Simply Summer

The original inspiration for dinner was summer.  What's not to love about summer?  The fruits, the vegetables, the picnics, the fireworks, the weather, the beach; it's all beyond great.

This meal was our nod to summer: light, meatless, refreshing, and under the stars.

Appetizers:

Mozzarella & Pesto Stuffed Tomotoes
1 ½ cups diced mozzarella ¾ cup pesto 2 lbs. (aprox. 20) Campari tomatoes Salt Core the tomatoes with a small melon baller or fruit corer. Rinse out the seeds and sprinkle salt into the tomatoes. Turn upside down onto a paper towel, and refrigerate until filling is ready. This gives them time to drain and the salt helps eliminate excess moisture. Mix the pesto with the mozzarella, and use a baby spoon to fill the tomatoes. Serve immediately or refrigerate beforehand.

Watermelon & Kiwi with Strawberry Cream
Seedless watermelon
Kiwi

1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup Low fat cream cheese
1 Tablespoon Strawberry puree

Cube watermelon and kiwi. Place fruit on toothpicks.  The cream recipe is estimated and I honestly don't remember what I did. Combine the ingredients to make a nice consistency. Refrigerate until you are ready to eat!

Salad

Summer Corn Salad

2 ears fresh corn, husks removed
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 roma tomatoes
Basil sprigs for garnish

Light up your grill or preheat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat.
In a large pot of boiling unsalted water, parboil the corn for 2 minutes. Drain. Brush lightly with olive oil and cook on hot grill, turning occasionally, until lightly charred in spots, about 5-10 minutes. Transfer to a platter.
Once corn is cool enough to handle, cut kernels from the cob and place in a large mixing bowl. Stir in onion, balsamic and olive oil. Toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cut tomatoes into 1/2″ thick slices. Arrange on six salad plates, and top with a small mound of corn mixture. Garnish with a sprig of basil.

Mediteranean Orzo Salad with Grilled Vegetables

Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup of olive oil

2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 clove of garlic, minced
Dash of dried oregano
Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Combine all of the ingredients together in a small bowl and whisk well. Set aside.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 zucchini, cut into spears
1 yellow squash, cut into spears
1/2 red onion, sliced into rings
1 baby yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 baby red bell pepper, sliced
1 baby orange bell pepper, sliced
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Dash of oregano, to taste
1 cup of orzo, cooked per instructions
1 1/2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp of crumbled feta

Coat a large grill pan with cooking spray over medium high heat. Slice the vegetables then drizzle the olive oil over them and season them with oregano, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Toss to coat evenly. Place into the hot grill pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until tender. The onion and bell peppers may take longer than the zucchini and squash. Set the vegetables aside to cool before dicing.

Cook the orzo in salted water per instructions then drain well. Pour the cooked orzo into a large bowl. Add the diced grilled vegetables, fresh parsley, and feta cheese. Drizzle the vinaigrette onto the mixture then toss to coat evenly (you may not need all of the vinaigrette). Taste and re-season if needed. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Strawberry, Basil, and Goat Cheese Panini

Panini

2 slices of whole wheat levain bread, thinly sliced

1.5 ounces goat cheese

3 to 4 strawberries

a few basil leaves, whole or roughly chopped

black pepper, freshly ground

1 tablespoon butter, or less

Balsamic Honey Sauce

2/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup honey

Instructions

1. Spread a layer of goat cheese over both slices of bread. Slice your strawberries relatively thinly by cutting off slices from the outside of the strawberries, leaving the center behind. Spread strawberries over one slice of bread, and basil on the other. Sprinkle both sides with black pepper, and lay the basil slice face down on top of the strawberry slice.
2. Heat a small to medium skillet (cast iron is best) over medium heat. Melt one to two teaspoons of butter in the skillet, then add the sandwich. Cover it with a plate or appropriately sized dish and weigh it down with something heavy, like canned beans or a cast iron skillet. Cook until the bottom of the bread is lightly browned, about two to three minutes, then lift the sandwich from the pan, add another pat of butter, let it melt, and return the sandwich to repeat on the other side. Slice each sandwich in half and serve warm.
3. To make the balsamic honey sauce, combine the balsamic vinegar and honey in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer, stirring constantly, until the liquid is reduced by about half (15 minutes or more). Pour the liquid into a small bowl to cool.

Notes

• Panini adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook by Mark Bittman. Balsamic honey sauce from Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts by Alice Medrich.
• I recommend making the balsamic honey sauce first. Save leftovers for drizzling over Greek yogurt, vanilla ice cream, pizza, peaches and berries.
• If you’d like to make multiple sandwiches at once, you might try Bittman’s other cooking method: preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and butter your slices of bread on one side. Place the bread, butter side down, on a baking sheet and spread the topsides with goat cheese. Add fillings as directed below, and top with another slice of bread, spread with goat cheese on the underside and butter on the topside. Cover the sandwiches with another baking sheet and weigh the sheet down with something heavy, like a cast-iron skillet or canned goods, and let it sit for 5 minutes. Remove the weight and the top baking sheet and bake the sandwiches until the bottom of the bread is lightly browned, about 5 minutes, and then repeat on the other side.

Dessert

Dole Whip Ice Cream

1 quart 100% Dole Pineapple Juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups heavy whipping cream
3 cups sugar

Mix the pinapple juice and sugar, amking sure that the sugar is dissolved, then add the cream and vanilla.
Pour the whole mixture into your ice cream maker.  Follow the ice cream maker instructions.

Mixed Berry Sorbet

3 cups fresh or frozen mixed berries of your choice
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
zest and juice of one lemon

In a medium saucepan set over medium high heat, place the berries and the rest of the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a quick boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Puree until smooth in a blender or food processor and then strain through a fine mesh chinois (strainer). Process in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
5 Tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups raspberries (you can use fresh or frozen)

Add the heavy cream, cocoa powder and sugar to a medium saucepan and whisk to combine. Set the pan over medium heat and, whisking frequently, bring the mixture to a full, rolling boil. Turn off the heat under the pan, then add the raspberries. Cover the pan and set aside for 10 minutes.

Puree the mixture in a blender (immersion blender works too, that's what I did!) or food processor. If desired, you can strain the mixture to remove the raspberry seeds.

Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (overnight is good). The mixture will be thick - almost like pudding - once chilled. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to airtight container and store in your freezer.

Liquids

We love the idea of flavored water.

Well ladies, it seems we are a little behind in the posts. If someone wants to add in, feel free to move mine around. Our evening at Cassaundra's house was really great. Cassaundra did a fabulous job creating a beautiful room! She is amazing!

Here are the dishes that I helped with:

 Fried Okra: Paula Deen from Food Network
6 cups oil, for frying
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons House Seasoning, recipe follows
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds fresh okra, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/2 cup buttermilk

Directions
Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven to 350 degrees F. (You may not need to use this much oil; do not fill the pan more than halfway up the sides with oil.) In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, House Seasoning, and cayenne pepper. Dip okra in buttermilk and then dredge in cornmeal-flour mixture to coat well. Carefully add okra to the hot oil and cook until golden brown. (It may be necessary to fry the okra in batches.) Remove from oil, drain on paper towels, and then serve immediately.
 House Seasoning: 1 cup salt 1/4 cup black pepper 1/4 cup garlic powder Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

 Fried Pickles (Cassaundra's idea:) Recipe from Big Oven
Seasoned Egg Wash:
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/3 C milk
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3 c Worcestershire Sauce
1/3 tsp tabasco (I used chipotle)

 Seasoned Flour:
2 C flour
1/2 T Paprika (I used smoked)
1 T garlic salt
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 T pepper
 Oil for frying
Pickles - I used Klauson Ovals so they were a little bigger

 Heat oil to 375. Whip together all ingredients for seasoned egg wash, set aside. Mix together ingredients for flour mixture in a shallow dish. Dip pickle slices into flour mixture, then egg wash and then back into flour mixture. Fry until golden brown, about 1 minute. Drain on paper towels. They are best when still hot.

 Herbed Roast Beef
5 lb eye of round roast (for the evening I couldn't get this so I used Tri tip)
Herb paste:
 cloves of garlic
2 T fresh basil, chopped
2 t fresh thyme, chopped
2 t fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 c chopped shallots
2 T rosemary, chopped
1 c chopped parsley
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

 Chimichurri Sauce:
1/2 C olive oil
1/3 C red wine vinegar
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/3 C chopped cilantro
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 T fresh oregano, chopped salt
1/2 t red pepper
1/4 t pepper

 Heat oven to 450. Make paste by adding all herbs, garlic and parsley together in a small bowl. Add enough olive oil to make a paste. Add salt and pepper. Place roast in pan or baking dish; cover with paste. Cook in oven at 450 for 10 minutes, then drop heat to 250 and cook 22 minutes for each pound of meat. Let rest 15 minutes then slice thinly. While meat is cooking make chimichurri sauce. Whisk olive oil and red wine vinegar. Stir in onion, cilantro, garlic, oregano, salt, red pepper and pepper. Serve with meat. Makes a GREAT sandwich.

 Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese:
Beets
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Rosemary or thyme sprigs
Goat cheese
Red wine vinaigrette

 Heat oven to 400. Cut greens off of beets and scrub them well. Place them on foil, drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place herbs on top. Bring long sides up together and fold over a couple times. Then roll in the ends. It should make a tight little packet. Roast in oven for 45-60 minutes, based on size of beets. Open package and test beets for doneness. Pierce with fork, should slide in quite easily and be a little stiff in the center. Use fork to move beets to cutting board and hold still while you slice with a knife. It will dye your hands if you touch it too much, but it will wash off. Place on a platter, drizzle generously with vinaigrette and sprinkle with goat cheese while still hot.

Romantic Dinner for... 11?

I know we did the most obvious thing to make our February dinner based around Valentine's Day... but Amy and I couldn't resist the chance to serve chocolate, roses, hearts... and a whole lotta love!

Appetizer: Artichoke & Parmesan Crostini

courtesy of Everyday Food

Ingredients

8 slices (1/4 inch thick) baguette

2 tablespoons olive oil

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 jar (6 1/2 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and patted dry

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish (optional)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make crostini: Brush baguette slices on both sides with a total of 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet, and bake, turning over once, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool.

Meanwhile, make topping: Finely chop artichokes, and combine in a bowl with Parmesan, parsley, and remaining tablespoon oil.

Dividing evenly, spoon topping onto crostini, and garnish with additional Parmesan, if desired.

 Appetizer: Strawberry Balsamic Crostini

courtesy of umzzyseasyeats.com

1 Loaf French Bread ( you’ll only need about 12 slices from this loaf)

5 Large Strawberries

1.5 Cups Mesclun

12 Tbsp Goat Cheese

1/2 Tsp Balsamic Vinegar (we used Tahitian Vanilla Balsamic)

Step 1: Prepare all the ingredients.

a. Cut the strawberries into 1/2” pieces.

b. Roughly chop the mesclun leaves.

c. Slice the bread on an angle, cutting slices about 1/2” thick.

Step 2: Brush the slices of bread with olive oil and place on a heated pan. Toast each side until golden brown. Allow the bread to cool.

Step 3: Toss the strawberries in a bowl with the balsamic vinegar and mix until the berries are evenly coated. (We used a squirt bottle to drizzle the strawberries after they were on the crostinis)

Step 4: Spread about 1 Tbsp of the goat cheese over the bread.

Step 5: Top with a spoonful of lettuce and another spoonful of strawberries.

Step 6: Enjoy!

Soup: Tomato Basil with a touch of Creme Fraiche

Main course: Brown Sugar & Balsamic Slow Cooked Pork

courtesy of bakedbree.com

Ingredients

1 (2-pound) boneless pork loin

1 teaspoon ground dried sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 clove crushed garlic

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (we used chocolate balsamic)

1/2 cup water

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

Instructions

Mix together sage, salt, pepper, and garlic.

Rub the mixture over the pork. Add it to the slow cooker and pour 1/2 cup water in the bottom of the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

One hour before the pork is cooked, put the brown sugar, cornstarch, balsamic, water, and soy sauce in a sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a bubble over medium heat. It will get thick.

Pour half of the glaze over the pork. Reserve the rest to serve alongside.

Cook the pork for another hour.

Shred the pork with a fork. It will fall apart, it is so tender.

Serve with the remaining glaze.

Side dish: Three Cheese Polenta

Side dish: Marinated Grilled Asparagus

Dessert: Pots de Creme

courtesy of bakedbree.com

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

5 LAND O LAKES® All-Natural Brown Egg yolks

10 ounces milk chocolate, chopped finely

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped finely

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

whipped cream (optional)

chocolate shavings (optional)

In a medium saucepan, bring the cream, milk, sugar, and salt to a boil over medium heat.  In another heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks.  Very slowly, whisk the half of cream and milk mixture into the egg yolks.  Pour the egg and cream mixture back into the saucepan and put it back on the stove.  Cook over medium heat, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the custard coats the back of the spoon, about 4 minutes.  Add the chopped chocolate to a large heatproof bowl.  Pour the custard over the chocolate and let it stand for 2 minutes to melt the chocolate.  Add the vanilla.  Put the mixture into a blender and blend for 1 minute until it is completely smooth.  Pour the mixture into 4 (1-cup) bowls.  Chill for 2 hours before serving.  Garnish with freshly whipped cream and chocolate shavings (Amy used her favorite real chocolate sprinkles).  

Dessert: Raspberry Rosewater Cupcakes

courtesy of krissy-creations.com

Ingredients

Rosewater Cupcakes

6 ounces Egg Whites

3/4 cup Milk

2 cups Cake Flour

1 3/4 cups Sugar

1 1/2 tablespoon Baking Powder

3/4 teaspoon Salt

13 tablespoon Unsalted Butter, at Room Temperature

3 1/2 teaspoons Rosewater

Raspberry Buttercream

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) Unsalted Butter, at Room Temperature

3 cups Confectioners Sugar

Pinch Salt

1 1/2 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1/4 cup Fresh Raspberries

24 Raspberries, to top the cupcakes

Directions

To make the rosewater cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cupcake pans with baking liners, set aside until needed.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg whites and 1/4 cup of milk. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and the remaining 1/2 cup of milk and beat until fully incorporated. With the mixer running on low, slowly add the egg white mixture in three additions. Mix until the batter is smooth. Stir in the rosewater.

Using an ice cream scoop, divide the batter among the prepared cupcake liners, filling the liners half way.

Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into a few of the cupcakes comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the raspberry buttercream. Cream the butter in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the confectioners sugar and salt and mix (gradually increasing in speed) until the sugar is fully incorporated, about 5 minutes. You may need to stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple times. 

Add the vanilla and fresh raspberries and whisk until the buttercream is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

To frost the cupcakes, place the buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a large closed star tip.  Hold the piping bag directly on top of one cupcake and pipe in a small back-and-forth motion to create a ruffle design. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes. Place on raspberry on top of each cupcake.

Serve and enjoy!

Tip: These cupcakes last about 5 days in a sealed container.

Makes 24 Cupcakes

Dessert: Chocolate Meringue
Dessert: Classic Frosted Sugar Cookie

Game Day Food

Someone wanted recipes from Super Bowl Sunday. I have to say the thing most worth trying was the homemade pretzels. They are sooo good. Thank you Alton Brown! Here is the link to the recipe. ENJOY!

Delicious Things Come in Small Packages...

APPETIZERS...

Cucumber Cup Appetizers

Thank you: Celebrationsathomeblog.com

English cucumber (or any cucumber) cut into roughly 1 1/2 inch pieces crosswise.

About 4 tablespoons of caramelized onions

Chopped chives, 1 – 2 teaspoons plus more for garnish

About 2 tablespoons sour cream

Bacon pieces

Granulated garlic or fresh garlic, to taste

salt, to taste

Scoop out the center of the cucumber cups for the filling using a melon baller. Make sure your cucumber pieces are big enough to leave a base for the cups after you scoop most of the meat out.

For the filling: Combine the caramelized onions with the sour cream and chives in a bowl. Start with just a little until you have the right onion to sour cream ratio you prefer. Season to taste with garlic and salt.

Spoon the filling into the cucumber cups, top with bacon pieces. These are best chilled a bit for serving.

Sparkling Cranberry Brie Bites

Thank you: yummymummykitchen.com

makes about 16

Sugared Cranberries

2 cups fresh cranberries

1 cup good maple syrup

1 cup granulated sugar

Rinse cranberries and place in a medium bowl. Heat syrup in a small sauce pan just until warm. Pour over cranberries when syrup is warm, not hot, or cranberries may pop. Cool, cover, and let soak in the refrigerator overnight.

Drain cranberries in a colander. Place sugar in a large bowl or baking dish. Add cranberries in 2 batches and roll around until lightly coated in sugar. Place on a baking sheet until dry, about 1 hour.

16 crackers

8 oz Brie cheese

cranberry chutney or cranberry relish

fresh mint for garnish

Assemble crackers with one slice of brie, a light layer of cranberry chutney, and 4 or 5 sugared cranberries. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs.

FIRST COURSE... Trio of Soup Shooters

Roasted Potato, Leek and Chestnut Soup
Thank you: sweetpaulmag-digital.com




Butternut Squash Soup
Thank you: Williams-Sonoma

Serves 8-10

Preheat oven to 450
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

3 Tbls Canola Oil
2 Tbls balsamic vinegar
2 Butternut squashes about 3 lbs, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 large Granny Smith apple on Anjou or Bosc pear, peeled, halved and cored
2 yellow onions, quarted

Combine oil and vinegar in a small bowl.  Place ingredients on lined sheet.  Brush oil/vinegar over the fruit & vegetables.  Bake, turning fruit twice.  Bake until lightly browned and tender, about 30 minutes for the apple and 45-50 minutes for the vegetables.  Transfer to a cutting board and let cool. Scoop the flesh out of the squash halves, discarding the peel.  Coarsely chop the apple and onions.

6 cup chicken stock
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup half and half or 1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 Tbl unsalted butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage

Transfer the fruit and vegetable to a large saucepan and add the stock and nutmeg.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat to medium.  Simmer until very tender, about 20 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let cool.  In a blender, puree the soup in batches until smooth.  Return the soup to the pan, stir in the half and half, season to taste with salt and pepper.  Can be prepared up to two days in advance.

Just before serving heat butter in a saucepan, add sage and lightly brown.  Garnish soup with sage.

Fancy Dinner Rolls in a Jar

Thank you:  thefarmgirlrecipes.blogspot.com

1/4 c. butter

1 t. salt

1/4 c. water

1 c. milk

1/4 c. sugar

1 T. yeast

1 egg, beaten

4-5 cups flour

Small decorative mason jars

1 T. butter, melted

1/4 t. fresh garlic, finely minced

1/4 t. dried rosemary

1. Heat milk, butter, salt, water and sugar in saucepan on stove, over medium heat, until warm and sugar is dissolved. (Very important that it is not too hot because you will kill your yeast and cook the eggs) Pour mixture into your stand mixing bowl that has a dough hook attachment. Add yeast and eggs and let stand until frothy. Add 2 cups of flour and mix until incorporated. Scrapes down sides and start adding flour 1/2 cup at a time to make a soft dough (in my Bosch mixer that is when the doughs stops sticking to the sides). Let knead in your mixer for 1 minute. Place in a large greased bowl and let rise until double in size.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place jars on a cookie sheet and spray with non-stick cooking spray. After dough has risen, punch down. Form balls of dough and place one in each jar, making sure dough fills up half of the jar. Let rise again till double in size.

3. In small bowl, mix butter, garlic, and rosemary. Brush butter mixture on top of each roll. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve while warm. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Butter

Thank you: allrecipes.com

1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin puree

3/4 cup apple juice

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and sugar in a large saucepan; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently. Transfer to sterile containers and chill in the refrigerator until serving.

MAIN COURSE...

Fall Roasted Chicken Pies

Thank you: sweetpaulmag-digital.com

 

 

 

 

Dessert...

 

Baked Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes

Thank you: cravingchronicles.com

 

Makes 20-24 mini muffins Don’t worry – you don’t actually use the whole stick of butter for the coating, it just makes it easier to dip the muffins. If you’re looking for a somewhat lighter treat, skip the coating – the muffins are moist and pumpkin packed all on their own. These are best dipped and coated the same day you are going to eat them, otherwise the coating tends to get soggy.

Ingredients

For Donuts
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoons ground cloves
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned plain pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup low-fat milk
For Coating
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon

Preheat oven 350°F. Spray each cup in a 24-cup mini muffin tin with baking spray or butter generously.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and spices (through cloves). In a separate, large bowl whisk together oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk until smooth. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined – do not over mix!
Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. (Using a 2-tablespoon scoop will ensure uniform size.) Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
While the muffins bake, melt butter in one bowl and combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in another bowl. Remove muffins from oven and cool for 2 minutes, or until just cool enough to handle. Dip each muffin in melted butter, then roll in cinnamon sugar to coat.

Thanksgiving Gravy

First let me say that it was really fun to see some of you at your Relief Society Activity. Nicki has asked me to post this recipe for the gravy I made for that night. I did not personally feel that it was fabulous, but I think it's because it was not a traditional gravy.
I went on epiruious and found this recipe
I think that I may have put in more cider than was called for, I would stick with what the recipe says, you can add more at the end, but you can't take it out:)

Breakfast for Dinner Part Duex

Alright well where do I even begin? 
I do not cook. I am mostly interested in the good stuff, you know... cupcakes, cookies, brownies, cakes... you get the picture.
Don't get me wrong, I can do the basics, NOTHING fancy or gourmet.  I am totally intimidated by that word- gourmet.
So you will understand my apprehension in joining the club. When Cassaundra first told me I was going to be her partner she was totally understanding. She kinda knew what she was getting into with this partnership. She even likened her asking me to join, unto me "asking her to join a basketball, or volleyball rec league."
I love it.
But I did it because it is fun to try new things, and put yourself in situations you are not comfortable in because that's how we grow...right? 
And let's be real. Cassaundra is my bestie and really, I would do anything she asked me to. I love her (and her babies) and I knew that even if I didn't learn a damn thing, we would have a blast. 
So the first meal we did together. I totally dropped the ball. Pretty much Cassaundra did the whole thing and I still feel bad about it. (the meal was in February people!) Everything she did in that meal was amazing and it was all delish. 
So with our second meal and the addition of Kate (whom I also love) I knew this one was going to be way good. AND a chance for redemption.
So like she said, this thing almost didn't happen. I am not creative. I just thought that a breakfast for dinner would be fun and unexpected. 
So we met at the beach one day, let the crazies run free, and went over recipe ideas. And what you saw in Cassaundra's post was the finished product. 
I did the Creme Brulee French Toast with an Orange Butter Glaze, and made the jam for the pop tarts. I also did the Mimosas.  
So here are the recipes. They are pretty basic (just how I like it haha)

Creme Brulee French Toast

ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 T corn syrup
1 large french bread loaf
5  large eggs
1 1/2 cups of half and half
1 t Grand Marnier
1 t vanilla
1/4 t salt

prep:
in a small heavy saucepan melt butter with brown sugar and corn syrup over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth. 
 pour into a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking dish. 
Cut six 1-inch thick slices from center portion of bread. 
Arrange bread slices in one layer in baking dish, squeezing them slightly to fit.
In a bowl whisk together eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, Grand Marnier, and salt until combined well. 
Pour evenly over bread. Chill bread mixture, covered, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.
Preheat oven to 350° F. and bring bread to room temperature.
Bake bread mixture, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed and edges are pale golden, 35 to 40 minutes.
Serve hot French toast immediately.

So a couple of things I did DIFFERENT than the original recipe:
It says to cut off the crusts, I leave them on. It keeps the structure and make sit easier to serve. 
I didn't add the Grand Marnier
I added fresh squeezed orange juice to the egg mixture. About a cup.
And just a side note, I made one batch with EXTRA brown sugar mix. And I loved it. Kind of a general rule in our household, extra sauce, crumble, syrup etc never hurt anyone.
Oh and one more thing. Make sure to serve immediately. If it sits the brown sugar mix hardens and it's not as yummy.
Ok really, last thing. When dishing, flip the piece over so that the brown sugar mix side, is now the top.

Orange Butter Glaze

ingredients: (you better like butta)
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 big splash orange-flavored liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)
prep:
Combine the butter, sugar, citrus juices, and zest to a small saucepan and cook for about 10 minutes until it caramelizes. 
It should be a golden color.
 Remove from heat, add the Grand Marnier, return to the heat and continue to whisk and reduce until syrupy-about 10 minutes. 
I didn't add  the liqueur in this either.
And in the interest of full disclosure. I had extra from that night and totally was searching for things to drizzle this over.
And by drizzle I mean drench.
Buttermilk Eggos? Check. Delish.
Slice of an Entenmann's All Butter Loaf with a scoop of vanilla ice cream? Check. Oh. My. Gosh.

Mimosas
These were virgin mimosas. The real ones you would substitute champagne for the sparkling water.

ingredients:
fresh squeezed orange juice
sparkling or tonic water
lime

prep: 
there really isn't an exact measurement for this. It really is preference. 
add the sparkling water to the fresh squeezed OJ
squeeze in some lime

Raspberry Italian Plum Jam

Melt together 1 raspberry fruit roll up and 1 plum fruit roll up
and serve.
JUST KIDDING
But that's how sweet this jam is. Like candy. 
The recipe is hiding from me right now but I will post it when I find it.

I didn't take pics, and let's be honest, if I did they wouldn't be a pretty as Cassaundra's. 
It was a super fun evening with great company. Love seeing all of you guys every month. Love you ladies.

p.s. Cassaundra is joining my volleyball team next month.