Souvlaki with Tzatziki

Souvlaki

2 pounds boneless shoulder or tenderloin,  1 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp thyme                                                      

2 tablespoons garlic, chopped                       

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 Cup plain Greek yogurt

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

3 T. cornstarch 

6 pitas

 In a bowl, toss together pork with the yogurt, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, oregano, thyme, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Let pork come to room temp, then coat with the cornstarch. Lay on a hot grill and grill slowly (no flame) continuing to brush on marinade, until meat is done OR cook in a hot cast iron skillet drizzled with canola oil. Cook until done.  Serve immediately in a pita, topped with shredded salad and homemade Tzatziki.



Tzatziki

1  pint plain Greek yogurt

1  cucumber, peeled, seeded & diced

1 tablespoon  teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)

1 tablespoon good olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

 1/2 teaspoon dill

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

 
Mix all ingredients together and keep chilled until ready to serve.

 

Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

My boxer, Ozzy, is so picky. I have bought so many dog treats only to bring them home and have him sniff them and turn his nose away. Ugh!!!
He loves these homemade dog biscuits. Sure to please your four-legged picky eaters!

2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup smooth or chunky peanut butter

1 1/4 cups hot water or chicken broth

Additional flour for rolling   

                                                         

Healthy Dog Biscuits

 

 

In a large bowl, whisk together flour and oats. Mix in the peanut butter and hot water. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour.
Knead the dough well. Round it into a ball and cover with plastic wrap and let rest 15 minutes.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. On floured parchment paper, roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into shapes with cookie cutters of choice. I use, what else, a bone cookie cutter. Since the dough doesn't spread while baking, you can cut the biscuits close together. Remove scraps and pick up the parchment paper by opposite ends and transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
Bake 40 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave them in the oven to cool overnight. The dryer they get, the longer they will stay fresh. If you can't wait that long, cool them completely on a wire rack and treat your doggie to a guilt-free snack.

Pumpkin Cupcakes w/ Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcakes:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sift before measuring
• 1 tablespoon baking powder                          

  

  Great for Thanksgiving!

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten until frothy
• 1 cup mashed cooked or canned pumpkin
• 3/4 cup milk

 

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a bowl. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs. Blend in mashed pumpkin. Stir in the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the milk, blending until batter is smooth after each addition. Spoon batter into well-greased and floured or paper-lined muffin pan cups. Fill about 2/3 full. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

 Makes about 24 cupcakes

 

Frosting:

1 stick butter, at room temp                

8 oz. cream cheese, at room temp

16 oz. powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 T. cinnamon

 

For a prettier look, fill a pastry bag with the frosting and swirl away!!

 

 

 

I'm Back!

Hi everyone!
Well hopefully I am back to stay.
I've had a few things going on that has kept me away, but I promise I will try not to be gone for so long anymore.
I hope you continue to enjoy the recipes and posts.

MOCK APPLE PIE

My mother-n-law introduced me to this pie over 20 years ago. I thought she was crazy when she served me this delicious pie and then told me there were NO apples in it. I've been hooked since. My husband actually prefers this over regular apple pie.  It's a tradition in our family around Christmas time.


1 1/2 cup sugar                         Cinnamon
2 tsp. cream of tartar                 25 Ritz crackers
2 cups water                              2 unbaked deep dish pie shell
6 pats of butter

Add water, sugar, and cream of tartar in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Drop in crumbled up crackers and boil for about 2 minutes.  Pour into 1 of the pie crusts. Cut the other pie crust into strips and lay over pie filling to form a lattice design.  Sprinkle top with cinnamon and 6 small pats of butter.  Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Update...

Hi everyone!
I will be out of town for a few days, but should return back to my blog by next Tuesday.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Southern Macaroni Salad

16 oz. Elbow macaroni, cooked & drained
1 small Bell pepper, diced
1/2 small Onion, diced
1 pint Grape or Cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 large Cucumbers, peeled & diced
2 Boiled eggs, diced                                                   

Macaroni Salad

2 T. yellow mustard
1 cup mayonnaise ( I prefer Duke's)
Salt, pepper & garlic powder to taste

Prepare macaroni noodles according to package directions.
Drain, cool and transfer to a large serving bowl.
Add all vegetables and diced eggs.
Add mustard, mayo and the seasoning to taste.
Mix well.

You may have to add just a little more mayo; depends on your preference.

Chill at least one hour and serve.

Cleaning Your Blender

We all know it's a little difficult to clean your blender with those sharp blades in the way, right?   Well, here's an easy tip!
 
Fill the blender half full of hot water and add a drop of detergent. I also add the juice of half a lemon.
Cover and turn the blender on high for a few seconds. Rinse thoroughly with warm water and drain dry.
 
Also, most blenders have the bottom portion that screws off. If so, simply remove and separate parts and toss in the dish washer.

Tropical Sangria

We made this for my daughter's 23rd birthday party last night.
Good thing we made a double batch, because it was delicious!!



30 oz.   White Zinfandel
10 oz.    Pineapple Rum
  6 oz.   Banana Rum          

  6 oz.   Pineapple juice
  6 oz.   Peach puree
  6 oz.   Strawberry puree

Garnish with fruit such as lemon wedges, strawberries, apple chunks.

We used lime wedges, apple & pineapple chunks, and Maraschino cherries.

Mix in a container or punch bowl. Add ice to individual cups so that it doesn't water down the entire batch of the Sangria.

Enjoy!!!

Applewood Julep and Apple Fritters

Any time we make a trip to the Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg area of Tennessee, we ALWAYS make it a point to stop by the Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant in Sieverville.  Whether it's breakfast, lunch, or dinner, you cannot, I repeat, you cannot go wrong with anything you choose from their menus.

I think their breakfasts are my favorite though. The Applewood Julep & Apple Fritters they serve with their meals are so good. I could make a meal off the fritters alone.   I found the recipes several years ago, so I thought I would share. Hope you enjoy.

Applewood Julep

1 Qt.      Apple juice
1 Cup    Orange juice
1 Cup    Pineapple juice
1/4 Cup  Lemon Juice

Mix and serve over ice. Serves 6



Apple Fritters

1  Cup milk                                   1 Cup apples w/ skins, chopped but not too fine
1 egg, beaten                                 3 Cups cake flour
4 Tbs. butter, melted                     2 Tbs. baking powder
1/4 Cup sugar                                1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt                                    1 Orange (rind & juice)

Beat egg. In mixing bowl, combine milk, egg and butter. Add the orange juice, rind, chopped apples and vanilla.  Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir into milk mixture with spoon until blended.  Do not over mix.  Preheat canola oil in skillet to about 350 degrees.  Drop batter off the end of a teaspoon into hot oil.  Fry until golden brown. Turn fritters so they will brown evenly. Allow to cool.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar(optional)



http://www.applewoodfarmhouserestaurant.com/

Carrabba's Limoncello Bread Pudding

Although I have not made this yet, I just had to share when I came across the recipe.
It sounds delicious!  I've had the actual dessert at Carrabba's, so if this recipe is even close
to theirs, I know it will be amazing!

 



1/4 cup Limoncello

3/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

7 large eggs

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 quarts cubed stale bread

1/4 cup each: granulated sugar and Limoncello or lemon juice

 

1. Put bread in 9-by-9-by-2-inch pan or a 2-quart baking dish. Whisk cream, milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and Limoncello. Pour over bread. Let sit 20 minutes.

 

2. Heat oven to 350F. Cover pudding with foil. Bake 40-50 minutes or until pudding is set.

 

3. For the simple syrup, combine Limoncello and sugar in a small pan. Bring to boil, stirring, to dissolve sugar. Drizzle over bread pudding.

 

 Can be served warm or cold.

 

 

 

Crème Brûlée

2 cups heavy cream
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more to sprinkle for topping
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
optional: fresh berries or mint for garnish

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
                                                        

Whisk together egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a medium mixing bowl until smooth and creamy. Add cream and vanilla and gently stir to combine, taking care not to mix quickly so as not to introduce extra bubbles. Place un-filled ramekins in a baking or casserole dish and fill baking dish with hot water until about half-way up sides of ramekins. Pour egg mixture into ramekins.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, checking every 10 minutes after 35-40 minutes. When done, a knife inserted into the center of the egg mixture should come out mostly clean.

Remove from baking dish and lay onto clean dish towel to dry, set and cool. Allow to sit for 15 minutes.

Place in refrigerator for 1 hour or longer to cool.

Set oven to low broiler setting.

Sprinkle a thin, even layer of granulated sugar over the top of the cooked custard. Completely, but lightly, cover the custard with the sugar. Place the ramekins back into the baking dish and surround by ice and cold water until the water almost reaches halfway up the sides (don’t fill too high with water, as the ice will melt and add to the volume of water). Place baking dish with ramekins under broiler (or use crème brûlée torch) for 2-5 minutes, or until the sugar has melted and creates a golden brown, caramelized crust.

If you don’t want to wait for the custard to cool in the refrigerator and would prefer to have the custard warm, follow the step above without letting cool. This is pretty tasty as well.

Garnish with a few fresh berries and/or some fresh mint leaves and whipped cream.
**Makes 4 ramekin size portions**

 

Orzo Salad

1Lb box orzo, cooked per package directions
2 cucumbers,peeled & diced
1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
1/2 small onion, minced
1/4 cup finely diced bell pepper(any color)
3-4 basil leaves, finely torn 
1/2 cup mayo                                               

1/4 cup milk
1 T. white vinegar
Salt & pepper
1/2 grated parmesan



While orzo is cooking, in a large bowl, make the dressing by mixing the mayo, milk, vinegar, salt and pepper with a whisk; for about 20 seconds.

Drain orzo, and add to bowl of dressing mixture. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Can serve warm, but best if refrigerated at least an hour.

This salad is great as a side, but just by
adding grilled chicken breast or shrimp,
you have a meal!




**Don't forget to salt your water once it's reached a rapid bowl before adding the orzo.  This is the case when cooking any pasta!

BACON CHEDDAR DIP

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 cups sour cream

1/2 package bacon, cooked and cut

1 c green onion, chopped

2 cups shredded cheddar                             

Combine, and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

Stir and serve with veggies, crackers, baguette or chips.

Appologies

Hi everyone!
I am sorry I have not posted in the last few days.
We had to make a very tough decision to say goodbye to a beloved family member, & our hearts have been hurting.
Our dog, Babie, who was 14 years old, went on to Doggie Heaven.
She has been sick for a while now, but her heart and kidneys were starting to fail.
We wanted her to be as comfortable as possible in her in last days, so we showed her so much love and affection before her little body was laid to rest.
She will be missed tremendously, but we find comfort knowing that she lived a wonderfully spoiled life with a family that loved her.

RIP Sweet Girl



Babie Girl
June 17, 1999 - August 06, 2013

Tip of the Day: STEVIA

My husband is diabetic, so we try to stay away from refined sugars and "white" foods as much as we possibly can. Being from the south, sweet tea is a necessity! That being said, refined white sugar can really raise his blood sugar levels. We tried Stevia for the first time a few years ago, and we love our beverages sweetened with it...yes, even in our sweet tea.

Most people have never heard of it until recently, as now it is more often seen on grocer shelves.

Stevia plant

Stevia is a natural sweetener made from the stevia plant and is calorie free and does not spike blood sugar levels. This is why it is great for diabetics. It is native to the tropical and subtropical regions from western North America to South America. Stevia plants can be purchased at many of your health food stores or gourmet markets.



Packets are great to keep in your purse when dining out

1/4 tsp sweetens a gallon of tea

 

Look for stevia in your local grocery stores. Your best option for the jar of  Kal pure stevia is to order from

www.vitacost.com   The prices are much cheaper than most retailers.

 



 

            

Banana Sour Cream Pancakes

I don't know about you, but I love pancakes. And what's better than pancakes for breakfast???
BANANA SOUR CREAM PANCAKES FOR SUPPER!

 

1 ½  cups flour                                                    

2 extra-large eggs

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 ½  teaspoons kosher salt      

 1/2 cup sour cream                            



2 ripe bananas, diced, plus extra for serving

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk

Unsalted butter

 

 

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it bubbles. Ladle the pancake batter into the pan to make 3 or 4 pancakes. Distribute a rounded tablespoon of bananas on each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear on top and the underside is nicely browned. Flip the pancakes and then cook for another minute until browned. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add more butter to the pan, and continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used. Serve with sliced bananas, butter and maple syrup.

 Makes 12 pancakes

 

 

Honey Syrup 

 

Stir 1/3 cup water and 1/3 cup sugar in small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves; about 5 minutes.  Stir in 1/3 cup honey.  Set aside and keep warm until ready to serve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

               

MICROWAVE PEANUT BRITTLE

Prep Time:5 min

Total Time:16 min                                            

Makes:1 lb. or 10 servings

 

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup  light corn syrup

1-1/2 cups dry roasted Peanuts

1 Tbsp.  butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp.  baking soda

 MICROWAVE sugar and corn syrup in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 5 min., stirring after 3 min. Stir in peanuts. Microwave an additional 3 to 5 min. or until golden brown.

ADD butter and vanilla; stir until butter is completely melted. Microwave 1 min. Stir in baking soda. (Mixture will foam.)

SPREAD mixture onto baking sheet, Silpat liner recommended.  Cool completely.

 Break into pieces.

EASY BUTTERMILK SUBSTITUTE

 

You're in the middle of making a recipe that calls for buttermilk, but you are all out!

 Don't panic....you can make your own!

 

 

1. Place a Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.

2. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line.

3. Let stand for five minute. Then, use as much as your recipe calls for.

BACON STUFFED MUSHROOMS

Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

1  Container Onion & Chive Cream Cheese

1/2  Cup Real bacon bits

2  Lbs.  button mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed

Black pepper, optional                                    

 

In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, bacon & pepper to taste.

With a teaspoon, stuff the mushroom caps just above the rim.

Place on baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees about 20 minutes.

Best when served warm.

 

 

**These are a hit every time I cook them for parties.

     No matter how many I make, there's never enough!!

VEGGIE FAJITAS

VEGGIE FAJITAS

 

1 large onion, sliced

1 Lb. mushrooms, sliced

2 squash or zuchinni, sliced                 

2 fresh tomatoes, diced          

2 handfuls baby spinach

1-2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, sliced

Salt & pepper

Olive Oil

Water or chicken broth(about 1/4 cup)

 

Coat a cast iron or heavy bottom skillet with 2 T. olive oil and heat to medium high heat.

Add all veggies except the spinach and cook until tender. Add liquid just enough to keep veggies from burning. When veggies are almost done, add the spinach and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste. *You want your veggies tender, but not over cooked.

 

If desired, grilled chicken or shrimp can be cooked and added to veggies.

 

Spoon fajitas mix into corn or flour tortillas, and top with lime & fresh cilantro.

EAT YOUR GREENS

Dark Green Vegetables will serve your protein needs and provide your body with calcium, chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

Broccoli, spinach and kale are the highest sources of plant protein.
So, if you are trying to reduce your blood pressure and cholesterol,
cut back on your animal proteins and replace them with extra servings of these.

Broccoli is great steamed or roasted. Kale and spinach are great sautéed with a touch of olive oil, added to soups or stews, and are delicious added to your morning smoothie.

Daily Dish 07/30/13 ~Oatmeal Cookies~

Good For You Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 cups organic coconut palm sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups 100% whole wheat flour                
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups old-fashion rolled oats, uncooked

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the coconut oil and the palm sugar and beat with an electric mixer until very creamy. Add the vanilla extract and eggs, and beat again until mixed.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add it to the creamed mixture. Add the oats & Mix together.

Drop heaping teaspoons of batter onto the prepared baking sheet. Leave plenty of room for the cookies to spread. Bake until the cookies are cooked in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven. Cool on the baking sheet for about 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 3-4 dozen cookies.

All of these ingredients like the coconut oil and palm sugar can be found in the baking section of most grocery stores.

Daily Dish 07/29/13 ~GUACAMOLE~

GUACAMOLE

2 large ripe avocados                     ¼ cup finely chopped onion

2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped          1 T. lime juice

1 Tsp. minced jalapeno                  ¼ Tsp. ground cumin

¼ Tsp. minced garlic                       ¼ Tsp. sea salt

Pinch of cayenne        

                                                                                           

Chunky Guacamole

 

 

Cut avocados in half & remove large seed. Scoop out the avocado with a spoon. In a bowl, combine all ingredients and mash with the back of a fork, mix well but leave a little chunky.

DO NOT mix until smooth! Real guacamole is chunky!

 Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately with tortilla chips.

 

Approx. 4 servings

Tip Of The Day 07/28/13 COCONUT OIL

Natural Beauty In A Jar

 Coconut Oil is great to use when cooking in place of butter or oil, but did you know it is also wonderful for your face ?

 

Use organic virgin coconut oil to remove makeup. The makeup slides right off your face when used in a gentle circular motion.

 

As a facial scrub, add a tablespoon of brown sugar to enough coconut oil to cover your face. Mix thoroughly and gently use in a circular motion and rinse.  I noticed immediate results and your face feels amazing!

 

Note: I store the coconut oils I use for my face in separate containers. The plain is best stored in a medium to large wide mouthed jar, while the scrub works great in a smaller container. You can also add a few drops of lavender essential oil to the scrub mixture for a calming effect for your face. The lavender is great if you have blemishes, rosacea, or very mild sunburn.

Daily Dish 07/28/13 CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKES

CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKES

 

6 (1-ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate

2 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 stick) butter, NOT margarine

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 large eggs

3 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons orange liqueur

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Grease 6 (6-ounce) custard cups. Melt the chocolates and butter in the microwave, or in a double boiler. Add the flour and sugar to chocolate mixture. Stir in the eggs and yolks until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and orange liqueur. Divide the batter evenly among the custard or ramekin cups. Place in the oven and bake for 14 minutes. The edges should be firm but the center will be runny. Run a knife around the edges to loosen and invert onto dessert plates. Sprinkle with a little confectioners sugar and top with berries & whipped cream, or drizzle with caramel sauce.

 

 **Caramel Sauce 

1 packed cup brown sugar

1/2 cup half-and-half

4 tablespoons butter

Pinch salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract  

Mix the brown sugar, half-and-half, butter and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until it gets thicker. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Turn off the heat, drizzle carefully over the lava cakes.

 

  Can let caramel cool slightly and pour into a jar to reserve for later use. Refrigerate up to 2  weeks, then reheat on very low heat in saucepan.