Archive | November, 2009

Ice Cream Bar

6 Nov

PA040060

I know I’ve said it about a million times, but I’ll say it once more – dessert is not my forte. And every time Ina Garten says “no one will ever remember the main entree but they will always remember dessert,” I cringe thinking “I’ll never be Ina. ” I do my best though. Lately I’ve been stocking up on a variety of toppings that are good on vanilla ice cream. Cranberries soaked in Cognac, chocolate covered espresso beans, dark chocolate sauce, nuts, etc. Most people love the DYI set up, so I’d recommend it next time you can’t live up to Ina’s standards too.

George’s Jalapeno Poppers

5 Nov

PA310166My friend George served these jalapeno poppers to me several years ago and I fell in love with them. They are the perfect appetizer to serve for a laid back evening  – and people go crazy for them (people generally go crazy for anything wrapped in bacon)! I made them for the first time last year and nearly killed myself. Instead of cutting them in half and removing the seeds, I thought that I need to keep the pepper whole and dig the seeds out through a tiny slice in the pepper. Do not try this!  I was in complete tears, coughing and sneezing and told myself I would never make them again. George got a big kick out of my story and corrected the recipe making it about 100 times easier. And, you can actually save money and time by purchasing less peppers and only seeding half!

Ingredients:

  • 15 jalapenos
  • 1 package cream cheese
  • 1 package bacon

Assembly: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut jalapenos in half and remove seeds membrane (the really hot parts). Stuff with about a tablespoon of cream cheese and wrap with a half piece of bacon. Roast for about an hour or until bacon is crispy and pepper is roasted.

Hot & Spicy Chili

4 Nov
Winston 003

Winston dressed up as Max from Where the Wild Things Are

I love making chili for a big crowd because it is so easy, inexpensive and it tastes even better prepared in advance. It is the perfect thing to serve for a laid back and casual night in. Along side the chili, I put together bowls of shredded cheese, chopped scallions, cilantro and sour cream. I like chips with my chili – but cornbread or rolls work too.

My Hot & Spicy Chili Recipe (serves about 10 people)

Ingredients:

  • 1 large sweet onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeno, minced
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 3 pounds ground beef (80/20)
  • half a container chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 28 ounce diced tomatoes with chilis
  • 1 14 ounce can tomato sauce
  • 1 14 ounce can tomato paste
  • 1 tiny can of chipotle peppers and sauce, chopped (probably about 5 peppers total)
  • 1 bottle dark beer
  • 2 28 ounce can red kidney beans, drained
  • salt and pepper

Assembly: My advice is to season each layer with salt and pepper until you get it just right! In a large pot, saute onions, garlic and jalapeno in olive oil until translucent. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Then add chili powder, cumin, all variety of tomatoes , chipotle peppers and beer. Simmer together and taste for seasoning. At this point you may want to add more cumin or chili powder. After it simmers for about 30 minutes to an hour , add the beans. I add the beans last so they don’t get too mushy. Refrigerate over night or serve right away.

Halloween Witches Brew

3 Nov

pumpkinI’m so bummed that I don’t have a picture of this cocktail. After too many of them, you will forget that you have a blog much less taking a picture for it! The Midori in the drink makes it bright green – perfect for Halloween night. And the melon flavor cools your mouth so it is a perfect accompaniment to stuffed jalapenos and spicy chili. Andrew came up with this recipe and put them together.On our way to Winston-Salem to pick up the punch bowl (yes, we drove to Winston-Salem for a punch bowl) I asked him what purpose the water served in the recipe and he said “If you don’t add the water, you will probably die.” With that, I say – Drink with Caution.

Ingredients:

  • 20 parts ginger ale
  • 8 parts vodka
  • 5 parts Midori
  • 2 parts water

Assembly: Mix and serve over a full glass of ice!

Halloween on Mendenhall

2 Nov

fallonmendenhall

Fall has always been my favorite season. It is probably because I grew up without it. In Florida basically everything is green until one day it freezes and everything dies. Florida has a number of amazing qualities but it’s participation in the seasons is seriously lacking. Fall is one of the reasons I love North Carolina so much – we do Fall so well. And, I have to say my neighborhood is amazing this time of year. If you picture Fall in a story book – it’s Westerwood. One of the many great things about having a puppy is taking the time to walk the neighborhood. My appreciation for Westerwood has grown even more by taking the time to examine the details of each home and getting to know my neighbors through waves and sniffs (that’s Winston’s part).

This Halloween the last thing I wanted to do was dress up and leave the house. I invited a couple of neighbors and friends over for a casual night in. Andrew put together a witches brew and I made chili and homemade jalapeno poppers. I’ll post the recipes this week.

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