Guest blogging with the GG girls

Hey, y'all,

Check out Grace Graffiti today for a fun guest blog from yours truly!  If you're looking for a festive meal to celebrate St. Patrick's Day I've got you covered.  And while you're at it, give their super-cute home decor, jewelery and accessories a looksie.  Here are our house we're celebrating the (hopefully soon) arrival of spring with an adorable egg door hanger.  

Enjoy!

 

Saltine Chocolate Pieces

As promised, Rachael, this is for you!

Growing up, these yummy treats were a staple dessert/snack during the Christmas season. They are so yummy and everyone seems to like them - they're a crowd pleasing treat. And they're incredibly easy, quick and cheap, which makes this a win-win recipe! I keep these in the freezer and eat them cold - so good!! (But I'm also one of those people who likes her Girl Scout cookies frozen ...)

I like them so much that I've decided that they are no longer going to be relegated to just the holiday season ... I'm busting out the traditional barriers and have declared these to be year-round treats!

Saltine Chocolate Pieces
I think the recipe is from Mamie, a dear family friend
1 sleeve saltine crackers
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
12 ounces (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate pieces
3/4 cup chopped nuts (we prefer pecans)

Line a 10x15 cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with foil; spray very lightly with cooking spray. Cover sheet with crackers. Combine the brown sugar and butter in a small saucepan and boil for 3 minutes. Pour over cracker and spread evenly. Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let set for 1 minute, then spread the melted chips with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with chopped nuts (if desired) and lightly press down. Cool until firm, then break up. Pieces can be frozen.

French Onion Soup

On Christmas Day, we all gathered together at Patrick's parent's house for Christmas dinner. Everything was delicious, but one of my favorite courses was Scott's French Onion Soup. I had never had it before, always shying away from it because of the abundance of onions. I have never liked onions, but I have recently realized that it's raw onions I don't like, not all onions. I like grilled onions, caramelized onions, roasted onions, etc. Scott is a great cook, so I knew that whatever he made would be good.

But the soup wasn't good.

It was to die for. Truly - it was the best soup I have ever tasted. It was so, so good. All of us said that the meal could have ended there and we'd be happy.

It was so good that I knew I had to try to make it.

I did on Saturday, and we ate it on Sunday, and it was almost every bit as good as Scott's. (I say almost because one, I had to do all the work and make it myself rather than just sit down and have it served, and two, because my cheese didn't get all nice and melty and stringy like Scott's. I've asked him his secret and will share it with you when I get it.) Patrick loved it and declared it "one of his new favorite meals."

Sounds good to me!

This is a perfect meal for this time of year. A couple of tips: make sure you have deep, oven-safe bowls (we don't have any ... yet ... and I had to borrow some. That is, after my sweet husband went to five different stores looking, in vain, for French Onion Soup bowls). Second, per the comments on the recipe (on the Food Network site), it's best served the day after you make it. Apparently that gives time for the flavors, specifically the brandy and wine, to meld. I made it on Saturday and we ate it on Sunday (and Tuesday) and it was delish.

Bon appetit!

French Onion Soup
A Julia Child recipe, courtesy of Food Network
1/2 stick butter (4 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 cups thinly sliced onions (about 2-1/2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon flour
8 cups homemade beef stock, or good quality store bought stock (I used almost three containers of Swanson beef cooking stock)
1/4 cup Cognac, or other good brandy (Since Scott used Paul Masson brandy, I did too)
1 cup dry white wine (I used cooking sherry 'cause it's what I had in the pantry)
8 (1/2-inch) thick slices of French bread, toasted
3/4 pound coarsely grated Gruyere (be prepared - this is expensive! It cost me $8.50.)

Heat a heavy saucepan over moderate heat with the butter and oil. When the butter has melted, stir in the onions, cover, and cook slowly until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes. Blend in the salt and sugar, increase the heat to medium high, and let the onions brown, stirring frequently until they are a dark walnut color, 25 to 30 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour and cook slowly, stirring, for another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool a moment, then whisk in 2 cups of hot stock. When well blended, bring to the simmer, adding the rest of the stock, Cognac, and wine. Cover loosely, and simmer very slowly 1 1/2 hours, adding a little water if the liquid reduces too much. Taste for seasoning

Divide the soup among 4 ovenproof bowls. Arrange toast on top of soup and sprinkle generously with grated cheese. Place bowls on a cookie sheet and place under a preheated broiler until cheese melts and forms a crust over the tops of the bowls. Serve immediately.

Amaretto Cheesecake

The week before Christmas I asked my mom what dessert sounded good to her for us to have on Christmas Eve. She surprised me by telling me that an amaretto cheesecake was what she wanted.

Nothing says "Merry Christmas" and "Happy birthday, Jesus" like an amaretto cheesecake, right??

But being the people pleaser that I am, I happily obliged. I do love to make - and eat - cheesecake!

A lot of people tend to shy away from cheesecakes, but they really are easy desserts to make, once you get comfortable making them. The cream cheese needs to be very well softened, you need to scrape down the sides and bottom of your mixer well, and never, ever open the door while your cheesecake is baking. That's a big no no. If you follow those simple rules, though, you'll have a delicious cheesecake every time!

Amaretto Cheesecake

Recipe for 1 (9-inch) graham cracker crust*

3 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

1/3 cup amaretto

1 1/2 cups commercial sour cream

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons amaretto

1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Grated chocolate, for garnish

Press graham cracker crust mixture firmly on bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan (do not bake prior to filling with cheesecake mixture).

Beat cream cheese at high speed of an electric mixer until light and fluffy; gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in 1/3 cup amaretto; pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until mixture is set.

Combine sour cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons amaretto; stir well, and spoon over cheesecake. Bake at 500 degrees for 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack; chill. Garnish with almonds and grates chocolate. Yield: 12 servings.

Graham Cracker Crust

1 (5 1/3-ounce) packet graham crackers, crushed (about 1 2/3 cups)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Firmly press crumb mixture evenly over bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate. For frozen pies, crust may be used without baking. For other pies, bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 9 minutes. Yield: one 9-inch crust.

Baked Potato Soup

The cold and dreary weather we've been having lately makes me want to eat soup every day. Well, maybe not every day, but I could eat it pretty darn often. It's just so warm and filling and comforting. This baked potato soup recipe is so good, and it'll fill you up, warm you up and stick to your bones.

If you like loaded baked potatoes you have go to try this!

Whoops. I just realized that I posted this same recipe almost exactly one year ago. Oh well. It's such a good one that it deserves to be posted again. :) I promise to have more - new! - recipes coming soon, including amaretto cheesecake and sugar cookies. Yum!

Baked Potato Soup

Recipe courtesy of my mom

Serves about 4

4 large or 6 medium potatoes, baked with skin on

2/3 cup butter

2/3 cup flour

6 cups milk

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons green onions, chopped

Bacon pieces, cooked & crumbled. (I use the packaged Hormel or Oscar Meyer pieces; they are so easy)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

8 ounces sour cream

Bake potatoes for 1 hour at 400 degrees. Remove foil for the last 15 minutes. While potatoes are still warm, cut into cubes and crumble/mash half of them. Melt the butter in a large, heavy saucepan or dutch oven over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Add potatoes, salt, pepper, green onions, crumbled bacon, and cheese. Cook until heated. Stir in sour cream. (I usually add sour cream in each bowl when serving rather than into soup pot.)

Serve with cheese, bacon, onions and sour cream on top.

Dripping Roast Beef Sandwich

My mom made this for lunch one day while Patrick, Nora and I were visiting, and we really enjoyed it, so I got the recipe and made it for us today. It was the perfect game-day dinner - quick, easy and super tasty. I made it during a commercial - it's that fast!

Dripping Roast Beef Sandwich
Courtesy of Campbell's
1 can (10 1/2 oz.) Campbell's condensed French Onion soup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 pound thinly sliced roast beef
4 hoagie rolls
4 slices provolone cheese
Drained pickled banana pepper rings

Heat oven to 400. Heat soup and Worcestershire sauce in a two-quart saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil. Add beef and heat through, stirring occasionally. Divide beef mixture among rolls. Top beef mixture with cheese slices and place sandwiches onto baking sheet. Bake 3 minutes or until sandwiches are toasted and cheese is melted. Top each sandwich with banana pepper rings.

Weight Watchers Wednesday: Calzones

I had some pizza crust (the Pillsbury kind in the tube) in the fridge, so in my quest to find a healthy Weight-Watchers friendly recipe, I knew I wanted to make something with the pizza dough. I thought a pizza or calzone would be a good choice ... if I could find a healthy recipe.

I found this recipe while looking through my Weight Watchers cookbook, and thought I'd give it a try. It also helped that feta cheese was BOGO this week at Publix, and I was able to find a coupon. Healthy AND cheap - score!

I must admit that this isn't what I would typically think of when I think of a calzone. There's no meat (calling all vegetarians!), and there's no sauce, so it's not really as much like a pizza as I had thought. But it's not bad.

In the interest of being transparent I will say that this isn't our favorite meal, but it's not bad. If I had all the ingredients, I'd make it again, but it's not going to be one of our go-to dishes. But maybe you'll enjoy it!

And I took a photo, but can't find it anywhere, dagnabbit! It was actually really pretty!

Calzones
1 1/4 teaspoon (about 1/2 envelope) active dry yeast*
3/4 cup lukewarm (105-115 degrees) water*
2 cups all-purpose flour*
1 teaspoon salt*
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 shallots, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup thawed frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. In a food processor, combine 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons of the flour and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. With the machine running, scrape the yeast mixture and the remaining 1/2 cup of the lukewarm water through the feed tube just until the dough forms a ball. Knead the dough by pulsing until it is smooth and elastic, about 30 times. Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray; place the dough in the bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm draft-free place until it doubles in volume, about 1 hour. (OR -- use a tube of Pillsbury pizza dough and roll it into a large circle on a baking sheet. Much easier!!)

Meanwhile, in a small nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Saute the shallots and garlic until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the spinach; cook about 2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl; stir in the ricotta, feta, egg, mint, oregano, the remaining 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees; spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle a work surface with the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour. Turn out the dough; divide into 6 pieces. Roll out each piece into a 6-inch circle. Place about 2 heaping tablespoons of filling on one side of each circle, then dampen all around the edge; fold over and press with a wet thumb to seal. Transfer the calzones to the baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 20-25 minutes.