The Best Recipes of 2011

Every year about this time I start seeing lists documenting the year in review for various blogs.  Being that I love lists, I've always enjoyed reading them and have made mental notes that I wanted to do one of my own the next year.  Well the stars must have aligned just right because I'm actually doing one this year!

These recipes received the most attention throughout the year.  While I love each of them, there are a few that didn't make the list that were really good too.  I might do another post with my favorites from the year.  

January 2011 - Cheese Stuffed Hot Dogs with Spicy Onions

February 2011 - Sweet and Sour Chicken

March 2011 - Beer Cheese Grilled Cheese

April 2011 - Chocolate Cake with Mocha Cream and Chocolate Ganache

May 2011 - Shrimp Cobb Salad

June 2011 - Balsamic & Soy London Broil with Asiago Potato & Bacon Gratin

July 2011 - Thai Chicken Wraps

August 2011 - Fish Tacos with Fruit Slaw and Avocado Cream

September 2011 - Thai Turkey Burgers with Broccoli Slaw

October 2011 - Caramel Apple Cake

November 2011 - Citrus-Spice Seared Salmon over Parmesan Cheese Grits

December 2011 - Parmesan Cornmeal Biscuits

Here's to another great year of recipes!

Eggnog Two Ways

One of the tell-tale signs the Christmas season is upon us is when I spot eggnog in the grocery stores.  I can take it or leave it but Wes loves it.  Our Whole Foods has been known to keep a running sample station of it up around the holidays and you better believe Wes takes them up on their free sample every time he goes (and that's once a week for those of you keeping track, since he does the shopping).

Well this year was no exception.  The bartering began early and I caved pretty quickly.  He eagerly sipped that first glass and then it sat.  And sat.  All alone in the fridge.  Not being one to let it go to waste and see that money go down the drain, I set out to use every drop.

First, something the whole family could enjoy, Eggnog Waffles!  The eggnog flavor was there just enough to provide a little extra spice.  I had hoped to freeze some leftovers but alas, they were all eaten before I could stash any away.

The second recipe was more for my mom and I but when served with a breakfast for dinner meal, everyone eagerly gobbled up these Eggnog Scones.  I'm a biscuity scone lover.  I prefer the flaky layers to the coarse crumb texture and these fit the bill.  The eggnog flavor was more pronounced in these little treats than the waffles but that eliminated the need to adding any butter, jelly, or other condiment to them.  I opted to leave out the cinnamon chips and while I think they'd be a good addition, I really didn't miss them either.  I also made these the day before and froze them until I was ready to bake them for dinner the next night.

Both of these recipes were ones I'd want to make again.  You could probably get some eggnog on sale right now and whip up your own tasty treats! 

Eggnog Waffles

adapted slightly from Pink Parsley

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg (preferably freshly grated)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup eggnog (low-fat is fine)
• 1/3 cup sunflower oil
• 1 egg

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.  Add the dry to the wet, and stir until just combined - be sure not to over mix!

Allow the batter to sit for 30 minutes.  Preheat the waffle iron and cook the waffles according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Serve immediately with maple syrup.

Eggnog Scones
adapted slightly from Tracey's Culinary Adventures

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup cold eggnog

Topping
1 tablespoon eggnog
1 tablespoon sugar

Combine the flours, sugar, salt, baking powder and nutmeg in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the cubed butter and mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and the butter pieces are roughly the size of peas (some may be slightly bigger or smaller, that's fine).

In a medium measuring cup, whisk together the egg, vanilla extract and eggnog. Add to the mixer bowl and beat on low speed just until the dry ingredients are moistened and the dough comes together - don't overmix.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Divide it in half and shape each half into a circle that's roughly 6 inches in diameter and 3/4-inch thick. You can either slice each circle into 6 wedges, or use a 2 1/4-inch round cutter to cut 6 rounds from each (you'll have to reroll the scraps if you go this route). Transfer your scones to a parchment-lined baking sheet. If you've cut rounds, put them close together (about 1/2-inch between them). If you've cut wedges, leave them in the circular shape and just slightly pull them from the center to separate the edges about 1/2-inch.

Brush the tops of the scones with eggnog using a pastry brush, then sprinkle with the sparkling sugar. Freeze, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 F. (Note:  If you are making these ahead, freeze on cookie sheet for 30 minutes then wrap individually and place in a freezer bag.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 425 and proceed to next step.)

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the scones are golden brown and feel firm to the touch. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the scones cool for a few minutes before removing them to the rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 12 scones

Linking up to A Little Nosh and This Chick Cooks.

Ho, ho, ho

I am such a cheapskate.  I admit it.  Colin is now 4 years old and I have yet to pay one penny for any pictures with Santa.  Never fear, he has sat on Santa's lap (when he was able to get within 20 feet of him without freaking out) but I've always managed to be crafty in finding free Santas.

This year was no exception.  I had planned on taking him somewhere else but the timing didn't work out that day and we didn't get to go.  I was afraid the season would pass without him getting to sit on the big guy's lap but alas, his preschool pulled through for me!

Not only did we get to see Santa, Mrs. Claus was there too.  And Santa read them a story.  AND it was free!  Doesn't this Santa look so authentic?

I knew Colin would have no issues sitting on his lap this year but what I didn't bargain for was him leaving his snack in order to be one of the first one's to visit the bearded man.  Will wonders ever cease?!

As the kids were eating their snacks, Santa and Mrs. Claus were left all alone.  I noticed Mrs. Claus eyeing Sawyer and I thought she might be the gateway to a successful photo opportunity.  I was right!  Sawyer didn't even bat an eye when I handed him to her.  He just stared at Santa's beard and made me so nervous that he was going to try to pull it - luckily it looks real so I think we would have been ok.

I guess your thumb can get you through just about anything!

Merry Christmas to you and to you a good night!

Where's Santa?

Is he here yet?

Secret Recipe Club: Parmesan Cornmeal Biscuits

There are so many wonderful food blogs out there but not nearly enough hours in the day to find them all.  Thanks to the Secret Recipe Club, I am fortunate enough to be introduced to a new one every month.  Sometimes I'm familiar with the blog but most of the time it's new to me.  I love getting to add new blogs to my Reader and this has proven to be a great way to find worthwhile sites.

This month I was assigned to Ann's blog, Sumptuous Spoonfuls.  Sumptuous is a such a luscious descriptive word and her photos and recipes fit the bill.  Ann is a self-proclaimed "health freak" and tries to cut the sugar and fat where possible.  Hello?  Are we twins?  I have personal mental guidelines that a recipe must adhere to before it ever gets bookmarked.  It was so nice to know that as I read through Ann's bounty of recipes, I didn't have to worry about a ton of butter, sugar, or additives.  If you can make things like Berry White Chocolate Scones and Magical Mystical Chocolate Pudding Cake with less sugar?  Sign me up!  I ended up settling on her Parmesan Cornmeal Biscuits.

I'm here to tell you, these biscuits are incredible.  I love the slight crunch from the cornmeal, mixed with the airiness of the flour.  I love that she used yogurt instead of milk or buttermilk.  I subbed Gruyere cheese in place of the parmesan and it proved to be a wonderful match!  They came together so quickly and were a smashing hit.  They got my bread-lovin' mom's seal of approval as well - and that's saying something!  I highly, highly recommend these versatile little gems.  I dare you to try to eat just one (:

Gruyere Cornmeal Biscuits
slightly adapted from Sumptuous Spoonfuls

1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup 50/50 flour (white/wheat blend)
1/2 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 T. sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
5 T. chilled butter
1/3 cup freshly grated Gruyere cheese
1 large egg
1 cup plain low-fat or fat-free Greek yogurt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Mix first 8 ingredients (flour through baking soda) in a large bowl.
3. Cut butter into small bits and mix in with a pastry cutter, 2 knives or use your fingers to blend until butter is blended in and mixture is a coarse meal.
4. Add Gruyere cheese and mix until blended.
5. In a small bowl, whisk egg and yogurt until smooth.
6. Add the egg/yogurt mixture to flour mixture. Stir well to mix into a moist, thick batter.  Add a little more flour if the batter is still really sticky.
7. Turn the batter onto a well-floured surface and sprinkle with flour.
8. Roll to 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick and cut into shapes.
9. Bake at 400 for 15 – 20 minutes or until nicely browned on top.

A Long Overdue Thankful Thursday

This morning on my way to work, I was listening to a syndicated radio show that was granting Christmas wishes to some people that had been nominated by others.  I've heard these stories year after year and one are just as heart-wrenching as the next.  They always humble me and make me realize the many blessings I have and how much I have to be thankful for.

The story this morning was a real eye opener.  The girl that was nominated is 19-years old, a college student, works 3 jobs, is raising her brother's 3 children, has terminal lung cancer, lives in shelters on the weekends because she doesn't want to expose "her" children to some of the goings on at her mother's house, and is about to lose her college scholarship because she had to miss so many classes for treatments that she has slipped right under the 3.0 cutoff to maintain her scholarship.  Got all that?  She is a true inspiration.  She sounds like the most selfless person, as she indicated the reason college was so important to her was because having a part-time job just wouldn't cut it.  She helps her mom pay her rent because her 100+ hour work week as a bus driver doesn't bring in enough income to pay all of her bills.  She also helps her grandmother financially and remember she's also raising 3 children!  She sounded so strong, so determined, and so humble.  The dj not only gave her a $1000 gift card to Walmart but reached into his own pocket and gave her $10,000 cash.  She was in tears.  When asked the first thing she'd buy?  Another set of school uniforms for her children because they only have 2 shirts and 1 pair of pants each.

As we approach the Christmas holiday, I ask you to remember the true meaning of season.  I'm not one to get all preachy but I would encourage you to slow down, enjoy what you've been blessed with, and give the gift of joy to as many people you can.  Christmas isn't about giving material items, it's about spreading cheer and celebrating the birth of our Savior.

In the spirit of Christmas, I wanted to get back on the Thankful Thursday wagon and take time to give thanks for some of the things that are often overlooked.

1)  I am thankful for the chance to experience Christmas for the first time through the eyes of 2 small children.  Seeing their eyes light up when they see sparkly lights, or when they see a talking snowman, or when they hear the boisterous "ho-ho-ho" of Santa Claus.  Watching them take it all in just makes me smile.  It's as if all the cares in the world have frozen for a minute, as I take in the simple beauty of pure jubilation.

2)  I am thankful for the ability to plan for tomorrow.  We have good jobs with stable incomes that allows for us to know where we'll be when we wake up in the morning.  We're able to go to sleep at night knowing that we'll have something to eat tomorrow.  We can set money aside so that we can go on a vacation sometime.  While it's great to be able to look to the future, it's also nice to live in the now and enjoy the ordinary days too.

I encourage you to take 7 minutes out of your busy day to listen to this passage from Katrina Kenison's book, "The Gift of an Ordinary Day."  Just a warning that the truth of this passage will probably cause a few tears.  It's powerful and very thought-provoking, but mainly oh-so-true!

3)  I am thankful for the chance to help others.  This is not something I do as often as I could or should but it's something I'd like to do more.  I love the personal satisfaction I get from knowing I've made someone else smile but more than that, I feel like I'm contributing to the world's work.  I feel like I'm doing what He intended for me to do.  I want to strive to do more, take less, and find ways to help as many people as I can.  I also want to teach my children to be selfless and educate them of the importance in giving back to their community.

This was a somewhat heavy post but it's something that's been heavy on my heart.  After hearing that heart-wrenching story this morning of the young girl, I knew I needed to write my feelings down and share it with you all.

Linking up to Thankful Thursday.

Double Duty Weekly Recipe: Baked Kale Chips and Walnut Crusted Tilapia

I didn't want you to feel slighted since I skipped last week.  To repay you for your patience, I'm giving you 2 recipes in 1!  How kind, I know.

I look forward to cooking on Sundays because time is on my side.  Sure I have 2 starving rugrats clawing at my ankles but I also have a very understanding husband (who also likes to eat) that does his darnedest to occupy them.  Sundays suppers usually entail a meat and 2 sides that require a lot of time and attention - more so than the 30 minutes I'm typically working with.

It's my goal to have at least one of the items on the plate get rave reviews, but it's a real bonus when a dark horse also gets rave remarks.  Allow me to introduce to you, Kale Chips.

I know, I know, you're probably thinking that either you don't like kale, or these sound disgusting, or my kids won't eat those.  And all I can say is, try it!  Colin was skeptical at first but we were all literally fighting over the last few pieces.  Colin cleared his plate of these before anything else.

These are super simple, very healthy, and much more inexpensive than the pre-pakaged ones at the store ($8, really?!).  

Baked Kale Chips

1 bunch kale, washed, ribs removed and cut into about 1-inch pieces

canola oil spray

salt & pepper

Wash the kale and spread out to dry on a large kitchen towel.  Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (or just spray with canola) and arrange kale in a single layer on sheet.  Spray evenly with canola oil and top with salt and pepper.  Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until some of the edges start turning brown.  

*****
To accompany the kale, I served a risotto (coming later) and Pecan (walnut) Crusted Tilapia.  I had made a nut-crusted halibut before and Wes mentioned it in passing not too long ago.  Since it had been years since I had made that, I ran with that idea. 

This is a really simple way to jazz up otherwise boring fish.  The richness from the nuts and the oil they lend to the fish makes the fish super flaky, moist, and full of flavor.  The original recipe stems from Southern Living and includes a Golden-Rum Butter Sauce.  I made my own non-alcoholic version that complimented the fish very well. 

Walnut-Crusted Tilapia
slightly adapted from Southern Living

Yield 4 servings

1/2 cup walnuts (or pecans)
4 (6oz) fresh tilapia filets
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
3 T (or more) butter

3 T. butter
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 T. fresh orange juice
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp salt

Process walnuts in a food processor until finely chopped.  Sprinkle fish with salt, garlic powder, and pepper.  Dredge in chopped nuts.

Melt butter in large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat; add fish, and cook 3-4 minutes on each side or until well browned and fish flakes easily with a fork.  Depending on the size of both your filets and your pan, you may have to repeat this procedure twice.  Serve with Golden Butter Sauce.

To make sauce:  Melt 1 T. butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat; add shallot and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until shallot is tender.  Reduce heat to low and whisk in remaining ingredients.  Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 minute; serve warm.

Weekly Recipe: Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls with Butterscotch Glaze

I couldn't get motivated to post much last week.  I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and decided to retreat into my shell.  I apologize for my absence but I want to make it up to you with these delicious cinnamon rolls!

If you remember back to Thanksgiving, I had a heavy hand with yeast, trying things never done before in my kitchen.  I had such great success, I've almost been scared to chance fate a second time.  Thankfully both the yeast rolls and these cinnamon rolls freeze well and I've been sampling here and there ever since!

I adapted the original recipe slightly, in that I subbed sweet potato for the pumpkin.  I had baked Sawyer a sweet potato thinking that would be easy on his gums while he was teething but he wanted no part of it, or most any food.  I certainly didn't want you to fear that I was out of pumpkin.  Tisk, tisk.  I have no fewer than 2 cans in my pantry right now (As a side note, don't stray from Libby!  I've tried both Whole Foods and Trader Joe's canned pumpkin and it pales in comparison to Libby.).

These cinnamon rolls come together fairly quickly once they've risen.  I would increase the amount of filling the next time but because of my Thanksgiving timing, I appreciated the calories that were spared!  The butterscotch glaze is delicious but also very sweet, which may be why she decreased the filling.  Either way, these are winners in my book.

Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls with Butterscotch Glaze
adapted from:  Sugar Plum

1/3 cup warm milk (not hot) (around 100-110 degrees F)
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup sweet potato puree
2 T. oil (I used sunflower oil)
1 egg
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
3 1/2 cups 50/50 blend flour

2 T. unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

3 T. butterscotch chips
2 T. cream cheese
1 T. sweet potato puree
1 T. milk
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

To make the dough, in a large mixing bowl whisk together 1/3 cup milk, yeast and granulated sugar until well combined. Allow to sit for 10 minutes until yeast is activated and bubbly. Whisk in sweet potato, oil, egg, baking powder, salt, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice until well combined. Stir in flour until combined, and a dough ball forms. Lightly cover and allow to rise in a warm area for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until doubled in bulk. (I used my oven. I preheated it on the lowest temperature, turned it off, then allowed my dough to rise in there.)

On a floured surface, roll out dough to a 1/4-inch thickness, into a rectangle. In a medium bowl, stir together butter, brown sugar and 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon until well combined; evenly spread on top of dough. Roll up dough, jelly-roll style. Slice into 10 equal pieces. Place in a greased 9-inch cake pan. Lightly cover and allow to rise in a warm area for 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake rolls for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool pan on a wire rack. To make the glaze, in a medium bowl, stir together butterscotch chips, cream cheese, 1 tablespoon sweet potato and 1 tablespoon milk until combined. Microwave for 30-60 seconds, stirring frequently until melted (It doesn't take long! Don't scorch your butterscotch!). Whisk in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until well combined and smooth. Drizzle glaze over cinnamon rolls.

Makes 10 cinnamon rolls

Christmas Giving

Apparently Santa came a little early for me.  I think I should have played the lottery at the end of November because I was on a lucky streak with giveaways!  I can't thank the givers enough for the bounty of goodies I received but I did want to at least share a few of their products with you.

First up was the delicious salted caramels I received from Firefly Confections.  I honestly have no idea how I first stumbled upon this site but I'm sure glad I did!  They specialize in custom sugar cookie, as well as chocolate chip cookies, and caramels.  I had full intentions of turning over the caramels to Wes since he's a big salt + caramel person but after one lick, I decided we could share!

via

I'm amazed how they get the little grains of salt in nearly every lick.  When I've had salted caramels before, the salt is all resting on the top, but not these.  The caramel is rich and creamy and the added punch the salt gives just pushes these over the top.  I highly recommend these for a great little stocking stuffer!

*****

Next, I received a wonderful surprise that I had won 25 personalized Christmas cards from 20 Going On 80!  First let me say that I laughed out loud the first time I found her blog.  The title pretty much sums up what people's first impression of me is.  I've often been told I'm an old person trapped in a young person's body.  I take it as a compliment that they think I'm that mature!

Melissa is a design student with mad skills.  If the work she did for me is any indication of her abilities, she will really excel in her design career!  She was so great to work with and super fast!  I loved everything about the card design from the moment I saw it.  When the package arrived, she spared no detail.  The cards were wrapped in adorable Christmas wrappings.  She also included some candycane twine to use for hand-delivered cards.  She also threw in some complimentary candycane return address labels!  Seriously, every "t" was crossed and every "i" was dotted.  If you are still looking for that perfect Christmas card or want to do a Happy New Years card instead, look no further than Melissa!

Look at this adorable packing.

Our 2011 Christmas card:

I wish

I wish there were more hours in the day.  Although highly useful and life-changing, the internet can be a thorn in my side.  I see all these great recipes, craft ideas, Christmas ideas, and all kinds of other things that would take more time than I currently have to offer, but alas, I haven't done one of them.  I used to be a very organized person but I feel like that has gone by the wayside since I've had children.  My life is now run, run, run and just hope to get the daily routine accomplished.  I need to make a conscience (as in written) effort to schedule my time better and get to enjoy doing some of the things I love.

With that in mind, here are some wonderfully inspirational things I've seen around the internet (or internets if you're over the age of 70):

How yummy would these be on top of a warm cup of hot chocolate?

Homemade vanilla bean agave marshmallows

 Need something to take to an office party and want a healthier option?  How about this beauty?

Cheese Christmas Tree from Cabot Cheese

What a perfect way to start Christmas morning?!

Baked Eggnog Donuts

Need a cookie for a cookie exchange?  This one looks easy and quite tasty.

Pecan Glazes

How cool would it be to host a Christmas party for kids that taught them about giving?!

Mirabelle Creations

Since I can't decorate as much as I want to this year, I'm left fawning over others.  This one makes me want to curl up on the couch and never leave - and that's saying something for me who can't sit still for longer than 2 minutes at a time!

Holly Mathis Interiors

Now it's back to the daily grind.  Back to trying to think of new and clever places to put "Poof Guy" that are high enough that Little Bit doesn't get to him.  Back to thinking of the perfect Christmas gifts and finding the time to buy said gifts.  Back to searching for weeknight meals that take less than 30 minutes from start to finish (luckily I have a treasure trove of these!).  Back to feeling guilty for not having a creative craft for my children to do every weekend.  But at least I can find peace in the fact we're all healthy, have a warm place to call home with food on the table, and more blessings than I could ever ask for.  Merry Christmas!

He's Baaack!!!

Look who joined us for dinner tonight.

When Colin walked in the door, I told him someone would be joining us for dinner.  He sheepishly grinned and asked "Who?"  He went over and his face lit up when he saw the elf.  I think he must have forgotten his name because he called him "the elf."  Totally understandable considering he named him "Poof Guy" last year.

Poof Guy left Colin a letter that Colin was very eager to read.  He listened very attentively as I read.

Then the questions began.  Was he sitting there when I got home?  Did he already have that food?  Does he have a fork?  Can Daddy touch him?  Is today Christmas?  Is tomorrow Christmas?

Meanwhile Sawyer couldn't stop looking at him and grunting and pointing.  I learned really quickly that I'm going to have to make all the hiding spots up high because a 1-year old doesn't understand the no touching thing.

For inquiring minds, Poof Guy had a healthy sandwich with lettuce, red peppers, cheese, and bacon.  Sounds delicious, no?

Here's hoping Poof Guy works his magic and we have 23 peaceful days ahead!