Preserved Goodness

Remember my tip about always keeping lemons on hand? In fact, in my new Ina Garten Cookbook she suggests that you should always keep lemons and fresh parmesan on hand at all times. I'd have to agree with her! Well, I thought I'd help out a little bit and suggest preserving your lemons so you feel like it's easier to always keep them on hand. Check out the Williams Sonoma site for a great way to preserve your lemons so you can have them accessible at any time.

Back To Basics

A new cookbook it just what I needed to get me out of the funk I'm in. I had this book in my hands for one day and had already tried 3 recipes, all with acclomades. In Ina Garten's Back to Basics she leaves us with great tips, menu 's and ideas of what to keep stocked in our pantries and refridgerators to prepare a good meal at a moments notice. Many of her recipes have items that I generally keep stocked up on and every recipe has a picture, which is a must for me. Trust me, get it and you'll love it.

FYI - It's currently at Coscto for $19.99
This would make a great Valentine's Day gift for those who love to cook.

Jam Labels

I previously posed the question asking if anyone had ideas on a pretty way to package jam and I finally found the answer with this free download found on Creature Comforts Blog via A delightful blog. This would make a great hostess gift or favor at your next dinner party.

Winter Picnic

I have a birthday coming up and this gave me an idea. Wouldn't it be fun to get a bunch of friends together for some cross country skiing and we can pack a winter picnic? Hopefully it would be like the one Sweet Paul suggested on design sponge, consisting of homemade cookies, hot chocolate and great sandwiches. The sandwiches above are filled with greens, chicken, avocado, tomatoes and aioli. I think you could get me all the way around the trail if I knew I could eat this at the end of it.

Stress Less Dinner Party Ideas

Real Simple has some great tips on a "Stress Less Dinner Party." I especially like the idea of skipping the formal tablecloth and using a roll of brown craft paper for the tablecloth. Not only does it look great, but makes for easy clean up. To add to this already great idea, I would place some crayons on the table if your guests include small children. It would provide the kids with some entertainment so the adults could actually carry on a conversation! I'm also really loving the simple place cards.
Take a look at the menu Real Simple provides, it looks tasty. If you try it out let me know how it goes.

Bahumbug!

Seriously, I have so many recipes and goodies to post for Christmas and it's like I just realized that it's two days away! Where has the time gone? The only consolation I can give are these great downloadable gift tags from How About Orange for those late night wrapping sessions you have ahead. Hope this help.


If you find yourself in a bind and need some great recipes for those holiday festivities check out my Chicken Corn Chowder Soup (that my brother refers to as "heaven") and Lauren's Crescent Rolls. For breakfast try the Fabulous Crepes, and for dessert maybe try the Surprise Cookies, or my favorite pie crust recipe.


I hope everyone has a great Christmas filled with lots of good food!

Get them here.

This is what I'm using this year. Get them here

Cupcakes

I provided the refreshments for a church function a couple of nights ago and was pretty pleased with how it turned out. I went with a cupcake theme and served red velvet, pumpkin, and german chocolate. My favorite is the pumpkin (which I already shared a while back), but the german chocolate is a close contender. I have to admit that this is the only one I cheated on and made from a box, but the frosting I made from scratch, which you can find here.

As far as the decor went, I kept it pretty simple and stuck to things I already owned, with the exception of the acorns which I found at the park.

Tip: Since I like cake served chilled, it worked best to freeze the cupcakes and frost them frozen and then they will thaw within an hour.

Thanksgiving Invite

Thankgiving is my favorite holiday because it's all about food and family. Over at Design Mom is the great idea to send out Thanksgiving Invitations. I have never thought of this, but I think it's a fabulous idea!

Every year my mother-in-law invites the immediate family over the Sunday before for our own Thanksgiving meal and it has become one of my favorite traditions.

I'm dying to cook a turkey and am currently working on perfecting a stuffing recipe, so hopefully I will have that to share before the holiday comes.

If you have any fun traditions please share.

Menu Tips

Stephmodo not only has a great menu laid out for the week, but has found a way to better articulate her meal planning than I was able to. Click here for her advice on how to save money on your groceries and eat great meals throughout the week. I did it and I never want to go back!

Halloween Fun

I love giving my neighbors Halloween treats, especially if they are homemade and packaged pretty. Since I figure it's not appropriate to hand them out to them while they are trick-or-treating, I try to get them out earlier. I frequently get asked for my pumpkin chocolate chip bread recipe, so I figured I'd share it with everyone and hopefully make some for my neighbors this year.

pumpkin chocolate chip bread
5 eggs, well beaten
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
2 cups oil
4 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons cloves
1 teaspoon gound ginger
1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

Cream eggs and sugar. Add pumpkin and oil. Add dry ingredients slowly and combine thoroughly. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into 4 greased and floured 9"x5" pans. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

I like to be generous with the spices.

Just wrap up the bread in plastic wrap, tie a pretty bow on it and use cute tags like the ones I found on etsy.












Image via flicker

Putting "The Menu" to the Test

So my Menu Challenge last week went way better than expected. Believe it or not, I actually made 5 out of the 6 meals! The funny thing is that I had a crazy busy week, but still managed to make all these meals partly because they were easy and because I had all of the ingredients since I had planned ahead. I still think the biggest reason was that I knew if I made them I would be eating a lot healthier than grabbing something that you heat up in the microwave.

In my menu planning I had 2 goals; eat healthy, and make the most of what I already had. So the first thing I did was to assess what I already had in my fridge and pantry. Then I browsed through some new and old recipes to come up with a menu. I made a trip to the grocery store on Saturday and bought the few ingredients I needed, which mostly consisted of fresh items that you don't always keep around. In fact, I think I only spent about $20 for those few items I didn't have. On Sunday I made a couple of meals ahead of time that I knew I wouldn't have the time for, which was a total life saver.

Most of the meals were a big success, but throughout this week I'll share only the best of the best.

My top favorite was the tri-tip steak and fries. It's so simple, it doesn't require a recipe. Simply marinate the steak in soy sauce, at a minimum of 30 minutes. Throw them on the grill for maybe about 7 minutes per side for medium-well. What really compliments this meal is the sweet potato fries. Just cut up, drizzle with olive oil and some salt and put in the oven at 425 degrees for about 35 minutes. Time varies on size and amount. Trust me, you'll like this one.

Healthy tip: remember that your meat portion size should be the size of your palm.

In Preparation

Two years ago Husband and I went to Cincinnati to visit my twin brother and his cute wife for Thanksgiving. I was so excited because we were going to make our very own turkey dinner all by ourselves. It was then that I learned how to roast a turkey. With the advice of my mother I lathered the turkey with mayonnaise, and I’ve had delicious moist turkeys ever since.
Every year I like to have my own Thanksgiving dinner at my own home, right before the actual holiday. I know we haven’t even had Halloween yet, but I’m already getting excited for it, but I can’t help but wonder if anyone has any advice to kick things up a notch? Any tips? Secrets? Do share.

Next up, I’m determined to master stuffing. I’ve tried so many recipes, but I just can’t seem to get quite what I’m hoping for.

Image via MarthaStewart.com

Me, my sister, & my sis-in-law

Cincinnati 2007

Halloween Party

Have you ever had your calendar fill up before the month even starts? That's my October. It leaves me wondering if this is any indication of what the up coming holidays are going to be like? Since I really don't have time to plan a Halloween party, I figured I could at least put together what I would do if I had the time.

For invites I would do something similar to these from Martha Stewart.com. You can find the boxes and some moss for cheap at the craft store. Years ago I made fingers that look similar to this out of sugar cookies and almonds dyed red for the fingernails. Super cheap, super easy, super crafty!

I would definitely serve some homemade doughnuts. A couple of options are to follow the recipe I found on Better Homes and Garden for Pumpkin Doughnuts. You can also check their site for 28 Yummy Pumpkin Recipes! I've also been dying to try the easy version of homemade doughnuts by buying pillsbury biscuit dough, make a hole in the middle, fry them in vegetable oil, and make a glaze of powdered sugar and juice from an orange.

For decor I would find some jars to fill up with classic Halloween candy and top with a pumpkin, like I found on Martha Stewart.com. The great thing about this is that they make for great decor and party favors. My version would probably be similar to this, but I would use some canning jars I have sitting around to fill with candy to give to all my guests.

Have a Happy Halloween everybody! By the way, you can use all of my ideas if you invite me to the party!

Tip of the Day

Always keep lemons and limes on hand to perk up any recipe. Seriously!
If you haven't noticed, a lot of my recipes involve lemon zest or lime juice, etc. Lemon zest can be used in meats (remember the roast) and even desserts (remember the coconut cake) or the juice from a lime to add a little zing to any drink, not just diet coke! They even make for great centerpieces, like I used for Husband's birthday.

They're cheap and last a long time in the fridge, so stock up!

Even Ina Garten agrees (click through the slide show)

Image via House Beautiful

Sunday Dinner

We had family over this Sunday for Travis and Nikki's birthdays. On the menu:

Chuck Roast

Season with Salt & Pepper, fresh rosemary, lemon zest from one

lemon, and 2 garlic cloves. Put it in a crock pot on top of carrots and onions

and pour 2 cans of beef broth over it. Cook on low for about 8 hours.

Carrots

(placed on the bottom of the roast with onions)

Mashed Potatoes & Gravy

Homemade Crescent Rolls

Homemade Raspberry & Peach Jam

Eclair Cake

The roast just fell apart, it was really good. Putting a roast in a crock pot is great because the only thing I had to do right before the guests arrive was the potatoes and gravy. The best part of the meal really was the rolls and jam. My friend Lauren gave me this recipe years ago and it's turned into a family favorite.

Lauren's Crescent Rolls:

2 Cups warm Water

2 Packages Quick Rising Yeast

1/4 Cup Oil

1/2 Cup Sugar

2 Teaspoons Salt

1 Egg

5 1/2 Cups Flour

In a large bowl pour warm water over yeast and let sit for about 10 minutes in order to activate the yeast. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine. Let stand for 1-2 hours for the dough to rise. Divide dough in half, roll out in circles and cut into pie shapes. Roll into crescent. Place on lightly greased sheet. Cover. Let rise for 1-2 hours. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Makes about 2 dozen, depending on the size you make the rolls. I like them big, so I usually only make 16 large rolls.

A great tip I've learned when it comes to cleaning up after serving a large group is to always make sure your dishwasher is empty. That way you can gaurantee you'll have room for all the dirty dishes after dinner. This means making sure you clean up as you cook.

Oh yeah, remember my restaurant recommendation? Well, gift certificates and BBQ sauce make a great gift for guys who like their meat (Travis). And, homemade jam makes for a great parting gift for your guests. My cute niece, Kellie, recommended tying raffia to the container for better presentation.

Enjoy!

Homemade Love

I had some friends move into a new home and figured a good housewarming gift would be some homemade jam.

I love homemade jam, but I've always thought it would be difficult / time consuming to make. I was completely wrong. I used the recipe off of the back of this fruit pectin packet and was done in 10 minutes flat! It calls for 4 cups of crushed fruit and 1 1/2 cups sugar. You mix everything together and don't even have to turn the stove on!

Since it was so easy to make, I figured I better make some homemade wheat bread to go with it.

Anyone know of a cute way to package freezer jam to give as a gift? Let me know.

No time for homemade?

Last week I went to bookclub and wanted to bring something yummy, but had no time to make something from scratch. I love making rolls, and will have to share my recipe soon, but I just couldn't fit it in my schedule. So, I ran over to Texas Roadhouse (remembering how yummy their rolls and cinnamon butter taste) and bought up a dozen of them. They come all wrapped up nicely in a pretty box and are only $3.99/dozen! So, if you're ever in a bind this is a great option.

If you haven't ever had them, trust me, their that good!

To freeze, or not to freeze?

Did you know I freeze my bananas? No, not the ripe and ready to eat ones, but the ones that don't get eaten before they go brown and are perfect for baking. Why you ask? Well, then I know I have them on hand for those homemade banana bread cravings. I'm still searching for the perfect recipe, and am currently taking suggestions, but honestly, stephmodo never steers me wrong. So maybe I'll have to try out her favorite banana bread recipe.

Image via flickr.com

Easter Table

It's all about presentation! I found this great bunny napkin tutorial at Martha Stewart.com. For your centerpiece, put pretty eggs (dyed, or plastic) in a clear vase with a couple of votive candles and it will look amazing! Or, buy a bunch of tulips at the grocery store and put in a pretty vase. The best part is, most of this stuff everyone has on hand so you won't have to go out and buy anything.

Now you have everything you need to host a beautiful Easter meal.