Feast Your Eyes

So....enough about Black Raven Hollow (except to say thank you all for your support and a successful launch Friday!)...

Know what I did to celebrate my first Friday of having freelance work rather than a mandatory 8 hours???

It's silly — I know — but I had my heart set on cooking a ham (I never have before) and some country sides. I ended up making corn soufflé and green bean casserole. Maybe when I have more energy I'll share the recipes. For now, feast your eyes on this meal:

Several of you have enjoyed my recipes in the past, so I'm hopefully going to be sharing a few new ones on the blog during the coming weeks! School starts back this week, so wish me luck in my new position!!!

Strawberry White Chocolate Pie

You all saw the picture.

You all had drool and wanted a bite the recipe.

I wish I could take credit for this slice of heaven, but my coworker Kelly Brown shared the recipe with me and gave me permission to share it with you all.

Here it is, enjoy!

Get Your Hummus On

I've wanted to make my own homemade hummus F.O.R.E.V.E.R. I love hummus. It's a super food and it tastes good on everything. Only problem: It's decently expensive in the grocery store. Plus it's just better homemade! I have a hard time paying a lot of money for something that I can easily make. No better day than today to give it a try, I finally realized.

Homemade roasted red pepper hummus:

I think it was a success, too! Jonathan said it was the best hummus he'd ever eaten anywhere. I'll take that as a compliment. And I made it from my own recipe. Below are most of the ingredients:

I made modifications after I took this picture. I didn't use paprika for garnish (you can, if desired) and I added cayenne pepper.

Ingredients:

1 roasted red pepper

3 large garlic cloves

1.5 tablespoons EVOO

one 19-ounce can chickpeas, drained

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons sesame tahini

3 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Method:

Prepare pepper by removing stem and seeds. Broil red pepper for 10-12 minutes, or until charred. Set aside to cool. Peel the skin off. I threw about 3/4ths into my food processor.

Add the remaining ingredients and process until mixture is light and fluffy. Enjoy with veggies, warm pita, on a wrap, or whatever else you can think of! 

I will be doing another batch soon. If you have a great hummus recipe, do share!!!

Scrummy Lemon Loaf

I'm not fun to be around during the winter. Just this week, my dear husband described me as "winter stricken." But, this winter I've found a remedy for my winter blues — baking! It's therapy for me and a treat for my family (it's how I beg their forgiveness). Before Nora, baking just meant whipping up something fattening and delicious. Now, I'm on the hunt for healthy, kid-friendly fare.

Now for a tangent: I married into an Italian family. I'm convinced my Nonna will live forever. And I think it's because 1) Italians are feisty and 2) they eat (and drink) wonderfully! This lady wouldn't give me a Tylenol while I was pregnant, but she'd pour me a glass of wine. That's another tangent. I'm pretty sure 99% of her food is cooked with garlic and EVOO. Nobody cooks like my Nonna. I need to spend a week with her learning her Master Jedi ways.

Today, I decided to make a lemon loaf merely because 1) I was craving lemons and 2) the recipe called for olive oil instead of butter. It even has greek yogurt in it. Not to mention fresh squeezed lemon juice. You practically have to call this health food. And it was scrummy (scrumptious + yummy; thank you Schmidt from New Girl).

Check this beauty out:

I found this recipe here! Oh, and I used very little of the glaze on top because I found the loaf to be sweet enough. I'm going to keep tweaking this recipe to make it my own. And with my recent fascination with chia seeds and coconut oil, don't be surprised if ALL of my baked goods from here on out contain one or both of these magical ingredients. Then maybe I'll survive this winter and stick around as long as Nonna has!

Please feel free to send me your favorite recipes for baked goods — lemon or otherwise!

My blog shout-outs

This post is going to be short and sweet. All bloggers have blogs that they enjoy reading. Here are a few that are presently on my radar:


100 Days of Real Food

I love this blog because it's authored by a mom who has eliminated processed food from her family's meals. I love that she posts a lot of pictures of lunch boxes because sometimes I just need quick visual inspiration when I don't have time to read lengthy posts. I hope this blog will inspire me to grow my garden this spring. Maybe Nora will even be old enough to help me dig around in the dirt!


You Can Sit With Us

This is a new blog that my friend, Joanna, is a part of. It's a lifestyle blog that has already featured everything from beauty and fashion to food and travel. Since there are four writers, they keep their blog fresh with new posts daily. Check them out!


It's To Die For

I went to college (Winthrop) with the author of this blog. She is really making a name for herself in Canada. She takes "foodie" to another level. She launched a business, To Die For Fine Foods. She's known for her To Die For Banana Bread and To Die For Lemon Loaf. She is a master of making nutritious & delicious food. Check out her recipes!

Sweet Potato Maple Muffins

Yes, I know I haven't been blogging about my adventures with power tools. Be patient — I must be since I possess precious few tools. Hopefully my father will be visiting soon with a biscuit joiner and I'll have a new project to share. No, a biscuit joiner is not a piece of sausage, either, as one of my co-workers suggested!

And, speaking of food...

It's been awhile since I've shared a recipe. This is my modification from Gwyneth Paltrow's Sweet Potato & 5-Spice Muffins.

I make them for Nora because there's no added sugar — the sweet potato, maple syrup and spices give it a wonderful flavor. And, when you make it according to the recipe, it's gluten free and dairy free! I will admit though, that I make it with regular flour. I've made it with unsweetened almond milk and regular milk, and both taste delicious. Honduran vanilla extract is my secret baking weapon. My mother-in-law, Rita, brings us back some when she goes on mission trips to Honduras.

I'm sharing this recipe because so many people have asked for it.

INGREDIENTS
1 large sweet potato
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
3/4 cup good-quality maple syrup or xylitol, plus 2 extra tablespoons for brushing the muffins
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups gluten-free flour (if the flour doesnt include xanthan gum, add 1 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 tablespoons Chinese five-spice powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

PREPARATION
Preheat the oven to 400F. Prick the sweet potato a few times with a paring knife or fork. Bake until soft (when a paring knife can cut through with zero resistance), about 1 hour. Set the sweet potato aside until its completely cool.
Peel the sweet potato, discard the skin and mash the flesh in a mixing bowl with a fork. Whisk the olive oil, almond milk, maple syrup or xylitol, and vanilla into the sweet potato. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, five-spice powder and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and evenly distribute the muffin batter among the cups.
Bake at 400F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean, brushing the tops with extra maple syrup during the last 5 minutes of baking. Let the muffins cool before serving.

Enjoy!

My triumphal kitchen re-entry!

Ohmigosh I missed cooking and eating healthy food!!!!! I've been cooking up a storm lately trying to compensate for all the horrible fast food I ate first trimester.

For example, check this simple, go-to stir-fry of mine:

This one is simple: I add a little vegetable oil to a wok and brown some minced garlic. Then I toss in some mushrooms for a few minutes with some butter. Add soy sauce and ginger (I go light) to taste and then toss in the broccoli. Once the mushrooms and broccoli are tender, I add some chopped green onions for another minute or so. Meanwhile, in a separate pan I cook some chicken strips that I've marinated for at least a half hour in olive oil with a dash of McCormick Steak seasoning. Chop the cooked chicken into cubes and add to the mushroom-broccoli mixture. Serve over brown rice. You can modify this basic recipe to make it your own based on what you have in the house.

In addition to cooking more, I've been branching out in the culinary department. I finally committed to using my Southern Living cookbook, and I haven't regretted a recipe! If you've never tried SL's beef stroganoff, you should! It was a crowd pleaser and I was excited that it called for sherry (you know you're not a real cook until you've cooked with sherry...or am I the only one who grew up thinking that??).

I'm glad to be eating healthier, but we also decided to commit to a meal plan for another important reason. Jonathan and I have implemented and been trying to follow a budget. We decided that with Nora's pending arrival, we needed to be a family with a financial plan. We're saving so much money by meal planning and cooking rather than dining out. And most days we have leftovers that we can take to work for lunch. As a bonus, I take tremendous comfort knowing exactly what I'm feeding my family.

I've even been experimenting with some delicious mocktails (for the uninitiated, that's a cocktail minus the alcohol). Hey, you gotta make effort to keep life interesting when you're living on a budget (I call it my reward system, and I always leave room in the budget for treats!). Just recently I made a faux mint julep with a simple syrup I concocted using mint from my garden splashed into lemonade poured over crushed ice. Don't forget to garnish with more mint. It was pretty and delish — a refreshing summer beverage.

How do you keep things interesting in the kitchen? I'd love some tips!

Reunited and it feels so good...

Jonathan and I had a blast this weekend at my 10-year high school reunion. Go Bobcats!

Unfortunately, this blogger didn't take a single photo at the reunion, and I'm still waiting for my fellow 2001 graduates to share theirs!

Here are the photos my mother took of me and Jonathan before we left:

(Our aloof faces??)

You gotta love coming home to visit when your parents always spoil you and send you home with goodies!

Here are my mom's marshmellow pops, which are GREAT at Christmas:

She also sent us back to Georgia with homemade Lady Fingers. There are none of those left to photograph. We joke that we feel like Hansel & Gretel when we're in Seneca...

July 4th-Part 3

Here is another installment on our recent holiday happenings. Thought I'd share some recipes from the delightful treats served!

Rita's Patriotic Trifle

(Yum-my — and you don't have to feel bad about eating it!)

Ingredients:

1 small can of lite peaches cut into halves (save the juice to pour over the angel food cake)

2 small tubs of lite cool whip

2 large boxes of sugar free vanilla pudding

vanilla extract

1 sugar free angel food cake

1 large tub of fresh strawberries cut longways; (pour a little water and sprinkle some organic sugar over strawberries to make a liquid mixture to pour over the angel food cake)

1 small tub of fresh blueberries

fresh raspberries

Directions:

Make the 2 vanilla puddings following the directions on the box. When cold to consistency, add about 3 tablespoons of vanilla and stir well. Refrigerate until other tasks completed.

Pull the angel food cake apart in small chunks.

Line the bottom of the trifle dish with the sliced strawberries, standing up all the way around the sides of the dish. Put a blueberry between every two strawberries for visual interest. Add some sliced peaches and peach juice over the angel food cake. Put some strawberries and blueberries on top of this. Next add some of the vanilla pudding, and then a layer of cool whip.

Repeat layers and continue repetition of pattern until you have the cool whip as the last layer on top of your glass trifle dish.

For a decorative, patriotic touch, use raspberries and blueberries to make a flag!

My chocolate mousse with raspberries:

Ingredients:

1 12-ounce can of evaporated milk

1 box instant chocolate fudge pudding mix

1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

raspberries (optional, but delicious)

Directions:

Combine evaporated milk and pudding mix using electric mixer. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon into dessert dishes. Top with fruit. Refrigerate at least 5 minutes before serving.

Yes, it's really that easy.

Ellen's Pinwheels (my boss):

Ingredients:

2 cups Bisquick (plus milk to make dough)

Athenos crumbled feta cheese (I used garlic & herbs)

10-ounce package of frozen, chopped spinach, thawed

Make dough following directions on box. Roll out dough in thin rectangle on baking sheet.

Top with cheese and spinach.

Roll longways until you have what looks like a long snake. Bake according to directions on Bisquick box. Slice into thin sections when cool.

Now I just need to steal the recipe for Amy's Buffalo Chicken dip — I'm craving it just remembering how good that tasted!!

Chicken Tetrazzini

I'm sharing a recipe favorite that I got from my mother. This a meal I make when taking food to someone or hosting a large gathering, because the ingredients make two full 9x13 casseroles — so you can take one to someone in need and have one for yourself (or, just freeze the second and eat it later!). Just make sure when delivering that you have a recipe card handy to share in the love...

Chicken Tetrazzini

Ingredients:

1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken (boiled & shredded)

3 cans cream of chicken soup

1 cup reserved chicken broth

1 bag (around 2 cups) finely shredded cheese (your choice, I like cheddar!)

1 bag No-Yolk noodles (pre-cooked)

Directions:

Layer noodles, chicken, and cream of chicken soup and broth. Stir it all together and then top with cheese. Bake covered at 350°F until cheese is melted (around 20 minutes). Cook an additional few minutes uncovered to brown the top.

Voilà!

Summa time & and the grillin's easy!

You knew I'd have to break in my new patio set with a recipe (not to mention thank my help in a non-monetary, mouth-watering way)!

So, tonight, I made portobello-gouda burgers. Yum-my!

Ingredients:

Marinade:

2 tablespoons brown spicy mustard

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon hot sauce

lean ground beef (I always patty hamburgers with a splash of Allegro marinade — my secret culinary weapon — and a dash of Montreal Steak Seasoning)

4 portobello mushroom caps (I use slices, caps freak me out)

4 slices Gouda cheese

1/2 cup mayonnaise

4 hamburger rolls

1 red onion, sliced

(lettuce, tomato are optional)

Directions:

Combine marinade ingredients. Place caps into a baking dish and pour marinade over top. Use a brush to make sure all caps are covered with the marinade. Set aside and let marinate up to 2 hours.

Remove the portobellos from marinade (do not discard marinade) and place gill side down on preheated grill over medium-high heat. Grill 3-4 minutes per side. Top each cap with cheese 2 minutes to melt before they are finished grilling.

In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup mayo and 2 tablespoons of the marinade.

Spread the flavored mayo onto each bun and top with portobellos. Serve with sliced onion, lettuce and tomato.

Enjoy with friends and/or family:

Red Beans & Rice

When Megan told me one evening that we were having red beans and rice, I secretly thought, "Beans, yuck!" Then I began to smell this dish and my stomach growled. Then, I tasted it. This is truly an easy, cheap and DELICIOUS meal if there ever was one!

Red Beans & Rice:

Ingredients:

1 Kielbasa sausage (beef)

1 onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

minced garlic to taste (about teaspoon)

2 cans of dark red kidney beans (don't drain)

1 can diced tomatoes (don't drain)

dried oregano

salt & pepper to taste

Directions: While rice is cooking separately, slice Kielbasa and cook in deep pan for about 5-8 minutes on medium to high heat.

Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and saute for around 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

Add beans and tomatoes. Stir in salt and pepper and around 1/2 tablespoon to 1 tablespoon of oregano. Simmer, stirring regularly, around 10-15 minutes on low heat.

Serve over rice! A glass of red wine is always nice, too!

Put Your Pinkies in the Air...

The Big Day is finally here.

Jonathan and I had planned to get up early to watch the Royal Wedding and enjoy tea, but then it suddenly hit me Thursday — I have to serve something English for breakfast! So, I rushed to the grocery store to try my hand at baking scones. I'll be honest, they taste delicious, but they're not the prettiest (even though my photography will lie and tell you otherwise!). It really turned out to be more of a scone pizza, but Jonathan has forbidden me to share the picture showing how the entire pizza scone took up 2/3rds of my stovetop.

Chocolate Scones (Southern Living)

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces

1 cup whipping cream

2 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon whipping cream or milk

2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Directions:

Combine first 5 ingredients; cut butter into dry ingredients with a pastry blender until crumbly. Gradually add 1 cup whipping cream, melted chocolate and vanilla, stirring with fork just until dry ingredients are moistened. Knead dough in bowl 3 or 4 times to incorporate any flour or cocoa in bottom of bowl.

Pat dough into an 8-inch circle on a parchment paper lined or lightly greased baking sheet. Cut into 8 wedges, using a sharp knife (Do not separate wedges). Brush with 1 tablespoon whipping cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Bake at 425° for 19-20 minutes (Center will be soft; do not overbake). Serve warm. Yields: 8 scones.

Cooking in progress:

(He was eager to try a scone!)

(Yes, we're enjoying them on our fine china!)

God save the Queen!

Recipes & Kidney Stones...

They are both made to be passed. Or, so said my husband over our dinner of Hawaiian Chicken tonight — which is another recipe taken from Megan (the birthday girl!!)

So, taking the wise advice from my intelligent and witty husband, here is the recipe:

Hawaiian Chicken

(Seriously wish you could smell this picture!)

This is the PERFECT summer recipe when you get the urge to grill a healthy, flavorful meal!!

Ingredients:

chicken strips

Zesty Italian marinade

zucchini (quartered)

(squash is optional-quartered)

can of pineapple tidbits in pineapple juice

Directions:

Marinade chicken strips in Zesty Italian for a couple of hours. Fire up the grill. Make aluminum foil pouches of zucchini (squash), pineapple, pineapple juice and some Zesty Italian.

Enclose aluminum foil pouch. Add pouches to grill along with chicken. Cook 10-15 minutes depending on chicken thickness/grill heat.

Empty contents of pouch over chicken and serve hot!