Royal Icing

This is Paula Deen's recipe for royal icing. This icing hardens shortly after you frost your cookies, so it is perfect for cool designs.
Finn and I used this icing to try out our new owl and truck cookie cutters from Orsen Gygi. So much fun doing cookies with kids! 

We also used it this last Valentine's Day.

You will need: 

- 3 egg whites
- 1 (1-pound) box confectioners' sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Food coloring, optional


Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine egg whites, sugar, and cream of tarter. Beat at low speed with an electric mixer until blended. Increase mixer speed to high, and beat 8 to 10 minutes, or until mixture holds a peak. 

Cover with a damp cloth when not in use. Separate into bowls and add food coloring, if desired. You can store any extra frosting in ziplock bags in the refrigerator. Have fun!

Cowan Cowboy Chili (aka: Escalante Beans)

Recipe by: Karen Griffin

I'm hoping not, but I might possibly be murdered for posting this recipe for anyone to see. I wasn't told this was a secret recipe so hopefully I'm not divulging a family secret...
These are sooooooooooo good. I make them for Finn's birthday party every year, and they are, to my knowledge, made every year for the Escalante 24th of July Liston-Pollock-Meisenback-Griffin-etc family party.

You will need:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb bacon
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 2, 15 oz cans Pork and Beans
- 2, 15 oz cans Ranch Style Pinto Beans
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 T liquid smoke
- 3 T white vinegar
- 1 small can diced green chilies


Directions:
In a skillet, cook bacon, remove and break into pieces. In same skillet, brown ground beef and onions in bacon juices. Put all in a slow cooker with beans.
In a small bowl combine ketchup, brown sugar, liquid smoke, vinegar and green chilies. Add mixture to ingredients in slow cooker.
Stir well, cook low to warm up. Remove lid after heated to let thicken up.

EVERYBODY loves them. Seriously.

Baked Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

This is a recipe from Sunny Anderson's new food network show Made in America. When Jacob and I saw the lady make these sandwiches we new we had to try them. Incidentally, these sandwiches won a $25,000 contest and are Paula Deen approved :)

Yields 12 sandwiches
cook time: 40 minutes total, including prep.

You will need:

• 1 container (8 ounces) cream cheese
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 pinch dried thyme
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated onion
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 package (12 count) Hawaiian rolls
• 8 ounces Black Forest deli ham, thinly sliced
• 8 ounces gruyere, grated

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, chives and thyme. Mix until well combined and set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together the butter, onions, Parmesan and Worcestershire sauce. Set aside in a warm spot to keep the butter from solidifying.

Cut all 12 rolls in half. Place the roll bottoms in a 9- by 13-inch pan. Place equal amounts of ham (about 3 slices) on each roll. Top with the gruyere. Spread a generous amount of the chive and cream cheese on the roll tops. Place the tops on top of each sandwich bottom.

Pour the butter mixture over the top of the sandwiches. Cover with foil and bake until the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake an additional 5 minutes to toast the buns.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

This recipe is from Ree Drummond's new food network show The Pioneer Woman. Jacob was watching it with me and asked me to make it for him. No prob babe! Yum...

One change I made: I used chunky instead of creamy peanut butter. The crunch is mo better.

You will need:

Crust:

(note: I doubled this to make sure I ended up with a thick enough crust)

 

- 25 whole chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

- 1 cup chunky peanut butter
- One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- One 8-ounce package whipped topping, such as Cool Whip, thawed

Directions:

For the crust: 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Crush the cookies until they're fine crumbs. 

Pour the melted butter over the top and stir with a fork to combine. Press into a pie pan and bake until set, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

For the filling: 

Beat the peanut butter with the cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. 
Add in the thawed whipped topping and beat until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.

Pour the filling into the crust, evening out the top with a knife or spatula. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

Coleslaw (Paula Deen)

I made BBQ pulled pork sandwiches last night and topped them off with this version of Paula Deen's coleslaw recipe. They were delicious! Find her original recipe HERE. 

You will need:

• 1/2 large carrot, grated
• 1/2 cabbage head
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

Directions:

 Slice the cabbage thinly. Mix the cabbage together with the carrot. In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients together and allow to stand for a few minutes. Combine the mayonnaise mixture with the vegetables and toss. Chill for 1 hour. You can jazz up this recipe by adding grated or thinly sliced apple, or craisens. But when using to top BBQ pork sandwiches I like to keep it simple.

Mac and Cheese (Carnation Brand Recipe, Pollock Family Favorite)

This is the mac and cheese Jacob was raised on. Now it's a Finnley, and soon to be a Penny, favorite too.

You will need:
- 1 and 2/3 to 2 cups dried macaroni noodles, cooked and drained
- 2 T butter
- 2 T corn starch
- 1t salt
- 1/2 t dried mustard
-  1/4 t pepper
- 1 can evaporated milk (12 oz)
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese (or cheese combo of your choice, pepper jack is awesome)

Directions:
 Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt butter in sauce pan over med-high heat. Whisk in corn starch and spices until thickened (only takes a few seconds to thicken up). Add evap milk and water and allow to thicken, still over med-high heat (will take 7 to 10 minutes) stirring often. Turn off heat and add cheese.

Pour cheese sauce over macaroni noodles in a 9x13. At this point I like to mix in sauteed kielbasa sausage, and/or add thin slices of salted and garlic-ed tomatoes over top. This is of course optional, but Jacob and I love it.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes (or until tomatoes look roasted and yummy). Then eat and enjoy!

Coco's Ooohy Goohy Cake

So I was pretty excited because this last weekend I had reason to make our cousin Coco's FAMOUS Ooohy Goohy Cake. It goes without saying that you never need a reason for cake, but I do feel a little, teeny tiny bit of shame baking up a full 9x13 for just the three of us. I need to get over it. Anyway, my excuse came in the form of a Forest Service Archaeologist Work BBQ! Doesn't that sound fun!? Well, it was even cooler, and weirder than it sounds. I wish I had been brave enough to snap photos of the goings on. Jacob may have the coolest boss on planet Earth. The BBQ was at said bosses house. A collector of bizarre hats, one each was handed out to the party goers and we continued to trade off throughout the day. Finn played with his daughter, who, as the daughter of a single male archaeologist had a room that made Finn's blush with shame. She had boxes of dinosaurs, Indiana Jones figurines, a knee high Godzilla and a knee high King Kong, a terrarium with TWO real live lizards...on and on. Finn cried for an hour after we left. Aside from the cool stuff in her room they also played: dinosaur hunters (in the back yard with squirt guns), attack of the mummy, and (with the aid of a super creepy ware-wolf mask) attack of the ware-wolf. They got everyone in on the action, and one poor girl almost got pantsed and had her shirt ripped off at the same time in the kid's excitement.

Anyway, in case you have forgotten about the simple easy glory that is the Ooohy Goohy Cake, you can find it HERE.

Hash-brown Casserole

After our first trip to New Mexico, Finn and I became pretty huge fans of the Cracker Barrel breakfast.  Our hotel of choice when we visit NM is right next door to a Cracker Barrel, and we met my dad there for breakfast every morning of that trip before we headed over to Grandma's house. My favorite things there are the cinnamon apples, and of course the hash brown casserole. Here is my make at home version. Stand by with defibrillator. (I feel like I say that a lot...)

Ingredients:

- 5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
- 1/4 Kielbasa Sausage (optional), cubed
- 1/4 onion diced

for the cheese sauce:
- 2 tablespoons (unsalted) butter
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup milk (2% or whole)
- 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup grated pepper jack cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.
I have an 8x6 in casserole that my sister in law gave to me. It came in a set of three from Crate and Barrel. If you have something that size get it out and have it ready for assembly.
Begin by boiling the potatoes until just tender, as they will continue to cook in the oven. While your potatoes are cooking you can prep your cheeses and start your kielbasa (optional) and onion on a skillet over medium high heat. Cook until the kielbasa is caramelized and your onion is as tender as you like it. Set aside until cheese sauce is done and you are ready to assemble.

For the cheese sauce: melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add in the corn starch and salt and pepper to taste (remember: your cheese will be very salty). Stir together, a paste should form quickly. Add in the cream and milk and stir regularly until mixture comes to a boil. Allow to boil for about a minute, then add in your cheese, reserving some to top casserole once assembled. Stir cheese until just melted and remove from heat.
Once your potatoes, kielbasa, onion, and cheese sauce are done you are ready to assemble.

Add potatoes and kielbasa/onions to dish first and gently mix. Then add cheese sauce and gently mix once again.
(If you are making this the night before this is the point where you would cover with plastic wrap or tin foil and keep in fridge until next morning.)

Pop dish in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, then top with cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes, until cheese is golden and bubbly. Eat.

Peach Cobbler (Easy and Yummy)

Prep + Cook time: 40 minutes
Serves: 2-4

Ingredients:

- 4 ripe peaches, sliced
- 1 loose packed cup brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ginger
- 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small cubes

for the topping:
- 1 cup flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup milk (2% or whole)
- 3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small cubes
- 1/4 cup oats

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine peaches, brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger in a small oven safe dish or casserole (I used a 4x7 casserole). Scatter the 2 tablespoons cold butter over top. Bake for 20 minutes, until peaches are tender and caramelized.

While peaches are cooking assemble topping. Combine flour, sugar, and baking powder. Mix together milk and egg, and add to flour mixture. Add in oats and cubed butter. Mix until JUST combined, being careful not to warm or break down the cubes of butter.

When peaches are ready add large dollops to the top, and return to oven for an additional 15 minutes, until topping is golden and cooked through.

Eat for breakfast with Hash-brown Casserole, or eat for dessert with fresh whipped cream or ice cream.

Homemade Pop-Tarts

(Thank goodness for my helper who was there to clean up any stray sprinkles!)

I came across this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, Sea Salt with Food. You can find her post on pop-tarts HERE. But if you like ME then keep reading, and I will tell you all you need to know.

I didn't do the pop-tart thing too often as a kid because there was always way to much yucky tasting pie crust in proportion to the amount of frosting and filling. Now we can take control! You can use a store bought ready made pie crust, or make your own favorite version. I like to make my own, because when I do I can add extra flavor with lemon zest, cinnamon, almond flavoring etc (depending on the filling you have in mind). As far as filling, it's as simple as your favorite jelly or jam (or even nutella). The frosting on top is just powdered sugar and lemon juice. Simple, simple, simple, and an exciting treat for your kids!

Here is what you'll need:

- Store-bought double pie crust, or your favorite double pie crust recipe. I used THIS ONE and added lemon zest.

- Egg Wash: one egg+ one tbsp water or milk lightly beaten

- Lemon Glaze: 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar + 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (or orange, apple, etc. use your imagination!)

- Your favorite Jam or Jelly. I think raspberry tastes the best, personally.

- Sprinkles.

You will also need:

A Cookie Cutter, the larger the better, and a circular shape (i.e. pumpkin, heart, flower) will work best for getting you the most jelly per bite.

Cookie Sheet lined with Parchment Paper, and a Fork.

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 375.

Roll out your pie crust, and cut out as many of your shapes with a cookie cutter that you can making sure that you have an even number (for a top and bottom).

Put a mound of jelly into the center of half of your shapes, making sure that you leave enough of the edge dry to allow the top of your pop tart to seal to the bottom.

Lay the second dough on top of the first, and gently press down the edges with your fingertips. Then seal the edges with a fork. Brush the top of the dough with egg-wash.

Bake for 17 to 18 minutes, or until the tops are a golden brown.


Allow them to cool slightly before topping with the lemon glaze.
To make the lemon glaze: While the pastry is cooling, in a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and enough of the lemon juice to make an easily spreadable, smooth glaze. Spoon the glaze on top of the cooled pastry and top with your favorite sprinkles.

I think this is a great treat around the holidays because we're making pie crusts anyway, right? Please let me know if you make any especially tasty variations!

Sweet Corn and Bacon Empanadas

These are great for two reasons: they are yummy, and you can make them up ahead of time and freeze till ready to bake. Love them for brunch, lunch or dinner parties. They also make great midnight treats!


You Will Need:
- 2 anaheim chile peppers
- 3 strips bacon
- 2 cups fresh or frozen sweet corn kernels
- 1 1/2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup diced scallions

-your favorite pie dough, either homemade or store bought

Directions:
Have your pie dough made up and ready to go.
Roast chile peppers over a gas burner or in a hot oven until they're blackened and blistered. Wrap chilies in damp paper-towels for about 10 minutes, until cooled off and skin peals off easily. Peel chilies; discard skin. Slit chilies lengthwise, scrape out and discard seeds, remove stem, and dice chilies. Should yield about 1/2 cup diced chilies.
Fry bacon in a saute pan over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan; add corn; saute over medium-high heat until edges of corn begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in bacon, chilies, cheddar, and scallions. Chill filling thoroughly.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll out pie dough on a work surface, lightly floured if necessary. Using a 3 1/2 " biscuit cutter, cut circles from dough; repeat with remaining dough, rerolling scraps once. Arrange dough rounds on prepared baking sheet.
Place 1 T filling in the center of each round. Fold rounds in half, pinch to seal, then crimp edges with a fork. (Freeze if desired.)
Blend one egg yolk with 1 T water; brush over empanadas. Sprinkle empanadas with smoked paprika; then bake until golden, 15-18 minutes.

Hollandaise Sauce

How I lived before hollandaise I do not care to remember. Warm, velvety and (most deliciously) buttery, I love it on toasted sourdough with a soft boiled egg, or as my dipping sauce for artichoke.

Martha Stewart Cooking School is a must have for anyone like me, trying to learn how to cook on their own. She teaches you basics in a clear easy to follow way, pointing out how and where in the recipe variations can be made. I actually came across it at the library, and after giving it a test drive decided I had to own it!

Here is the recipe as well as some notes from Martha found in the book.

Recipe from: Martha Stewart's Cooking School

Here, we used a white wine reduction, but you can skip that step and simply whisk eggs with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1/4 cup boiling water. As one of the French "mother sauces," its preparation is a basic culinary technique that can be varied to create other sauces in the same family (often referred to as "warm emulsions"). By changing the acidic liquid to blood orange juice and zest, you get sauce Maltaise, typically served over steamed asparagus; tangerine juice and zest flavor Mikado sauce. Perhaps the best-known variation is Béarnaise, a traditional accompaniment for steak. To make it, prepare the hollandaise as directed, adding tarragon (the defining flavor of Béarnaise) to the reduction mixture. As it is designed to demonstrate, the method is the key to making the sauce, not the specific ingredients used to give it flavor.
When making hollandaise or any of it's variations, using gentle heat is critical to achieving the right consistency.

You will need:

- 1/4 cup dry white wine

- 1 T white wine vinegar

- 1 T minced shallot

- 1/2 t cracked black peppercorns

- 3 T boiling water

- 3 large egg yolks

- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into tablespoons

- pinch cayenne pepper

Directions:

Make reduction

Combine wine, vinegar, shallot, and peppercorns in a small skillet over medium-high heat; cook until reduced to one tablespoon, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the boiling water and strain through a fine sieve into a heatproof nonreactive (stainless-steel or glass) bowl.

Prepare hot-water bath

Fill a medium sauce pan with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat so water is barely simmering.

Heat egg yolks

Add egg yolks to strained reduction and whisk, off the heat, until they become pale. Place bowl over saucepan with simmering water. Whisking constantly, cook until the mixture is thick enough to hold a trail from the whisk and begins to hold it's shape when drizzled from the whisk. Remove from heat. Wipe off any mixture that may have cooked to the side of the pot with a damp paper towel to prevent any lumps from forming.

Incorporate butter

Whisking constantly, add butter 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until each addition is incorporated completely before adding the next. When all the butter has been added, season with lemon juice, salt, and cayenne. The sauce should be thick but still able to drizzle from a spoon (and it should form a pool, not a mound). If it is too thick, thin it with a little water.

Homemade Ricotta and Herbed Ricotta Bruschetta

This is a great and simple recipe by Ina Garten. Make it and you will blow your friends' minds! I mean, who makes cheese from scratch? YOU DO! Use the ricotta in your own lasagna recipe, or in Ina's delicious herbed ricotta bruchetta recipe I included below. I made the bruchetta and loved it. It tastes like Spring, fresh and light. I hope you try it out!

Homemade Ricotta
total cook time (including inactive prep): 35 min, Yields about 2 cups

Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons good white wine vinegar



Directions
Set a large sieve over a deep bowl or your sink. Dampen 2 layers of cheesecloth with water and line the sieve with the cheesecloth.
Pour the milk and cream into a stainless-steel or enameled pot. Stir in the salt. Bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar. Allow the mixture to stand for 1 minute until it curdles. It will separate into thick parts (the curds) and milky parts (the whey).
Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined sieve and allow it to drain into your bowl/sink at room temperature for 20 to 25 minutes, occasionally discarding the liquid that collects in the bowl. The longer you let the mixture drain, the thicker the ricotta.

Transfer the ricotta to a bowl, discarding the cheesecloth and any remaining whey. Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The ricotta will keep refrigerated for 4 to 5 days.

Herbed Ricotta Bruschetta

Ingredients
- 2 cups ricotta, store-bought or homemade (recipe above)
- 3 tablespoons minced scallions, white and green parts (2 scallions)
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 round sourdough bread
- Good olive oil
- 1 whole garlic clove, cut in half

Directions
Prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals or turn a gas grill to medium-high heat (or, preheat your broiler.)
Combine the ricotta, scallions, dill, chives, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and set aside. Cut the bread in half and cut each half into 6 thick slices to make 12 slices total.
When the grill is hot, brush the bread with olive oil and grill on each side for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from the grill and rub each slice of bread with the cut side of the garlic clove. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and spread with the herbed ricotta. Serve 2 warm slices per person.

Homemade Marshmallows

Ina Garten's (and now MY) fabulous homemade marshmallows. So easy!

Homemade Marshmallows

You will need:- 3 packages unflavored gelatin
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions:
Combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup of cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and allow to sit while you make the syrup.




Meanwhile, combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to high and cook until the syrup reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. (Note: the temperature will hover around 220 degrees for a while before beginning to rise again, so don't panic!) Remove from the heat.



With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the dissolved gelatin.



Put the mixer on high speed and whip until the mixture is very thick, and just holds it's shape when pulled. Add the vanilla and mix thoroughly.



Pour the marshmallow batter into a 9 x 13 that has been dusted liberally with confectioners' sugar:



...and smooth the top of the mixture with damp hands or spatula.



Top with more confectioners' sugar.



Allow to dry uncovered at room temperature overnight.

Remove the marshmallows from the pan and cut into squares using sharp knife (dipping the knife in confectioners' sugar will help keep marshmallows from sticking). Roll the sides of each piece carefully in confectioners' sugar.
Store uncovered at room temperature.

Baked French Toast with Bananas and Chocolate

You all need to check out the blog: SeaSaltWithFood.com
I baked this at my dad's house on our last trip out there. I couldn't believe he had all the ingredients on hand! Lucky me! Find the recipe HERE.

Buttered Noodles with Lemon, Shallot, and Chives

I have to fight the urge to start each of my posts with "So, ..."

Just thought you should know.



So...

Last Sunday Jacob and I had some of his family over for dinner. I made what I hoped would be a winner with everyone who came, because they all drive up from Provo just to have dinner with us and our screaming, hyper three year old. And I REALLY appreciate it. I hope they know that!

I made my mother-in-law's Country Style BBQ Pork Spare Ribs. I make these a lot, and have already posted the recipe on this blog. If you are interested, which you totally should be because this is a recipe passed down from my mother-in-laws mother, just click above or click HERE. Easy enough? I hope so.

But man, I wasn't totally sure what awesome thing to serve with them, so I went with mashed potatoes (classic) and I made what I will lovingly refer to as "Escalante Beans." They are so so so good, but this is one I'm not sure about posting on the blog (I feel it should stay with the family). But I will make them for anyone who wants some. They are like super awesome baked beans. (Ok, so I ended up posting the recipe, if you want it click HERE.)

The moral of my story is: I'm not 17 anymore. I can't eat all that heavy stuff for dinner and then wake up the next morning and be normal. I could barely wake up the next morning. But I did, and later that day while watching foodnetwork I saw The Neeley's make these noodles. I thought, "Perfect! And I even have leftovers in the fridge, so I can try it out!"

The lemon and chives really brighten up all the slow cooked flavors of the spare ribs. Real comfort food, (great winter food) and you still feel comfortable in the morning. Yay!
What I really love is that you can make the noodles fresh whenever, because they come together quickly. So when you're eating your spare rib leftovers, they don't feel so leftover-y. Finn loves eating the noodles as they are, without the spare ribs on top. So there you go, 3 year old approved.



Ingredients:

- 1 (12-ounce) package wide egg noodles
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 small shallot, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons minced chives
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water over medium heat, according to the package directions. Drain in a colander and set aside.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and saute until tender. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and when melted stir in the chives, Parmesan and lemon.
Add the noodles to the skillet and toss to combine. Serve with Country Style BBQ Pork Spare Ribs poured all over the top, and some additional chopped green onions. Jacob and I have eaten these for the last two nights in a row!! (Jacob isn't normally a leftover person.)

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Our friends Bubba and Kim had us over for dinner before they moved to Florida, this must have been a month or two ago. They always make the most beautiful, amazing food for us when they have us over. This particular night they made us Sweet Potato Gnocchi. I love pasta, especially gnocchi, but I had never heard of using sweet potatoes or yams in place of regular potatoes before. That's not to say that doing so is rare, it is just another proof of how much I don't know about food.
Hold up.
Pretend I didn't say that. I know everything about food. Please keep reading my blog.
Anyway, what really blew my mind is how good the sweet, cinnamon-y gnocchi tasted with the homemade marinara sauce they served with it. Below I will post the gnocchi recipe they used, as well as the one I tried. The only difference is that with the second one (by Giada, Foodnetwork.com) you don't spend 2 hours draining ricotta cheese. I am also posting Giada's recipe for Browned Butter Sauce, because this is what she served hers with, and it is also very delicious.
How fun would it be to serve these sweet potato gnocchi with Thanksgiving dinner instead of the generic sweet potatoes with marshmallows?! (Although those are awesome too, which is why they are a classic, right?)
What I like to do is make a triple batch to have some for later. To do this you just make up the dough per the directions below, line up the uncooked gnocchi on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and pop them in the freezer until they have hardened. Make sure they do not touch on the cookie sheet or they will freeze together in a clump. Once they have hardened you can transfer them to a Ziploc bag. When you are ready to eat them just boil them up like normal, they will just take one or two extra minutes to cook up.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi
(Bubba and Kim’s recipe)

Ingredients:
2 1-pound sweet potatoes, pierced all over with a fork
1 12-ounce container fresh ricotta cheese, drained in sieve 2 hours
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 tbs. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. plus 2 tbs. salt
½ tsp. nutmeg
2 ¾ cups flour (about)

Directions:

Place sweet potatoes on plate; microwave on high until tender, about 5 minutes per side. Cut in half and cool. Scraped sweet potato flesh into medium bowl and mash; transfer 3 cups to mixer. Add ricotta and blend well. Add Parmesan, brown sugar, 2 tsp. salt and nutmeg; mash to blend. Mix in four, about ½ cup at a time, until soft dough forms.

Turn dough onto floured surface; divide into 6 equal pieces. Form each piece into a 20-inch-long rope (about 1 inch in diameter), sprinkling with flour as needed if sticky. Cut each rope into 40 pieces. Transfer to baking sheet.

Bring large pot of water to boil; add 2 tbs. salt and return to boil. Working in batches, boil gnocchi until they float to the top. Transfer gnocchi to baking sheet.


Next, Giada's recipe--

Ingredients:
For the Gnocchi:
2 pounds sweet potatoes
2/3 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/3 cup for the work surface

For the Maple Cinnamon Sage Brown Butter:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
20 fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
For the Gnocchi:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Pierce the sweet potato with a fork. Bake the sweet potatoes until tender and fully cooked, between 40 to 55 minutes depending on size. Cool slightly. Cut in half and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Mash the sweet potatoes and transfer to a large measuring cup to make sure the sweet potatoes measure about 2 cups.
Transfer the mashed sweet potatoes back to the large bowl. Add the ricotta cheese, salt, cinnamon, and pepper and blend until well mixed.

Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time until a soft dough forms.
Lightly flour a work surface and place the dough in a ball on the work surface. Divide the dough into 6 equal balls.

Roll out each ball into a 1-inch wide rope. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces. Roll the gnocchi over the tines of a fork. Transfer the formed gnocchi to a large baking sheet. Continue with the remaining gnocchi.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the gnocchi in 3 batches and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain the gnocchi using a slotted spoon onto a baking sheet. Tent with foil to keep warm and continue with the remaining gnocchi.

For the Brown Butter sauce:
While the gnocchi are cooking melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted add the sage leaves.

Continue to cook, swirling the butter occasionally, until the foam subsides and the milk solids begin to brown. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the cinnamon, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Careful, the mixture will bubble up. Gently stir the mixture. When the bubbles subside, toss the cooked gnocchi in the brown butter. Transfer the gnocchi to a serving dish and serve immediately.

Nutella Fudge

Nutella is God's gift to men.
Here's how to make your $5 jar of nutella go a little bit farther. This makes a 9 x 13 full of super rich fudge, so think of some friends because you're gonna wanna share. It is unbelievably easy to make. I like to cut the fudge into squares and wrap them in parchment paper. Just remember to tell your friends that it needs to be stored in the fridge or freezer. Enjoy!!!
(I adapted this recipe from one given to me by Jacob's Grandma Vance for plain chocolate fudge.)

You will need:
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 &1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 pkg milk chocolate or white chocolate chips
- 12.5 oz nutella
- 1 &1/2 sticks butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- chopped nuts if desired

Directions:
In a large bowl combine chocolate chips, nutella, and butter.
Combine sugar and milk in a LARGE sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, for 6 to 7 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.

Pour sugar mixture over chocolates and butter a little at a time, stirring until smooth. Then add in vanilla (and nuts, optional).

Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 pan or cookie sheet. Place in freezer to allow fudge to cool and harden. Cut into squares and wrap in parchment paper if desired.

Caramel-Pecan Pumpkin Pie

The best of Thanksgiving desserts in one pie. Bam.


Prep: 25 minutes, Bake: 45 minutes
Yield: about 8 servings

You will need:
- 1 recipe for single crust pie (make THIS one, and freeze 2nd half for later use)
- 2 slightly beaten eggs
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
- 1/4 cup half-and-half, light cream, or milk
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp. ground allspice
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (I doubled this part of the recipe, so 1 cup brn sugar)
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans (1 cup to double)
- 2 Tbs. butter, softened (4 Tbs. to double)

Directions:

Prep pastry for crust. and have ready. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl stir together eggs, pumpkin, and half-and-half. Stir in the granulated sugar, flour, lemon peel, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Pour pumpkin mixture into pastry-lined pie plate. To prevent over browning, cover edge of pie with tin foil.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl stir together the brown sugar, pecans, and butter until combined. Remove foil. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over top of pie. Bake for 20 minutes more or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and topping is brown and bubbly. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours.

Rosemary & Orange-Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Apple-Cherry Relish

And I Quote: "This hearty dish highlights a combination of sweet, sour, and savory flavors."

I found this recipe in the October 2009 issue of Cuisine at Home Magazine. They recommend serving the pork with a toasted barley and orzo pilaf, which I did when I made it the first time. It is delicious together, it comes together very quickly, and eating it all provided me an out of body experience. Better than the best restaurant.

For the relish:

- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 2/3 cup dried tart cherries
- 1/2 cup diced tart apple such as Braeburn or Granny Smith
- 1 Tbsp. minced shallot
- 1 Tbsp. minced sage leaves
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

For the Tenderloin:

- 1/4 cup sweet orange marmalade
- 1 Tbsp. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
- 1 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary leaves
- Dash of red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt to taste
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 pork tenderloin, trimmed (18 oz)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.
Heat vinegar in a small saucepan until vinegar boils. Pour vinegar over cherries in a bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in apple, shallot, sage, sugar, and olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Done! Set relish aside.
Melt marmalade in a bowl in the microwave oven. Add orange juice concentrate; stir to combine. Stir in rosemary, pepper flakes, and salt.
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season tenderloin with salt and pepper. Place pork in skillet; brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove pork from skillet and place on the prepared baking sheet. Baste pork with marmalade mixture.
Roast pork for 5 minutes; baste again with marmalade mixture. Roast until an instant read thermometer registers 150 degrees when inserted in the thickest part of pork, about 5 minutes. Remove pork from baking sheet, tent with foil, and let meat rest 5 minutes (tenting meat and allowing it to rest will give it opportunity to reach necessary internal temp of 160 degrees). Serve pork with relish.