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Freebie Friday!!

Are you a fan of Chick-Fil-A's IceDream Treats?

I. Definitely. Am.

Did you know you can exchange your kid's unused toy from his or her Chick-Fil-A kid's meal for a FREE small serving of their vanilla IceDream? Anytime? At any Chick-Fil-A location?!

I found this out yesterday and just HAD to share. Especially since I know someone who knows someone who sometimes snag a 4-piece nugget kid's meal for themselves. So please note that this offer is not limited to kids. Woohoo! :)

 

Also... stop by Hallmark before March 14 to pick up one free card for a kid. That's right, I said FREE!!

Pick from nine different designs that range from encouraging to congratulatory.

Gotta love a good freebie!!

Happy Friday everyone!!

-h-

How sweet!

I had a bit of a cooking marathon this weekend... and when I made creme brulee for the first time (pics of those to come later), the recipe left me with six egg whites...

So what does a girl do? Make meringues of course!

I added sugar and a bit of vanilla... whipped it up and made some meringue buttons and meringue hearts... 

Button...

Hearts...

 

They were delicious!

Tipsy Tuesday - Beignets Made Easy

So... you like New Orleans' style beignets... and you'd love to make them at home, but you don't want to go to the trouble of making the dough from scratch. Well, I'm right there with you. I LOVE cooking, but I don't always have the patience required for baking.

 So... I have a solution for you... Pick up some flaky-layers biscuits made by Pillsbury or any other brand you like. Split each biscuit into three or four separate layers(or even more than that if you're super talented).

Warm your vegetable oil in a deep frying pan to frying temp (around 375). Deep fry each layer separately until both sides are golden brown. Remove from oil and place on paper towels to drain... then cover generously with powdered/confectioner's sugar.

And... voila! That's all you need!

It is a messy process... so just be prepared to clean up afterwards. And be sure to have plenty of hungry mouths to gobble them up as even a short can makes a LOT of these bad boys. 

 

 

YUM!!

Murder by Broth

So when I sat down to write my previous post, my soup was simmering away on my stove and I was looking forward to finishing it and gobbling up a bowl for lunch.

However...

That did not happen.

When it came time to puree the soup, I added a little bit too much for the first batch in my food processor. So when I turned the machine on, the broth surged upwards and began seeping out underneath the lid. Keeping an eye on the puree itself, I didn't notice the river pouring down the backside of my food processor... and pooling inside the motor casing.

I only realized the mess I had made when I flipped the switch to OFF and took a step back.

*sigh*

So, I decided to bust out the blender instead of continuing with the dripping food processor. In my haste, I didn't notice the plastic base of the blender jar wasn't actually screwed on. So when I poured the hot broth and squash into the blender and turned it on, chunks of squash and broth flew out, landing all over me, my countertop, my floor... and pretty much everything else in its reach.

*bigger sigh*

You have GOT to be kidding me.

So I cleaned up the food processor... got the last of the soup in the bowl, turned it on... and nothing happened.

I had killed my food processor. Murder by Broth.

*frustrated growl*

Through my anguished cries and curses aimed at my kitchen appliances, I somehow managed to clean the blender, puree the rest of the soup, and get it all back in the pot. Only to find that my buttermilk (the last ingredient to finish the soup) had gone sour. 

*line of expletives*

So... I gave up.

I threw the soup in the fridge, changed into clean clothes, and called my mum. She shared a story of an explosive encounter she had with a pressure cooker years ago... we both laughed and I felt much better!

I'm now going to freeze all of the soup and leave it for another day.

---

So long, Cuisinart Food Processor. May You Rest in Peace.

Soupy Days

Unless you're lucky enough to be in Australia right now, you're likely enduring chilly weather outside, like me. And nothing makes me feel better in cold weather than warming up with a good movie and a bowl of comfort-soup!

So I spent my morning making my mum's Butternut Squash Soup... enough so I can freeze some for future glum days. YUM!

Here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp EVOO

1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced

3/4 cup apple cider

1 3/4 lbs of butternut squash, peeled, seeded & cut into 1 inch dice

4 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper

For Garnish: 1 Macintosh apple, smoked cheddar, chives, bacon

DIRECTIONS

1. In large saucepan, heat EVOO. Add onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 8 minutes. Add apple cider and cook until syrupy, about 3 minutes. Add squash and stock and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until squash is very tender, about 40 minutes

2. Puree the soup in a blender in batches. Return the soup to the saucepan and stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

For garnish:

Heat a medium skillet and add 2 Tbsp unsalted butter and 1 Macintosh apple cut into a small dice. Cook over high heat until the apple is golden around the edges, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and season lightly with s+p.

When serving, ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with the sauteed apple, grated smoked cheddar, chives and bacon bits.

Srsly Delish. YUM. :)

Enjoy!

Sushi at Home - Round Two!

On Christmas Eve we busted out our sushi mats and soy sauce to continue working on our sushi-making skillz!! We then had round two a few days later when my sister was in town visiting us.

Aaaand... I don't like to brag... but... these were our best looking rolls YET!

From left to right:

Our "Kitchen Sink" Roll (has a little of everything!)

Smothered Cali Roll (California covered with Eel Sauce and Masago)

Spicy Shrimp Tempura Roll

 

 

Check. That. Out.

I might have to drop by our favorite sushi place tonight - because now I'm having unagi cravings!!

:)

-h- 

The Feast

As promised, here are pics of our Thanksgiving Spread... everything was delish!

 

On the menu:

Fried Turkey (thanks to my hunny)

Pineapple-Mustard Glazed Ham

Herbed Roasted New Potatoes

Roasted Carrots, Parsnips and Onion with Thyme

Steamed Brussel Sprouts

Lemony Green Beans

Candied Yams (YUM!)

Cranberry Jelly

Assorted Rolls

 

Aaaaand... for dessert...

 

Our dessert spread included:

Jessica's Homemade-from-scratch Pumpkin Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie

Pumpkin Loaf

Buttered Sweet Potato Pierogies

British Mini Mince Pies

 Coffee and Lattes made to order

Seriously? It was AWESOME. Everyone pitched in and it was a real team effort. Here are the guys "manning the turkey fryer" (aka chit-chatting). :)

 

To set the table, I ran a wide cut of brown kraft paper down the center and topped it with a bamboo runner. I picked up some inexpensive red chargers from Target and a set of fake fall leaves from World Market. To make the napkin rings, I twisted together the wire stems of two faux leaves and then simply bent the leaves around our red napkins.

Our colorful fiesta-ware topped the chargers and we served most of the dishes in my colored mixing/serving bowls. The whole thing ended up looking quite festive!

The one thing I realized when we were about to dive in is we REALLY need to put something on the walls in our dining room. They looked absolutely BARREN, particular in comparison to the table-top!

 

And... there you have it! A successful, relaxing Thanksgiving Day with friends and family. I'll probably share some of the recipes with you this week.

xxoo!

Festive Treatery

I LOVE these creative ideas for ghoulish treats & eats...

Click on each picture for the recipe...

Vampire Bites

 

Graveyard Cakes

Link to "the Cool Whip" version.

Dancing Bones Brownies

 Fiery Eyes Ghost Cake

Of course... there are always those tasty Pumpkin Pancakes I made a few weeks ago...

 

 Boo-tiful Cake

 

 

Invisible Pops

 

Brainy Cupcakes

 

Skull Madeleines

(each photo belongs to its respective site)

My own Choco-Mug

The weather is dreary today.

It was a fitting afternoon to try out the Mug-of-Love recipe I shared with you all a few weeks ago.

 

 

Made a couple of substitutions when I made mine...

Truvia & Splenda instead of sugar...

dark cocoa powder instead of regular cocoa powder...

and butterscotch morsels instead of chocolate morsels...

It was a little gooey at the bottom... but overall, not bad. I made it in my favorite over-sized mug. The coziest. :)

I'm glad there wasn't an entire cake left for me to devour. Because I have a feeling I definitely would have tried today! 

xxoo

Nerd in the Kitchen

Yup. I spent hours clipping pages out of old issues of Martha Stewart Living yesterday. 

Aaaaand... I enjoyed it.

I know - nerd alert.

 But honestly, it really felt good to finally get rid of some of those suckers... They take up so much space. And they're HEAVY!!

And while I won't recommend any of you take up this task on your Saturdays (I'm sure there are MANY more important things you could take care of in your spare time!)... I WILL recommend you make one of two very simple dishes this fall if you get the chance...

First up... Pumpkin Pancakes.

These are PERFECT to serve on cool autumn mornings - and pumpkin is a power food! They have a TON of antioxidants and are packed with fiber & nutritious vitamins.

Not only that...  the recipe is E-A-S-Y easy!

Instructions:

Make your favorite pancake batter (I'm a fan of Bisquick... but if you prefer to make yours from scratch, please feel free.)

Add canned pumpkin puree.

(Approximately 1/3 cup of pumpkin to every cup of batter).

Add the same amount of milk.

Sprinkle in your favorite pumpkin pie spices (nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, etc.).

Be heavy handed with the spices... I added a couple of teaspoons.

Then, make the pancakes!! You can serve with the standard maple syrup, or make it extra special with whipped cream.

(Note: I wish I had a picture to share... but I ate ALL of mine before I had a chance to capture them with my camera!)

 

Next... Egg Toast!!!

Cut a hole in a slice of your favorite sliced bread...

(Use shaped cookie cutters if you're feeling festive!)

Place the bread into a nonstick skillet on medium heat.

Break an egg into a small dish.

Carefully slide the egg into the "hole"...

Season the egg toast with salt + pepper... and anything else your heart desires.

Carefully flip your toast to cook on the other side...

And serve! 

Since I made this for dinner, I paired it with a simple side salad of mixed greens, goat cheese, and a dressing of evoo, red wine vinegar and italian seasonings. YUM!!!

 

I hope you all have a chance to make one of these comforting recipes this week. :)

Enjoy what's left of the rest of your weekends!

xxoo!

-h-