Whether or not you're superstitious (I'm not), the New Year's Dinner is a fun tradition.  I look forward to it every year.  Last year I decided to make Ree Drummond's Hoppin' John as a sort of spin on my family's classic meal.  

Closeup of the beans, with the bell peppers.  So good- we may have spooned it over quinoa.

3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted, divided
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (from a 1/4-ounce package)
1/4 cup warm milk (105–115°F)
1 tablespoon mild honey or sugar
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for kneading and dusting
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup canned pure pumpkin
2 large eggs, divided, plus 1 yolk
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon water

Butter muffin cups with 1 tablespoon melted butter.

Stir together yeast, warm milk, and honey in a large bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast.)

Mix flour, salt, pumpkin, 1 whole egg, yolk, orange zest and juice, and remaining 5 tablespoon butter into yeast mixture with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a soft dough forms. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead, dusting surface and your hands with just enough flour to keep dough from sticking, until dough is elastic and smooth, 6 to 8 minutes. Form dough into a ball.

Put dough in an oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Punch down dough (do not knead), then halve. Roll half of dough on a lightly floured surface with lightly floured hands into a 12-inch-long log (keep remaining half covered with plastic wrap).

Cut log into 6 equal pieces, then cut each piece into thirds. Roll each piece into a 1-inch ball by cupping your hand and pushing dough against work surface as you roll in a circular motion. Put 3 balls side by side in each of 6 muffin cups.

Make more rolls with remaining dough in same manner. Cover rolls with a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until dough is about 1 inch above rim of muffin cups, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.

Whisk together remaining egg and water and brush on tops of rolls. (You will have leftover egg wash.)

Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer rolls to a rack and cool at least 20 minutes.

recipe note:
Rolls are best the day they’re made but can be frozen (cool completely, then wrap well) 1 month. Thaw, then reheat on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven until warmed through, 5 to 10 minutes.

• I had 3 large sweet potatoes and still got about half a dozen balls out of it.  
• Next time I will cut back a bit on the sugar, and even just a bit on the orange juice.  It was very good, but cutting back on the two will make it a little more savory.  

When they first come out of the oven, they are puffy, but don't worry; they will settle.

Notes

• If you visit the original post site (the link to the original post is the recipe title), you will see that Averie's cookies are a bit thicker.  I used about half the dough she uses for one cookie, so that I'd have more.  This may have affected the candy corn staying in tact.
• I baked mine 9 minutes, just like the recipe suggested.  Some still looked too underdone, and even after about 5 mins. were too soft to pick up from the baking sheet.  After further cooling- maybe 30 minutes- they were fine to pick up.

Happy Valentine's Day!  Love it or hate it, Valentine's Day is huge, and is impossible to avoid if you don't live in a cave or on a desert island.  Whether you're into making something for family, friends, or that special someone, here are some ways to ditch the heart shaped box of surprises, avoid the restaurant crowds and show your love:

Chocolate Truffle Cookies- these are my absolute favorite of the food gifts for Valentine's Day.  Rich and chocolatey, fudgy and delicious, they're wonderful.







Cake Balls- small, customizeable.  Use strawberry cake mix with strawberry or cream cheese frosting and coat in chocolate or vanilla.  Use red velvet, cream cheese frosting, and chocolate coating.  The possibilities are endless and delicious.






Oreo Truffles- Much like cake balls, these are easy and delicious, and no baking is required.






If you're into planning that cozy dinner for two, try these ideas:



Start off with Kale Salad.








Move on to Sole Meuniere, Chicken Paillard, Salmon in Parchment with Spinach and Orange, or Braised Short Ribs





Finish with molten lava cake or this decadent mocha cheesecake.

I didn't think about it until just now, but this would have been a great "New Year's" dish.  I didn't make this for any new year celebration.  I made this for a Christmas party, and I've made it tons of times before.  It was one of those recipes that I've been making forever, and finding out I hadn't yet shared it really surprised me.  Use any reason you want to make this recipe.  It's got beans and other vegetables, so you can feel OK about eating half the bowl.  Until you realize that it took almost a whole bag of chips to do that.  It's really tasty, and even people who don't normally like things that aren't meat will eat this without flinching.  Good for parties wherever salsas or chip dips are accepted.  Makes a huge bowl full.  People will want the recipe.  Trust me on the Italian dressing (that's pronounced eye-talian where I'm from).

Aside from dipping, it's a good addition to scrambled eggs and mixed into a taco salad.  What other ways do you have for it to be eaten?

Black Eyed Pea Salsa

2 cans (15 oz each) black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (10 oz) shoepeg corn, drained
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes and chilis, partially drained (Ro-Tel)
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
1/2 red onion, diced
1 bunch green onions, sliced
8 oz Italian salad dressing

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Store in fridge.

Between now and Christmas, I'll likely be just posting Christmas goodies- good for gifts, parties, or eating yourself...not that I'd know anything about that.

So this fudge isn't real fudge.  You don't need a candy thermometer or a perfect, sunny day for it to work out.  It is, however, quick and easy, and will set up on the rainiest of days, which is good, because the past two Christmases around here have not had the best weather surrounding them.  Most importantly, while the texture is a little different from true fudge, it's still very tasty, and nobody has refused it yet.



Drew's grandmother is one of those people who you find it difficult to buy gifts for, because she has no hobbies, every square inch of her house is packed with stuff, so there's not a lot of room for anything else.  She does, however, have a big sweet tooth, and loves fudge, and she does not care about the semantics of fudge.  I have made this for her pretty much every year since I've been part of the family, and she has come to expect it.  When she gets my gift of fudge she literally squeals with delight and promptly eats a piece and hides the rest behind her back so that no one else in the family can eat any.  It's pretty funny.

So without further adieu, from the Eagle Brand recipe collection, I give you their recipe for chocolate fudge.



Chocolate Fudge (Condensed Milk Fudge)
from Eagle Brand recipes

makes approx. 2 pounds of fudge

1 can condensed milk
18 oz (3 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Line an 8 or 9 inch square pan with foil, wax paper or parchment; set aside.

In a medium pot, combine the condensed milk, chocolate chips, and salt.  Melt over medium low to medium heat.  Once melted and smooth, remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Pour and spread the mixture into a prepared pan to make an even layer.

Chill the fudge 2 hours or until firm.  Cut into bite sized squares.

We had a Christmas party this past weekend in which we all brought dishes.  When completing the list of who would make what, the theme pretty quickly turned from dinner to hors d'oeuvres and desserts.  I decided to bring black eyed pea salsa (can't believe I haven't shared this before- recipe coming soon!) and these pinwheels, which I sort of made up on the spot.  I had seen different recipes on The Pioneer Woman and floating around on Pinterest, but pinwheels are the sort of thing that just seem to not need precision or a recipe- they're like a sandwich and encourage customization.

Plus, who doesn't love pinwheels?  My grandmother used to buy some from Sam's Club and serve them at family get togethers.  They were my favorite.  I have good memories of times where pinwheels are served.

Anyway, they were a pretty big hit- all of them were eaten, and they're on the healthier end of party food- lower in fat, not fried, no mayo.



Pesto Turkey Pinwheels
Makes 25 pinwheels/ 5 tortillas

1/2 block (4 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup prepared pesto
5- 8-10 inch tortillas
1- 8oz package deli turkey- not shaved
1 or 2 roasted red peppers, cut into thin strips
8 oz package sliced provolone, meunster, or cheese of your choice
Asiago or Parmesan cheese, shredded or ribboned

In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese and pesto until well incorporated.

Working 1 tortilla at a time, lay tortilla on a flat surface and spread the pesto/cream cheese mixture onto the tortilla in a thin layer, leaving about 1/2"- 1" border.  Add 3-4 turkey slices, spreading out evenly over the pesto mixture.  Layer with the cheese slices and the red bell pepper strips, using the bell pepper strips every few inches (see photo, above).  An optional variation is to leave out the cheese slices and instead to cover the turkey and red pepper strips with the Asiago or Parmesan shavings/shreds.

Beginning with 1 end, tightly roll the tortilla up, slice into 1 1/2" slices, and pin with toothpicks to keep together.  You should have 7-9 total slices, including the ends.

Notes

• I had a lot of cream cheese mixture left over, but that will work well with any wraps you may want to make yourself, maybe as a pasta sauce, a veggie dip, etc.  Or just make more wraps.
• I alternated use between the meunster cheese and Asiago cheese in the wraps, partially for experimentation and partially because I didn't have that much sliced cheese on hand.  I am not sure which I preferred, and I am not sure the crowd had a preference either.  
• I used spinach and herb wraps, but any soft tortilla shell will do.  I liked the green color, especially here at Christmas.

This was one of those recipes that I've had in my "to make" file for a few years now, and am just now getting around to making.  I'd guess that based off the paper I printed it on and the show it came from, I've had it for something like 7-8 years now.  Better late than never?

Anyway, this is a perfect recipe for a fall or holiday season breakfast.  I fiddled around with it a little to make it lower in fat, and it turned out a bit dry, so I don't recommend cutting back on the fat like I did.  Go all out and use the amount of butter you're supposed to use.  I would, however, make this again.



The recipe comes together like most non-yeasted waffles, and so it's fairly straightforward and easy.  Rachael made a mulled syrup to accompany the waffles on the original show.  I didn't make that but would like to one day.  Here's the recipe if you want to go all out.

I'll post the recipe as Rachael Ray made it and let you know my changes in the notes.  I'd recommend trying the original recipe and not my variation.  My version's flavor was good, but it was a little dry.  Nothing a little more syrup won't fix.

Gingerbread Waffles
from Rachael Ray and 30 Minute Meals

Here's another one for your upcoming holiday meal planning:  pumpkin pie!  It's an institution, right?  If you're Southern and also accustomed to sweet potato pie, this recipe combines the best of both worlds, which I believe is where lies one of the secrets to the pie's success- it contains both pumpkin and candied yams.

This is a variation on America's Test Kitchen's Silky Smooth Pumpkin Pie, by way of Smitten Kitchen, and while it's simple, it does involve a few steps, so be warned that you will put in a little effort for this, but it's well worth it.  It always gets rave reviews!

The recipe title is also a link to the Smitten Kitchen page with this recipe and Deb's (is it OK to call her Deb even though I've never met her but have read her blog for something like 5-6 years?) beautiful photography.

Silky Smooth Pumpkin Pie
adapted from a recipe by America's Test Kitchen
makes 1-2 pies (see notes)

Pie dough to make one 9 inch pie
2 cups half and half
3 lg. eggs plus 2 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
1 cup of candied yams (from a 15 oz can), drained from syrup
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1- 1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. table salt

Preheat oven to 400 F.

• It could be me, but I often have enough filling left over that I could make 2 pies.  If you're using a deep dish pie crust/plate, then you'd most likely just get one.  Here would be a good time to make mini pies with a muffin tin, or just have a little less filling in a second, full-sized pie.
• I have made this pie 3-4 times, and each time I have used a refrigerated pie crust.  Very un-food-bloggery of me I know, but when you're making several recipes at once, it's nice to just pull that out.  To use, though, I treat it like a homemade crust- I unroll it, roll it out a bit to get it evened up and get the factory look off it, and then place it in the pie dish.  
• I use a glass pie dish for this pie.  Often my crust needs a longer baking time as a result.
• Instead of pie weights, you can use lentils and even coins.  Make sure you line it pretty well, though, so that the sides of the crust don't bubble out.  
• This recipe has been so forgiving!  The first time I ever made it, I accidentally bought pumpkin pie filling.  I compensated by not putting in the spices.
• I also didn't have a strainer with me the first time, so I blended it in a blender.  Still worked really well!

Thanksgiving for us Americans is such a time honored tradition, and I'd bet that most of you already know what will be on your table, and who will make what dish.

For my side of the family, there's always my grandmother's dressing (that's stuffing for those of you in other parts), there was until last year my great grandmother's green beans, a turkey prepared by my parents, sweet potato and broccoli casseroles by my aunt, and pies by Sarah Lee, with the occasional wild card dessert or bread thrown in by me.  It's a true feast and honestly a day of unabashed gluttony.



What food traditions do you hold and look forward to each year?

I'd like to submit a new classic:  Rachael Ray's Apple and Onion Stuffin' Muffins.  I first made this recipe 8 years ago, for a staff Thanksgiving lunch at my first "professional" job.  It was a total experiement and they were the guinea pigs.  Thankfully it turned out great, and is pretty foolproof, which is good for a then novice like me.  This is a good recipe for any skill level.  I have since made these little guys 1-2 other times, and the latest was for my office building's Thanksgiving lunch today.



This recipe is easy, relatively quick, and can be made ahead of time.  The ingredient list is not ridiculous and the flavors are close enough to standard to not rock the boat while being innovative enough to reinvigorate your dressing/stuffing routine.

The recipe title is also a link to the original recipe.  I am posting as I made it.  If you're more a visual learner, there's a video link near the top of the page that will allow you to see Rachael Ray making the stuffin' muffins (which is a concept that Sunny Anderson has adopted with vigor).

Apple and Onion Stuffin' Muffins
makes 12-24 muffins, depending on your scoop size and tin

2 Tb Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 stick butter, divided in half
1 bay leaf (original calls for fresh; I used dried)
4 ribs celery, chopped
1 med-lg onion, chopped
3 apples, chopped
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 tsp each dried marjoram, dried parsley, and dehydrated onion (or 2 Tb poultry seasoning)
8 cups stuffing mix (such as Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing)
2-3 cups chicken stock

Preheat an oven to 375 and butter the cups of 1-2 muffin pans.  In a wide pot with sides (dutch oven, saute pot), heat oil and butter over medium to med-high heat.  Add in bay leaf, celery, onion, and apple and season with salt, pepper, and other herbs/spices.  Allow to cook and soften, approx 5-6 mins.

Add stuffing mix into the pan and stir.  Moisten the entire pan with chicken broth, so that the bread and other ingredients are softened and moistened but not wet (not soupy).

Use an ice cream scoop or cup measure to scoop out stuffing and mound into the muffin tins.  Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until browned on top.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  These can be made ahead and reheated.

Notes

• Original recipe called for McIntosh apples, which I can rarely find around here.  Use your favorite "cooking/baking" apple.  I used gala, and they worked well.
• Original recipe also called for poultry seasoning, which I didn't have and didn't want to buy.  I looked up a couple DIY recipes online and improvised using what I had on hand.  Still good!
• I used approx 2 cups chicken broth.  

What are some of your favorite snacks?  If you're a cereal lover, this one will likely be right up your alley.  I found it several years ago in I think a Publix magazine.  Its title is Cherry-Almond Snack Mix, and it's so good.  I used to make it quite a bit a while back, stopped for no real reason, and then rediscovered it when my family made it for the beach.  I made some for this week and thought I'd share the recipe with you.  It's so easy there's just the 1 photo and no real notes.  Except that I used pumpkin pie spice rather than apple pie spice because I had an old mix of it on hand.  If you don't feel like buying a spice mixture, experiment with making your own out of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and/or allspice.

Cherry-Almond Snack Mix
Origin unknown, but I got it from an old Publix magazine!
Makes 4-5 cups mix

4 cups oat squares cereal (recommended: Quaker Oat Squares, Brown Sugar flavored)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 Tb. melted butter
1/2 tsp. apple pie spice
dash salt
1 cup dried cherries or golden raisins

Preheat oven to 300 F.  In a bowl, combine butter, spices and salt. Add cereal and almonds to bowl and toss to coat. Spread out mixture on 15" x 10" x 1" baking pan or a 13"x 9"x 2" cake pan.  Bake for 20 mins, stirring once halfway through the cooking time. Cool for 20 minutes on a wire rack and then add the dried fruit. Allow to cool completely.  Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.

I think I did one of these last year, but happy 4th of July to you!  Now's a good time to see what's been done in the past.

How do you celebrate our nation's independence?  Do you watch fireworks, cookout, go vacationing, all of the above?  The 4th has always been for me a time spent with family or friends.  It usually involves fireworks and usually a cookout with great food.

Below are some of my top pics for a great 4th (or any time)!  Whatever you do, happy Fourth to you and yours!

Grilled main dishes:


A delicious burger


BBQ chicken

Buttermilk Brined Grilled Chicken

On the side:

Potato Salad

For dessert:


As American as....Blueberry Pie

Strawberry cobbler

I am no help if you've made a resolution to lose weight/be healthier.  My first post of the year is for hot chocolate mix?!  Fortunately for the non weight watchers/health nuts, I make no such resolutions.



I debated on sharing this with you because I don't feel it's quite ready yet- I think some tweaking is in order, but for the time, this is still a killer hot chocolate mix.  If you've tried the salted caramel hot chocolate or the salted caramel mocha at Starbucks and enjoyed it, this one is for you.  This mix works well as a hot chocolate, and works as a coffee flavoring, too.  I'd like to experiment with adding instant mocha in the mix, but that's another post. 



I made this on Christmas Eve and gave it away as presents, and so far everyone who has tried it has enjoyed it.  This takes a few steps, but trust me that it's worth it.  It also makes a huge amount, so I had to process the ingredients in batches and stir it all together with a whisk in a large bowl.  Huge amount translates to lower cost per serving.  Yay!



This mix is great for gifts, and with winter really setting in in NC, it's good for those who need a warm drink. 



Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate Mix
from pennies on a platter

makes 32 servings

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

• I never thought I'd give this warning, but be careful when cleaning the pot in which you cooked the sugar.  Drew actually cut himself on some of the sugar
• I made this on a rainy day and it still caramelized
• I used 1 Tb. Fleur de Sel.  I'd likely add more next time.  I didn't feel the salt or caramel came through well in every cup I tried, so either more salt or better mixing is in order...
• A note on Fleur de Sel.  If you live in an area where gourmet foods are sold, you could possibly buy or order this without much problem.  If not, follow the alternative directions and use a good quality sea salt or other gourmet salt.  This isn't really the time for table salt.
• The more dutched your cocoa, the better because the more cocoa butter it has.  I can't buy dutched cocoa in stores near me and think it's sort of overkill to order specialty food items off the internet, so I used Hershey's Special Dark cocoa.  I would have also used Trader Joe's cocoa, which I believe is mostly dutched.
• I gave this away in 8 oz Mason jars.  They hold four servings (12 Tb) perfectly. 
 

There's a little bit of pressure to make the last post of the year a "good one."  On this day and throughout the last week, people have shifted focus from Christmas to the New Year, and the whole out with the old, in with the new mentality. 

I thought about posting a recipe, but wondered if it'd all be lost in the shuffle.  Instead, I thought it might be fun to talk about New Year's traditions.

What about you?  What is your new year's resolution?

How do you plan to celebrate tonight and tomorrow?  What do you eat on New Year's Day?

Post in the comments section- I'd love to hear what you do!

Of course, New Year's Eve is legendary for its parties, and the next day is the day to eat specific foods to usher in prosperity and good fortune.

I'm from the South, so I grew up eating pork- usually pork chops or ham, which was supposed to bring prosperity.  Alongside the pork were collard greens, which represented green money.  There were also black eyed peas, which were symbolic of coins, so you were covered all the way around with money. 

Now that my husband and I no longer eat pork, we will opt for black eyed peas and greens with a sweet potato.  No symbolism there, just good nutrition. 

Whatever you do, and however you celebrate, be safe, and

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The finished deliciousness

If you're like me and you've had homemade chex mix all your life, you're probably slightly disappointed with this post because it's old news.  Preaching to the choir.  If you have been eating bagged chex mix your whole life, you're probably slightly disappointed with this post because it's unnecessary.  Fussy, even. 

My crazy mix- Aldi Brand cereals mixed with nuts, broken Pretzel Crisps, and bagel chips.  So good!

Well, to the choir, I am sorry.  This post isn't for you, unless it's so you can agree whole-heartedly with me and spread the good news.  To the bagged chex mix eaters, don't eat that bagged mess any longer. 

Where it all begins, folks.

Chex mix, is for me, synonymous with Christmas.  Like peanut butter balls or buckeyes as others know them, it's something that was present at every family Christmas gathering, and oddly, only at Christmas. 



At the beginning of the baking

Homemade Chex Mix, however, should not be relegated only to one time a year!  Yes, Christmas has come and gone, and so has the Chex Mix, but it's great for New Year's, football games- whatever.  It's also versatile.  Use what you have on hand or keep out the things you don't like.

About halfway into baking...

I recommend the oven instructions, although you can find microwave instructions here.  I am also posting the recipe as I made it rather than the original.  Use that same link to get to the original mix.

Homemade Chex Mix
from General Mills

3 cups Corn Chex
3 cups Rice Chex
1 cup Cheerios
1 cup mixed nuts
1 cup bagel chips, crushed into bite sized pieces
1 cup pretzels
6 Tb. butter
2 Tb. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder

 Heat oven to 250°F. In large bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips; set aside. In ungreased large roasting pan, melt butter in oven. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in cereal mixture until evenly coated. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, about 15 minutes. Store in airtight container.