Puzzle is Done!

It is our family tradition to get a puzzle from "Santa" on Christmas Day and try to complete it before New Year's Day! This years puzzle was a unique one! It was a 400 piece puzzle made especially for us -- featuring an extract from the US Geological Survey map base centered on our home. The puzzle covers an area of 4 miles north-to south & 6 miles east-to-west, the middle piece of the puzzle is in the shape of a home (ours).

I must admit (I only found one piece) my husband really gets all the credit for this puzzle!!

Don't forget to Leave Milk and Cookies for Santa!

Wishing you all a

Very Merry Christmas!

Christmas At My House

Over the next few days I will share some of my holiday decorations. Above is my Byers' Choice "The Carolers" family (representing our family) I need to add a new one for my son-in-law!!

Behind the "family" is our Advent Calendar which holds a "sweet" surprise for each day!

See you tomorrow for more decorations!

Fresh Fruit Centerpiece

Here is a easy centerpiece for the holidays! Use a glass hurricane or vase to create your arrangement that will last throughout the season. I filled the bottom with fresh cranberries, then fresh limes, more cranberries, fresh clementines, then a small branch of magnolia leaves.

I love having a magnolia tree in my yard, the leaves are great to decorate with! If you don't have magnolia leaves any fresh greenery looks great.

Make sure to visit www.designsbygollum.blogspot.com for other Foodie Friday recipes!

Whole Grain Challah with Cranberries and Orange Zest

I have joined the group Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. We officially start baking our way through the book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D. and Zoe Francois in January. The authors gave us 2 bonus recipes to get us started. I was not able to make the first one, but was happy that I was able to make this Challah! I have always admired the braided breads and was pleased with my first attempt at braiding. I did half the recipe that was provided. The bread was easy to make and I love the cranberry orange taste!



I am really looking forward to baking more recipes with the HBinFive group!

Homemade Granola Bars

Homemade granola is nothing like the granola you buy in the stores! This is so good and healthy too! These are great for a fast breakfast with a cup of tea or coffee. Homemade Granola Bars make a great gift to give a friend.
Best of all these are EASY to make, and we all need easy and fast this time of year. Hope you are enjoying the Season!

Homemade Granola Bars

• 2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
• 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup chopped dates
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 x 12 inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.

Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dates, apricots, and cranberries and stir well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.

Warm-Spiced Pecans with Rum Glaze

Spiced nuts are great at holiday parties! These nuts have great flavor and are very easy to make. The rum glaze has just the right amount to hold the spice mix. These also make great gifts or hostess gifts!

Warm-Spiced Pecans with Rum Glaze

• 2 cups raw pecan halves

Warm Spice Mix

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Rum Glaze

• 1 tablespoon rum, preferably dark
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon light or dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread pecans in even layer; toast 4 minutes, rotate pan, and continue to toast until fragrant and color deepens slightly, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer cookie sheet with nuts to wire rack.

For the Spice Mix

While nuts are toasting, stir together sugar, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice in medium bowl; set aside.

For the Glaze

Bring rum, vanilla, brown sugar, and butter to a boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Stir in toasted pecans and cook, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until nuts are shiny and almost all liquid has evaporated, about 1 1/2 minutes.

Transfer glazed pecans to bowl with spice mix; toss well to coat. Return glazed and spiced pecans to parchment-lined cookie sheet to cool.

Foodie Friday is hosted by Michael at"Designs by Gollum"visit her blog for great recipes and inspiration!

Orange Pomander

These clove-studded fruits are fun to do! I make them at Thanksgiving and enjoy their spicy scent throughout the Christmas holiday!

Whole cloves

Oranges

1 T. pumpkin pie spice (per orange)

1 t. orris root powder (per orange)

Press cloves into the orange's peel, pointed end down. Arranges cloves in swirls, lines or circles. A small awl or toothpick can be used to pierce holes, if peel is especially thick or tough. Place spice in a small bowl; roll orange in spice mixture to coat. Orange will gradually dry out and can be kept indefinitely.

You can dress up the spicy orange pomanders with ribbon bows. Enjoy the sweet-smelling oranges on your kitchen table!

Grandmother's Punch

Grandmother's Punch
Aynsley Tea Cup / I love the inside!

This is a great punch that I like to serve during the holidays. Grandmother's punch (Grossmutters punsch) is an elaboration of traditional German Gluhwein, or "glow wine," which is nothing more than heated red wine with cinnamon, lemon, sugar, and cloves. Rich, smooth, and strong! It is traditionally served at midnight on Christmas Eve.

Ingredients

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 25 whole cloves
• 25 allspice berries
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 vanilla beans, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup loose black tea
• Two 750 ml bottles red wine
• 1/2 cup dark rum
• 12 cinnamon sticks, for garnish

In a large pot, combine the sugar, spices, and vanilla beans with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes or until half the liquid has evaporated and the remainder is syrupy.

Remove from the heat, stir in the tea, and allow to steep for 10 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into another large pot and stir in the red wine and rum. Warm over medium heat until steaming, about 7 minutes.

Serve warm, garnishing each glass (or teacup) with a cinnamon stick stirrer, or chilled, over ice.

Doggie Treats

I had some left over canned pumpkin from my pumpkin cornbread recipe and had just enough for these special treats!! My dog Bromley taste-tested these biscuits and was very happy with them!

• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tblsp. powdered milk
• 2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour

Blend eggs and pumpkin; stir in salt, powdered milk and flour. If dough is too crumbly, add just enough water to make it workable. Roll or pat out dough on floured surface; cut out biscuits with a bone-shaped cookie cutter. Place on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes; turn biscuits over and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Bromley waiting for the go ahead have your treat!

Foodie Friday is hosted by Michael at"Designs by Gollum"visit her blog for great recipes and inspiration!

Black Bean Chorizo Chili

As promised here is a picture of the chili!

For the recipe look at my previous post. It is a great tasting chili -- not too hot, but with plenty of flavor.

Enjoy the weekend!

Pumpkin Cornbread and Black Bean Chorizo Chili

Happy Foodie Friday! I've got a great Halloween Dinner for you! We always have Chili for dinner on Halloween night; when my daughter was younger and trick-or-treating it was a great fast dinner that could be made ahead of time and eaten before she went out to get her "treats"! But now that she is married, I still like to make Chili for our Halloween Dinner! This is a new Chili for me... I love the recipe for Pumpkin Cornbread! Hope you all have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN :)

Pumpkin Cornbread

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 Tbs. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 Tbs. molasses

Preheat oven to 400. Grease a 9 inch square baking pan.

Sift flours, baking powder, salt and spices in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in cornmeal.

In a sparate bowl, beat eggs lightly. Whisk in pumpkin, brown sugar, oil and molasses.

Make a well in the dry mixture. Add pumpkin mixture and blend batter with a few quick strokes, just until blended. Don't overmix.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cornbread is browned and the surface has a slightly springy feel.

Black Bean Chorizo Chili

For the Chili

• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno chile pepper, minced
• 12 oz. ground chorizo sausage
• tsp. minced garlic
• 1 bottle dark beer
• 3 cans black beans, rinsed and drained (14.5 oz. each)
• 1 can diced tomaotes (28 oz.)
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

For the garnish

• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1 Roma tomato, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp. cumin seed, toasted

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat until it shimmers. Cook bell pepper, onion, and jalapeno in hot oil until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add chorizo and garlic; cook until meat is cooked through about 5-7 minutes.

Stir in beer; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Add beans, tomatoes, and ground cumin; simmer 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and the 1/4 cup lime juice.

Gently combine avocado, chopped tomato, and the 1 Tbsp. lime juice in a bowl. Mix sour cream and cumin seed in another bowl. Garnish each serving with both toppings.

I will post a picture of this Black Bean Chorizo Chili tomorrow!! (10-30-09)

Foodie Friday is hosted by Michael at"Designs by Gollum"visit her blog for great recipes and inspiration!

Shrimp and Pancetta on Polenta

This is the Italian take on a southern favorite - Shrimp and Grits! I absolutely love Shrimp and Grits, and have made many different versions. This recipe is from Gourmet magazine and is quick and easy to make. (I will miss Gourmet!!)

• 1/2 cup instant polenta
• 1/4 lb pancetta, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp hot red pepper flakes
• 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes in juice
• 1 lb cleaned large shrimp
• 1 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

Cook polenta according to package instructions in a heavy medium saucepan until thickened and creamy, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt, then cover.

Cook pancetta, garlic, and red pepper flakes in 2 Tbsp oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring, until garlic is pale golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juice and simmer until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup - 6 to 8 minutes. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt.

Spoon polenta into shallow bowls and top with shrimp mixture. Drizzle with remaining Tbsp oil, season with pepper, and sprinkle with parsley.

Serves 4.

I am participating in the Recipe Party at Southern Hospitality hosted Rhoda. Thanks Rhoda!

I am also particiating in Foodie Friday hosted by Michael. Thanks Michael!

Foodie Friday is hosted by Michael at"Designs by Gollum"visit her blog for great recipes and inspiration!

Cinnamon-Pecan Coffee Cake

I have joined a baking club called The Cake Slice Bakers. Each month a new cake is chosen from the cookbook Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott. I think it will be a fun way to make cakes you might not have tried and see how everyone else liked the cake. This months was a yummy coffee cake with tons of cinnamon topping. It made the whole house smell wonderful!! I am planning on freezing half of this and using at Thanksgiving when I have out of town company coming. It will be a great morning breafast!! ~you have to splurg during the holidays :-)
For the Cake:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs


For the Cinnamon Raisin Filling:
1½ cups light brown sugar
3 tbsp all purpose flour
3 tbsp cinnamon
1½ cups raisins
1½ cups coarsely chopped pecans
¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter, melted


Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13 by 9 inch pan.

To make the filling, combine the light brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a bowl and stir with a fork to mix everything well. Combine the raisins and pecans in another bowl and toss to mix them. Place the cinnamon mixture, the nut mixture and melted butter by the baking pan.
To make the coffee cake batter, combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, stir with a fork to mix them together. Stir the vanilla into the milk. In a large bowl combine the butter and sugar and beat with a mixer on high speed until pale yellow and evenly mixed, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl to ensure a good mix. Add the eggs and beat for another 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl now and then, until the mixture is smooth and light.
Use a large spoon or spatula to add about a third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir only until the flour disappears. Add a third of the milk and mix in. Repeat twice more until all the flour and milk mixtures have been incorporated. Stir just enough to keep the batter smooth.
Spread half the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half the cinnamon mixture over the batter followed by half the melted butter. Scatter half the raisins and nuts over the top. Spread the remaining batter carefully over the filling, using a spatula to smooth the batter all the way to the edges of the pan. Top with the leftover cinnamon, butter and nut mixture, covering the cake evenly.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the cake is golden brown, fragrant and beginning to pull away from the edges of the pan. Place the pan on a wire rack and allow to cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before serving in squares right from the pan. The cake is delicious hot, warm or at room temperature.

Apricot-Pecan Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

• Preassembled dishes are easy to prepare, and they are great to serve for company! I love when you can have the main dish prepared ahead of time, it gives you plenty of time to prepare your side dishes and set a pretty table.

• 1/2 cup crushed pecans
• 1/2 cup panko-style bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1 teaspoon minced thyme
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1 recipe Hoisin Barbecue Marinade
• 1 (1 pound) pork tenderloin, butterflied
  

Hoisin Barbecue Marinade

In a small bowl, combine the following ingredients.

• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic

In a small bowl, combine pecans, bread crumbs, apricot, thyme, hot sauce, and 1 teaspoon Hoisin Barbecue Marinade. Mix well.

Lay butterflied tenderloin on a work surface. Spread stuffing on tenderloin. Starting with a long side, roll up tenderloin, jelly-roll style, and secure with butcher's twine. Place in a resealable plastic bag and pour remaining Hoisin Barbecue Marinade over stuffed tenderloin.

Marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

All tied up ready for the marinade!

Preheat oven to 350. Place tenderloin in a roasting pan. Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes or until tenderloin reaches an internal temperature of 145.

Let tenderloin rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then remove twine. Cut into serving slices.

Foodie Friday is hosted by Michael at"Designs by Gollum"visit her blog for great recipes and inspiration!

My Two Favorite Guys

Aren't they cute :) A couple of weeks ago my husband took our sheltie Bromley to a Pet Day at his work SAS in Cary, NC. They had a fun day walking, meeting other dogs, and a few scared cats. You could enter your pet in different contests, Bromley won for most unique looking!!

Harvest Popcorn

This is a great snack to have on hand for football tailgating, sitting by a fire in the backyard, or to have while watching a movie! Hope you enjoy!

Harvest Popcorn

• 2 cups canned shoestring potato sticks
• 1 cup mixed nuts
• 1/3 cup popcorn, popped
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 teaspoon dill weed
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix the potato sticks, mixed nuts and popped popcorn in a large bowl. Combine the butter, dill weed, lemon pepper, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder and salt in a small bowl and mix well. Pour over the popcorn mixture, tossing to coat. Spread on a cookie sheet. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Let stand until cool. Store in an airtight container.

Make sure to visit http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/ to see other FOODIE FRIDAY participants! Have a great weekend :)

Chicken-Pot-Pie Soup with Puff-Pastry Croutons

It's Foodie Friday!! Make sure to stop by http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com

to see other Foodie Friday treats! Thanks Gollum for hosting this event.

This week I am sharing a new recipe for me - Chicken-Pot-Pie Soup! Wow, this soup was so good and easy to make. The list of ingredients looks long, many of the ingredients I am sure you have on hand. I was able to use some of my Chicken Stock (from my last post). This soup will be a repeat at my house. Let me know if you try it!

Here I am making puff-pastry croutons for the top of the soup. Great taste and a fun addition to the soup.

Chicken-Pot-Pie Soup

• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup quartered button mushrooms
• 1/2 cup diced carrot
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups diced red potatoes
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. dry sherry
• 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 2 ts. fresh lemon juice
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Saute onion, celery, mushrooms, carrot, and garlic in butter in a large pot over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes. Stir in potatoes; cook 3 minutes more. Whisk in flour; cook 1-2 minutes.

Deglaze pot with sherry, then stir in broth, chicken, thyme, bay leaf, the 1/2 tsp. salt, the 1/4 tsp. pepper, and nutmeg. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer soup until it's thickened, 10-15 minutes.

Add corn, peas, parsley, and lemon juice. Season soup with salt and pepper.

Puff-Pastry Croutons

• 1 sheet purchased puff pastry, thawed
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp. water
• Kosher salt
• Paprika
• Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 450. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Beat egg with water, then brush over dough.

Sprinkle pastry lightly with salt, paprika, and Parmesan. Cut pastry into 1 1/2 inch squares.

Transfer squares of pastry to the prepared baking sheet. Bake pastry until croutons are golden, about 15 minutes.

Chicken Stock

I love to make soup in the Fall and Winter months. Many of the soups I like to make have chicken stock as one of the ingredients. There are some good ones that you can buy already made, but nothing compares to homemade stock!! It takes very little time to put it all in the pot, then all you have to do is let is simmer for 4 hours. It will make your house smell wonderful, and you will have a freezer full of wonderful rich stock! I asked my local Chinese Take Out Restaurant if they would sell me a few of their quart containers; they sold them to me for $.25 each. They really work out great!

I will be posting some great soup recipes soon.

Chicken Stock

Makes 6 Quarts

• 3 whole roasting chickens
• 3 large yellow onion, unpeeled, quartered
• 6 carrots, unpeeled, halved
• 4 celery stalks with leaves, cut into thirds
• 4 parsnips, unpeeled, cut in half
• 20 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 15 sprigs fresh thyme
• 20 sprigs fresh dill
• 1 head garlic, unpeeled, cut in half crosswise
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

Place the chickens, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic, salt, and pepper in a 16 to 20 quart stockpot. Add 7 quarts water and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered for 4 hours. Strain the entire contents of the pot through a colander and discard the solids. Pack in quart containers and chill overnight. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months.

Pumpkin White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Welcome to Foodie Friday hosted by Designs by Gollum . Make sure to stop by her blog to see all the other great recipes!

I love when the seasons change -- I have certain foods that I look forward to with each season. With Fall I love pumpkin -- in my tea, coffee, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cheesecake to name just a few! These Pumpkin White Chocolate Chunk Cookies are so good, the butterscotch chips are ground into the dough and give the cookies a subtle butterscotch flavor without the cloying experience of biting into a bite full of buttererscotch. These are perfect to serve at Halloween and Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2/3 cup cooked canned pumpkin puree or fresh mashed pumpkin
• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat the oven to 350.


2. Put the flour and baking soda in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal bladed and pulse to distribute the baking soda evenly. Add the butterscotch chips and process until the chips are ground, with some slightly larger bits remaining. Turn the flour and butterscotch chips out into a large bowl.


3. In a separate large bowl, cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl from time to time, until fluffly. Add the egg and pumpkin puree and stir to combine.


4. Pour the butter-pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture and stir to combine. Add the oats, white chocolate chunks, and walnuts and stir until the ingredients are combined and no flour is visible. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes or overnight.


5. Use a 1/4 cup measure or scoop to drop the cookie dought onto the parchment lined cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches between the cookies.


6. Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the cookie sheets for 10 to 15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.

Makes 2 dozen 3-inch cookies.

Tea for 25? Brew up a Concentrate

It's Foodie Friday.... make sure to stop by Designs by Gollum for other Foodie Friday recipes!

TEA for 25? Brew up a Concentrate!!

If you are planning a tea for a large number of guests, a tea concentrate makes the job easy and guests don't have to contend with wet tea bags!

For 25 servings: Bring 1 quart fresh cold water to a full boil and pour over 25 regular tea bags or 1/2 cup loose tea. Cover and brew for 5 minutes.

Remove tea bags, or strain loose tea.

Keep at room temperature. Do not refrigerate the concentrate and use within two to three hours. For each cup of hot tea, put 2 tablespoons of tea concentrate in a teacup and fill with hot water. Serve with milk, sugar or lemon.

The same technique can be used for iced tea. Use 4 tablespoons tea concentrate in a glass and fill a glass with cold water. Serve with ice, sugar, lemon or mint.

Back To School!

We had a dinner today to celebrate our Two Favorite Teachers!! Jill our daughter is a 4th Grade teacher at Gibsonville Elementary in Gibsonville, North Carolina. Scott our Son-In-Law is a High School Teacher teaching AP US History, CP US History, AP Psychology and AP Government at T.W. Andrews High School in High Point, North Carolina. They are both in their 6th year of teaching... Lucky Students!!

Our dog Bromley (Sheltie) meeting Jill and Scott's dog Reagan for the 1st time! Bromley loved having a visitor... Reagan not too sure what to think of this guy!!

We had a "gift bag" filled with things on Jill's wish list of things needed for her classroom!!

My cute centerpiece (Jill took home the pencils)

Dinner menu was from one of my favorite cooks... Ina Garten.

Tequila Lime Chicken

Guacamole

Sagaponack Corn Pudding

Frozen Key Lime Pie

Support Your Teachers!!!!

Foodie Friday - Low Country Grill

It's Foodie Friday!! Make sure you stop by

"Designs by Gollum"

for some great recipes and inspiration!!

Instead of making the traditional "low country boil" I made this "low country grill." Grilling really brought out the flavors! This dish was easy and fun to make.

Low Country Grill

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt - divided
• 1 tsp. garlic powder, divided
• 1 tsp. seafood seasoning, divided
• 12 small red potatoes, quartered
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 lb. smoked kielbasa
• 3 medium ears sweet corn, cut in half
• 1 1/2 lbs. uncooked medium shrimp peeled and deveined

In a large blow, combine the oil with 1/4 tsp. each of salt, garlic powder and seafood seasoning. Add potatoes, toss to coat. Spoon onto a greased double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square).

Fold foil around potatoes and seal tightly. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 30-35 minutes or until tender, turning once. Set aside and keep warm.

In a small bowl, combine butter with remaining salt, garlic powder and seafood seasoning. Grill kielbasa and corn, covered, over med. heat for 10-12 minutes or until kielbasa is heated through and corn is tender, turning occasionally an basting corn with half of the butter mixture. Keep warm.

Thread shrimp onto skewers, grill covered, over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side or until shrimp turn pink, basting with remaining butter mixture. Slice kielbasa into six pieces before serving. Carefully open foil from the potatoes to allow steam to escape.

Foodie Friday - Cafe Green Salad

Foodie Friday is hosted by Designs by Gollum, make sure to stop by her blog to see many other great Foodie Friday posts!

This week I am posting a salad from the newest food network star, Melissa d'Arabian. I was glad when she won, she was my pick! She reminds me a lot of Sara Moulton, and I have followed her for many years on the Food Network. I hope we will be seeing a lot of Melissa! Her first two shows have been great. This recipe is from her first show. The vinaigrette taste so good, fresh and will make you think why do I buy that bottled dressing when this is so easy to make, and the taste is not comparable!!

Cafe Green Salad

Ingredients

Mustard Vinaigrette:

• 1 garlic clove, sliced in 1/2
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Small splash soy sauce
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

3 cups mixed greens, the darker the better (not iceberg)

Rub the inside of a large wooden bowl with the garlic clove and then either discard it or save it for another use. Put the mustard in the bowl and whisk in the balsamic vinegar and soy sauce (a French secret!) vigorously for about 10 seconds to get a creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle in the olive oil as slowly as possible with 1 hand while whisking as quickly as possible with the other hand to emulsify. Lay the salad greens on top of the dressing and toss just before serving.

Simple and delicious!!

Hornworm on Tomato Plants

My tomato plants have been doing great, then all of a sudden I have a few uninvited guests arrive! Would you look at how huge this guy was!! He had eaten many leaves and had even dined on one of my tomatoes! But he and two other friends are GONE!

Hope your garden is doing well, have you had any uninvited guests?

Summertime Jambalaya

I have been busy traveling and have not had a lot of time to do much cooking!! So I thought I would repost a recipe I did last year and plan to make this weekend. It was really good and I look forward to having it again!!

Foodie Friday is hosted by Gollum at Designs by Gollum. Make sure to stop by her blog for more great recipes and inspiration!

Jambalaya? In the summertime? At first glance, it seems too heavy. But the foil packet method used here keeps the dish lighter than usual. Plus, with all the great tomatoes, bell peppers, and okra available now, it'd be a sin not to make it! We loved this dish, hope you will give it a try!Here is the sausage, chicken, and vegetables. They can be prepared a day ahead.

Shrimp mixed with the brown sugar, olive oil, paprika, and tabasco!

Arrange vegetable mixture on foil, then top with shrimp and butter.

The butter will melt into a rich sauce.

As the packets cook, they'll puff up with steam.

Summertime Jambalaya on the Grill!

Cook:

1 cup medium grain white rice

Toss Together:
8 oz. andouille sausage, cut diagonally into 1/2" thick slices

1 cup rotisserie chicken, shredded

1 cup onion, sliced

1 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped

2/3 cup grape tomatoes, halved

2/3 cup okra, sliced into 3/4" thick rounds (thawed if frozen)

2 T. garlic

2 T. olive oil

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine: Top Vegetables with and Grill

12 jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails left on (1 lb.)

2 T. brown sugar

1 T. olive oil

2 t. paprika

1/4 t. Tabasco

Salt and Pepper

2 T. unsalted butter, cold, cubed.

Garnish With:

Chopped scallion

Lemon wedges

Preheat grill to medium.

Cook rice according to package directions and keep warm.

Toss sausage, chicken, vegetables, garlic, 2 T. oil, parsley, salt, and pepper together in a bowl; set aside.

Combine shrimp with brown sugar, 1 T. oil, paprika, Tabasco, salt & pepper; set aside. Lay 4 pieces of 18 x 18" foil on flat surface. Divide sausage, chicken and vegetable mixture evenly between foil pieces, then top each with 3 shrimp and 3 cubes of butter. Fold the top of each foil pieces over jambalaya so edges meet, then crimp together to completely seal the packets. Grill for 8 - 10 minutes, or until puffed; remove from grill and let rest for 2 - 3 minutes.

Cut tops of packets open and spoon the jambalaya over the cooked rice. Garnish with scallions and lemon!

Yummmmmmmmmmmm!!