Tasty Tuesday

My friend Heather over at Queen Bee Coupons posed the most delicious looking recipe for homemade rolls. Making your own bread, rolls, cinnamon rolls, etc. is very economical but I have a confession to make: Yeast scares me. I know that's stupid, but it's true. I've never made my own bread or rolls because the idea of dealing with yeast seems too intimidating!

However, these rolls look so delicious, I think I'm inspired to give this recipe a try. So, without further ado, I give you Heather's Grandma Ramona's Roll Recipe.

Thanks for the recipe & photo, Queen Bee Coupons! And thanks, Grandma Ramona!

Tasty Tuesday

This recipe really couldn't get easier; it's only 2 ingredients. Can you even call it a recipe? It's more like tweaking ingredients.

Regardless, it's cute & would be fun to do with your kids to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. I think I will make these with my daughter on Thursday for a a festive after school snack!

I found the recipe for Sweet Shamrock Pretzels over at Family Fun. Check out the other great stuff Family Fun has online while you're over there!

Tasty Tuesday

I've told you before how much I love tomato soup. I mean, I truly, madly, deeply love tomato soup (but ironically, detest tomatoes). So when I saw those fabulous boys over at Beekman 1802 post their recipe for White Tomato Soup, I was intrigued.

How fun would it be to grow white tomatoes & then make this soup? In fact, take it one step further & serve it with a grilled cheese sandwich made from white cheddar! Yes, I do find food entertaining....& I'm OK with that.

Thanks, Beekman for the recipe & photo. You have me dreaming of white tomatoes!

Tasty Tuesday

The weather here is supposed to get cold again this week, so I am in the mood for something hearty & comforting. This recipe I found over at PCC Natural Markets for Braised Short Ribs over Soft Polenta makes my mouth water.

If you try this recipe, you must leave a comment giving us your thoughts on it!

Tasty Tuesday

Sorry guys....my afternoon was crazy so I didn't get a recipe posted earlier today. However, look at this amazing recipe for Hearty Potato, Leek, & Spinach Soup. The totally, utterly fabulous thing about this soup is that you drizzle it with truffle oil. Come on, truffle oil is like a non scary MSG; it makes everything taste better!

Thanks to Cascadian Farm for the recipe & photo!

Tasty Tuesday

I have a secret to confess: Up until about 18 months ago, I had never tried buffalo wings. My sister introduced me to them & now I am totally hooked. An easy way to get the flavor of them without the hassle is making Buffalo Chicken Dip.

Consider making this for your Superbowl Party. I promise, it will get gobbled up very quickly. You might want to consider having enough ingredients on hand to make a second batch...it's that good!

Tasty Tuesday

If you have a difficult time getting your kids to try new foods, check out this recipe from PCC Natural Markets. It's for Cinnamon Apple Chops & it uses applesauce & (wait for it) cinnamon red hot candies!

I am definitely going to try this recipe! I'm fairly confident my daughter will love the idea since it has candy in it. I don't know a single child that wouldn't think candy for dinner is a fun idea. Thanks, PCC!

Snowbound? Make Snow Cream!

It snowed about 4 inches at my house last night, however it's quickly turning to slush, so we really can't play in it. I found this recipe for Snow Cream on Beekman 1802 & my daughter & I made some for breakfast. Yes, breakfast. Hey, we have to enjoy it while we can (because it's quickly melting!)!

Tasty Tuesday

Today's recipe will be my family's dinner tonight. I had some ground pork in the freezer that I got insanely cheap, so I went online to find a recipe utilizing ground pork & came up with this recipe for Sweet & Sour Pork Patties.

I plan on following the advice of the reviewers who made them into meatballs & baked them. It seems easier & healthier than frying. Cross your fingers for us that this recipe is a good one!

Tasty Tuesday

I know it seems odd to say this, but after the holidays I'm a bit sick of chocolate. I was looking for a sweet treat that featured different flavors, & I stumbled found this recipe. I haven't tried it yet, but just one look at the photo had me drooling. I need to make this soon! You can thank PCC Natural markets for Maple Cranberry Creme Brulee.

Tasty Tuesday

Today's recipe comes from my good friend & BMIM reader Leslie. She made the most amazing eggnog at a holiday party. It was so good I had to ask her for the recipe. This eggnog is sinful. It tastes nothing like the eggnog you buy at a store. It's decadent & frothy & yummy & I'm craving it at this very moment. Thank you Leslie for sharing your secret recipe with us!

Leslie's Eggnog

6 eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar (separated into 1/2 cup & 1/4 cup)
1 pint whipping cream
1 pint milk
1 pint whiskey
1 ounce rum

While beating just the yolks, mix in 1/2 cup sugar. Beat the egg whites until very stiff & add in 1/4 cup sugar. Combine the egg white mixture with the egg yolk mixture. Then stir in the whipping cream, milk, whiskey, & rum. Serve chilled with a pinch of nutmeg on top.

Tasty Tuesday.....Late Again

OK, so I forgot to post a recipe yesterday...again. My bad. I chose one today that you will either love or hate: fruitcake.

I'll admit it: I love fruitcake. Good fruitcake is outstanding. Bad fruitcake is, well....bad. There is a huge difference between a good fruitcake & a bad one.

In the spirit of disclosure, I will admit I haven't tried this recipe yet, but I plan on it. I saw Josh making it on The Fabulous Beekman Boys Holiday Special & went & found the recipe online. If I remember correctly, Josh used 1 cup of rum in the recipe (1/2 in the batter & he poured 1/2 over the finished loaves to soak in) vs. the 1/2 cup of rum that is called for in the printed recipe. Hey, more rum can never be bad, right?

Check out the recipe & a photo of the fruitcakes (you'll drool!) at Beekman 1802.

Tasty Tuesday

This is one of my all time favorite recipes. Certainly my favorite soup recipe. I used to buy this little 1 pint container of soup at Pasta & Co. for about $5 & realized that was crazy expensive (& I would buy this a lot!). So, I got finally broke down & purchased their cookbook Pasta & Co. By Request which had the recipe in it.

Guess what? The soup is insanely easy to make, pretty affordable (certainly more reasonable than $5 per pint!), & delicious. Everyone I have ever given the recipe to raves about it. It's perfect cold weather food, so make a batch soon & enjoy!

Tomato Cheddar Soup

3 t butter
1/2 cup onion, roughly chopped
1 28 oz. can Paradiso brand pear tomatoes in juice, chopped into 1/4" pieces, including all juices (I've used other brands of tomatoes, & they work fine)
1 1/4 cups chicken stock (I've also used vegetable stock & it's fine)
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon white pepper (come on....I use regular black pepper!)
7 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated (sharp is better, but a good quality medium cheddar works fine as well)
salt m& pepper to taste

In a 3 qt saucepan melt butter & saute onions until soft. Add tomatoes & their juices, chicken stock, & water. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Add 1/2 of the sour cream. Whisk until well blended, then add remaining sour cream. Stir in the pepper & cheese to blend. Salt & pepper to taste. Gently reheat & serve.

Makes 6 cups

My Favorite Leftover Turkey Recipe

I love turkey (Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday) & have been known to make a full turkey dinner in July before. I love leftover turkey. In fact, I had it for breakfast today (don't judge me!). However, at some point I need to use the turkey up in a different way.

This will be the 15th year I have made this recipe for dinner on Black Friday. I think my husband & I look forward to it more than Thanksgiving dinner itself. It's easy to make, delicious, & is total comfort food. The recipe is in the Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook. My copy was giving to me when I got married & it appears the edition was even a few years old when I got it, as the copyright states 1989. I have no idea if the newer versions of the cookbook have the recipe in there. Also, technically, the recipe calls for chicken, but I substitute turkey. If you look in your cookbook then, the recipe will be for Chicken Enchiladas.

Now, drum roll please......

Turkey Enchiladas

8 6 inch tortillas
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 t ground coriander
1/4 t pepper
4 T butter
3 T all purpose flour
1 8 oz. carton sour cream
2 cups chicken broth
1 or 2 canned jalapeno chili peppers, rinsed, seeded, & chopped (I omit this!)
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (um yeah....I add more!)
2 cups cooked turkey, chopped
sliced black olives (optional)
sliced green onions (optional)

Wrap tortillas in foil & heat in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until softened.

For sauce, in a saucepan cook onion, garlic, coriander, & pepper in butter until the onion is tender. Stir flour into sour cream; add to the onion mixture. Stir in broth & chili peppers all at once. Cook & stir until thickened & bubbly. Remove from heat & add 1/2 of the cheese.

For filling, stir 1/2 of the sauce into the turkey. Place about 1/4 cup onto each tortilla; roll up. Arrange seam side down in a lightly greased baking dish (I use 9x13) & top with remaining sauce. Cover with foil & bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Remove, sprinkle remaining cheese over the enchiladas, & bake for approx. 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with olives, green onions, diced tomatoes, etc. as you wish (although I don't use any toppings...they are amazing as is!).

Tasty Tuesday

Today's recipe is another one of my favorites for Thanksgiving. I've been making corn pudding for years now, & it's always a hit. Two years ago I went online to find a slow cooker recipe for it, in an attempt to free up oven space (let's face it, even with double ovens it's easy to run out of space). I stumbled across this recipe on Recipezaar (now Food.com) & both my husband & I agree that we prefer the slow cooker version.

One word of advice: Grease the heck out of your slow cooker, because this does like to stick. Also, plan on cooking it longer than the stated time, because it takes a while for the center to fully set (although I think the oval slow cooker helps with that; the round slow cooker seemed worse).

Enjoy Slow Cooker Corn Pudding!

Free Martha Thanksgiving eCookbook

Now this is a good thing (I couldn't resist)! Martha Stewart has her new Thanksgiving eCookbook available to download free on her Sirius page. The chapters included are:

• Soups & Starters
• Sides & Salads
• Turkey & Entrees
• Desserts
• Wine, Liquor, & Entertaining

Thanks, Rockin' Deals!

Tasty Tuesday

Whew....I almost forgot to post today's recipe! And this is a good one, too.

Years ago, my friend Teresa came to Thanksgiving at my house because she had no family in Washington. She grew up in the south & made the most amazing sweet potatoes topped with chopped pecans. I begged her for the recipe & have been making them this way ever since. They are totally high calorie but totally delicious. The recipe is hysterical because I wrote it down exactly as she told me, so if you get a giggle out of it, that's why. Enjoy!

Teresa's Sweet Potatoes

• 3 cups sweet potatoes (can use canned or fresh that are cooked & diced)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• pinch of salt

Mush all ingredients together & dump into a baking dish.

• 1/2 stick butter (melted)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Mix those 4 ingredients to make a crumble topping & spread over sweet potato mush. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Tasty Tuesday....a Smidge Late

So, I spaced it again on Tasty Tuesday! At least this week I can blame it on being sick. Regardless, I have been dying to share this recipe I found on the Whole Foods Market website with you. Pumpkin Cream Cheese Truffles. That got your attention, right?!

I haven't made it yet, but come on...it has to be awesome. If you try it, leave a comment letting us know what your thoughts are!

Tasty Tuesday

On BMIM's Facebook wall I posted that our family has a tradition that we have Taco Soup for dinner every Halloween. Several of you asked for the recipe, so I decided to post it as today's recipe.

My grandmother gave me this recipe years ago & I have been making it for years. It is insanely easy to make & you can do it on the stove or in the crock pot (although you will need to brown the ground beef first). I always make a double batch & freeze half! This recipe feeds 4 heartily!

Taco Soup

• 1 lb. ground beef (I've used ground turkey & even veggie ground beef as well)



• 1 package taco seasoning mix



• 1 28 oz can tomatoes



• 1 16 oz can kidney beans



• 1 16 oz can corn



• 1 4 oz can chopped green chile peppers (I omit this!)



• 1 4 oz can sliced black olives



• 1 medium onion, chopped



• Misc. taco toppings such as sour cream, guacamole, diced tomatoes, tortilla chips, etc.

Brown meat & add onions & cook until the onions are clear. Add the taco seasoning mix according to directions on package. Add next 5 ingredients & simmer at least 30 minutes.

Crush some tortilla chips into bowl & ladle the soup over. Top with whatever you like & enjoy!

Pumpkin Seed Recipes

My guess is that if you spent your morning carving pumpkins like we did, you have some seeds to use. Here are a few recipes for pumpkin seeds.

Classic

Melt 1/2 stick butter & toss the seeds in it. Sprinkle with salt & bake for about 45 minutes at 300 degrees.

BMIM reader Julie said she tosses the seeds in soy sauce or teriyaki sauce & then bakes. Yvonne told me she mixes cumin with the butter for a bit of a kick. Yum! Another option is to toss the seeds with butter, place them on your baking sheet, & then sprinkle with equal parts cinnamon & sugar.

If you want to get more adventurous, try Pumpkin Seed Beer Brittle or Pumpkin Seed Cream Sauce & serve it with pumpkin ravioli. Yum!