Thursday, December 31, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
An Unusual Hobby?
As I was driving my son to the airport today, we were discussing something around saving money. He said to me, "Mom I think one of your hobbies is saving money". I hadn't really stopped to think about it but you know he's right. I guess I got into the habit of trying to save money wherever I could years ago when I had no choice, I had to save wherever I could so we could afford things. Now, I don't have to save quite as much as I used to but you know now I want to save money. I love to go to Goodwill and hunt for great bargains. There's nothing better than finding a brand name clothing article for $5.87. Seriously, it doesn't get any better than that!!!
I've found several blogs that are based on saving money. I wanted to share one I found recently that I love, Fantabulously Frugal. One of today's sales is on clearance items at expressionary.com. I'd been looking to purchase personalized notecards but didn't want to spend a lot for something that someone will read and toss in the trash. I was able to purchase 25 notecards for $5.46 and free shipping. This is one of the blogs I read every day. I can't wait to see what tomorrow's bargains may be.
Thanks, Lisa!
I've found several blogs that are based on saving money. I wanted to share one I found recently that I love, Fantabulously Frugal. One of today's sales is on clearance items at expressionary.com. I'd been looking to purchase personalized notecards but didn't want to spend a lot for something that someone will read and toss in the trash. I was able to purchase 25 notecards for $5.46 and free shipping. This is one of the blogs I read every day. I can't wait to see what tomorrow's bargains may be.
Thanks, Lisa!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Christmas Breakfast
The blizzard of 2009 altered our travel plans for Christmas Day. Justin and I were planning to go to Kansas City and Tim was headed to Minnesota. We have 8+ inches, it's still snowing and the wind is blowing about 40 miles per hour. No traveling for us until tomorrow. I took advantage of the opportunity to make a delicious Christmas Breakfast.
Menu
Asparagus-Potato Frittata
Broiled Grapefruit
Poinesettia Cocktail
Asparagus-Potato Frittata
Adapted from Food and Wine
1/2 pound unpeeled fingerling cut into 1/3-inch chunks
1/2 pound asparagus, peeled and cut into 3/4 -inch lengths
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 c. grated white cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
8 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
Steam the potatoes until barely tender, about 5 minutes; set aside. Steam the asparagus until bright green but still crisp, about 2 minutes.
In a 10- to 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil over high heat. Add the potatoes and sauté until browned and crisp, about 7 minutes. Add the asparagus and onion, season with the salt and pepper and cook until tender, about 3 minutes; transfer to a plate.
Wipe out the skillet, set it over moderate heat and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Beat the eggs with the heavy cream until smooth. Stir in the vegetables and pour the mixture into the skillet. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the edges just begin to set. Lift the sides of the frittata with a rubber spatula, tilting the pa n to allow the uncooked eggs to seep under. Continue cooking until the bottom is set and the top is barely runny, about 7 minutes. Set under the broiler for 3 - 4 minutes until golden brown.Cut into wedges and serve warm.
Broiled Grapefruit
2 large grapefruits, well chilled
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Garnish (optional)
20 grapes
3 Tablespoons sugar
Roll the grapes in the granulated sugar
Preheat a broiler.
Cut each grapefruit in half crosswise. Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each half, if necessary, so that it will stand upright.
Using a serrated grapefruit knife or a small, sharp knife, loosen the grapefruit segments in each half by first carefully cutting between the fruit and the peel and then by cutting along either side of each segment to free it from the membrane. Leave all the segments in their shells. Place the halves upright in a baking dish.
In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. Using your fingers, sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the grapefruit halves. Slip under the broiler about 4 inches from the heat source and broil until the sugar is uniformly bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer each grapefruit half to an individual dish and garnish with the grapes. Serve immediately.
Poinsettia Champagne Cocktail
Ingredients:
1/2-ounce triple sec, chilled
Champagne or sparkling wine, chilled
3-ounces cranberry juice, chilled
Pour Triple Sec and cranberry juice into a chilled Champagne flute. Stir well. Top with Champagne or sparkling wine. Yield: 1 cocktail.
Menu
Asparagus-Potato Frittata
Broiled Grapefruit
Poinesettia Cocktail
Asparagus-Potato Frittata
Adapted from Food and Wine
1/2 pound unpeeled fingerling cut into 1/3-inch chunks
1/2 pound asparagus, peeled and cut into 3/4 -inch lengths
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 c. grated white cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
8 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
Steam the potatoes until barely tender, about 5 minutes; set aside. Steam the asparagus until bright green but still crisp, about 2 minutes.
In a 10- to 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil over high heat. Add the potatoes and sauté until browned and crisp, about 7 minutes. Add the asparagus and onion, season with the salt and pepper and cook until tender, about 3 minutes; transfer to a plate.
Wipe out the skillet, set it over moderate heat and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Beat the eggs with the heavy cream until smooth. Stir in the vegetables and pour the mixture into the skillet. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the edges just begin to set. Lift the sides of the frittata with a rubber spatula, tilting the pa n to allow the uncooked eggs to seep under. Continue cooking until the bottom is set and the top is barely runny, about 7 minutes. Set under the broiler for 3 - 4 minutes until golden brown.Cut into wedges and serve warm.
Broiled Grapefruit
2 large grapefruits, well chilled
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Garnish (optional)
20 grapes
3 Tablespoons sugar
Roll the grapes in the granulated sugar
Preheat a broiler.
Cut each grapefruit in half crosswise. Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each half, if necessary, so that it will stand upright.
Using a serrated grapefruit knife or a small, sharp knife, loosen the grapefruit segments in each half by first carefully cutting between the fruit and the peel and then by cutting along either side of each segment to free it from the membrane. Leave all the segments in their shells. Place the halves upright in a baking dish.
In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. Using your fingers, sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the grapefruit halves. Slip under the broiler about 4 inches from the heat source and broil until the sugar is uniformly bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer each grapefruit half to an individual dish and garnish with the grapes. Serve immediately.
Poinsettia Champagne Cocktail
Ingredients:
1/2-ounce triple sec, chilled
Champagne or sparkling wine, chilled
3-ounces cranberry juice, chilled
Pour Triple Sec and cranberry juice into a chilled Champagne flute. Stir well. Top with Champagne or sparkling wine. Yield: 1 cocktail.
Christmas Eve Tapas
This year we decided to depart from all of the traditional Christmas Eve menus and have a tapas night. The menu was created by my son Justin.
Menu
White Sangria
Bruschetta
Cooked Jumbo Shrimp with Tomato and Pepper Dip
Roasted Aspargus
Chicken Wings
Stuffed Baby Portabellas*
Beer Marinated Grilled Flank Steak
*This was a substitution for Broiled Figs. No fresh figs available in Omaha in December!
White Sangria
1 750 ml bottle of Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1/4 cup brandy
4 -5 slices of lemon
4 -5 slices of lime
1 peach sliced
12 - 18 seedless grapes
Club Soda
1.In a large pitcher or other container, combine the wine and sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the remaining ingredients, excluding the club soda, and mix well.
2.Place the pitcher in the refrigerator and let the sangria sit for at least 1 hour (and up to 4 hours). The sangria will sweeten with time, so the longer it sits, the better.
3.Just before serving, stir in the club soda and ice cubes.
Cooked Jumbo Shrimp With Tomato and Pepper Dip
1 pound cooked jumbo shrimp, shelled
1 clove garlic, pressed
2 Tbsp. chopped onions
1/2 can crushed tomatoes
3 Tbsp. chopped red bell pepper
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. tabasco sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
In a food processor combine all the ingredients except the olive oil and shrimp. Blend until smooth. Add the olive oil in a thin stream and blend further until smooth. Put mixture in large bowl. Chill for at least one hour. Chill the shrimp on a platter.
Serve the dip and shrimp cold.
Beer Marinated Grilled Flank Steak
2 pounds flank steak
1 (12-ounce) bottle Guinness draught
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine Guinness, onion, garlic, and peppers in a zipper-locking plastic bag with beef. Marinate 6 to 8 hours in refrigerator.
Remove steak; discard marinade and season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat to desired doneness.
Let steak rest 4 to 5 minutes; slice across grain and serve.
Holiday Dinner
You gotta love winter...okay maybe not so much. This week the midwest was blanketed with another snowstorm, our second one in weeks. We'd planned to celebrate Christmas with Tim's kids on Wednesday night but because of the weather they headed to their grandparents in Minnesota early.
We were planning on tapas for Christmas Eve dinner so why not have this dinner on Wednesday night anyway?
Menu
Deep Fried Turkey
Paula Deen's Cornbread Stuffing
Brussel Sprouts
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie*
*This is a January Sweet Melissa Sunday's post, so check back for this one!
This incredibly delicious Brussels Sprouts recipe is from my son Justin's recipe file.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts, Dijon and Crisp Crumbs
Fine Cooking
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. caraway seeds, toasted lightly and crushed
3/4 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
2 lb. Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed, cut through the core into quarters
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 cup coarse fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
In a large bowl, whisk 1/4 cup of the olive oil with the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, caraway seeds, 1/2 tsp. of the salt, and about 10 grinds of pepper. Add the Brussels sprouts and toss to thoroughly distribute the mustard mixture. Spread the sprouts in an even layer on the two baking sheets.
Roast until the cores of the sprouts are just barely tender and the leaves are browning and crisping a bit, 20 to 25 minutes (if your oven heat is uneven, rotate the pans midway through cooking).
While the sprouts are roasting, make the topping: Line a plate with two layers of paper towel. Heat the remaining 1 Tbs. oil with the butter in a medium (10-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter has stopped foaming, add the breadcrumbs all at once; toss to coat with the fat. Reduce the heat to medium, add the walnuts and the remaining 1/4 tsp. salt, and cook, stirring constantly, until the crumbs are browned and slightly crisp and the nuts are golden, 4 to 6 minutes. (The crumbs will start to sound “scratchy” as they get crisp.) Dump the breadcrumb mixture onto the paper towels to drain the excess fat.
Transfer the sprouts to a serving bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper if necessary. Sprinkle the crumbs over the sprouts just before serving.
Make Ahead Tips
You can fry the crumb topping up to 2 hours before serving.
We were planning on tapas for Christmas Eve dinner so why not have this dinner on Wednesday night anyway?
Menu
Deep Fried Turkey
Paula Deen's Cornbread Stuffing
Brussel Sprouts
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie*
*This is a January Sweet Melissa Sunday's post, so check back for this one!
This incredibly delicious Brussels Sprouts recipe is from my son Justin's recipe file.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts, Dijon and Crisp Crumbs
Fine Cooking
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. caraway seeds, toasted lightly and crushed
3/4 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
2 lb. Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed, cut through the core into quarters
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 cup coarse fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
In a large bowl, whisk 1/4 cup of the olive oil with the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, caraway seeds, 1/2 tsp. of the salt, and about 10 grinds of pepper. Add the Brussels sprouts and toss to thoroughly distribute the mustard mixture. Spread the sprouts in an even layer on the two baking sheets.
Roast until the cores of the sprouts are just barely tender and the leaves are browning and crisping a bit, 20 to 25 minutes (if your oven heat is uneven, rotate the pans midway through cooking).
While the sprouts are roasting, make the topping: Line a plate with two layers of paper towel. Heat the remaining 1 Tbs. oil with the butter in a medium (10-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter has stopped foaming, add the breadcrumbs all at once; toss to coat with the fat. Reduce the heat to medium, add the walnuts and the remaining 1/4 tsp. salt, and cook, stirring constantly, until the crumbs are browned and slightly crisp and the nuts are golden, 4 to 6 minutes. (The crumbs will start to sound “scratchy” as they get crisp.) Dump the breadcrumb mixture onto the paper towels to drain the excess fat.
Transfer the sprouts to a serving bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper if necessary. Sprinkle the crumbs over the sprouts just before serving.
Make Ahead Tips
You can fry the crumb topping up to 2 hours before serving.
Peanut Butter Balls
What Christmas treat are you known for? You know that recipe you make every year and everyone asks you for this recipe. For me, it's these decadent Peanut Butter Balls. It doesn't get any better than peanut butter and chocolate.
I've been making these at Christmas since Justin was small. My recipe is scratched onto a piece of notebook paper, it has my son's scribbles and a phone message he took for me on the back. Too sentimental to rewrite onto a recipe card!
I've been making these at Christmas since Justin was small. My recipe is scratched onto a piece of notebook paper, it has my son's scribbles and a phone message he took for me on the back. Too sentimental to rewrite onto a recipe card!
Peanut Butter Balls
1/2 cup butter
3 cups Rice Krispies
2 cups smooth peanut butter
1 pound powdered sugar
8 ounces Hershey's chocolate bar
6 ounces semi sweet chocolate bits
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cake paraffin
Melt butter, stir in peanut butter until smooth. In a large bowl, combine rice krispies and powdered sugar. Pour peanut butter mixture over rice krispie mixture. Stir until combined well. Chill for at least one hour. Roll rice krispie mixture into balls approximately the size of walnuts.
In a double boiler or a bowl over a pan of boiling water, combine chocolate bar, chocolate chips, paraffin and vanilla. Stir until melted and combined.
Dip balls into chocolate mixture, making sure to cover all sides. Place on waxed paper to dry.
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