Celebrating the Arrival of Fall!

Today is the second official day of Fall. Unfortunately for us out here in Nowhere, Oklahoma, it's 93 degrees outside. That's ok though, because in my house it's all Fall!

 I woke up feeling productive (something that's happening less frequently as November 7th approaches) so I decided to try a new recipe I came across on Pinterest a few weeks ago. It's so easy, and it makes the house smell amazing. Other than the ingredients, all you need is a crockpot and a few hours to cook!

Slow Cooker Sugared Pecans or Walnuts

16 oz Pecan or Walnut Halves (I used Pecans)

1/2 Cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter

1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar

1/4 Tsp Ground Cloves

1 1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/4 Tsp Ground Ginger

Turn slow cooker on high about 15 minutes in advance. In the hot slow cooker, stir together the nuts and butter. When the butter is melted and the nuts are coated, add the powdered sugar and stir to coat evenly. Cover and cook on high for 15 minutes. Remove the lid and reduce heat to low. Cook, uncovered, for about 2-3 hours until the nuts are coated in a crisp glaze.  Transfer the nuts to a bowl. In another small bowl, combine the spices and sift this mixture over the nuts, stirring to coat evenly. Let cool before serving. 

How easy and delicious is that? They taste like pure Christmas nostalgia.  Even my notoriously finicky husband likes these. We're planning to have them as a snack when the USC Gamecocks take on the Vanderbilt Commodores tonight.

Hope everyone enjoys their Saturday! And for all my fellow military families here in Lawton, please stay safe this weekend. It's a little hairy out there right now! 

New Recipe of the Week- "Easy Peas-y Chicken n Dumplins"

Hey y'all! (Channeling my inner Paula here) It's been a while, so I decided to write a "New Recipe of the Week" post. I apologize for being so slack on this!

This week's recipe is all about cool weather comfort. While it's not quite chilly during the day out here yet, we are barely making it into the 80s. And at night we are dipping into the 50s! So today I decided to capitalize on this gift from above and make some chicken and dumplings.  This recipe is my own, so measurements given are approximate.

1 store-bought rotisserie chicken, in your desired flavor. (I used garlic and it was fabulous. You can also use your own leftover chicken, or cook your own.)

3 large carrots, peeled.

3 celery ribs
1/2 medium onion
1 bag frozen green peas
4 tblsp butter
2 cans biscuits (I used grands southern style)
1 can cream of chicken soup (smaller, standard size. Not the large can)
1 large carton chicken stock (I used Swanson's)
garlic powder
salt
black pepper
rosemary
thyme
poultry seasoning

(All seasonings should be used to taste.)

First, pick the meat free of your chicken bones and toss it in your crockpot. Include the skin! It only adds more flavor! Discard the bones. (Or use them for making your own chicken stock, if you're feeling ambitious.)

Coarsely chop the carrots, onion, and celery. Saute them in the butter in a pan over medium high heat. Add all seasonings to taste. Cook until onions are translucent and transfer the veggie mixture to the crockpot. Add the frozen peas to the pot as well.

On top of the chicken and veggies, pour your cream of chicken soup and chicken stock. Add enough water to ensure all the liquid will not be absorbed by the dumplings. (I just eyeballed this part.) 

Pop open the biscuits and cut each one into quarters, then cut each quarter in half. Toss them in the crockpot and close the lid. Set the temperature to high and cook for 3 hours. DO NOT STIR until the 3 hours are up and you are ready to serve.

I don't know about y'all, but I like my dumplings a little on the doughy side. This is how they turn out with this recipe and I thought they were  perfect! With this being a relatively quick crockpot recipe, it's easy to do in an afternoon.

Hope y'all give this one a try and enjoy it! Speaking of enjoying, I'm about to take my daughter outside to enjoy this beautiful weather! Bon Apetite!

Savannah Crab Cakes with Fresh Corn Salad

Good afternoon readers! This week's recipes are, in my humble opinion, what makes a perfect summer meal. They are simple and fresh, and don't take long to make. Meaning, you don't have to stand over that hot stove for too long!

I first made these  crab cakes during a snowstorm in Kansas, believe it or not! I was feeling homesick and had the ingredients, so I thought why not? This recipe is courtesy of Paula Deen.

1 lb crab meat, picked free of shell (you can also used canned lump crab)
1/2 cup crushed ritz crackers
3 green onions, finely chopped, with tops
1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper (I use red bell pepper)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
Juice of  1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
Dash of cayenne pepper
Flour for dusting
1/2 cup peanut oil (I used vegetable and it worked fine)

Mix all ingredients together, except flour and peanut oil. Shape into patties and dust with flour. Pan fry in hot oil over medium heat until browned, for 4-5 minutes. Flip and fry other side until golden brown. Serves 4 to 6.

Now for the corn salad. This is a recipe that my mom has made for years. I always request it for family get togethers! It's delicious immediately, but tastes even better after marinating in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.  The recipe comes to us from Ina Garten.

• 5 ears of corn, shucked
• 1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for 3 minutes until the starchiness is just gone. Drain and immerse it in ice water to stop the cooking and to set the color. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.

Toss the kernels in a large bowl with the red onions, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil. Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature. 

Super easy, right?! Hope y'all enjoy. Stay cool out there! This summer has been a doozy. 

New Recipe of the Week: Bad Day Pick-me-Up

Today Ben texted me from work, saying he was having a bad day. So, I decided to make some good down home comfort food for him. Seeing as it's Summer, only one thing came to mind: shrimp and grits.

Being from the south, I was raised on this stuff. However, this was my first attempt at making it myself. I think I did a pretty good job! (Just don't compare mine to my mama's...)

The recipe is courtesy of Martha Nesbit, and was taken from foodnetwork.com. It's really easy to make.  Yields 4 servings.

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup stone-ground grits
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 cup thinly sliced scallions
• 1 large clove garlic, minced

Directions

Bring water to a boil. Add salt and pepper. Add grits and cook until water is absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and cheese.

Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned; drain well. In grease, add shrimp. Cook until shrimp turn pink. Add lemon juice, chopped bacon, parsley, scallions and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes.

Spoon grits into a serving bowl. Add shrimp mixture and mix well. Serve immediately.

Unbelievably good! I served this with a salad and a nice summery strawberry shortcake for dessert. All told, I spent about an hour making this, so it's great for weeknights. Hope y'all give it a try! 

New Recipe of the Week

Hello dear readers, and welcome to another exciting episode of New Recipe of the Week! This week's recipe is citrus chicken with mango pico de gallo. It's great for summer, and can be tweaked to suit many palettes. This one is something I pretty much made up as I went along, so the measurements aren't all exact. Feel free to use more or less of each ingredient to fit your personal taste.

First, we need a marinade. Chicken is so dull without a good soak in the flavor pool. For this recipe, I used a simple citrus mixture.

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
juice of one lemon
l tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients in a medium sized bowl.  Once your marinade is blended, pour it over your chicken. I used boneless skinless breasts. Any cut will do, however.  Then place your chicken in the fridge for a few hours.

When it's time to cook, heat some olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and cook until done and browned on each side. (About 8-10 minutes per side.)

I have to confess that the real star of this dish is not something I made. It's pre-made mango pico de gallo from the produce section at Walmart! It is surprisingly fresh- tasting and really delicious. It's great on this chicken and good with chips too.

When the chicken is finished cooking, simply top it with the pico and serve. So easy right?! I think this recipe would be just as good with a nice chutney instead of the mango pico, or even traditional tomato pico de gallo. Even Ben, who doesn't have the most varied palette in the world, thought this was good! Here is my completely non professional picture of the end result.

  

I served this with some oven roasted potatoes and a fresh salad. The potatoes are super simple too! Again, this isn't an exact recipe, so feel free to adjust it. 

3-4 small to medium potatoes ( I like red skinned or yukon gold best)

approx. 2 tblsp olive oil

salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. 

 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Chop the potatoes and toss them in a bowl. (I slice them pretty thin so they cook faster and get crisper in the oven.) Add the olive oil and seasonings, and toss to coat. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and bake them in the oven for about 30 minutes. That's it! 

Thanks for tuning in everyone! Happy cooking! 

New Recipe of the Week: BBQ Edition!

Today, I'd like to start a weekly feature for this blog. I think I'll call it "Recipe of the Week" and each week I will find and try out a new recipe, and let my readers know how it goes! I thought today would be the perfect place to start, since I'm cooking for the Fourth of July.

This week's recipe is slow cooker ribs with homemade bbq sauce. As I work on this entry, the sauce is simmering on the stove and it smells delicious! It is so simple to make. You just need to allow yourself a couple of hours for the sauce to cook, as well as about 5-6 hours to cook the ribs.

First, I seasoned the ribs. I personally believe it's a waste of time to cook meat if you aren't going to take the time to add some flavor first. You can probably use any combination of spices you'd like, since this part isn't actually included in the recipe. I used salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.

 

After seasoning the ribs on all sides, I put them in the fridge to sit while I worked on the bbq sauce. I mixed the ingredients according to the recipe, and left it to simmer for two hours. (The recipe calls for 1 hour of cooking time, but I found the sauce wasn't thick enough at that point.) After simmering, this is what the sauce looks like. 

  

I then took the ribs out of the fridge and seared them in a pan with olive oil over medium high heat, until they were browned on all sides. (This is something I do to all meat cooked in a crockpot...I think it makes it taste better.)  I tossed the ribs into my slow cooker, along with some sliced vidalia onions and about half of the bbq sauce. I added about 1/3 cup of water also, to make sure there would be enough liquid in the pot for cooking. If I had beef stock on hand, I probably would have used that instead of water.  I poured the remaining sauce into a bowl and placed it in the fridge. I will use this half for saucing the ribs once they are done.

Once you have everything is in the pot, just close the lid and set the heat setting to high.  Allow the ribs to cook for 5 hours, and you've got yourself some ribs...no grill necessary! I'm serving these with some fresh corn on the cob and a salad. 

Here is the recipe! 

For the ribs:

2 lbs of pork ribs

Medium vidalia or white onion

Seasoning to taste

BBQ Sauce 

For the Sauce (Recipe courtesy of Claire Robinson of The Food Network) 

• 1 (7-ounce) jar or can organic tomato paste
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons spicy dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons BBQ seasoning mix
• 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 4 cups water

Whisk all the ingredients together in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about half or to desired thickness, about 1 hour.

Cool completely before transferring to an airtight container and storing in the refrigerator.

This sauce is good for a week in the fridge, or you can freeze it for up to 6 months. 

Happy cooking y'all, and happy Fourth of July!!