Greek Gods Got it Right

Back in college I spent a summer at Oxford and fell in love with European yogurt. I'd eaten yogurt daily growing up, the standard lowfat Dannon kind (nothing wrong with that), I'd just never tasted anything so rich & creamy before that summer abroad. So, I came home on a hunt for yogurt - "real yogurt". I never really found anything as yummy as euro-yogurt, but I've recently discovered Greek yogurt and it's amazing. I think a cup of this goodness is one of the most delicious & satisfying breakfasts around, and I don't normally even eat breakfast - I'm a one cup of coffee kind of girl. If you enjoy easy, simple, rich & creamy deliciousness, don't miss the chance to toss some seasonal fruit & honey into Greek yogurt.

Pictured here is a little bowl of ridiculously rich & creamy heaven: Greek yogurt, strawberries, blueberries & Ben Wheeler peaches with North Texas honey. I like Fage or The Greek Gods with honey varieties, and I add in an additional drizzle of my own local honey for good measure (which may help with allergies!)

Don't have a heart attack when you check out the nutritional info - this yogurt is rich & creamy for a reason, it's loaded in fat :) but research shows full fats (healthy fats) help you lose weight, increase muscle tone and replenish bodies with protein after working out, plus they offer vitamin D, calcium and acidophilus, so how can you go wrong? A quick search on google also suggests that full-fat dairy may help with fertility. interesting! Always knew I liked the real full-fat versions (in moderation of course) of pretty much all foods :)

Lemon Blueberry Scones

This is my favorite scone recipe! Crumbly & buttery, you can very the add-ins (chocolate chips, dried cranberries & orange zest, etc) and I enjoy this version with lavender honey compound butter, softened butter with the addition of honey & fresh lavender flowers or leaves. Everything's better with butter :) Here's the recipe as seen in Baking Illustrated.

The most traditional sweet biscuit–like texture is obtained by using both butter and heavy cream. If you prefer a cake-like texture or want the scones to stay fresher longer, try the Cakey Scones variation (below). The easiest and most reliable approach to mixing the butter into the dry ingredients is to use a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Resist the urge to eat the scones hot out of the oven. Letting them cool for at least 10 minutes firms them up and improves their texture.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, preferably a lower-protein brand, such as Gold Medal or Pillsbury
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 5 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup currants
• 1 cup heavy cream
  

Preparation:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

2. Place the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl or the workbowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Whisk together or process with six 1-second pulses.

3. If making by hand, use two knives, a pastry blender, or your fingertips and quickly cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal with a few slightly larger butter lumps. If using a food processor, remove the cover and distribute the butter evenly over the dry ingredients. Cover and process with twelve 1-second pulses. Add the currants and quickly mix in or pulse one more time. Transfer the dough to a large bowl.

4. Stir in the heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork until the dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.

5. Transfer the dough and all dry flour bits to a countertop and knead the dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, slightly sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Press the dough into an 8-inch cake pan, then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work-surface. With a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the dough into 8 wedges. Place the wedges on an ungreased baking sheet. (The baking sheet can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 hours before baking.)

6. Bake until the scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: Makes 8

Parsley Dipping Sauce & Marinade

I sort of cringe when people take a recipe and alter it like I did here and then recommend it... oh well, it turned out pretty tasty and I would recommend it :) I have tons of parsley these days and saw a yummy parsley marinade & dipping sauce for beef & pineapple pops. Fresh & easy, I used the marinade on chicken and will definitely try it as it was intended with beef & pineapple soon. Check out Giada's video demo.

loads of parsley... hmm, what to do with all this.

here's the marinade working its magic

after our first bite, yum, yes I think I'll post this :)

mmm, Bruschetta

Bruschetta is one of my favorite bites - easy and adaptable, you can make it out of anything, any time of year, even smoked pulled pork and herbs & tomatoes from the backyard like I did :) Plus, bread does this magical thing when it gets all warm & toasty... mmm, bruschetta.

Here's my latest version:

Ingredients:

• 1 baguette
• a cup of fresh grape tomatoes, sliced
• fresh basil
• fresh parsley
• garlic, minced
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 3/4 cup pulled pork or any kind of prosciutto, pancetta or salami
• 1/2 cup feta
• handful of diced kalamata olives
  
• olive oil
  

Preparation:

Heat oven to 425. Slice a baguette lengthwise in half. Drizzle with olive oil and season with garlic salt & pepper. Heat in the oven for ~8 minutes until golden brown and toasty. (Alternatively, grill your bread.) Meanwhile, in a saute pan, soften sliced red onion, garlic, tomatoes, olives, pulled pork (or ham, salami, any other yummy meat) in olive oil. Toss in a bowl with fresh basil, parsley and feta. Top toasted bread and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Brownies

Who doesn't love peanut butter & brownies? Why not combine the two? I had a hankering for these two flavors and did a quick search to see what I could make of my boxed brownie mix. voila! I liked them... crumbly & buttery :) Troy likes a fudgier brownie, but no complaints from me... try them out if you're looking for a pb & brownie fix.

Cake Balls!

I bet if you enjoy baking you know Bakerella and her fabulous Cake Balls. (I have to confess, every time I say cake balls I giggle and exclaim, "cake balls!" what a great name.) I've had so much fun making various versions of these yummy truffle-like desserts lately: red velvet with cream cheese, strawberry with cream cheese, and just yesterday for work, white cake with white icing dyed minty green for st. patty's day. I'm including my first red velvet batch here.... try these, they're to die for!

Bakerella's Cake Balls Recipe (my notes in blue)

Ingredients:

• 1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
• 1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
• 1 package chocolate bark, regular or white chocolate (I used both!)
  
• wax paper (I used parchment paper)
  

Preparation:


1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.) (I used a spatula to combine, worked great.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50. You can get even more if you use a mini ice cream scooper, but I like to hand roll them.) (Note, I got 32 golf-ball sized cake balls out of this recipe 3 different times... I like them a bit larger, nice cake to chocolate bark ratio.)
4. Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)
5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.
6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.) (Don't worry if they look a little messy on the parchment/wax paper... once they're set, they look so pretty! Drizzle white chocolate over in a criss-cross pattern for nice effect, as well.)

I also only melt a few pieces of chocolate bark at a time because it starts to cool and thicken. It’s easier to work with when it’s hot. (Very true... I used a small glass bowl to heat mine in the microwave... easier than a double boiler. And, the inexpensive "almond/chocolate" bark is the way to go! I tried a "nicer" ghirardelli dark chocolate first and didn't get nearly the same melting/glossy effect.)

red velvet cake, crumbled & mixed into
cream cheese frosting & rolled into balls

dipped and all gussied up...
this was my firstn ttempt, so mine are a little messy

into cellophane baggies as little gifts


and now, up close & personal, so yummy.

We prefer these cool, so I rec keeping them in the fridge - I've been able to serve them even a few days after making them, as they stay fresh & moist & pretty on a platter under plastic wrap... if they last that long... *hope you enjoy these!

Paige's Picks

My dear friend Paige is such a creative cook and she recently sent me links and a couple pics to some of her favorite recipes (thanks Paige!!) - just adding them here is making my mouth water... try them out & let us know what you think! :)

Eggs Florentine

Raspberry Filled Crepes

Black Bean Chili
(*As pictured above... Paige says she makes this once a week & tops with cilantro, cheddar & sour cream. Yum.)

Cheddar Dill Cornbread
(a perfect compliment to the aforementioned chili)

Chicken Souvlaki with Grilled Pita

Slow-Cooked Scrambled Eggs

Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits

Eggplant Gratin

*And, a few of Paige's own!

Taco Soup

Taco Soup

• 1 lb. lean, grass fed ground beef
• 1 onion, diced
• 1- 16oz can of Rotel
• 3- 16oz cans of black beans
• 1-16oz can of corn, undrained
• 1-4 1/2 oz can of green chiles
• 1-15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups of water
• 1 pkg of taco seasoning
• 1 pkg of dry Ranch dressing mix

Cook beef and onion until tender and drain. Combine beef mixture with all other ingredients in stock pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 mins. Makes 3 1/2 quarts.

Thin Mint Sugar Cookies

Thin Mint Sugar Cookies

Cut a roll of sugar cookie dough (store bought) into 1/4" slices. Place a Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookie or Keebler Grasshopper if Thin Mints aren't available and sandwich between two slices of sugar cookie dough. (Make a Thin Mint sandwich, basically.) Baste the top of the "sandwiches" with a little egg wash and top with chopped pecans. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Sinfully delicious!

A recipe from a Baylor Women's Alumni Party:

Praline Coffee

• 3 cups of hot brewed coffee
• 3/4 cup of half & half
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 T butter
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• dollop of whipped cream

Heat coffee, half & half, brown sugar and butter over medium heat, stirring constantly until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Remove from heat and serve with whipped cream, if desired.

*Paige, you're awesome for sharing your favorite recipes with me - keep them coming & happy eating!

Fruity Crumbles

I really do love Ina Garten - her recipes are so classic & reliable. This fruit crumble dessert is one I'll definitely make again because I love its versatility and flexibility for any season, no matter the fruit you have on hand. Plus, you can make these individual crumbles ahead of time and bake them off for dinner or even a couple days after you've assembled them. Yay leftovers :)

Ingredients

For the Fruit:nocoupons

• 2 pounds firm, ripe peaches (6 to 8 peaches)
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup fresh blueberries (1/2 pint)

For the crumble:nocoupons

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Immerse the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until their skins peel off easily. Place them immediately in cold water. Peel the peaches, slice them into thick wedges, and place them in a large bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and flour. Toss well. Gently mix in the blueberries. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Spoon the mixture into ramekins or custard cups.

For the topping, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Rub the mixture with your fingertips until it's in big crumbles, then sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Place the ramekins on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the tops are browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

If you want to make these early, store the unbaked crumbles in the refrigerator and bake before dinner.

Here's what mine looked like:

Blanching beauties

Ice bath to chill these girlies down

Making the crumble

Tossing the fruit in all kinds of yumminess...
(for the fruit, I actually used nectarines, a granny smith apple, some strawberries & blackberries b/c that's what I had on hand)

Assembly line

Warm & bubbly and dressed up with a little ice cream

I like how the fruit bubbled up & dripped down the ramekins.
- will definitely make these again :)

Pantry Ideas?

Don't I wish this was my pantry :)

A creative cook-y friend of mine and I were chatting recently about easy week-day dinner ideas and we groaned to each other about planning our shopping (strategy-wise) to keep a decent pantry & freezer filled with goodies while supplementing with fresh things every couple of days. *How does one get it all done & get dinner on the table?

I won't pretend to have any real life-changing answers, but I jotted down some simple ideas that have somewhat helped us stay organized and satisfied, even in a pinch. Adding them here so I can check back in case my pregnancy brain makes me forget.

Having a variety of these 'pantry ingredients' in the house helps to throw together something that’s usually healthy, colorful, and fairly quick. And, if all else fails, I’ll make us Annie’s organic mac’n cheese and toss in broccoli and grape tomatoes to blanch as the pasta’s finishing cooking. Ha. Are we 6 years old? We love mac’n cheese :)

*If you have pantry ideas, essential ingredients, or creative meal options send them my way and we'll add them here! :)

Dry pantry:

• Canned tomatoes
• Black beans
• Garbanzo beans
• Canned green chilies
• Jar roasted red peppers
• Dried lentils
• Brown rice
• Couscous
• Pasta
• Tomato paste
• Chicken stock
• Beer
• Bread crumbs
• Annie’s mac & cheese, for when all else fails
  

Bowl on the counter:

• Garlic
• Potatoes, white & sweet
• Red and yellow onions
• Grape tomatoes
• Grainy bread for sandwiches / paninis / sopping up soups
• Bananas - nature's power bar (freeze old ones for smoothies & baking)
  

Fresh Fridge:

• Carrots
• Celery
• Broccoli
• Romaine or spinach
• Bacon
• Apples
• Oranges
• Eggs
• Lean sausage
• More beer & wine :)
  

Frozen Goodies:

• Chicken breasts
• Ground beef
• Orange roughy, salmon or tilapia filets
• Puff pastry
• Almonds, pecans, or walnuts
• Frozen fruit for smoothies
• Frozen green beans/veggies to sauté or add to soups
  
• Frozen bag of sweet potato fries
• Kashi whole wheat pizza

I’m afraid once you read this you’ll think to yourself, “Really? After culinary school that’s all she can come up with?” I’m just being honest about how we really eat – we have a grocery budget and most of the time I’m too sleepy after a long day of work to cook anything very extravagant, so here are my very humble/simple tips:

We don't mind eating leftovers (and sometimes we have work or dinner plans at night), so I’ll cook 2 – 3 times during the work week, and we’ll snack on it and supplement with a fruit smoothie, and Troy takes leftovers to work for lunch (he's so good).

It sounds super basic & obvious, but I try to serve a protein, 2 veggies and a starch for dinner (unless we’re doing pasta or chili/soup, etc) and in the spring & summer, we opt for lots of one bowl salads - chopped romaine & spinach with canned beans, corn, baby pasta shapes, nuts, pulled chicken, crunchy celery, anything & everything mixed in with a simple lemon or balsamic/olive oil vin. This is a good way to use up leftovers.

I like colors and we tend to eat with our eyes, so I try to include complimentary colors in our food - reds, orange, green, yellows, purple, etc in our meals. Even if I’m just grilling some frozen chicken breasts, I’ll top them with sautéed onions/garlic/roasted red peppers and serve over cous cous and steamed spinach. *Do you have a grill pan? Such a great way to cook protein at one end, and veggies at the other, all pretty quickly.

If I’m soaking some beans, we’ll eat them with an easy chopped romaine salad (topped with sliced red onion, a little feta and lemon/olive oil vin.) and sweet potato fries. Slicing a red apple and squeezing some lime over it makes for a healthy fresh bite at the end of the meal.

On Sundays, sometimes I’ll slow-cook/simmer 4-6 chicken breasts with onion/garlic/canned tomatoes and seasoning for about an hour. Then I’ll pull them apart with forks and use the chicken meat all week long in enchiladas, on a bbq chicken pizza, with brown rice & veggies in a rice bowl, in a stuffed baked potato, you get the idea.

Some easy week-day meal ideas:

• Grilled sausage, grilled red & green bell peppers/onions over brown rice
• Spinach & feta-stuffed baked chicken breasts with pasta & marinara
• Mushroom risotto and grilled or roasted butternut squash and yellow/green squash
• Pressed panini sandwiches with spinach, ham, gouda, roasted red pepper, jar or tomato basil soup for dipping
• Grilled pork chops, polenta, romaine salad, sliced peaches
• Stuffed sweet or russet potatoes – broccoli, bbq chicken, corn, black beans, grape toms
• Baked orange roughy, sautéed asparagus/grape toms/onion/garlic, brown rice
  
• Breakfast for dinner – scrambled egg tacos with potato wedges, black beans and fruit
• Bowl’o beans, sharp cheddar cheese crumbles, blue corn tortilla chips & romaine salad
• Bolognese-stuffed bell peppers & orzo (orzo tossed with a little olive oil, lemon & parsley

Ham & Cheese in Puff Pastry

This is Ina's version of a croque monsieur and wow is it delicious! So easy and a great app for parties, or as an indulging brunch or lunch :) I did this recently for our supper club and then at thanksgiving and both times it got gobbled up. *If you don't want to splurge on gruyere, any baby swiss will do.

Ingredients
nocoupons

• 1 package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted (recommended: Pepperidge Farm)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 pound black forest ham, sliced
• 1/2 pound Swiss Gruyere cheese, sliced
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan.

Lay 1 sheet of puff pastry on a floured board and carefully roll it out to 10 by 12 inches. Place it on a sheet pan and brush the center with the mustard, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Place a layer first of ham and then cheese, also leaving a 1-inch border. Brush the border with the egg wash.

Place the second sheet of puff pastry on the floured board and roll it out to 10 by 12inches. Place the second sheet on top of the filled pastry, lining up the edges. Cut the edges straight with a small, sharp knife and press together lightly. Brush the top with egg wash and cut a few slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes and serve hot or warm.

*Check out more yummy croque ideas with a béchamel.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

I have a gazillion recipes from the fall that I never posted - please forgive me, I know you've been waiting with bated breath ;) ha... one of them is this yummy emeril lagasse chocolate pecan pie. It's super easy & very nice! Even better with a little Blue Bell vanilla bean ice cream, but then what isn't better with ice cream. Try it if you're in the mood for something chocolate & nutty.

Ingredients:

• 1 unbaked pie shell (or make your own! I did using this Baking Illustrated recipe)
• 1 1/2 cups pecans
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 4 eggs beaten
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup Steen's 100 percent pure cane syrup
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 2 oz melted semi-sweet chocolate
• 2 scoops vanilla bean ice cream :)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread the pecan pieces and the chocolate chips on the bottom of the pie shell. In a mixing bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together. Pour the filling over the pecans. Bake for about 1 hour or until the filling sets. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Making the crust (or use a prepared pie shell)

Before it's baked... yum

All it needs now is ice cream :)

Creamy Cheesy Pumpkin Dip

This is a simple appetizer that goes over well with sweet & savory lovers alike. It's just easy cream cheese smothered in pumpkin butter, with crumbled bacon, toasted pecans, dried cranberries & green onions. I like it with Wheat Thins.

Ingredients

• 1 box Wheat Thins or other crackers
• 1 8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
  
• 1/4 cup pumpkin butter (I buy this by the jar around the holidays)
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup crumbled bacon
• 1/4 cup toasted pecans
• handful of green onion cut at an angle for color & bite
  

Preparation

This is easy to throw together - pull out the cream cheese and let it get soft on the counter while you cook off and crumble the bacon. Toast pecans in either a skillet on the stove; or on a sheet pan in the oven at 350 for a couple of minutes... they'll smell amazing when they're ready. Slice the green onion and assemble on a plate or in a shallow bowl: cream cheese, pumpkin butter, pecans, bacon, cranberries, green onion. Serve with crackers & enjoy!

All the Things Salad

I don't know what to call this salad, but it has all the things I love: toasted pecans, bacon, feta, pomegranate seeds, a sparkly champagne vin, so I hereby christen it the All the Things Salad! I made this not-so-recently for Thanksgiving and it was well-received so I sure hope you'll enjoy it as much as we did :) *Great thing about salads, pastas, any non-baked item as you know, is that you can vary the ingredients to suit your tastes or what you happen to have on hand, so mix it up!

Ingredients:

• arugula & baby spinach, about 8 cups
• seeds from 1/2 a pomegranate
  
• thinly sliced red pear, about 2 pears
  
• 1 cup crumbled feta
• 3/4 cup crumbled bacon
• 1 thinly sliced red onion (tip, raw onion can be sliced and soaked in cool water to take the sting out)
• 1 cup toasted pecans
• 3/4 - 1 cup dressing which can be adjusted to your liking (here's the jist: 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup champagne vinegar, 2T grainy dijon mustard, juice from 1/2 lemon, 1T honey, sea salt and pepper to taste... whisk all together)
  

Preparation:

Toss the greens, red onion, & feta in the dressing and gently add in the pom seeds, bacon and pecans. Gently toss again and plate with red pear as a garnish.

migas with amigos!

Dave & Laura are in town for Tday and we've had a great time catching up - dinner at the porch last night & breakfast migas this morning :) *Miss you guys, so glad you came to stay with us!

Here's my quick recipe for Breakfast Migas
(we call them birthday migas - nothin' fancy, but oh so good)

Ingredients:

• 14 eggs (serves ~4 with leftovers)
  
• splash of heavy whipping cream
  
• 5 flour tortillas (+ extras for rolling up the migas)
  
• 5 slices of bacon, crumbled
  
• 1/2 poblano pepper, small dice
  
• 1/2 bell pepper, small dice
  
• 1/2 red onion, small dice
• 1/2 cup tomatoes, small dice
  
• fresh cilantro
  
• 2 potatoes, dice
• 1 yellow onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• olive oil
• butter, ~2T
  
• salt & pepper
• garlic salt
• red pepper flakes
• 2 cans black refried beans
• fresh fruit
  
• coffee, juice, etc :)
  

Preparation:

Breakfast Potatoes-

Dice potatoes, season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic salt, and toss in olive oil on a sheet pan. Toss in whole cloves of fresh garlic, and roast in the oven at 450 for ~45 mins or until done.

Migas-

Cook bacon, set aside on paper towel & crumble. Slice up tortillas into 1/4" x 2" strips. Remove most of the bacon grease and add ~2T butter; cook up those tortilla strips over medium heat and set aside. Saute the peppers and red onion in the yummy bacon/butter residue until soft, add tomatoes. Meanwhile, crack eggs into a large bowl, season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, & splash of cream. Whip them up. Add eggs to the veggies and cook over low heat, stirring often. Add in the bacon & tortilla strips and cook until fluffy & done.

Black Refried Beans-

Saute a few of the peppers & red onion in olive oil and add the refried beans to warm, season to taste. If necessary, thin with veggie stock.

Fresh Fruit-

We diced up 2 granny smith apples and tossed with fresh pomegranate seeds and a tiny drizzle of Texas wildflower honey. Tart, wonderfully fresh & yummy :) *Add honey greek yogurt if you'd like a creamy dip.

Pomegranate tip-

For easy de-seeding, I've found if I slice the pom in 1/2 equator-wise and submerge it in a bowl of cool water, then I can gently pluck out the seeds and break apart the fleshy membrane. The water will keep the purply juice from staining your fingers, and the seeds will sink while the pithy part floats :)

*Hope you enjoy as much as we do!

Pumpkin Bars, Chocolate Toffee Bites & Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

I took a littler Desserty-sert to our Supper Club recently and thought I'd post the recipes here since they actually turned out pretty well :) (ha, they weren't my recipes!) The pumpkin bars were the biggest hit (yay Paula Deen & cream cheese frosting) and I'll definitely make both the cranberry cookies & toffee bites again... Love fall. Love fall desserts.

Chocolate Toffee Bites
Recipe courtesy Gale Grand

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• (*I added 1 cup pecans)
  

Preparation:

Place the sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and caramelize on high heat stirring constantly. It will turn amber brown in about 5 minutes. When it is a uniform caramel color, add the butter and stir it in. Once mostly combined, add the chocolate and stir to blend. Pour it out onto a silpat or parchment lined sheet pan and spread it with an offset spatula 1/8" thick. Let cool and break into small pieces. Store in an airtight container.

*I'd only ever made toffee one other time and I was a bit nervous with this new recipe. Turns out it was really easy and the secret for me was to just keep stirring. Once I poured out the mixture onto my silpat (so fun, get a silpat), I spread the mixture out with a spatula and worried it might look greasy or ugly. Once cooled, I broke it into pieces and it was great! Yummy with coffee. Also, I thought my all-clad sauce pan might never be the same... I just filled it with hot water and the remaining goo melted away :) I'll make this again for sure.

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
Recipe courtesy Beth Setrakian

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cardamon
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• *I added 1 cup white chocolate chips
• *I added 1 cup hazelnuts
  

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients. Add to butter mixture and stir until well blended. Add dried cranberries (I also added white chocolate chips and hazelnuts). Drop my teaspoonful onto parchment covered baking sheet. Bake about 10 - 12 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool.

Pumpkin Bars
Recipe courtesy Patty Ronning as adapted by Paula Deen

Ingredients (bars):

• 4 eggs
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 15 oz can of pumpkin
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
  

Ingredients (icing):

• 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
  

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combine and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 x 10" baking pan. Bake for 30 mins (*I think I baked mine for closer to 40 in a glass baking pan). Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars. *I cut the cake into bars and then iced individually.

Chicken Soup for the Soul

It's been raining and raining & raining here in Dallas lately, so I've tried to make us tasty foods that will warm us up inside. This chicken soup was really yummy - thanks to tips from Emeril Lagasse :) Try it out if you're looking for something to savor and soothe you inside & out. We also enjoyed Alton Brown's sweet rosemary cornbread pudding with our soup.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs chicken tenders (you could use a 1/2 whole chicken or breasts)
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 tecate beer
• 2 cups water
  
• 1 medium yellow onions, diced
• 3/4 cup carrots, diced
  
• 3/4 cup celery, diced
• 6-8 button mushrooms, sliced
  
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 6 parsley stems
  
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cups Barilla Ditalini pasta
  
• 3 T butter (or more/to taste)
  
• 2 1/4 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 T chopped fresh parsley
• 2 T olive oil
  

Preparation:

Sauté onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms in 2 T olive oil for a couple of minutes until tender. Add chicken stock, beer, water fresh thyme, parsley, bay leaf, salt & pepper and chicken tenders. Simmer and cover until chicken is slowly cooked. Remove chicken and using 2 forks, gently pull apart and shred. Return chicken to stock mixture and add Ditalini pasta. Cook until tender, add butter and additional seasoning to taste. Remove bay leaf and parsley stems, add freshly chopped parsley. Enjoy.

Sweet Corn Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

• 1/2 onion, diced fine
• 1 T unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 (15 oz) can creamed style sweet corn
• 1cup heavy cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal, whole grain, stone ground
• 1/2 shredded Parmesan
  
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 2 cups cubed french bread

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Sweat onions with butter and herbs in an oven safe skillet until translucent. Combine corn, cream, eggs, baking powder, cornmeal, Parmesan, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add cubed bread and fold to combine. Pour batter into skillet, right on top of the onion mixture. Bake 50 minutes or until set. Cool slightly before serving.

Easy Brown Rice Bowls

Sometimes it's just easier on a weeknight to throw together something hearty & hopefully a little healthy in a "one bowl meal." We like brown rice bowls - nothing fancy, just whole grain brown rice, veggies & lean turkey sausage or grilled chicken, or whatever else we can toss in. This version has some onions, garlic, peppers, broccoli & sausage and came together pretty quick & easy (good for a busy Tuesday night). Leftovers work for lunch the next day, too.

Ingredients:

• whole grain brown rice - I used 2 cups of rice
• chicken stock - prepare rice according to directions on package, I used 4 cups stock
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 sweet yellow onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 large crown of broccoli
  
• 1 link lean turkey sausage
  
• 1 bay leaf
• extra virgin olive oil
• 2 T butter
• salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic salt & any other seasoning to taste
  

Preparation:

Prepare the rice according to your liking - I use the risotto method, meaning I saute onion, garlic and red bell pepper in olive oil until tender, then toss in the brown rice to coat in olive oil and toast for a couple minutes (stirring), then I add stock, a bay leaf, seasoning and simmer & cover until done (cooking times will vary depending on your rice). Meanwhile, I grilled the sausage on an indoor grill pan and tossed it all together.

*Consider marinating chicken in soy sauce/garlic/ginger and grilling. Add sugar snap peas, bean sprouts and water chestnuts for an Asian version, or green chilies, black beans and cilantro for a southwest version.

Sherbety Goodness

I've been in a blending mood lately, so anything I can throw in my blender I do! this smoothie came about late one night after a few weekends of travel and zero groceries in the house... luckily we always have a bag of frozen fruit (I buy a Dole mix at Costco with peaches, pineapple, & strawberries), orange sherbet and ginger ale. Yum :) May rival my favorite smoothie ever, the Strawberry Surfrider at Jamba Juice. Bring on the brain freeze.

Ingredients:

• ~3 cups frozen fruit
• ~3 scoops orange sherbet
• ~1 can of ginger ale
  

Preparation:

Adjust according to your preferred thickness & blend away :)

Paninis for Courtney

My sweet friend Courtney loves paninis and we had fun making these for lunch recently. Any combo of ingredients sandwiched between good bread comes alive when brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with a little garlic salt, and heated in a panini press :)

Roasted red pepper, Italian ham, mozarella, red onion & parsley

Brushed with olive oil & seasoned with garlic salt & pepper

Smushed in a panini press until golden brown & delicious