Happy Holidays - See you next year!

Quote of the day

Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups - alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and fat.

- Alex Levine

Irish Cream Liqueur

This week we saw temperatures so frigid that the only place in the world colder was Siberia, so I must say, now is really the time for something to warm the belly! My only wish would be that I was close enough to make it for my loved ones this holiday season. So lets make a double batch and toast to those too far away to wrap our arms around this year!

Irish Cream Liqueur

1 3/4 c Irish Whiskey
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 c heavy cream
4 eggs
2 T chocolate syrup
2 T instant coffee
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t almond extract

Combine all ingredients in blender until well blended and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Stir before serving.

Serve in coffee, alone or with whatever pleases you!

Quote of the day

Dessert is probably the most important stage of the meal, since it will be the last thing your guests remember before they pass out all over the table.

- William Powell

Cranberry Bliss Cookies

Are you ready for a little bit of heaven? Oh these cookies make me crazy, I can't even keep them in the house for more than a day before they magically disappear, it must be those elves!

Cranberry Bliss Cookies

3/4 c butter at room temp
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
1 egg at room temp
1 t vanilla
1/2 t almond
1 c flour
1 T orange zest
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
2 1/2 c oats
1 c white chocolate chunks
1 c dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 F, mix butter & sugar until light and fluffy, add egg, vanilla & almond, mix for 1 minute. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients except, white chocolate, cranberries and orange zest. Combine two mixtures only until incorporated, do not over-mix. Fold in remaining ingredients. Spoon onto cookie sheets and bake for 5-8 minutes. Great recipe to double batch and freeze some for later.

Serve with coffee, livelier African coffee's like Ethiopia Sidamo are particularly good with these cookies, or of course, whatever pleases you!

Quote of the day

My favorite time of day is to get up and eat leftovers from dinner, especially spicy food.

- David Byrne

Spicy 6 pepper Chili

It's -30 and your freezing inside and out, it might just be time for a big batch of spicy chili, it's what we had tonight and it's yet another winter favorite. There are a million variations, this one my favorite, but not one for those who can't take heat, so alter to your desired spice level!

Spicy 6 pepper Chili

1 lb kidney beans (soaked overnight & cooked until soft)
2 lbs ground beef (venison is also a great substitution)
2 lbs spicy Italian sausage sliced
2 yellow onions coarsely chopped
1 red onion coarsely chopped
1 bulb garlic finely chopped
6 jalapeno peppers finely chopped
2 bell peppers coarsely chopped
2 sweet red peppers coarsely chopped
1 bunch celery coarsely chopped
1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce finely chopped
2 large cans of stewed tomatoes coarsely chopped
1 can tomato paste
2 T ground cayenne pepper
1 T ground black pepper
5 T cumin powder
4 bay leaves
3 T dark brown sugar
6 c water
1/4 c cornmeal
3 T salt
2 T olive oil

In a large stock pot, heat olive oil on high for one minute, add onions, garlic, bay leaves, meat, sugar & salt, allow to brown well, add all peppers, allow to brown, add sugar, cumin & celery, allow to brown, add remaining ingredients except corn meal and simmer for 30 minutes covered. Add cornmeal & stir, taste and add more salt as desired, cover, turn heat off and allow to sit at least 30 minutes. This is a big batch and you'll have plenty to freeze.

Top with finely chopped onions, sour cream & cheese, serve with cornbread or whatever pleases you!

Reader Recipe (Arie's Lavender Whipped Shortbread)

Amidst the screaming and chaos of dozens of children most likely penetrated by the full moon, lie a plate of fragrant lavender butter pillows that closed me off from the rest of the world, if only for a moment. A poet I am not, but a food connoisseur, possibly and this week my brief encounter with the most beautiful tasting shortbread cookies I may have possibly ever tasted is owed to my fried Arie, who has been kind enough to share!

Arie's Lavender Whipped Shortbread

The fragrance from these is amazing, but the flavour is very subtle.

1 cup unsalted butter (at room temp)
2 cups unbleached white flour
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp organic lavender blossoms

Cream butter & sugar together, add flour & blend. Once the flour is mixed in, turn your mixer on high & whip the shortbread for 10 minutes. Add the lavender & mix just until it is dispersed in the dough.

Drop by the teaspoon onto cookie sheets; bake at 325 for 8-12 minutes until just set.

Happy Holidays from our family to yours



Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Hearty Red Lentil & Vegetable Soup

Its soup season and lentils are usually part of the daily diet at my house. I eat this soup almost everyday for lunch during the winter months and I haven't gotten sick of it yet. Yummy, healthy and easy to make many different variations, I often just use the lasts of whatever vegis I have in the fridge. This is a big pot full, you'll have plenty to freeze!

Hearty Red Lentil & Vegetable Soup

2 onions (roughly chopped)
1 red sweet pepper (roughly chopped)
1 green bell pepper (roughly chopped)
2 jalapeno peppers (finely chopped)
1 bulb garlic ( finely chopped)
5 tomatoes (roughly chopped) or 1 16 0z can
1 bunch celery (roughly chopped)
6 carrots (roughly chopped)
4 cups fresh spinach (roughly chopped) Frozen can be substituted
4 cups red lentils
12 -16 cups water (chicken stock can be substituted in whole or in part)
3 T olive oil
1 T sugar
4 bay leaves
3 T dried thyme
4 T dried basil
1 T dried oregano
Salt to taste

In a large stockpot, heat olive oil on high, add onions, garlic, carrots, sugar & bay leaves allow to brown, resisting the urge to stir constantly (the browning adds the majority of the flavour). Once well browned, add peppers and celery, allow to brown, add tomatoes, and remaining spices, bring to a boil and add remaining ingredients. Cover and let simmer 30-45 minutes and salt to taste. When you keep vegis covered while they cook, they retain more of their vitamins!

Serve with fresh warm bread & Munster cheese or whatever pleases you!

Reader Recipe (Arie's Potato Cheese Biscuits)

"I am a biscuit aficionado - I love & am in constant pursuit of the yummiest one. I threw these together today using leftovers from my fridge & they are so yummy I had to share :)"

- Arie

Arie's Potato Cheese Biscuits

2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup cold butter
1 cup mashed potato
1/2 c cheese sauce (any firm cheese is fine, I used Gouda)
1/2 c (or so) buttermilk

Mix dry ingredients together, cut in butter & mashed potato. Add cheese sauce & enough buttermilk to create a soft dough. Do not overmix!!!!
Roll out to 1 inch thick, cut with a biscuit cutter & bake (on stoneware if you have it) @ 450 for 12-14 minutes.

Thanks Arie, I'll try these this weekend, they sound fantastic!

Quote of the day

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.

- Virginia Woolf

Refried Beans

Easy, Yummy & Healthy! What more could you want?

Refried Beans

1 lb pinto beans (soaked overnight)
8 cloves garlic
2 T cumin
1 T olive oil
Salt to taste

Boil beans until soft, strain (keep strained water to thin beans as needed), process beans, garlic and cumin in food processor, adding water as needed to reach smooth consistency. Heat oil on medium heat for 1 minute, return mixture to pan, add salt to taste and simmer on low for 10 minutes. Double batch and freeze too!

Sprinkle with cheese & serve with rice, Mole with chicken, Enchiladas, Tacos or whatever pleases you!

Quote of the day

Stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Coincidence? I think not!

- Author Unknown

Flan

Whose ready for a warm & rich custard dessert? This simple & delicious recipe might certainly become as regular at your table as it is mine.

Flan

2 C whole milk
6 eggs
1 1/2 C sugar
1 T vanilla or dark rum
1 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 F, melt 3/4 C sugar & cinnamon in a small sauce pan on med heat, stirring constantly until it has liquefied. Pour melted sugar into 12 ramekins (can be substituted for a bundt pan, or a muffin tin), place ramekins in a large baking dish and fill baking dish with 1" of water (more for a bundt pan). Blend remaining ingredients and pour equally into ramekins. Bake at 400 until tops have browned. Allow to cool slightly, turn them over onto individual plates and serve.

Great served with coffee,an after dinner drink or whatever pleases you!