Crochet Crochet

Crochet is fun to say! I think it's a wonderful mindless time killer for idle hands. I learned how to make pot scrubbers as a child. My grandmother taught me during the Summers I spent with her at her Georgia lake house. I haven't done it since. I spent a brief period in my early twenties teaching myself to knit. I made some blankets and scarves and hats but never really mastered anything but basic stitches.

A ball of yarn and a crochet hook cost me under three dollars and now I'm making all kinds of silly little things. After I understood the basics, I graduated myself to circles and then shell stitches. I'm quite proud of what I have learned in such a short period of time. Online guides from Pinterest and google have helped. I also got a book that taught me the more advanced decorative stitches and am slowly learning new things. Most of the time I don't follow patterns because I don't like directions. Such a fun hobby to add to my collection. Here are some of the things I have made...

Oscar Worthy Pizza

I love awards season. As a child I spent hours in front of the mirror practicing my humbled shocked look for when I win an Oscar. Most girls dream of Wedding dresses, I loved my Grammy and ACM dresses. This year I'm not going to the awards shows but I can still feel like it.

I remember my first Spago experience as a child. That was the first time I ever had duck. It was on a pizza and it changed me. You would think having it served to me by Wolfgang would have been a highlight but it was the duck and a pizza that made my night. It was the year Billy Ray Cyrus had hit hit song and that was one of the most fun after parties for the ACM's that I attended. Eating pizza with BRC did not make my heart ache or break at all!

I made the Mozza cookbook's pizza dough a while ago and froze some of it. I am a big fan of taking some things and saving them for later just to see if they will work after being frozen. It was just as good. The texture was different and I made it very thin but even flatbread style pizza is Oscar worthy. I topped it with fresh campari and sun dried tomatoes, basil, burrata, bacon, and white truffle oil. All of my favorite things. I love white pizza and the white truffle oil elevated the flavor to something so amazing.

I can't wait to make this again.

Bacon and Eggs

Everything tastes better when it's cute! I have come to the conclusion that food is meant to be fun and I will only eat fun food. I'm still not bored with my egg molds and bacon is a major food group so this is a healthy breakfast. Bunnies and Bears in a bed of Bacon makes me really happy. Make your food fun! It's a great way to start the day.

My Mom's Slow Cooker Pot Roast

I love when my blog writes itself. My mom NEVER gives me her recipes. Ever. I'm not even kidding. I have enjoyed her cooking so much over the years but she never really cooked with me. I find it odd, and have spent over half my life whining about it. Then when my sister asks for something she's happy to send it to her. I think she even made her a cookbook at one point. Something I have never seen.

My Aunt found my mom's Soft Sugar Cookie recipe from the 70's and emailed it to me. That's about the closest I have come until today. In my email inbox there it was....her pot roast recipe that I lived on. I'm not sure why she had a change of heart and maybe I'm being dramatic but I almost didn't believe it when I saw it.

I have such fond memories of her food. This recipe in particular I remember her making early in the morning and by the time she was home from work it was perfection. I would eat it as every meal for days and since I finally have it I am going to share it. These are her words:

Chuck Roast (boneless - good size to fit slow cooker - will cook quicker if cut into large pieces prior to rub)

Mix in slow cooker:

1 can beef boullion soup (if you don't have or can't find use can of beef broth)
1 can regular or golden cream of mushroom soup
1 large can diced tomatoes (flavored with green pepper would be good)
1 large can pearl onions drained (or frozen if available)
3 shakes of worchester sauce
1/2 to 1 cup of red wine

Mix and apply as rub to chuck roast:

1 package dry onion soup
1/2 cup flour
freshly ground pepper
2 T. Rosemary
1 1/2 t. garlic powder
2 T. parsley

Place roast in cooker liquid - add 3 bay leaves - cover and cook on high until bubbly and then lower to low heat

Cook until almost fork (pull apart) tender and add container of fresh sliced mushrooms and (small red/yukon/fingerling potatoes and chunks of slightly pre-cooked (zapped) carrots if desired)

Continuing cooking until really tender (and potatoes are done if used) - thicken sauce if necessary by adding a couple of tablespoons of flour to a cup of the sauce and then re-blend in.

Serve with wide egg noodles and/or potatoes and toasted rosemary ciabatta bread (for dipping!!)

Lemon Sunshine and Rainbow Butterflies

If you are what you eat, then I think I'm going on a diet of Lemon Sunshine and Rainbow Butterfly cookies!

We're celebrating Halie's birthday tomorrow and this girl is made of Sunshine and Rainbows. I decided to make her some cookies with her initials HH along with some bright lemon sugar cookies. She is sweet as can be and I can't wait for her to see her treats! Sometimes a cupcake just won't do.

Lemon Sunshine Cookies

1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup shortening
2 1/2 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Zest 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
Yellow gel color

Cream together the sugar, butter, shortening, zest, and extracts until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until combined. Add in the flour, salt and baking powder and the yellow color. Mix until just combined. Wrap dough in plastic and chill for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out the dough using additional flower and cut out shapes. Bake on a lined baking sheet for 6-8 minutes. Let sit for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Frost if desired and use colored sugar to decorate.

Sweet February

February is a great month. It's the time every year I tend to pull myself out of the dark clothes I have been wearing all Winter and add some color. I walked by the window of J Crew a few days ago and fell in love with their color story for Spring. There's still a little bit of the former fashion girl in me yet.

February is also the month of love and hearts and flowers and for the first time in many many years I was excited to make some Valentines for my friends.

I used the concept from the rainbow cookie dough and changed the recipe a bit. This time I rolled the dough and cut out hearts. I also added strawberry flavor and a bit more sugar to make them sweet. They were a huge hit with my Valentines!

Some Vanilla Sugar Cookies got the love with icing and sprinkles!

Each of my cookie packages included a variety of cookies and a couple of Hershey's Kisses, Conversation Hearts, and a Hello Kitty Valentine. My friends were very excited. Sherriepie even posted a picture of her cookies on Facebook to make her friends jealous ;-)

I was a lucky lady and received flowers. It was such a great surprise and nice to feel such love from the wonderful people in my life.

Making the cookie care packages has been so much fun that I think I might do it again for St. Patty's Day! Any excuse for me to make a rainbow I will take. Happy February to you and the people you love. Show them you care and tell them you love them. XO

Brooklyn Braised Short Ribs

I like beer. I hardly ever drink it anymore but I knew there was a way to work it into my diet somehow. Why not eat it? My mother was telling me a story about how she used to make a mushroom barley soup with short ribs that my father loved. I was inspired and have never made barley though I am a fan. That day I came across short ribs in the market and also happened to find one of my favorite beers, Brooklyn Lager. It's quite bitter when used for braising but I liked it. You can use any kind of beer but I suggest something dark and also something you like to drink.

Beer braised short ribs is a great way to feed a crowd. It takes about 15 minutes of active prep time and the rest of the magic happens in the oven as you go about your day. The onions turn into a sweet jam like treat and are great served with the ribs or used in a soup with the meat. If you have a Dutch Oven this is when you want to use it. Otherwise, brown the meat in a pan on the stove and transfer to a baking dish and cover with two layers of foil if you don't have a lid.

Brooklyn Braised Short Ribs

3-5 large bone in beef short ribs
2 onions 1/2 inch slices
2 beers
3 garlic cloves, whole peeled
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
Salt and Pepper TT

Heat your oven to 375 degrees F. Season the short ribs generously on all sides with salt and pepper. Over medium high heat, brown the ribs on all sides. This should take about 3 minutes on each side to get a nice golden brown color. There was enough fat on the meat I purchased but if you have a leaner cut you can add a tablespoon of oil to the hot pan before you put the meat in.

Remove the short ribs and place the onions in the hot pan with the fat that has rendered from the meat. Salt and pepper the onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add in the garlic cloves and thyme.

Place the short ribs on top of the onions and add the beer. Bring to a simmer and then cover.

Transfer the covered ribs to the oven and allow the ribs to braise for at least two and a half hours. Remove the baking vessel and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes uncovered. Like magic you will have a fall off the bone feast fit for a king or you can turn the short ribs into tacos, use them in soup or anything else you want to make with them. Enjoy!

So Eggciting!

Any home you go to in Tennessee is going to have food. One of two things are guaranteed to be on the table and most likely both. A cheese ball is a sure bet. Sometimes sweet, sometimes herby, almost always rolled in nuts and served with crackers. It is a crowd pleaser here and I didn't know I liked cheese balls until I moved here. The other item is deviled eggs. They come in many varieties, some piped with a star tip and others sprinkled with paprika to hide the lack of detail in making them. I can be a snob because it's so easy to make food beautiful and sometimes people just don't know how easy it is.

A few months ago I came across a website that had instructions for making heart shaped hard boiled eggs. I was obsessed. I tried to make them and found working with hot eggs to be a challenge. Then my mother sent me a Williams-Sonoma gift card. Bless her heart she is always thinking of me. I also believe she does it for herself because I'm likely to buy something to make and send home. Either way she's awesome.

I found egg molds! $10 and I can't even describe how eggcited I was! I am easily amused but to come across a mold for something I had tried making recently was just fate stepping in and giving me a project to blog about. My father didn't share the same enthusiasm until I told him he will be having bunnies and bears for breakfast. He couldn't help but laugh at me.

This is easy and fun! I make my hard boiled eggs the same way I learned years ago. Cold water to cover the eggs, brought to a boil and covered, removed from heat for 9 min then drain and shock in cold water. When you see hard boiled eggs that have that greenish-grey layer around the yolk, it just means they were cooked a bit too long. It doesn't harm anything but the look of the finished product.

When using the molds the eggs need to remain hot. The easiest way to peel them is to have cold running water just so you can handle them without losing your fingerprints. Immediately place the peeled egg into the mold and snap shut. Place the molds into an ice bath until chilled. I inverted the lid of my pot to keep them submerged as they cooled. Remove from the mold and smile! You now have the cutest eggs ever!

A note on the eggs, the instructions call for extra large eggs. It's definitely necessary for the heart and star molds. Being a pastry chef I only had large eggs and they worked but I will be buying XL eggs when I make this for company :)

The hearts and stars are great for making deviled eggs. I suggest you ask your mother or grandmother for a recipe.