Strawberry Season

Posted by Roxanne on May 23, 2017

Four years ago my life changed forever. While it may not be as dramatic as you might imagine, it was a wonderful change. I had wanted to pick fresh strawberries from the field for as long as I can remember. There just didn’t seem to be a strawberry farm that I could locate. Then it happened! Wohletz Farms entered my life. The strawberries at Wohletz are amazing and the folks that work there couldn’t be nicer.

Kathy and I picked strawberries together that first year and we were lucky enough to go to Wohletz on opening day this year and pick strawberries again. Then I returned in a week to pick more berries with my husband. Yep! 25 pounds of strawberries have been picked this year for our family to enjoy. Thirty plus jars of jam are canned and ready to gift to special folks and we have enjoyed strawberry recipes almost each and every day. Of course it is hard to beat strawberry shortcake but there is another recipe that we cherish. This recipe has been pinned more than almost any on my pinterest site-Strawberry Shortcake Bars.

These bars keep fresh for about 5 days in a sealed container or you can freeze them and have them ready for celebrations all summer long. These are perfect for picnics too.

If you are lucky enough to make it strawberry picking, (you need to hurry there are only a few weeks left) and if making jam doesn’t appeal to you why not try Kathy’s favorites, Strawberry Cobbler or Strawberry Hand Tarts. Remember to use your strawberries for happy hour on the patio. Frozen Strawberry Margarita Punch is sure to make you the talk of the neighborhood. No matter what you decide to do with your picked treasures, get busy, have fun and share the love!

Strawberry Shortcake Bars

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup chopped, toasted pecans
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup strawberry preserves
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 or 9-inch baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, combine flour, sugar, pecans and butter until mixture is crumbly. Remove 2 cups of this mixture and set aside.
Pour the remainder crumb mixture into prepared pan and pat to form a crust. Layer strawberry preserves within 1/2 inch of crust edge. Sprinkle reserved mixture evenly over the top.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Allow to cool completely, then cut into bars.

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Orange Honey Fruit Parfaits

Posted by Roxanne on April 24, 2017

Getting together with friends doesn’t have to be stressful. Do you have those friends that you can never find a time that works for lunch or dinner? No worries! Spread your wings and shake it up a bit. Almost everyone is free for breakfast or brunch on the weekend. Breakfast is easy to prepare, tasty and a wonderful way to enjoy these weekends that are starting to be filled with sunshine.

One of my favorite brunch menus is so easy peasy that it is almost embarrassing. Make Orange Honey Fruit Parfaits, Cappuccino Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins and baked, crisp peppered bacon. The muffins can be prepared the day before and warmed in the oven just before serving. The parfaits go together lickety split and can be made an hour or so before your friends arrive. You will definitely want to bake the bacon so there is no messy stovetop to clean up and the bacon will be perfect. The smell alone will welcome everyone into your home. [Read more…]

Jambalaya

Posted by Roxanne on March 27, 2017

We just returned from working the National Housewares Show in Chicago. It is bigger and better every year and the buzz in the aisles of McCormick Place is mind boggling. This year we had the pleasure of showcasing an air fryer, a triple slow cooker that allows you to serve both hot and chilled in the same 3 crock unit, Disney gummy treats, a pizza maker and the coolest copper skillet. We worked next to Dr. Dan the Pancake Man, yes that’s right….check him out here.

Copper seemed to be every where and is definitely “in”. We loved the 12-inch and 16-inch copper skillet that Select Brands introduced.

We served Jambalaya to the buyers and media who stopped by. While the skillets were beautiful, the smell of the jambalaya simmering was amazing. This is a quick go to dinner for any busy family. If you have those that don’t enjoy the spice omit the cayenne and pass the hot seasoning sauce at the table. This recipe is a great way to use leftover protein. Omit the sausage and substitute ham or whatever you have on hand that needs to be used. True confession, we ran out of chicken at the show and used deli turkey. No one knew the difference and it was still delicious! There is no excuse not to have dinner on the table in a flash. Start this recipe and while it is simmering away, toss a salad and heat a baguette. Voila! Dinner is served.

A side note on this recipe. Yes, we know jambalaya can be a lot more intense to prepare. We especially like Paul Prudhomme’s method, but when it comes to a quick, dinner on the table meal, this is our go to recipe.

Jambalaya

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
¾ cup sliced celery
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz.) can low sodium chicken broth
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
¾ cup water
¾ cup uncooked rice
1 cup diced smoked andouille sausage
1 cup chopped, cooked chicken
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoons dried thyme leaves
½ teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot seasoning sauce to taste
Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, celery and green pepper. Cook until onion is soft. Add garlic and cook for a minute more. Add chicken broth, tomato sauce, water, rice, sausage, chicken, bay leaf, thyme, paprika, Worcestershire and cayenne. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for about 40 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent rice from sticking. Season to taste with salt, pepper and hot seasoning sauce.
Makes about 4 servings

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

Posted by Roxanne on February 13, 2017

Happy Valentine’s Day!
I hope you can spend the day with those you love! At our home, special holidays like Valentine’s Day are usually celebrated in the quiet and comfort of home. While we love to go to restaurants and try new foods, we have learned over the years that this may not be the “best” holiday to venture out. The up side of this is that we always plan a fun and special dinner at home. Today is no exception. I can hardly wait to get out the pasta machine and try my hand at homemade pasta. Pair that with lobster, steak, great wine and I think our evening will be a winner. Dessert? Easy peasy—my sweetheart adores brownies and so does my daughter. Dessert will definitely be heart shaped brownie sundaes with homemade hot fudge. We are in for a treat! My special gift request is always and most likely always will be Christopher Elbow milk chocolate turtles. Turtles trump flowers any day. Life is good.

I thought it might be fun to share some of our favorite recipes for your special meals with the ones you love.

Make ahead fontina stuffed pork tenderloin. Love is in the air.

My Favorite? Christopher Elbow Turtles of course! Or you can make your own version.

Have fun, light the candles, que the playlist and enjoy great tastes! From our home to yours……..Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Milk Chocolate Toffee Cookies

Posted by Roxanne on January 17, 2017

The holidays waved good bye and the dreary January days have replaced all the fa la la and festivities of December. The gingerbread, spritz and thumbprint cookies are a distant memory. I miss the hub bub and baking in the kitchen. I especially miss my nieces and nephews who came to our home and baked cookies with our family. We had a special holiday with those we love.

My husband and I enjoyed our morning coffee with one baked Christmas cookie each day and then……… the cookies were gone! There was a definite gap in our morning routine and I missed the smells of our in-home holiday bakery. I must digress and point out that we begin our daily routine early with a steaming cup of joe and a cookie and then we don our hats and coats and hit the pavement for our morning walk. We are obsessive about reaching our 10,000 step goal each day. In our mind, this helps balance our cookie fetish.

What to do? The Christmas decor is packed away and the cookie jar is empty. There really is only one happy ending to this saga. Go back to the kitchen and start working on new cookie ideas. Yipeeee!! Assignment accepted and off I went.

This was the first post holiday cookie and it was a winner indeed. I rustled through the pantry and found packages of all the flavored chips that had been so seductively displayed at the grocery store before Christmas. The marketing worked precisely as the manufacturers and PR agencies had planned. I think I purchased every mint chip, cinnamon chip, green and red morsel, toffee bit and more that the store offered. In my mind the days would stretch on and on before the holidays and I would have time to bake each and every recipe that I had written in my giant holiday organization notebook. Ha! I was definitely in LaLa Land! The bag that was on top was Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits. This sounded like a step up from chocolate chip cookies. The extra addition of mini chocolate chips made this a winner. When I say winner, I mean a recipe that will make it to my permanent recipe file and will be baked over and over again.

The days are still dreary and the weather is literally running hot and cold. These cookies are the perfect antidote to chase away any winter time blues. I hope you will give them a try!

Milk Chocolate Toffee Cookies

2- 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 package (8 oz.) milk chocolate toffee bits (I used Heath brand)
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, on medium high speed, beat together the butter and shortening until fluffy. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla extract; beat well. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and beat until well blended. Beat in the milk chocolate toffee bits and mini chocolate chips. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Form the dough into 1-inch diameter balls. Place balls about 2-1/2 to 3 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. (Note: these cookies will spread during baking.)

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are beginning to brown. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack for one minute. Remove cookies from cookie sheet to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Tip:
If you don’t keep mini chocolate chips on hand, you can substitute regular chocolate chips.

If I didn’t have a “picky” teenager under roof, I would add 1/2 cup chopped pecans to this batter also.

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