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Today we woke up to snow...

It actually started snowing yesterday, but it wasn't until this morning that it started accumulating. Shockingly, school wasn't cancelled, or even delayed. But I have to be honest...I wish it had been. We so rarely get snow and I can only imagine how anxious the boys must be, sitting patiently in their classrooms at school, to get home so they can get out there and start making snowballs and sleding down the hills.



With or without her brothers, Ellison is having a blast out there!


She goes out until she's too cold to stand it anymore, then comes inside to warm up. As soon as she's warm and her coat, hat and gloves are dry, she's back out again!

You've got to take advantage of it while you've got it, around here!

:)


For me, a snow day is the perfect excuse to be in the kitchen making something yummy. And this time of year, it's all about the Sugared Pecans...

I got the recipe years ago from a good friend in Arizona, and I always make them for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Wrapped up in a pretty bag, they make a great gift for friends and neighbors.

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I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

Actually, I'm not a fan at all.

Bread, butter and cheddar cheese all put together is not what I crave. Ever.


But when I saw this story in a recent issue of Martha Stewart magazine, I was definitely tempted. I could do Grown-Up Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, for sure.


They are, as follows:


Gruyere, Prosciutto, Arugula, and Tomato on White...

*Yum!*


Fontina, Harissa, and Pear on Rye...

Gruyere, Apple, and Sage on Rye...

Cheddar, Dijon Mustard, Bacon, Tomatoes, Avocado, and Pepper on Sourdough...

Gruyere, Red Onion, Prosciutto, and Pepper on Rye...

Cheddar, Jalapeno, and Cilantro on White...

Gruyere, Oil-Packed Sardines, Peppadew Peppers, and Arugula on Rye...

Cheddar, Cherry Preserves, and Basil on White...

Fontina, Oil-Packed Tuna, and Relish on White...

Cheddar, Bacon, and Pickles on Sourdough...

Mmmmm...

It all sounds (and looks) like really, yummy comfort food. And it's cold and rainy here today, which makes it a perfect day for a steaming cup of hot soup and a tasty, melted sandwich.

The only problem is...how to choose which sandwich to make first!

I was a little girl when my mom started making this 4th of July dessert for our family, and now I make it for mine.

And as far as we are concerned...

Independence Day just isn't complete without it!


It's pretty and delicious and entirely worth the effort it takes to make it!


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Red, White and Blueberry Dessert Squares

Crust:
1&1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup margarine or butter
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

In a large bowl combine flour and brown sugar. Mix well. Using a pastry blender cut in butter until coarse crumbs form. Stir in walnuts. Lightly press mixture into a baking sheet measuring 15" x 10" x 1". Bake at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.



Makes about 25 squares.

Make sure to store any uneaten servings in the refrigerator or the dessert will melt.

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I hope you all have a wonderfully delicious 4th of July!





P.S. I am linking this to the Stars & Stripes Party over at Centsational Girl...

Head over to find TONS of inspiration for your 4th of July celebration!

and

Friday's Favorites at Whistlestop Cafe Cooking
4th of July Fun at Somewhat Simple
Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors

How good does that look?!


Not only was June 20th Father's Day, but it was also Will's birthday!

Sadly, he was flying that day, but he arrived home at 4am on the 21st and went straight to sleep, which gave me plenty of time to prepare an especially decadent breakfast for him.

Will makes the best Tiramisu (thanks to Williams-Sonoma and their delicious "Dessert" recipe book) and he is the resident breakfast-maker around here, so I definitely had a lot to live up to and I was feeling the pressure! Granted, it was entirely self imposed, but I really wanted them to turn out perfectly.

And they did.

:)

The recipe for these Tiramisu Pancakes comes from The Ivory Hut and you must check out the post on how these pancakes came to be.

The pancakes, creamy filling, and the glaze are all made from scratch, but the directions are so easy to follow and the effort is definitely worth it!

Needless to say, Will was extremely impressed and a very happy Birthday Boy and Father!

When I grabbed my camera to snap a picture, he had already made it through 2/3 of the stack...


They were really, really yummy!


So if you like Tiramisu, you must try these!


Enjoy!

I am a self-proclaimed Melissa D'Arabian fan, to the core!

Will and I watched last season's The Next Food Network Star every week hoping that she would make it to the end. Sure enough, she did.

Not only did we love that we learned a new tip or trick every time she opened her mouth (we would literally rewind the DVR to make sure we heard her right and then look at each other and say "No way!"), but the fact that she was a stay at mom made me love her even more. She was a woman taking her future into her own hands and tackling her dreams!

I record her show on the Food Network "10 Dollar Dinners", but I had let them stack up in the DVR unwatched. So while I was waiting for Will to come to bed the other night, I watched a couple of episodes. That's when I watched her make this...

Sausage And Roasted Vegetable Penne

...in an episode called "Penne For Pennies".

Mmmm!

It looked so yummy!

But it was a dish that stood way out of our comfort zone. Will and I are not fans of tomatoes, zucchini or mushrooms. I was willing to make the recipe and try it (based off how yummy it looked on TV), but convincing Will was going to be a different story.

Surprisingly, he agreed to try it. So we headed to our local Produce Market and bought all of the fresh vegetables that the recipe called for.

It was so easy to make and it tasted absolutely delicious!

Tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, and all!

Admittedly, we were a little skeptical about how it would turn out because of the lack of sauce in this dish, but the flavor was sooo good. It was fresh and healthy and even better tasting than we could have hoped.

You must try it. You must.

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Sausage & Roasted Vegetable Penne


...Ingredients...

Freshly grated Parmesan, for garnish


...Directions...

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a bowl, toss all the vegetables, except the tomatoes, with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange on a baking sheet and roast, until caramelized, about 30 minutes, turning vegetables halfway through the cooking time. In a small bowl, add the tomatoes and the remaining olive oil and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and add to the baking sheet, at the halfway point of cooking, to caramelize.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, add the sausage and saute until cooked through. Turn up the heat and deglaze with white wine. Once the vegetables are cooked, cool slightly, then coarsely chop. Add the vegetables and any pan juices to the sausage in the skillet. Toss in the cooked penne, adding reserved pasta water, if needed, to moisten. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve in bowls topped with Parmesan.

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The bonus is that it truly is as easy to make as it sounds!


I'm not sure if I have convinced you to try it,

but I sure am ready to make it again!




P.S. I am posting this at:

Things I Love Thursday

New Year's Eve is fast approaching,

and whether you're going all out to ring in the New Year with a
big bash

or taking it easy at home in your slippers and comfy pants relaxing by the fireplace,

you may want to add this drink to your menu for the evening...


Cranberry Margaritas

I spotted it in this months issue of Sunset Magazine and, being a cranberry lover myself, I ripped out the page right away and posted it on the fridge letting Will know that we would be making these on Christmas day.

They were delicious and so simple to make!

You can click here for the recipe.

Enjoy!

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I hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

We sure did...

and still are.

We're making the most of Will being home and the kids being out of school.

All we need now to make it complete is a little bit of snow.

(That's wishful thinking at its best, right there! Maybe we'll go find some snow instead of waiting for it to find us!)

For those of you interested in our family's favorite recipe for Sugared Pecans, here it is:

(and to those of you who sent emails reminding me to post it...thank you!)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
2 egg whites
1 lb. of pecans
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

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Directions:

Melt butter and spread in a jelly roll pan (or cookie sheet). Mix all other ingredients together and spread in the pan making sure that the pecans are spread out flat. Bake at 25o degrees for one hour or until dry. Stir the pecans every 10 minutes during cooking so that the sugar mixture coats the pecans well. Be sure not to overcook them or they will taste burned. As soon as they look dry, remove from oven. Cool and store in an air tight container.

(unless you end up eating them that day...which we always do!)

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I like to take Sugared Pecans with me to holiday events. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's...they're the perfect holiday snack.

Be careful though...they're addictive!

Placed in a cellophane bag and tied with a beautiful ribbon, these would make a fantastic hostess gift or a gift for your neighbors to spread the holiday cheer!

Enjoy!




P.S. Many, many thanks to my friend Shana for sharing the recipe! These have become a family favorite and a tradition that we look forward to every year!

As I sat here yesterday morning editing photos, I had my music playing and my Fall candles burning. The rain was hitting the windows and it was nice to be at home with no place to go.

This time of year, if I am home, candles are lit.

My favorite this time of year:

Pumpkin Spice by Yankee Candle Co.

It just makes the house smell like Fall...


But for me, there is something else that marks the Autumn Season. Something that reminds me of my childhood, and that no doubt, will be a memory for my kids when they are adults.

When I was growing up, my mom would throw a bunch of spices into a pot to simmer on the stove. I love how it makes the whole house smell spicy and sweet. So when I moved away from home, I began the tradition for myself.

The best part is that you can customize the scent so that it smells just how you like it.

Every Fall I go through my cupboard and gather everything that would smell yummy if I were baking...

Almond Extract, Allspice, Orange Peel

Cinnamon...lots of cinnamon!

Whole Cloves, Pumpkin Pie Spice, Vanilla Extract

Ground Cloves, Nutmeg

Whatever you imagine would smell good together, probably will!

(I like to do a lemon version too - makes the house smell fresh and clean with just enough sweetness added into the mix!)



Once you have picked your ingredients, toss them all into a pot...

Yesterday I went with Cinnamon, Allspice, Orange Peel, Cloves and a bit of Almond Extract...

Add water to your spices and simmer on the stove...

Word to the wise:

Many times I have started the heat at Medium High so that I could rapidly get the spices to a level where I could smell the aroma, always intending to be right there the moment it starts to boil so that I could turn it down to Medium Low.

I cannot tell you how may times (countless) I have walked away, only to remember just a moment too late that I needed to turn the spices down, and rushing back to find the pot boiling over. And let me tell you, this stuff is a pain to clean off of the stove!

So, while it certainly feels like a watched pot never boils, in this case it is a pretty small pot and if the heat is too high it will boil...quickly!

I have learned to start it on Medium Low and patiently wait for the aroma to fill the house.

Slow and Steady wins the race, right?

The level of the water will go down quite a bit, so just keep adding more water.

It is an easy way to fill your house with the smell of baking...

or in my case,

the smell of Fall!





P.S. It's DIY Day over at A Soft Place To Land!

Check it out!

I just discovered these on Jenn's blog - This Our Life


The recipe for

Cream Cheese and Pecan Stuffed Berries

comes from

Food Network



We will be trying these!

Yum!