My 100th Post & My Christmas Bounty!

Wow....100 posts...I can't believe how quickly it snuck up on me!  To be really fair, I should have hit this milestone a few weeks ago, I do have a few recipes and restaurant reviews that I haven't posted yet, but with the holidays and some personal stuff that came up, I just got behind.  But I am excited that I get to show off all my fun new cooking gifts that I got for Christmas on my 100th post!

My family and I had a wonderful Christmas this year, filled with old traditions (biscuits and gravy for breakfast and wearing the silly paper crowns that come in the Christmas crackers during our Christmas feast) and new ones (going to the Clees family's on Christmas Eve for Chili and getting Chinese take-out for dinner).  But it didn't really matter what it was that we did, it just mattered that we did it together, because that is what the holidays are really all about!  I feel very blessed to have such a wonderful family, we all really do enjoy spending time together, so that makes it all the more fun when we do.  Speaking of my wonderful family, they have been really supportive of my blogging (quickly learning not to take a bite of their food before I take a picture when we are out at restaurants and coming over to try out my latest creation); and my newfound blogging hobby was clearly not forgotten by them when it came time for Christmas shopping!  I hit the jackpot!  In years past they have always told me how difficult I am to shop for, so I guess my new hobby has made things easier for them, which in turn, benefitted me!  So here is a tour of my new foodie gadgets....I can't wait to try them all out!

Digital Food Photography Book and a Collapsible Light Box (Not pictured)

My mom got me the light box and my sister got me this cool book.  The light box is so neat; it pops up out of a case, then folds flat for storage and it came with a tripod, some extra spotlights and a few different colored backgrounds.  I am still working on figuring out how to best use it, but I can't wait to take my food photography to the next level with the light box and the photography book!

Stainless Steel Cheese Knives

I actually got these knives at a holiday gift exchange that my girlfriend's and I have every year.  There were lots of fun gifts to choose from, including a Fajita Set and MAC eyeshadows, but I just couldn't resist the cheese knives because I LOVE CHEESE!  Not only do I love cheese, but I love to entertain, and serving cheese and crackers is so easy and elegant....and now I have the tools to do so!

Non-Stick Baking Mats

In my recent baking adventures I started using parchment paper on my cookie sheets...and wow...what a difference it makes!  No more sticking to the tray and they just cook so much more evenly.  Since I would like to consider myself somewhat "green" I thought that it would be better to have re-usable mats that served the same purpose.  My mom got these for me at Macy's, they are Martha Stewart brand, and they even have a dozen little circles on each of them to show you where you should place the dough!

Cooking miBook

My sister got me this, and it was a total surprise! I had never even seen one of these before (which is very unusual for me, I like to think that I am up on all the latest gadgets).  Basically, it is supported by Food Network and is a mini computer/tv thing that you set on your kitchen counter and it allows you to look up a recipe and cook with it step by step!  It is like private cooking lessons!  It is loaded with over 300 recipes and tips.  I can't wait to try it out and learn some new tricks of the trade!

Spode Baking Dishes

For those that have known me a long time, you know about my love of all things polka-dot...especially black and white polka-dot!  I was so excited to get these dishes; they are not only practical, but so cute!  I saw these on the Macy's website back in September and casually mentioned to my mom how cute I thought they were, I had completely forgotten about them, and was so excited to find them under the tree!  They are really heavy duty, and will make for such a nice presentation when I have guests over.  Now I just need to figure out what I want to use them for first!

Cuisinart Non-Stick Hard Anodized 10 Piece Pots & Pans Set

While I am completely in love with my new Spode baking dishes, I think my favorite gift was the pots and pans set!  When I first moved into my house I owned nothing but a bed, a tv and a retro baby blue velvet recliner; I had always lived in the dorms in college, so I had no need to acquire any kitchen stuff.  So when I got my first house I needed everything....and everything, well....costs a lot of money....so I ended up just buying the cheapest set of pots and pans that I could find at Kohl's.  And while they were good to me, it has been 4.5 years and they have seen better days.  So I was elated to get a brand new set of heavy-duty pots and pans that don't have any scratches or chipped coating!  The sizes of these pans are much better than my old ones, and I can't wait to get cooking with them!  So thanks again Mom & Dad....I love them! (Oh yeah, and thanks for coming over and helping me clean out my kitchen cupboards so that I had a place to put them!)

So to all my friends and followers....it looks like I am all set to bring you all more foodie fun in 2010!

Macaroon Christmas Tree

Merry Christams to All!  Hope everyone is ready for the big day tomorrow....it sure did seem to sneak up on me this year!  I have just a few minutes before I have to go get ready to go to Christmas Eve services, but I wanted to post this just before I left because it is just so cute!  A couple of weeks ago I had the Food Network on and was just sort of halfway watching it when I glanced over and saw Sandra Lee putting this tree together, I thought it was cute, but then didn't give it much more thought until my mom said she had some leftover White Chocolate that she didn't know what to do with....aha....light bulb went off in my head and I said that I would take it and make this tree!  I got the stuff that I needed (or thought that I needed, as I never even bothered to look up the recipe but just make it from memory) and started putting it together.  While I wouldn't call this the easiest thing to make, it is not hard, you just need a bit of patience trying to get the macaroons to stick to the cone before adding the next layer, but I would do a few layers and then let it sit before coming back to it.  I am taking it over to our family friend's for Christmas Eve dinner tonight.....and even if no one eats it....I still think it is too darn cute!

Macaroon Christmas Tree

adapted from Sandra Lee

Click this link for the original recipe.

For my changes, I didn't use any additional sugar, and instead of Red Hots I went with Peanut M&M's.

Also, I didn't refrigerate mine to harden, that probably would have sped things up.....but I still got it to work!

Time to get ready for church.....MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Apple Dumplings

I had never eaten an apple dumpling, or any kind of dumpling for that matter, but when I saw this post on Krista's Kitchen, I just had to try them!  Growing up, my Grandma always made the pies for our Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations....there was always apple and cherry, and they were amazing!  The crust was flaky and tender, and we all looked forward to them each season.  Well, as Grandma got up there in age (she is 93 today!) she passed over the pie making duties to my mom, but for some reason, my mom could never get the crust to cooperate for her.  So about two years ago, mom gave up on her pie making efforts, usually delegating that task to a guest that would be joining us for the holiday.  This year though, I knew my Aunt Nancy would be making pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving, but I felt that we needed a little bit of variety, so I decided I would make these apple dumplings.

These were actually quite simple to put together, which was surprising to me, since they do start with a pie crust base.  They made made my house smell so good while they baked, with all the apples, butter, cinnamon and nutmeg!  I took these to our Thanksgiving dinner and we ate them with vanilla ice cream and homemade whipped cream, they were quite good!  They tasted a lot like an apple pie, but with the gooeyness on the outside of the crust instead of the inside.  I would try these again, but I felt that they maybe had a bit too much nutmeg or cinnamon in them, giving them a sort of "spicy" flavor.  But the crust was tender and flaky, which if you ask me what makes a good pie, it is all about the crust!

Apple Dumplings

adapted from Krista's Kitchen

For the dumplings:

2 1/4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2/3 c. Crisco
1/2 c. milk

Stir together flour and baking powder. Cut in Crisco. Stir in milk to form a soft dough and knead 2-3 times in the bowl until everything sticks together. Roll out to 1/4" thickness on a floured surface. Cut into 6 squares.

Filling:

3-4 baking apples, peeled and cored
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1-2 Tbsp. butter for dotting

Cut apples into large pieces and arrange in the center of each dough square. Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Dot with butter. Lightly brush a small amount of water on the edges of the dough. Fold the corners up to the center. Pinch to seal. Transfer to a rectangular baking dish.

Sauce:

2 c. water
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Bring the ingredients to a boil, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Pour into the dumpling filled baking dish. Bake dumplings at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Sweet Potato Casserole

I know that I may be in the minority on this one, but for some reason I just can't seem to get on board with putting marshmallows on my sweet potatoes.  Maybe it is because I became a sweet potato fan later in life via the sweet potato french fry craze, but whatever it is, I just don't think they go!  I got this recipe out of Cooking Light a few years ago and modified it to exclude the marshmallow topping, instead opting for some chopped pecans, but if you must, throw some marshmallows on top.  But whatever you do....you MUST make this!  Not only is it so incredibly easy, it is delicious!  For some reason I only ever seem to make it on Thanksgiving each year, and each time I can't believe that I have let so much time pass, yet I just don't seem to get around to making it again until the following Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone is enjoying their December's so far.....mine is flying by...so much to do, so little time!

Sweet Potato Casserole

adapted from Cooking Light November 2007

2½ lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 in. cubes
¾ c. packed brown sugar
¼ c. butter, softened
1½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ c. finely chopped pecans, divided
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 °F

Place sweet potatoes in a large pot, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes or until very tender. Drain; cool slightly.

Place potatoes in a large bowl. Add sugar and next 3 ingredients. Mash sweet potato mixture with a potato masher. Fold in ¼ cup pecans. Scrape potato mixture into an even layer in an 7 x 11 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with the remainng pecans. Bake for 25 minutes.

Confetti Dip

I had a lot of family coming into town for the Thanksgiving holiday, and per our tradition, we were going to have Mom's Special Lasagna for dinner at my parent's house together on Thanksgiving Eve.  My mom's "special" lasagna is actually just the classic Stouffer's lasagna, it's not homemade, but it is darn good and you just can't beat the ease of it.  Plus, she always figured that she was going to be doing so much cooking the next day that she deserved a break the night before!  Just before I was heading out to my mom's, I got word that some of our relatives had hit some traffic and were running late.  Well, I was HUNGRY, and I didn't figure that my mom would have any snacks to hold us over until dinner, so I rummaged around and threw together this dip based on some snack bites that I had once seen in a magazine.  When I got to my parent's, I popped it into the oven and soon we were munching on this delicious dip!  I basically just threw in some sliced black olives and pimentos and mixed it with some mayo and shredded cheese.  I wanted to add some onion, and I didn't have any green ones, so I threw in some dried, minced onion, not ideal, but it worked.  My aunt and my grandma loved this dip, in fact, they put the leftovers on turkey sandwiches and toast over the next few days...so I guess it is a keeper!

Confetti Dip

10 oz. can sliced black olives, drained

1/4 c. chopped pimentos

4 green onions, chopped (I had to substitute dried, minced onion)

1/2 c. mayo (I used light)

2 c. shredded cheese, flavor of choice, I used a colby blend

Triscuits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a pie plate with cooking spray.

Combine all ingredients except for the Triscuits; mix well.  Pour in pie plate, bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Serve with Triscuits.

Zucchini Corn Cakes

Remember when you were a kid and getting mail was like the coolest thing ever?  Well, I must be a kid still because I love getting mail!  I am not talking about bills, or junk mail or even catalogs (although I am always quite thrilled when my US Weekly arrives); the mail that I love getting is the personal kind.  With everything going electronic and paperless these days, writing someone a letter is usually done at a computer, not with a pen and paper; but there is just something about a handwritten note that still brings a smile to my face.  Luckily for me, my grandmother who lives in California still likes to still down and write me a letter from time to time.  She usually just tells me about something going on with one of my other cousins or she will include a picture or even a coupon, but the last letter that she sent to me included a recipe that she and my cousin had recently made.  I was happy for the new recipe, but it didn't quite beat the joy that a handwritten letter from my grandmother brought to me.  I have a whole box of letters that she has written to me over the years, and they are truly some of my most prized possessions.

The timing of her letter and recipe couldn't have been more perfect, I happened to have some zucchini in the fridge the needed to be used and a box of Jiffy Corn Bread mix in the pantry.  The recipe called for shredded zucchini, so I was also really excited to use my new Titan Peeler (yes, the ones off the infomercial, but I bought mine at Bed Bath & Beyond), not only does it peel, but it juliennes.  I have to say, the peeler worked perfect for this, and I was able to put these together in no time!  I did jazz mine up a bit from the original by adding in a handful of shredded cheese (because in my opinion cheese makes everything better) and topping them with a dollop of sour cream, and next time I think I might add some green chiles!  These were delicious and easy, and I ate them just as they were for my meal, but they would also be great served as a side dish.

Keep in mind, if you are looking to brighten someone's day, sit down with a pen and paper and write them a note because it is usually the little things in life that mean the most!

Zucchini Corn Cakes

adapted from Women's Day - Sept. 15, 2009

1 medium zucchini, shredded

1 box Jiffy corn bread mix

1 large egg

1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

1 Tbsp. canola oil

Sour cream, if desired

Place shredded zucchini in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 2 minutes on medium-high heat; drain.  Combine zucchini, corn bread mix, egg and milk.  Let stand for 5 minutes and stir in cheese.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet.  Drop heaping tablespoons of the batter into the hot oil.  Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream if desired.

Microwave Acorn Squash

A couple of weeks ago when I was walking through the grocery store I spotted an acorn squash, at that point I realized that it had been at least 10 years since I had eaten one, so I decided that that was going to change! I plopped a good looking one in my cart and finished up the rest of my shopping.  Later that night I decided to cook it for dinner and rememberd an easy recipe that I had seen in a Simple and Delicious magazine; after a bit of searching, I found it and was able to whip this up in just 15 minutes.  I couldn't believe how easy this is by using the microwave, and the first bite brought back memories of when my mom used to make this when I was a kid, which is just what I needed on a Sunday night in November!

Microwave Acorn Squash

from Simple & Delicious Sept/Oct 2008

1 medium acorn squash

2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp. butter

2 tsp. honey

Dash of salt

Cut squash in half; discard seeds.  Place squash cut side down in a microwave-safe dish.  Cover and microwave on high for 10-12 minutes or until tender.

Turn squash cut side up.  Divide the brown sugar, butter, honey and salt evenly in the centers of the squash.  Cover and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.