My Feature in Wiregrass Living Magazine!

So, I've got some wonderful news to share with you all - My blog is featured in the January/February issue of Wiregrass Living magazine, with a 14 page spread (and cover photo)!  Wiregrass Living is published in my hometown of Dothan, AL, and I was thrilled to hear that they'd be featuring my recipes.  

As soon as the magazine hit newsstands, we headed to the local Barnes & Noble, and you can imagine my surprise when I first saw the issue, and a recipe from my spread made the cover!  I was even more happy with the recipe they chose for the cover - Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup.  Why?  Well, this is a much-loved family recipe that I originally blogged about HERE.

The article features recipes that make it easy to incorporate fresh fruits and healthy vegetables into your meals, during these chilly winter months when it's easy to rely on our favorite, maybe not-so-healthy, comfort foods.

I thought I'd share some pages of the spread with you, along with two recipes.  I hope you enjoy!

Bon Appetit, my friends!

Recipes Featured:

1.   Asparagus, Mushroom & Roasted Red Pepper Quiche with Bacon & Gruyere

2.  Very Berry Arugula Salad with Toasted Almonds, Mandarin Oranges & Balsamic Vinaigrette

3.  "Just Peachy" Shortcake with Toasted Pecans, Buttermilk Biscuits & Maple Drizzle

4.  Whole Wheat Penne with Turkey Sausage & Veggies

5.  Tomato & Corn Salad with Bacon and Blue Cheese

6.  Yogurt, Blueberry & Homemade Granola Parfaits

7.  Nutella-Peanut Butter Crepes with Bananas & Strawberries

8.  Greek Chicken Wraps

9.  Prosciutto, Mozzarella, Tomato & Basil Bruschetta

10.  Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup

Very Berry Arugula Salad with Toasted Almonds,

Mandarin Oranges & Balsamic Vinaigrette

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

For the salad:

5 oz arugula (4 large handfuls)

1 lb. strawberries, quartered

1 cup blueberries

1 (15 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/3 cup roasted sunflower kernels

1/2 red onion, minced

4 oz goat cheese, crumbled

For the vinaigrette:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tsp light brown sugar

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup grapeseed oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Place the almonds on a baking sheet in a single layer.  Bake for 3-4 minutes, or until lightly toasted and fragrant.  Set to the side.

Pour the arugula into a large bowl.  Add the strawberries, blueberries, oranges, toasted almonds, sunflower kernels, red onion and crumbled goat cheese.  Gently toss to combine all ingredients.

Divide salad onto individual serving plates and lightly dress with the desired amount of vinaigrette, reserving extra for later use.

To make the vinaigrette:

Pour all vinaigrette ingredients into a mason jar, with a tight-fitting lid.  Vigorously shake the jar for 1 minute to thoroughly combine.  

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Prosciutto, Mozzarella, Tomato & Basil Bruschetta

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

8 oz. fresh mozzarella pearls

3 oz. prosciutto, cut into small pieces

10 large fresh basil leaves, chopped

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 whole French baguette, sliced 1/2 - 3/4" thick

1 clove garlic, sliced in half

Directions:

Preheat broiler to 500 degrees F.

Combine tomatoes, mozzarella, prosciutto, basil and olive oil in a large bowl.  Season with freshly ground black pepper and mix together well.

Next, arrange the bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet that's been lined with a silicone mat or sprayed with no-stick cooking spray.  Place under the broil and toast until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

Once bread is just cool enough to handle, lightly rub each piece with the garlic, cut side down.  The harder you rub, the stronger the garlic flavor will be.

Just before serving, spoon topping over the toasted bread.  Serve immediately.

Martie Duncan's Arancini - Perfect for Super Bowl Sunday!

Who's ready for the Super Bowl tomorrow??  If truth be told, I'm probably more excited about the commercials (and food, of course!) than the actual football game, but hey, the commercials are usually awesome.  And they better be, especially when the average cost of a mere 30-second ad spot during the game is $4 million!

That's right...$4 Million....WOW.

Awesome party food is an absolute MUST for any Super Bowl party, and my new friend Martie Duncan, from The Next Food Network Star, knows her stuff when it comes to party food.  Martie kicked some serious butt on Season 8 of the show as a finalist, and I recently had the opportunity to help her prepare for her latest cooking segment on our local Fox 6 station here in Birmingham.  On the segment, she demonstrated how to make her A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. Arancini (AKA Italian Rice Balls).

Folks, these are simply irresistible...When you bite into that first perfectly-fried little sphere, your tastebuds are greeted by cheesy, meaty, melty goodness!  And you can't eat just one...Oh, no...I won't tell you how many I had before we left the studio that day!  Hah.

These are super easy to make and are perfect for a large crowd.  Here are some tips that I learned from Martie along the way:

1.  You can make these ahead and freeze them.  Simply thaw and fry as usual just before your guests arrive.
2.  The recipe calls for 1 lb of ground beef + 1 lb of veal.  To save money, you can simply use 2 lbs of ground beef.
3.  This recipe can easily be doubled, if feeding a larger crowd.
4.  It's best to use sticky rice.
5.  If you're pressed for time, use store-bought marinara sauce.

Now, hurry and make these very soon.  You'll thank me, I promise.  :)

CLICK HERE for the recipe.

Be sure to visit Martie's website, Martie Knows Parties, for lots of great party-planning tips, tricks and recipes!

Here's Martie in action on Fox 6 News/Good Day Alabama:

Roasted Peanuts - Alton Brown

Here's something many of you don't know about me....I grew up in a city that is proclaimed to be the "Peanut Capital of the World."  What city is that, you ask?  Well, Dothan, AL of course!  :)

Not only do we have the best peanuts in the world right here in Alabama, but we've got some pretty awesome football, too!

On the eastern side of the state, you'll find a town called Auburn, and another little town called Tuscaloosa on the western side.   These two cities are home to the state's biggest rivals in college football, and the folks around our state sure do take their football seriously!  Your battle cry is either ROLL TIDE! (University of Alabama)  or WAR EAGLE! (Auburn University).  There's absolutely no in-between, people.  You must choose a side.  We're talking serious business here.  :)

Last weekend, the two teams played each other in the Iron Bowl.  Fans of both teams look forward to the big game every year, and this year I'm proud to say that "my" team - the Alabama Crimson Tide - came out on top!  They won 42 - 14.  Not only that, but we are currently ranked No. 2 in the country!  

ROLL TIDE!

On game day, we had a little football viewing party at our house, and these roasted peanuts made a scrumptiously perfect snack while we watched the game.  Not only that, but the smell of them roasting in the oven was heavenly.  This recipe couldn't be simpler, and there just isn't any comparison between peanuts right out of the oven and the roasted peanuts at the grocery store.

I'll definitely be making these again soon.

Bon Appetit!

Roasted Peanuts
Source:  Alton Brown

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds in-shell raw peanuts*
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 to 2 tablespoons kosher salt

Directions:

*Cooks note: If eating peanuts roasted right out of the shell, use Virginia or Valencia peanuts. If utilizing roasted peanuts to make peanut butter, use Spanish peanuts as they have a higher oil content.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Rinse the peanuts under cool water to remove excess dirt. Pat dry and place in a large bowl and toss with the peanut oil and salt until well coated.

Place on 2 half sheet pans, making sure to spread them out into a single layer. Roast in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through cooking. Once you remove the peanuts from the oven, let them cool slightly before eating. They will continue to "cook" and become crunchy as they cool.

If using peanuts to make peanut butter, remove shells and discard. Remove the skin by rubbing the peanuts together in your hands held over a salad spinner, allowing the peanuts and skins to fall into the bowl. Once the skin has been loosened from all of the peanuts close the salad spinner and spin until all of the skin has been separated from the peanuts.

Halloween Party 2011

Boy oh boy, do we love Halloween time around our house!  We look forward to our annual Halloween bash every year, and this year was no exception!  I knew it would be hard topping the "Blood Fondue Bar" from last year, but I think I may have pulled it off this year with yummy tricks and treats!  

The menu consisted of:
Forked Eyeballs
Mummy Dogs
Slime-Covered Apples
Pumpkin Apple Spice Cake
Blood-Splattered Popcorn
Secondhand Swabs
Witches Wands
Nutty Ghosts
Kidney Stew
Bat Brew (aka coffee)

Sounds yummy, right?!?

I was so happy that so many of our family members got to come.  My sisters, and my aunt, uncle and cousin even came from out of town.  I couldn't have pulled the party off without their help! We were excited to dress up and have some fun with everybody!  After all, you're never too grown-up to put on a costume and party, right??


Here are some fun shots from the night...I'll start with the food:

Slime-Covered Apples (aka Caramel Apples!)

I used Caramel Bits...they worked great!!  The caramel didn't turn hard on the apples, so they were still easy to eat. 

"Forked Eyeballs"

These were doughnut holes speared with a fork and dipped in white chocolate, and decorated with one semi-sweet chocolate chip and red icing.

"Mummy Dogs"

Aren't these little guys adorable???  Simply cut a beef frank in half, cut crescent rolls into thin strips, and then wrap them around the beef franks.  Finish them off with two dots of mustard for eyes.

"Nutty Ghosts"

These are simple...just dip Nutter Butters in white chocolate and add two mini chocolate chips for eyes!

"Witches Wands"

These were my favorite!  Just dip pretzel rods into white chocolate and decorate with your favorite Halloween themed sprinkles.

"Secondhand Swabs"

Gross!!!  Brad came up with the name for these.  They are mini marshmallows dipped into caramel...using a toothpick.

"Blood-Splattered Popcorn"

To make this, just melt some butter and stir in enough red food coloring to turn it a deep red color.  Drizzle over popcorn and give the bowl a good stir.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Apple Spice Cake

"Kidney Stew"

(aka Carol's Famous Chili)

 

Yes, I was Snow White...lol.

Me and the hubby...

Who you gonna call???

Final preparations before the guests start arriving...

Brad surprised me with a fog machine one afternoon before the party...I loved it.  It made our entrance extra spooky!

Scary!!!

A pair of farmers and flowers...How adorable are they?!?

A kitty cat!

We had a costume contest, and "The Baby" was the official winner!  I must have the greatest mom-in-law ever!  ;-)

My sweet angel of a niece.

A pirate and a goddess!  (aka my Aunt Julie and Suzanne)

Me and my sisters

Group shot!

 

Spooky Centerpiece

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!