EASY PRETZEL BITES

This delightful recipe was made by none other than my son-in-law, Dan.  He was a man hard pressed for a tasty Super Bowl snack.  Usually Olivia makes an array of yummy treats for them to share during the big game, but this year she suffered a broken foot and that has kept her out of the kitchen.  Dan has been awesome keeping the household afloat and he even made these great pretzel bites.  Olivia said for being a super simple recipe they are very good.  When you need a great snack, give these a try.  I think you will enjoy them.
-Nanette



EASY PRETZEL BITES

INGREDIENTS

• 1 can refrigerated biscuit dough
• 4 c. water
• 1/4 c. baking soda
• 1 large egg, beaten
• Coarse salt
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1 c. milk
• 2 c. Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
2. Quarter each biscuit then roll piece into a ball. Pinch to seal. In a medium saucepan, combine water and baking soda. Bring to boil then reduce to a simmer. Add the rolled balls and cook for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to baking sheet, making sure the pretzels aren't touching. Brush beaten egg over each pretzel. Sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
3. Meanwhile, make cheese sauce. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in milk and bring to a simmer. When the milk begins to thicken, stir cheese, whisking constantly until sauce is smooth. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne.

"Strawberry Cake to Die For" Throw-Back

We are reposting an old recipe for three reasons:

1)  It will soon be Valentine’s Day, and this is a great recipe for that day. 

2)  We have been blogging for five years as of today, and this is a great cake for a celebration!

3)  Olivia broke her foot two weeks ago and has not cooked since.  The beautiful dishes she makes have been temporarily halted.  The tamale pie last week was my creation, but I have to admit, my dishes are not as exotic as hers. 

Click on the link below and enjoy this throw-back to the past as Olivia writes about her love of cooking.

-Nanette

STRAWBERRY CAKE TO DIE FOR!

TAMALE PIE

TAMALE PIE
Most of the recipes we feature on our blog are ones Olivia has developed or used and once and a while I throw an old favorite in for fun.  Last week Olivia broke her foot and her time spent creating in the kitchen is very limited for a while, so today I'm sharing with you a recipe I found at www.delish.com recently and tried it on my husband.  It is an excellent recipe and because there are only two of us being able to reheat the food for a second day is important to us.  This one passed that test beautifully and was just as good the second day as it was the first.  It is easy and very good.  I had some enchilada sauce leftover so I served it on the side as a garnish and it was great.  The second day I wanted to add a little moisture to the dish so after reheating, I served it with  a dollop of sour cream on top.  This is a great recipe and I think it is one your whole family will love.
-Nanette

Ingredients:
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup creamed corn
1/3 cup enchilada sauce
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
small handful cilantro leaves chopped (optional)
kosher salt
ground pepper

Directions
1.  Preheat over to 400 degrees F.
2.  Prepare cornbread base.  In a medium bowl, combine corn muffin mix, sour cream, creamed corn and egg.  Combine.  Pour  into a large case iron skillet or a ceramic baking dish and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.  (if not using cast iron, may take a bit longer).  Let cool slightly in pan,.

                                       

  

3.  Make the taco meat by cooking the onions over medium heat.  Season with salt, pepper, and spices and cook until soft.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.  Add the ground beef and stir to break up the meat.  Season to taste and cook until cooked through.  Remove skillet from stove top and drain excess fat.

                                         

4.  Poke the surface of the cornbread with a fork.  Pour enchilada sauce over the cornbread.  Add the meat mixture and top with shredded cheese.  Cover with foil and bake until the cheese is melted about 20 minutes.  Remove foil and broil until cheese begins to brown.  Top with cilantro if desired.

 Enjoy!

BACON-GARLIC CHICKEN

BACON-GARLIC CHICKEN
Chicken is a favorite of both Olivia and I but sometimes it is easy to get in a rut and just crank out the same old recipes time and time again.  Well you can shake off the winter blues with this flavorful dish Olivia discovered from Taste of Home.  It combines the favorite flavors of bacon and chicken with heavenly herb combinations.  Olivia found that she liked substituting basil for the rosemary.  You can do the same if you like or try your own unique combination.  This recipe is easy to make, doesn't require a lot of exotic ingredients, and is packed with flavor.  Add it to your winter lineup. You will be glad you did!
-Nanette

IB

BACON - GARLIC CHICKEN

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 ounces each)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 bacon strips, chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary or 3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Add to Shopping List

Directions

1. Pound chicken with a meat mallet to 1/2-in. thickness; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lightly coat both sides with flour; shake off excess. 
2. In a nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. With a slotted spoon, remove bacon to paper towels; reserve 1 teaspoon drippings.
3. In same pan, heat butter and drippings over medium heat. Add chicken; cook until no longer pink, 4-6 minutes per side. Remove from pan.
4. Add garlic, rosemary and pepper flakes to pan; cook and stir until garlic begins to color, 1-2 minutes. Stir in broth and lemon juice; bring to a boil, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Cook until slightly thickened, 3-4 minutes.
5. Return chicken and bacon to pan; heat through, turning chicken a few times to coat. Yield: 4 servings.

CRESCENT ROLL HAM RING

CRESCENT ROLL HAM RING

Olivia and I hope you and your family had a fun, happy, and healthy holiday season.  We had an excellent time visiting Gatlinburg, TN during the week of Christmas.  If you heard about the wildfires that devastated the area and took the lives of fourteen people, you may wonder why we went there.  It is a family tradition and, quite frankly, there was no other place we would rather have been.  There is still much to see and do there and the people who rely so heavily on tourism would love to see you. Consider a trip there.  

Even though the holiday has passed, we still have leftover honey baked ham and there is always the challenge of finding unique ways to use what is left.  I found this great recipe at www.buzzfeed.com.  The original recipe called for granny smith apple, dijon mustard, and brie cheese.  I substituted a gala apple I had, left out the mustard because my husband doesn't like it, and used pepper jack cheese because that is what I had on hand.  It turned out great.  I am thinking you could do this same ring using a variety of substitutions like taco meat with refried beans and cheese, or a chicken version with yummy things you like.  It is a great and easy recipe.

Ingredients:

2 rolls of crescent rolls arranged on a greased cookie sheet around a bowl with wide ends overlapping

chopped ham (enough to go around the ring)

dijon mustard spread thinly around the inside of the ring

one carmelized onion

one granny smith apple peeled and sliced thinly

brie cheese cover the other ingredients arranged around the bowl

Remove the bowl after all the ingredients are arranged on the dough.

Fold the dough points in and pinch in the enter to keep melted cheese from coming out.

Place the ring in a 350 degree preheated over for 30 minutes.  Remove and slide onto a serving plate.

Enjoy!

Apple Whiskey Turkey Brine

APPLE WHISKEY TURKEY BRINE
A few years ago Olivia and I decided to experiment with putting our holiday turkey in a brine the day before we roast it.  We've tried different types of brine.  The common ingredients in most are salt, sugar, spices, etc.  This one intrigued us because it contained apple whiskey.  That sounded to us like just the perfect accompaniment to turkey.

This year we started with a thawed 17 pound Butterball turkey and a five gallon bucket.  Here is the recipe we used, but feel free to tweak it to your liking.  You won't believe how incredibly moist and flavorful your turkey will be.  It is awesome!
-Nanette

1 cup salt (we use Kosher salt)

1 cup brown sugar

1-2 cups of Jim Beam apple whiskey

1 tablespoon of peppercorns

2-5 garlic cloves

2 sliced apples

2 sliced oranges

Put the first five ingredients in a five gallon bucket with just enough water to dissolve the salt and sugar.  Add your turkey.  Cover with enough water to fully surround the bird.  Put in the bucket your apples and oranges.  Put ice cubes in the bucket to keep things cool.  Cover the bucket and place it on a porch or in an unheated garage where everything will stay cool.  Add ice occasionally if needed.  Soak that bird until it is good an happy.  We soak it at least 8-12 hours.  Pull it out of the brine and roast as you normally would.  Yummy!

Smoky Mountain Cat Head Biscuits

 SMOKY MOUNTAIN CAT HEAD BISCUITS

This recipe is a repeat of one Olivia shared before but we are sharing it again with a very special purpose in mind.  As many of you know, our family loves the Great Smoky Mountains.  We have been travelling there and enjoying that beautiful region and its people for decades.  As beautiful as the mountains, cascades, streams and wildlife are (and they are extraordinarily beautiful) the people who live there are even more beautiful and special.  Many of the families who live there have been there for generations.  Their roots and love for the area run deep.

This is why our hearts were breaking during recent days as we learned of the wildfires that devastated the community of Gatlinburg and the surrounding area.  Many people lost their homes and some even lost their lives.  Because this is an area heavily dependent upon tourism, many people were  not only impacted by losing loved ones and homes, but their livelihood has been affected as well.  They  have coined a phrase there, "Smokies Strong," that speaks to the strength, courage, and resiliency of these special people.  

If you have ever visited there and have been touched by the beauty of this special place and its people, we are asking you to consider donating to help in the relief efforts.  Dolly Parton and her Dollywood  Foundation have set up a fund to help in the ongoing efforts to get these people back up on their feet.  You can donate by going to www.dollywoodfoundation.com .  During this holiday season the need is even more keenly felt.  Please give generously.

-Nanette

Cat Head BiscuitsRecipe from America’s Test Kitchen Best Ever Recipes

Ingredients:

3 cups White Lily All-Purpose Flour (it MUST be White Lily, not regular all-purpose flour; if White Lily is unavailable, use 1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) all purpose flour and 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) cake flour)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons butter, softened and cut into 1/2″ pieces
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Instructions: 

Adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 9″ round cake pan with shortening and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using your fingers, mix the butter and shortening into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and stir with a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon until combined.

Use a 1/2 cup ice cream scoop or measuring cup to measure out 6 heaping portions of dough and place them each in the prepared pan, one in the middle and 5 surrounding it. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden on top. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Carefully break apart the biscuits with two forks (or leave them in the pan until you’re ready to serve them). Makes 6 ginormous, cat head-sized biscuits.