Two Holiday Spritzers | Pomegranate Lime & Cranberry Ginger

We made these two drinks for our last Holiday event.

Pomegranate Lime Spritzer

Ingredients

1 gallon Pomegranate Juice
1 (2 Liter) Sprite or Sierra Mist
4-5 Limes
Pomegranate seeds (optional)

Directions

Mix the juice and soda. Add a few squeezed limes. Add lime slices and pomegranate seeds to decorate! Serve with ice.

Cranberry Ginger Spritzer

Ingredients

1 gallon Cranberry Juice
1 (2 liter) Ginger Ale
1-2 Oranges
1 Tbs finely grated fresh Ginger
Whole Cranberries to decorate

Directions

Mix the juice and ginger ale. Add finely grated ginger to flavor. Decorate with sliced oranges and whole cranberries! Serve with ice.

Phyllo Wrapped Salmon Hors d'oeuvres with a Lemon Caper Cream Sauce

I made this hors d'oeuvre for a dinner party La Lune Events hosted a few weeks ago. It's a hearty, warm appetizer that's great for parties any time of year.

Ingredients for 10-12 people

3 (6) oz. Salmon Fillets (skin removed)

1 package Phyllo Dough

1/2 stick of melted Butter

Ingredients for Lemon Caper Cream Sauce

3 TBS stick of Butter

3 TBS Flour

1 Lemon

2 TBS capers

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup milk

Fold one sheet of phyllo dough into a long strip.

Cut the salmon into bite size triangle pieces.

Wrap the piece of salmon in the philo to form a triangle at the end.

Brush each Salmon triangle with melted butter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Phyllo will be golden brown.

Combine 3 TBS butter and 3 TBS flour in a pan to form a roux.

 Whisk in cream and milk.

Simmer until the sauce thickens.

Add in Zest of 1/2 lemon and juice of 1/2 lemon.

(Cream should not curdle if sauce is hot and you whisk quickly)

Turn heat off.

 Spoon the Lemon Sauce over the phyllo triangle and sprinkle with capers and more lemon zest!

Enjoy!

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!

 December 26, 1987

My mom & dad have been married 23 years today!

They have been such a great example of how a successful marriage works! They have always been wonderful parents to my brother and I! And Kyle & I are so thankful to have mentors like my mom & dad in our lives. They are definitely more like best friends to us than parents! And they couldn't be more excited to be Nana & Grandad to their first grandchild!

We love you!

Hello Blogger Friends!

Merry Christmas to all of my blog readers!

I realize I have not been keeping up with my blog. I wish I could but with all the changes in our life in the last few months, I just cannot cook and write every day.

I don't really believe in "New Year's Resolutions" but I am going to make a better effort to update my blog a couple times a week! This means feeding my husband better, too! I have been terrible at making lunches and dinners for him!

Working full time and growing a baby inside of me really drains my energy level to empty by the time I get home at night. However, I am not complaining at all. I love my job and I love being pregnant!

Growing a baby has been easy so far! I'm lucky to not be experiencing the ill side effects of pregnancy! We have an appointment scheduled to find out if we're having a baby girl or baby boy in a little over a week! Kyle thinks its a girl...but he also really wants a little girl, too! I am really not sure what I think the baby is, but I will be happy with either gender!

I have some holiday recipes to share with all of you even though Christmas has passed us by! I'm hoping if you are hosting any New Years Parties you can use the recipes for that!

Nana's Lemon Bars

Ingredients for Crust

1 cup Flour

1/2 cup Butter

1/4 cup Sugar

Directions

Mix the three ingredients together in a mixer. Pat into a 9x9 inch pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Ingredients for Lemon Filling

1 cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1/2 TBS Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

Juice of 2 Lemons

Zest of 1 Lemon

Directions

Mix all ingredients until combined. Pour lemon mixture over hot crust. Return to oven and bake for 25 minutes.

Sprinkle with Powdered Sugar.

Chicken Wild Rice Casserole | Easy Week Night Dinner

Ingredients
2 cups Wild Rice
3-4 large Chicken Breasts
2-3 cups Broccoli

2 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup (You can use Campbell's or an Organic version works well too)

1 clove Garlic

Directions

Place 2 cups rice with 4 cups water in stock pot. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 35-40 minutes or until tender.

Saute chicken in a skillet with olive oil and garlic.

Remove cooked chicken to cool.

Place broccoli in same skillet with 1/2 cup water. Place a lid on the skillet to steam the broccoli.

Dice the cooled chicken.

Mix the cooked rice, diced chicken, and steamed broccoli with cream of mushroom soup.

Place in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

You can top with white cheddar or any type of cheese if you'd like!

Happy News!

Big Announcement: We've got a wee little bun in the oven due to arrive in May!

Warm Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese

We have been growing a few different varieties of beets the last few years. We usually make them boiled but for an event in September we roasted them in the oven for about an hour and served them warm with bits of melting goat cheese.

Ingredients

4-6 Beets

1 block Fresh Goat Cheese

Salt

Pepper

Olive Oil

Clean the beets well and cut the tops and roots off.

Boil the beets whole in a large stock pot of water for 20-30 minutes.

This helps to remove the skins.

Remove from the hot water. Cool.

Gently rub or peel off the skins.

Dice the peeled beets into 1-2 inch cubes.

Toss with Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper in a large roasting pan.

Roast in a 400 degree oven for 40-55 minutes or until beets are fork tender.

Transfer the hot roasted beets to your serving dish and sprinkle the top with bits of fresh goat cheese.

Enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash

This is one of our favorite side dishes! We can eat almost a whole squash! It is very easy and simple and compliments any fall or winter meal!

Ingredients

1 large Butternut Squash

2 Cloves Garlic

1 TBS Sea Salt

2 tsp Pepper

4 TBS Olive Oil

Directions

Peel the entire squash whole with a vegetable peeler. Cut in half. Scoop out the seeds and pulp.

Cut squash long ways into strips then into 1 inch cubes.

Finely chop garlic. Toss the pieces of squash with garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until squash is fork tender.

Serve hot!

Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup sugar 

1/3 cup natural cocoa powder 

4 teaspoons cornstarch

3 large egg yolks

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Whipped Cream

3/4 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Place 1 1/2 cups of the milk, the sugar, and the cocoa in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer, over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of the milk, cornstarch, salt, egg yolks, and vanilla in a bowl. Gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture. Return the warmed egg mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat whisking constantly, until the pudding comes to a full boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and continue whisking until thick, for about 2 or 3 minutes.

Pour the pudding into 6 small cups. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight until set.
Just before serving pour the cream into a chilled bowl. Whip the cream with a whisk or a hand held mixer, and continue beating until soft peaks form. Gently fold in sugar and vanilla. Serve each pudding with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

(Adapted from Tyler Florence)

Lasagna

 My dear friend, Mary, had her baby last weekend and I wanted to take a meal or two to her and her family to welcome the little one home! I ended up making 5 lasagnas and froze a few for us to eat later on. These are a great freezer meal and are easy to pop in the oven for dinner.

Ingredients

(for one lasagna)

1 package Lasagna Noodles

1 lb Ground Beef

1/2 lb Ground Sausage

1 large Yellow Onion

1small container Cottage Cheese

1 small container Ricotta Cheese

1 lb Mozzarella Cheese

1 cup finley grated Parmesan Cheese

1 large can Crushed Tomatoes

1 large can Diced Tomatoes

3 tsp Oregano

3-4 cloves Garlic

2 tsp Salt

Directions

Brown beef & sausage in a saute pan until cooked thoroughly.

Drain the meat and use the pan to saute the diced yellow onions.

Combine the meat and sauteed onions

Add both cans of tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and salt.

Bring to a simmer.

(My assembly line for 5 lasagnas)

Add a layer of the tomato/meat mixture to your casserole dish.

Add a layer of noodles over the meat.

Add dollops of cottage cheese and ricotta to the warm noodles and spread it around in an even layer.

Add a layer of mozzarella cheese over the cottage cheese and ricotta cheese.

Add another layer of meat, noodles, cottage & ricotta, and mozzarella.

Top with extra Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Serve hot or let it cool and freeze it for up to 3 months.



Kitchen Composting | Blog Feature

Have you heard of Bonzai Aphrodite?

It's a great website about creative urban farming, delicious eating, and leading a healthy, nourishing, and conscientious lifestyle!

Recently she featured my article about Kitchen Composting on her blog.

Thank you Sayward!!

You can read it here.

Happy Composting!

Colcannon | A Hearty Fall Meal

This is a hearty potato dish from Ireland. I was watching Food Network and saw this being made in Ireland. We have an abundance of fresh potatoes form the garden and we had one last head of cabbage waiting to be used up. In Ireland, this is pure comfort food! I knew my husband would like it and it is so fitting for fall.

Ingredients

15-20 small red or yellow potatoes

1 small head of green cabbage

1/2 of a Ham or Pork Roast (Roasted or Cooked in the Crock Pot)

1/2 stick Butter

1/2 cup milk, half & half, or cream

2 tsp Salt

Directions

Wash your potatoes thoroughly. Leave the skins on. Steam them in a steamer pot or place them in a large stock pot with only enough water to barely cover them. Let them steam until cooked through or all the water is almost gone. This helps maintain some of the nutrients from the skin by steaming them first. Remove them from the pot. Let them cool. Then using a small knife or your hands, gently peel them. The steamed skins should fall right off.

Shred the head of cabbage and lightly steam it in a water bath or steamer pot until bright green.

Shred your cooked pork roast or ham.

Return your peeled potatoes to the pot. Add 1/4 stick of butter and salt. Mash the potatoes. Add milk, half & half, or cream.

Mix in the steamed cabbage.

Mix in the shredded pork or ham.

Serve with a pat of butter and a dash of salt.

Oregano Bread

Ingredients

• 1 packet dry yeast

• 3 1/2 cups bread or unbleached white flour

• 1 Tbs sugar

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 1/4 hot water (120-130 degrees, f.)

• 3 Tbs olive oil

• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh oregano

• 1/4 cup dehydrated onion or fresh minced onion

• 2 tsp garlic powder

 

 Directions

In a stand mixer combine all dry ingredients, including herbs and onions. Whisk well. Change to bread hook attachment. Add olive oil to hot water and with mixer running slowly, add water gradually in a steady stream. Allow bread hook to knead approx. 8-10 minutes 'til dough pulls away from the bowl and the sides are clean.

Form dough in a loose ball and place in a well oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap (or a moist towel if you prefer) to rise in a warm, shady spot for about 2 hours.

Remove risen dough to a board dusted in cornmeal, press and fold gently to remove large air pockets, form into a loaf and place in bread pan for the second rise of about an hour. Score with serrated knife or razor blade.

Bake in pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temp. to 350 for remaining 20 minutes. Bread is done when crust is golden and knocking on the top yields a hollow sound.

Adapted from: One Good Loaf