Wow, do I still have a blog?!

Life has been super crazy the past few months, so the blogging (and the cooking) has been on the back burner! (pun intended) We put our house on the market in late March, after working very hard to get it ready. Three days later, we got an offer! So now it's late June and we closed only days ago. Needless to say, getting that house sold was a total pain! Enough of that...
We just got settled in our new(bigger) home and I was finally organized enough to actually cook a meal! My new kitchen is amazing...all the cabinets I need for my gadgets, and a double oven!!

Plus a spot for blogging! :)


We are leasing this house, so all the colors and finishes aren't exactly what I would choose, but they work perfectly with my colorful dishes and accessories.

Last night, we fired up the grill and tried a new recipe for short ribs. Yummy!

(Click the link for recipe details)
Apricot Habanero Short Ribs
www.recipe.com
Justin has bad acid reflux, so I only used a very small amount of the habanero. Hint: wear gloves when handling the peppers. I washed my hands really well several times after chopping and I am still tasting HOT pepper on my fingers the next day! They turned out so good, but the sauce was the star. I baked a couple of sweet potatoes and served a simple arugula salad on the side.



Tonight was a no-cook, quick supper night. I got this recipe from the new issue of Cooking Light (still my favorite).
Open-faced Prosciutto and Plum Sandwiches
This was such an easy and summery meal!


I mean, is it possible to go wrong with goat cheese and prosciutto?

I have to end this post with a tribute to my grandmother. "Memom" passed away suddenly last week and her presence will be greatly missed in our family. If it weren't for days spent in her kitchen mashing potatoes, boiling peas from the garden, and baking cookies, I wouldn't have the love and passion for cooking that I have today. Memom, thank you for all you taught me about family, life and food! I love you!
I will dig out some of her recipes soon and do a post on them!

Bacon and date scones

BACON. Mmmmmm.
I love bacon. Sorry, I just do. And butter. Deal with it.

I also love salty-sweet stuff. Remember the bacon bar??

I wanted to make Justin a yummy breakfast this morning, (well, it was really dinner for him I guess since he is on the night shift) and I came across this recipe while browsing my epicurious app on my iPhone.

Bacon and Date Scones It's from Bon Appetit. And it's perfect.

Dear God, thank you for bacon and dates and raw sugar and butter. Amen

They suggest you serve them with butter and flakes of sea salt. That sounds good and all, but I was thinking some chocolate sauce and sea salt might be good too...

Don't leave me alone with a cake mix...

'Cause I will use it! Justin is on nights right now in the ER. I get bored in the evenings at home alone, plus I don't have to work today....so I was super bored last night. I was lurking around on www.bakerella.com and decided I needed to perfect my cake pop skills. I mean, Justin will need a treat to take to work tomorrow night, right? Yeah, definitely, I should bake something... :) It's not hard to convince me to bake!!! There were 3 cake mixes in my pantry (a very dangerous thing) along with a can of icing left over from making cake balls a few weeks ago. I also had a random bag of yellow candy melts and an assortment of pretty sprinkles. AAAAnnnd, I just happened to have some lollipop sticks and treat bags handy. Whadayaknow...all the ingredients for cake pops!
My first attempt at cake pops was disastrous! Think globs of cake falling off sticks into melted chocolate...not pretty! But I have been determined to figure this out and make some adorable cake pops that even Bakerella would be proud of!!
This time, I got it right! I think the secret is the consistency of the cake ball...I had too much icing last time.
Cake Pops!!


These little cuties are pretty labor-intensive...but I think they are worth it! The middle tastes like cake batter, but it is fully-cooked cake with the icing already mixed in. The candy shell is just colored white chocolate ("Candy Melts"). Yum, yum, and yum! They are cute on the stick or off. Next time I will attempt the Cupcake pops! So very adorable!!

So, you wanna know how to make 'em?

Here you go:

You will need:

1 prepared cake mix, any flavor you like. (bake in any pan you like, it doesn't matter because it will get crumbled)
1 can store bought icing (this time, the cream cheese variety worked well...)
Preferably, a stand mixer
a small cookie scoop
your clean hands
a parchment-lined cookie sheet
your fridge
lollipop sticks (or not)
Candy Melts in your favorite color
Sprinkles
a few styrofoam blocks
plastic treat bags and ribbon (again, or not if you don't do the stick thing)

Cut your cooled cake into chunks and try to remove all the brown edges and any crust on the top. Place cake in your mixer's bowl. Use the paddle attachment on medium speed to crumble the cake as finely as you can. Once crumbled, add some icing (a little at a time) until you get a consistency like cookie dough. It will pull away from the bowl and the crumbs will not be visible. You should have a uniform mixture.



Use the cookie scoop to evenly portion your balls. Roll dough into balls in your hands and place them on your prepared cookie sheet. Chill them in the fridge for 15 min or so. (if they are too cold the chocolate will crack)

Melt 4-5 candy melts in a little bowl. Take your balls out of the fridge. Dip the end of a lollipop stick in the chocolate (1/2 in. deep) and stick it into a ball, no more than halfway. Put the pop back on the cookie sheet. Repeat with all the balls and chill them again for a few minutes to set the chocolate. Meanwhile, melt the rest of your candy melts in a deep bowl (you will need enough depth to stick the pops straight down in the chocolate.)

Dip each pop straight down and pull straight out. Use an offset spatula to tap the stick. (this helps the excess fall off smoothly) Decorate however you like with sprinkles, etc before the chocolate sets. Stick the pop in a styrofoam block to dry. Wrap each one in a bag and tie with a bow. If you don't do sticks, they look cute sitting in a mini cupcake wrapper. Whew! that was fun!




I was up until 2 AM with these, but it was fun to finally get them right! And, Justin enjoyed them when he got home!

Cupcakes and puppy paintings...

I made some chocolate cupcakes with buttercream for a shower on Tuesday. Here's how they turned out:


I'm trying to do a better job with my photos, also! I'm slowly learning how to use all the features on my camera, and Justin got me a fisheye lens for Valentine's Day! Yay!

Stay tuned this coming week! Tomorrow I am making a 2 tiered cake for a baby shower...and next week I am making a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse birthday party cake. I will probably be on a sugar high for the next two weeks!!

Today, I was outside taking pictures of the puppies and practicing shooting with my camera in aperture priority mode. I got a really cute shot of Minky and decided I needed to do a "blue dog" portrait of her, since I have TWO of Baxter. I didn't want her to feel left out!

Silly Puppy!


"I'm ready for my close-up"


Ready to paint


Sketched out


Green background done!


All Done!

Valentine's day menu....I took a different route!

So, yeah, that "healthy" menu plan I had going on....HA! Who am I kidding? It's Valentine's Day for goodness sakes! We needed something a little more special than scallops and cauliflower. :) There's still plenty of time to get "skinny" for my vacation. (again, who am I kidding)

With the memory of last year's Valentine's dinner on my mind, I decided to make rack of lamb our little love day tradition! Maybe I will try a different variation each year and try to mix up the sides and presentation a little.

This year I tried Giada's Rack of Lamb with Mint-basil Pesto. Click the link for the full recipe from foodnetwork.com. Rack of lamb is super easy to prepare (it just looks fancy and complicated). Once it is carved the "lamb lollipops" give the most beautiful presentation...especially with the "pop" of the green pesto. It was so delicious! I pulled the lamb out a little shy of the 20 minutes suggested for medium rare since we like our meat a little more on the pink side...it was absolutely perfect. Be sure to let the rack rest for the full 10 minutes so the juices can redistribute before you carve it!!
As our side, I decided on polenta. I've made plenty of polenta, but I have never tried it "fried" before. I thought the lamb would look perfect perched on top of a little tower of polenta cakes. Here is how I made them:

Creamy Parmesan Polenta Cakes
Katie Daniels

1 tube of basil-garlic prepared polenta, chilled
1 egg, beaten in a shallow dish
2-3 dashes Tabasco
Salt
Pepper
2 tbsp Freshly grated Parmesan
1 tsp finely chopped basil and mint leaves (left over from your pesto!)
1/4 cup flour
Olive oil

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Slice chilled polenta into 1/2 inch slices (2 per person). Beat egg in a shallow dish with tabasco. In another shallow dish combine flour, salt and pepper to taste, parmesan, and herbs. Coat a polenta cake with egg and then flour mixture and fry in oil until golden brown. Repeat until all cakes are fried adding more oil as needed. Drain cakes on paper towels and season immediately with salt and pepper.

These were beautiful and yummy! Another easy, yet dramatic-looking dish...Check out how it looks plated. Can you believe this whole thing took about 30 minutes total?





Look how pretty my china is!

I put together this cheese plate for us to snack on before, during and after dinner:




Smoked gouda, drunken goat, mini toasts, organic blueberries, bourbon pralines, and local honey. This, in itself, could have been my meal...so, so yummy! My favorite bite: toast dipped in honey with a slice of smoked gouda.

Are you ready for dessert? Always, right?!
In college, our favorite treat was the molten chocolate cake at Chili's. (obviously I wasn't doing much in the kitchen in those days!) This is still my favorite dessert. But when it's made with really good ingredients it is even better!!
I found this recipe for molten chocolate cakes in cupcake form...perfect! Thanks, Martha...I can always count on you!

Molten Chocolate Cupcakes
Martha Stewart

How gorgeous are these?!



Hope you all had a fabulous Valentine's Day!!

Potential Valentine's Day Menu

We never go out for Valentine's day, I always cook. I wouldn't have it any other way! I love cooking for us and getting to use my china!! Here is the potential menu...I'm trying to be healthy (and skinny for our vacation!).

Asparagus spears with smoked salmon

Seared scallops with pomegranate sauce

Roasted cauliflower with herbs and
parmesan

Chocolate meringues

That's the plan for now...

A few of my favorite things...

1. Bakerella!
First of all, Bakerella's blog is simply a work of art! I only hope that one day my photos will be that beautiful. This woman is amazing! She started with a little baking blog, and now has baked on The Martha Stewart Show and has a cookbook.



Could those cake pops be any cuter?! She is the brains behind those red velvet truffles I make for Justin at Christmas. The cake pops are basically these on a stick...only decorated to perfection. Bakerella is my cooking blog icon!

2. Chuck Hughes

Chuck is a Montreal chef and the star of my FAVORITE Cooking Channnel show, "Chuck's Day Off". Not only is he ADORABLE and covered in food tattoos...but there really is some awesome music on the show! I love him! I also love that cooking was his second career. It gives me hope that one day my culinary dreams will come true!
Here is an excerpt from his bio on www.cookingchanneltv.com:
"He loves simple, well-made food: “It’s food!” he excitedly reminds us. “It’s meant to be fun and taste good — it doesn’t have to be fancy ... ” And if you want to know about some of his favorites, look no further than his tattooed arms: lobsters, oysters, bacon and arugula testify that maybe, just maybe, this guy really loves his craft."

3. Food trend: Macarons



The new cupcake?!
http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/macarons-slip-past-cupcakes-as-the-pastry-trend-du-jour/Content?oid=2015426

4. Parlor Market

Jackson's newest fine dining restaurant. Justin and I went to Parlor Market a few weeks ago, and I fell in love. Brick walls, reclaimed wood tables, slab marble ceviche bar, and the buzz of an open kitchen in the background. Perfect lunch spot, or place to dress up and go out on the town. The food is off-the-charts amazing. There is nothing else like it in Jackson. It is definitely on par with some of the places we've eaten at in New York! Wow! LOVE! I cannot stop thinking about the southern cheese plate...seriously.

5. Mo's Bacon Bar
I can't even talk about this. If I do, I will drive to The Fresh Market and buy them out. Then none of you will be able to experience this. So, for your sake, I won't talk....just go get one before I do. :)
Now I want to go to Parlor Market for lunch then come home and bake Macarons with Bakerella while watching an episode of Chuck's Day Off while eating a bacon bar!

Asparagus Tart

Asparagus Tart
Katie Daniels

1 sheet puff pastry, rolled out, scored, and docked
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
2 medium onions
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 bunch pencil thin asparagus
1-2 oz goat cheese
3 slices swiss cheese, cut into small sqares
1 lemon
Salt
Pepper

Caramelize the onions: heat 1 tsp oil in a nonstick skillet, add onions and season with salt and pepper. Sautee until deep caramel brown in color. Set aside.
Arrange puff pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet [score a 1 inch border,and lightly poke holes with a fork (dock) the center]. Brush the mustard over the pastry, just in the center area. Spread caramelized onions evenly over mustard. Arrange asparagus, alternating ends to tips over onions. Squeeze lemon juice over asparagus, then season with salt and pepper. Arrange swiss squares in a checkerboard pattern over asparagus, then place bits of goat cheese in the open squares. Drizzle everything with olive oil and season once more with pepper. Bake at 400 for 15- 20 min until pastry is brown and cheese is bubbly.

I made a cake!!

I think it turned out pretty good...I'm pretty proud of that bow!

Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs

From my new Everyday Food cookbook! I'm ashamed to admit that this was my first time to make meatballs. They were delicious, though. I'm not much of a meat eater, so I thought Justin would eat most of the meatballs and I would eat the spaghetti...but I loved all of it! Here is a quick link to the recipe: Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs from Everyday Food.

New Kitchen Gadgets!

Santa was very good to me in the kitchen department this year and brought me everything I asked for! Here are some of the goodies I got:

Cuisinart Keurig Brewer


This has been on my wish list for quite a while, and I must say it was worth the wait. I love this thing! Coffee, tea, hot cocoa, iced drinks...it's amazing. It will brew 4, 6, 8, or 12 ounces at a time. You can use the prepackaged K-cups, a tea bag, or your own coffee/ loose tea in the My K-cup. Perfect every time. Plus, you can just get hot water out of it for tea or oatmeal if you want!
Thanks Mom and Dad!

Justin's aunt Tabatha gave me a Williams Sonoma gift card! The perfect gift for me! I really, really needed a new muffin tin, so I got one. Plus, an Everyday Food cookbook. And some of their basil scented hand soap, countertop spray, and dish liquid...mmmm...smells like heaven!

Thank you, Tab!

My sweet sissy, Jennifer, got me the juicer I have been wanting! I told you I got hooked up! I haven't taken a picture of it, but I did make some super amazing healthy juices! So far I have juiced beets, carrots, apples, celery, tomatoes, and oranges. So, so fun! And it makes you feel so healthy!
Thanks Jenn!

Brown Sugar Buttercream

For Justin's birthday,(yeah, that was like a month ago)I made these cupcakes.



Butter pecan cupcakes with brown sugar buttercream. The cake was a mix from the grocery store. I had never seen that flavor cake mix before, so I had to try it. And, since I hate canned icing, I decided to try a new recipe. I found this Brown Sugar Buttercream on www.marthastewart.com.

Happy Birthday, Justin!


I haven't posted much lately because I haven't cooked very much lately. We discovered a leak in our bathroom that had made its way into my kitchen cabinet....lovely. So, we have been pulling out cabinets, pulling out sheetrock, fixing leaks, replacing sheetrock, painting cabinets, replacing cabinets, and replacing countertops! FUN! No, not really. But it is done now, so I can cook/blog again!

Christmas countdown!

Merry Christmas to y'all! The big day is quickly approaching! Nothing gets me in the Christmas spirit more than baking. Every year, I spend hours and hours baking homemade gifts for family and friends. This year is no different, I have spent the last two days baking our traditional favorites and a few new things. I stocked up at the grocery store on Monday morning...

Got my tools and gadgets out...

And started the baking marathon!
Most of my recipes are from Everyday Food.

I started with a special request from Justin. His favorite from last year was Molasses Sandwich Cookies (click links for recipes). These are amazing, like big gooey christmas- filled sandwiches!
They start out with chewy molasses cookies.

The cookies are filled with a buttery molasses filling.

Soft, chewy, spicy goodness! Make sure you have a huge glass of milk, or better yet, hot coffee!


Next up: Chunky Chocolate Everything Cookies! I got the idea for these cookies from this Food Network recipe. I had pecans on hand (like, a lot...) so I used them instead of cashews. Also, I replaced the M&M's with Craisins and dried cherries, but otherwise followed the recipe. The dough was very dry, so I added a few tablespoons of milk at the end to pull it together.
Yum, yum!


I always make these shortbread cookies every year...they are MY favorite! Another one from Everyday Food...Martha is always right on time! You can make them with ANY mix in or coating you can imagine. My favorite is the orange- cranberry. This year I also tried dark chocolate, dried cherries, and pecans (like I said, I have a lot of pecans...). Both turned out quite delicious!
Icebox Shortbread



I decided to try another shortbread variation, too! Chocolate Shortbread Wedges...I got a tad carried away with the shortbread...but it is soooo easy!



Moving on...Butter Pecan Cookies! These are seriously the easiest cookies I have ever made. Plus they are delicious, and look like you got them from a bakery! Justin and I both love these sparkly, sugary treats!


Whew! Yep, there's more!

Pumpkin Chocolate chip Squares. This was a new one, but it will definitely be a repeat next year. So, so good! I love pumpkin. I love chocolate. I love these!!


Almost there...Hope my family is hungry! :)

Chocolate Chunk Biscotti
Again, I needed to use my pecans...so I replaced the pistacios and raisins in the Everyday Food recipe with pecans and chocolate chunks. I also had some coconut left over from the Chunky Chocolate Everything cookies, so I threw that in, too! MMMMMM! I love biscotti and coffee!




And finally, last but certainly not least, the infamous Red Velvet Truffle! Everyone loves these, but I have to admit....I hate to make them! I know. It's the one thing (baking-wise) that is just a total pain in the butt! I make them because Justin loves them and I love Justin! :)

Red Velvet Truffles

1 red velvet cake mix, baked according to package directions
1 can cream cheese icing
2 bags white chocolate chips
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or crisco
chopped pecans

Crumble cake into a large bowl and stir in icing until uniform in color. Scoop out cake mixture with a cookie scoop onto parchment paper- lined cookie sheets. Place cake balls in the freezer for at least 2 hours to firm. Meanwhile, melt white chocolate chips with oil or crisco in a double boiler. Using two forks, coat each ball in white chocolate and rest on parchment paper. You can sprinkle with leftover cake crumbs or chopped pecans.



I packed everything up in tins and plastic goodie bags...



All ready for the trip to Meridian...get ready, everyone!