Cranberry Cheesecake Shakes

 

This was a start of the summer treat for my kids. It turned out with a beautiful pink color that would make a great drink for a girls summer party. Frosty pink happiness!

I keep cranberries in my freezer year round, because I love their tartness and they freeze so well. And then I always have cranberries to make Cranberry Coffee Cake or Cranberry Spice Granola or good old fashioned cranberry relish, which should not be relegated to just the Thanksgiving table.

I remembered years ago I tore a page out of Family Fun for a cranberry milkshake. I thought it was a little strange, but why not? Today was finally the day to make them. All the kids liked the recipe, since ice cream before dinner is a big deal. I think next time I'll actually make them with ricotta cheese instead of the cream cheese. I also used sweetened almond milk which I think added another layer of flavor, but you could use the original plain milk.

Cranberry Cheesecake Shakes
1 c cranberries
1 1/2 c almond milk
2 tsp vanilla
3 oz cream cheese or ricotta cheese
vanilla ice cream

Put the cranberries and milk in the blender. Pulse until smooth and a beautiful pink. Add vanilla and cheese, pulse again. Add enough ice cream to fill the blender and make a thick rich shake.

You could also add some vanilla whey protein powder to this one easily.

Beautiful Berry Cream-Filled Tart: My Favorite Dessert

This dessert seriously makes me swoon. It is my all time favorite dessert, ever since I was a teenager. I was that weird kid that was thrilled to see fruit in my lunch box (thanks Mom). I guess I have a special place in my heart for berries because they are so perishable and the season is pretty short. You gotta get 'em while the getting is good. Kinda like kisses from my kids - I'll take them whenever they are ripe for taking. Even the wet sloppy ones from the 2 year old!

The tart may look a little difficult because it's so showy (like the pavlova) but it's really not. Pull together the ingredients for the crust and press it into a pie pan or a tart pan (see below) and then make the creamy filling. After that, it's just a matter of piling on the berries!

Beautiful Berry Cream-Filled Tart

Ingredients

Pastry Shell

1 1/2 c flour

1/4 c sugar

1/8 tsp salt

8 tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces

1 egg yolk, beaten with 2 tbsp heavy cream

Put flour, sugar and salt into a bowl of a food processor. Pulse to mix. Add the butter pieces and pulse. Add the egg/ cream and pulse until the dough is chunky and holds together when squeezed. (You can also do this in a bowl with a pastry cutter, it just takes more work.) Dump the dough onto was paper and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. 

Roll dough out into the shape of your tart pan. This dough makes enough for a 9" round pan. (A tart pan has a bottom that comes apart from the sides like a cheesecake pan to make serving a cutting the tart easier. You just lift the bottom of the pan out of the sides and serve the tart on the bottom. You can use a pie pan, just serve it right out of the pan like a pie.) Fit the dough into the pan and cover it with foil or parchment paper. Put some pie weights or dried beans on top of the foil to keep it from puffing up and bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, remove the weights, prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork. Bake 15-20 minutes, until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Cream Filling
2/3 c sour cream

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 c heavy cream
Beat sour cream, cream cheese, lemon juice, sugar, vanilla, and cream together in a large bowl. Spread mixture over cooled pastry shell. Arrange berries over the top and garnish with mint leaves if desired.

Chill between 1-4 hours before serving. This doesn't keep well in the fridge for more than a day, since the crust gets soggy.

 

Easter Egg Nest Cupcakes

Easter is coming!! I can't wait since we celebrate with our families at our house. I'm ready to have everyone over and celebrate. Easter brings joy and it's just what we need. I'm ever so grateful for the eternal gift I've been given through Jesus' sacrifice.

Easter time is also when our Girls are ramping up their laying! We have eggs coming out of our ears right now. I was inspired to create this cute cupcake. They are a totally fun Easter treat I made for the preschool and elementary aged kids. Super easy. Just whip up some cupcakes and top with icing. Then sprinkle on some chow mein noodles and add a few speckled jelly beans or whoppers to the top. How simple is that???

Lemon Love Note Bars - Sweet and Sour

These bars are sweet and sour all at the same time

...kinda like marriage.

I love my husband. It's true, he's the man for me. He puts up with my moods and endless chatter. He brought me flowers and a huge balloon for Valentine's Day, and the man HATES balloons. He eats everything I put in front of him. He can build me anything I ask for. He's the most supportive and encouraging person I know. He's there for me whenever I need him. (Boy, oh boy, have I realized how much I need him lately.) We are a team and a great one at that. (I'm pretty sure we could win the Amazing Race.)

However, there are definitely times when we seem to treat each other more "sour" than sweet.

Everyone has some sour moments - right? At this point in our marriage (ten years) I'm pretty sure it's normal. I mean, you are not really supposed to get along with someone every single day right?

I logically knew it wouldn't all be roses before we got married. I even engraved it on the inside of his wedding band, "Come What May". And while I don't love being in the down times, I do love the wonderful tenderness that comes after we get out of the funk.

The sour, just makes the sweet all that much sweeter.

Honey, MacGuyver, Babe, Husband....this one is for you. I love you...come what may.

Lemon Love Notes

Ingredients

1 c butter

2 c flour

1/2 c powdered sugar

1 lemon, zested and juiced

4 eggs

2 c sugar

4 tbsp flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 c powered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp butter, melted and cooled

3 tsp milk

Blend butter flour and sugar together with pastry cutter or a fork. Pat into a 9x13" ungreased baking dish. Make sure this is very flat and even. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool until you can touch the baking pan.

While that is baking and cooling, make the filling. Mix together zest of one lemon and the juice of the lemon with eggs, sugar, flour and baking powder. Pour this on the cooled crust and bake again at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool again.

Melt butter. After the bars are cooled off enough you can touch the pan again, make the icing. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, vanilla, melted butter and milk. Pour over the top of the pan. Cut into small bars because these are super rich. They will keep fresh for only a few days.

Apple Carrot Slaw

I had some carrots in the fridge that needed a home and I just didn't feel like cooking them since the weather here in GA has been so warm. It's absolutely crazy... my daffodils are trying to come up. I have really missed winter this year. I know those of you up north think I'm crazy, since you are underneath a mound of snow.

Mom and Dad were flying back from Dad's chemo treatment yesterday and were delayed with all the flights being cancelled. I was a little worried about them, but they are home, safe and sound. Dad is exhausted, but hanging in there.

On the other side of the family, my father-in-law has moved into an independent living place so we are sleeping better around here, since we don't have to worry about him on the stairs. Thank you all for the kind words and prayers.

This recipe is perfectly refreshing with a roasted chicken and homemade wheat bread. I love the addition of celery seeds. I usually add those to our cabbage slaw because that's how MacGuyver's Mom makes slaw. I never thought to add them to a sweet slaw. 

I have the perfect imitation recipe for Chik-Fil-A's carrot slaw and this recipe somewhat reminded me of that, so I left the raisins out of the original recipe to make it different to my family. Let me know what you think.

Apple Carrot Slaw

Adapted from Feast on the Cheap, check out their beautiful photo and original recipe

3 crisp sweet-tart apples, cored and cut into matchstick-size strips

3 large carrots, washed, peeled and coarsely grated

2 tbsp sweet onion, minced

3 tbsp low-fat mayo

1/3 c cider vinegar

1 tbsp real maple syrup

1 tbsp celery seeds

Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk mayo, vinegar, celery seeds, maple syrup, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside. Prep the slaw ingredients and combine in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.  

Fresh Chunky Guacamole: Only 7 Ingredients

I'm addicted.


I need this stuff at least once a week. I have been known to serve this to my family with veggies and chips and call it dinner. That can be dinner - right?? It's not wrong to wish you didn't have to feed your children is it? Especially when your air conditioning is NOT working. Ugghh. Hopefully it will be fixed today and then I'll feed my kids a real dinner...promise.

This recipe showcases the best in summer. Much like the Summer Fresh Peach-Tomato Salad (which you absolutely MUST make in July and August when the tomatoes and peaches are plentiful and just dripping with flavor.) Using what's in season makes everything better. If you haven't tried my new seasonal search categories, you need to check them out. Look down on bottom right side. Click on "summer" and you will find all kinds of delights perfectly in season right now.


I first tasted this version of guac at On the Border Mexican Restaurant. We went with my parents and my brother and sister-in-law to celebrate my Mom's birthday. I had never been there, mostly because I like Mexican food the way I make it and not out at restaurants. I have to say I LOVED the guacamole there. The kids and I were fighting over who could hold the dish!! In fact, I don't think my sister-in-law (who actually ordered the guac) got more than one chip's worth. Sorry Nadia :) The tricks on this recipe are no garlic and lots of fresh cilantro. Very yummy.

Fresh Chunky Guacamole

Ingredients
3 tbsp minced red onion
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 chopped tomato
1 tbsp minced jalapeno 
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 limes
4 ripe avocados

Put the minced onion in a medium bowl. (Hint: Mince the entire red onion and store the remainder in a baggie in the freezer for the next batch of guacamole.) Strip the cilantro from the stems and chop the leaves, add to bowl. Chop the tomato. I know many people tell you to discard the insides, but they taste the same and really, I'm just too lazy, so I chop the whole thing and add it to the bowl, just try to shake off some of the tomato juice, or blot it with a paper towel, so you won't have runny guac. Mince the jalapeno without the seeds. Wear gloves when you do this. I have a box of these kind that we use for spray painting, car engine work, and cutting fiery jalapenos. Put the 1/2 tbsp jalapeno in the bowl and if you have some left, bag that too and put in the freezer (I actually put mine in a canning jar and store in the freezer). Give the mix a little stir. If you want to take this to a party, just stop here and bring the avocados and lime with you to the party. Then continue with the steps below when you are ready to serve.

Cut the avocados in half, working your way around the big pit. Twist the avocado to separate the halves. Then cut straight down into the pit with your sharp knife and twist to remove it. Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh and dump into the bowl with the other ingredients. Squeeze the lime juice over the top of everything. Then mash with a fork. I like it chunky so I don't mash around very long. Serve immediately since the avocado will brown even with that lime juice. Ole!

Chicken Feta Soft Tacos - Fast Weeknight Dinner

You know I avoid the kitchen most all summer long. I just don't love being in there where it is hot. I get all whiny and complaining, kinda like my kids and it isn't pretty. I LOVE cooking on the grill in summer. I mean it's already hot outside, so cooking out there doesn't change much. It's already 92 in the shade.

Actually, I guess I should say, I love getting my HUSBAND to grill. I do all the prep work and then he stands out there sweating and feeling very manly. Works out great for everyone involved.

This recipe was born of leftover grilled chicken. I often have the Grillmaster cook a couple of extra pieces of chicken to have for salads the next day. This night, I needed fast and had the extra chicken already done, but it's really fast even when starting from nothing. I just happen to have these ingredients in the fridge, so I set them all out. Thankfully it came together beautifully. Really, simple, delicious, fresh...exactly what summer is all about.

Chicken Feta Soft Tacos

chicken breasts

feta cheese

cilantro

cabbage (or lettuce)

limes

pumpkin seeds, roasted and salted

sour cream

tortillas

Drizzle some olive oil over the chicken and sprinkle with some salt and pepper (oregano is good too if you have it). Make sure the chicken is at room temperature before putting on the grill. Grill with indirect heat on medium for about 10-15 minutes until the juices run clear. After the chicken comes off the grill, let it rest for 10 minutes and then chop it into small pieces. Serve all the ingredients in a divided chip tray (like Help Yourself Oatmeal) with warmed tortillas. Let everyone custom make with their choices. My kids especially love the pumpkin seeds, so pick these up next time and keep in the pantry. Summer is served!

 

Spectacular Strawberry Angel Food Cake

Do you have some of these laying around? We have been eating strawberries almost everyday and I still don't get tired of them. We most often eat them plain or with breakfast, but I do make this Fresh Strawberry Cake, and this Strawberry Vinaigrette from my friend Chris. I love to take the kids strawberry picking because those seem to be the most delicious. This year, we planted strawberries and we've had a few small ones. Hopefully next year we will have a better crop.

This simple cake looks spectacular, but it's really easy. Bake or buy an angel food cake. I used an angel food Betty Crocker mix for this one. After the cake has cooled, split it in the middle. Fill the middle with cream and macerated strawberries and then put the top back on. Add more cream on top and decorate with whole strawberries. Delicious!

Whipped Cream Delight

1 pt whipping cream

1/4 c powdered sugar

3 oz mascarpone cheese or cream cheese, softened

Put the whipping cream in a mixer with wire attachment. Beat on higher until it seems to be getting thicker. Add powdered sugar and beat until it forms soft peaks. Stir in the softened cheese.

Macerated Strawberries

1 pt strawberries

4 tbsp sugar

Slice all but four or five strawberries into a bowl. Add the sugar and stir. Keep in fridge and stir occasionally. This can be made the morning or afternoon of when you want to serve the cake. The berries will create a wonderful syrup that you can pour into the bottom half of the cake.

Creamy Spring Green Risotto

Secret Recipe Club time! It's funny how you start to know many of the foodies in the Club as you participate month after month. When I got my assignment, I already "knew" Kate and her blog, A Spoonful of Thyme. I had tried to eat my way through the computer screen with her Pulled Pork Sandwich. Her husband has the most awesome looking smoker! Serious man grilling.

I eventually chose Kate's Spring Green Risotto since it's fresh and uses all the of the spring veggies I love like peas and asparagus. We eat asparagus all the time. My favorite way is tossed with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and thrown on the grilled for a few moments. The kids are big fans of the little charred bits that happen.

I adore risotto and normally serve it during the colder months. But Kate proved to me risotto could be a warm weather dish with the addition of fresh green veggies. It turned out delicious! My husband declared it restaurant quality and we agreed it should be "on the rotation" just like Kate said.

I made a few changes and rewrote the recipe because it seemed a little confusing to me and I thought it could read simpler. (I'm sure that had something to do with the fact that is a recipe from Ina Garten - just saying.) I did leave out the fennel, because it just didn't look good at the grocery store when I went. I added mushrooms because that's one of my favorite risotto ingredients and I added lima beans to up the protein. You could easily make this a vegetarian recipe by using veggie stock. It may seem like a lot, but it is just one dish and we made it our main meal. I added a couple of pieces of tilapia and some sweet pumpernickle bread and dinner was done.

Spring Green Risotto

from a Spoonful of Thyme

Ingredients
1 lb asparagus
5 oz lima beans
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp butter
3 c finely chopped leeks, white and light green parts (1 leek)
8 mushrooms, sliced 
1 1/2 c Arborio rice
2/3 c white wine
4-5 c chicken stock
5 oz frozen peas, defrosted
1 tsp pepper
2 lemons, zest and juice
1/3 c mascarpone cheese or cream cheese 
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese 
3 tbsp chives, minced 

Bring a medium pot with a small amount of water (maybe 3 inches) to a boil. Put ice in a large bowl and add water to make an ice bath. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and give to your very grateful chickens. Then cut the asparagus spears into 1 1/2-inch lengths (on the angle if you want to be fancy).  Put asparagus and lima beans in the boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Drain and plunge the veggies immediately in the bowl of ice water. Dry your pot over low heat to use for the next step. Drain the vegetables.
Heat the olive oil and butter in the dry pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and mushrooms, cook for 6 mins. Add the rice and stir for 3 more minutes. {There is a lot of stirring coming up, about 25 minutes of it, so if you can rope in a sous chef, this is the time. You really don't have to stir constantly, but you do need to stay with it. It's worth it - really.}

Add the white wine and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add the chicken stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more. Immediately after adding the last cup of stock, add the asparagus, lima beans, peas, and pepper. Zest both lemons right into the pot.

Squeeze the lemon juice from both lemons into a small bowl, add the mascarpone. Whisk together with a fork.

After a total of about 25 minutes of cooking and stirring the risotto, all the liquid should be absorbed. Then you are ready for the next step. Turn off the heat and add the mascarpone-lemon mixture plus the Parmesan cheese and chives.

Serve with an additional garnish of Parmesan cheese and chives if you want to fancy it up.

Healthy {Drinkable} Teacher Gifts

Need a teacher gift that's fast, simple, easy AND healthy??? Uhhh, me too. I love giving them something, but I didn't have time to bake because I was so busy baking for the Awana teachers this year. I couldn't give the homeschool co-op teachers the shaft, so I had to think of SOMETHING.

While grocery shopping at Kroger, it all came together. First I picked up these cute insulated tumblers in pretty colors. Then I picked up the ingredients for some drinks they could enjoy in their new tumblers.

I love it when a plan [or lack thereof] comes together.

The entire gift came from the same store.

Done.

The day before we took these in to the teachers, I put it all together. Notice the "wrapping"?? Yep, it's a citrus bag. I've started saving those and apple mesh bags. They make cute wrapping for all kinds of things - even a fresh loaf of bread. Frugality with some cute thrown in.

Drinkable Teacher Gifts

reusable drink cups
limes (or lemons), in mesh bag
kiwis
bananas
mint sprigs
kale, bunch
plastic baggies
ribbon, see you can get this at the grocery store too :)
paper and printer, optional

Print the recipe for kiwi kale smoothies onto cardstock or paper. Or just handwrite it out, especially if you are one of those who has super cute handwriting and can make anything look adorable (me, not so much). Put the recipe in the cup if you can see through it. You child can make a card and put it in there too if you like.

Dump all of your citrus out of their bags. Trim off any tags that are sewn on, but be careful not to cut the stitching. Put a couple of limes and/or lemons, kiwi, bananas in the bags.

Trim stalks from kale, see recipe. Put a wad of kale in a plastic baggie. Stuff that into the mesh bag. (Wait to do this step the day you are giving the gift. Put the baggies in the fridge until then if you are doing it ahead of time and give yourself a pat on the back for being so on the ball.)

Wash the mint if it has been ripped out of the ground by a precious four year old, who has tracked the dirt into the house along with the mint. Wrap the bottom of the mint stems in a wet paper towel to keep it fresh during the school day. Put that in the top of the mesh bag, sticking out of the top if you like.

Tie it all up with a pretty ribbon (I would have used all the same color ribbon if I wasn't being so frugal and using up my ribbon remnants) and include another recipe on the bag. I made up a recipe for Refreshing Mint Limeade, which I actually put in the tumblers and the Kale Kiwi Smoothie recipe on the mesh bags. You customize it up. Change it to Lemonade if you like and lemons are what you purchase. Change it to Citrus-ade if you buy both.

The teachers will love you because it's healthy and delicious AND useful. Seriously you cannot go wrong with this one!

        Refreshing Mint Limeade

·       Bunch of limes, sliced

·       Mint leaves, stripped of stems

Put lime slices and mint leaves in large pitcher. Mash them with a large spoon. Add water, seltzer water, pineapple juice, or other beverage. Mix and serve. Keeps in fridge for a couple of days.

Spring Has Sprung

I love this time of year - the flowers are blooming all around our yard.

The blueberries are growing and getting ready to put on their blue robes.

My beloved hydrangeas are shooting out petals everywhere

The herbs are ready for cooking. Look at those chives aren't they pretty!

A carpet of wildflowers awaits my two little princess girls and their adventures.

All of this beauty outside and this is where I am... inside.

Why?

Because I'm allergic to everyone of those blooming beauties and right about now they are killing me! Air conditioning and Claritin are my saving grace. Sometimes life is just not fair, but hey, at least I got outside long enough to take pictures. :) I hope YOU are able to enjoy the beauty of God's creation.

Carrot Kohlrabi Bake

My Sausage Boy had a playdate last week with one of his preschool pals. When I went over to their house to pick him up the mom, Amy, and I got into a discussion about her winter garden. Apparently she has a green thumb and her Dad has an emerald thumb. He can and does grow anything. He set Amy up with lettuces, broccoli, kale, and kohlrabi for her winter garden. Turns out Amy loves it all BUT the kohlrabi. Being her friend, of course I told her I would take it if she insisted. I played it cool, but I was pretty excited to get my hands on the kohlrabi. I mean it's not something you see in the local Kroger and I was having a dinner party for my family, they will eat just about anything. I figure if I screwed it up, I was still pretty safe. See I've eaten it grated raw in slaw, but I wanted to take it into my kitchen and make something with it.

This is kohlrabi in all it's glory.

I admit, it is a strange plant. You eat the bulbous part that grows just above ground. You can eat the greens too. It's a member of the cabbage family and tastes kinda like a radish, but sweeter.  I got mine home and pulled off the roots. Then I snapped off the leaves and gave those to the Girls - who were pretty excited about something new. Then I peeled the bulbs so they would not have a "woody" texture since I was baking them. Once I chopped them up, they were perfect for this recipe. I bet I could even convert Amy into a kohlrabi lover with this one. The carrots are sweet and the kohlrabi adds some bite. It's delicious and my family agreed.

Carrot Kohlrabi Bake
from Birds & Blooms

Ingredients
3 medium kohlrabies, peeled and chopped
4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 c chopped onion
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1 1/2 c milk
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 c soft bread crumbs

Microwave carrots and kohlrabies in a little water on High for 10 minutes. Drain off the water.

In a small skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. Add flour, salt and pepper. Stir until blended. Cook for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk a little at a time. Each time you are waiting for the sauce to thicken before you add the next bit of milk. Add about 1/4 c each time. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened again.

Pour sauce, parsley, lemon into carrot/ kohlrabi mix and stir. Dump into a greased two quart baking dish (basically a little smaller than a 9x13 pan). Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs. (See recipe below to make them.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Soft Bread Crumbs
frozen bread
food processor

I keep these on hand in a bag in the freezer. My kids don't like the ends of bread loaves so I collect them in a bread bag in the freezer. I also use my mistakes - bread that just didn't rise enough when I made it. Or rolls that are always leftover from whatever party/ holiday event was most recent. When I have enough bread frozen, I pull out the food processor. Just put the slices in and turn that baby on. Pulse it until you have large crumbs, then put them all back in the bag and back in the freezer. Easy! You can use them to top mac n cheese, or just about any casserole. You can also use them to bread fish like this. What do you put them on?

Real Pecan Pie...Frozen

I love pecan pie, but NOT the nasty slimy middle. I solved this problem one time when I bought a piece of pecan pie from the freezer section - Edwards or some brand. I figured it was only one piece so I couldn't go overboard, but when I got it home it was all I could think about (restraint is not my strong point). That silly piece of pie was calling my name. I got home, ripped open the cardboard package and ate the entire slice without letting it thaw or even using a fork.

Turns out it was the best pecan pie I ever ate! It had nothing to do with the brand but the simple fact that the pie was still pretty frozen. When the jiggly middle is frozen it turns to a wonderful gooey, caramel like treat that I LOVED! Now, I make and serve pecan pie to my guests and then freeze my leftovers for me to enjoy another day. I encourage everyone to try pecan pie frozen - you may love it. I've even converted my very southern husband to freezing his.

I decided I needed to make a pecan pie because my husband's wonderful Aunt and Uncle gave us a HUGE bag of pecans. Apparently they have the largest pecan tree in Fayette County, which is really saying something. They gathered the nuts for us and I put the kids to work cracking them with this cool contraption. I won't say it makes cracking the pecans easy...let's say easIER. Once we had enough nuts, I was all set to make my pie.

Real Pecan Pie
adapted from Baking Illustrated by way of Brown Eyed Baker

Single crust pie shell, store bought or homemade
6 tbsp butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 c brown sugar
½ tsp salt (if using unsalted butter)
3 eggs
¾ c light corn syrup
1 tbsp vanilla
2 c pecans, chopped into small pieces

Toast your pecans in a dry skillet on the stove for a few minutes until they smell nutty or toast them on a tray in your toaster oven. Just be sure to watch them as nutty and delicious can turn burnt VERY quickly. Let cool.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prick the crusts with a fork all over the bottom.

Then cover the crust with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans. This keeps the pie shell from puffing up with air and becoming brittle. Bake for 15 minutes.

Remove foil and beans weights bake 5 additional minutes until crust is golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven and reduce the temp to 275 degrees.

Melt the butter in a double boiler. {See my new one??} Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and salt with a wooden spoon until the butter is absorbed. Beat in the eggs, then the corn syrup and vanilla. Return to this stove; stir until the mixture is shiny and hot to the touch, about 130 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the heat; stir in the pecans.

 Pour the pecan mixture into the hot pie shell.

Bake on the middle rack until the pie looks set and yet soft, like gelatin, when gently pressed with the back of a spoon, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer the pie to a rack; cool completely, at least 4 hours. Then to really make magic, put it in the freezer. Promise me you'll do it with a least one piece, just to try. I bet you'll love it!!

Anise Dusted Venison with Red Wine Grape Sauce

It's Secret Recipe Club time again!! I was pretty excited when I was assigned a blog from outside the US called Lavender and Lime. Tandy is from South Africa, a country where I know exactly two people...Ronald and Lize. I met Ronald in Australia, where he told me many South Africans often come to visit or live. I met Lize our preschool where I got to teach her precious daughter Neika at Vacation Bible School. So Tandy makes three people, wow, I'm on a roll.

I was charmed by the language used in Tandy's writing. For instance, the word "dessicated" which you never see used in the US, (we say dried) but dessicated sounds so much more intense. I also loved how her recipes are in grams. We really should have stuck with the metric system in the United States, it makes a lot more sense.

When I was browsing Tandy's blog I noticed she eats lots of foods that are not common here in the US: ostrich (which was yummy when I had it in Australia), springbok, lamb, liver, and crawfish. Talk about an adventurous eater, but maybe not by her country's standards. For all I know, ostrich may be a South African staple. That's why I like taking my kids to eat at different ethic restaurants. There they can learn people eat different things, look different, talk differently and dress differently. Respecting differences is something I was taught as a child and it's never left me. It's my hope that raising my kids this way, will teach them God created people to treasure differences. The only hard part is when they learn that not every kid has this respect. It wasn't until my son starting taking his lunch to the homeschool co-op that he even knew it was "unusual" for kids to eat sushi, liverwurst, deer burgers or Cesar salad. It actually broke my heart a little the first time he came home and told me the other kids said his lunch was yucky and weird. How sad is that? Especially when his lunch was SOOO much more delicious than the applesauce cup and Lunchable the other kids had.
I had some serious trouble deciding which recipe to make when I browsed through all the choices. The Orange Marinated Duck sounded delicious and I can see making it with chicken. I also really wanted to make these Cranberry Oat Slices because you know I'm a little obsessed by cranberries. I'm guessing I will make this outside of today's post.

When it came down to it, I decided to make two things from Lavender and Lime. Her Venison dish with anise and grapes got my attention since I have a freezer shelf full of deer thanks to my hunter husband. This dish sounded like something I would order at a restaurant - something fancy - something I would not normally make at home. I had to give it a go. I also decided to make her chai tea mix. I'll share that one tomorrow.

I did change Tandy's recipe a little just to accommodate my family. I choose to do a large venison roast so I could feed the entire family. I usually save the tenderloins for DNI. I marinated the venison overnight (which I do with all of the whole cuts, not the ground). We also cooked it on the grill since it was a beautiful spring day, but that meant I didn't have the pan drippings that Tandy did. I used anise seed because I had it and I didn't have the star anise. Never in my life would I have thought of putting anise and meat together, but it was a beautiful pairing and everyone loved it.

Anise Dusted Venison with Red Wine Grape Sauce
Adapted from Lavender and Lime

Ingredients
2-3 lb venison roast (you could use a piece of beef)
3/4 c apple cider vinegar
1/4 c soy sauce

2 tsp anise seeds (or 2 star anise or 2 tsp five spice powder)
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 c red wine
1 bunch of red or black grapes cut in half (apprx 20 grapes)

Combine the vinegar and soy sauce in a large zip lock bag and add venison. Marinate 2 hours or more (I leave overnight) in the fridge. Dump marinade and pat the meat dry with a paper towel. Let rest on a plate so it comes to room temperature. You never want to grill a cold piece of meat. Crush the anise seed in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Combine anise, pepper and salt together and dust over the meat on both sides. When meat is room temp (about 30 minutes of sitting out) grill over med high heat for 25 minutes, turning once.

While it's cooking, melt the butter, olive oil and wine over med-low heat in a skillet. When butter is melted add the halved grapes and stir around for a minute or two. Remove from heat. When the roast is done, put on a clean cutting board. Let sit for a few minutes before slicing into 1/2 inch pieces. Serve with grape sauce over the sliced venison.

Delicious, thanks Tandy!

PS. This was my recipe that was made over on Foodness Gracious. It's my Moist Chocolate Buttermilk Cake with Cream Cheese Icing.