Rocky Road Shortbread Cookies

My husband and our sons have been busy collecting pecans from a local park. We now have several pound in our freeze. While looking for new ways to use them I found this recipe in the latest issue of Family Circle. All I can say is YUM!This cookie will go on my favorite cookie list. The only change that I will make in the future is to omit the marshmallow. Oh, I almost forgot the original recipe calls for walnuts not pecans.

Recipe adapted from “Family Circle, November 2009 issue”

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ C All-purpose Flour
• ½ C Pecans, finely chopped
• ¼ Salt
• ½ C Butter
• 1/3 C Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• ¾ C Mini Marshmallows
• ½ C Coarsely chopped Pecans
• ½ C Semisweet Chocolate Chips
  

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease a cookie sheet or use silt pads.
• Blend all ingredients until well combined.
• Roll by the tablespoon the dough into balls.
• Gently flatten each ball to ½ - inch thickness and smooth edges.
• Bake for 16 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.
• Meanwhile melt the chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute, stirring halfway.
• Remove cookies form the oven and spread the chocolate, then sprinkle with the marshmallows and pecans.
• Return the cookies to the oven and bake for TWO minutes more or until the marshmallow become soft.

Cornucopias

Easy to make, delicious and pretty on a plate, what more can you ask for?

Ingredients:

• Puff Pastry Dough
• Heavy Whipping Cream
• Sugar
• Cocoa

Directions:

• Wrap thawed dough around aluminum foil in the shape of a cornucopia.
• Bake according to pastry direction.
• Allow the cornucopias to cool then carefully pull them away from the foil.
• Meanwhile whip the cream, sugar and cocoa until it becomes very thick.
• Pipe into the cornucopias and serve.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from our kitchen to yours!



Harry Potter!


Batman!


Rose Princess!



Spooky Guacamole!
Use a small amount of lemon juice so that the avocados still turn black!
My kids loved dipping into this web!

Roasted Cauliflower with pasta and Witch Hats

So simple, so beautiful and so tasty.

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower
• 2 Ripe Roma tomatoes
• 3or 4 links of sweet Italian sausage
• Fresh Parsley
• Fresh grated cheese
• 1LB pasta

Directions:

• Clean and remove the cauliflower florets from the stem, sprinkle with salt, pepper and olive oil.
• Roast at 400 until tender but not mushy.
• Sauté the sausage in a small fry pan while the pasta is cooking.
• Add chopped tomatoes to the cooked sausage.
• Add the roasted cauliflower to the sausage and tomato mixture.
• Toss with the pasta.
• Sprinkle with parsley and cheese then serve,

Witch Hats

Ingredients:

• 1 Package of croissant rolls
• Cinnamon sugar

Directions:

• Unroll rolls.
• Roll wide end and shape the pointed end.
• Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
• Bake according to package directions.

Cheese Soufflé and Vampire's Morning Cocktail

It’s Barefoot Bloggers time. Barefoot Bloggers are a community of bloggers that get together twice monthly to make, eat and post about Ina Garten’s recipes. Today’s recipe was chosen by Summer of Sexy Apartment. She has Chosen Blue Cheese Soufflé, which can found in Barefoot in Paris. This was my first soufflé and it was not only easy but also beautiful and delicious. My only advice is to make sure you have ALL the ingredients before you get started. I was reading as I was going and half way in realized I was short one egg white. Thank you to our wonderful friends and neighbors for coming to the rescue.


Here is Ina’s recipe.
I did make a few changes, those will be in red.
Ingredients

· 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the dish
· 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling
· 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
· 1 cup scalded milk
· Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
· Pinch cayenne pepper Extra pinches
· Thyme
· Pinch nutmeg
· 4 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
· 3 ounces good Roquefort cheese, chopped 1C Bergenost
· 5 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
· 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar


Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Butter the inside of an 8-cup souffle dish (7 1/2 inches in diameter and 3 1/4 inches deep) and sprinkle evenly with Parmesan.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the hot milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, the cayenne, and nutmeg. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, until smooth and thick.
Off the heat, while still hot, whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time. Stir in the Roquefort and the 1/4 cup of Parmesan and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Put the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, on medium speed for 1 minute, then finally on high speed until they form firm, glossy peaks.
Whisk 1/4 of the egg whites into the cheese sauce to lighten and then fold in the rest. Pour into the souffle dish, then smooth the top. Draw a large circle on top with the spatula to help the souffle rise evenly, and place in the middle of the oven. Turn the temperature down to 375 degrees F. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (don't peek!) until puffed and brown. Serve immediately.


Vampire’s Morning Cocktail

Ingredients:

• Orange juice
• Pineapple Juice
• Cranberry juice (the straight stuff)
• Ginger Ale

Directions:

• Fill a highball glass half full with a 50/50 mix of orange juice and pineapple juice.
• Top the glass off with ginger ale.
• Drip the cranberry juice down into the glass. It’s good for it to drip a bit on the glass for a more bloody effect.

Pear Bread and Breakfast Mummies

My good friend Kerri has been raving about this banana bread that her friend, Kay, has been making and sharing with her. Kay finally shared the recipe with her, either to quiet her or to keep from having to make bread for her weekly, who knows. Anyway, now that Kerri has the recipe and is making it, all I hear is “MMMM this is so good”. I started to feel left out then Kerri shared the recipe with me and now you guys have to hear “MMMM this is so good” from me. I didn’t have any bananas so, Kerri and Kay, I changed your recipe a bit and it is still very yummy!

Banana Bread Adapted from a recipe from Kay who thinks she got it from ALLRecipes. I'll make all my changes in red so that you guys will have both recipes.
Ingredients:
1. 2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1 teaspoon baking soda
3. 1/4 teaspoon salt
4. 1/2 cup butter
5. 3/4 cup brown sugar
6. 2 eggs, beaten
7. 2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas Cooked Pears
8. 2 Tbsp Butter
9. 1 Tbsp Cinnamon
10. 1C Chopped Pecans
11. ½ Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. Peal, core and slice pears.
3. Boil pears in the butter until they are tender.
4. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. I throw everything in at the same time and mix. To the mix I add the pecans, cinnamon and chocolate chips.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.


Breakfast Mummies

1. Ingredients:
2. 1 can of Crescent rolls
3. Fully Cooked Breakfast Sausage Links

Directions:

1. Open and separate rolls.
2. Cut the dough in half length wise.
3. Cut a small piece off to cover the head.
4. Wrap the dough around the majority of the sausage. Leave the top section unwrapped.
5. Wrap the small piece around the top of the sausage leaving a small gap where eyes or a face would be.
6. Bake according to the package directions.
   
7. Mustard can be use to make small eyes.

Both of our boys celebrated their birthdays this week. Since their birthdays are only 3 days apart they usually have a combined birthday party at the park. This year they wanted to take a trip to Arkansas to visit the caves instead. Here is a picture of how we spent our weekend.

Stuffed Eggplant and Spooky Pancakes

Stuffed Eggplant

• Mini Eggplant
• Onion
• Garlic
• Oregano
• Breadcrumbs
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Sour Cream
• Salt and Pepper

Directions

• Cut Eggplant in half, lengthwise.
• Scoop out the meat of the eggplant.
• Salt the inside of the eggplant boats and let them rest.
• Sauté the meat, onion and garlic until tender.
• Add salt, pepper, oregano, and breadcrumbs and stir until heated and fully combined.
• Add the cheese and sour cream stir and remove from the heat.
• Wipe the inside of the boats dry with a paper towel and fill them with the meat mixture.
• Bake at 350 degrees until the skin is tender.

Sunday Pancakes Turned Spooky

As you guys already know, my children celebrate Pancake Sunday each and every Sunday. This past Sunday my soon to be 5-year-old ate 8 pancakes and still wanted more.
That same little boy will be celebrating his birthday on the 16th of October. When I asked him what he wanted for his special dinner he said “ how about pancakes!”. So in honor of his birthday I’m sharing our pancakes with you guys.

Ingredients

• ½ c Whole Wheat Flour
• ½ c All- Purpose Flour
• 1 tbsp Baking Powder
• ½ tsp Baking soda
• ¼ tsp Salt
• 3 tbsp Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 3 tbsp oil
• ½ C Buttermilk
• ½ 2% Milk

Directions

• Mix all ingredients together, don't over mixPour onto a hot skillet.
• Flip them when they start to bubble.
• The second side cooks much faster than the first.