Recipe: Broccoli Cheese Mashtini

Mashtinis are all the rage lately.  Seems it is THE thing to have a
Mashtini Bar at weddings.   Mashed
potatoes layered with all sorts of toppings in a martini glass…  what a cool idea!



I wanted to do something different.. so I decided to have
some side dish fun with it… mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli topped with a
cheddar cheese sauce and then sprinkled with some French’s French Fried

Recipe: BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

This delicious spin on a Quesadilla is easy to make .. and
one everyone will love.   BBQ sauce, chicken,
bacon smothered in cheddar cheese… what’s not to love?



This quick and easy recipe makes for great weeknight dinner
or even a weekend lunch.  Serve it with
some fries and coleslaw…  lip smackin’
good!



TIPS



I made this with my Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce.. you can use
that recipe or

Recipe: Crockpot Breakfast Casserole

Crockpot Breakfast Casseroles are a terrific idea for camping
or holiday breakfasts for a crowd when ovens are not available for baking or
are being used for other foods for later in the day…. or for when you just don’t
want to be cooking breakfast while everyone else is enjoying the morning.



I must admit I was skeptical when I first saw these… I am a
baked casserole kinda gal… I’d rather

Recipe: 30 Minute Chili

I love making Chili in the fall and winter…. It just seems to go with
the change in weather and colder temps.   I like to make
it in my crockpot..  a big ole pot full…
but sometimes..  I forget to set it up in
the morning… so the 30 Minute Chili recipe is the one.



The recipe isn’t all that different from the crock pot
version…  it is a smaller version… and I
do add a small can of tomato

Witch’s Hat Cookies

How cute are these???



These adorable Witch’s Hat Cookies are easy to make and no baking
required.   Who says cute things have to
be a lot of work?  I certainly don’t.




These are made from Fudge Stripe Cookies, Hershey Kisses,
and a bit of orange frosting you can get in a can.










TIPS



I was all set to buy one of those little tubes… the tip
would have been perfect for making a

apple cake

My favorite time of year is upon us! Fall arrived in Chicago over night last week. It's been amazing. Crisp, cool air with a kiss of sunshine. I love breaking out my sweaters, boots + scarves! I can't believe how fast the Summer flew by. 

September came and went too. Seriously, where did the month go?! I've been crazy busy at work and haven't had a chance to post, sorry!  I feel like I've been saying that to you a lot lately and I'm sorry for that, too!

Will you forgive me if I share a super simple, awesome apple cake? Imagine sticky toffee pudding but with apples and pecans. Top that with a butter sauce (yes, only my mother would come up with something as awesome as a butter sauce) and you've got yourself an amazing fall dessert. And it has apples in it. Fruit makes it a health food, right?! I kid, I kid. 

This cake comes together really quickly once you've peeled and cut your apples. It's a super funky batter in the sense that it's mostly apples with very little cake. Don't panic, it will all be fine! It turns a deep molasses color when it bakes and it smells like fall. It doesn't get better than this for a crisp night. Well, unless it's pumpkin something. Seriously pumpkin may be the best part of fall. Not to worry, there will be lots of pumpkin posts soon. But this apple cake is pretty fantastic. Have I made that clear? 

mamma's apple cake + butter sauce

ingredients:

for the cake:

2 C. flour

2 C. sugar (more or less depending on taste and your apples)

2 t. baking soda

½ t. salt

½ t. nutmeg

½ t. cinnamon

4 C. cubed granny smith apples (5 medium sized apples for me)

½ c. melted butter

2 eggs, beaten

½ C chopped pecans (optional)

for the butter sauce:

¼ C. butter

½ T flour

2/3 C. sugar

½ C. cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

to make the cake:

Preheat oven to 375º.  Peel and chop your apples into bite sized chunks. Really this just depends on your preference but I like between a ¼ inch and ½ inch cube. In a medium sized bowl, combine apple cubes, melted butter, eggs, & pecans. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, nutmeg + cinnamon. Stir with a whisk until combined. Add in your wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Pour into an un-greased 9x12 baking dish and spread evenly (I used parchment paper so I could pull the cake out and make perfect squares - it's really not necessary unless perfect presentation is important to you). Bake at 375º for about 45 minutes until a deep molasses color. 

this is what the batter will look like:

and this is what it will look like when it's done:

to make the butter sauce:

Melt butter, add flour then other ingredients and heat until thick. Add in 1 tsp vanilla and pour over the top of each piece just before serving. This sauce re-heats well. 

improv style:

you can use your favorite baking apple in this recipe - honeycrisp would be fantastic! just avoid the super mealy apples like red & golden delicious.

add in some chopped dates in addition to the nuts. don't like nuts? leave them out! not a fan of pecans? use your favorite! walnuts or almond slivers would be delicious here. 

butter sauce make you cringe? weird. but that's cool. a bourbon caramel sauce would be fantastical! or a brown sugar glaze would work too. really the butter sauce is like a caramel that hasn't been caramelized fully yet. it's pretty amazing. 

Banana Snack Cake

Recently we were talking about foods that seem to have
disappeared… and Snack Cake was among them.  
Growing up, my Mother made Bundt cakes.. all kinds… it was her
thing.  Well, Snack Cakes were my thing
when my son was growing up.   I admit I
used the mix.. but they were good… perfect for a small snack.. perfect for in a
lunch box…  Banana Snack Cake was a
favorite…



Somewhere between the

It's Oktoberfest Time Again!

Picture from the Official Oktoberfest website - © Fotostudio Kubinska & Hofmann - to see more pictures from the festivities go to the official website.

So What Exactly is Oktoberfest?

In case you were wondering what Oktoberfest is.... it's a 16 day festival held each year in Munich, Germany. This Bavarian festival runs from late September to early October. The festival traditionally ends on

French Toast Sticks

I was introduced to French Toast Sticks by a friend at
work.. a couple of times a week she would stop on her way to work and get
some.  So finally I HAD to try them
too.   Ohhh my.. they were very tasty
indeed.
 

But unlike my friend, who was skinny no matter what she
ate.. I was not.  I had to watch it.. so
it became a once in a while treat.



Fast forward a few years… and I’m

Recipe: Chicken Scampi

Scampi … that wonderfully buttery garlicy dish… I usually make it with scallops or shrimp… but I decided I wanted to make it with chicken… and recently saw it on the menu at Olive Garden.. theirs has more ingredients added… peppers and onions… they use roasted garlic… I really love roasted garlic .. I like to have some in the fridge all the time… decided mushrooms would be a good addition…

Recipe: Cream Cheese Brownie Bites

Who doesn’t love Cream Cheese Brownies? Making them into bite sized is… well… perfect! Perfect for snacks … perfect for a party dessert tray… perfect to bring to a food day at work…. TIPSYou can use my Brownie recipe… or yours.. or even a boxed mix…. whichever way you prefer.The cream cheese needs to be softened…. I made the mistake of letting it soften too much and the cream cheese mixture got

Recipe: Mushroom Stroganoff

For Stroganoff lovers… whether it’s beef, chicken or mushroom.. it’s all good… This recipe for Mushroom Stroganoff is a quick and easy meatless meal… and delicious too!TIPSI use mostly Portobello mushrooms.. I love the earthy flavor they have… If you’ve ever had a Portobello Burger.. you know what I mean.. they almost have a beefy flavor.You can use an “exotic” blend of mushrooms for added

Recipe: Steak and Mushroom Stew

This English version of Steak and Mushroom Stew is a hearty meal … served with warm fresh bread and side salad… an easy meal to prepare… perfect for a fall night.

TIPS

I use sirloin beef for this stew meat… the meat, when cooked at a low simmer is melt in your mouth tender.

You can start this meal in a pot on the stove and then transfer it to a crock pot to finish cooking or just cook it on

last bits of summer

I strive to live a balanced life. I'm the first to admit that food is my biggest weakness and there are times in life where I get a bit too carried away with the not-so-healthy-eating *cough - this weekend - cough*. But I'm going to be honest with you, most of the time health food just isn't that filling or satisfying! I'm constantly on the lookout for new and healthy recipes that leave me satiated AND satisfied! 

This dish was made for me by my amazing Aunt Aynne. She's had a lot of awesome produce come out of her garden this year. I went by for lunch a few weeks back and I definitely benefitted from it. While this by itself was more of a hearty snack for me, add a grilled chicken breast and a small slice of whole wheat bread and you've got a healthy and satisfying dinner that's quick and easy! Plus the leftovers are great for lunch.

The photos don't really do this dish justice. Sweet summer corn mixed with warm, earthy and tough leaves of swiss chard accented by crisp salty pancetta topped with fresh bursts of tomato and creamy feta cheese make this a huge win in my book! It's great as a side dish or if you have a normal to small appetite as your main entrée. Take advantage of the last few weeks of summer produce and make this, now! 

Warm Summer Corn + Chard Salad

adapted from Penzyes spices

yields 4 servings

ingredients:

1 large bunch of swiss chard (about 6 leaves)

4 oz diced pancetta

4 garlic cloves. diced

2 shallots, thinly sliced 

4 ears of corn (about 2 cups kernels)

1 t. dried oregano

3 T. red wine vinegar

2 medium sized tomatoes (about 1 heaping cup diced)

feta cheese crumbles, to taste

salt + pepper

Remove the chard leaves from stems. Cut the ends off the stems and then dice stems and set aside. Cut leaves into large chunks and also set aside. 

In a large pan over medium heat cook and brown pancetta. Once golden brown, remove and drain on a paper towel. Add thinly sliced shallots and chopped swiss chard stems and cook until shallots are slightly transparent. Add garlic. corn kernels and oregano and cook for about 2 minutes. Add Chard leaves and vinegar and cook for another 5 minutes until wilted. Add in pancetta bits and salt + pepper to taste.

Place warm mixture into bowls and top with fresh diced tomatoes and feta cheese. Enjoy!

improv style:

there's lots of ways to switch this dish up. you can make it vegetarian by leaving out the pancetta or substitute it for bacon (turkey bacon is another option), prosciutto or even canadian bacon. no shallots? use onions instead. corn out of season? you can do this in the winter or fall with frozen corn - note that fresh is always better and more flavorful!

red wine vinegar can be substituted for white wine vinegar, rice wine vinegar, or even a little splash of dry white wine. feta cheese can be subbed for your favorite cheese crumbles. just make sure it's a dryer crumbly cheese, not something like melty brie.

you can also make this more hearty by adding cooked quinoa, wheat berries, bulgar, brown rice... you get the idea.  

Recipe: Boudin Balls

We go to a small restaurant nearby called the Blackwater Grill… one of their specialties is an appetizer called Boudin Balls. The first time we went there Warren ordered it for me to try… one bite.. and I was hooked. We always lament that it’s an appetizer.. we could just make a meal of them alone.I Cajun co-worker from Louisiana brought us some Boudin.. so we made our own Boudin Balls.So

Recipe: Spicy Cajun Garlic Mayo

Spicy Cajun Garlic Mayo is a terrific spread or dipping sauce. Use it for appetizers or sandwiches… it adds a bit of zip.. but not too much. A must try…quick and easy recipe.TIPSThis recipe uses my Cajun Seasoning recipe. I make up a batch and store it in an air tight jar. It’s great to season rice, chicken, fish and sauces. If you use another brand, adjust the amount to your taste since

Recipe: Italian Subs

Crusty bread… split open and stuffed with all sorts of meats and cheese… shredded lettuce, tomato, black olives and sliced onion… a drizzle of Italian dressing…. can you say yummmm?These are great for watching the game at home or bring them for a tailgate get-together.. or even just for lunch or a light supper.. they're always good!The other night I made Italian Subs for supper… and it got me to