Greens?! For Turkey Day?!?!...YES!

I hope everyone had a great weekend!! I did, but I am happy for a fresh start to a new week.  Today is my relax/do laundry/clean day! Maybe a trip to Sam's will happen too! lol Last night we had Sunday Dinner at my moms, I don't know if any of you have those, but I don't think they happen nearly enough at our house.  I cooked fried chicken, smashed potatoes and MUSTARD GREENS!!! YUMMMM.  I know they look awful, but its a different taste and VERY complimentary to comfort food. What better day for comfort food than Thanksgiving!  I didn't get a chance to get a picture of the green before I cut them up, but sometimes they come in a GIANT bag already cut up.  If you can only find them in a bunch that's okay too.  Collard greens are good too and cook the exact same way, and they are a little sweeter. Okay...try it....enjoy!

Steamed Collard's

You will need:
1 Large bag of greens, (the bag will shrink to half after its cooked)
1 lbs bacon
I large yellow onion
1 tbsp white vinegar
1/4 vegetable broth or chicken broth

Directions:
If you bought your greens in a bunch, start by rinsing them VERY WELL.  Your going to remove leaf from stalk and roll like a cigar. Cut into strips. I like to cut up a little bit of the stalk and steam it as well, but its optional.

 Meanwhile, in a large pot or stock pot, cook bacon until all fat is rendered and back in cooked. Slice yellow onion into strips, and add to pot on top of bacon.  Cook until soft, add broth. Add greens to pot, sprinkle with a little salt and vinegar. Cover and cook tossing occasionally.  The greens will cook down. They are done when they are bright green and tender, NOT MUSHY. Test them, if you are happy with the texture pull them, if not cook a little longer. Enjoy!!

Surprise Birthday Weekend!

Good evening, I know it is late and most of you will probably read this over your morning coffee..that's what I like to imagine anyway...and wondering WHERE THE HECK HAS SHE BEEN?! Well, my mamma's birthday was Friday and I decided it was going to last all weekend. For me it actually started three weeks ago when I started planning her "Surprise Birthday Brunch", and let me tell you it was stressful! The whole time I was sure she knew, but in the end it was perfect and she truly was surprised!!! 
   We have a tradition between the two of us, that every year on my birthday I get my favorite cake for breakfast. She has done this since as long as I can remember. My favorite cake being Red Velvet, but that's for another blog, another time.  This time it was about her, and her favorite is Carrot Cake.  Yuck, right!? But it's her favorite, and every year she asked me to bake one for her and I don't :( .  So this year I was going to...and I did. Now this is a variation on a recipe I found online, I used it as a guideline.  I changed two ingredients to make it my own...I was intimidated at first I will admit, by the amount of ingredients. In the end it was very simple, and fast and GOOD!!! I usually DO NOT like Carrot Cake, but this was sooo good!!! I also threw together an icing for it, creamy and sweet. So here is the recipe for the Carrot Cake Cupcakes and what I have lovingly named "The Most Perfect Icing...My Husband Would "Eat it out of the Garbage" Good Icing!" hahaha Enjoy.....

Carrot Cake Cupcake's For Mom

You will need:

2 eggs, lightly beaten and room temp.
1 1/8 cups sugar
1/3 brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup apple sauce, unsweetend (always a good substitute for vegetable oil in baking! its better for you!)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrots (I bought shredded carrots and threw them in my food processor, you could also use a blender)
1/2 cup mandrian oranges, drained and crushed
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 ground cinnamon
1/2 nutmeg
1/4 ground ginger
1 cup walnuts
(dont be intimidated! you can do it!)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  In a large bowl blend together beaten eggs, sugar, brown sugar.  When blended well add apple sauce and vanilla. Fold in carrots and mandrin oranges. In a separate bowl, fluff with fork, all dry ingredients. Gradually add dry mixture to wet mixture, making sure not to over mix, this will make sure it stays fluffy.  Fold in walnuts. Using an ice cream scoop or 1/3 measuring cup, fill GREASED paper cups with cake batter. Only filling cups up half way. Bake 18 minutes. Let cool completely before icing. Enjoy.

Most Amazing Icing Ever
(Note: This recipe uses REAL vanilla beans, with can be found in the spice aisle of your local grocery store, they are not cheap. I got two vanilla beans for $7.00!!! However, this recipe only uses half the beans from ONE pod! So it doesnt take much. Invest, they keep well in the fridge and always add great flavor to recipes! YOU DO NOT HAVE TO USE THE BEAN EITHER, IT STILL TASTE AMAZING)

You will need:

Philadelphia Cream Cheese, 2 packs softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tbsp melted butter
1/4 tsp vanilla beans (optional)

With mixer or whisk, mix together all ingredients. Slice open vanilla bean down center, opening up and exposing the inside of the bean. Holding knife flat to bean, gently scrape knife along bean. The blade will gather the beans, it kinda looks like dirt. Scrape beans off into mixure and fold in.  Spread on top of cooled cupcakes, or pipe on with a piping bag and tip of your choice. I used a large starburst tip. Holding bag upright, I started on the outside of cake, slowly, with medium pressure, working my way around towards center. Adding a slight burst of pressure in the center, to form the pretty flower like shape. Garnish with some chopped walnuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon!

*I havent tried this but it popped into my head, to add a little zing to this icing, you could try adding a scoop of sour cream to mixture! Try it and let me know what you think!!!

It's an Apple Pie kinda day!

Happy Thursday!!! With this being the final stretch to turkey day I thought I would share my AMAZING apple pie recipe!!  I usually do not like apple pie...but I will make mine any day! This one is easy, peasy! It calls for Granny Smith apples, which tend to be a little tart, but when tossed with cinnamon and sugar, become syrupy and sweet! Usually I buy my crust, Pillsbury Crust, the one that comes already made in the box! Ha ha. But for all my loyal readers, I challenged myself and made a homemade butter crust.  Most crust are made with lard, and I have never been successful with that kind. Butter crust is made with whole butter, and comes out golden and flaky. Here is the recipe for the crust, try it of course! But don't be ashamed to buy the box stuff either, this is supposed to be fun! Don't make it a chore....I do it all the time ;)

You will need:

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks whole butter, cut into cubes and chilled
1/2 cup of ice water

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt (fluff with a fork).  Cut in butter, a few cubes at a time, I like to mash it all together with my hands. Do this until all butter in incorporated and mixture resembles large crumbles.  Gradually add water and mix. Mix until mixture comes together into a ball wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in ice box up to 4 hours! or place in freezer for 45 minutes!

Cut into two pieces. Roll out one piece big enough to hang over the sides of the pie plate. Heat over to 375, par-bake crust for about 25 minutes. Remove from oven.

Apple Filling, You will need:

5-7 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced, thinly (I use an "apple-corer-slicer" you can slice them with a knife, don't push yourself to get them paper thin. Just as thin as you can get them)
1/4 cup cinnamon
1/2 sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
about 5 slices of butter
apple juice or apple cider


Directions:

With all your apple slices in a large bowl, toss them with half of your cinnamon and half of your sugar.  When coated, layer apple slices in par-baked pie crust, in a circular fashion. When all apples are layered neatly, sprinkle remaining cinnamon and sugar over mixture. Crumble brown sugar over pie and place slices of butter around the top of the pie.  Drizzle apple juice over pie, and cover with top crust.  Be sure and poke holes to vent, I usually use a fork.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 1 hour! After baking remove from oven and let cool for about 20-30 minutes, it will be hard, but try and resist!

This will change the way you think about apple pie. The best part is when you cut it AFTER IT HAS COOLED, the apples in the pie are so pretty, they are layered, and the syrup from the brown sugar makes it gooey. It plates beautifully! Enjoy....

Bon Appetit

Simply Tradtional

Ok, I have never met anyone who doesn't like Italian food!! Well in our house, the makings for any Italian dish are a staple item. Chase and I have promised each other, that as soon as we both retire we are going to go to Italy and eat our way through the entire country!!! We have spaghetti night once a week...sometimes its a regular bolognaise sauce, and sometimes I make homemade meatballs.  Occasionally, I will make my sauce, it takes all day....but tonight the star of the show was the meatball! This is a very simple, very fast recipe for a traditional meatball.  Some think you have to bake your meatballs in the oven, but really you should poach them (cook them in liquid)! Here is how...there are some different things you can do, I will list some of the different ideas at the end! Enjoy.....


You will need:
1 1/2 lbs Italian Sausage (depending on how many, I always want leftovers so I make more)
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp chopped parsley
s/p
1 tsp olive oil

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, its preferred that you mash all ingredients together with your hands! Its more fun.

It is best that the mixture stay a little on the wet side, the cream helps it stay moist while cooking and it gives it a richer flavor.

After mixture is mixed thoroughly, form into meatballs. A little smaller than palm size is best.  Drop meatballs into a simmering pot of spaghetti sauce, the sauce does not have to cover the meatballs but it should come up the sides a least half way.  Turn heat up to med/high cover and let simmer for about 30 minutes. Gently move meatballs around with a spoon so the sauce doesn't burn.
Remove from burner and let stand 15 minutes covered. Serve over noodles!!

Here are some things I like to do different sometimes....

Add a dash a cayenne to the mixture to make them spicy.
Form the meat around pieces of fresh mozzarella
Add parmesan cheese to mixture.
a little splash of white wine, is also awesome! Dont forget to treat yourself too!
Bon Appetit