Giving Thanks

This post was originally supposed to be about my Cranberry Apple Stuffing, Cranberry Walnut Salad, and Pecan Pie. However, considering I haven't yet made any of these items, clearly I will wait to discuss them.

As many of you know, my grandmother was on the brink of death this week. Literally, she was shocked back to life six times and worked on for five hours before finally having a pulse. She remained on life support for a few days, and I flew home Wednesday evening, thinking I was there to assist my family in funeral preparations and to comfort my mom. This week, my family witnessed a miracle. Nanny is definitely not out of the water yet and she continues to have cancer and suffer from complications of it, but once again, God wanted Nanny to have more time to touch the lives of others and allowed her to continue living on Earth.

This Thanksgiving week, I am so, so incredibly thankful to God for giving us more time to love on Nanny and how once again, tragedy brought my family even closer.

Love,
Emily xoxo

Butternut Squash and Mushroom Pasta

Hi friends and family! As some of you know, I am not good at sitting still. Therefore, as I was home sick today, I decided to make up a new recipe for fun. I took a recipe I had been wanting to try, and changed pretty much everything but the mushrooms and cream sauce.

The ingredients I used were:

1 box penne pasta (minus about a cup and a half cooked noodles, depending on how wet you like your pasta)
1 small to medium butternut squash
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 package sliced mushrooms
3/4 of a medium sweet onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup milk (the original recipe called for heavy whipping cream)

What I did:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, saute the onion, butternut squash cubes, mushrooms and garlic in the butter until tender.
2. In a bowl, whisk the flour, seasonings, and milk until smooth then add to the vegetable skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Drain pasta and add to vegetable mix. Cook 2-3 minutes until heated through.

Nothing too exciting or difficult, but very yummy and perfect for 3-4 people. Enjoy :)

xoxo,
Emily

Buttermilk Pie, Oh My!

As those of you who have looked at several of my posts might have noticed, I am a big fan of the blogger Amy and her recipes listed on her Sing For Your Supper blog. She is just so sweet and genuine! Last night, I decided to try her recently added recipe for Buttermilk Pie. She stated in her description that it was a Southern tradition, sure to please any man! So, I gave it a try, and sure enough, both Tyler and I love us some Buttermilk Pie. I did not take any pictures of it, and honestly, it's not the prettiest pie around since it doesn't have many colored ingredients, but trust me...you've got to try it. (Edit: I went ahead and posted a picture I found on Google Search that looks very similar to mine) The only thing I can even remotely compare it's flavor to is a Creme Brulee based on its very sweet nature and sugary/buttery crust. Give it a try, trust me. Thanks Amy!!

Baba’s Buttermilk Pie
-Sing For Your Supper Blog
*makes 2 9-inch pies

2 9-inch pie crusts, unbaked (I used Graham cracker)
3 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 eggs, beaten
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
1 cup buttermilk
**a little lemon zest and a squeeze of juice is a nice addition and also cuts down on some of the sweetness**

Mix sugar, flour and salt. Add eggs, butter, buttermilk and vanilla. Pour into two unbaked pie crusts and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees (check them at 50 minutes- if they’re too jiggly put them back in for a few more minutes. They shouldn’t jiggle very much at all when they’re done). If the tops are getting too brown, cover loosely with foil for the remainder of baking time. Let cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Holy Sweets, Batman!

Ok, so I realize it's the day after Halloween and therefore my title is not so funny, but that's really how I feel! For some reason, October was THE month of sweets for me. Cupcakes, muffins, brownies, cookies, and finally, Apple Nachos. Here is the recipe for this evening's dessert.

-Found in Taste of Home, adapted by me :)
-Photo by Taste of Home magazine
24 ServingsPrep/Total Time: 20 min.
Ingredients
36 caramels (I actually used the fast melting, small caramel balls - 1 bag)
1 tablespoon water
30 large marshmallows (I used some Strawberry and some plain)
1/3 cup butter, cubed
4 medium tart apples, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices (I used Granny Smith)
1/3 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts (I used Walnuts)
1/3 cup HERSHEY’®S Mini Chips Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (Ghiradelli for this girl)
3 tablespoons Halloween sprinkles
Directions
•In a microwave-safe bowl, melt caramels with water; stir until
smooth.

•Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt marshmallows and butter. Arrange
apple slices on a large platter. Drizzle with caramel; top with
marshmallow mixture. Sprinkle with peanuts, chocolate chips and
sprinkles. Serve immediately. Yield: 24 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving equals 149 calories, 6 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 8 mg cholesterol, 76 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein. Diabetic
Exchanges: 1-1/2 starch, 1 fat.

This fun, sweet treat turned out soo yummy!!! But, a word of caution...a little goes a long way. This girl's got an aching, but satisfied belly.

xoxo,
Emily

Orange Scented Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Orange Buttercream Icing

These cupcakes turned out deliciously. The first time I made them, I simply smoothed the icing over the tops of the cooled cupcakes. This time though, I decided to try and make them a little prettier. :) I bought the Wilton Cupcake Decorating set, and used piping to make them at least a little prettier. It will definitely take some more pratice though. Anyway, these cupcakes have been tested twice and loved both times. Enjoy! :)


Orange-Scented Cupcakes
-Sing For Your Supper Blog
*Makes 24 cupcakes

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier, or any orange liqueur you like (I just used OJ)
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Center a rack in the oven to 350 degrees. Fill cupcake pans with cupcake liners.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Whisk together the milk, orange juice, liqueur and egg whites in a medium bowl.

Put the sugar and butter in the bowl of a mixer and, working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light. Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs, beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Finally, give the batter a good 2-minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. Using a small spoon, fill each cupcake liner 1/2 full with the batter.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cupcakes are well risen and springy to the tough – a toothpick inserted into the centers should come out clean. Transfer the cupcakes to cooling racks and cool completely before frosting them.

Vanilla-Orange Buttercream

1 stick butter, at room temperature
3-4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
splash Grand Marnier (again, I used OJ)
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 cup of the sugar and then the orange juice, Grand Marnier and vanilla. On medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading or piping consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. Refrigerate until needed.

Up for a Challenge

Hi friends and family :) Sorry it's been awhile since I've blogged. I am in the midst of my 10 week Child Welfare training, and let's just say it takes up a very good portion of my day. On top of that, this month is absolutely crazy for Tyler and I. We are really looking forward to all the events we have in store, but are starting to feel a bit run down. SO...what does any OCD/control freak/Type A personality do in a time of crazyness?...Add more crazy to the mess!

No, but really. I need to do something to relax myself, and for me, that is cooking. So, I have decided to set myself up for a series of cooking challenges. Based on a list of of challenges from an actual food blogging project, I am going to create some for myself. If you have any suggestions, let me know! In the meantime, I will work on starting a list.

xoxo,
Emily

P.S. THANK YOU to my friend, Miss Courtney Nickerson, for my amazing apron and oven mits which I cannot wait to cook with!

Easy, Cheesy, Enchiladas

To use up some chicken breasts that expire today, I decided to try out a recipe I've been eyeing up. Tyler and I love Mexican food. Pretty much all kinds. BUT, both of our favorite dish of all? Enchiladas, of course! This recipe is actually quite simple, but for some reason, I decided to make it more complicated than was necessary. Yes, I'm still learning, and we all make mistakes, right?!

I totally forgot to cook the chicken. *blushes* I made the sauce, pre-heated the oven, treated the baking dishes, and then...I remembered. I had no cooked chicken! At this point in the process, I realized that this recipe could be altered to make it much, much simpler. It calls for 4 shredded, cooked, chicken breasts, so my advice would be to save time, either use leftover chicken or turkey, or pick up a Rotisserie chicken at your grocery store. Anyway, mistake aside, this meal turned out wonderfully. I made 12 enchiladas, and stuffed them pretty full of cheese and chicken. Tyler and I were both able to eat 2 each, leaving us 8 (yes, I can sometimes do math)for leftovers.

One extra side note, I did an experiment. The recipe calls for this dish to be cooked in one 9 x 13 dish, but I'm not sure how that works as it only fits about 6 or 7 enchiladas. Hence, I divided the 12 into 6 per dish. In one of the cooking dishes, I used a thicker layer of cheese and sauce, and in the other, a lighter topping of both. The thinner covered dish came out with a perfect crunch to the outside of the enchilada, and a soft, moist interior. The other dish turned out some great enchiladas, as well, but they were much softer all the way through. Any way you cook them, enjoy!


Salsa Verde Sour Cream Enchiladas - seen on The Novice Chef, originally from the Homesick Texan, discovered on Sing For Your Supper Blog, modified by me!

4 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 Jalapeno, seeded, minced
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups sour cream (I used reduced-fat and it was really rich)
16 oz jar Medium Picante Salsa
1 & 1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
12 flour tortillas, small fajita size
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack
1/2 medium onion, diced
Preheat the oven to 350. Melt butter over medium-high heat. Saute onions and Jalapenos until soft and then add the garlic, cooking for 1 minute. Stir in the flour and let cook 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the chicken broth until smooth and let cook until bubbly. Stir in the sour cream, salsa, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat.
Spray/grease two 9×13 baking dishes. Add 1 cup of sauce to the bottom of each pan. Add chicken and cheese to the center of each tortilla and roll, placing seam-side down in the dish. Pour the sauce over the enchiladas, top with leftover cheese, and bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until top is brown and bubbling.
Yields: 12-15 enchiladas

xoxo,
Emily