Sugar & Spice by Celeste

It's that time of the year again...Time for all the ghouls, ghosts and goblins to come out and play tonight!  It's also time for our annual Halloween shindig.  What a great time we had this year, eating fun Halloween-themed food and spending time together in our silly costumes.  Although the party was a little last minute this year, we still had a blast.  Friends and family came dressed up in their best costumes - There was a pirate, a graduate, a ghostbuster, Little Red Riding Hood, an "obnoxious football fan", a gypsy, and even Jason and Chuckie came in super scary costumes to name a few.  I dressed up as a "Mysterious Masquerader!"  The party menu was tons of fun to prepare, as usual.  I whipped up a few favorites from past parties, like Witches' Wands, Nutty Ghosts, Kidney Stew (aka Chili) and Mummy Dogs.  I also added a couple of new recipes to the mix, like Blood Punch and an awesomely cute little Nacho Flavored Cheese Ball. ...

I recently had the chance to sit down with chef, cookbook author and CEO of Masterbuilt , John McLemore, for a delicious lunch here in Birmingham, AL.  John was in town for the day on a media blitz, and I'm so thankful that he took the time to meet with me.  Upon arriving, I was greeted by the entire gang - his wife Tonya, his daughter, his Social Media Specialist and even his pilot!  We had a great time at lunch, and I immediately felt like I had known them for years...What a wonderful group of folks.  We talked about all kinds of fun things - memories of his Memaw's Southern Fried Chicken, the story surrounding his most unforgettable meal, the strangest thing he's ever eaten (it was in China!) and even a visit with Paula Deen, in which she prepared an amazing breakfast spread for John and his family at her home.   I love that John's cookbooks have such a big focus on family.  Flipping through his cookbook is like looking through a family album, f...

Soup and sandwich combos don't get much more classic than a comforting bowl of tomato soup with a toa sty g rilled cheese o n the side .   So, when I received the October 2012 issue of Food Network magazine in the mail recently with this yummy dish gracing the cover, I was anxious to try it. Now, I don't have a fancy pan ini press, but that didn't stop me.  I whipped out my trusty skillet and simply made the sandwiches the old-fashione d way.  After a quick trip to the cutting board, they were cut into neat little squares and ready to go. Oh!  And did I mention that the grilled cheese is made with melty, ooey, gooey, amazing gruyere cheese ?  Oh , my...my f avorite...! The saffron threads add a depth of flavor that only saffron can, and the combinat ion of cream and just enough orzo make this soup decadent and mouthwateringly tasty .  The soup is super easy, but the f lavor is great and perfect for the chilly nights ahead.  That's anot...

When life gives you ripe bananas, make these incredible muffins! With autumn finally here in all its crisp air, gorgeous-colored glory, I unsurprisingly have been bitten by the baking bug lately.  It happens every year without fail.  There's just something about the smell of a something delicious baking in the oven that makes fall feel that much more like fall. The other day, I had a craving for banana muffins, and I just so happened to have 4 ripe bananas hanging out on the kitchen table.   Perfect! I found this recipe over at Cat Can Cook , and I had a winner.  It's undoubtedly very easy and you've probably got all of the ingredients in your kitchen.  It's easy...Mix the wet ingredients together.   Mix the dry ingredients together.  Combine.  Bake.  Voila! This recipe's simplicity and great results are going to make it a favorite of ours for years to come. Bon Appetit, my friends! Amazingly Easy (& Delic...

Drum-roll, please ........................................................................ ........... ..................................................................................... ...... ............................................................................................ .................................................. .. The winner of the autographed copy of Tasia's Table:  Cooking with the Artisan Cheesemaker at Belle Chevre is: Comment #25 from Jacqueline!!! " I tweeted about the giveaway too! @bloggingbeauty" Congratulations and thank you so much to everyone who entered for a chance to win! AS AN ADDED BONUS:  I've picked a second potential winner.  Belle Chevre will also be giving away a signed copy of this awesome cookbook to a winner selected from the blogs participating in the Tasia's Table Virtual Potluck.  This name will be added to a drawing that Belle Chevre will do after October 14th.  The winner being added to Belle C...

This weekend marks one of the top food events in the state of Alabama - The Break 'n Bread Food & Wine Festival, and I am super duper excited to go this year.  The Birmingham Originals is an organization of our city's finest restaurants, and they are going big this year by hosting what promises to be the best BNB festival yet. For those of you that live close to Birmingham, AL and are interested in attending, here are the details: WHAT:  Break 'n Bread Food & Wine Festival WHEN:  Sunday, October 14th TIME:  1:00PM - 5:00PM WHERE:  Railroad Park TICKETS:   $35 for regular, $75 for VIP and children under 12 years old get in free Break 'n Bread happens to be the signature experience for the Alabama Tourism Board's Year of Alabama Food campaign, and will feature an array of amazing food from nearly 40 Birmingham Originals restaurants.  A sampling of the restaurants include: Ocean Ted’s Restaurant Slice The FishMarket Little Sav...

This week kicks off a virtual potluck, celebrating Tasia Malakasis' beautiful new cookbook, Tasia's Table, Cooking with the Artisan Cheesemaker at Belle Chevre ...I'm excited to be a part of this fun event!  When the folks at Belle Chevre asked me to pick out a recipe from the cookbook, I had a hard time deciding on just one.  However, this recipe for Bacon and Goat Cheese-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Apple Chutney stood out and was calling my name. This is an outstanding meal, which actually isn't too complicated to make.  The ingredients are simple and the results are savory, scrumptious and comforting.  A pork tenderloin is stuffed with a trio of goat cheese, bacon, and fresh parsley.  After a quick trip to the skillet to brown the tenderloin, it roasts in the oven until done.  The tenderloin is topped off by a few spoonfuls of an easy apply chutney, adding a fruity-citrusy flavor to round out the entire meal.  Plus, on top of all that del...