Holiday Catch up

Good grief the last time you heard from me (other than my Meal Plan) was on the 24th! I didn't mean to keep you hanging like that, I have just been soo busy (as we all have I am sure) 

So here are the remaining items from the last couple days which will catch up up to today... 

Chocolate Coffee Oatmeal Pie

Christmas Eve we had Mandarin Cake and Chocolate Coffee Oatmeal Pie. Manadarin Cake has always been a regular staple of mine and it turned out just as good as always. Last you heard I mentioned my mishap with the Chocolate Coffee Oatmeal Pie, but not how it tasted. It tasted terrific! It was like a gigantic butter tart, so if you like those like I do, you'll love this pie and the lack of Liqueur had no bearing on it at all! 

2 Bite Pumpkin Pie

Mini Oreo Cheesecakes

Christmas day we had 2 Bite Pumkin Pies and Mini Oreo Cheesecakes. As I had mentioned before the Pumpkin Pies were AWESOME and I made a batch for the 28th as well. The Mini Oreo Cheesecakes were yummy, but I found the cookie on the bottom to be a little hard still - the next day they were better. So if you make these, I would do so a day early and keep them in the fridge. You can also put any kind of cookie you can think of on the bottom as the cheesecake itself is VERY neutral.  

Boxing Day - nothing to report, just left overs! 

December 27th was my son's 3rd birthday so we had a pizza party where we all got to make our own pizza. I just put the toppings in bowls and let everyone choose their own and baked them in the 350 degree oven right on the rack. The one tip my Mum gave me about mixing cheeses (because I like to mix Cheddar and Mozza for our pizzas) is to add a little of the powdered Parmesan and it helps the cheese to not stick together. Brilliant really!

December 28th - we went to friend's for dinner and I brought Magic Bars and 2 Bite Pumpkin Pies. Nothing new here. 

Snow Log (cut up)

December 29th -we had company so I decided on Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Carrots, Gravy and Yorshire Puddings. No real recipes here - sorry - other than the Yorkies and I must say I was not loving them. They didn't rise really high and they were a little more dense than I like. So I think I am on the market for a new recipe there. I do have my Mum's fabulous Yorkie recipe hiding somewhere in my house, I will try to dig that one up the next time. Everything else turned out great - in my mind you cannot go wrong with Gravy...EVER. For dessert we had Snow Log and I could not stop eating it... so easy, so cute and so delicious and not too sweet either. These will make another appearance for certain. The only change here is I rolled it in Flaked Coconut, not Vanilla crumbs - AHH-SOME!

Well, sorry this post was so long, but now we are up to speed. Tonight is Chinese Chicken with Pineapple - an easy, returning meal so no post this evening.

-Jill

Christmas Desserts - All prepped and ready to go!

Well I switched up the dessert line up a bit. Christmas Eve we are having Mandarin Cake and Chocolate Coffee Oatmeal Pie which means that we are having 2 Bite Pumpkin Pies and Mini Oreo Cheesecakes for Christmas Dinner. 

I have made them all, but have only had a chance to try one so far... 2 Bite Pumpkin Pie... SO DELICIOUS and so easy! I made an old stand by recipe for pumpkin pie yesterday (without crust) and then made the little "bundles" today. You could use a ready made pumpkin pie and just scoop out the filling and that coupled with the Pillsbury pie crust makes for a Uber fast and easy dessert. Serve it with whipping cream and you're good to go! I strongly suggest this recipe! (I bet it would work well with Apple Pie Filling, or Cherry Pie Filling too - the sky's the limit!)

Go to Recipe!

 

The other dessert I can post about right now is Chocolate Coffee Oatmeal Pie. I haven't tried it yet, but I can tell you a couple things about the making of it. The recipe says not to pierce the crust when you "pre-bake" it I tried that and it puffed up to no end, I tried to gently push it down with a spoon as the recipe says and it flaked and fell apart. So it was back to the drawing board and the second time I did pierce the dough and it turned out fine! I also did not have any Coffee Liquer so I used 2 Tablespoons of cooled, prepared Expresso and 1 Tbs Rum extract - so we will se if that was to the tetriment of the flavour or not... 

Go to Recipe! 

I did make my Individual Oreo Cheesecakes, but I have to let them cool prior to adding the finishing touches so I will post about those after the big day as well as my Hot Artichoke Parm Dip. Lastly I made my Mandarin Cake (which has been made numerous times before - so I won't bore you with details because it turned out great as hoped)

So that's it from me until after Christmas when I will review all the missing items and bring you my first meal plan of 2011! have a Very Merry Christmas! And hey, while you are waiting for Santa to arrive why not check out NORAD and see exactly where he is! (As I finish this post he is in Zimbabwe!) Ho Ho Ho!! :o)

Bark and Bacon - Christmas Prep is well under way

Today's post is all about more of my Christmas prep. A couple more items were checked off my list today and both were new recipes to me. 

First up - Peppermint Bark. Not new to many of you I am sure, but personally I have never been a fan of peppermint and chocolate, until I tried this the other night at a party. SO yummy! Semisweet Chocolate and White Chocolate with crushed Candy Canes on top. Such a pretty presentation for something so simple. BUT don't do what I did - I didn't follow the recipe I just melted a box of Baker's Semisweet and a box of Baker's White (separately) and thought I would need a box of Candy Canes crushed, so I did the infuriating task of unwrapping a whole box of Candy Canes and crushing them when in reality all I needed was maybe 3. So I have OODLES of crushed Canes leftover for another batch and another (oh darn!).

Go to Recipe! 

Secondly - Breakfast Cookies. I saw this recipe and thought that it would be a lot of fun for Christmas Morning brunch. Really more of a novelty than anything, but they are the last ones laughing... Bacon Cookies are DELICIOUS!! I used about 3/4 Cup Crumbled Bacon from Costco and unsalted Butter. I also switched out the Raisins for Craisins as I find Raisins are not a big crowd pleaser. Honestly, I think this is a "try it to believe it" recipe because not only are they awesome, but the bacon is not overly salty... This recipe is going to be a staple around here for special brunches for sure!!

 Go to Recipe!

Lastly - this evenings supper was nothing new so I won't get into it, but click here for my previous review. 

In a nutshell that was my day (along with last minute shopping and wrapping and card mailing): phew! I love this holiday, but I have to ask "Is it Wine O'Clock yet?"  

No Meats, just Sweets and Treats

Today was a snowy chilly day and also "a day after" a Christmas party - so we were in the market for comfort food. Instead of the scheduled Fish, Chips and Mushy Peas from Jaime Oliver we had Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes and Creamed Corn... mmmm, hit the spot as usual. Not really much to write about there. 

I DID manage to get in the kitchen and make 2 Holiday Treats today in preparation for the festivities ahead that I would like to share with you: My rendition of White Chocolate Haystacks and Chocolate Peanut Squares. Both are UBER easy to prepare, no baking required and both are delicious! I believe that these may become yearly staples in our house. Let's just hope they last the week so company can sample them! :)

See you tomorrow for Meal Plan Monday!

-Jill

DIY Chocolate Truffles

My photos never seem to do the food justice!

Last night we had company for dinner and I served Speedy Sausage and Bean Ragout with Crusty Bread and an easy Tossed Salad (Mescalin Greens, Almonds, Flax Seeds, Craisins, Raspberries, Sugar Snap Peas with a Poppy Seed Dressing).

For Dessert we had Jaime Oliver's DIY Chocolate Truffles. While I was making it the other day I noticed that the Dark Chocolate was a little bitter (I used 85% Cocoa Lindt Chocolate), so I drizzled White Chocolate and Butterscotch on top - that helped tone it down a bit. Needless to say dessert was DECADENT to say the least. I served the Truffles with crushed Hazelnuts, crushed Almonds, shredded Coconut and Skor bits to roll the Truffles in and my Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti to spread it on (which DID freeze well by the way). It was a exquisite and super fun dessert buffet great for a dinner party and it goes well with Red Wine, Dessert Wine, Tea or Coffee; so very versatile and can please any palate.

-Jill

Now onto next week's meal plan - it's a doozy! 

Beef and Broccoli Stirfry

This was a terrific and simplistic stirfry, so my Jamie Oliver Meal Plan is back in my good books. I wasn't too sure what purple sprouting broccoli was, so I used regular broccoli and it turned out great. With the use of Soy Sauce I found it to be a touch salty, so next time I make this I will not be seasoning the beef with salt, just pepper and coriander. I did not add the sliced red pepper because I thought it may make it too spicy for my son. Overall this was a speedy and delicious stirfry that will make it to our table again for certain. 

Today I made my De-constructed Chocolate Truffle so it's ready for Friday's dinner~ so good and decadent! Look for that review on Friday/Saturday.

Go to Recipe!

Dirt Birthday Cake and Cheese Enchiladas Verde

Last night was my son's 3rd birthday party (his birthday is not until the 27th, but it is so hard to celebrate so close to Christmas). We had a party at a local Gymnastics Club and had it over the supper hour so we had to ensure there was enough food. We served Chili, Hot Dogs, a Veggie and Dip Platter, and a Crackers, Meat and Cheese Platter, and of course Birthday Cake. My son wanted a "Construction" themed party so I made a Dirt Cake. I had found many recipes, but kinda made this one up as a combination of a few ideas I had seen. It was a huge hit and SO easy to make and it REALLY doesn't matter how it looks... actually the yuckier the better! :) 

 Go to Recipe! 

Tonight's supper was Cheese Enchilada Verde and it was a fabulous Meatless Meal choice after copious amounts of Chili last night. It was light and I loved that it had shredded zucchini hidden inside and let's face it; I am having a love affair with fresh Cilantro. At first my son refused to try it, I got him to eat one tiny little piece and he declared that he loved it and proceeded to gobble it up! This meal will make another appearance to our table for sure. I am still new to the sweet heat of Salsa Verde, but just love it - you should try it too if you like a little spice! 

Go to Recipe! 

$8000 White Truffles, Korean Pork & "Surprise" Devil Food Cupcakes

I was MIA yesterday because my husband and I went to a very special event where we had a 5 course meal based around White Truffles along with wine pairings from the winery of Beni di Batasiolo in the presence of the owner of the winery himself who flewn in from Italy. 

I love delicious food and jump for any opportunity to try new and amazing meals - this was SO DECADENT I cannot even explain. White Truffles from Italy are some of the rarest and most sought after foods in the world and they are worth their weight in gold. The picture following is a plate of White Truffles...

Can you believe this is worth about $8000?

Tonight was my husband's birthday supper at home and he requested a meal that we have had in the past - Korean Style Pork with Asian Slaw it turned out delicious as always. My son even enjoyed this time.

Go to Recipe!

My son and I made Devil Food cupcake's for my husband; Out of the box, but we added a twist. After they baked and cooled I made buttercream icing and coloured it (I let my son choose the colour and he chose purple) I then put it in a piping bag and poked it in the center of the cupcake and filled it with about a teaspoon of the purple icing and then iced the top with white buttercream icing. So it was a surprise to bite in and find the pocket of bright purple icing in the center.

Well that's it for tonight... we'll see you tomorrow for Chicken Parmesan Bundles

I'd love you to join me on Facebook!

Ready or not - here they come!

As today is October 24th I am posting a bonus holiday note because we have 1 week until Halloween, 1 month to American Thanksgiving and 2 months to Christmas. It is a busy time of year to be sure, so if you haven't already, now is a good time to start organizing yourself/family/home. Here are some good holiday tips and fun bits...

Halloween...

Have you ever "Boo'd" or been "Boo'd" yourself? I haven't, but I love this idea and I think it is a cute way to share some neighbourly cheer and spread some Halloween style fun - so I may just start this on our street. 

"Choose a decorated bag, or decorate one with Halloween or fall decor. Every Boo bag must include a sign that the recipient can hang in the window or door to let everyone know they’ve already been Boo’d. The bags should also include a Halloween Boo poem. These notes explain to the recipients that they

- Have been Boo’d

- Are to choose a friend or two to Boo

- Need to include treats, notes and a sign in each bag

- Should be sneaky when leaving it at their friends’ doors."

Check out: A Friendly Boo or Halloween Boo

Thanksgiving... 

Need a tasty alternative to the standard Pumpkin Pie? Go no further than Sugar and Shimmer. She has two wonderful alternatives to the standard pie; Crustless Pumpkin Pie and Oats'n'Honey Granola Pie or you can always check out one of my fave recipes Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake. If you are on the market for something quite different, a delicious Apple Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce is comforting and just might be what you are looking for.

Christmas...

A great way to set things in the right direction for Christmas is to make yourself a holiday binder. Organized Christmas has all the Planner Printables and instructions that you need to get yourself started. Now is a great time to start this project - it will give you plenty of time to fill in the blanks and get ready and hey, while you are making yours, why not make Holiday Binders for your friends to give as gifts?   

Do you always find yourself scampering around last minute? Try joining the online Rudolph Club- your once a month meeting prep group for all things Christmas. You can sign up at any time and they meet every "Rudolf Day" (25th of the month) and chip away at their lists throughout the whole year. Never too early to look at 2011!

While you are on the Organized Christmas website, check out the Magic Elf Tradition.  Santa sends one of his elves to watch over your kiddies to ensure they are good. While the elf is in your home, you never know where this elf may turn up or what little pranks they may play. You can purchase Elf Stuffed Toys at Amazon.com then go to the Printables Section to print up your own Elf File. Or you can find "Elf on the Shelf" kits at Chapters/Indigo Books, Amazon.com, or in fine Toy Stores.

Well, I hope these little tidbits "uped" your Holiday Spirit and got you in the mood... It's gonna be a busy couple months full of tradition, fun, family, good food, games... so feel free to drop me a line with any ideas that you have to get you through the holidays or any family traditions that you want to share.

Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Apple Wedges and Sweet Potato Mash

So tonight's meal was supposed to be my final meal from my "Meals from Blogland" Meal Plan, courtesy of Just Another Mom of 2 but after reading the reviews on the recipe I decided against making the Crock Pot Stuffing Pork Chops - no offense - I was just a little worried of it not turning out as my Mother in Law was coming for dinner. So I opted for making a meal that I had put on my Magazine Meal Plan and had been able to make.

It was a lot of work and dirtied a lot of pots and pans, but even though my kitchen was a MESS it turned out great and tasted delicious. It would make an extravagant meal for company on a cozy Autumn night. It had just the right amount of sweetness without giving you a cavity. It's a little too much work for me for just a regular meal, but I would definitely make it again if company was coming and maybe finish it off with a nice Apple Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce.

Go to Recipe!

"Magazine Meal Plan"

Thanksgiving Dinner...mmm I'm FULL!

My son made us a Turkey Pinata! :-)

Phew... that was an awesome Thanksgiving Dinner - I am so full and content! Looking forward  to leftovers tomorrow. Our hosts decided against the standard Turkey (we are a wild bunch, I know) and we had a full on Ham Dinner with all the fixings and it was oh so very yummy! 

As I had posted earlier in the week, I was in charge of dessert. I made a double layer Pumpkin Cheesecake and Gooey Pecan Pie Bars - both were a HUGE hit! I was going out on a limb a bit as I have never made the Pecan Bars before, but they turned out fantastic and not too sweet. I did have to bake them an extra 10 minutes longer than the recipes calls for, but they turned out perfect.

As for the Cheesecake I have made it before, but I also did a new spin on it and covered the top with melted Maple Chips and 24 Karat Gold flecks for an added treat. Such a great addition!

Go to Pecan Pie Bars Recipe!

Go to Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe!

So another Thanksgiving under our belt (literally) - we have so much to be thankful for and feel blessed everyday to be surrounded by such love! 

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! 

Backyard Hot Dog Roast

Yet another absolutely beautiful day here and we are SO thankful for it because we were able to get some more raking and yard work done.

We decided to continue to take advantage of the beautiful weather and have a Hot Dog roast around the fire. Brushetta and Cheese Crisps to start and on the side we had a quinoa salad that I whipped up on the fly (which turned out fantastic)!  AH-MAZING Pumpkin spice cake cookies with a custard icing (which turns a nice Autumn yellow colour) and traditional smores to end it off.

Jill's Quinoa Salad

Spicy Pumpkin Cookies with Custard Icing

Quinoa Salad and Caramel Apple Bars

Well it's been a couple days because i haven't had to cook for a while. My MIL cooked Cabbage Rolls on Saturday and Turkey Dinner on Sunday, so we have been spoiled. Tonight it was back to it and Man alive did I pick a good one!! 

I saw this recipe and thought it looked interesting because it truly has everything in it and it turned out to be one of my new fave salads of ALL time. This Quinoa salad would be PERFECT for a pot luck or for any gathering or BBQ as you can make it up to 3 days in advance. The blend of sweet and savory is impeccable and it is so colourful and pretty to boot. PLEASE try this salad!!!

Go to Recipe!

I also had a little bit of time to try a friend's recommendation of an easy Apple Bar: Easy Apple Caramel Bars They were a snap to make and turned out perfect. With a dollop of Vanilla Ice Cream, they made a perfect light dessert. Thanks Caryn for the recipe, it was awesome. 

This time of year is SO great for baking and I must admit I just LOVE it and all the crispness in the air and wearing chunky sweaters while drinking hot apple cider and baking with aromatic spices like nutmeg and cinnamon and making ANYTHING out of a pumpkin. I love to experiment, so if you have a fave Autumn recipe, please send it my way and I'd love to try it!!

Check in and Reviews

 So it has been almost 4 days since I have checked in and the reason why is that I haven't really done any cooking. 

Wednesday - We had take out from Wok Box - not bad, may try it again some other time. 

Thursday - We had Perogies and Farmers Sausage - out of the package and just like you imagine it. One of our guilty pleasures around here. My son can almost eat more than I can! 

Friday -My husband and I went out to Red Water Grill for our wedding anniversary and Grandma and our son had Pizza. I had the BEST Rack of Lamb I have ever eaten, SO tender! I also had delectable Tuna Carpacio and a Vanilla Bean Whiskey Creme Brulee. mmmm!!!  

Today I am doing some baking because I have some ladies coming over tomorrow for a Lia Sophia Jewelry Party. So I am making my Coconut Toffee Macaroons,  Mandarin Cake, and Soft Gingersnaps. All of them are sure bets. I do not really have the time today to be experimenting as we have a birthday BBQ to go to tonight. 

 Here are the recipes for those baked goods:

 

Soft Gingersnaps

Coconut Toffee Macaroons

Mandarin Cake
















Now onto planning next week's meals and the grocery list ~ I SHOULD have more meals and recipes for you this coming week!  :-)

Steak and Baby Back Ribs BBQ

Another Wonderful Backyard BBQ with Great Friends! :-)

Tonight's Meal Plan:

Hummus with Pita Chips (Store bought - no time)

Brushetta with Baguette (Old standby)

BBQ Steak

BBQ Baby Back Ribs

Roasted Baby Potatoes with Lemon & Provencal Seasoning

Greek Salad

Mandarin Cake

Cappuccino/Latte

Greek Salad- SIMPLE and Delish!

Go to Recipe!

Baby Potatoes: Blanched in salted water with lemon juice them roasted with Garlic and Provencal Seasoning and Mediterranean spiced vinegar

Baby Back Ribs: I always boil mine for about 10 minutes before they go on the grill. My husband cooks them SLOWLY for about 3 hours all the while basting them in a full bottle of BBQ Sauce... mmm fall off the bone!

Mandarin Cake - No leftovers - everything was eaten and enjoyed - I must say the big hit tonight was the cake - not a piece left!! I haven't made it in so many years that I totally forgot all about it,but I think I will have to make it more often. So Ooey Gooey and Tasty!

Go to Recipe!

Another Backyard BBQ

Well we ended up having a last minute impromptu bbq for 8 people

Menu Included:

Brushetta and Crusty Bread

Fruit Punch

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad (left over & I topped it up with some more) 

Left over Broccoli Salad

Homemade Hamburgers

Hot Dogs

Left over Magic Bars

Fruit Dessert Pizza

Thank goodness for having some leftovers!

Hamburgers: I always use 1lb ground beef and 1lb ground pork. I usually add in Worcestershire Sauce, Pepper, Bread Crumbs, Egg, Ketchup, Ground Mustard, Paprika, Montreal Steak Spice, a Provencal Spice Mix, and Crumbed Feta, but I change the spices to match my mood.

 Dessert Pizza ~ It was a HUGE hit!

BBQ went over really well, everyone was full and happy and the weather cooperated - too bad the mosquitoes came out near the end of the evening - not much we can do about them, but come in the house for a cappuccino.
It will be nice to have a regular meal on Monday - my preschooler has eaten nothing but junk for the past 2 nights! I guess that's summer! :-)

Go to Dessert Pizza Recipe!

Classic Steak BBQ

Classic Backyard Steak BBQ Menu:

Fruit Punch 

Brushetta 

BBQ Steak 

Broccoli Salad

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Magic Bars 

Fruit Punch was a hit with the kiddies. Not too sweet, the lemon juice is a nice tangy touch. Adults were enjoying the wine and beer too much to sample the punch. :-)

Brushetta and Bread: I used a deli pre-made brushetta and bakery bread ~ I need to make short cuts somewhere. :) 

*Here's a wonderful tip for cooking bacon that will let you steer clear of the mess, hassle and pain of frying. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and lay bacon in a single layer on pan. Bake in preheated 400* oven until it looks about right. Check it to make sure the bacon is cooking evenly. It should take about 10-20 minutes depending on how crispy you want it. Take it out of oven and lay on paper towel to soak up the grease. The bacon can then be rolled in paper towel and put in a zip lock bag and frozen. Then all it takes is 15 seconds in the microwave and voila! you have fresh cooked bacon whenever you need it.  

Bacon ranch Pasta Salad: Delicious! Very Colourful and Flavourful. A definite new summer bbq/picnic staple in this house.

Broccoli Salad: easy peasy and turns out perfect every time and is always a hit. You can add a handful of raisins or craisins to the mix as well for a little sweetness. I did and it was a nice touch.

Steak: Montreal Steak Spice...'nuff said.

Magic Bars: I opted for the half chocolate - half butterscotch variation and added chopped pecans. These are perfect for a big gathering as they can be made ahead of time, even frozen, and they don't require too much work or time in the oven. And they are ALWAYS a hit. Make sure to have them cool in the fridge before cutting otherwise you end up with a mess. Of course the whole plate was almost gone by the end of the evening. 

Overall the BBQ Menu went over great; there were almost no leftovers. The boys were having too much fun to truly sit down and eat, but that is what summertime fun with friends in the backyard is all about. 

Go to Broccoli Salad Recipe!
Go to Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad Recipe!
Go to Fruit Punch Recipe!
Go to Magic Bars Recipe!