Cooking Class

I had the best time this weekend. First off, I got to see my family and meet my newest cousin, sweet baby Hendrix {and I am in love, btw}. We had a girls night on Saturday and headed up to the Wind Creek Casino in Atmore, AL for a cooking class. It was my friend Libbie's birthday request and I am so glad that's what she chose. So much fun! We had one couple in our class that goes to the class about every two weeks. I can see why they do it. You get a delicious meal, a fun night out, and you learn a little something!

Here was our menu for the evening:

• Roasted rack of lamb with herb chutney
• Asparagus tips, caramelized onion & oyster mushrooms
• Israeli Couscous with Dijon cream
• Poached pear tart with fig & chocolate

About to get cooking!

Stacey and Libbie

The chef was right beside Stacey and I, and us being the nerds that we are, were determined to make the best meal and get the A+ from him. I think we succeeded!

Please excuse all of the bad iPhone pictures, it was better than nothing!

Brandy and Wendy

I love lamb and I usually just grill mine, so it was nice to see how to cook it in the oven and for some ideas of what to serve with it. If David is nice, I may just recreate this meal for him this weekend.

Here's a picture of our dessert before and after:

It was just so cute! It was also super easy. Although I wasn't a big fan of the pears and chocolate together.

Here's our finished entrée:

I think it turned out great! But then again, I had an awesome co-cook!

Well, that is about it for our cooking class. If you are interested in any of the recipes from above, let me know.

If you enjoy cooking, grab your girlfriends and do it. You will have a blast, I promise!

Homemade Suet

It's all about feeding the birds today, y'all! During these cold winter months, suet is where its at for several kinds of birds. Suet is basically a mixture of animal fat, cornmeal, flour and seeds/peanuts that many birds love. Because it is made of fat, it should only be fed during the cold winter months, as the fat can melt and get on the birds feathers causing some issues. Plus, the heat could made it go rancid very quickly.

My birds (and squirrels) were going gangbusters on my suet feeder, so I decided than rather buying the premade suet cakes, I could make my own. Thanks to my friend Google, I came across several recipes for homemade suet. It's also a great way to use up any ingredients that you need to purge from your pantry. Here's what I ended up with:

Homemade Suet:

• 2 cups tallow (I couldn't find any tallow, which is beef fat, so I ended up using lard, which is pork fat)
• 2 cups crunchy peanut butter
• 6 cups cornmeal (I ended up using cornmeal mix because that's what I had. It is a mixture of cornmeal and flour. Next time I will probably go with actual cornmeal to help the consistency)
• 1 cup flour
• 8 cups birdseed
• Dried Fruit (optional)

First, melt the lard and peanut butter in a double boiler or the microwave.

Gag....

After everything is nice and smooth, start mixing up the rest of the ingredients.

It was really funny mixing this suet up. It's not every day I cook with lard and/or birdseed! Ok, I've never cooked with birdseed.

Once everything is mixed, put it onto a pan and throw in the fridge to harden up.

I was going to be all fancy for the suet that I was taking to my office and cut out little Valentine Day suet cakes.

I even had red/pink/white string and everything to hang it with but that got nixed because my suet was a little too soft. Hence why all cornmeal would probably work better than the cornmeal mix.

Anyways, after your suet has hardened up just cut it up into rectangles and put in zip-lock bags. Store your suet in the freezer until ready to use. Below is a typical suet feeder.

Yellow-rumped Warbler enjoying some suet

The guys at Birdsong Nature Center have their suet in a cypress stump, which makes me want one really bad now.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Red-winged blackbird

So go ahead and make some homemade suet - your bird friends will thank you!

{ps -Stacey I can feel you rolling your eyes at the post while I am writing it. Enjoy!}

Labor of Love

I have been working on a {not so small} project for my family. I have been patiently scanning, editing, and uploading a lifetime of recipes from my grandmother's recipe box.

One by one. Precious word by precious word. The tastes of my childhood all written down. Old recipes that are hard to come by. So I am diligently trying to capture all of my grandmother's beloved recipes all in one place where we can all enjoy them. To enjoy the memories we have of each recipe that was made with love. Each card is aged and well-used. And each one is so special. Written down for many more generations to use and pass on.

It's been a tedious project, but worth the effort once it is finished!

My sweet cousin, Gary Wayne scanned a ton of old photos for me as well and it is fun to look at my grandparents so young! So, little by little we are capturing a lifetime of memories and it is nice to know that we can all look back on those old pictures and marvel at the lives of our grandparents.

I really loved this picture of my grandfather during WWII on what appears to be a ship {He is the 2nd from the left, standing}. It's just neat to go back and look at all of this kind of stuff.

Oh and to find cute pictures of my daddy <3 nbsp="">

It's truly a labor of love and time consuming, but its always worth it to help and preserve your past!

Easy Weeknight Meal ~ Mexican Lasagna

This recipe isn't the most healthy recipe out there, I'm pretty sure. But man, it's a yummy one! I made this on Saturday for David in honor of Cinco de Mayo. It was the first time I had made it and it was so good, I made another one for myself yesterday to enjoy.

It's a recipe from Southern Living. Here are the ingredients, my modifications are in blue:

• 1/2 pound ground mild pork sausage (1 pound)
• 1/2 pound ground beef (1 pound)
• 1 (15-ounce) (21 ounce) can jalapeno ranch-style pinto beans, drained
• 2/3 cup canned diced tomatoes and green chiles aka Rotel (Used whole can)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of celery soup
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce
• 9 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese (I found a package that had the two cheeses mixed together, so I used that)
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (omitted)
• 1 medium avocado, chopped
• Shredded lettuce
• Jalapenos, sliced
• Sour Cream

 Notes: I upped the meat content only because that is how the meat is sold, same goes with the can of beans and I had no other plans to use it any other way. If there is some magic jalapeno ranch-style beans out there- they aren't sold at Publix and definitely not at my poor, little Harvey's close to my house!

 

The recipe is really, really simple and quick to do!

 

First up -brown your meat and drain.

While that is browning, mix up the following in a sauce pan.

Cook soups and enchilada sauce until everything is warmed through and incorporated together. Place aside.

 After meat has been browned and drained, add the following ingredients:

 

Add both cans to the meat (I did drain the pinto beans just a little to get some of the chili sauce off, but that is optional). Then add the garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Simmer a few minutes until heated through.

 

Now it's time to assemble!

Spoon a thin layer of the soup mixture on the bottom of your pan. Then layer tortillas, 1/2 meat sauce, 1/2 soup sauce, and top with cheese.

 

Keep adding layers until you fill your casserole dish. Top with cheese. Then bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Then it's time to enjoy! Add your favorite toppings and you have a wonderful Mexican dish that tastes way better than most things you can get at a legit Mexican restaurant.

How Pinteresting!

What did we do before Pinterest? Well, I know what I did. I would tear pictures and articles out of magazines and put them in a big notebook, never to find what I'm looking for again when I needed it. Enter Pinterest. It makes it so simple! However, I'm one of those that will pin stuff and never actually do it.

Well, I guess I finally had a reason to do some of those pins. Stacey is leaving me to move back home, {enter sob here} and I am throwing her a going-away party, so I finally had a reason to do some of the pins that I had marked. The first thing that I did was make some Lemon Chex Mix. It is so delicious! It will become one of my go-to recipes for any type of party, or just a rocking Tuesday night.

Original Recipe Via

It's super simple to make. Way easier than those Muddy Buddies that I am so fond of. Here is the recipe:

Lemon Chex Mix

• 9 cups rice Chex
• 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 4 tsp lemon zest
• 2 TBS lemon juice
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Pour cereal into a large bowl and then set aside. Melt the chocolate, butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a microwave safe container. Melt for minute. Stir. Melt for additional 30 second intervals until smooth when stirred. (Don't be like me and add your lemon juice/zest after the chocolate has melted. It will make it congeal into something not so pretty!)  Pour melted mixture over cereal and gently stir until the cereal is evenly coated.

 

Transfer the cereal into a gallon ziploc bag. Add the powdered sugar and shake the bag around to get all the pieces evenly coated. That's it! Easy peasy!  

 

Next thing that I saw that I wanted to do was to make a "pinecone" cheese ball. Since Stacey is leaving Thomasville, I thought it would be very fitting to make this. Thomasville is known for it's plantations and all things pine tree.

 

I had to call my mother to get the recipe for the cheese ball part, and I will give it to you the best I can remember. I still didn't write it down, just had her on the phone reading me the recipe while I was making it!

 

Cheese Ball

• 2 packages of cream cheese, softened
• 1  package (8 oz.) of shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp onion flakes
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tsp red pepper
• 1/2 Tsp garlic powder
• Salt to taste

Beat with an electric mixer (or by hand) the cream cheese, worcestershire, onion flakes, lemon juice, red pepper, garlic powder, and salt until smooth. Then mix in your cheese. Shape into a ball. We usually roll the cheese ball in chopped pecans, but for this occasion, I used almonds to make it look like a pinecone. Then just add some rosemary for garnish.

Here was another thing that I made. I didn't take a picture of it last night, so I'm using the picture from Pinterest.  And you can tell, because this picture isn't taken with an iPhone!

Recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Here is how I did my layers:

Layer 1 - Ground Beef w/taco seasoning
Layer 2 - Refried Beans
Layer 3 - Salsa
Layer 4 - Guacamole
Layer 5- Sour Cream
Layer 6 - Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
Layer 7 - Olives, Diced Tomatoes

The fun thing about this is that you can make it your own. I however did not realize how time consuming it would be to make these individual cups. So be sure you have plenty of time to do them. Thank goodness my mother was there to help me do the fruit skewers while I was making these, or I would have been up all night!

So, that's a few of my pins that I have done. Stay tuned for the party!

Lemon Pie Recipe

Happy Friday, ya'll!! If you are like me, you are glad that the weekend is upon us. I wanted to quickly share a recipe for a delicious Lemon Pie. I found the recipe in a Southern Living recipe magazine that I picked up last weekend on Wilmington Island on the way to the beach (am I weird for reading recipe magazines on the beach, in a bikini? huh). Any ways, I finally rounded up all the ingredients to make this last night and it didn't disappoint. I love a lemon or key lime pie. Especially during the summer! So, I think I will add this to my recipe book.

Ingredients

• 2 boxes (3.4 ozs) lemon pudding mix
• 1 can (12 ozs) evaporated milk
• 1 Tbsp. lemon zest
• 2 packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 can lemonade concentrate
• 1 graham cracker pie crust (I think you could actually make two pies with this recipe, because I had leftover filling)
• Whipped topping (Cool Whip or if you have time to make some from scratch)
• Lemons for garnish

Directions

1. Whisk together the pudding mix and the evaporated milk for about 2 minutes or until thickened.
2. Add the lemon zest to the pudding mixture, set aside
3. In another bowl, beat with an electric mixer the cream cheese and vanilla until fluffy.
4. Add the lemonade concentrate to cream cheese and beat until smooth.
5. Add the pudding mixture to the cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth.
6. Pour the lemon mixture into the pie crust. Add whipped cream and garnish with lemons, if desired.
7. Refrigerate for 8 hours (I didn't!) before cutting.

That's it folks. It was really simple to make and super tasty. I suggest you give it a try. I mean, the recipe had me at cream cheese!

What's in the Box?

Prepare yourselves for a riveting blog post...

Due to a lack in any truly interesting blog material today, I am going to talk about what is in the box. Namely, what January's BirchBox included and just for fun a look into my lunchbox to see what I eat on a regular basis. (told you this was good stuff, I may win a Pulitzer for this content)

BirchBox {January}

If you can't read from the picture this is what was included:

• Befine - Night Cream
• Juicy Couture - Viva La Juicy fragrance
• stila - Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye liner (came at an excellent time considering that I am out!)
• VMV Hypoallergenics - Re-Everything Eye Serum
• wichcraft - Granola

I'm digging this month's samples. I am all about some anti-aging stuff and love stila so I'm a happy camper.

Lunch Box

This is what my lunch box contained today:

• Chicken Salad Sandwich - Bread~Nature's Own Honey Wheat   Chicken Salad~Publix's Chunky White Chicken Breast Salad (a must try!)
• Smartfood White Cheddar Popcorn
• Apple Slices
• Caramel Dip (to make those healthy apples not so much..)
• Orange (naval if you want specifics)
• Sugar Cookies from the Publix's bakery
• Andes Mints
• Coca-Cola Cherry Zero

On any given day my lunch usually consists of just this:

• Chicken Salad Sandwich
• Popcorn
• Apples

Today just happens to be a special day because I went to the grocery store this weekend, so I had a few extras. I always make a chicken salad sandwich. If I am out, then I just go out to eat that day and don't bother packing a lunch. Publix makes a jam up chicken salad (the chunky one that is) and I have the recipe here if you want to try and make it at home:

Ingredients

o 3/4 teaspoon salt
o 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
o 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
o 1/8 teaspoon lemon juice
o 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
o 1/8 teaspoon minced garlic cloves
o 1 tablespoon dried parsley
o 1 cup mayonnaise
o 1 cup celery, finely chopped
o 1/2 cup carrots, steamed and chopped
o 1/4 cup onions, chopped
o 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

Directions
1. Cook chicken however desired (I often poach in my steamer or bake). Cool and cut into large (about 1") cubes. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine salt, basil, dill, lemon juice, white pepper, garlic and parsley with mayonnaise. Mix thoroughly.
3. Stir celery, carrots, onion and chicken into mayonnaise mixture. Mix well.
4. Cover and chill overnight or at least several hours before serving.

I will have to try this one day if I am feeling productive. If not, I am content paying for it in the deli at Publix!
 
 
So that's what's in the box today over here at the Dapper Dachshund!