Indulge

It's the time of year of wonderful music, glittering lights, sweets smells, and a variety of food to enjoy. Take the time to enjoy the season and relax and indulge!

Mocha Almond Fudge
Click here for the recipe

Have a great weekend!

DIY Friday - Tasty Spring Recipes

This is the time of year when new fruits and vegetables start showing up in the grocery store. I love it when all these tasty additions appear, and I can't wait to try out a new recipe.  I found some great new ideas and today I have a few of my favorites to share. Enjoy your Spring bounty!

Spring Wedge Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette 

Spring Panzanella with Asparagus

Sauteed Chicken Breast with Simple Chive Sauce

Cheesy Mushroom and Leek Quiche

Spring Pasta with Lemony, Garlicky, Buttery Walnut Sauce

Roasted Berry Sundae 

Click on the links and check out all theses tasty Spring meal treats.

What is your favorite thing to cook in the Spring?

DIY Friday - Tasty Holiday Treats

My family and I are having a New Years Eve party this year, so I have been on the hunt for different treats to serve. I found some great ideas you may want to try for your holiday gatherings too. Enjoy!

Black Forest Bark

Eggnog Monkey Bread

Cherry Cream Cheese Shortbread

Lemon Tea Cookies

Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Stick

Gingerbread cupcake

What are your favorite treats to serve during the holidays?

DIY Friday Scary Snacks

Do you love Halloween? These scary treats are sure to inspire a haunting Halloween party. Even if your not into Halloween, these ideas will make tasty snacks. Enjoy!

Cake ball brains

Mad Scientist Potion

Oreo spiders

Creepy pudding

Scary Apples

Mummy Dogs

Scary cookie pops

What is your favorite Halloween treat?

DIY Friday - Cool Drinks

I love Friday nights, hanging out on the deck with a fun drink. Since I have been on Pinterest I have found so many amazing drink ideas. Here are a few fun summer drinks to try to keep cool any night of the week.

Blue Ocean

Lava Flow

Lemon Vodka Slushy

Raspberry Mojito

For all my friends who prefer a non-alcoholic drinks, you can make most of these drinks without the alcohol or try the recipes below.

Watermelon Lime frosty

Strawberry Lemonade

Here are a couple of ideas to make your drinks more fun.

Freeze fruit or mint in your ice cubes

Turn your drinks into popcicles

Whatever kind of drink you like, enjoy your evenings and stay cool!

What is your favorite summer drink?

Get a Fresh Start for Spring

It has been a long cold winter, with lots of snow. This year I am excited for Spring, I can't wait for the warm weather, blooming flowers, sunny skies, and green everywhere.

Today some easy ideas to enjoy the season.

Ideas to embrace Spring

Enjoy spring Colors

Make a new friend

Take a class, join a group, start a conversation,

a great way to meet new people.

Clear the clutter

Spring cleaning is a great way to start

the season fresh and new.

Find new recipes for spring vegetable's

Check out this Pasta Primavera recipe

from one of my favorite food network cooks.

Rediscover spring fruits and vegetable's

My favorite thing after a long winter.

Plant a seed

It doesn't matter where you live a house, apartment,

or a room, plants add life inside and out.

What do you do to enjoy the start of Spring?

Relax with Citrus

Studies have shown that the smell of citrus can relax the mind and energize the body. I love the smell of citrus, so today I have a recipe for creating your own citrus potpourri.

It's super simple - Fill a roaster pan with thin slices of limes, lemons, and oranges, and place in the oven on low heat. When the fruit dries out (about 2 hours), remove from the oven and let cool. Place the dried fruit in a bowl and add cloves and cinnamon to the mix. Display and enjoy the relaxing scent of citrus all winter.

Explore - Holiday Spirit

The holiday's are quickly approaching and it's time to celebrate!

This week I have two champagne drinks with celebrating in mind. One you can enjoy in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Of course either of them can be enjoyed in the evening.

Start your day with a Bellini.

Easy to make, just fill 1/4 of your champagne flute with peach puree and top off your glass with champagne and a slice of peach. Or you can create your own Bellini, use any fruit puree (mango, strawberry, raspberry, or your favorite) and top with champagne.

A tip to create the perfect drink, if you are making your own puree use a strainer to ensure it has no seeds, and if you don't like champagne sparkling wine will work well too.

A Rosewood Fizz is perfect if you like your champagne in the afternoon.

Super simple - 2/3 oz of raspberry juice, orange juice and champagne - pour all the ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake. Pour into a champagne flute and top with champagne. Garnish with berries.

Why not finish your evening with a glass of straight champagne, and celebrate this wonderful holiday season.

It is officially winter here in Chicago. We got snow, and our first day with below zero wind chills. So, today's drink recipe is hot, rich, and creamy. Perfect for hanging out with friends, by a cozy a fire, enjoying a relaxing evening indoors.

Hot buttered Rum

1 2/3 oz - dark rum
1 slice - soft butter
1 teaspoon - brown sugar
1 small - cinnamon stick
1 pinch - grated nutmeg
4 drops - vanilla extract
2 oz - boiling water

Mix the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract in a heatproof wine glass until creamed. Add the rum and the boiling water. Stir. Serve hot.

This drink is a treat all by itself, and great for after dinner. Want to try something different, check out these recipes.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Candied Ginger and Hot Buttered Rum Sauce

Ingredients:
•- For the Bread Pudding -
•1 Loaf Rich Egg Bread (such as Challah or Brioche), about 1 Lb cut into 1 inch cubes
•1 Can Pure Pumpkin Puree (15 ounces)
•3 Large Eggs, lightly beaten
•2 Cups Whole Milk
•1/2 Cup Crystallized (Candied) Ginger, chopped into small pieces
•1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, packed
•1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
•1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
•1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
•2 Tablespoons of Dark Rum (optional)
•Pinch of Salt
•- For the Hot Buttered Rum Sauce -
•1 Stick (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
•1 Cup Heavy Cream
•1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, packed
•3 Tablespoons Dark Rum
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For the Bread Pudding:

In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, eggs, milk, rum, salt and spices. Add the bread cubes and mix together. Fold in the candied ginger.

Pour ingredients into a 10-inch springform pan or deep baking dish. Let stand for 10 minutes to let the bread soak.

Place pan on a cookie sheet and place in oven. Bake until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean, approximately 50 minutes. Good bread pudding is moist, so don't overcook.

For the Hot Buttered Rum Sauce:

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the brown sugar and heavy cream. Let the mixture just come to a boil. Let cool a minute, then add the rum. The rum sauce can be made up to two days ahead of time. Reheat until just warm.

To Serve:

Cut the bread pudding into slices and place onto dessert plates. Drizzle the hot buttered rum sauce over the top. If you like, you can add whipped cream and extra candied ginger.

This recipe is from About.com: Gourmet Food

Live in a warmer climate or you just love ice cream, give this recipe a try:

Hot Buttered Rum Pecan Ice Cream Sundae

1 Tbls. butter
2 Tbls. brown sugar
1/2 cup pecan halves
1 Tbls. dark rum
vanilla ice cream
Makes enough for 1 big sundae or 2 smaller ones.

Melt the butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat.

Toss in the brown sugar. Stir to combine well. Break up any lumps of brown sugar with the back of your spoon. Let the sugar/butter mixture cook for a minute or two over medium heat, stirring frequently. It should start to bubble and smell really good. If it starts to burn or smoke, turn the heat down.

Add the nuts to the pan. Stir to coat the pecans well. Cook for a minute or two more on medium heat, stirring constantly. If you have a gas stove, turn the heat off completely (so that if you spill the rum, it doesn’t accidentally ignite and flare up).

Add the rum. It should immediately start to boil and give off a big poof of steam, so step back and watch your fingers (and long hair, etc.). Stir the pan immediately to incorporate the rum into the sauce and to reduce it a little.

Turn the heat back on low. Cook for maybe another minute, stirring constantly. The sauce is done when it’s nice and thick and the nuts are well coated.

Turn the heat off and leave the pan on the stove to stay warm. Scoop out the ice cream.
Spoon the topping over the ice cream.

***
Copyright 2008 The Hungry Mouse™/Jessica B. Konopa. All rights reserved.

Enjoy!

Explore - Holiday Spirit

It's Friday, and it's time for some holiday spirit!

So grab some friends, and give this drink a try.

Desirable
1 2/3 oz - lemon vodka
1/2 0z - peach schnapps
1/2 oz - cognac
1 2/3 oz cranberry juice
1 2/3 - passion fruit juice
1/2 teaspoon - honey

Pour all ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake well to let the honey infuse. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange (or lime) spiral on the rim.


You got your drink, now you need some snacks. Give these two easy recipes a try, for appetizers you can create in a flash.

Star Puffs

Cut a sheet of puff pastry with a star-shaped cookie cutter (any shape will work). Arrange the stars on a non stick baking sheet; brush with olive oil and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees until puffed and crisp, about 15 minutes.


Wrap Party

Roll thin slices of roasted red pepper around a basil leaf and a mini mozzarella ball (bocconcini). Secure with toothpicks.

Want more easy to create appetizers - check out Food Network.com

Enjoy!

Exploring Creativity with Food

Downtown Minneapolis Skyline at Sunrise from Jeremiah Peterson's photostream

I am going to see my sister this weekend in Minneapolis and looking forward to the drive. We will spend a lot of time laughing, and hanging out enjoying each others company.

We are both on a tight budget and decided that whatever we do needs to be free, and as much as we love to go out to eat it just won't fit into the budget . So the plan is to try a few new recipes and get creative with our food.

Here are a couple of recipes I found on the Food Network website that we are going to try this weekend, maybe you would like to give them a try too.

Fried Rice









Ingredients
1/3 cup plain vegetable oil, like soy, corn, or peanut
1/3 pound black forest ham, diced, or about 2 cups cooked, cubed or shredded meat
1 onion, diced
Salt and pepper
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3 whole scallions, thinly sliced on the bias, white and green separated
1 1/3 cups (6 ounces) medley frozen corn, peas, carrots
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups cold cooked long-grain rice, white or jasmine rice, grains separated

Directions
Heat a large heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet over high heat. When hot add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the ham and cook stirring occasionally until lightly browned. Add the onions to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until onion is fragrant Add the garlic, ginger, and scallion whites and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the frozen vegetables. Cook until just defrosted but still crisp. Transfer contents of the skillet to a large bowl.

Return the pan to the heat and add 2 more tablespoons of oil. Add the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Stir the eggs constantly and cook until almost set but still moist, then transfer egg to the bowl. Break the eggs up with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining oil. Add the rice to the pan and use a spoon to break up any clumps. Season with salt and pepper and stir-fry the rice to coat evenly with oil. Stop stirring, and then let the rice cook undisturbed until its gets slightly crispy, about 2 minutes. Stir the rice again, breaking up any new clumps. Add the scallion greens. Transfer to the bowl. Stir all the ingredients together with the rice, taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve.

I made this recipe a couple of weeks ago and it was really easy and tasty. I did change a few things, I used a couple of cooked pork chops that I diced instead of ham and I cubed fresh carrots, celery, and peas instead of frozen. After all the chopping it only took a couple of minutes to cook.

Udon Noodles with Miso Poached Tilapia








Ingredients
1 (32-ounce) container vegetable broth
3 tablespoons miso paste
1 cup sake or white wine
3 1/2 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
3 scallions, sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces, plus chopped scallions, for garnish
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 pound tilapia fillets
12 ounces udon noodles

Directions
In a large pot over high heat, bring water to boil for noodles.

In a large straight-sided frying pan over medium-high heat, whisk together all ingredients except fish and noodles. Bring to boil; reduce to simmer. Add tilapia fillets, cover, and poach for 10 minutes.

Add udon noodles to rapidly boiling water and cook for 6 to 8 minutes for thin udon and 10 to 12 minutes for thicker udon. Serve udon in a bowl with miso broth. Top with poached tilapia and chopped scallions.

This sounds really good, I can't wait to try it.

Do you have a favorite recipe? Share a link.