Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everyone! I hope you have a wonderful day celebrating with your family & friends.  This morning we had Gingerbread Challah French Toast after we opened presents. This is going to be a quick post so I can get back to playing with Stella and her new toys.

In a bowl combine 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon of ground clove and 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice.  Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the mixture to 1/2 cup of Mascarpone and mix well.

I used the Challah bread from Trader Joes as I have in the past with my other French toast recipes. I also used the TJ brand of Mascarpone cheese.

Because I was using two slices of bread I tried to slice them a little thinner than 1 inch.  In a bowl whisk together 3 eggs and approximately 1/4 cup milk. To the egg mixture add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add the remainder of the gingerbread seasoning to the mixture and an additional pinch of ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg. 


Melt butter in the pan before cooking the french toast.  Spread a generous amount of the gingerbread mascarpone on 1 side of each slice of bread. Put the slices together like a sandwich with the Mascarpone in the middle and dip the bread into the egg mixture. Be sure both sides are covered.  Let excess drip off back into bowl. Cook in pan until slightly browned on both sides.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar and some pomegranate seeds.

Her reaction when she saw all of the presents under the tree

Very excited about her new Sid the Science Kid Microphone

This meal was rated 4.5 asparagus spears

Day 12: Christmas Dinner Menu

Day 12 ends with a Christmas Dinner menu.  We are not having Christmas at our house this year otherwise I would be making this.  The last time I made it was Christmas 2009 when we told our parents that I was expecting; that seems like such a long time ago.

Menu
Arugula-Orange Salad with Pomegranate-White Wine Vinaigrette
Horseradish and Garlic Prime Rib
Roasted Wild Mushrooms
Roasted Asparagus or Fresh Green Beans with Sautéed Shallots
Mashed Potatoes

A delicious wine to pair with the Prime Rib is 2005 Finca Allende Rioja. Be sure you open up the bottle at least two hours before eating to let it breathe.

I made the Arugula-Orange Salad a couple weeks ago and actually included it in Day 3 of the Twelve Days of Christmas Celebration. I love making this salad this time of year; not only is it really tasty but I just love the colors of it.  I highly recommend making the dressing with the Raspberry vinegar, it's delish.

As for the Prime Rib I have a few notes (1) I usually cut back on the amount of sea salt I use, I probably use closer to 1/4 cup versus the 1/2 cup the recipe states and (2) you must save the juices from the prime rib, it makes wonderful gravy.  I have made this recipe a number of times and everyone always enjoys it.

I am sure when my husband reads this post he will have something to say about he shocking fact that I recommended a menu that contains asparagus and mushrooms. Ha, ha the jokes on me; I can't help it they go well together. This is just more support to why he decided to come up with an asparagus spear rating system for my meals.  If you aren't a big asparagus person, another option is fresh green beans with sautéed shallots.

I have used two different roasted mushroom recipes in the past and both are equally as good. The first is Bobby Flay's Oven Roasted Wild Mushrooms with Garlic and Thyme and the second is Tyler Florence's Wild Mushrooms, you will be pleased with either option.

Fresh Green Beans with Sautéed Shallots
Trim the ends off your green beans and blanch them in boiling salted water for approximately 5 minutes. Drain from water and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.  Meanwhile in a separate pan, sauté diced shallots (2-3 large shallots) in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Let the shallots soften and brown slightly. Then add the green beans to the pan and heat them back through, stirring regularly.  Season with Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper to taste.

Roasted Asparagus
Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears, place in single layer on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Cook on 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

I always make my standard mashed potato recipe you can refer to my earlier blog posts for the recipe. I have made them so many times I don't measure anything anymore so it was difficult when I tried documenting the recipe.  In any case you can refer to my Thanksgiving post if you are making roughly 5 pounds of potatoes or my Garlic Herb Pork Loin post if you are making a smaller portion.

I probably won't be posting again before the holidays as I will be busy finishing up my Christmas shopping.  Yes, I am that person.  I don't know why I waited until the bitter end.  I normally really enjoy Christmas shopping; I think it's so fun to look around and really find a fitting gift for everyone.  Unfortunately I don't know that I have been as creative this year since I am in crunch time now. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and enjoys spending time with their families.

Merry Christmas!

Day 11: Christmas Brunch Menu Ideas

Day 11 of the Twelve Days of Christmas Celebration continues with a some menu ideas for Christmas brunch.

Menu
Spiral Cut Ham
Vegetable Strata
Fruit Salad
Assorted Muffins or Crumb Cake
Tangerine or Pomegrante Mimosas

For the spiral cut ham all you have to do is make sure you heat it through. Most hams have heating instructions on the outside package.  Adding a ham glaze is always a good option.  If you are having your brunch a little later in the day you can always put out some Parkerhouse rolls and assorted mustards in case people want to make a ham sandwich.

I always find a fruit salad with canteloupe, honeydew, blueberries, strawberries, kiwi and mango to be delicious.

In an effort to save time I usually just go with a muffin mix that comes in a box.  Betty Crocker or Krusteaz Lemon Poppyseed muffins are always a good option. Another great option is Krusteaz Cranberry Orange muffin mix. If you want to go the crumb cake route you can't go wrong with Krusteaz Cinnamon Crumb Cake mix.

Vegetable Strata
I got this recipe from In Style magazine, it's from the January 2005 issue.  I use to love when In Style had the party guide/entertaining section of the magazine; I collected a lot of great recipes over the years when they had it.

1 loaf (12 oz) day old French bread
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
10 eggs
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 can (13 3/4 oz) artichoke hearts, sliced
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack, divided
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Spray 13" x 9" x 2" glass baking dish with cooking spray. Slice bread in half length-wise; butter and cut into cubes. In nonstick skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, red pepper, and mushrooms; saute 4-5 minutes.  In a bowl combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper. To assemble, place bread in single layer in baking dish.  Top with vegetables, artichokes and half the Monterey Jack cheese.  Pour egg mixture over; top with remaining Monterey Jack and Parmesan cheeses.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered for 50-60 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

For the mimosas, Domaine Chandon Brut Classic is always a good bubble option. If you go the tangerine juice route you can always finish off the mimosa with a splash of Grand Marnier.  Otherwise pomegrante juice is another great option and quite festive from a holiday color perspective.

If you don't like mimosas, you can always do a bloody mary bar.  I really enjoy the Zing Zang bloody mary mix.  Don't forget your celery spears, stuffed olives and celery salt.  If you are in the Chicago area and can find Twisted Spoke bloody mary mix that is another great option.

Happy planning!

Slow Cooked Pork Chili

As you know my sister had a baby last week (Happy One Week Birthday L!); so I thought I would make her an easy meal she could just heat up over the weekend.  I decided to go with a chili since they both like spicy meals but I got a little daring and tried out a new recipe.  This was another one I just made up as I went along so I was concerned about how it might turnout.  But I think this may be my favorite chili recipe yet. This recipe is a two day process since you need to slow cook the pork one day and then prepare the chili the following day.

Ingredients for slow cooking the Pork:
Olive Oil
3lb Pork Butt Roast, trimmed
1 cup chicken broth
1 large Spanish onion, chopped (reserve 3/4 cup for later)
2 large cloves of garlic, chopped
Kosher salt

Ingredients for Salsa Verde:
10 tomatillos, husked
1 can of diced green chilies
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
handful of cilantro, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground guajillo chili
3/4 cup diced Spanish onion

Ingredients for Pork Rub:
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground guajillo chili
a pinch of kosher salt
a couple turns of pepper mill

Preparing the Pork:
In a Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Cover pork roast liberally with the rub.  Sear each side of the roast until it is browned.  Transfer roast to crock pot.  Add all but the 3/4 cup of reserved onion to the dutch oven along with the chopped 2 large garlic cloves  and 2 pinches of kosher salt.  Cook for a couple minutes until onions soften. Remove and add to crock pot with the pork roast.  Add the cup of chicken broth to the Dutch oven and scrap the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add to crock pot.

Making the Salsa Verde:
On a foiled lined pan, drizzle tomatillos with olive oil and a little salt. Roast on 350 degrees until soft.  Once softened add to blender along with the can of diced green chilies, 2 tablespoons of minced garlic, the handful of cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon of guajillo chili and 3/4 cup of diced onion.  Blend until smooth.
Add salsa to the crock pot.

Slow cooking the pork:
Cook pork butt on low for 6 hours on low or until the meat can be easily shredded with two forks.
Let the meat cool and store in a container with some of the liquid from the crock pot.  Make sure the shredded pork is coated well with the liquid.  Reserve the remaining liquid separately. Refrigerate over night.

Ingredients for Chili
1 3/4 cup diced Spanish onion
Kosher Salt
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup of reserved liquid from cooking the pork
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground paprika
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground guajillo chili
10 oz diced tomato and green chilies, drained
3 tablespoon poblano pepper, chopped
7 3/4 oz can of Mexican Style tomato sauce
1 1/4 cup diced tomato, no juice
14 oz can diced tomato with juice
2 15.5 oz cans of Pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15.5 Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Shredded pork

Preparing the chili:
The next day heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven, add 1 3/4 cup of diced Spanish onion, a pinch of salt and 2 garlic cloves chopped.  Add the container of shredded pork, the reserved liquid from cooking the pork, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon each of ground paprika, onion powder and garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon of ground guajillo chili. Heat on low stirring frequently.  Add the can of tomatoes and green chilies let simmer for approximately 20 minutes.  Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and beans.  Stir and place top on lid of Dutch oven.  Cook on low for 2-3 hours stirring regularly.

Garnish with slices of avocado, grated Cojita cheese and Donkey Chips (tortilla chips).

This meal was rated 4 asparagus spears

The rating above is from Chris.  I also asked my sister and her husband to also rate the chili since they have had my other chili recipes in the past.  Becky rated it 4 asparagus spears and Thierry rated it 3.5 asparagus spears, he lowered his rating because he prefers his chili to be more spicy.

Day 10: Egg Nog Parfait

Day 10 of the Twelve Days of Christmas Celebration continues with a holiday dessert idea, the Egg Nog Parfait. This is a very quick and easy recipe and works great for parties.

Ingredients
1 quart Egg Nog
1 12 oz container of Cool Whip
1/2 cup of Bourbon or Cream Sherry
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg

Directions
Pour Egg Nog into bowl and fold in Cool Whip. Add Bourbon and Nutmeg. Pour into parfait glasses and freeze. Let stand at room temperature before serving.  Add additonal Cool Whip on top. If you are looking to add color you can always decorate the top of them with a few festive colored sprinkles or peppermint chips.

Serves 10-12

Day 9: Holiday Party Appetizers

Day 9 of the Twelve Day of Christmas Celebration continues with a couple Holiday appetizer ideas.  Last night we went to a Christmas party that some friends from work had.  They have it every year and it's always a blast. Jen made some delicious appetizers (my favorite are the bacon wrapped dates), so I thought today rather than posting more cookie ideas I would post some of my favorite appetizer recipes. These are all dishes I have come across over the years so I am not sure where they all came from originally.

Bacon Wrapped Dates

12 strips bacon, cut in half crosswise
24 pitted dates
1/4 pound Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, cut into small chunks

1.  Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until it has rendered some fat and begins to turn translucent; don't let it brown at all. Remove from pan and drain thoroughly on paper towels.

2.  Make a slit in each date (you can also pop out the pit very easily if you couldn't find pitted dates!) and stuff with a small piece of cheese.  Wrap in a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick.  Place wrapped dates in a baking dish.

**At this point, you can cover and refrigerate up to 36 hours.

3.  Preheat oven to 375 and bake the date until the bacon is crisp, 10-12 minutes  

 

Lump Crab Dip

This is one of the easiest recipes you will ever make and it's always a big hit.

1 container of lump crab meat

1 8oz package of cream cheese,softened (I usually use the light)

1 jar of cocktail sauce

Place the block of cream cheese on the platter  Pour some cocktail sauce over the cream cheese you want a good amount on these so that everyone gets some of the cocktail sauce with the spread; I would say 1/4 to 1/3 cup. Place lump crab meat (drained if there is any liquid in the container) over the top of the cream cheese/cocktail sauce.  Eat on crackers, surprisingly enough Ritz crackers are the best with this. You can even by the ones that look like snowflakes if you want to be more festive.

Artichoke Dip

1 can artichoke hearts, drain and chop

1 cup mayo (I use light)

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Mix everything together and place in an oven safe dish. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Serve with crackers.

Caprese

I always find a tomato and mozzarella salad to be a great holiday party appetizer not only because it's tasty but it has the colors of the season.

Slice tomatoes, fresh mozzarella balls and place on a platter alternating the slices of tomato and mozzarella.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil. Add a little fresh ground pepper.

And I am always came for an antipasto platter with fine cheeses and meat, marinated olives and mushrooms. Served with assorted crackers and breads.

Day 8: Kolachky

Day 8 of the Twelve Days of Christmas Celebration continues with Kolachky. I never realized that publishing Christmas cookie recipes was going to take me down memory lane.  Here is another recipe my mom makes every year. This recipe is apparently one she got while I was in grade school because the name on the recipe card is the mom of one of the kids I grew up with, so thank you Mrs. Bolz for sharing this recipe with my mom.

Ingredients
1 lb margarine
8 tablespoons sugar
4 cups flour
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Solo pie fruit filling

Mix margarine sugar and vanilla with beaters.  Add the flour and milk and mix with hands. Take about a teaspoon of the dough and roll it into a ball. Place on cookie sheet using the back of a spoon make and indentation. Fill this will about 3/4 teaspoon of Solo pie fruit filling.  Bake on 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar once they have cooled.

I apologize about not posting yesterday; we were busy with work and holiday parties.  I also wanted to be sure to include a photo of these so I had to wait for my mom to drop off a few of the ones she made.  Thanks mom, you're the best!

Day 7: Toasted Cecchi, Almonds, and Pistachios

Day 7 of the Twelve Days of Christmas celebration continues with another homemade holiday gift idea.  I saw this recipe a couple years ago during one of my marathon Food Network viewing sessions.  Oh, those were the days...I use to thoroughly enjoy lazy weekends where I had nothing to do and could just veg on the couch watching endless hours of television.  This recipe is courtesy of Giada de Laurentis and makes a wonderful gift.  It is also a great snack to have out during a cocktail party. I have made it a number of times and it is quite tasty!


Toasted Cecchi, Almonds and Pistachios

Ingredients

• 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo (cecchi) beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
• 1 cup shelled pistachios
• 1 cup raw almonds
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne

• 
  

  Directions

  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

  Place the garbanzo beans on a foil-lined baking sheet. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and spread the beans in a single layer. Place in the oven and bake until golden, about 30 minutes.

  Remove the garbanzo beans from the oven. Add the remaining ingredients to the garbanzo beans and carefully stir to coat all the beans and nuts. Spread the mixture out to a single layer. Bake for 10 more minutes. Let cool slightly and place in serving bowls.

  
  

Day 6: Lemon Almond Bars

Day 6 of the Twelve Days of Christmas celebration continues with Lemon Almond bars.  This is another recipe that my mom makes and they are delightful! She doesn't recall where she initially found the recipe because she has had it for years but it is from Kay Galbraith.  My mom made a batch of these this week and brought me a few, yum!

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

Topping:
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons grated lemon rind
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds

In bowl, cream together butter, sugar and salt until light; stir in flour. Press into ungreased 9" x 13" baking pan; bake at 325 degrees for about 35 minutes or until golden.

Topping: In bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, flour, lemon rind and juice until smooth; pour over base. Sprinkle with almonds; bake at 325 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until set. Let cool on rack; cut into bars.

Makes 30 bars.

On another note, I got to go to the hospital to meet my adorable nephew.  He is precious!

Day 5: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Day 5 of the Twelve Days of Christmas continues with Jean's Chocolate Chip cookies. The key ingredient to this recipe is Crisco Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening.  My mom received this recipe when they lived up in Wisconsin from one of Megan's friend; prior to that she had always made your standard Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip cookies.  You have got to try this recipe if you like Chocolate Chip cookies, they are delicious!

I would like to wish my mom a Happy Birthday today and Congratulations to my sister and her husband on the birth of their son Lucien Joseph!!  We are so excited to meet you!

Ingredients

1 cup Butter Crisco
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 large egg
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
8ox or more of chocolate chips (we use 12 oz)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Blend Butter Crisco, sugar and brown sugar until creamy. Add egg and vanilla to mixture, continue to blend.  Slowly add your dry ingredients - flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder to mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop rounded tablespoons full of dough to cookie sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees.  Let cookies cool slightly before removing from sheets.

Day 4: Candied Pecans

Day 4 of the Twelve Days of Christmas is Candied Pecans.  If you are looking for a gift idea, fill a cute holiday tin or bowl with this delicious treat!


Ingredients
4 cups pecans
1 cup sugar
1 dash of salt
2 egg whites
1/2 cup butter

Directions
Stiffly beat egg to form peaks. Fold in sugar and salt. Fold in pecans. Melt butter in 9 x 12 pan. Place nuts in pan and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees stirring every 10 minutes. Let pecans cool, you may need to break apart them if any stuck together in large chunks.

Turkey Chipotle Chili

Yesterday I decided I was going to make Turkey chili and to mix things up a bit I figured I would just make up the recipe as I went along.  Thankfully it turned out really well. I will warn you ahead of time,  the chili has quite a kick to it.  You could always use less chipotle pepper or adobo sauce if you would like something a little milder.

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey thigh
1/2 lb ground turkey breast
2 cups diced red onion
2 large cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 tablespoon Montreal Steak seasoning
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced
4 teaspoons of adobo sauce
28 oz can of Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
14 oz can Diced Tomatoes with Sea Salt
6 oz can of Tomato paste
18 oz water
1 can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of dark kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Grated White Cheddar for topping

Directions
In a dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil, saute the red onion and garlic and brown the turkey meat.  Season the meat and onions with Montreal Steak seasoning and salt and pepper.  Once the meat is cooked add the chipotle peppers and adobo sauce. Mix well.  Add tomatoes, tomato paste and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer.  Stirring occasionally.  Add kidney and cannelloni beans.  Stir and place the lid on the dutch oven.  Reduce heat to low and cook for a couple of hours.  Be sure to continue to stir occasionally. Serve with White Cheddar cheese as a garnish.

I made some corn bread to eat with the chili rather than crackers.

This meal was rated 4 asparagus spears

Day 3: Holiday Dinner Party

Last night I had a small gathering for my mom's birthday, Becky & Thierry, Megan & Pat and my parents all came over to celebrate.  We had a great time and I hope everyone enjoyed the food.

Menu

Appetizers
Assorted Cheeses and Crackers
Marinated Olives
Meatballs

Main Course
Arugula Orange Salad with Pomegranate White Wine Vinaigrette
Beef Tenderloin
Pan-Seared Scallops with Black Grapes and Almonds
Mashed Parsnips and Potatoes
Roasted Asparagus

Dessert
Chocolate Cake

My sister Becky brought the appetizers; the cheese tray consisted of Midnight Moon, 15 Year Aged Cheddar and Camembert.  The meatballs are a great appetizer and are super easy to make. You take a 12 oz. bottle of chili sauce and a 12 oz jar of grape jelly and heat them in a pan on low (stirring frequently) until combined.  You then take a package of frozen cocktail meatballs and add them to the mixture, coating them evenly.  You can either continue to cook then in the pot or move them to a crock pot to heat them through.



Arugula Orange Salad with Pomegranate
White Wine Vinaigrette

 I have made this salad for Christmas a couple of times and I absolutely love it.  Not only does it look great on a plate because of all the colors but it tastes great. The only thing that is rather time consuming is de-seeding the pomegranate, it's also quite messy.  In case you have never cut a pomegranate before this link has very helpful instructions with how to cut and de-seed a pomegranate.

The beef tenderloin was prepared the same way I have made it in the past; check out the post called Good Food, Great Friends from July for the details on how to make the marinade.  I have also made the Scallops before, although since Champagne grapes are not in season this time of year I had to go with the Black grapes. I didn't photograph them last night but you can check out my post called Pan-Seared Scallops with Champagne Grapes from August when I made them for the first time.  The only thing I was disappointed about with this recipe last night was the coloring of the sauce; it was a purple-gray.  I can only assume this was from the different type of grape I used.  The scallops still had great flavor.



Mashed Parsnip and Potato

 I found the mashed parsnip and potato recipe on the food network website; it's a Tyler Florence recipe.  Any recipe I have ever made of his has been delicious so I figured I couldn't go wrong with this, and I was right, it was delicious.  I ended up making this a couple hours ahead of time and then moved it to a casserole dish with a lid.  About 45 minutes before dinner I put it in the oven to heat it back through. It turned out great.  One note I would make is to be sure the parsnips are really tender when you start mashing as I had a couple pieces I had to pull out because they wouldn't mash. I didn't have a food mill so I handed mashed them and then used a hand mixer.

As far as the asparagus goes I placed them in a single layer on a baking sheet. I drizzled the asparagus with olive oil and seasoned them with salt and pepper.  Place in oven on 475 for about 15 minutes.

My sister, Megan, brought the cake...it was divine.  She got it a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting from Standard Market; we will definitely be getting some bakery items from there in the future.  I let Stella have a couple small licks of the frosting last night and she must have really like it because today she was pointing at the counter saying "pie" over and over again until I gave her a little lick. 

Happy Birthday Mom!  I hope you had a great night!



This meal was rated 3.5 asparagus spears



Day 2: Candy Cane Cookies

Ever since I was a little kid Christmas has been my favorite time of year.  There is something so magical about the Christmas season.  This year is going to be especially exciting because S is now old enough to react to the beauty of Christmas lights and enjoys looking at the tree.  She got the Fisher Price Nativity set last year for Christmas; it is so fun to watch her play with it.  We have a little work to do on playing nicely with the Baby Jesus.   The other night S placed him in her grocery cart with Clifford and took him for a spin and the wise men were eaten by her toy alligator, but we are working on it.  I can’t believe I’m going to say this but I am actually looking forward to the first snowfall just to see her reaction.  I imagine it will be something like, “oh, wow!”  S and I have been having so much fun listening to Christmas music and dancing around the family room, she loves Jingle Bells and Up on the House Top.  And even more exciting for Christmas this year will be the debut of my nephew.  We will be meeting him in just 10 days (or maybe sooner).  I’m so excited for Becky and Thierry!!!

For Day 2 of the Twelve Days of Christmas Celebration here is Becky’s favorite Christmas cookie, Candy Cane Cookies.  My mom has made these cookies for years and unfortunately the copy of the recipe doesn’t say where it is from so I can’t give credit to the original author of the recipe. I will have to post the picture at a later date, once my mom makes her batch of these which will likely be this week sometime. 

Ingredients

½ cup butter or margarine, softened

½ cup shortening

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 egg

1 ½ teaspoons almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 ½ cups Gold Medal Flour *

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon red food color

½ cup crushed peppermint candy

½ cup granulated sugar

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix thoroughly butter, shortening, confectioners’ sugar, egg and flavorings.  Blend in flour and salt. Divide dough in half; blend food color into one half.

Shape 1 teaspoon dough from each half into 4 inch-rope. For smooth, even ropes, roll them back and forth on lightly floured board.  Place ropes side by side; press together lightly and twist.  Complete cookies one at a time. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Curve top down to form handle of cane.

Bake about 9 minutes or until set and very light brown. Mix candy and granulated sugar. Immediately sprinkle cookies with candy mixture; remove from baking sheet.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

* If using Self-Rising flour, omit salt.  If using Wondra Flour, stir 2 tablespoons milk into butter mixture.

Day 1: Chocolate Crackles

We will begin the 12 days of Christmas celebration with my favorite cookie, Chocolate Crackles.  I always associate these cookies with Christmas since my mom made them every year.  As a kid I remember digging through the tins of cookies to find Chocolate Crackles and I would occasionally steal one or two.  Sorry mom, that is why you  never had quite as many as you thought you did for the cookie platters on Christmas Eve!!! 

On Tuesday I was at the office fairly late so when I got home and found a small plate of Chocolate Crackles on the counter it made me smile! My mom had been watching S that day so during nap time she baked Christmas cookies.  Thanks Mom :)

Ingredients
1 (1 lb 2 1/2 ounce) package devils food cake mix
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon water (sometimes you need a little more)
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
Confectioners sugar

Directions

• Combine cake mix, water and shortening.  Mix with spoon until well blended.
• Shape dough into balls the size of small walnuts. Roll balls in confectioners sugar.
• Place on greased baking sheets.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes

The recipe states that it makes 48 cookies (my mom has a note that she never gets that many)

Christmas has arrived...

A Bit of This and a Dash of That is officially decorated for the Christmas Season.  It was a little later than planned but we have been CRAZY busy the past few weeks.  Not only has our schedule been packed with all of the typical holiday gatherings, this is also my busiest time at work.  As a result I haven't been cooking all that much; which is not a good trend since I have also been missing my visits to the gym.  I am going to try my best to share my favorite holiday recipes over the next few weeks.  A Bit of This and A Dash of That's 12 Days of Christmas celebration will begin tomorrow with my absolute favorite Christmas cookie recipe!

Chicken Vesuvio

As I mentioned yesterday things have been really crazy around here lately but I actually did manage to make dinner on Wednesday night.  Last week I was digging through my kitchen cabinet and saw my electric frying pan; it made me think of my mom making Chicken Vesuivo in her avocado green electric frying pan when we were kids.  I know this was a very random memory!  At any rate, I decided to ask my mom if she had the recipe she used to make; as you can see in the photo below this is an oldie but a goodie. I was actually able to find the date on the article on the back of the recipe, it was published in the April 29, 1984 issue of the Chicago Tribune. 

Much to my surprise I was able to find the same Chicken Vesuvio recipe on-line, it appears the Tribune published it again more recently.

Ingredients

1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
3/4 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon each: dried leaf thyme, freshly ground pepper
Pinch each: dried rosemary, rubbed sage
1 broiler/fryer chicken, about 3 pounds, cut up
1/2 cup olive oil
3 baking potatoes, cut into lengthwise wedges
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup dry white wine

Directions

Mix flour, basil, oregano, salt, thyme, pepper, rosemary and sage in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour mixture; shake off excess.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch cast-iron or other oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer. Cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. Remove with tongs to paper towels.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Add the potato wedges to skillet. Fry, turning occasionally, until light brown on all sides; remove to paper towels.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from skillet. Return the chicken and potatoes into skillet. Sprinkle with the parsley and garlic; pour wine over all. Cover; bake10 minutes. Uncover; bake until potatoes are fork-tender and thigh juices run clear, 15-20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve with the pan juices.

This meal was rated 3.5 asparagus spears

Turkey Pot Pie

What better to do with leftover turkey than make turkey pot pie.

Ingredients
1 cup of chopped celery
1 cup of chopped carrot
1 cup of chopped onion
1 teaspoon dry thyme
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup half and half (I use fat free)
1/4 cup flour
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup frozen peas
3 cups of turkey (mixure of white and dark meat)
2 pie crusts
1 egg

In a saute pan, melt the butter and add the celery, onion and carrot. Season with salt and pepper.  Cook the vegetables until they are soft (especially the carrots and celery).  Add the flour and make sure it mixes well.  Add the cream, stir and let it start to bubble and thicken a bit. Then add the chicken broth continue to stir and let the sauce thicken back up.  Add the chopped up turkey and 1/2 cup of frozen peas. Mix well. Season again with a little salt and pepper to taste.

Cover the bottom of pie plate with the first pie crust.  Fill the crust with the turkey vegetable mixture.  Add the second pie crust to the top.  Place slits in the top and then cover the top with egg wash.

Bake on 425 degrees for about 40 minutes.

I made a salad with baby arugula and drizzled it with a little grapeseed oil and white balsamic vinegar. I served some of the left over Shallot-Gin Cranberry Sauce with it.  Frankly the salad was quite tasty with the cranberry sauce mixed in it.

This meal was rated 4.5 asparagus spears

Thanksgiving 2011

It was our year to spend with my in-laws for Thanksgiving so we had Chris's parents and sister over to celebrate.  It was nice having a much more intimate gathering as opposed to our usual 40 plus people on my side of the family.


Menu
Appetizers
étoile Rosé
Assorted Cheeses and Crackers

Hot Pepper Jelly over Cream Cheese



Brie, Midnight Moon, Assorted Olives

Main Course
Shallot-Gin Cranberry Sauce
Green Bean Casserole with Madiera Mushrooms
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Sweet Potatoes
Fresh Turkey
Pork Sausage Stuffing
Dinner Rolls
2009 Newton Chardonnay
2009 Matthew Fritz Pinot Noir Carneros


Dessert
Pumpkin Bread
Homemade Apple Pie
Vanilla and Pumpkin Ice Cream


My plan on Wednesday night was to make as much as I could ahead of time so that S and I could watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade together on Thursday morning.  For those of you who know me well, you know my obsession with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  I watch it every year.  While I wasn't able to watch the entire parade we saw a good amount together and S seemed to enjoy it; she pointed at the balloons, she saw Abby Cadabby on the Sesame Street float and really enjoyed the singing and dancing. Unfortunately she missed Santa at the end because of nap time but don't despair, I taped the rest of the parade for her. I don't think Chris has noticed it yet on the DVR otherwise I am sure it would have been "accidentally" deleted as he hates watching the parade.

So Wednesday night I was able to make the mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, chop the vegetables for the stuffing, prepare the shallots for the cranberry sauce, make the cranberry puree and set the table. I decided I was going to buy flowers and attempt my own centerpiece. I was actually quite pleased with how the flowers turned out, typically I'm not so good with floral design.

This left making the stuffing, preparing and stuffing the turkey, making pumpkin bread, making the apple pie and making the green bean casserole for Thursday. I was actually quite impressed with myself I got everything done and did 3 loads of laundry all before 2:30 p.m. when our company arrived.


Shallot-Gin Cranberry Sauce

I had never actually made cranberry sauce before but found it to be quite easy.  I found this recipe on Gilt Taste, it is from Anthony Myint and Karen Leibowtiz, Mission Street Food.

Ingredients
1 quart cranberry juice
1 cup sugar
12 ounces fresh cranberries (or frozen)
3 shallots, finely diced
Zest of 2 oranges
Salt
Splash of gin, to taste (optional, but if you're concerned about alcohol, simmer it for a few minutes before adding )
Fresh tarragon, chopped, to taste (optional, but very nice)

1. The day before, generously salt the shallots and reserve them in the fridge.
2. Reduce the cranberry juice by half, then add the sugar and fresh cranberries. Cook on low until the cranberries are very tender. Drain the cranberries and reserve the liquid. In a blender, puree about half the cranberries with a few tablespoons of the reduced juice to get a smooth puree, and reserve the puree, along with the soft cranberries, in the fridge.
3. The following day, drain the shallots and combine them with the cranberry puree, the soft whole cranberries, orange zest, and gin and tarragon, if using.

Green Bean Casserole with Madiera Mushrooms

While I know my husband loves the regular old green bean casserole with canned green beans and cream of mushroom soup I was looking for something a little more exciting this year, something with fresh vegetables. I thought this was a good compromise.  This recipe was from the November 2011 issue of Cooking Light magazine.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups chopped sweet onion

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

1 (8-ounce) package pre-sliced button mushrooms

1/3 cup Madeira wine or dry sherry

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

1 cup (about 2 ounces) canned fried onions (such as French's)

1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. Place beans into a large saucepan of boiling water; cook 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain well. Place beans in a large bowl; set aside.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and thyme to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms; sauté 10 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently. Stir in wine, salt, and pepper; cook 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Stir in flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in chicken broth; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Add mushroom mixture to green beans; toss well. Place green bean mixture in a 2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish. Combine fried onions and grated cheese in a small bowl. Top green bean mixture evenly with fried onion mixture. Bake at 425° for 17 minutes or until top is lightly browned. 

Mashed Potatoes

I made my usual mashed potato recipe.  I used a combination of red potatoes and yukon gold potatoes; I had just under 5 lbs of potatoes (4lbs, 11 oz to be exact).  Wash and peel the potatoes, cut them into quarters.  Boil potatoes in water that is slightly salted.  When the potatoes are done (you can pierce them with a fork) drain the water and put them back into the pan.  Using a hand masher begin to mash the potatoes, add 2 tablespoons of butter, 3 tablespoons of sour cream, 2 palms of Montreal Steak Seasoning, a little salt and 1/4 cup of milk.  Continue to mash until you get the consistency that you are looking for.  I sprayed a corningware dish with some cooking spray and then added the potatoes, I let them cool before I put them in the fridge.  On Thursday I added about a tablespoon of butter (more to come on the butter) and then heated them for about an hour on 350 degrees.

Sweet Potatoes

Since we had such a small crowd I only made 4 sweet potatoes. Clean them and then bake them on 350 degrees for about an hour.  Let them cool and then you should be able to just peel the skin right off.  Cut them into smaller chunks. In a bowl two separate bowls melt butter in one and place brown sugar in the other. Roll the potatoes in melted butter and then roll in the brown sugar.  Place the potatoes in a baking dish and cover in the fridge. On Thursday I heated them for about an hour on 350 degrees.

Pork Sausage Stuffing
2 bags of Brownberry or Pepperidge Farm Sage and Onion Stuffing Mix
2 - 1 lb packages of Jimmy Dean Regular Pork Sausage
2 cups of chopped celery
2 cups of chopped onion
3 cups of chicken broth
2 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, melted plus 1 tablespoon

Saute the vegetables in 1 tablespoon of butter, season with salt and pepper.  Let the vegetables cool a bit and then in a large bowl combine the stuffing, vegetables and slowly add the melted butter, chicken broth and the pork sausage.  Make sure everything is combined well and the pork sausage is broken into small pieces.
When you are ready to stuff the turkey put as much of the dressing as you can in the turkey and the remainder in a corningware dish sprayed with cooking spray. Cook on 350 degrees for an hour, make sure the pork sausage is cooked all the way through.

Turkey
We ordered a fresh Amish raised turkey from Standard Market, it was an 18 lbs turkey.  We cooked ours in a Nesco roaster so we had the oven space for all the side items.  I stuffed the turkey and then liberally coated the skin with olive oil and melted butter.  Seasoned with salt and pepper (lots of pepper).  I added a tiny bit of chicken stock to the bottom of the roasting pan.  We cooked the turkey on 325 degrees and turned it up at the end to 400 to get the skin a little more brown.  We basted the turkey throughout the cooking after the first hour. 

As far as the gravy goes I used a Turkey base that I got from Williams-Sonoma and then added some of the drippings/juices from cooking the turkey to it.



Dinner is Served... Happy Thanksgiving!


Homemade Apple Pie
To make the apple pie I used the filling I made a couple months ago when we received so many apples in our fruit deliveries.  I defrosted the filling over night.  On Thursday I used the Pillsbury Unroll and Fill Pie crusts, I placed the first crust covering my pie pan. Filled it will the apple pie filling and then added the second crust on top.  I put a couple of slits in the top and then cooked it for 40-45 minutes on 425 degrees.  I forgot to take a picture before we started serving it so here is one with a few missing slices.  It was quite delightful!  We served it with Oberweis Vanilla and Oberweis Pumpkin ice cream.

Pumpkin Bread
I cheated on this one and bought a package of pumpkin bread mix from Trader Joes. You just add water, oil and egg.  Pretty simple.  I made two small loaves.  I did make my own glaze for the top.  I used 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and then added a tiny bit of milk (maybe 1 1/2 teaspoons) and just drizzled it over the top.  The sad part is we were all so full no one actually had any on Thanksgiving, but S and I tried it out on Friday and it was delicious.  S LOVES it!

We had a great day, I think everyone enjoyed their dinner.  So I mentioned I would get back to the additional butter I added to the potatoes before heating them on Thursday.  As I was preparing everything Thursday Chris told me to be sure to use lots of butter. I proceeded to tell him how much butter was in everything and he felt the potatoes may need more.  So I figured, its Thanksgiving why not.  Well, the additional butter ended up cooking over right at the end of the cooking time and started to smoke in the oven. There was so much smoke that our smoke alarm went off.  I had just put S down for her afternoon nap and thought to myself what perfect timing, she is sleeping and dinner is ready.  Well, her nap did not last long at all, you see when one smoke alarm goes off in our house all of them do.  This includes the one in S's room and the one in the hall directly outside of S's room. The poor little girl was petrified when the it started sounding.  We ended up with windows open and someone fanning the smoke detector for a good 20 minutes.  Nothing says Thanksgiving like a smoke detector! 

Overall, we had a great day and we have so much to be thankful for. I hope everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving!



S waiting for the company to arrive