Wednesday
Christmas is Coming!!!
Well, another year is about to end ...but first we MUST have Christmas!!! It is my favorite time of year, next to Christmas Eve. We will be having our traditional open house of treats. I don't think my family would let me get away from that! I am cooking (as usual) the Christmas Day Feast and want to try a different twist of dishes than the previous year. I'm thinking mac and cheese ...the twist will be with black truffles!!! Yes, I did say that! No ham or turkey this year, but short ribs. I will send pics and tell you how it comes out.. Three more days...in case you didn't know!!!
Thursday
Holiday Cookbook Launch- Special Deal!
Cooking Revival has just launched, and available to purchase! I am holding an exclusive holiday purchase price so that you may enjoy and share my recipes with others ... this book is close to my heart, and I hope that it becomes close to yours too.
I invite you to come celebrate with me with the arrival of my new cookbook! To purchase just click the button below! I am offering FREE SHIPPING to all USA customers, and a special discount shipping price to international customers.
Give the gift of home-made recipes!
Tuesday
September's Rush!!
I say official, because although I've catered parties for friends and co-workers, I am owning up to officially loving what I use to call a "hobby."
I catered a luncheon for a women's conference for pastor friends in Birmingham. It went very well, however, what a lot of work because I had to put extra effort in organizing things to be done because I have a two hour transport away. But what a rush!
My team and I completed the lunch boxes two minutes before lunch!! I felt like I was on Iron Chef!! Anyway, I must have impressed some folks, I had two people approach me to consider catering their weddings next year! Here we go!
Saturday
Space in Time
Sorry, I realize it's been a very long time since my last blog, but I've been packing a house and moved across country. Almost out of boxes and ready to get back to it. Thanks for your patience and hoping to thrill your interests and taste buds soon. Peace
Monday
Trying Something New
Dragon Fruit. Saw it and thought it would be a great thing to try. 
Well, it looked harmless enough and I've had the flavor in some juices and flavored water and love it! Well here it goes.
Well, it looked harmless enough and I've had the flavor in some juices and flavored water and love it! Well here it goes.
Opening it by just slicing it in the middle seem a smart move. After opening it, well I was a little surprised ... I don't know why, but to me it resembled a white kiwi. The texture also like a kiwi with seeds. However, I was disappointed with the taste ... it was very bland and slightly tasteless. Makes me wonder what's really in those drinks I've been drinking. Is it really the dragon fruit taste I'm addicted to?
Tuesday
Spring is Here!!!
Sunday
Garlic Knots
If you love garlic and bread, well here is an awesome combination. I had these years ago in an "authentic" Italian restaurant. Here's the recipe ...
Garlic Knots
Makes 12 knots
You'll need 2 tablespoons minced garlic.
10 | garlic cloves , minced (see note) |
6 | tablespoons unsalted butter |
1 | teaspoon plus 3/4 cup water , heated to 110 degrees |
1 1/8 | teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast |
2 | |
1 |
1. WARM OVEN Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off. Grease large bowl.
2. MAKE GARLIC BUTTER Cook garlic, 1 tablespoon butter, and 1 teaspoon water in small nonstick skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is straw colored, 8 to 10 minutes. Add remaining butter, stirring until melted. Let stand 10 minutes off heat. Strain garlic butter through fine-mesh strainer into small bowl; reserve garlic solids.
3. MAKE DOUGH Whisk remaining water, 1 tablespoon garlic butter, reserved garlic solids, and yeast in liquid measuring cup until yeast dissolves. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook, mix flour and salt until combined. With mixer on low, add water mixture in steady stream and mix until dough comes together, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and knead until dough is smooth and comes away from sides of bowl, about 6 minutes. Turn dough onto clean work surface and knead briefly to form smooth, cohesive ball. Transfer dough to prepared bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and place in turned-off oven until dough has doubled in size, 40 to 50 minutes.
4. SHAPE KNOTS Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Punch down dough on floured surface. Roll dough into 12- by 6-inch rectangle and cut into twelve 6-inch strips. With flat hands, roll each strip into 12-inch ropes. Tie ropes into knots, tucking tails. Place on prepared baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and return to turned-off oven until doubled in size, about 20 minutes.
5. BAKE Remove knots from oven and discard plastic. Heat oven to 500 degrees. Return knots to oven and bake until set, about 5 minutes. Remove knots from oven and brush with 2 tablespoons garlic butter. Rotate, return to oven, and bake until golden, about 4 minutes. Brush knots with remaining garlic butter and cool 5 minutes. Transfer to wire rack. Serve warm.
MAKE AHEAD Shaped knots can be refrigerated, covered, for 24 hours. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 200 degrees and turn off. Put knots in turned-off oven until doubled in size, about 20 minutes. Proceed with step 5
Christmas 2010
Christmas dinner was a little different for us because I swayed a little ... well a lot from the usual one I traditionally have. Our usual Christmas dinner would include a delicious bread covered leg of lamb and a delectable picture perfect ham. This Christmas I cooked a standing rib roast (only cooked that one other time before), Yukon potatoes, oven roasted brussel sprouts with parsnips, garlic bay scallops (for my vegetarian daughter) and for the first time, Yorkshire Pudding (which isn't pudding in the sense we know it). It was really a great dinner although I had a little trouble with my timing, but it all worked out. Check it out ...  |
| Standing Rib Roast with Yukon Potatoes |
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| Oven roasted brussel sprouts with parsnips |
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| The pecans added a welcoming dimension to this simple dish |
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| Garlic Bay Scallops |
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| Yorkshire Pudding rising |
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| Final product light & delicious |
Saturday
Christmas Eve 2010
Although I'm writing this post on New Year's Day ... I'm playing catch up. It's been a crazy December for me. I know there are only 24 hrs in a day, but it seems I'd been burning 28! Well, here's what I cooked for Christmas Eve and Christmas Dinner. Of course, it was all delicious (that's what the family and friends said). It was a lot of work. Let's start with Christmas Eve. We usually have every year our "Christmas Eve Table." I (with a little help) make every one's favorite and we eat and play games and eat and play games...."oh what fun it is to ...." I digress ... so here's the eve's delights. As you can see below, we did have veggies...carrots and celery with Blue Cheese Dip!!!
The mini meatball panini's are from the Mad Hungry Cooking Show. They are phenomenal! I usually don't like meatballs at all, but these are so good. I mixed ground beef and hot sausage with a few other ingredients. They were moist and very tasty!
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| Paula Deen's Hogs in a Sleeping Bag |
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| The Spread |
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| Mini Meatball Panini |
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| Beef/Sausage Meatballs |
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| Almond Rocha (Homemade of course) |
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| Getting Ready for the Eats |
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| 3 Cheese Platter |
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| Cookies, Cookies, Cookies |
The top cookies are made with puff pastry and filled with almond paste. The middle ones are double ginger and the bottom are my brown butter shortbread cookies. I usually make a "butt load" more for Christmas Eve, but like I said earlier....I was crazy busy! No time...no time. Okay, now let's talk about Christmas Dinner, shall we?
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