Two-fer Tuesday, Take 1

Oops! The holiday weekend sort of knocked my regular posting schedule for a loop! To make up for it, today I bring you "Two-fer Tuesday"...two, two, two recipes in one!!!

Jeremy and I had a fantastic Christmas - our first together. I've written extensively over the past month about planning my menu and decorating his apartment. What I hadn't planned for was the surprise we got on Christmas Day. I got up early to make breakfast - Banana Butterscotch Muffins. He got up shortly thereafter and talked to his mom on the phone. During the conversation, she mentioned they had a freezer full of deer sausage and still had some left over. They were trying to figure out how to get the sausage to us so it wouldn't go to waste.

The conversation ended with them coming up from Houston to share Christmas dinner with us! The plan was for them to bring the sausage, stay for dinner, and stay the night. They returned to Houston Sunday morning after a great day spent together eating, laughing, talking, and drinking.

I hope your Christmas was as fun and full of love as ours was. After all that cooking, though, I'm ready for a break! Tonight we're keeping it simple with deviled eggs, leftover chicken 'n dumplins, and spinach salad. For part one of this post, I'm sharing the deviled eggs recipe I'm using. You'll need:

• 12 eggs
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 lb bacon, cooked and chopped
• 2 Tbsp shredded cheddar
• paprika, and Cayenne pepper or cajun seasoning to taste

Begin by hard-boiling your eggs. Once cooled, cut eggs in half and separate the yolks into a medium sized bowl. Add the remaining ingredients to the yolks, and stir until well-blended. Pipe the filling into the egg halves, overfilling slightly. Garnish with paprika or seasoning of your choice.

I assume everyone knows how to make deviled eggs, but this is my recipe. I realized while I was writing this that I forgot to include the bacon and cheddar cheese in the photo - I left them in the fridge! Also, while preparing the filling, I decided to omit the apple cider vinegar I had originally included in the picture. As you can tell, my method in the kitchen is to keep things fluid!

Enjoy, and stay tuned for Two-fer Tuesday, Take 2!

*SJ*

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Thirsty Thursday: French Vanilla Eggnog

For today's Thirsty Thursday, I wanted to give you a twist on the seasonal favorite, eggnog. I'm not the biggest fan of eggnog myself, so I don't have a tried-and-true personal recipe. Instead, I'm leaning on my old friend The Food Network for this one.

3 cups milk
6 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp nutmeg
4 oz brandy
4 oz rum
2 oz creme de cacao
3 cups French Vanilla ice cream, melted

Begin by whisking the milk, sugar, and nutmeg in a pitcher or bowl. Whisk in the 3 liquors. Finally, add the melted ice cream.

You can find this recipe among the "50 Holiday Drinks" on the Food Network's page, here. I'd still like to find an eggnog recipe I like. I'm going to try this one, for sure. If you've got a go-to recipe you'd like me to try, feel free to send it! Enjoy!

*SJ*

Thirsty Thursday: Maple Butter Kiss

I found this recipe on the Food Network website, and decided I probably ought to try it. It sounds festive and tasty. The Maple Butter Kiss combines my very favorite - VODKA! - with butterscotch and maple syrup. I ask you: what could be tastier?!

• 1.5 oz vodka
• .5 oz butterscotch schnapps
• .25 oz real maple syrup
• 1 oz half-and-half
• Fresh ground nutmeg

Pour all liquid ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously, and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with fresh ground nutmeg.

Enjoy!

*SJ*

Christmas Menu Planning

Well folks, I think I've really done it this time. After much careful planning (read: panicking bc Christmas is 10 days away!) I believe I have come up with my Christmas menu. This will be my first year preparing a "real" Christmas feast, and I'm very excited!

I have a semi-picky eater to cook for, which means no mushrooms, no black olives, no avocado. I am VERY picky, so that also rules out turkey, fish & all other forms of seafood. What we have managed to agree on, however, are the following:

• Apricot Pork Tenderloin
• My Mom's (and quickly becoming MY) Famous Cheesy Potatoes
• Green Been Bundles
• Wilted Spinach Salad with Warm Apple Cider and Bacon Vinaigrette

I'll share with you today the recipe I found for the tenderloin. Of course, as almost always, this one comes from Allrecipes.com.

Apricot Pork Tenderloin

• 2 lbs pork tenderloin
• 1/4 cup softened butter
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tsp ground thyme
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 (18 oz) jar apricot preserves
• 2 Tbsp honey, or to taste
• 1/4 cup dry sherry

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Spread butter all over the pork tenderloin. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Combine garlic powder, apricot preserves, honey, and sherry in a seperate bowl.

3. Roast the pork in a preheated oven for 30-40 minutes. Remove the pork from the oven and brush with the apricot sauce. Return the pork to the oven. Continue roasting, basting ocassionally with the remaining sauce, until the pork is no longer pink in the center, about 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 160 degrees.

I'm really looking forward to trying these new recipes. So far, The Boy has liked everything I've cooked for him. I hope I can continue the trend. What new recipes are you trying out for Christmas? Any old stand-bys you're including? Share a recipe!

*SJ*

Wordless Wednesday: "Mantel"

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In The Kitchen: Habanero Hellfire Chili

Today I attempted chili from scratch. But not just any chili. I had to attempt Habanero Hellfire Chili from Allrecipes.com I decided to try chili, because The Boy and I were planning to put up the Christmas tree and decorate at his place tonight and chili sounded like a warm, Christmasy kind of meal.

Here's the recipe as I made it:

1 lb Hormel Black Label Thick Cut Bacon
1 lb 80/20 ground beef
1 lb reduced fat ground pork
1 pkg Texas Traditions Hickory Smoked Beef Sausage (6 links)
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 oz chopped yellow onion
4 jalapenos, chopped
2 habaneros, seeded & chopped
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1.5 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp beef bullion granules
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes (not drained)
2 bottles Bud Light
6 oz tomato paste
1 can whole kernel corn (drained)

So the first instructions for the recipe are to place the bacon in a large soup pot and cook over medium-high heat. I should mention here that as much as I love bacon, I cannot cook it to save my life. So of course, I burned the first six pieces I put in the pot.

Next, I googled "easiest way to cook bacon" and discovered that it can be made in the oven. 20 minutes later, I take my beautifully cooked bacon out of the oven & turn to place it on the sink. Hot bacon grease sprays all over the mat in front of the sink. The score is now Bacon-2, Sarah Jane-0.

I proceed to cook the ground beef and ground pork in the pot. Once the meat was fully browned, I added the remaining ingredients: the peppers, spices, tomatoes, and the beer. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 45-60 minutes. Add the sausage and bacon and simmer another 30 minutes.

During the last 30 minutes, I put a loaf of Pillsbury Simply Rustic French Bread in the oven. Whoa! That stuff is awesome! Perfectly crusty on the outside, light and slightly sweet on the inside. It matched perfectly with the heat of the chili.

The chili turned out really well, too, despite the Great Bacon Debacle. It was a little soupier than I typically think of chili, although still very hearty. I think the only change I'll make next time is to reduce the amount of beer. The original recipe called for one can of beer + two cups of water. I eliminated the water entirely and added another bottle of beer. I think I'll stick to one bottle, but still eliminate the water next time.

I'd love to hear suggestions on your favorite chili recipe, or any other recipe that gets you in the mood for Christmas!

*SJ*

Another Quickie

Hey there, readers!

I wanted to take a couple of minutes for another super-quick update. I'm working on moving to a new place, so I'm trying to get everything organized.

A couple of things I've been able to check off my 101 list:

3) Participate in NaNoWriMo
29) Go to a game at Cowboys' Stadium
33) Ride a mechanical bull (I really did!)
99) Eat something fried at the Texas State Fair

I plan to write about each of these in greater detail, but that will take more time than I have today. I am working on planning my Christmas menu for me and a very special someone. This afternoon, I am attending the wedding of two fabulous people, Anne & Paul.

Speaking of Christmas menus, there are only 22 more shopping days until Christmas!! I'm not even close to being ready. Are you? What special traditions or plans do you have for Christmas? How far along are you in your planning? Please tell me I'm not alone!

*SJ*

Christmas Progress Report

The blog challenge on 2 Peas today is "Have you started making Christmas presents yet?"

Of course, if you've read my blog in the past month, you're probably laughing right now. I happen to be keeping track, and there only 109 more days til Christmas!! I've been preparing for the last several weeks.

In fact, as I am writing this now, I am testing out one of the recipes I will use as gifts. My girlfriend, Tracey, and I were talking about those candied nuts you get at Christmastime. They are on my top 10 list of favorite things, and I was dying to find a good recipe! I did find one, which I am posting on my baking blog, Cupcake Toujours. They smell wonderful, are pretty easy to make, and are sure to make a big impression!

The second thing I have done is bought the materials for my main gifts. I plan to post pics when I'm done, but I'm still developing the idea, so don't want to give too much away.

The thing I am having trouble with the most is the cards. Even though I love cardmaking, I know there are others who are so much better at it than I. Most of the time, I cave and just end up buying something. In an effort to keep my handmade pledge, I will be making all of my cards this year.

What about you? What gifts/projects are you working on? Any idea how in the world I can make 20+ handmade cards without losing my sanity? Let's hear what you have to say!

*S*

Craving something sweet? Bring your appetite and head over to my baking blog, Cupcake Toujours

114 Days from now...

It will be Christmas!!!

I can hardly wait. (Obviously, since I've been talking about it for over a week now!)

*S*

More Finds

Well, I did manage to find a few more things I had to have yesterday. I have just about everything I need now to start my Christmas projects. I will wait until December to buy the baking products, but most of the craft items I have now. Here's what I found yesterday.

I found the exact storage containers I was looking for, Making Memories scrapbook embellishment storage jars. These jars are plastic, with metal lids. I wanted something plastic bc I plan to give them to some of the younger niece and nephews. The inspiration for my idea is here: Goodie Jar

I also picked up the Fiskars dandy doodles punch, a new heat embossing tool, and some more stamps. I went to the library and got some books on Christmas crafts and a few cookbooks to get some baking ideas. I can't wait to get started!

Has anyone else started planning for Christmas yet? Please share your ideas with me!

*S*

Just Around the Corner

Did you know that Christmas is in 120 days?

Hanukkah starts in 116 (December 21 this year).

I am so excited! I really love Fall, but the holidays are so festive!!

*S*

Craving something sweet? Bring your appetite and head over to my baking blog, Cupcake Toujours

OK, I'm Done. I Promise!

I should have gone home and cooked dinner.

I could have played Wii with my husband after dinner.

Iwould have stll had plenty of time afterward for homework.

Shoulda, coulda,woulda. I didn't. Instead, we went out to dinner and went shopping afterward.

In my defense, we bought a bunch of stuff to start making Christmas presents. I have been really anxious to start ever since I got a bunch of good ideas from the peas. We are actually a little bit ahead this year, and not playing "catch up" like usual. Therefore, I decided this would be a great year to make gifts for everyone.

I can't reveal too much bc some family reads my blog! However, I can show you some of the supplies I've purchased so far. As you can see, I'll be doing a lot of stamping!

Oh, I almost forgot the blog challenge today! The topic is "Why is creativity important?" For me, creativity is important so I can express myself. One of the reasons I have chosen to make gifts this year is that I feel they mean so much more than when they are bought. I can put my own personality into it, and put the recipient's personality into it, too. I haven't made gifts for my family since I was in grade school, so I'm excited to show my family how much I've advanced!

*S*

Craving something sweet? Bring your appetite and head over to my baking blog, Cupcake Toujours