Witch Hat Cookies

Jackson's classroom Halloween party is today and our contribution to the menu are the cute witch-hat cookies! A coworker recently turned me onto Pinterest (much more on Pinterest in another post) and I'm so glad she did--it's quite addicting! I found this cute idea there and decided to make these for the party. All it requires is Fudge Striped Cookies, Orange decorating icing and Hershey Kisses; how simple is that (no baking)!! The cookies were a big hit and I was super glad to have a cute, easy idea the kids (and parents) could enjoy!

Pin It

Cucumber & Celery Salad with Tuna

I am always looking for yummy salad recipes and I can't wait to try this one from

Martha Stewart's Everyday Food June 2011 issue!

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cucumbers, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch half-moons (6 cups)

3 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch pieces, inner leaves reserved

2 cans (5 ounces each) solid white tuna in water, drained and flaked

Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions:

1.In a medium bowl, stir together poppy seeds, vinegar, sugar, and oil. Add cucumbers, celery, and tuna; season with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat. Sprinkle with celery leaves and serve immediately.

Pin It

L.A. (Lower Alabama) Caviar

I like finding new dips and appetizer recipes I can use for gameday weekends. There's nothing like a good dip to go with some chips on a Saturday while you watch football. Here's one I recently found in Birmingham Home & Garden magazine which is from LuLu's in Gulf Shores--it's AWESOME!

L.A. (Lower Alabama) Caviar

Dressing:
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Caviar:
4 (15 oz) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped red onion
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Putting it all Together:
1. Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar; cover tightly, and shake vigorously to dissolve sugar. Set aside.

2. Place peas in a large glass or stainless steel bowl.
3. Add all bell peppers, onions, tomatoes and parsley. Pour dressing over top and toss well. Transfer to a plastic container, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
4. Serve with tortilla chips or saltine crackers.

Pin It

Easy Breakfast Casserole

I'm always looking for easy recipes to try to get the boys to eat something new (making the dish is always easier than getting them to try it)! I recently got this recipes in my "Parents Connect" Newsletter from NickJr and plan to give it a try. Wish me luck!

Ingredients: 2 cups stale whole wheat bread, cubed; 1 cup cheese (whatever kind your child likes); 1 cup meat (sausage, cooked ham, bacon); 1 1/2 cups vegetables, diced (bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, onion); 6 large eggs; 2 cups milk; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp dry mustard; freshly ground black pepper, to taste. 1. Grease a 9x13 inch pan. 2. Spread the bread cubes evenly in the bottom of the pan. Top bread with cheese, then the meat and veggies. 3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, dry mustard and pepper. Pour over the top of the ingredients in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the refrigerator overnight. 4. In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for about 1 hour or until casserole is firm and eggs are set. Serves 6. Pin It

Crisp-Skinned Chicken with Rosemary Potatoes

For dinner last night, we made this wonderful dish featured in Martha Stewart Living January '11 issue. I have to admit, Martha's recipes can be somewhat intimidating but this one is easy and very good. If you're looking for a new chicken recipe, this one is for you. You can visit her site here to get the pretty version of the recipe for your collection or check it out below. Enjoy! Ingredients: 6 russet potatoes, peeled & cut crosswise, 3/4 inch thick Coarse salt Extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch 1 whole chicken (about 4 1/2 pounds) 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened 1 small bunch fresh rosemary 1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cook potatoes in salted boiling water until tender, 11 to 13 minutes. Drain. Return potatoes to pot, and shake over low heat to dry and fluff. Coat with oil, and season with salt. 2. Mix together 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the cornstarch. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Rub skin with butter, and season with salt mixture. Stuff some rosemary into cavity. Pile remaining rosemary on a rimmed baking sheet. 3. Place chicken, breast side up, on rosemary, and tuck wings under. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Scatter potatoes around chicken. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and flip potatoes. Return to oven, rotating sheet. Roast until chicken juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh reaches 165 degrees, about 30 minutes more. Let chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving. If potatoes aren't golden, toss with rosemary, and return to oven.

Pin It

Lucky Lentil Soup

One thing I'm really focusing on this year is cooking more for my family. I love it when we all sit down at the table together and have a home cooked meal. Now, we don't always all eat the same thing but that's life with two toddlers! I get several recipe newsletters each week and recently one of them contained a great recipe for lentil soup. I had a yummy lentil soup as an appetizer on one of our date nights in December so I was excited to get a recipe that sounded both easy and good. I made it over the long New Years holiday and it is very easy and very good. The prep time is only 15 minutes and it serves 4-6 people. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 stalks of celery, sliced
• 1 large carrot, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 to 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 8 ounces light sausage, cut into slices
• 1 bag (16-ounce) dried lentils, rinsed
• 7 cups (approximately) chicken broth

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, sauté onion, celery, carrots, garlic and mushrooms in olive oil until onions are slightly brown. 2. Add the sausage and lentils and cover with chicken broth (about 7 cups). 3. Simmer for 1 hour until all of the liquid has been absorbed.

Pin It