Summer Veggie Salad

Friday night, I met my friends for a girls night out painting party.  We decided to bring something to share since the painting party was held during supper time.  It's been a busy week with keeping my boys entertained during the summer AND I just finished a calligraphy project addressing wedding invitations for a dear friend.  I had to be creative with the ingredients I had on hand and a friend just gave me some farm fresh summer veggies so I decided to make a salad.

Summer Veggie Salad

1/4 c. orzo, cooked al dente
2 small yellow squash, sliced & parboiled, drained
1 small zucchini, sliced & parboiled, drained
small jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained, sliced in half
small can black olives, drained
1/3 c. Meyer lemon olive oil
3 T. raspberry balsamic olive oil
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. rosemary sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
can of tuna, drained (optional)

In a large bowl, add the orzo, yellow squash, zucchini, artichoke hearts and black olives; mix gently.  In a small bowl, add the Meyer lemon olive oil, raspberry balsamic olive oil, garlic powder and black pepper; whisk until thoroughly combined.  Pour over the veggies and mix well.  Add tuna, if desired.



Have fun with flavor infused olive oils and balsamic vinegars. Love our local place in Roswell, called Oli & Ve!

Here's my attempt at a "little house on the prairie" ... LOL!

Bridal Shower

I'm hosting a linen shower for a sweet Roswell bride on Saturday and decided on a "Bed in Breakfast" theme utilizing pink and green, the bride's favorite colors. A brunch menu is in order: eggs strata cups, chicken sausage breakfast balls, fruit, strawberry croissant french toast, miniature cinnamon rolls, coffee, tea, oj and champagne (Mimosas easily prepared with ingredients on hand).

I recently went to a bridal shower held at Atlanta's famous Swan Coach House. It's the girliest place and perfect for bridal and baby showers. I enjoyed their chicken salad in timbales, cheese straws and amazing frozen fruit salad. With fresh fruit in abundance during summer, I decided to make some frozen fruit salad cups for my linen shower. I found the recipe here at ajc.com. I substituted one 8 oz. bar of Neufchatel cream cheese for the 6 oz. of cream cheese and used diced peaches, mandarin oranges, grapes and strawberries.

Here are a few of my tips for preparing individual portions of the frozen fruit salad.

Line your muffin pan with aluminum foil muffin liners. Using a 1-1/2 T. ice cream/cookie dough scoop, add a dollop of the cream cheese-whipped cream mixture to each muffin cup.



Add 2 cubes of peaches, half a mandarin orange, half a sliced grape, and a slice of strawberry.



Add another dollop of the cream cheese-whipped cream mixture.



Smooth the tops with the back of a teaspoon.



The finished product ... freeze well until firm (several hours).



Note: Let the frozen fruit cups stand at room temperature about 15 minutes before serving.

Frozen Fruit Cups, plated with a fresh raspberry on top!

Cooking Dinner with Victoria

My friend, Victoria, moved to London last fall and I got to see her this summer. We both love to cook so one night we picked up duck breasts for our supper. She had picked up beets and zucchini flowers at her local farmers market for our sides. I had not seen zucchini flowers in America but I love them! There's a young, tender zucchini with the flower attached to it (so tasty).

We were shopping in Fortnum & Mason when we saw the Damson Plum jam; use whatever is fresh and local to your area. Jams are a great start to a flavorful sauce for duck (and pork too).

We both "wing" it when we're in the kitchen but here are some "recipes" for you to try out at home.

Pan Seared Duck Breasts with Damson Plum Glaze

2 duck breasts
freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
1 T. olive oil (Spanish olive oil is my favorite)
1/4 c. Damson Plum jam or other favorite jam
2 T. water

Sprinkle the duck breasts with a bit of salt and pepper, set aside. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium high heat, add the duck breasts, skin side down, and pan seared them until golden brown about 3-4 minutes on each side. Place the duck breasts in a baking dish to roast for about 5-7 minutes in a 375F oven. Combine the Damson Plum jam and water in a microwave proof bowl and heat about a minute or so until a slightly thickened sauce forms; mix well. Brush the jam on the duck breasts after they're done cooking and have been pulled out of the oven. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Pan Sauteed Zucchini Flowers

6-8 zucchini flowers, washed and dried with paper towel
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. water
1 t. baking powder
1 egg
1 green onion, chopped
2 T. parmesan cheese
1/4 c. vegetable oil
freshly ground salt and pepper to taste

Make a batter by whisking the flour, water, baking powder, egg, and green onion. Fold in parmesan cheese. Dip the zucchini flowers in the batter. Heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat until hot but not smoking, add the zucchini flowers without overcrowding and fry until all sides are golden brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


Roasted Beets

6-8 beets, cleaned and ends sliced off
olive oil
freshly ground salt and pepper to taste

Wrap the beets in foil. Roast for 30-40 minutes or until tender in 375F oven. Peel the skin off and slice. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Fish Supper

Like other consumers, I shop for our weekly groceries by scouring various grocers' weekly ads. I saw turbot flounder filets on sale at The Fresh Market recently. Growing up in Miami, I love fish and it's so good for you too! We had friends over for dinner and a play date one evening and decided to pan sear the turbot flounder in some heart healthy seasoned olive oil for a tasty yet healthy supper.

Pan Seared Turbot Flounder
Approx. 9 servings

2 lbs. turbot flounder or other white fish
5 T. regular olive oil
seasoned salt to taste
Penzeys Sunny Paris
1 T. Kerrygold butter
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 t. truffle oil

Slice the turbot flounder into hand size pieces, set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 3 T. of the olive oil and seasoned salt and heat for a minute or two. Working in batches, add the fish to the skillet and sprinkle generously with Penzeys Sunny Paris seasoning, and brown for 30 seconds on each side. Remove to a oven proof platter. Add the remaining 2 T. of olive oil and the butter, mix until the butter is melted. Finally, add the lemon juice and truffle oil. Stir well and pour over the fish. Bake in a 350F oven until the fish is done; fish cooks quickly so it will only take another 10-15 minutes to bake thoroughly.

Baby Shower Tea

One of my beloved friends had her 7th baby recently and we showered her and her new son with a Tea. My contributions to the food table were Chicken Salad Croissants and Olive and Asiago Cheese Bruschetta. I find that poaching the chicken breasts in a broth infused with herbs produces a delicious and moist chicken.

Chicken Salad Croissants

To poach the chicken breasts:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cups water
1 t. onion powder
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. salt

Place the water, onion and garlic powders and salt in a medium sized pot; bring to a boil and simmer. Arrange the chicken breasts in a single layer in the hot, seasoned water. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until done. Remove the chicken and place in a shallow bowl to cool. When the chicken has cooled about 20 minutes and are warm to the touch, slice the chicken into small cubes and place in a large bowl.

To make the chicken salad mixture:
1 T. Penzeys Sunny Paris seasoning (available online)
1/2 t. sugar
1/3 c. dried cranberries or pomegranate seeds
1 c. lowfat Greek yogurt
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. chopped, toasted pecans, optional

In a small bowl, add the Sunny Paris seasoning, sugar and dried cranberries or pomegranate seeds to the Greek yogurt and mayonnaise. Stir until well blended. Add this mixture to the diced chicken. Mix and fold until the yogurt-mayonnaise is fully incorporated into the chicken. As a rule of thumb, I use a 2-to-1 ratio of the Greek yogurt to mayonnaise. If the chicken salad is a bit stiff and dry, add enough Greek yogurt and mayonnaise until the chicken salad is moist but not wet. If desired, add the toasted pecans and mix well.

Slice the croissant in half, lengthwise. Toast in a 350F oven for 10 minutes. Remove and cool completely. Fill each croissant with 1-2 T. of chicken salad and assemble on your party tray!


Olive and Asiago Cheese Bruschetta
1 loaf Italian bread or French baguette, sliced
1 large bar (8 oz.) Neufchatel cheese (low fat cream cheese)
1/4 sundried tomatoes, diced
1/3 c. grated Asiago cheese
1 small can black olives, sliced

Preheat oven to 350F. Arrange the bread slices on a cookie sheet and toast both sides until light, golden brown; approximately 5-7 minutes each side.

In a medium bowl, mix the Neufchatel cheese, diced sundried tomato, and Asiago cheese until well blended. Spread each toasted slice of bread with the cheese mixture and top with olives.

St. Patrick's Day Dinner Party

Our family has been celebrating St. Patrick's Day with our neighbors for the last few years. Judith of The Ulster Kitchen is one of my favorite chefs and she runs a catering and Irish products company. She and her husband are the consummate hosts. Despite her protests that I didn't need to bring anything, I decided to prepare an appetizer using Kerrygold cheeses that I'd bought at our local Sam's Club. I've had the Dubliner variety but not the Ballyshannon (cream hue) and Red Leicester (orange hue) that were now in my fridge. I know that Kerrygold makes excellent cheeses so I didn't think I would be disappointed with these new varieties.

It was my college friend, Kim, who introduced me to apple and cheddar slices. I didn't grow up eating a lot of cheese. Most of it was consumed on Cuban sandwiches. Well, it's one of my favorite sweet and savory morsels now. I prepared 2 types of cheese appetizers for the St. Patrick's Day dinner party. One was topped with 3 Agrume Preserves and a grape half (pictured); the other was topped with an apple slice, dab of Fig and Roasted Shallot Tapenade, and drizzled with local honey (not pictured). I found the 3 Agrume Preserves by Twin Oaks Farm (Bonifay, FL) at the Seaside Farmers Market. Their 3 Agrume Preserves includes Satzuma Mandarins, Florida Oranges and Meyer Lemons...truly delicious!

Kerrygold Cheese Appetizer

Kerrygold Ballyshannon, sliced thickly (approx. 1/4")
Kerrygold Red Leicester Cheese, sliced thickly (approx. 1/4")
green grapes, halved
3 Agrume Preserves or other Citrus Preserves

apple slices
Napa Valley Fig & Roasted Shallot with Sherry Tapenade
local honey

Arrange cheese slices on a platter. Top each slice with 1/8 tsp. 3 Agrume Preserves and a green grape half. As an alternative, top with an apple slice, a small dab of Fig and Roasted Shallot Tapenade, and drizzle with honey.

Chinese New Year's Eve Supper

It's been a while since my last post. Let's just say I took a busy Mom hiatus this fall driving my kids to orchestra rehearsals, soccer practices, after school clubs (Math, Music), karate lessons (culminating in 2 jr. black belts) ... HI-YAH!!! It's a new year, both on the Gregorian and Chinese Lunar calendars, and it's high time for a foodie blog post to breathe some life back into this baby! I find taking the food shots time consuming and a disruption to my cooking chi but made it a priority over the last few weeks.

For Chinese New Year (a belated Gung Hay Fat Choy!), we enjoyed a plate of Foo Pey Quon (Bean Curd Rolls), roast duck, barbecue roast pork, salt and pepper shrimp, steamed gai lan (Chinese broccoli) drizzled with oyster sauce and sesame oil, and of course the ubiquitous steamed white rice. We usually purchase the roast meats from a local Chinese barbecue place; it's a bit challenging to roast the duck properly in a residential kitchen. Our friends loved the bean curd rolls and they were different from any spring rolls that they've ever had. Hope you'll love them as much as we do!

Foo Pey Quon (Bean Curd Rolls)
Makes approx. 3 dozen

1/2 lbs. ground pork
1/2 lbs. small to medium size shrimp, shelled, deveined, coarsely chopped
1 small can of bamboo shoots, julienned
3 stalks of green onion/scallion or Chinese chives, sliced thinly
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. sesame oil
a few dashes of white pepper
1 package of bean curd sheets
1 egg, beaten in a small bowl
vegetable oil for frying

Remove the bean curd sheets from the package and unfold. Slice each sheet into triangular shapes approximately 5"x8"x8" (you may find it easiest to slice the large sheet lengthwise into 3 or 4 long secions). Keep moist by laying a damp towel or paper towel over the sheets.

In a large bowl, mix and blend well the ground pork, shrimp, bamboo shoots, green onion or Chinese chives, soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper.

Take one triangular piece of bean curd sheet and wipe with a damp cloth to insure that each piece is softened and pliable. Place a heaping tablespoon of the pork and shrimp filling onto the wide end. Roll twice, fold in the sides, and seal the tip by applying a bit of beaten egg. Set aside, seam down in a large baking pan or cookie sheet.

In a deep frying pan (I use a dutch oven to reduce the amount of splattering oil), add enough vegetable oil for deep frying. Heat until hot but not smoking...I stick a clean chopstick in the oil and if it starts to bubble, it's ready! Wipe each of the bean curd rolls with a dampened paper towels (this process helps the bean curd rolls puff up) and fry in the hot oil for about a minute until light, golden brown. Place on paper towel to drain and then transfer to a platter for serving.

Serve immediately. These are delicious as is or served with a sweet chili sauce or Chinese plum sauce.

Pork Roast Supper

I thought of my friend, Scott, who's adept at making pork roasts, when I recently made dinner plans. I picked up a pork roast at the store, looked in the spice cupboard for some interesting seasonings, sprinkled away and placed the pork roast in the oven for a few hours. I'm a rice and gravy kind of gal so I used some of the pan drippings, added some flour and a few turns of the pepper mill and voila, we have gravy!

Pork Roast

one 3 lbs. pork butt

1 T. Penzey's Ozark Style Seasoning

1/2 t. garlic powder

Pre heat oven to 350F. Place pork butt in a baking dish. Combine the Ozark Style seasoning and garlic powder. Rub all over the pork butt. Roast for 2-3 hours, testing for doneness. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before carving into thin slices.

Club Sandwich

One of my favorite sandwiches is the BLT or Club (enhanced BLT). It's especially good during the summer when you can grab veggies from your garden to assemble this savory delight!

Club Sandwich

3 slices whole wheat, lightly toasted

2 tsp. mayonnaise

dash of Penzey's Sunny Paris seasoning

assorted field greens

4 tomato slices

3-4 slices Benton's smoked country bacon, cooked to desired doneness

2 slices Boar's Head lower sodium turkey breast

2 slices Boar's Head lower sodium ham

Spread each slice of whole wheat toast with mayonnaise and sprinkle with Sunny Paris seasoning; set aside. Layer one slice of whole wheat toast with assorted field greens, 1-2 tomato slices, 1-2 pieces of bacon, a slice of turkey breast and a slice of ham. Top with a piece of whole wheat toast and layer the remaining ingredients and top with the last piece of whole wheat toast. Slice into triangles and enjoy!

Served here with a side of Conn's Potato Chips!

Open Faced Egg Sandwich

One of my favorite things to make for breakfast is an open faced egg sandwich. I learned to make hobo eggs from my friend, Kim, years ago. This is a slightly healthier version since I toast the whole wheat bread and then layer with a slice of sweet ham and fried egg. Today's version was topped with some grated Kerrygold Dubliner cheese and a bit of parsley. Mix it up on other days with sliced proscuitto, applewood smoked bacon, Serrano ham, lox on toasted Challah, English muffin, cornbread, focaccia, French bread, Cuban bread ... you get the idea.

Shrimp and Grits (Cakes)

I met Chef Samantha Enzmann at a Whole Foods Low Country Favorites cooking class. She's a wonderful chef (check out her place The Mercantile) and does a great job teaching. I love shrimp and grits so the class was right up my alley. I learned to make a lovely shrimp broth that's used to finish the saute of bacon, shrimp, tomatoes, corn and okra. The grits cakes included cream and grated Kerrygold Dubliner cheese, which is a wonderful sharp white cheddar type cheese.

I made this dish for my family and the only change that I made was that I used Benton's Smoked Country Bacon that gave this dish a wonderful dimension and heartiness. The meal was a big hit. My husband took some to work the next day and as he re-heated it, his co-workers said that it smelled like a restaurant in the office.

Chinese New Year

Each Chinese New Year, we set out the obligatory citrus fruit bowl to welcome the new year. It's filled with Chinese grapefruit, oranges, tangerines and the like.

We enjoyed dinner with family and friends and it included a little bit of "everything" such as roast duck, roast pork, bbq pork, chicken, steamed veggies and rice. We made pork and shrimp spring rolls using bean curd sheets which yield a light crispy exterior reminiscent of phyllo. The spring roll filling is made of chopped pork and shrimp, bamboo shoots strips seasoned with oyster sauce and sesame oil. At one end of the diamond of the bean curd sheet, roll a small handful of the pork-shrimp filling, folding the sides in as you approach the other end of the diamond and seal with egg wash. Heat canola oil in a deep pan until hot but not smoking. Deep fry for a few minutes until golden brown.

Vegetable Korma

I tried a Korma sauce from Seeds of Change Foods, which was quite tasty but it won't keep me from going to my favorite local Indian place (Moksha) to enjoy their wonderful Vegetable Korma dish.

This was an easy way for me to duplicate Vegetable Korma at home. I sauteed some chopped onion in olive oil until translucent and then added 2 cups of chopped cauliflower and 1 large carrot diced. I sauteed for a minute and added the jar of Korma sauce along with 1/2 jar of water to dilute the sauce a bit since it was quite thick. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Then add 1 can of chick peas drained and a small bag of frozen petite peas; cover and cook until hot (about 5-10 minutes). Serve over hot Basmati rice and a side of Indian bread (naan or fried plain puppodums from Tiger Tiger).

Beef Tenderloin with a Mushroom Cognac Sauce

One family night after the holidays, I served beef tenderloin medallions with a mushroom cognac sauce. My mother loves mushrooms and we had cognac on hand. I consulted my copy of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking for inspiration and technique. Thanks to the recent movie Julia and Julie, there's a renewed interest in the alumna of my alma mater.

Beef Tenderloin Medallions with a Mushroom Cognac Sauce

1 3-5 lbs. beef tenderloin, sliced into 2"-3" thick pieces

magic salt*

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 pkg. sliced mushrooms

1 can beef consomme

1/3 c. cognac

1 c. heavy cream

dash of nutmeg

chopped parsley

*My boys call the Chinese seasoned salt, magic salt, because it's magical how it makes everything taste better! This salt is prepared in a skillet over medium-high heat and infused with 5 spice powder. Heat for a while until the seasoned salt becomes fragrant, stirring often. Let cool and store in a jar with star anise.

Preheat oven 400F. Place a 9"x13" pan in the oven and heat for 10 minutes.

Using the magic salt, season each beef medallion. Set aside. Over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil in your dutch oven for a minute. Add the beef tenderloin medallions, avoid crowding, and brown all sides for 1-2 minutes. Set aside in a hot 9"x13" pan. Place the pan in the 400F oven and roast the beef medallions for 10 minutes for medium. Remove from oven when done.

Lower the heat to low-to-medium heat, add the onion and garlic to the dutch oven and cook until the onion is transparent and slightly carmelized. Add the mushrooms and cook several minutes until soft. De-glaze with a can of the beef consomme, scraping the small bits of beef and bring to a gentle boil. Add the cognac and stir for a minute, which releases the alcohol. Add the heavy cream and nutmeg; lower the heat if necessary to cook the sauce gently. Reduce until slightly thickened. Pour the sauce over the beef medallions and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.

Serve with your choice of starch. Rice pilaf is a favorite in our household.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

We've basically gone through our leftovers from Christmas by now. We were ready for something different for dinner tonight so Spaghetti and Meatballs it was! I've leaned toward making a Bolognese style sauce lately because it readily appeals to kiddie palates.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 can (28 oz.) tomato puree*

1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste*

2 T. brown sugar

1/2 c. chicken broth

1 c. milk

1/4 t. nutmeg

1/4 c. red wine

1 T. Penzey's Spices Pasta Sprinkle

1 pkg. (20 oz. or so) pre-made frozen meatballs

*Substitution: 1 jar of store bought spagetti sauce.

In a dutch oven (I use Le Creuset) over medium heat, add the olive oil and heat for a minute. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes until lightly brown. Next add the tomato puree, tomato paste, brown sugar and chicken broth. Heat for a few minutes, stirring gently. Follow with the milk, nutmeg, red wine (I used Merlot tonight) and Penzey's Spices Pasta Sprinkle, stir well. Finally, add the meatballs and heat over low-to-medium heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over hot thin spaghetti (my boys' favorite).

Quick Cheesy Garlic Bread

1 small loaf of Italian bread, sliced in half length-wise

mayonnaise

spreadable butter

garlic powder

grated Parmesan/Romano cheese mix

Penzey's Spices Old World Seasoning

Spread a layer of mayonnaise and spreadable butter onto each length of Italian bread; score the bread into smaller pieces for easy tearing. Generously dust the bread with garlic powder and grated Parmesan/Romano cheese mix and sprinkle a bit of Penzey's Spices Old World Seasoning. Bake in a 350F oven for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden brown.

We served a Caesar salad with dinner using torn hearts of Romaine lettuce, Naturally Fresh Caesar Dressing and a sprinkling of grated Parmesan/Romano cheese mix and croutons. Finish with freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Christmas Fried Rice

Well, what do you do with all of the leftovers from La Noche Buena and Christmas Day? At our house, we make fried rice (see my recent post for the method). We had lechon asado (Cuban style roast pork) leftover from Christmas Eve and Honey Baked Ham from Christmas Day so that's what we added to our fried rice tonight! Tasty with a side of maduros (fried sweet plantains) too!



Honorable Mention

We finished off our Christmas Day dinner with gorgeous and absolutely delicious cupcakes from Cami Cakes.

Ropa Vieja "Old Clothes"

Tonight we had Ropa Vieja for dinner, which my boys just LOVE! I'd call it a tomato-based pot roast that's shredded at the end of the cooking process.

Ropa Vieja

3-4 lbs. boneless chuck roast

1-2 T. extra virgin olive oil, Spanish style

1 c. sofrito (see below)

1 can chicken broth

1/4 c. red wine

1 tsp. cumin

1-2 bay leaves

salt and pepper to taste

In a large dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown the chuck roast in the extra virgin olive oil. Add the sofrito, chicken broth, red wine, cumin and bay leaf(ves), stirring well. Bake in a 350F oven for several hours until the meat is tender. Take 2 forks and shred the meat. Serve over hot steamed rice.

Sofrito

It's easiest to make a big batch of sofrito and then freeze it in ziploc baggies containing about 1 cup of the mixture.

2 T. extra virgin olive oil, Spanish style

2 onions, peeled and skinned, chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled and skinned, minced

4 medium green peppers, chopped

8 tomatoes with skins removed, coarsely chopped

In a large dutch oven over medium-high heat, saute the chopped onions and minced garlic cloves in the extra virgin olive oil until the onion is soft and tender. Add the green peppers and saute for 3-4 minutes. Finally, add the chopped tomatoes and cook over low to medium heat for 20-30 minutes to reduce the mixture a bit. Cool before bagging and freezing.

Fried Rice

One of my favorite one skillet dishes is fried rice. Use your leftover rice and add a little meat, veggies and scrambled eggs -- whatever's leftover in the fridge. We used Chinese sausage, shrimp, ham and green onions in this version. The key is to fry your rice in a bit of vegetable oil over medium-high heat stirring and tossing frequently to remove as much moisture as possible; just keeping frying until the grains of rice become loose and separate. Add soy sauce to achieve the desired color of light golden brown, stirring well and then add your meat, veggies and scrambled eggs. Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil; we use the Kadoya brand in our home.

Lately, my son loves and asks for the Pineapple Fried Rice from our favorite Thai place, Thai Emerald, so I've been sprinkling some Madras Curry Powder into our fried rice, along with some pineapple tidbits and cashews, and doing my own version of Pineapple Fried Rice at home.

Thanksgiving Morning

My friend, Jennifer, turned me onto this sausage hashbrowns casserole. My husband and brother ran in a half marathon this morning so I made this casserole and had it ready for them when they returned home. It was a good hearty start to our Thanksgiving morning.

Sausage Hashbrowns Casserole

1 pkg. breakfast sausage patties (vegetarian option: Morningstar Breakfast Sausage)

1 pkg. Ore Ida Hash Browns Potatoes O'Brien, thawed

1 can Campbell's Cream of Celery plus 1 can of water

1 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. paprika

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven 325F. In a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown and crumble the breakfast sausage until browned. Add the package of hash browns, stir and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Next, add the cream of celery, water, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika and mix well, cooking for another 1-2 minutes. Pour the sausage hash browns mixture into an oblong baking dish (9x13) and top with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.

The Scents of Fall

Fall is my favorite time of year, evoking memories of apple picking, hayrides, leaf "peeping" and of course anything baked with apples. I love the scents of fall: the crisp air, apple pie baking, and the fall rain, which we're getting plenty of in Northern Georgia!

We recently went apple picking for Golden Delicious and Rome Beauty apples in Ellijay and while there we also picked up goodies from the orchard's bakery and store: apple fritters, apple cider, and fried pies (apple, blackberry, peach, chocolate and my favorite, coconut -- which I've never seen before). I filled my Longaberger baskets with apples to display around our kitchen and then delivered some to beloved friends and family. After packing the boys' lunches with an apple each day for several days, I baked some Apple Gingerbread Muffins this morning; the scent filled our home with hints of cinnamon, allspice, ginger and molasses -- mmm, can't you just smell it now?

Apple Gingerbread Muffins

2 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. allspice

1/8 tsp. ground ginger

4 T. unsalted butter, melted

1/2 c. light, mild molasses

1/4 c. milk

1 egg

2 medium-size Golden Delicious apples, peeled, finely chopped

1/3 c. chopped pecans, optional

Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly spray muffin pan with Pam baking spray. In a medium size bowl, combine the first six (6) dry ingredients and mix well. In a small bowl, combine the wet ingredients (butter, molasses, milk, egg) and blend until smooth. Add the butter-molasses mixture to the dry ingredients and blend until smooth; batter will be fairly thick. Fold in the apples and fill muffin cups half way. Bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.