Sangria!

Nothing says summer like a big pitcher of sangria!!  Okay ... well maybe strawberries ... fresh corn on the cob ... cookouts ... ripe, juicy peaches ... days at the pool ...

Well, hey ... Sangria is right up there in my book.

It's pretty much a go-to beverage for me when having summertime get-togethers.  It's so simple to whip up, and let's face it ... it's just plain fun to drink.

Another thing I love about sangria is its versatility.  You can change it up pretty much any-which-way to suit your own personal taste.  Red?  Yup, that's a classic.  Rose?  Sure.  White?  Oh, yes indeed! - like my White Sangria with Nectarines, Plums, & Lemons. 

Personally, I haven't yet met a sangria I didn't like.

In addition to giving the recipe for this post's specific sangria (see the bottom of the post), I thought I'd share the 'sangria basics' so you all can experiment.  So, here goes...

'Sangria Basics'
- Choose a 750 ml ('regular size') bottle of wine; typically a dry wine, though I have made a sparkling sangria with a Moscato (semi-sweet) before and it was good
- Pour the wine in a pitcher and add about 2 tablespoons of sugar and about a 1/4 cup of liquor, typically brandy for red or rose wines and rum for white wines
- Stir to dissolve the sugar
- Add sliced fruit
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 1 day, before serving - note, though, that some fruits don't hold up as long as others and need to be consumed more in the 'hours' timeframe than the 'day' timeframe
- Add seltzer just before serving

That's it!  Pretty easy, huh?

Now the hardest part ... taste it, and decide if the taste balance is okay.  If you're not sure, taste it again.  Oh, perhaps you'll need a third gulp sip ... 

Sometimes I need to add a tiny bit more sugar.  Sometimes, if I've used lemons, I need to remove the lemon slices because the lemon flavor is starting to take over.  Still not sure??  Go ahead - taste again.  Whew, being a sangria chef is tough work!

Now that your tough work is done, poor a big ol' glass to reward yourself.  You deserve it.

I invite you to follow The Kitchen is My Playground with Pinterest, Facebook, Google Friend Connect, Linky Followers, bloglovin', or Feedburner. Buttons are in the right sidebar. I'd love to have you back soon!

Sangria with Oranges, Lemons, & Apples

Source:  Adapted from Food Network Magazine, May 2011

Ingredients
1 (750 ml) bottle dry red wine
1/4 c. brandy
2 T. sugar
2 oranges, sliced
1/2 lemon, sliced
1 green apple, sliced
1 1/2 c. seltzer

Directions

1.  Combine the wine, brandy, and sugar in a pitcher; stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the sliced fruit. 

2.   Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 1 day. 

3.  Add the seltzer just before serving.

Enjoy!

This post is linked with Think Pink Sundays hosted by Flamingo Toes, Sundae Scoop hosted by I {heart} Nap Time, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Addicted to Recipes, Nifty Thrifty Sunday hosted by Nifty Thrifty Things, Sunday Showcase Party hosted by Under the Table and Dreaming, On the Menu Monday hosted by Stone Gable, Mangia Mondays hosted by Shine Your Light, Totally Tasty Tuesdays hosted by Mandy's Recipe Box, Tuesday Talent Show hosted by Chef In Training, Whacha Whipped Up Wednesday hosted by DJ's Sugar Shack, Cast Party Wednesday hosted by Lady Behind the Curtain, Pin'Inspirational Thursdays hosted by Jane's Adventures in Dinner, Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Inspiration Friday hosted by At the Picket Fence, Foodie Friday hosted by Rattlebridge Farm, Foodie Friday with Diane Balch hosted by Simple Living with Diane Balch, Weekend Potluck hosted by The Country Cook, Strut Your Stuff Saturday hosted by Six Sisters' Stuff, Weekend Wrap Up hosted by Tater Tots & Jello, Gooseberry Patch Recipe Round-Up.

Nothing says summer like a big pitcher of sangria!!  Okay ... well maybe strawberries ... fresh corn on the cob ... cookouts ... ripe, juicy peaches ... days at the pool ...

Well, hey ... Sangria is right up there in my book.

It's pretty much a go-to beverage for me when having summertime get-togethers.  It's so simple to whip up, and let's face it ... it's just plain fun to drink.

Another thing I love about sangria is its versatility.  You can change it up pretty much any-which-way to suit your own personal taste.  Red?  Yup, that's a classic.  Rose?  Sure.  White?  Oh, yes indeed! - like my White Sangria with Nectarines, Plums, & Lemons. 

Personally, I haven't yet met a sangria I didn't like.

In addition to giving the recipe for this post's specific sangria (see the bottom of the post), I thought I'd share the 'sangria basics' so you all can experiment.  So, here goes...

'Sangria Basics'
- Choose a 750 ml ('regular size') bottle of wine; typically a dry wine, though I have made a sparkling sangria with a Moscato (semi-sweet) before and it was good
- Pour the wine in a pitcher and add about 2 tablespoons of sugar and about a 1/4 cup of liquor, typically brandy for red or rose wines and rum for white wines
- Stir to dissolve the sugar
- Add sliced fruit
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 1 day, before serving - note, though, that some fruits don't hold up as long as others and need to be consumed more in the 'hours' timeframe than the 'day' timeframe
- Add seltzer just before serving

That's it!  Pretty easy, huh?

Now the hardest part ... taste it, and decide if the taste balance is okay.  If you're not sure, taste it again.  Oh, perhaps you'll need a third gulp sip ... 

Sometimes I need to add a tiny bit more sugar.  Sometimes, if I've used lemons, I need to remove the lemon slices because the lemon flavor is starting to take over.  Still not sure??  Go ahead - taste again.  Whew, being a sangria chef is tough work!

Now that your tough work is done, poor a big ol' glass to reward yourself.  You deserve it.

I invite you to follow The Kitchen is My Playground with Pinterest, Facebook, Google Friend Connect, Linky Followers, bloglovin', or Feedburner. Buttons are in the right sidebar. I'd love to have you back soon!

Sangria with Oranges, Lemons, & Apples

Source:  Adapted from Food Network Magazine, May 2011

Ingredients
1 (750 ml) bottle dry red wine
1/4 c. brandy
2 T. sugar
2 oranges, sliced
1/2 lemon, sliced
1 green apple, sliced
1 1/2 c. seltzer

Directions

1.  Combine the wine, brandy, and sugar in a pitcher; stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the sliced fruit. 

2.   Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 1 day. 

3.  Add the seltzer just before serving.

Enjoy!

This post is linked with Think Pink Sundays hosted by Flamingo Toes, Sundae Scoop hosted by I {heart} Nap Time, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Addicted to Recipes, Nifty Thrifty Sunday hosted by Nifty Thrifty Things, Sunday Showcase Party hosted by Under the Table and Dreaming, On the Menu Monday hosted by Stone Gable, Mangia Mondays hosted by Shine Your Light, Totally Tasty Tuesdays hosted by Mandy's Recipe Box, Tuesday Talent Show hosted by Chef In Training, Whacha Whipped Up Wednesday hosted by DJ's Sugar Shack, Cast Party Wednesday hosted by Lady Behind the Curtain, Pin'Inspirational Thursdays hosted by Jane's Adventures in Dinner, Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Inspiration Friday hosted by At the Picket Fence, Foodie Friday hosted by Rattlebridge Farm, Foodie Friday with Diane Balch hosted by Simple Living with Diane Balch, Weekend Potluck hosted by The Country Cook, Strut Your Stuff Saturday hosted by Six Sisters' Stuff, Weekend Wrap Up hosted by Tater Tots & Jello, Gooseberry Patch Recipe Round-Up.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Arancini - Italian Fried Delicious

Arancini is the most delicious way to eat leftover risotto. Arancini is usually fried and stuffed with a variety of fillings. The most common filling is ragu: a combination of pork, tomatoes and vegetables. It can also be stuffed with mushrooms, eggplant, corn or cheese. I went for the most easy one: the cheese arancini.

The word "arancini" is derived from the Italian word for "little orange", which is an apt description of the color and shape of the fried rice balls. You could call them an appetizer, but I honestly at them as a main dish alongside an arugula salad.

A couple helpful hints:

• If you're making cheese arancini, use block pieces of mozzarella cheese. I use shredded mozzarella cheese and it was a lot more difficult to work with.
• Use fine bread crumbs. I used panko and I feel like it would have been better with fine Italian breadcrumbs.

Arancini

Ingredients

• Leftover risotto (I used mushroom, but plain risotto would work best
• Cheese
• Flour, egg and breadcrumbs for coating
• Oil for deep frying

Directions

1. Pour oil into a wok or deep pot. Begin heating to 350 degrees.
2. Shape risotto in the palm of your hand into a disk. Fill with cheese or desired filling and wrap the rice around it. If necessary, pat rice on the top of enclose the filling.
3. Roll risotto ball in flour, egg, and then breadcrumbs.
4. Fry risotto balls for a couple minutes until the outside are a dark golden brown. Dry on paper towel and serve immediately with a green salad.

Arancini is the most delicious way to eat leftover risotto. Arancini is usually fried and stuffed with a variety of fillings. The most common filling is ragu: a combination of pork, tomatoes and vegetables. It can also be stuffed with mushrooms, eggplant, corn or cheese. I went for the most easy one: the cheese arancini.

The word "arancini" is derived from the Italian word for "little orange", which is an apt description of the color and shape of the fried rice balls. You could call them an appetizer, but I honestly at them as a main dish alongside an arugula salad.

A couple helpful hints:

• If you're making cheese arancini, use block pieces of mozzarella cheese. I use shredded mozzarella cheese and it was a lot more difficult to work with.
• Use fine bread crumbs. I used panko and I feel like it would have been better with fine Italian breadcrumbs.

Arancini

Ingredients

• Leftover risotto (I used mushroom, but plain risotto would work best
• Cheese
• Flour, egg and breadcrumbs for coating
• Oil for deep frying

Directions

1. Pour oil into a wok or deep pot. Begin heating to 350 degrees.
2. Shape risotto in the palm of your hand into a disk. Fill with cheese or desired filling and wrap the rice around it. If necessary, pat rice on the top of enclose the filling.
3. Roll risotto ball in flour, egg, and then breadcrumbs.
4. Fry risotto balls for a couple minutes until the outside are a dark golden brown. Dry on paper towel and serve immediately with a green salad.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Awww, Shucks - I'm Blushing ... Blog Awards

Yesterday, Dawn at DJ's Sugar Shack gave me the Sunshine Award ... thanks sooooo much, Dawn!  I'm truly, truly touched!!

Along with the joy of receiving this award came some guilt, though.  So, I have a confession to make.  I've received awards in the past, too, and ... while I've acknowledged the giver ... I haven't passed any awards along, which is the truly super fun part of receiving one of the blog awards, right?!?  So I decided I would rectify that today, and do one big "I'm catching up on awards" post.  Thanks to Dawn for pushing me along to clear my conscience!  :-)

Now, I'm not going to exactly follow all the blog award rules ... I've always been a bit of a rule-bender like that ... not a get-in-all-kinds-of-trouble rule-breaker, mind you ... but a bender, YES.  I've listed the rules of each award ... ya know, so others can follow them ... but I'm going to just stick to the spirit of the rules (which is recognizing awesome and inspiring blogs, right?).  Shhhhhhh!! ... don't tell the award police.  Okay?


Sunshine Award

The Sunshine Award is an award passed on by bloggers to other bloggers “who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere.”  Thank you so much to Dawn at DJ's Sugar Shack for passing this award along to me!  I'm truly touched to be considered a positive and creative inspiration to others!

Rules:
1. Thank the blogger who gave it to you
2. Answer 10 questions about yourself
3. Pass on to 10 favorite bloggers & leave them a comment letting them know

Sunshine Award questions and my answers:

1. Favorite color:  It depends on what we're talking about!  For clothes - black.  There's about an 85% chance on any given day that I'm wearing black.  For house walls - neutral white or beige.  I mean, seriously, that way you change up your furnishings and decorations without having to repaint!  (Can you tell I'm a practical girl??)  For 'just fun' - probably red or bright yellow ... they're happy colors.

2. Favorite animal: Monkeys ... they're fun.  And I fed one out of my hand in Costa Rica.  And giraffes ... they're pretty.  I fed one out of my mouth not long ago.  (I'm noticing a trend here...)

(click this link to read the story about me feeding the giraffe)

3. Favorite number: 13  ... really, it is.

4. Favorite drink: Chardonnay.  (Unless it's before 5:00 ... then water.)

5. Facebook or Twitter: Facebook.  I don't tweet.  I can only handle just so many forms of social media.

6. Good Book or a Good Movie: Good book ... and then see it as a good movie!

7. My Passion: Teaching.  And chocolate.

8. Giving or getting presents: BOTH!!!  I absolutely love to give presents! ... Love seeing others happy.  But I'd be fibbing if I didn't say that I love to get them, too!

9. Favorite day of the year: Thanksgiving ... lots of delicious food and time with family!

10. Favorite flowers: Tulips.  Especially crazy-colored ones.  They're so beautiful.

Versatile Blogger Award

Thank you so much to Evie at Brown Paper Packages for passing along The Versatile Blogger award to me!  I truly appreciate it, Evie.

  

Rules:
1. Thank the blogger who awarded you and link back to them.
2. Share 7 things about yourself  (see Sunshine Award answers above, or I share a whoooooole lot more about myself on my About page.)
3. Pass the award along to 10 other newly discovered blogs.

Liebster Blog Award

Thanks so much to Hearty Appletite and Anita at Aunt Nubby's Kitchen for awarding me the Liebster award!  So, so sweet, ladies.

Anita shared that in German "Liebster" means "dear" and the verb "Lieber" is "to love," and that the purpose of this award is to bring attention to blogs with less than 200 followers.  To echo Anita's sentiment about receiving this award, it certainly does make one feel "dearly loved" to receive this award.

Now, I do indeed have more than 200 followers ... but I assure you that these two fine ladies didn't break any rules when giving me this award!  Remember my confession at the start of the post??? ... uh, yeh ... I was given this award a loooooooooong time ago ... back when this blog met the followers requirement.

Rules:
1. Thank your giver
2. Copy and paste the "Liebster" award to your blog
3. Pay it forward to 5 blogs who you feel deserve this award

Now for the super-fun part!!!! 

I hereby bestow these blog award honors upon the following fabulously-fantastic and inspiring bloggers, who ... though they may not know it ... encourage and inspire me every day.
Thanks for being awesome, my bloggy friends! 

1. Nicole at Heat Oven to 350
Nicole is hysterically funny - her posts will keep you in stitches!  She was the first non-family-person to leave a comment on my blog and is a fellow native Vermonter, so she has a special place in my blog-heart.  Nicole just welcomed her daughter into the world, so she's a little quiet on the blog scene right now, but there are lots of fabulous posts in her archives that will keep you rolling!

2. Dorothy at Crazy for Crust
Oh my, Dorothy is another hysterically funny one.  And she shares fabulously delicious sweets that keep me drooling at my computer screen.

3. Lisa at Shine Your Light
Lisa is so immensely kind-hearted and encouraging.  I'm always uplifted by her posts and comments!

4. Anita at Aunt Nubby's Kitchen
Anita and I began our blogs right around the same time.  She's another immensely kind-hearted blogger who makes you want to ask if she'll be your Aunt Nubby, too!

5. Lisa at Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Lisa is indeed as sweet as a sugar cookie.  Lisa welcomed me into the bloggy community and invited me to participate in my first linky party!

6. Tina at Mom's Crazy Cooking
Tina is the hostess-with-the-mostest of one of the monthly challenges in which I participate, The Crazy Cooking Challenge.  Tina works soooo hard to pull this challenge together each month.  Thank you, Tina!!

7. Kristen at Kristen's Creations
Kristen is incredibly talented and awes me every time with her home projects.  Her creations are so beautiful!

8. Jill at Kitchen Fun With My Three Sons
Jill is sooooo immensely creative with her kitchen projects!  Seriously, I'm amazed at what she comes up with every  time she posts.

9. Dawn at Addicted to Recipes
Aahhhhh, Dawn .... we share the same addiction.  Need I say more?

10.  Heather & Vanessa at At the Picket Fence
Heather and Vanessa truly 'speak' from the heart, and are so kind and encouraging.  I'm always inspired by their wonderful comments!

If you've never 'met' these bloggers, pop on over to check them out.  Seriously, they are some of the best around.

Yesterday, Dawn at DJ's Sugar Shack gave me the Sunshine Award ... thanks sooooo much, Dawn!  I'm truly, truly touched!!

Along with the joy of receiving this award came some guilt, though.  So, I have a confession to make.  I've received awards in the past, too, and ... while I've acknowledged the giver ... I haven't passed any awards along, which is the truly super fun part of receiving one of the blog awards, right?!?  So I decided I would rectify that today, and do one big "I'm catching up on awards" post.  Thanks to Dawn for pushing me along to clear my conscience!  :-)

Now, I'm not going to exactly follow all the blog award rules ... I've always been a bit of a rule-bender like that ... not a get-in-all-kinds-of-trouble rule-breaker, mind you ... but a bender, YES.  I've listed the rules of each award ... ya know, so others can follow them ... but I'm going to just stick to the spirit of the rules (which is recognizing awesome and inspiring blogs, right?).  Shhhhhhh!! ... don't tell the award police.  Okay?


Sunshine Award

The Sunshine Award is an award passed on by bloggers to other bloggers “who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere.”  Thank you so much to Dawn at DJ's Sugar Shack for passing this award along to me!  I'm truly touched to be considered a positive and creative inspiration to others!

Rules:
1. Thank the blogger who gave it to you
2. Answer 10 questions about yourself
3. Pass on to 10 favorite bloggers & leave them a comment letting them know

Sunshine Award questions and my answers:

1. Favorite color:  It depends on what we're talking about!  For clothes - black.  There's about an 85% chance on any given day that I'm wearing black.  For house walls - neutral white or beige.  I mean, seriously, that way you change up your furnishings and decorations without having to repaint!  (Can you tell I'm a practical girl??)  For 'just fun' - probably red or bright yellow ... they're happy colors.

2. Favorite animal: Monkeys ... they're fun.  And I fed one out of my hand in Costa Rica.  And giraffes ... they're pretty.  I fed one out of my mouth not long ago.  (I'm noticing a trend here...)

(click this link to read the story about me feeding the giraffe)

3. Favorite number: 13  ... really, it is.

4. Favorite drink: Chardonnay.  (Unless it's before 5:00 ... then water.)

5. Facebook or Twitter: Facebook.  I don't tweet.  I can only handle just so many forms of social media.

6. Good Book or a Good Movie: Good book ... and then see it as a good movie!

7. My Passion: Teaching.  And chocolate.

8. Giving or getting presents: BOTH!!!  I absolutely love to give presents! ... Love seeing others happy.  But I'd be fibbing if I didn't say that I love to get them, too!

9. Favorite day of the year: Thanksgiving ... lots of delicious food and time with family!

10. Favorite flowers: Tulips.  Especially crazy-colored ones.  They're so beautiful.

Versatile Blogger Award

Thank you so much to Evie at Brown Paper Packages for passing along The Versatile Blogger award to me!  I truly appreciate it, Evie.

  

Rules:
1. Thank the blogger who awarded you and link back to them.
2. Share 7 things about yourself  (see Sunshine Award answers above, or I share a whoooooole lot more about myself on my About page.)
3. Pass the award along to 10 other newly discovered blogs.

Liebster Blog Award

Thanks so much to Hearty Appletite and Anita at Aunt Nubby's Kitchen for awarding me the Liebster award!  So, so sweet, ladies.

Anita shared that in German "Liebster" means "dear" and the verb "Lieber" is "to love," and that the purpose of this award is to bring attention to blogs with less than 200 followers.  To echo Anita's sentiment about receiving this award, it certainly does make one feel "dearly loved" to receive this award.

Now, I do indeed have more than 200 followers ... but I assure you that these two fine ladies didn't break any rules when giving me this award!  Remember my confession at the start of the post??? ... uh, yeh ... I was given this award a loooooooooong time ago ... back when this blog met the followers requirement.

Rules:
1. Thank your giver
2. Copy and paste the "Liebster" award to your blog
3. Pay it forward to 5 blogs who you feel deserve this award

Now for the super-fun part!!!! 

I hereby bestow these blog award honors upon the following fabulously-fantastic and inspiring bloggers, who ... though they may not know it ... encourage and inspire me every day.
Thanks for being awesome, my bloggy friends! 

1. Nicole at Heat Oven to 350
Nicole is hysterically funny - her posts will keep you in stitches!  She was the first non-family-person to leave a comment on my blog and is a fellow native Vermonter, so she has a special place in my blog-heart.  Nicole just welcomed her daughter into the world, so she's a little quiet on the blog scene right now, but there are lots of fabulous posts in her archives that will keep you rolling!

2. Dorothy at Crazy for Crust
Oh my, Dorothy is another hysterically funny one.  And she shares fabulously delicious sweets that keep me drooling at my computer screen.

3. Lisa at Shine Your Light
Lisa is so immensely kind-hearted and encouraging.  I'm always uplifted by her posts and comments!

4. Anita at Aunt Nubby's Kitchen
Anita and I began our blogs right around the same time.  She's another immensely kind-hearted blogger who makes you want to ask if she'll be your Aunt Nubby, too!

5. Lisa at Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Lisa is indeed as sweet as a sugar cookie.  Lisa welcomed me into the bloggy community and invited me to participate in my first linky party!

6. Tina at Mom's Crazy Cooking
Tina is the hostess-with-the-mostest of one of the monthly challenges in which I participate, The Crazy Cooking Challenge.  Tina works soooo hard to pull this challenge together each month.  Thank you, Tina!!

7. Kristen at Kristen's Creations
Kristen is incredibly talented and awes me every time with her home projects.  Her creations are so beautiful!

8. Jill at Kitchen Fun With My Three Sons
Jill is sooooo immensely creative with her kitchen projects!  Seriously, I'm amazed at what she comes up with every  time she posts.

9. Dawn at Addicted to Recipes
Aahhhhh, Dawn .... we share the same addiction.  Need I say more?

10.  Heather & Vanessa at At the Picket Fence
Heather and Vanessa truly 'speak' from the heart, and are so kind and encouraging.  I'm always inspired by their wonderful comments!

If you've never 'met' these bloggers, pop on over to check them out.  Seriously, they are some of the best around.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Book Review: Salt a World History - Mark Kurlansky

To view all of my book reviews (not just the food related ones), please check out my Goodreads account

Title: Salt: A World History
Author: Mark Kurlansky
Published: Penguin Books, 2002
Pages: 484 pages


This book was really interesting. Salt is such a common substance and I only knew vaguely of its history. I knew of its food uses (originally out of necessity and now as a delicacy) and a large part of the book gave me a craving for salt cod and bacon. I learned some great things but it was just too long. It was interesting for the first 300 pages but the next 150 pages were just dull. It was simply a rehash of the same themes covered before. All societies use salt, it was very valuable before the discovery of its abundance, and here are a few cool anecdotes and some really old recipes for salted food.

I would have given it 4 stars if it had been shorter.

To view all of my book reviews (not just the food related ones), please check out my Goodreads account

Title: Salt: A World History
Author: Mark Kurlansky
Published: Penguin Books, 2002
Pages: 484 pages


This book was really interesting. Salt is such a common substance and I only knew vaguely of its history. I knew of its food uses (originally out of necessity and now as a delicacy) and a large part of the book gave me a craving for salt cod and bacon. I learned some great things but it was just too long. It was interesting for the first 300 pages but the next 150 pages were just dull. It was simply a rehash of the same themes covered before. All societies use salt, it was very valuable before the discovery of its abundance, and here are a few cool anecdotes and some really old recipes for salted food.

I would have given it 4 stars if it had been shorter.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Grilled Ham & Pineapple Kabobs

We are pretty plain when it comes to grilling.  My husband is a hamburger pro!  He cooks them perfectly.  We love our juicy hamburgers!  We have dabbled in grilling chicken, but to me, BBQ-ing means BURGERS!  Anyway, we had my family over to have a lunch & our last BBQ was at my parent's house & we had burgers, so my mom requested that we do something else.  We were kind of bummed because we really love burgers & my husband's expertise in cooking them.  We ended up making these Grilled Ham & Pineapple Kabobs & they were so sweet & moist!  My parents would not stop talking about how good soft & juicy the ham was!  We even marinated some chicken with the same glaze & everything was just perfect.  I can now look forward to more than just amazing burgers from our grill!

Grilled Ham & Pineapple Kabobs

Recipe altered from Goodness Gracious by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 2.5lbs Pre-Cooked Boneless Ham, casing removed & large diced
• 1 Large Fresh Pineapple, peeled, cored & large diced
• 1/2 cup pineapple or orange juice
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp dried ground ginger (or to taste)
• 1-2 Tbsp Cornstarch (+) 1-2 Tbsp COLD water

1. Combine juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, & ginger.  
2. Marinade ham dices in the mixture at least 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator; I like to use a ziploc bag to keep mine in & occasionally mix it up by squeezing the ham around in the bag.  Drain ham & SAVE marinade.
3. After soaking your skewers in water, alternate your ham & pineapple.  Leave a little bit of space between them for more even cooking.
4. Heat marinade in a small saucepan over medium heat.  You may add additional brown sugar & ginger to taste, if desired.  Wait for mixture to come to a boil & add cornstarch/water slurry.  Whisk until boiling & thickened up.  Keep warm until ready to grill.  This makes a nice thick glaze to add to your kabobs.
5. Grill skewers until heated through & starting to caramelize, basting on both sides with your warm glaze.  

*This made about 24(+) skewers with about 11 pieces per kabob.

We are pretty plain when it comes to grilling.  My husband is a hamburger pro!  He cooks them perfectly.  We love our juicy hamburgers!  We have dabbled in grilling chicken, but to me, BBQ-ing means BURGERS!  Anyway, we had my family over to have a lunch & our last BBQ was at my parent's house & we had burgers, so my mom requested that we do something else.  We were kind of bummed because we really love burgers & my husband's expertise in cooking them.  We ended up making these Grilled Ham & Pineapple Kabobs & they were so sweet & moist!  My parents would not stop talking about how good soft & juicy the ham was!  We even marinated some chicken with the same glaze & everything was just perfect.  I can now look forward to more than just amazing burgers from our grill!

Grilled Ham & Pineapple Kabobs

Recipe altered from Goodness Gracious by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 2.5lbs Pre-Cooked Boneless Ham, casing removed & large diced
• 1 Large Fresh Pineapple, peeled, cored & large diced
• 1/2 cup pineapple or orange juice
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp dried ground ginger (or to taste)
• 1-2 Tbsp Cornstarch (+) 1-2 Tbsp COLD water

1. Combine juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, & ginger.  
2. Marinade ham dices in the mixture at least 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator; I like to use a ziploc bag to keep mine in & occasionally mix it up by squeezing the ham around in the bag.  Drain ham & SAVE marinade.
3. After soaking your skewers in water, alternate your ham & pineapple.  Leave a little bit of space between them for more even cooking.
4. Heat marinade in a small saucepan over medium heat.  You may add additional brown sugar & ginger to taste, if desired.  Wait for mixture to come to a boil & add cornstarch/water slurry.  Whisk until boiling & thickened up.  Keep warm until ready to grill.  This makes a nice thick glaze to add to your kabobs.
5. Grill skewers until heated through & starting to caramelize, basting on both sides with your warm glaze.  

*This made about 24(+) skewers with about 11 pieces per kabob.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Roasted Tomatoes ... for salads, sandwiches, & sauces

The day before yesterday, I had lunch with one of my friends at my favorite little local deli.  Aaahhhh, summer ... I love that it gives me the opportunity to lunch with friends!  And I love that it gives me the opportunity to frequent my favorite little deli.  I would go every day if I could, I swear.  Their salads and sandwiches are soooo yummy, with not-your-ordinary ingredients and flavor combinations.  Not that there's anything wrong with a regular ol' turkey sandwich with some lettuce and tomatoes on it ... but, oh how I love things to be a bit more zippy than that.

One of my favorite not-so-ordinary ingredients at the deli?  Roasted tomatoes!  In their sandwiches ... on their salads ... in their wraps...  Not just sliced fresh tomatoes.  Seasoned and roasted fresh tomatoes.  Little hunks of tomato heaven, if you ask me.

So, can you guess what I got for lunch?

Uh-huh ... something with roasted tomatoes!  A big ol' Mediterranean salad with big ol' hunks of delicious roasted tomatoes, to be exact.

One day when I was at said little deli, they just happened to be preparing several huge pans of tomatoes for roasting.  So I watched.  (Of course I did!)  And I thought ... hey, I can do that!

And I did.

Now I can prepare my own little hunks of tomato heaven.  And here's all you do ...

Cut some fresh tomatoes into thick slices and/or pretty sizeable hunks, like this:

As you can see, I wasn't real precise about my cutting.  Some are in thick slices, some are in hunks ... quarters for medium-to-small tomatoes and eigths for larger tomatoes.  I don't bother to totally seed the tomatoes, but if you happen to run across a large pool of seeds, it's best to take them out.  I just flick 'em out with the tip of my knife.

Toss the tomatoes with olive oil and then season with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, fresh garlic, and some basil and oregano.

Lay the tomatoes out in a single layer on a foil-lined pan and ...

... roast them in the oven for about 45 minutes.

And, voila! ... easy home-roasted tomatoes for your sandwiches, salads, or wraps.




Or, just use them to whip up a quick sauce for pasta.  This is one I whipped up on the fly one evening after roasting some tomatoes.  I sauteed a little garlic in olive oil, then tossed in some roasted tomatoes, kalamata olives, and capers.  Next, I poured in a bit of white wine and let it all simmer together for about 20 minutes.  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  It was delicious!  And so simple.

So, go ahead.  Roast up some of those oodles of tomatoes you've got coming out of your garden and see what wonderful things you can whip up with them.  I'd love to hear what you come up with!

But don't worry favorite little deli ... just because I can whip these up at home doesn't mean I'll come see you any less.

I invite you to follow The Kitchen is My Playground with Pinterest, Facebook, Google Friend Connect, Linky Followers, bloglovin', or Feedburner. Buttons are in the right sidebar. I'd love to have you back soon!

Roasted Tomatoes

Source:  Inspired by H&M Deli, Cramerton, NC

Please note, this is more of a method than a specific recipe.  Amounts are not specific, and vary with the amount of tomatoes and to personal taste.

Ingredients

Tomatoes, thickly sliced or cut in hunks (or, halved grape or cherry tomatoes)

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Dried basil

Dried oregano

Fresh garlic, minced

Directions

1.  Place cut tomatoes in a bowl; toss with olive oil.  Sprinkle with a little sea salt, black pepper, basil, and oregano.  Toss to coat.  Add minced garlic; toss to coat.

2.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Lay tomatoes in a single layer on baking sheet.  Do not crowd the pan.

3.  Roast in a 400 degree oven for about 45 to 60 minutes.  (Mine are usually done pretty close to the 45 minute mark, but some tomatoes could take a bit longer.)

Use in sandwiches, salads, wraps, and sauces.

Enjoy!

This post is linked with It's a Keeper Thursday hosted by It's a Keeper, Tutorial Tips & Tidbits hosted by Stone Gable, Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Foodie Friday hosted by Rattlebridge Farm, Inspiration Friday hosted by At the Picket Fence, Weekend Bloggy Reading hosted by Serenity Now, Foodie Friday hosted by Simple Living with Diane Balch, Weekend Potluck hosted by The Country Cook, Strut Your Stuff hosted by Six Sisters' Stuff, Weekend Wrap Up Party hosted by Tatertots & Jello, Think Pink Sundays hosted by Flamingo Toes, Sundae Scoop hosted by I {heart} Nap Time, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Addicted to Recipes, Nifty Thrifty Sunday hosted by Nifty Thrifty Things, Sunday Showcase Party hosted by Under the Table and Dreaming, On the Menu Monday hosted by Stone Gable, Mangia Mondays hosted by Shine Your Light, Totally Tasty Tuesdays hosted by Mandy's Recipe Box, Tuesday Talent Show hosted by Chef In Training, Whacha Whipped Up Wednesday hosted by DJ's Sugar Shack, Cast Party Wednesday hosted by Lady Behind the Curtain, Share Your Creations hosted by Kristen's Creations.

The day before yesterday, I had lunch with one of my friends at my favorite little local deli.  Aaahhhh, summer ... I love that it gives me the opportunity to lunch with friends!  And I love that it gives me the opportunity to frequent my favorite little deli.  I would go every day if I could, I swear.  Their salads and sandwiches are soooo yummy, with not-your-ordinary ingredients and flavor combinations.  Not that there's anything wrong with a regular ol' turkey sandwich with some lettuce and tomatoes on it ... but, oh how I love things to be a bit more zippy than that.

One of my favorite not-so-ordinary ingredients at the deli?  Roasted tomatoes!  In their sandwiches ... on their salads ... in their wraps...  Not just sliced fresh tomatoes.  Seasoned and roasted fresh tomatoes.  Little hunks of tomato heaven, if you ask me.

So, can you guess what I got for lunch?

Uh-huh ... something with roasted tomatoes!  A big ol' Mediterranean salad with big ol' hunks of delicious roasted tomatoes, to be exact.

One day when I was at said little deli, they just happened to be preparing several huge pans of tomatoes for roasting.  So I watched.  (Of course I did!)  And I thought ... hey, I can do that!

And I did.

Now I can prepare my own little hunks of tomato heaven.  And here's all you do ...

Cut some fresh tomatoes into thick slices and/or pretty sizeable hunks, like this:

As you can see, I wasn't real precise about my cutting.  Some are in thick slices, some are in hunks ... quarters for medium-to-small tomatoes and eigths for larger tomatoes.  I don't bother to totally seed the tomatoes, but if you happen to run across a large pool of seeds, it's best to take them out.  I just flick 'em out with the tip of my knife.

Toss the tomatoes with olive oil and then season with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, fresh garlic, and some basil and oregano.

Lay the tomatoes out in a single layer on a foil-lined pan and ...

... roast them in the oven for about 45 minutes.

And, voila! ... easy home-roasted tomatoes for your sandwiches, salads, or wraps.




Or, just use them to whip up a quick sauce for pasta.  This is one I whipped up on the fly one evening after roasting some tomatoes.  I sauteed a little garlic in olive oil, then tossed in some roasted tomatoes, kalamata olives, and capers.  Next, I poured in a bit of white wine and let it all simmer together for about 20 minutes.  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  It was delicious!  And so simple.

So, go ahead.  Roast up some of those oodles of tomatoes you've got coming out of your garden and see what wonderful things you can whip up with them.  I'd love to hear what you come up with!

But don't worry favorite little deli ... just because I can whip these up at home doesn't mean I'll come see you any less.

I invite you to follow The Kitchen is My Playground with Pinterest, Facebook, Google Friend Connect, Linky Followers, bloglovin', or Feedburner. Buttons are in the right sidebar. I'd love to have you back soon!

Roasted Tomatoes

Source:  Inspired by H&M Deli, Cramerton, NC

Please note, this is more of a method than a specific recipe.  Amounts are not specific, and vary with the amount of tomatoes and to personal taste.

Ingredients

Tomatoes, thickly sliced or cut in hunks (or, halved grape or cherry tomatoes)

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Dried basil

Dried oregano

Fresh garlic, minced

Directions

1.  Place cut tomatoes in a bowl; toss with olive oil.  Sprinkle with a little sea salt, black pepper, basil, and oregano.  Toss to coat.  Add minced garlic; toss to coat.

2.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Lay tomatoes in a single layer on baking sheet.  Do not crowd the pan.

3.  Roast in a 400 degree oven for about 45 to 60 minutes.  (Mine are usually done pretty close to the 45 minute mark, but some tomatoes could take a bit longer.)

Use in sandwiches, salads, wraps, and sauces.

Enjoy!

This post is linked with It's a Keeper Thursday hosted by It's a Keeper, Tutorial Tips & Tidbits hosted by Stone Gable, Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Foodie Friday hosted by Rattlebridge Farm, Inspiration Friday hosted by At the Picket Fence, Weekend Bloggy Reading hosted by Serenity Now, Foodie Friday hosted by Simple Living with Diane Balch, Weekend Potluck hosted by The Country Cook, Strut Your Stuff hosted by Six Sisters' Stuff, Weekend Wrap Up Party hosted by Tatertots & Jello, Think Pink Sundays hosted by Flamingo Toes, Sundae Scoop hosted by I {heart} Nap Time, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Addicted to Recipes, Nifty Thrifty Sunday hosted by Nifty Thrifty Things, Sunday Showcase Party hosted by Under the Table and Dreaming, On the Menu Monday hosted by Stone Gable, Mangia Mondays hosted by Shine Your Light, Totally Tasty Tuesdays hosted by Mandy's Recipe Box, Tuesday Talent Show hosted by Chef In Training, Whacha Whipped Up Wednesday hosted by DJ's Sugar Shack, Cast Party Wednesday hosted by Lady Behind the Curtain, Share Your Creations hosted by Kristen's Creations.

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Dutch Crunch Bread

I consider Dutch Crunch the perfect sandwich bread for anything with a lighter flavor (fish, chicken, turkey, etc). For all things like roast beef and pastrami, rye bread will always be the winner. But after seeing so many posts for Dutch Crunch rolls after it was assigned for a Daring Bakers challenge, I knew I had to give it a shot.


That night, I had these rolls with a baked basa (a Vietnamese freshwater fish similar to catfish) sandwich with red wine vinegar coleslaw. It was delicious. I'm sure it would be perfect with tuna melts as well.


This post has been submitted to Yeastspotting


Dutch Crunch Bread

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ tsp dry yeast
• 1 ¼ cup warm milk
• 1 ½ Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp veg oil
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• about 3 ½ cups bread flour

Ingredients for topping

• 4 ½ tsp dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp veg oil
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ½ cups rice flour

Directions

1. For the bread, combine yeast, milk and sugar to let yeast proof
2. Add vegetable oil, salt and 2 cups of flour. Mix until it comes together
3. Add more bread flour about ¼ cup at a time until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead dough until springy and elastic
4. Place in oiled bowl covered until doubled in size (1 hour)
5. Divide dough into 8 pieces and shape into a ball. Cover and let rest 15 minutes while preparing the topping
6. For the topping, mix all ingredients together until a stiff consistency of icing (it should just drip slowly off the whisk. Let rest for 15 minutes
7. Coat rolls liberally with the topping and let rest another 15-20 minutes
8. Bake at 375 degrees 25-30 minutes until well browned.

I consider Dutch Crunch the perfect sandwich bread for anything with a lighter flavor (fish, chicken, turkey, etc). For all things like roast beef and pastrami, rye bread will always be the winner. But after seeing so many posts for Dutch Crunch rolls after it was assigned for a Daring Bakers challenge, I knew I had to give it a shot.


That night, I had these rolls with a baked basa (a Vietnamese freshwater fish similar to catfish) sandwich with red wine vinegar coleslaw. It was delicious. I'm sure it would be perfect with tuna melts as well.


This post has been submitted to Yeastspotting


Dutch Crunch Bread

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ tsp dry yeast
• 1 ¼ cup warm milk
• 1 ½ Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp veg oil
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• about 3 ½ cups bread flour

Ingredients for topping

• 4 ½ tsp dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp veg oil
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ½ cups rice flour

Directions

1. For the bread, combine yeast, milk and sugar to let yeast proof
2. Add vegetable oil, salt and 2 cups of flour. Mix until it comes together
3. Add more bread flour about ¼ cup at a time until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead dough until springy and elastic
4. Place in oiled bowl covered until doubled in size (1 hour)
5. Divide dough into 8 pieces and shape into a ball. Cover and let rest 15 minutes while preparing the topping
6. For the topping, mix all ingredients together until a stiff consistency of icing (it should just drip slowly off the whisk. Let rest for 15 minutes
7. Coat rolls liberally with the topping and let rest another 15-20 minutes
8. Bake at 375 degrees 25-30 minutes until well browned.

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Simple Scones (Cherry Almond version)

One of the downsides to either being a military family or living in a largely military community is the constant
knowledge that either you or your friends are going to move away.  Sooner or later.

It's a really hard reality to deal with sometimes.

Last year, one of my dearest friends moved back to her homestate of Wisconsin with her family after her husband separated from the Army.  They had lived here 3 short years.  Saying goodbye pretty much stunk. 

Since her husband is still in the Reserves, she decided to come back to VA to visit all their friends here during his 2-week commitment this June, so we got to spend some great time together with her, her kiddos, and her new baby Charlotte.

I went to a little brunch another friend hosted for her....and wanted to bring along a tasty treat.....and these were the perfect thing.

I've made scones before, ones with apples or pumpkin, specifically.  And I love them.

These are more adaptable to different flavor combinations.....and even plain, they're absolutely wonderful.

Tender, light and flaky, and ever so buttery, the simple version would be delightful slathered with jam or honey....and the version I made here, with dried cherries and almonds, was perfect with just a little glaze on top.

Everyone loved them.....and while I can't wait to try the other versions too, I have a hunch that the Cherry Almond Scones will forever be my favorite.  I'll let you know if I change my mind. 

Simple Scones (from Allrecipes - USA Weekend columnist Pam Anderson)
Yield: 8-9 large scones or 18 mini scones

2 cups all-purpose flour (I used half whole wheat)

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold

1/2 cup dried raisins (or currants or chocolate chips)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 large egg

Variations:

Cranberry-Orange Scones

Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding a generous teaspoon of finely grated orange rind (zest) to the dry ingredients and substituting dried cranberries for the raisins.

Lemon-Blueberry Scones

Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding a generous teaspoon of finely grated lemon rind (zest) to the dry ingredients and substituting dried blueberries for the raisins.

Cherry-Almond Scones

Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding 1/2 tsp. almond extract to the sour cream mixture and substituting chopped dried cherries for the raisins.

 - Optional glaze for top: Mix together 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp. almond extract, and 2 tsp milk. Drizzle over the top of cooled scones.  Garnish with slivered or sliced almonds if desired.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375° F.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in dried fruit or chocolate chips if using.

In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.

Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)

Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. (Alternately, to make mini-scones, pat into a 8 inch square.  Cut into thirds both length-wise and width-wise, making 9 squares.  Cut each square in half diagonally.)

Bake until golden, about 13-15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

Linked to Trick or Treat Tuesday and Crazy Sweet Tuesday

One of the downsides to either being a military family or living in a largely military community is the constant
knowledge that either you or your friends are going to move away.  Sooner or later.

It's a really hard reality to deal with sometimes.

Last year, one of my dearest friends moved back to her homestate of Wisconsin with her family after her husband separated from the Army.  They had lived here 3 short years.  Saying goodbye pretty much stunk. 

Since her husband is still in the Reserves, she decided to come back to VA to visit all their friends here during his 2-week commitment this June, so we got to spend some great time together with her, her kiddos, and her new baby Charlotte.

I went to a little brunch another friend hosted for her....and wanted to bring along a tasty treat.....and these were the perfect thing.

I've made scones before, ones with apples or pumpkin, specifically.  And I love them.

These are more adaptable to different flavor combinations.....and even plain, they're absolutely wonderful.

Tender, light and flaky, and ever so buttery, the simple version would be delightful slathered with jam or honey....and the version I made here, with dried cherries and almonds, was perfect with just a little glaze on top.

Everyone loved them.....and while I can't wait to try the other versions too, I have a hunch that the Cherry Almond Scones will forever be my favorite.  I'll let you know if I change my mind. 

Simple Scones (from Allrecipes - USA Weekend columnist Pam Anderson)
Yield: 8-9 large scones or 18 mini scones

2 cups all-purpose flour (I used half whole wheat)

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold

1/2 cup dried raisins (or currants or chocolate chips)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 large egg

Variations:

Cranberry-Orange Scones

Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding a generous teaspoon of finely grated orange rind (zest) to the dry ingredients and substituting dried cranberries for the raisins.

Lemon-Blueberry Scones

Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding a generous teaspoon of finely grated lemon rind (zest) to the dry ingredients and substituting dried blueberries for the raisins.

Cherry-Almond Scones

Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding 1/2 tsp. almond extract to the sour cream mixture and substituting chopped dried cherries for the raisins.

 - Optional glaze for top: Mix together 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp. almond extract, and 2 tsp milk. Drizzle over the top of cooled scones.  Garnish with slivered or sliced almonds if desired.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375° F.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in dried fruit or chocolate chips if using.

In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.

Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)

Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. (Alternately, to make mini-scones, pat into a 8 inch square.  Cut into thirds both length-wise and width-wise, making 9 squares.  Cut each square in half diagonally.)

Bake until golden, about 13-15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

Linked to Trick or Treat Tuesday and Crazy Sweet Tuesday

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Dutch Apple Cream Pie

The 4th of July is coming up & I guess that means it's time to share my favorite apple pie recipe.  I have a hard time eating canned apple pie filling when fresh apple pie just tastes so much better!  I make this for Thanksgiving & Christmas almost ever year as well, so this recipe is definitely worth making again & again.  You will love it!

Dutch Apple Cream Pie

Recipe by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

Apple Filling:

• 8 cups sliced apples (5-6 small/medium apples)
• 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg 
• ¼ tsp salt 
• 2 Tbsp butter 
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch 

Cream Cheese Layer:

• 4 oz cream cheese (best if full fat)
• 2 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/8 tsp vanilla
• *If you want it really creamy & have a deep pie dish, double this part.

Cinnamon Streusel Topping:

• 1/4 cup of butter (1/2 stick), room temperature
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. In a large bowl combine apples, lemon juice, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt, & toss to mix. Allow apples to macerate at room temperature for 30 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, prepare cream cheese layer by whipping the cream cheese with sugar & vanilla until smooth (1 min.)  Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Prepare cinnamon streusel topping by placing all ingredients in a bowl & cutting the butter in with a pastry blender (or a fork will work just fine) until crumbly & incorporated.  Set aside until ready to use.
4. Pour apples into strainer & capture the liquid, about ½ cup.  In a saucepan, combine the liquid & add the butter.  Over medium heat, boil down the liquid to about 1/3 cup, or until syrupy & lightly caramelized, swirling the liquid, NOT stirring.
5. Meanwhile, transfer apples to bowl & toss with cornstarch until it disappears.  Add liquid after it has reduced & toss with the apples.
6. In a prepared pie shell, spread the layer of cream cheese & pour apple mixture on top. Top pie with prepared streusel & bake 1 hour 15 minutes at 350*F or until apples are tender & the filling is bubbling.  *Make sure to place a baking sheet on the rack below your pie to catch any syrup that may bubble over if your pie shell is particularly full.

*Absolutely amazing warm & crisp from the oven with cold vanilla ice cream melting on the top!

The 4th of July is coming up & I guess that means it's time to share my favorite apple pie recipe.  I have a hard time eating canned apple pie filling when fresh apple pie just tastes so much better!  I make this for Thanksgiving & Christmas almost ever year as well, so this recipe is definitely worth making again & again.  You will love it!

Dutch Apple Cream Pie

Recipe by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

Apple Filling:

• 8 cups sliced apples (5-6 small/medium apples)
• 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg 
• ¼ tsp salt 
• 2 Tbsp butter 
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch 

Cream Cheese Layer:

• 4 oz cream cheese (best if full fat)
• 2 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/8 tsp vanilla
• *If you want it really creamy & have a deep pie dish, double this part.

Cinnamon Streusel Topping:

• 1/4 cup of butter (1/2 stick), room temperature
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. In a large bowl combine apples, lemon juice, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt, & toss to mix. Allow apples to macerate at room temperature for 30 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, prepare cream cheese layer by whipping the cream cheese with sugar & vanilla until smooth (1 min.)  Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Prepare cinnamon streusel topping by placing all ingredients in a bowl & cutting the butter in with a pastry blender (or a fork will work just fine) until crumbly & incorporated.  Set aside until ready to use.
4. Pour apples into strainer & capture the liquid, about ½ cup.  In a saucepan, combine the liquid & add the butter.  Over medium heat, boil down the liquid to about 1/3 cup, or until syrupy & lightly caramelized, swirling the liquid, NOT stirring.
5. Meanwhile, transfer apples to bowl & toss with cornstarch until it disappears.  Add liquid after it has reduced & toss with the apples.
6. In a prepared pie shell, spread the layer of cream cheese & pour apple mixture on top. Top pie with prepared streusel & bake 1 hour 15 minutes at 350*F or until apples are tender & the filling is bubbling.  *Make sure to place a baking sheet on the rack below your pie to catch any syrup that may bubble over if your pie shell is particularly full.

*Absolutely amazing warm & crisp from the oven with cold vanilla ice cream melting on the top!

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Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes

My grandma used to make twice-baked potatoes on occasion, usually a special dinner for someone's birthday or a holiday. 

I always loved them as a youngster......yet I had honestly never made them as an adult, I guess because I thought they were too much work.  Why not just make mashed potatoes?  Or just baked potatoes?

Since my father-in-law was going to be grilling the chicken and zucchini on Father's Day, I wanted to make a special side dish that I don't normally make......and these came to mind. 

I have to say, that while they are a bit of extra work, they are so totally worth it, especially for a meal you want to be extra nice.

I'm not sure if it's the fact that the mashed potatoes have been baked rather than boiled, but they were noticeably tastier than the normal mashed potatoes I make, even ones with similar ingredients.

I even bought the baking potatoes instead of the usual 10 lb. bag of russets.....a little more $$, but they were fantastic potatoes. 

I'm sure that cream cheese in place of the sour cream would be equally delicious....if that's what floats your boat.

Either way, twice baked potatoes are just a wonderful side dish to have in your repertoire, because they please just about everybody. 

Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes  (from Allrecipes)

4 large baking potatoes

Olive oil and Kosher salt

8 slices bacon (I used turkey bacon)

1 cup sour cream (light or fat free is fine)

1/2 cup milk

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

8 green onions, sliced, divided

Preheat oven to 375°.

Pierce potatoes with a fork a few times each.  Rub with olive oil all over and sprinkle with Kosher salt (or sea salt).  Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 45 minutes to an hour, until tender.

Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.

When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins. To the potato flesh add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 the green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.

Bake for another 15 minutes.

My grandma used to make twice-baked potatoes on occasion, usually a special dinner for someone's birthday or a holiday. 

I always loved them as a youngster......yet I had honestly never made them as an adult, I guess because I thought they were too much work.  Why not just make mashed potatoes?  Or just baked potatoes?

Since my father-in-law was going to be grilling the chicken and zucchini on Father's Day, I wanted to make a special side dish that I don't normally make......and these came to mind. 

I have to say, that while they are a bit of extra work, they are so totally worth it, especially for a meal you want to be extra nice.

I'm not sure if it's the fact that the mashed potatoes have been baked rather than boiled, but they were noticeably tastier than the normal mashed potatoes I make, even ones with similar ingredients.

I even bought the baking potatoes instead of the usual 10 lb. bag of russets.....a little more $$, but they were fantastic potatoes. 

I'm sure that cream cheese in place of the sour cream would be equally delicious....if that's what floats your boat.

Either way, twice baked potatoes are just a wonderful side dish to have in your repertoire, because they please just about everybody. 

Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes  (from Allrecipes)

4 large baking potatoes

Olive oil and Kosher salt

8 slices bacon (I used turkey bacon)

1 cup sour cream (light or fat free is fine)

1/2 cup milk

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

8 green onions, sliced, divided

Preheat oven to 375°.

Pierce potatoes with a fork a few times each.  Rub with olive oil all over and sprinkle with Kosher salt (or sea salt).  Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 45 minutes to an hour, until tender.

Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.

When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins. To the potato flesh add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 the green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.

Bake for another 15 minutes.

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