bistro brand Mashed Potatoes (Costco)
¾ cups Butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 package (8 Oz.) Cream Cheese, Softened
½ cups (to 3/4 Cups) Half-and-Half
½ teaspoons (to 1 Teaspoon) Lawry's Seasoned Salt
½ teaspoons (to 1 Teaspoon) Black Pepper

Dump the mashed potatoes out of their containers into a large dutch oven. On Thanksgiving, we put them into our 7 QT crock pot. Break the potatoes up over medium heat.

In a separate smaller pot, add 1 ½ sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half,  ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper. Heat this up so you are not mixing cold ingredients into the warm potatoes.

Add warm liquid mixture to the potatoes and stir to incorporate, place in a medium-sized baking dish. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350-degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through.

OR, if you are serving them straight from the crock pot like we do, just add the warm liquid to the potatoes, stir to incorporate and set on low for as long as you need to!!

Thanksgiving Drink

Making this note for me and my old, forgetful brain!!!

A couple years ago, I made a "Thanksgiving drink" and I have ZERO recollection what it was, what it tasted like, drawing a total blank. As Thanksgiving approaches, the kids have been talking about it and asking if I was making it again this year. As I have no recollection of even making it (LOL) I've been asking everyone if they remembered what was in it - what it looked like, what it tasted like...

My son came home from school and told me EXACTLY what was in it because he loved it so much he made it for himself and his friends last year for Friendsgiving.

Thanksgiving Drink
Cranberry Sprite
Limes
Lemons
Whole cranberries

Pour Cranberry Sprite into your best punch bowl. Slice the fruit into rounds. Float the rounds on top, add cranberries and serve!!

Corned Beef and Cabbage with The Sauce

Corned Beef and Cabbage with The Sauce

Corned Beef 

Cabbage

The Sauce

1 T butter

2 T flour

1 T red wine vinegar

1/2 c sour cream

2 T course dijon mustard

horseradish to taste

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk flour into melted butter until dissolved and bubbling, about 1 minute. Add reserved cooking liquid and vinegar to butter-flour mixture; cook, stirring frequently, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and whisk sour cream and mustard into sauce. Serve sauce alongside corned beef and vegetables.

Serve with Mashed Potatoes!!! 

Couscous Greek Salad

Couscous Greek Salad

3 c cooked couscous
2 tbsp. Capers
A pinch of dried Sriricha
1/3 c. Lemon olive oil
1/2 c Pesto
1 can artichoke hearts diced (I used non marinated)
1/3 c red or green onion diced
1/2 c each Kalamata olives, pepperoncini peppers, cherry tomatoes (rough chopped)
4 oz. Salami, sliced thin
1 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 c chopped fresh parsley

Mix all together and chill until ready to serve.

Garnish with feta or Parmesan if desired.

Fall Kale Salad

Fall Kale Salad with Sweet Maple Dressing

1 bag kale
1 large sweet potato, cubed and boiled
1 seeded pomegranate
1/3 cup crumbled feta
1/3 cup blanched almonds
2 cups grilled chicken

Sweet Maple Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp minced garlic cloves

Layer the salad ingredients first kale, then other toppings.
For the dressing, add all ingredients to a blender and blend well, store in an airtight jar in refrigerator
Drizzle kale on salad and mix. Or allow other to dress their own salad.

Coconut Cereal Treat Mix

Coconut Cereal Treat Mix 

12 oz or 1 box Golden Graham Cereal
6 oz or 1/2 box Rice Chex Cereal
6 oz or 1/2 box Corn Chex Cereal
3 cups Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
2 cups Unsalted Cashews
2 cups Slivered Almonds
1 cup Cold Pressed Coconut Oil
1 1/2 cups Honey
1 1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 tsp Almond Extract

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large bowl (I'm talking GIANT size bowl, or split between 2 bowls), combine cereals, nuts and coconut. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt coconut oil and honey together. Add salt and almond extract. Bring to boil over medium heat.
Pour over cereal and mix until cereal is coated.
Pour cereal onto 2 baking sheets or parchment paper and allow to cool.
Store in an airtight container.

Disney Monte Cristo Slider Copycat

Disney Monte Cristo Slider Copycat

12 sweet dinner rolls
½ cup raspberry preserves
½ lb deli turkey sliced
½ lb deli ham sliced
6 slices Swiss cheese slices halved
½ cup butter melted and divided
1 egg beaten
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
½ Tablespoon powdered sugar for garnish
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Slice rolls horizontally (keeping them connected) and place in the bottom of prepared baking dish.
Spread raspberry preserves on top of the bottom half of the rolls.
Layer with turkey, ham and cheese.
In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup melted butter, egg, Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard and mayonnaise. Spread mixture on the inside of the top half of the rolls and place on top of the sliders in the pan.
Brush remaining 1/4 cup melted butter on top of rolls.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops of the rolls are golden brown and cheese is melted.
Remove from oven, garnish with powdered sugar, cut into individual sandwiches and serve.

Thai Peanut Noodles

Take 2!!! I always forget about this dish - that my family always eats happily (with the exception of our peanut allergy girl!) but I saw this today on a new recipe website I follow and she put a different spin on it! Let's try!!

Thai Peanut Noodles
8 ounces linguine noodles or Asian style noodle of choice
½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 ½ tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger or a heaping 1/4 teaspoon dry ginger in a pinch
3 cloves garlic pressed or minced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 ½ tablespoons honey
1-2 teaspoons Sriracha chili sauce plus more for serving if desired (see note below), optional
1 bunch chopped green onions
½ cup chopped cilantro
2 limes cut into quarters
¼ cup chopped peanuts

Optional:
chili crisp oil as desired, for serving
8-10 ounces Shrimp or grilled, sliced chicken or steak

Instructions
If using noodles that require cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions. Some Asian style noodles are already cooked and can be added directly to the warm sauce and cooked there.
While the pasta is cooking, peel and mince the ginger and garlic, slice green onions, chop cilantro, and prepare lime and nuts.

To prepare sauce, in a separate sauce pan, combine broth, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, peanut butter, honey, and sriracha. (note: I sometimes saute my garlic and ginger in a couple teaspoons of oil first, but that isn't totally necessary- either way works!) Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the peanut butter melts and the ingredients are combined. Cook on a very low simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. If desired, you may add an extra tablespoon of peanut butter if you like a thicker, more peanutty sauce.
When the noodles are done, drain well and return to pot. Immediately add the peanut sauce and toss to combine. Divide the noodles evenly among individual serving bowls then top with chopped green onions, cilantro, and peanuts. Squeeze a little lime juice over each serving and serve with an additional lime wedge if desired. If you'd like, add another squirt of sriracha or some chili crisp oil. Serve immediately. If it sits for a bit before serving and becomes too thick, just add a little broth, or even hot water, to loosen it up.

Feetloaf

 Feetloaf

1 large onion divided

2 eggs *use egg substitute

½ cup milk

1 cup Italian bread crumbs

2 lbs ground beef

2 tbsp ketchup

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Sauce

1 cup ketchup

¼ cup brown sugar

3 Tbsp yellow mustard

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and spray with cooking spray.

Dice ½ an onion.

In a medium bowl combine eggs, milk, breadcrumbs, ground beef, onions, ketchup, Worcestershire, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix until just combined.

Shape into a foot on prepared baking sheet. Using remaining half of onion, add slices of onion to the toes as toe nails, and a large slice to the ankle area as a bone piece.

Bake for 45-55 minutes until done.

While baking, make the sauce. Combine ketchup, brown sugar and mustard in a small saucepan. Heat over medium until warm.

Pommes Anna

Pommes Anna

For the garlic herb butter:

½ C (114g) unsalted butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp kosher salt (use 2 tsp if using Diamond Crystal brand)

Black pepper to taste

For the Potato Stacks:

3 lb (1360g) yellow or Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced 1/16” thick

12 small sprigs of fresh thyme

½ C (50g) grated parmesan cheese

Neutral oil for brushing muffin tin

To finish:

Flakey salt such as Maldon salt 

Preheat oven to 375f (190c). Lightly brush the cups of a 12-cup muffin tin with oil. If you happen to have a 6-cup muffin tin, you can stretch the amount of potatoes to make up to 18 stacks. Otherwise, pile stacks up high for 12 slightly heaped stacks, keeping in mind the potatoes sink down as they cook.

Melt butter and stir in garlic, parsley, chopped thyme, salt and black pepper. Set aside to cool.

Slice potatoes with skin on, very thinly about 1/16”. I highly recommend using a mandolin to get super thin slices of potatoes in relatively little time. Evenly-thick slices are important for even cooking. If you don’t have a mandolin, slice carefully with a sharp knife. Place sliced potatoes in a large mixing bowl and toss with cooled garlic herb butter.

Assemble potato stacks. In each oiled muffin cup, place a small sprig of thyme, followed by slices of potatoes starting with smaller pieces and ending with the larger pieces. About 1/3 and 2/3 of the way up the stack, sprinkle a bit of grated parmesan. For the prettiest stacks, stagger potato slices a little rather than matching them up in a neat column. Divide evenly among the 12 cups. It’s okay if the potato stacks are a little taller than the rim of the muffin cups because they will sink down as they cook.

Cover muffin tin tightly with foil. Bake in preheated 375f oven for 25 minutes or whenever potatoes are tender (use a skewer to poke one stack to check – the skewer should easily slide all the way through and back out). Increase oven heat to 425f. Remove foil and return to bake uncovered for 8 - 10 minutes more, or whenever edges are browned and crispy, and tops are golden brown. Keep a close eye on them during the final few minutes of browning.

Use a soup spoon to make sure the edges are loose and dislodge the stacks from the muffin tin. Serve upside down (with thyme sprig facing up) with a sprinkle of flaky salt.

*Set the mandolin to "0", 3 lbs will be enough for 2 12 cup muffin pans. I added parmesan after the 3rd or 4th layer and then again after 3 layers making sure there were layers on top of the parmesan so it wouldn't stick. I also just used PAM to spray the cups.

Homemade Pot Stickers

One morning my son Jack and I realized that we were both home for the day without ANY PLANS!! That never happens! You know I took advantage of that! 

Jack is one of the 2 kids we have that has food allergies. Recently we had him and his sister tested to update their allergies and we found out that he is no longer allergic to fish! HUZZAH!! I decided to take him to out to lunch for SUSHI for the first time in his life.  

Then, I asked him if he wanted to learn how to make his Aunt Morgan's Gyoza (the original recipe HERE.) Jack is a great cook and was all in. 

The best thing was that we were able to enjoy and share the fruits of our labor with the rest of the family. 

The ONLY thing we did differently this time was that after we made the first batch, we decided to use the same method - but to over fill them and wrap them up like egg rolls. Delicious!

Blue Cheese, Apples & Grapes Salad

Back to School Menu

I KNOW! This sounds like a bizarre combination - but just go with me here...

I had a HUGE craving for salad - but not any ordinary salad - one of my favorites! I made it and I knew something was missing. So - I got here on the blog to see what I was missing and to my surprise - I've never posted it!!! Probably bc it's so simple - it's not even a recipe - but man oh man does it hit the spot.

Blue Cheese, Apples & Grapes Salad

Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette

Diced apple (I love cosmic)

Purple grapes

Blue Cheese

Toasted slivered Almonds

Iceberg Lettuce

*A few REALLY IMPORTANT things here. I am a HUGE ADVOCATE of using really good ingredients. Brianna's is the best. Slivered almonds can be expensive - but if you buy them in the bulk section of your grocery store - and you only buy the exact amount you need - you aren't wasting money - and it literally takes 4 minutes to toast them!! ALSO - please, please, please don't buy the "blue cheese crumbles." Again, blue cheese can be expensive - but if you only buy a small wedge - you pay about the same BUT you don't compromise taste!!

Perfect Baked Potatoes

We had our Back to School dinner tonight. My husband is a meat and potatoes kinda guy - and so are our kids. Me - not so much LOL. The theme was "SUCCESS is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out" like "an apple a day" so our meal was based on apples.

We had pork tenderloin, baked potatoes (with sides served in apple dishes) and one of my favorite salads Blue Cheese, Apple & Grapes salad and hot apple crumble pie with vanilla ice cream - what a way to start the school year!!

Russet Potatoes - 1 per person
Butter
Kosher salt

Perfect Baked Potatoes

Scrub each potato clean and poke at least 10 times with a fork. Set on a sheet pan with aluminum foil and a wire cooling rack.

Bake for 25 minutes at 450 degrees. 

Remove from oven and brush with butter and sprinkle generously with kosher salt on the side facing up. Flip the potatoes over and repeat the process. The salt sticks better if you butter and then salt each one immediately before moving on to the next one.

Put them back in the oven for 40 minutes. Using an oven mitt or paper towel and squeeze gently to check for doneness. 

Serve with bacon, chives, sour cream, and cheese for the perfect bite!!

Hot Fudge

One thing on our Summer LIVE List this year was to have an Ice Cream Bar. We had one for Father's Day! I made a few sauces for the bar, the easiest being 

Strawberry Sauce

Wells Freezer Jam (or your favorite)

Water - add 1 Tbsp at a time until it's a good consistency

Lemon Sauce 

Bon Maman Lemon Curd

Water - add 1 Tbsp at a time until it's a good consistency

Use plastic squeeze bottles to squirt them on your ice cream!!

Hot Fudge
3/4 c butter
1 1/2 c sugar
1 can evaporated milk
1 1/2 c semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tsp vanilla

In a medium-sized saucepan, place butter, sugar, milk and chocolate chips. Stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a simmer.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Mixture will thicken as it cools.
Serve warm. Or store in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 3 ½ cups.

Fruit Pizza Cookies

I made these as a quick, easy, no muss, no fuss dessert for a Memorial Day party. I baked the cookies, made the frosting and let everyone make their own!

Fruit Pizza Cookies
Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Ready to bake (24 pack)
16 oz Cool Whip
16 oz Cream cheese frosting
Fruit

Bake cookies according to package directions. Mix thawed Cool Whip and Cream cheese frosting together until fully combined. Let refrigerate for at least an hour. Cut larger fruit into bit sized pieces (strawberries) we also use blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.

Let everyone decorate them according to their tastes!!

Kicked Up Texas Caviar

Kicked Up Texas Caviar

15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed

15 oz can blackeye peas drained and rinsed
11 oz can sweet corn drained
1/2 cup red onion diced
1/2 cup yellow or red pepper diced
1/2 cup cilantro minced
2 whole avocados chopped
2 whole roma tomatoes diced
Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp sugar (I use 2 tsp Stevia)
1 whole lime juice
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt

In a large bowl mix the dressing ingredients.
Add the rest of the ingredients into the dressing bowl and stir.
Serve with chips or as a side.

Fried Ice Cream - No Fry!

For Cinco De Mayo tonight, Biz made this desert - so delicious!! 

Fried Ice Cream (No fry!)
vanilla ice cream
5 cups Cornflakes cereal
1/2 cup butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar
*Chocolate ganache

Scoop ice cream into 2 1/2 inch scoops and freeze until hard. An easy way to do this is to line a cupcake pan with plastic wrap and place the scoops in the tin.
Crush the cornflakes with a food processor or in a Ziploc bag.
In a medium skillet, melt the butter. Add the cornflakes and cinnamon and cook for a couple of minutes. This blooms the cinnamon and makes the flavor come out.
Remove from heat and stir in the sugar. Let mixture cool completely.
When ice cream is hard, roll in the cornflake mixture. Top with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and a cherry if desired.

Frito Lay Bean Dip Copycat

Cinco De Mayo celebration! P set the table - she did such a good job! She picked out all the table settings plates, etc. I love having her help

Frito Lay Bean Dip Copycat

1(15 ounce) can refried beans
5 slices bottled jalapenos (nacho slices)
1 tablespoon brine, from bottled jalapeno slices
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon onion powder
1⁄4 teaspoon paprika
1⁄8 teaspoon garlic powder
1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine refried beans with the other ingredients in a food processor.
Puree ingredients on high speed until smooth.
Cover and chill for at least an hour before serving OR puree all the ingredients except refried beans. Add puree to beans in a pan on the stove top and serve warm.

7 Layer Dip

7 Layer Dip
Frito Lay Bean Dip x 2
Wholly guacamole
sour cream
1 1/2 clamshells of Harmon's fresh salsa - drained
Shredded cheddar cheese (not from a bag)
Sliced olives
Diced green onions

Best served on a round platter or plate - the shallower the better. 

First, add refried beans in a thin layer all the way to the perimeter of the plate. Then add a thin layer of the guacamole, sour cream and salsa in that order. Add shredded cheese. Sprinkle with olives and green onions.

Serve with tortilla chips!

Texas Toast Grilled Cheese

I saw this on Instagram and was immediately intrigued. It's not a recipe - but a couple quick tips really help on this one!

Texas Toast Grilled Cheese
Texas Toast - freezer section*
Butter
Tillamook cheddar cheese slices

*New York Bakery Texas Toast 5 cheese blend

Put your Texas Toast on a cookie sheet (lined with aluminum foil), top each toast with a slice of cheese and bake according to directions but only for about half the time suggested. This will get your bread thawed without cooking it too quickly.

After the toast has been thawed, put one slice of toast (with cheese on top) cheese side down on top of another piece of toast (cheese already on top) so the cheese sides are together. 

Put a pat of butter into your grilled cheese pan and cook as you normally would until the cheese is all melty and the toast is nice and crispy on the outside!

I made this as a quick weeknight dinner for the little girls (16 and 12) and I and it was a HIT!! 

Sick Soup

This is not a recipe - but as my kids are all capable of cooking themselves - I was asked to share my tricks for this boxed soup I make every time we get sick.

I'm not sure when I started eating this - sometime in my childhood because my younger brother does the same thing when he is sick - AND we both call it Sick Soup...

Lipton Noodle Soup
Chicken Stock
Cholula Sweet Habanero to taste*
Salt and Pepper to taste

I always make it in the microwave - because I'm either the one that is sick - or I'm the one making it for the sick kid in between doing everything else for them! Cook per directions on box. I always add chicken stock, salt and pepper before I microwave it.

*After it comes out of the microwave, I add Cholula - usually if it's a cold - not if it's the flu.

Chocolate Chip Pie

Chocolate Chip Pie

1 unbaked 9-inch deep dish pie pastry
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Beat eggs in large mixer bowl on high speed until foamy and pale in color. Beat in flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Beat in butter until combined.
Stir in morsels. Spoon into pie shell. The mixture will be thick.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean. You may want to make a foil tent over the pie towards the end so the crust doesn't brown too much. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Cornbread Waffles & Chili

I watched this on Studio 5 and my mouth was absolutely watering. I knew my family would LOVE it!! The Cornbread Waffle recipe is from Alex Daynes - you can see her original recipe and her chili recipe HERE

The first picture is how my son made it - waffle on bottom, chili on top. The second picture is how I made it - chili in a bowl with waffle "chips" on the side.

Cornbread Waffles

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs *1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 
5 cups (1 per serving) homemade chili**

Preheat waffle iron to medium heat.
In a large bowl combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
Add milk, oil, and applesauce and stir until incorporated, but don’t over-mix. Leave it a little lumpy.
Spray waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter onto hot waffle iron and bake in batches.
Serve with chili over top and garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado and chopped green onion.

*I substitute applesauce for the eggs because of Jack's egg allergy

**See my AWARD WINNING Runnin' Utes Tailgate Chili HERE

Homemade Hot Chocolate

It's March 2nd and all our hopes and dreams of Spring right around the corner have been dashed. It is snowing right now and it's accumulating at an alarming rate! We decided to stay in and watch movies until the storm passed. I decided to make hot cocoa - as it may be our last cold and snowy day for a while (here's hoping!!)

I found this recipe online but tweaked it a little to suit our tastes and it turned out delicious! Honestly, the best hot chocolate I've ever had!

Homemade Hot Chocolate

6 cups milk
12 oz can sweetened evaporated milk  
1/4 cup heavy cream 
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder

In a medium sized bowl whisk together sugar and cocoa. Slowly whisk in evaporated milk - get it as incorporated as you can. 

In a large saucepan, heat milk and heavy cream over medium heat, stirring often. When it starts to bubble around the edges, slowly add cocoa mixture about 1/3 at a time whisking to combine. Stir constantly to prevent scorching until mixture is hot and slightly thickened. Serve with whipping cream

Egg Roll In A Bowl

This is so fast and easy it's ridiculous. Dinner ready in 15 minutes - no joke. I usually serve it with wonton chips - but tonight we only had Chow Mein Noodles (the crunchy kind)

Egg Roll In A Bowl

1 lb ground beef or ground pork
1 tsp minced garlic
14 oz shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
1/4 c soy sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp sriracha
1 whole egg
1 T sesame oil
2 T sliced green onions

Wonton Strips or Chow Mein Noodles (crunchy)

In a large skillet, brown the pork or beef until no longer pink. Add the garlic and sautee for 30 seconds. Add the cabbage/coleslaw, soy sauce, ginger, and sautee until desired tenderness. You can add a little water if you need more liquid to sautee the coleslaw down.

Make a well in the center of the skillet and add the egg. Scramble until done over low heat.
Stir in sriracha. Drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle with green onions. Add additional soy sauce and sriracha if desired.

*I always double this recipe - feeds 6 - never any leftovers!!

Microwave Poached Eggs

I saw this on the Food Network and was AMAZED!! So easy!!

Microwave Poached Eggs

Crack the egg into a mug or glass measuring cup. Pour slightly chilled water into the mug until it covers the egg by about 1/2-inch (about 1/3 cup)

Place the mug in the microwave and cook on high for 60 seconds. Every microwave is different, so start checking at 45 seconds for doneness. Add more time as needed. You will know the egg is done when the yolk is no longer exposed but is still soft to the touch.

Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and allow some of the excess water to drip off onto a paper towel before placing them on your plate or your toast. Season with salt and pepper.

Voila! A freakin breakfast miracle!!

Italian Hoagie Dip

I saw this recipe listed as "A DIP" for the Superbowl. We rethought it over here! I made it according to the directions below, but my daughters made it into sandwiches (2 made open faced sandwiches, one a full on sandwich) and I added extra lettuce and turned it into a salad - both pictured below. I'm sure if my husband and son were home that night - they would've eaten it as it was meant to be.  

Italian Hoagie Dip

1/2 red onion, diced
4 pickled pepperoncini peppers drained and diced, (reserve some pepperoncini juice for the sauce)
1/2 head iceberg lettuce chopped about the size of nickels
1 large tomato, halved, seeded, and diced
1/4 pound deli-sliced Genoa salami, sliced and diced
1/4 pound deli-sliced ham, sliced and diced
1/4 pound deli-sliced prosciutto, sliced and diced
1/4 pound deli-sliced roast turkey, diced
1/4 pound deli-sliced provolone cheese, sliced and diced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon pepperoncini juice
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 10- to-12- inch round loaf of choice, hollowed out
1 sliced baguette

Combine the chopped vegetables, meats and cheese in a large bowl.

In a small bowl mix the mayonnaise, olive oil, vinegar, pepperoncini juice, oregano, and red pepper flakes and stir until everything is all mixed up.

If you are going to serve within an hour, pour the dressing over the meat/veggie mixture and toss until combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

If you are NOT eating it soon, keep all ingredients refrigerated and toss together right before so that the lettuce does not get soggy.

Carve out the center of the bread loaf to make a bowl and cut the top piece taken out into bite-size pieces. Serve the hoagie dip in the bread bowl, with the extra bread and baguette slices.

Spread dip over bread and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

Meatballs & Rice

Easy weeknight dinner! I've made this a lot but always forget the recipe - finally going to write it down.

Meatballs & Rice

Meatballs
Grape Jelly
Chili sauce

Rice

I mix it up a bit, in a crock pot, add meatballs (I use Costco Italian Meatballs), a large jar of grape jelly and any other jelly I have that needs to be used. I've used both raspberry and apricot with great success. Then add chili sauce (in a glass jar - like the old school Heinz ketchup bottle). Cook for about 2 hours on high and 2 hours on low. 

I serve with rice - generally microwave rice - one of our dinner in a hurry meals.

Southern Creamed Corn

My kids have ALWAYS loved corn. Always. In all forms. Even when my kids had braces - they loved corn - if we had it on the cob, I would cut it off the cob for them.

Every time we go to a steakhouse, if corn is on the menu - they order it. ESPECIALLY if it's creamed corn. Biz's current best of all time is Texas Roadhouse. Jack says Goodwood's is a great contender. So, I thought I'd try it at home.

We did a blind taste test. The recipe below (I used canned corn) OR canned creamed corn. I've never had creamed corn from a can and I can honestly say that it isn't bad. It's not amazing or anything, but none of us spit it out. It was unanimous - everyone loved this Southern Creamed Corn - even Piper (pickiest eater EVER) had seconds and said "this is so addicting."

Southern Creamed Corn
8 ears corn, husked *or 4 cans corn, drained
2+ tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup cold water
2 tablespoons butter
Sugar to taste - I added a sugar spoonful

In a large bowl, cut the tip off cob. Cut the kernels from cob with a small paring knife. Using the back of the blade, scrape against the cob to press out the milky liquid.
Whisk together sugar, flour, and salt and pepper, to taste. Combine with corn. Add the heavy cream and water. Mix.
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat butter. Add corn mixture and turn heat down to medium-low, stirring until it becomes creamy, about 30 minutes.
Add the 2nd helping of sugar 5 minutes before serving.