A Girl's Gotta Eat!

One more today, and then I'm taking a break. I don't know that I've ever made bread pudding for dessert, much less as a side dish. But when we saw Ina Garten's Leek and Artichoke Bread Pudding recently (you guessed it, in FNM), we knew we needed to add it to our mini Thanksgiving menu. We did make a few variations, but nothing major. We used about 3 leeks, but all of it instead of just the white and light green parts. Next time I'd leave the dark green bits out like the recipe said. The flavor was good, but the texture of the dark green leeks wasn't as good as the rest...it stayed tougher instead of getting soft. Also, we used jarred artichokes instead of frozen, and they worked just fine in our opinion. We had the deli cut a big chunk of fresh Swiss cheese as we didn't see one labeled as Emmentaler. I doubt it made a difference at all. Oh my goodness. I don't think I can go back to sweet bread puddings. This was amazing. Rich, filling, but oh so...

I know, I've already tried several scones and passed them along to you, but these really are my new favorites. They were easy to mix together (no mixer required), and the end result was moist and flavorful on the inside with just a hint of crunch on the outside. Last weekend, I picked up a large box of peaches at the Nashville Farmers' Market . After noticing this week that they were getting soft faster than I could eat and share them, I decided it was time to whip up a baked treat so they didn't go to waste. There's a peach pie recipe I've been dyng to try, but I was short a few ingredients and so decided to try a new scone recipe after the last ones didn't turn out as expected. I am so very, very glad I made these. The recipe worked exactly as written, and after tasting one fresh from the oven, I immediately decided to whip up a second batch. The original recipe also states that other fruit can be substituted for the peaches, so I plan on keep these ...

I usually think it’s ridiculous when I read a recipe for a sandwich. I mean, come on…it’s a sandwich. How difficult can it be to layer some stuff on bread or in a wrap and eat it? Then I saw the following recipe in our Food Network Magazine , and I became a believer that while sandwiches are still certainly an easy fix for lunch or dinner, sometimes it’s nice to have some inspiration for what to combine between those bread slices. Its preparation may seem more complicated than what you wish to mess with, but trust me that you will be pleased with the result. The most time-consuming part is roasting the sliced butternut squash, but you could do this a day in advance. Or, you can do what I did: choose a squash with a much skinnier neck. You’ll need more slices, but they won’t take as long to bake. I even went a step further and used my toaster oven instead of having to preheat the real oven. One more tip…there are two types of manchego cheese: firm and semi-firm. Firm is more like Par...

A week or so ago, friends of mine were kind enough to not only invite Mike and I over to dinner, but to then send home some Zucchini Blueberry Bread she made the day before. When I enjoyed the next morning for breakfast, I knew I had to have the recipe. We've been getting some great zucchini in our farm box, and blueberries have been not only cheaper at the grocery store, but have looked better than they have in weeks. Last week we received a couple extra-large zucchini that I knew were perfect for baking, so I decided to whip up a batch. The ingredients were simple enough, and the directions were easy to follow. Now to decide what shape to bake it in... As I may have mentioned before, Mike definitely prefers bread loaves when it comes to this sort of treat, but I'm a sucker for muffins. With this one batch of batter, I was able to please both our taste buds with 2 mini loaves, 12 regular-size muffins, and 24 mini muffins. Man, oh, man...these are scrumptious. I sent the ...

Truth be told, muffins are up there as one of my favorite things both to make and to eat. There's something about a warm muffin fresh from the oven, split open and enjoyed with a cold glass of milk or a hot cup of coffee that just can't be beat. Several months ago I spotted a recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut Muffins that I knew I had to try. Since we had a cooler day today, and because Mike was busy studying, I decided it was well past time to whip up some of these bad boys. The recipe may sound difficult and decadent, but in truth falls only in the latter category. There's not even a need to bust out your mixer, because everything is stirred together by hand. And because you melt the butter, you don't even have to plan ahead and set butter out to soften. This was my kind of recipe. Now, my plan is to take them to the office tomorrow, so one batch would simply not be enough. I made up a second batch and made some regular-size muffins and some mini muffins. Other that a lit...

Snow is coating everything in sight, so it's time to hunker down and have some grilled cheese sandwiches. This time, though, I'm borrowing an idea from a fellow blogger ( http://www.grilledshane.com/ ) who specializes in all things grilled cheese. Tonight it's all about homemade Beer Bread and melted aged Cheddar. The aged Cheddar was something else we recently picked up from the farmers' market from JD Country Milk , and the beer bread is just about the easiest thing you'll ever make. Fresh from the oven   Easy Beer Bread 3 cups self-rising flour 1/2 cup sugar 1 (12-ounce) beer ( something cheap is perfectly fine ) 3 to 4 tablespoons butter, melted Sift the flour and sugar together in a bowl ( do NOT skip this step ). Stir in the beer until moistened. Spoon into a 5 by 7 loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven. Pour the butter over the top while the bread is still in the pan. Let cool slightly, then remove from the pan. ...

Christmas morning tradition involves all of us heading to my parents' house to open presents and eat breakfast, which usually takes us well into the afternoon. Typically we have breakfast casserole, sticky buns, and curried fruit. This year I contributed Cheddar Dill Scones, something I thought would be good for breakfast as well as sandwiches later that afternoon. I've never attempted scones before, but I have thought about it often. Making these made me even more grateful for my KitchenAid mixer...I don't know that a regular mixer could stand up to the thick dough. I was also a bit nervous about the kneading process. I've only ever made quick breads. My mom and granny make fantastic breads, but it always seems like I'm watching art as they knead the dough. I decided to go for it, anyway. It was past time to learn... I did all as directed in the recipe, except for the eggs. I always buy large eggs, so used 5 to compensate for their slightly smaller size. Ina G...