Sweet treats...

Yesterday Sara and I decided to do a little holiday "baking".  Well, we heated up some dipping chocolate, so that totally counts as baking.   I saw this idea on Pinterest, and since we had the ingredients I thought we'd give it a whirl.  Nevermind the fact that the recipe called for mini-candy canes and ours are a bit on the large size...

 First we put several candy canes into the food processor.  The original recipe showed the canes more chopped, ours was more of a powder.   Someone got a bit enthusiastic about using the food processor...

 
Sara put a marshmellow on the end of the candy cane, dipped the cane in the chocolate, then rolled it in the candy cane powder...

We didn't really have enough candy canes for each marshmellow, so Sara dipped the remaining marshmellows in the chocolate and then into the candy cane powder....

A very easy and cute treat for the holidays...

Our thankful table...

Yesterday was spent in our kitchen.  Travis and I dancing around each other as we worked on various dishes and kept a close eye on the bird.  I used many (if not all!) of Pioneer Woman's recipes- and she did not disappoint!

This vintage butcher scale corrals my cooking utensils...

I kept the table simple, using my Wedgewood Queensware china (ebay score!) and Pottery Barn flatware.  I love that the plates are a bit mismatched in size and show so much aging in them.   The goblets are from Southern Living at Home- and are fragile, so they barely get used once a year.  The napkins are a wonderfully durable linen and were bought on Etsy.  I use them year round, and they hold up very well.

Our table is a French antique that I purchased from a small antique store nearby.  I love that it has leaves that pull out of either side and that I can comfortably seat ten people around it.  Folded up it seats our six perfectly.  The chairs are from World Market.

I love that my PB pieces have that lovely tarnished/worn look even though they are "new"...

 The topiaries normally sit on our living room fireplace mantel.  I just popped them on top of a lovely burlap runner made by my cousin over at Sweet Tea & Linen.

I did use an "overflow table" for the kiddos ;)  Luckily I had this table out in the workshop that I had finished up earlier this month.  It's going to the market on December 7th.

My new slipcovers were installed the day before.  I am SO beyond excited at how they turned out, and plan on sharing the details and the lovely artist with you in another post.  Well worth the investment!

It was a lovely day spent with family and a roaring fire in the fireplace.

I am truly thankful.

The gift of baked goods...

Looking through my recipes I have chosen the following to make for my neighbors as well as for Sara's teachers.  Buying gift cards for all, or even bottles of wine, can get very pricey.  I feel that baking comes from the heart and home, and for very little dough ;)

I am a HUGE fan of The Pioneer Woman and spent a few years on her blog casually dropping comments about how she should write a cookbook.  Her third cookbook was just released this past month.  You can also find all of her amazing recipes here, as well as stories about home decorating, farm life, and even a great section on homeschooling.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks

These are her cinnamon rolls and also a super cute tutorial on packaging them as gifts.
I think these would be a great gift and a nice departure from the standard Christmas cookie.

Not to mention getting the kids in on making and packaging them.  Santa's little elf minions...

Caramel Banana Pie...

Yesterday I made one of my favourite pies...caramel banana pie.

This pie is so amazing that I even had a guy ask me out over it.

That would be fine, except that the man asked me out yesterday in the check out line at Krogers.

I kid not.

He asked me what I was making (while helping me put my groceries on the belt...not a fan of others touching my food btw)  So I told him about the pie and he said in his best Texas drawl, "Well darlin' you can come make that pie for me anytime you'd like!"

I smiled and told him that it was this very pie that caught my husband.

Well, that and my RailRoad meatloaf....but that's another story.

So here is THE pie in all it's glory:

Are you ready to make one of your own?  Or snag a spouse?  ;)

Ingredients:

2 cans sweetened condensed milk
4 bananas
1 graham cracker crust
whipping cream
Heath bar

How to:

In a pyrex dish pour the sweetened condensed milk and cover with heavy duty aluminum.  (say this word the British way, because it just sounds so much prettier!)

Next, float that pyrex dish in another larger pyrex dish filled with a few inches of water.

Bake at 425 for at least an hour until the milk starts to caramelize.  Then take out and let cool.

After the caramelized sweetened condensed milk has cooled, slice your bananas while singing the lyrics to "Yes, we have no bananas" and place in the graham cracker crust.  Then pour the lovely caramelized goodness over the bananas.  Try to resist putting your face in the pyrex dish and licking it clean.

Once that is complete, you can whip up your whipping cream and pile it high on the pie.  Then top with crushed Heath bar crumbles....cover pie with the plastic graham cracker cover and refrigerate for a few hours to let the pie firm up.

Slice, serve, drool, enjoy!

Rigatoni & Meatballs recipe...

I mentioned one of my favourite comfort foods last week, Rigatoni & Meatballs.

There is just something about Italian food that feeds the soul and makes your belly feel content.

We needed that last week.  Sitting around the table, enjoying good food, sharing, talking....healing.

We love this table and all the wonderful meals we share here.

The Recipe:  I am not a measure it out kinda gal when it comes to cooking.  I eye ball most of my ingredients, just like my Grandmother , Violet, used to do.

This was made using bow-tie pasta, but the rigatoni is my fav ;)

Meatballs...

1# ground beef
1# sweet or spicy Italian sausage
Parsley
Bread Crumbs
Parmesan cheese (grated & fresh)
1 egg


To make:  Mix all ingredients by hand, then form into small-ish to medium-ish sized meatballs.
Heat olive oil in a skillet and brown the meatballs- about 8 per batch (don't worry about cooking through, that will come later)  Remove to plate.

Marinara Sauce:

2-28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes
1 can of tomato paste
Olive oil
3-4 whole garlic cloves
chopped onion
parsley
basil
salt
pepper
sugar (this is an important ingredient!)

To make:  Heat oil in skillet on med/low heat, add garlic and onion, saute until onion is almost translucent.  Add the tomatoes and tomato paste.  Then add the basil, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Cook for 15-20 min.  Then add the meatballs and simmer for another 30 minutes.

Once plated, sprinkle with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese :)

Serve with rigatoni, bow tie pasta- or whatever pasta tickles your fancy- and enjoy!

Dear Herb...

Dear Herb,

   Hello Parsley, Cilantro, and Sweet Basil!  Welcome to my kitchen window sill.  You'll find that it gets plenty of afternoon Texas sun and the humidity is to die for.  (No really, I would not suggest venturing outside during the month of August.  July and September are iffy as well.)

 I am just going to throw this out there and let you know that none of the other herbs before you survived with me.  I realize this is risky to share such information when our cohabitation situation is still relatively new, but I believe in honesty- so there it is.

I will really try this time though.  I will check the moistness of your soil, keep the doxie from chewing off all of your leaves, and I will even throw in the occasional squirt of fertilizer.

I've changed- I will not let you down.

At least not intentionally.

Love,
Tricia

PS- The herbs have asked that if any of you have some herb growing survival tips they would love for me to hear them!

Butterbell crock....

I'm southern.  I like fried chicken, macaroni & cheese, grits, biscuits.....and BUTTER!

Real butter,  not that "I can't believe it's not....oh wait, yes I can because this totally does not taste like butter butter"!  If it comes in a tub, it's not butter.

The only problem with real butter is that it's not spreadable.  If you let it warm up to room temperature it's not too bad, but just grabbing it when you need to spread it- not so much so.

Until I found the Butterball crock.  Genius.  Mr.Butterbell, whoever you are- way to go!

This....

Is the best invention EVER. Well, other than ceiling fans....those are pretty great in the South too.

All you do is mash a stick of butter into the top of the crock (or the "bell")  Then fill the crock 1/3 the way with cold water.  Leave it on the counter (not near heat, stove, or sunlight) and it will be spreadable and keep for up to a month.  All you do is change out the water about every three days- cold water is a must!

You can order one from Butterbell, or just pop over to Amazon

Now if y'all will excuse me.  There is a piece of toast in need of some spreadable real butter....


*This is not a Butterbell crock sponsored post....however, if Butterbell or Land O Lakes would like to sponsor me, I would totally do that!!

Soup's on!

Today was a home day.  Just me & the doxie, pj's, fuzzy socks....and homemade potato soup in the crock pot for tonight's dinner.

Thought I would share the baked potato soup love:

6 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large onion chopped
3 14 oz cans seasoned chicken broth with roasted garlic
1/4 cup of butter
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 cup whipping cream or half & half
1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese shredded
3 tbsp chopped fresh chives
Toppings:  cooked and crumbled bacon, shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream

Combine first 6 ingredients in a 5 quart slow cooker.
Cover and cook on high 4 hours or low 8 hours or until potatoes are tender.
Mash mixture until potatoes are coarsely chopped and soup is slightly thickened; stir in whipping cream, one cup of cheese, and chives.
Serve with desired toppings:  Yield: 12 cups

*from Southern Living Comfort Food

Eggy weekend...

I love Saturday breakfasts at the cottage.  It really is my favourite time of the entire weekend.  I made this recipe this morning:

Baked Eggs with Tomatoes, 

Herbs, and Cream 

2 tsp unsalted butter

2-3 tomatoes seeded and chopped

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 tsp salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

4 large eggs

4 tsp heavy cream

4 tsp grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350.

Generously butter four 1/2 cup ramekins.

In a bowl stir together, basil, parsley, tomatoes, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Divide evenly among ramekins. Cut 2 tsp butter into small pieces and divide among ramekins, sprinkling evenly over tomato mixture. Break an egg into each ramekin. Season with remaining 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Drizzle each egg with 1 tsp cream.  Arrange ramekins on rimmed baking sheet.  Bake until the egg whites are opaque and the yolks have firm edges and are soft in the center, about 15 minutes {mine took 17 minutes}.  If desired, sprinkle top with fresh herbs, diced tomato, and grated Parmesan cheese. 

You could make this with all different kinds veggie and herb combinations too... leeks, spinach, mushrooms, asparagus to name a few...

Oh my heaven's to Betsy....they were that good!  I found the recipe over here, a lovely blog to read as well : o )

Nom Nom.

You know something is good when you are shouting, "Wait, wait, don't eat it yet....I need to get my camera!!"

Dead & Dinner

Is anyone else out there as obsessed with this show as we are??

So much so that we have created a new Sunday ritual of Dead & Dinner....

We gather as a family, eat a creative and delicious meal....then glue ourselves to the television to watch the new episodes...

Who knew that zombies could bring a family together?

Cottage breakfast...

I'm a cereal and juice mom during the week.  The thought of cooking food (gag!) in the morning, along with the clean up and dishes (double gag!) well, the thought of it is enough to make me hurl.

So I don't do it.

But, the weekends.  Those are totally different.  I can cook later (after 9- not gag), and I can get creative, play with food, AND have time to clean up the kitchen.  So M-F cottage breakfasts = not such a great mom.  Weekend cottage breakfasts = look out chef puck.  Kidding.  Not really...

Eggs with fresh herbs, toast & fanned strawberries

Sourdough toast with Gruyere cheese, fresh cilantro & blackberries

Then again, in Florida cottage breakfast can look like this...

and that breakfast gives me the title Best Mom EVER!