Scratch Your Baking Itch: Homemade Oreos

Y'all, my sister is a fantastic little baker. She inspires me to bake, as much as Joy the Baker or Smitten Kitchen, seriously! But, I can't talk her into blogging ;) soooo, last night, when we were texting about her many Christmas parties and desserts she was making for them, she mentioned she had made homemade Oreos for her Sunday night party. Well, that caught my attention because we are a cookie loving family and I figured, I had taken a nap (almost in my 3rd trimester people! I need them!) and I had the energy to whip up something new. I decided to take on this tempting sandwich cookie.

1st batter attempt: you know, I left out a critical ingredient called SUGAR! Ha ha. I had tried the batter and though, ick, this tastes like dirt (& looked like it too). I then realized that at teh point when I was supposed to blend all of the dry ingredients tgoether, I had omitted teh sugar. Oh well, forget salvaging the batter. I started over again.

2nd attempt: voila! Just right.

I learned a few of tricks while making this, that might help you too:

1. This dough is very easy to roll out, that is what I recommend. This way, you can get clean edges to your cookies but you still get the lovely cracks and bubbles in your cookies
2. The filling won't look/taste/feel like the thicker, Oreo type cream until it has been sitting a day - but honestly, it tastes so amazing fresh the first day, you may not have any left 
3. You can flavor the filling any way you like! I did 1/2 original and in 1/2 I added small candy cane pieces to it for a seasonal touch. Both were delicious. 
4. Because I don't like to keep track of details, I didn't count many cookies I made/baked to ensure they came out even. In my estimation, if there wasn't a match, we could just eat the chocolate cookie! To ensure you do save enough for teh sandwiches (so they aren't eaten while you're making them), put 1/2 of your cookies topside down and the rest inside down as pairs,so you know how many cookies you will be filling. This way, you can space out your filling correctly too. 
5. I agree with the reco from the original recipe. to use an icing piping bag to fill the cookies. It makes it so easy and fast. 
6. You may never want an original Oreo again.

Here is the recipe from Smitten Kitchen!

Homemade Oreo Cookies 

Makes 25 - 30 cookies 

For the chocolate wafers: 

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour

1/2 c cocoa powder

1 t baking soda

1/4 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

1 c sugar

1/2 c plus 2 T of butter, room temperature

For the filling: 

1/4 c butter, room temperature

1/4 c shortening

2 c powdered sugar

2 t vanilla 

For the cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Set 2 oven racks in the middle of the oven. You can bake 2 trays of cookies at teh same time. 
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, on low speed, thoroughly mix all dry ingredients the flour, cocoa, baking soda & powder, salt & sugar (see my note above :)).  
3. While on low speed, add teh butter & the egg. Continue to mix until the dough comes together. (Side note from me: my mixture stayed crumbly but when I patted it together between my hands, it stuck, if yours does this you know it is ready to pack into a ball and quickly roll out)
4. I rolled my dough out onto a floured/silicone surface at this point about 1/4" thick & used a small biscuit cutter to cut out my cookies. You can also use the original method of balling the cookie dough into about 1" diameter balls, put it on the cookie sheet and smush down with your hands. 
5. These cookies do not spread out much, so you can put them fairly close together (maybe 1/4" - 1/2" apart). 
6. Bake about 9 minutes. If you are baking 2 trays at a time, make sure to rotate the trays for even baking. 

For the filling (mmmm):

1. Place butter & shortening in a mixing bowl & at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar & vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat 2 - 3 minutes until the cream is light & fluffy
2. Next, after your cookies have completely cooled (if they aren't cool, your icing will melt and run off of the cookie), fill with the filling. 

Eat and Enjoy!

For an extra special treat, you could always drizzle them with white chocolate or fully enrobe in melted semi-sweet or dark chocolate. The original filled cookie though, is more than enough to satisfy any sweet tooth. 

Fabulous Reads: 4 Fall Favorites

Y'all, just experience my first book club last night and whoa, I have been missing out! Great friends, conversation & refreshments, I'm hooked! It inspired me to share my top 4 reads for fall.

Top 5:

1. Upstairs at the White House 
2. Same Kind of Different as Me
3. The Enchanted April
4. The Boys in the Boat 

Upstairs at the White House by J. B. West

Summary of book: J. B. West worked in the White House for 28 years and witnessed the inner workings of the President, their first ladies and their families. This book is a fascinating glimpse into the historical happenings of the presidencies and into the first families personal lives. It is tasteful and inspiring. 

Rating: 5

Book feel: Nice evening wind-down
My additional comments: This is a wonderful book. Not only did it give insight to several presidents but I also walked away with some inspired but practical ideas for my own life.

Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall & Denver Moore

Summary of book: Denver Moore was working as a sharecropper (what is described in the book as a modern-day slave) in Louisiana in the mid 1900's. Ron Hall was a major money making art-dealer in Dallas. How did their lives intersect? Ron and his wife Debbie started volunteering at a homeless shelter, where they met Denver. Your life will be blessed mightily by reading this redemptive story. 

Rating: 5

Book feel: Intense but rewarding & Can't put it down, lost sleep to read it
My additional comments: 

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim 

Summary of book: This is a classic novel written in 1922 by an Australian-born British novelist. The writing can be slow at times but her style grows on you and then charms you completely, as does this book. Set first in England then moving to Portofino, Italy, the book tells of 4 women who come together to vacation in Italy, despite the fact that they are complete strangers. 

Rating: 3

Book feel: Nice evening wind-down
My additional comments: If you're already ready for winter to end, this book will remind you of the warmth of spring and summer that is to come!

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

Summary of book: This book features Joe Rantz, an Olympic rower with humble beginnings. It is an incredible story of the 1936 Olympic rowing team, where the team came from and educates the reader on the sport of rowing. If you like stories like Seabiscuit, you will love this story.

Rating: 4

Book feel: Nice evening wind-down
My additional comments: Nice evening wind-down

Here are the details on my rating information :)

Rating scale:

1 - I stopped reading it before I finished it 

2 - I would not recommend it & wish I hadn't spent my time reading it either 

3 - It was a good read but I wouldn't read it again 

4 - I'm confident recommending it as a good read to anyone

5 - I'm still thinking about it months later & would read it again & potential buy it 

Book feel

Beach read (easy & delightful, not much focus needed) 

Can't put it down, lost sleep to read it
Nice evening wind-down

Intense but rewarding 

Informational but boring

Spinach, Chicken & White Cheese Lasagna

Wow, wow and wow! This dish is both easy and delicious and might have just stolen the title of my favorite lasagna, even above a homemade red sauce lasagna (& that's a big deal because that's one of my favorites to make and eat).

The best thing about this recipe is it makes a 9x13. If you're a smaller family like us, you only need one 8x8 and with this recipe, you get 2! One for now and one to freeze for later (or share with someone else!)!

Seriously y'all, this is soooo good. You can also sneak in some extra veggies very easily. 

Spinach, White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna

9 whole wheat lasagna noodles (not oven ready)

1/2 c butter

1 whole onion

2 yellow squash, chopped 

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 c all-purpose flour

1 t salt

2 c chicken broth

1 1/2 c milk

4 c shredded mozzarella cheese, divided in half 

1 c grated Parmesan cheese, divided in 1/2

1 t dried basil

1 t dried oregano

1/2 t ground pepper

2 c ricotta cheese

2 eggs 

2 c cooked, cubed chicken (I buy the oven rotisserie chicken that's already off of the bone from Costco. Seriously delicious & tender meat. 

1 package chopped frozen spinach, thawed & drained 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Bring a pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add noodles and cook for about 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a large pot, melt butter and then cook the onion and squash for about 8 minutes, then add garlic and continue to cook until veggies are tender.

Add flour & salt to the veggie mixture & stir well.  

Add milk & chicken broth to the veggie/ flour mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly & boil for 1 minute. Next, stir in 2 c mozzarella cheese & 1/2 c Parmesan & melt. Then add herbs. Remove from heat & set aside.

Mix chicken, ricotta and 2 eggs together. 

Now, for the layers! These instructions are for the 9x13 pan: 

Prepare pan(s) & spread 1/3 of milk/cheese/onion mixture on the bottom of pan. 

Next, lay noodles on top.

Then, spread all of the chicken/ricotta/egg mixture on top of the noodles. 

Spread 1/3 more of milk/cheese/onion mixture on top.

Repeat noodles then milk/cheese/onion mixture. Top with remaining 2 cups of mozzarella cheese. 

Bake in oven, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes until cheese is melted, slightly browned and the lasagna is bubbling. Let sit for about 5 minutes. 

Apple Cider Sweet Potato Chicken Chili

Y'all, I was inspired by a recipe I found online to make a chili with Apple Cider! Of course, I started to add my own twists to the recipe and thought I would share it here!

Apple Cider Sweet Potato Chili

3 chicken breasts (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped (any color will work)
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 can Great Northern Beans, drained & rinsed
1 can Light Red Kidney Beans, drained & rinsed
1 sweet potato, peeled & chopped into small pieces
2 1/2 cups apple cider
3 cups chicken broth
1 t chili powder
1 t kosher salt
1/2 t black pepper, ground
1/2 t paprika
1/4t cayenne

1. Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and peppers, cook until onions are translucent. After cooked, put mixture in a bowl. 
2. In same large pot, fill with water and bring to a boil. 
3. Chop chicken into small, bite size pieces and add to boiling water. Cook for about 7 - 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. 
4. While the chicken is cooking, drain & rinse beans and add to the bowl with the onion mixture. Also add chopped celery and sweet potato to this mixture. 
5. Once chicken is cooked, drain. 
6. Add onion mixture, cubed chicken pieces, chicken broth, apple cider and remaining ingredients (herbs) to the large pot. Bring to a boil.
7. Once pot is boiling, turn down on simmer and let thicken (about 30 minutes to 1 hour). 
8. 1/2 way through cooking, smash 1/3 of the beans onto the side of the pot, this will help to naturally thicken the chili. 

My Fall Food Favorites

It's Fall Y'all <-- haha, I think it is sooo funny to say that.

Anyway, with the changing of the seasons, there are always new seasonal foods to try out! Here are a few of my new favorites! I am including the recipes of a few, here! Try them out and let me know what you think!

1. Oktoberfest stew - tastes like all of the best German foods, in one dish *recipe below
2. Homemade sparkling apple cider - so deliciously delightful *recipe below
3. Pumpkin cake with cinnamon cream cheese icing - double yum
4. Apple Cider Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream Icing
5. Salty Addictive Nuts - y'all you cannot stop eating these!!! And let me just note, these are not just for the fall but I just happened to try them this fall :) *recipe below
6. Pumpkin snickerdoodles - like a pumpkiny version of a chewy spice cookie
7. Chicken Pot Pie - comforting flavors without the heaviness; this one is light and full of flavor

Oktoberfest Stew

1 T olive oil

1 package of smoked sausage, sliced into bite size pieces (we used Oscar Mayer uncured turkey sausage)

1 large onion, cut in 1/2 and sliced thin

1/2 of a cabbage, cored and sliced thin

1/2 t fresh ground pepper

1/4 t caraway seeds

2 garlic cloves

1 c Oktoberfest lager

2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed to bite size pieces

2 1/2 c hot chicken broth

1 1/2 T apple cider vinegar (use 2 T if you like more vinegar like me)

• Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot; once the oil is hot, add in the sliced smoked sausage, and allow the slices to caramelize and brown in the oil, for about 4-5 minutes.
• Add in the sliced onions, stir, and allow the onions to caramelize with the sausage for another few minutes, until the onions are golden-brown and softened.
• Add in the sliced cabbage, stir to combine, and allow the cabbage to soften and take on the flavors of the sausage and onions for a few minutes.
• Add in the black pepper, ground caraway seeds and the pinch of salt, and stir to combine; next, stir in the garlic.
• When the garlic becomes aromatic, add in the cup of lager, and stir the mixture to combine; allow the beer to slightly reduce for about 3 minutes or so.
• Add in the cubed potatoes and the hot chicken stock, stir, and allow the mixture to come to the boil.
• Place a lid, slightly askew to allow just a little steam to escape, and reduce the heat to low to gently simmer the stew for about 40 minutes.
• Turn the heat off, and finish the stew by stirring in the apple cider vinegar.

Homemade Sparkling Cider Recipe

1 Liter of sparkling water per

1 can frozen apple juice/apple cider from concentrate

• Apple slices for pretty-ness (optional)
• Mix together and serve chilled or over ice in fun cups. 

Salty Addictive Nuts!

4 cups pecan halves

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 Tbsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (double of you like spicy!)

• Preheat oven to 325.
• Toss together melted butter & pecans. Spread in thin layer on jelly roll pan. Toast about 25 min, or until fragrant and toasted, stirring halfway through (I really watch them in the last few minutes, as they go from toasted to burnt very quickly.)
• Remove from oven, sprinkle with salt and cayenne, tossing to coat. Cool completely. Will keep for up to 1 week.

Paella - Oven Style

Paella can be an intimidating dish to make because a) it's something we are typically unfamiliar with because it's not served in many restaurants b) it has quite a few unfamiliar spices (saffron) and c) it can take some time (stirring rice as it slowly cooks does not quite qualify as fun to me).

All of that being said, I have a paella pan and maybe make the dish 1 time per year. Which is a bummer because Cory & I LOVE to eat it!

Each week, I receive email notifications from Conde Nast. They sent out the recipes that are trending across various food websites. As I was scrolling through this past week's, I found a recipe for Sheet-Pan Paella. I have read recipes (Ina Garten's) about doing risotto in the oven instead of stove-top but had not tried it yet. I quickly added it to our menu for the week and Monday night was Paella night!

It turned out beautifully and I recommend you try this at home. The original recipe can be found on epicurious at this link but I have made some alterations to it :) The ingredient list looks long but it is very simple. I have divided the ingredient list into sections, by step.

Sheet Pan Paella with Sausage, Shrimp and Mussels

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350
Step 2: Spray large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray then spread the rice on the sheet. Toast the rice for about 5 minutes.

• Nonstick vegetable cooking spray
• 1 c short-grain rice (such as Arborio) - you can find this in stores like Walmart now

Step 3: In a medium sauce pan, combine the following ingredients and warm over medium heat. Bring to a low boil then remove from the heat. 

• 2 1/4 c low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 t freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 t smoked paprika
• 1/2 t rosemary 
• 1 t sea salt

Step 4: After the rice has been toasted, pour the liquid mixture over the rice and add the diced tomatoes and sliced onions to the mixture. Stir well. Cover the baking sheet with another baking sheet or foil, then put back into the oven for 20 minutes. 

• 1/2 c white onion, thinly sliced
• 1 c diced tomatoes

Step 5: Toss shrimp with 1/2 t salt and set aside. 

• 4 oz medium shrimp, uncooked, peeled, deveined, tails left intact
• 1/2 t kosher salt, divided

Step 6: As the rice is cooking, prep the rest of your ingredients in a bowl:

• 1 smoked sausage (recommend an original flavor or something with spice if you like that) - sliced into 1/2 inch rounds (you can slice thinner if you desire)
• 1/2 c sliced roasted red peppers (jarred)
• 1/4 c green olives, pitted, sliced
• 1 lb mussels, recommend you buy the precooked mussels at the store
• 1 can of cannellini beans, drained

Step 7: After the rice mixture has cooked for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and stir it well. Bake for 5 more minutes, uncovered. If the rice looks a little dry to you, add a little bit more water. 

Step 8: After the rice has cooked for 5 more minutes. Add remaining ingredients to the pan & stir (shrimp & sausage/veggie mixture). Heat for 8 - 10 minutes more, covered, until the shrimp is cooked through. 

I also recommend buying a lemon or two to serve on the side, to squeeze over the seafood. 

Bon appetit!

Additional ideas to customize your paella - if you don't like seafood, you can substitute chicken in place of the shrimp and mussels. Dice about 1/2 - 1 pound of chicken and after the rice has cooked about 10 minutes of the 20, toss the chicken into the mixture to cook. 

Red Beans and Rice with Layers of Flavor

The other day, my mom asked me to make a recipe of Red Beans and Rice to take to a friend. She is a full time professor at a local university and so I was happy to help her out with this request!

The thing was, I had never made red beans and rice. Upon reflection of eating Red Beans and Rice, I realized I had never really eaten any good recipe of it before either. Mom's friend from Louisiana who had tried this recipe, told her it was bona fide. I was excited to test it and see for my self.

OOOO-wheee! This puppy was sooooo good! It has layers and layers of flavor. It's satisfyingly filling but not too heavy.

One other detail that made this dish so good was the type of sausage I used. I do not recommend buying the Hillshire Farms, Eckrich type sausage that are mass produced. Instead, I recommend buying a local sausage. We used Conecuh, a sausage made in Alabama. It really made a significant difference in adding flavor.

Now...drumroll please...for the recipe!

Emeril Lagasse's Red Beans & Rice

1 pound dried red beans, rinsed & sorted
2 T oil (olive oil or vegetable oil)
1 pound chopped ham pieces (you can get the inexpensive package in the meat aisle)
1.5 c chopped yellow onions
3/4 c chopped celery
3/4 c chopped bell peppers (I used the multi colored baby bells)
1/2 t salt
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
Pince cayenne
3 bay leaves
2 T parsley
2 t thyme
1/2 pound smoked sausage, sliced into round circle pieces
3 T chopped garlic
10 c chicken broth
4 c cooked rice (I used brown)

OVERNIGHT: place beans in a large bowl and cover with water by 2 inches. Let soak 8 hours or overnight. After soaking, let drain and set aside.

• In a large pot, heat the 2 T of oil. Add the onions, celery and peppers and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the salt, pepper and cayenne and cook, stirring until the vegetables are soft, about 4 more minutes. 
• Add the bay leaves, parsley, thyme, sausage and the ham pieces, cook about 4 minutes. 
• Add the garlic and cook another minute. 
• Add the beans & chicken broth to the pot and stir well
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally until the beans are tender and starting to thicken. This takes about 2 hours. 
• Note: Should the beans become too thick during this, add some more chicken broth.  
• After cooking a couple of hours, and with the back of a wooden spoon, mash about 1/4 - 1/2 of the beans against the side of the pan. 
• Continue to cook the dish until the beans are tender and creamy, another 30 minutes to 1 hour. 
• Remove from heat and remove the bay leaves. 
• The finished consistency should be closer to a chili than a soup

Serve hot over cooked rice and enjoy!!! This recipe is just as delicious re-warrmed, it would be a great dish to serve a large crowd during the winter time and you could make it ahead!

A Summer WOW Recipe

Every now and then, there is a recipe using seasonal ingredients that hits your taste buds with such a KA-POW of flavor, that you start craving it immediately after you finish it. We experienced that tonight when we made Food & Wine's Cucumber Salad with Buttermilk Dressing and Pickled Onion.

This one features crisp cucumbers and a divine, homemade dressing oh, most importantly pickled onions that you make yourself! I've made pickles from cucumbers before, but I have not pickled onions and boy, were they delicious in this recipe! The dressing uses fresh herbs too, which were so fun to snip from my plants outside and incorporate into this recipe.

Even if you have finished your grocery shopping for the week, stop by a farmers market or your local grocery store to pick up the ingredients to enjoy this asap!

This recipe is not hard but it does have quite a few steps to it. Also, having a mandolin was incredibly helpful in thinly slicing the onions and later, the cucumber. If you do not have one, you can make thin slices work with your favorite, sharp knife.

Becca Edits: I decided to make this at the last minute, here are a few things to note:

• you need about 45 minutes before eating time, to make the pickled onions and give them time to actually pickle
• I did not have several of the ingredients but had suitable substitutes:
• tarragon (fresh or dried) at my house, so I didn't use it. The dressing was still great. 
• creme fraiche either, instead, I used plain greek yogurt. Again, the dressing was great. 
• sunflower seeds - I chopped up slivered almonds instead 
• Your breath will be hot and heavy with onions after you eat this, so grab some gum or make sure your partner eats this salad too! :)

Cucumber Salad with Buttermilk Dressing and Pickled Onion Recipe (link to recipe here)

Pickled Onion

• 1 c red wine vinegar
• 1/4 c sugar
• 1/4 c water
• 1/4 t sea salt
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced

Make the pickled onion...in a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, sugar, water & salt just to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat; add the onion. Let cool, then refrigerate until chilled. 

Dressing

• 1/2 c creme fraiche (or I used plain Greek yogurt)
• 1/4 c buttermilk
• 1/4 c mayonnaise
• 2 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 T minced tarragon
• 1 T minced chives
• 1 T minced parsley

In a small bowl, whisk all of the ingredients above, together. Season with salt & pepper. 

Cucumber Salad

• 6 cucumbers (I used mini pickling cucumbers)
• 2 T olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• It calls for more red wine vinegar here, but I don't think you need it & didn't include it. If you do want to include it: use 2 T red wine vinegar, to toss in the bowl with the cucumbers and olive oil

In a medium bowl, toss the cucumbers with the olive oil. Season with a little salt and fresh ground pepper. Let sit for about 5 minutes. 

Assembling the salad:

• Spoon the dressing onto shallow bowls or plates with a lip. Top with the cucumbers. Drain teh onion & scatter over the salad. Garnish with chopped slivered almonds or whatever nuts you like & have on hand that are mild (the original recipe recommends sunflower seeds) and you can also top with sunflower sprouts!

Seasonal Recipe: Corn Fritters with Lime Aioli

Several of my friends asked me to share a recipe with them of some veggie cakes I had made for my son. It's an easy way to get vegetables into a tasty cake! The original recipe has quite elevated flavors and is a perfect seasonal dish to highlight corn but I have found a couple of ways to simplify the recipe:

1. Bake them in muffin tins instead of pan frying (this saves you some fat calories too!)
2. You do not have to serve them with the "extras" for them to taste good (extras include arugula, roasted tomatoes and prosciutto)
3. You can include more veggies than corn, in this recipe! I put some baby carrots in the food processor and ground them up very fine. You can also do the same thing with yellow squash and it blends with the color of the corn. I would just make sure that the veggie amounts don't exceed 2 cups, because you still want the batter to taste good.

A few things I have learned in baking them for kiddos:

1. Don't use muffin cups because they absorb the moisture from the cakes. Having them baked directly in the cups also gives them a nice crispness they need, since they're not being fried.
2. Don't eliminate the "flavor givers" from the recipe, they really give the cake its additional flavor (flavor givers: green onions, salt)
3. You can also use lowfat buttermilk if you want instead of lowfat milk

Corn Fritters with Roasted Tomatoes and Lime Aioli from Cooking Light - I'm listing this recipe in 3 steps, so you can easily make the pieces you want to! Here is the link to the original recipe: Cooking Light Link.

Corn Fritter Ingredients:

• 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 1/4 t black pepper
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/3 c milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 ears of fresh corn kernels (about 1 1/2 c)
• 1/3 c finely chopped green onions
• 1/4 t salt

If you are baking in a muffin tin, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your muffin tins (either regular size or minis) by coating them well with cooking spray.

Combine flour & baking powder in a medium bowl. Add milk & egg, stir until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients. 

Equally distribute batter in each tin & bake for about 12 - 15 minutes for the minis or about 15 - 20 minutes for the regular size cakes, until they look golden brown on top. Let cool and remove from tins. 

If you are going to cook them in oil: heat 1/2 t of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop batter by level tablespoons full into the pan. Cook about 2 minutes or until the tops are covered with bubbles and edges are golden. Carefully turn the fritters and cook about 2 more minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter. I like to place my completed fritters on a plate layered with paper towels to absorb the grease. 

Lime Aioli Recipe:

• 3 T mayonnaise
• 2 T fresh lime juice
• 1/2 garlic clove minced
• 1 t cold water

Combine all ingredients with a whisk.

Roasted Tomatoes:

• 4 ripe tomatoes, halved (about 1 #)
• 1 t olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Arrange tomato halves, cut side up, on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil (the acidic juice from tomatoes is a bear to clean up!). Drizzle tomatoes with 1 t olive oil & sprinkle with 1/4 t pepper. Bake for 1 hour & 30 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and have lost a lot of their moisture.

To serve the FULL recipe:

You'll also need:

• 4 c loosely packed arugula
• 4 slices of prosciutto

Step 1: place 1 fritter on each of the 4 plates

Step 2: top each with 1 tomato half and 1/2 c arugula

Step 3: repeat layers, ending with fritters. 

Step 4: Top each serving with 1 prosciutto slice. 

Step 5: Drizzle with the aoili. 

Image of the original recipe:

What Do the Foxes Eat? - 2015 Food Story

I thought it would be fun to document our food for 2015. Not just the exciting stuff, but the humdrum stuff too. I have done a decent job of capturing the majority of our meals (and half of Cory's torso LOL) throughout the year. What I haven't done is post them! Since July is 1/2-way through the year, I figured, there's no better time to start, than now!

As I've gone back through our food photos, it's been really cool to not only remember cooking each one but also, to remember who we shared them with! Entertaining is definitely a hobby our family is passionate about and we look forward to many more good times with our friends this 2nd half of the year!

Let's begin. I only posted the 1st 9 days of the year here. The rest will be captured in an album on Facebook.

1/1

New Year's Day morning - coconut waffles yummmm, topped with a dash of whipped cream and toasted coconut. This has to be my hands-down favorite waffle recipe.

New Year's Eve Day was our traditional meal - spiral sliced ham, black eyed peas, colcannon potatoes, collard greens and cornbread, of course. Our friends Jessica & Blake joined us for our festive feast. They brought two delicious appetizers, bacon wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese and spinach artichoke dip!

1/2
Fresh pizza topped with a new topping: olive oil, homemade ricotta & roasted grapes and olives.

1/3
Crab legs with french bread.

1/4
Homemade chili with from-scratch cornbread.

1/5
Homemade spaghetti sauce with whole wheat pasta. Homemade Farm Bread made with whole wheat flour.

1/6
In St. Louis for dinner...Cory had interviews with Purina on 1/7. We ate at the Budweiser brew house & it was delish! Plus, it had a very fun atmosphere. We ate beer cheese dip & pretzels, spicy lobster tacos & fish-n-chips.

1/7
In St. Louis for dinner...Cory had interviews today with Purina. We ate lunch at Blues Street Deli & I'm underestimating when I say they were the most delicious sandwiches we'd ever had. I ordered the Aporkalypse (garlic roasted pork sliced then, boom boom sauce, cheese, pickle & bacon!!!). If you're ever in town, please go there!

For dinner, we ordered in Imo's pizza to the hotel.

1/8

Homemade dinner of: coconut crusted mahi mahi from Fresh Market, homemade whole wheat farm bread, salad with bacon tomatoes & feta, wild rice and baked sweet potato casserole (in red pots). 

1/9

Wild rice soup for lunch

Calzone for dinner!

Am I really a clean freak now?!

Pre-baby, I didn't really care if my house was super clean. Tidy mattered but not clean. I had a house cleaner come once a month with my intention being to do "filler" cleaning in between...which other than vacuuming, almost never occurred! 

Fast forward to me today, I can't sit down and do something I want to do, before the house is clean. WHAT?!?!?! It literally just dawned on me yesterday that this change has occurred and as of today, I've started to stage an intervention for myself.

Why am I doing this? 

My myth: Probably because I think there are certain "expectations" of clean house perfection since I am a stay at home mom 

What should be my reality: stay tidy like you used to but for heaven's sake, don't let some dirty dishes bother you! 

I'm declaring to myself that it's not healthy for me, for every bit of my naptime-time to be fully taken over by clean the house activities. Instead, I should work on having my house look presentable but also, allow some free time for myself as well. It sounds silly and simple but that's my new goal!

I do miss my cleaning lady though!!! 

Meet my new BFF: Romesco

Yes, yes, it's been a while since I've posted but we all knew that a lull would happen sometime...it's just the nature of the blogging game!

Anywho, over the last 6 weeks, we've packed up one house, moved into an apartment, walked away from one house under contract, searched like crazy for another house and about 4 weeks after our 2nd search started, we found an amazing home! All to say, it's been a little hectic but I've still been thinking of things to post if not writing them ☺️

Two nights ago, the non-posting spell was broken by my new BFF (best food friend), Romesco! Wowowowowow. What is Romesco you ask (I didn't know either)...It is to Spain what pesto is to Italy...and it is traditionally made with red peppers. The specific recipe I had selected for one of our weeknight dinners called for making Romesco but out of carrots! Interesting...I'm in!

The Romesco was a robust, mouthwatering sauce that packed a slight spicy punch, that would taste good on anything! When paired with pan-roasted then oven-roasted pork tenderloin WOW, it was a delight in our mouths. It had just the right balance of smooth but textured, flavor with some heat and what a gorgeous color. 

It is quite simple to put together:

1) toss carrots in olive oil & bake until they become tender @20-30 minutes

2) in a food processor, mix garlic, police oil & toasted pine nuts (I used pecans! Because we didn't have pinenuts) until it forms a paste

3) once carrots are cooked, add to food processor along with some red pepper flakes & start to blend; add olive oil & water until it reaches a consistency you like 

4) here is where I deviated from the recipe & I'm glad that I did :) adding water and olive oil wasn't cutting it for me, so I got out my severer incredibly: olive juice & added @ 5 teaspoons plus I added 5 whole olives for good measures. Nom. Nom. Nom. 

I'm thinking it would pair incredibly well blended with a white sauce for pasta. Or even, you could mix it with plain Greek yogurt to get a veggie dipping sauce. Mmmmmmm I'm already dreaming about the next meal featuring my new BFF. 

Here is the original recipe from Epicurious: Roast Pork Tenderloin with Carrot Romesco

Photo of our Dinner with Romesco

Tennessee...we're coming home!

Arkansas has been our home for 9 years (me) & 10 years (Cory). It's where we met! Where we've experienced limitless 1sts: career opportunities, buying a house, grad school, calling the Hogs!, getting a puppy, kayaking and most recently...welcoming our son William into the world! We will always love Arkansas for those reasons and many, many more.

It is with overflowing hearts that we announce we are moving back to Tennessee! We have missed our homeland and being close to our families. 

Cory accepted a job at Bridgestone USA in Nashville and we couldn't be more thrilled for this wonderful opportunity for our family! 

We plan to start the moving process right away and to relocate by the end of this month. That doesn't give us much time to say our goodbyes! As such, we are going to invite you to join us at Theo's in Rogers on Friday 2/20, for Happy Hour, starting at 4pm! We'll hang around as long as y'all want to! 

To each and everyone of our amazing friends, thank you for loving our family so well while we have been here. To our Grace Point Church Family, God placed us with you to challenge and grow us and we are forever grateful for that gift!

We can't wait to go to more UT football games!

Lil man can't wait to live closer to his grandparents and aunts and uncles!!!

Winter is for Roasting!

Although this winter has been milder than I expected, I still have craved slow roasted meals with lots of flavor. I have a few to share with you that have been recent hits at our house!

The first is Roasted Grapes & Olives. At first, I was turned off by this recipe because I thought it didn't sound worth the effort. Then I thought about it more, especially about how much I love things tossed in olive oil and roasted in the oven, of which this recipe requires. Since we just happened to have some olives and grapes at the house, I figured, why not! This specific recipe is from Smitten Kitchen which is one of my favorite blogs to follow. She will never steer you wrong. This recipe works for a multitude of uses:

• crostini
• pizza topping
• dip with the ricotta cheese you just made at home (YES, I'm bringing it up again!)
• snacking with a spoon :)

The second recipe is Sausage Stuffed Red Onions. You don't even have to like onions to enjoy this recipe. It is slow cooked and the sausage stuffing is so very flavorful, you want to keep eating it well past your full-point. 

An excellent and easy side dish to serve with the onions is Roasted Mashed Cauliflower. I've found that most mashed cauloflor recipes call for boiling the cauliflower, draining it and then mashing it up. I have found this method to be unneccesarilly time consuming and ultimately, flavorless unless you add a lot of butter/oil/milk, etc to it. So I would like to declare, that I have invented a better method! LOL...please don't tell me if you already make yours this way. 

What's your favorite type of food to roast?

Roasted Grapes and Olives

2 T olive oil

1 c seedless grapes, I used purples grapes

1 c olives, I used pitted, kalamata

1 1/2 t chopped rosemary (dried will work)

Sea salt & red pepper flakes

Step 1: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Step 2:

Combine olive oil, olives, grapes, rosemary and a pinch of the sea salt and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Then pour them into a baking dish (8x8 square or 8" round cake pan should work). 

Step 3: 

Roast for about 35 - 40 minutes, until the grapes are wilted and leaking (delicious) juices. It is recommended to roll the pan a few times during this process, to keep the baking even. 

Step 4:

Eat a bite and enjoy the delight that this will be in your mouth. 

3 ways to use the grapes:

1) crostini: toast bread, spread ricotta on the bread then top with the olives/grapes

2) pizza: spread olive oil on pizza crust, then top with mozzarella, some ricotta cheese and then spread olives/grapes around the top. This is a delicious appetizer pizza. 

3) dip: put ricotta in the bottom of a small dip bowl then top with the olives/grapes. I recommend just putting the olives/grapes on top, not the juice, as it will make your dip quite runny, albeit delicious. I put the dip in the oven for about 5 - 8 minutes to let it warm up and the flavors to meld. Serve with your choice of crackers. 

Sausage Stuffed Red Onions

This recipe will fill 4 onions, but I usually only make 2 onions. That said, I make the full recipe of filling. You can serve the additional filling if you're hungry, with your grain of choice (I like to use quick-cooking bulgur wheat) or you could save it for another meal. 

Inside look at the yumminess!

Additional prep notes:

• The best part of this recipe --> the filling can be made in advance! Make up to 1 day in advance and keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to make your dinner. 
• The onions take about 1 hour in the oven, make sure to plan this time into your prep
• A melon baller is incredibly helpful to use in hulling out the onions

Ingredients:

• 2  - 4 red onions (smaller size)
• 1/2 lb of sausage (breakfast roll sausage works great and is an inexpensive protein option)
• 1 C carrots
• 1/3 C Granny Smith apples
• 1 1/2 t fennel seeds 
• 3/4 C Gruyere cheese (I used Provel as well and it worked great). Basically, you want a smooth, white cheese that will complement the flavors, not overpower them like a cheddar might do. 
• 1 t parsley
• 1 t sage 

Step 1:

Preheat your oven to 

Step 2:

Preparing your onions: Slice the ends off of the onions, so that they have a flat spot to sit in your pan. Peel the outer skin off of the oven. Using your melon baller, scoop out the insides of your red onions. 

Step 3:

Once your onions are ready, place them in a baking pan then top with parchment paper and then cover the whole baking pan with foil (this will keep the delicious baked flavors inside and focused on the onions!). The onions will need to bake for 1 hour to become softened. 

Step 4: 

While the onions are baking, you can work on the filling. Place carrots in the food processor & process until they are in smaller chunks. Put carrots and ground sausage in skillet and cook for about 5 minutes. Then add in the apples and fennel seeds. Once the sausage is fully cooked, drain the sausage. 

Step 5: 

Once the sausage mixture has drained, add in 1/2 C of cheese to the mixture and your parsley and sage. Your mixture is ready to go!

Step 6:

Once the onions are baked, you can remove them from the oven and carefully put your filling in the open space of the onion. Push the filling gently into the whole to make sure you have it completely full. Once the filling is inside, top the mixture with your remaining cheese. 

Step 7:

Place onions back into the oven for about 20 minutes, to let the cheese fully melt and the filling flavors to meld into the onion. 

Enjoy!!!

It's hard to make a scoop of mashed cauliflower look yummy but I can promise it tastes delicious.

Roasted Mashed Cauliflower

This recipe is so good, even Cory requests seconds of it!

1 Head of Cauliflower

1 T olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

3 - 4 T butter (if you want)

1/4 - 1/2 C milk/half n half/whipping cream (your choice!) and the amount depends upon the creaminess of the mixture that you desire

You will need a food processor, for this to puree as smooth as possible. 

Step 1:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. 

Step 2:

Prepare a jelly roll pan (large cookie sheet with edges) with parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, spray the pan with cooking spray and then top with foil; spray the foil with cooking spray as well. Why spray underneath? Sometimes, the liquid from a vegetable can go underneath the foil & make clean-up a booger. 

Step 3:

Slice the head of cauliflower into 1" thick pieces. Place cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet, drizzle olive oil over the pieces and then use a pastry brush to spread the oil evenly over the cauliflower. Next, sprinkle salt and pepper over the pieces. I've mentioned before that I love flavor grinders, this is a recipe where I use my sea salt, basil and rosemary grinder to add some extra flavor. 

Step 4:

Bake cauliflower for about 20 - 30 minutes, until some browned edges start to show on the top. See note below on why we roast!

Step 5:

Once the cauliflower is fully cooked, safely transfer the pieces to your food processor. They should all fit in at one time, if not, two batches is fine because you'll mix it all together at the end. Also place the butter and milk in with the cauliflower. 

Step 6: 

Process the cauliflower mixture & add liquid (chicken stock works too!) until it reaches your desired consistency. It should be silky smooth. One additional ingredient you can add at this point is grated Parmesan cheese, yum! 

If you're not ready to eat your cauliflower right away, you can always put it into a pretty casserole dish and keep it warm in the oven (at a low temperature) until you're ready to serve it!

*Side note for education! Roasting does two things to the cauliflower, to make this better than the boiled version:

1. it gives the cauliflower more depth of flavor
2. it removes the excess moisture from the cauliflower, removing the draining step

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a fun New Year's Eve celebration. We had a cozy night in for New Year's Eve, noshed on some assorted cheeses (Port Salut (new & yum!), Old Croc Sharp Cheddar & Smoked Gouda) & smoked salmon dip with toasted French bread (recipe to come in future posts). We also had champagne cocktails (yes, technically it's a sparkling wine because it wasn't produced in France but I prefer calling it champagne...anyway, we tried a new, budget friendly one that was quite good as a mixer and on it's own: Baywood California Brut Sparkling Wine, $7.87 at Walmart). On New Year's Day, we had our traditional "Good Luck" meal and I must say, it turned out to be quite delicious (original post here).

New Year's Eve Noshing

New Year's Day "Good Luck" meal

In summary, 2014 was truly amazing as it's when our son arrived and made us parents! We are definitely excited for 2015, despite how cold it is starting off! Brrrrr!

I don't generally make resolutions but I have realized that there are quite a few things I would like to learn how to do in 2015! I'm publishing this list only because it might continue to remind me about accomplishing them this year...I have become quite forgetful, distracted, focused on a baby... ;)
Naturally, a lot of them revolve around food and those are the things Cory and I enjoy doing together so much! There are a few new ones this year that are more crafts or skills related. We'll see how those go! Finding time may be a challenge but as always, I'm up for it!

2015 List of Ideas:

• Sew (take a refresher course! I used to sew back in the day)
• Cross stitch / embroidery (I’m dreaming of making personalized tea towels, blankets and more!)
• Create an app for moms highlighting mom/baby/kiddo friendly places 
• For my continuing education, I would love to take a class(es) in web and graphic design.

More of I Can Make What?! items (see my first ICMW?!, ricotta recipe link here):

• Whole Wheat English muffins (because we eat them for breakfast pretty regularly despite the fact that store bought ones are not very good)
• Tortillas (HEB isn't close enough for me to buy theirs)
• Preserving fresh pasta we make at home (we usually consume it all right away!)
• French Baguette (not Walmart French Bread people, a legitimate crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside baguette!)
• Croissants (uh, why not?!)
• Cheezits (yes, this idea came from Pinterest!)

Cooking: 

• Icebox cake (after seeing one in NYC at Magnolia Bakery a few year ago, I can't get it out of my head. This year may be the year I'm brave enough to take it on!)
• Rack of lamb (another one that has been sitting on my brain but I haven't had the nerve to do it)
• Not sure this is possible?!: Cheese!…we might need to go to a legitimate class for this
• Smoked meat (we just might need a smoker for this…great Father’s Day idea for Cory ;)
• Cassoulet- I can't remember where I learned about this one but I've always wanted to make it

Would love to hear any suggestions of previously tried/tested recipes y'all might have or if you have any ideas on app development or the web/graphic design idea! Please post them in the comments section below.

May this year be a blessed one for you!