Cooking

Rosemary Garlic Pretzels

/ Jodi / 13 Comments

rgp cover
My recent snack OBSESSION is Rosemary Garlic Pretzels.

Those that know me best know that even though I  L-O -V-E  to bake…………..

999,997.4 times out of 1,000,000, I would chose a salty pretzel over a chocolate chip cookie as a snack…

to go with my red wine or G&T especially.

rgp snack bowl

So lately, I have been making these SUPER simple, yet oh so DELISH Rosemary Garlic Pretzels.

All you need to do is take a bag of hard pretzels of your choice, break them into “bite-sized” pieces, and layer them on a baking dish.

rgp ingred

Then you simply drizzle with some olive oil, fresh chopped rosemary, garlic & herb (or your favorite) seasoning, and (the special ingredient) a drizzle of honey.

rgp pan

Bake at 250 for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, and voila!

rgp jar top

A yummy snack!

rgp jar

And you should probably NOT do as I do and put a jar full on your kitchen counter…..

Yummy for the Tummy

at Life In Between.

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

BLT with Fresh Basil Mayonnaise – A Simple Sunday Supper

/ Jodi / 2 Comments

blt

We had such a wonderful weekend – starting with The Best Book Club Ever Friday evening followed by a fun Saturday with family and friends eating, shopping, brewery touring and tasting, and lake cruisin’ at #ConneautLake.

After a busy weekend away, a simple Sunday supper was in order:  Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato (BLT) Sammies with fresh corn on the cob.

basil mayo

The fresh basil mayo is what REALLY puts this sandwich over the top (thanks Joyce for teaching me this yummy twist!).   Simply mix some chopped fresh basil and a sprinkle of sea salt to mayonnaise.  You WILL NOT REGRET it!

Mediterranean Sourdough

I picked up a loaf of Mediterranean Sourdough bread at the local farm market  (#Soergels) where I also got the Yellow Heirloom Tomatoes and Corn on the Cob.

All you need do is:  Toast the bread, then generously spread with some fresh basil mayo.  Top that with lettuce of your choice, fresh sliced tomato and a couple slices of crisp smoky bacon.  Smoosh it together and ENJOY!

blt cut

Add a side of corn on the cob with a sprinkle of Old Bay Seasoning (thanks Rob for this idea, because now I don’t even want or need butter on it!) – and that completes a yummy, but simple Sunday supper.

corn on cob with old bay

I’m just guessing, but I think this dinner would also taste good ANY night of the week :).

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

 

Jack Daniel’s Bacon Mac n Cheese

/ Jodi / 6 Comments

JD Mac N Cheese Cover

If you are looking for an extra special version of Mac n Cheese to take to a picnic or party or special event – meet Jack Daniel’s Bacon Mac n Cheese.

We were heading to “The Best Book Club Ever” this weekend and were to bring wine and cheese or a cheese dish.

Well – knowing “The Best Book Club Ever” host’s love of all things Jack Daniel’s…

JD Mac N Cheese JD

and pretty much everyone’s love of bacon – I couldn’t resist this combo to try out and take.

JD Mac N Cheese Bacon

I found a recipe by Julie Espy of White Lights on Wednesday and tweaked it up Jodi-style, then doubled the recipe since we were feeding a crowd, and put it in the crockpot to keep warm after baking.

JD Mac N Cheese Hot from Oven

I have to say – it was a hit.  What a yummy combination of bourbon soaked smoky bacon that gets candied with brown sugar and cayenne for a kick that stays with ya and creamy cheese and noodles.

JD Mac N Cheese

This should probably not be on your regular weekly dinner menu (though you may want and crave it after experiencing) because it is only low-fat and low-calorie when served at parties….

JD Mac N Cheese Plated

But when partyin’, it goes great with an icy glass of Jack and lime.

If you want a crowd pleaser, make this for your next gathering!

Jack Daniel’s Bacon Mac n Cheese

1 lb thick sliced bacon
½ cup Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey + 1 Tbsp
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound macaroni pasta
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (do not use pre-shredded cheese in the bag!)
1 cup smoked gouda cheese, shredded
1 lb ball fresh mozzarella cheese, broken into pieces
½ teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small saucepan, bring ½ cup Jack Daniel’s to a boil. (WATCH CAREFULLY – and cover with a lid.  I didn’t put a lid on mine and was making double.  I put it on to boil, turned around, and when I looked back, a flame 2 feet high was rising from the boiling alcohol.  No worries – we all survived – just lost a little Jack in the process.)  Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until reduced to 2 tablespoons. (My flaming alcohol reduced very quickly, but I don’t recommend that method!)  Remove from heat.  (I really think you could make this without even heating the Jack and may just skip next time, so feel free to do that if  you prefer.)

On a plate, combine brown sugar and cayenne. Dip bacon into Jack Daniels and then press each side into brown sugar mixture to coat. Place on a baking sheet (with sides if you don’t want bacon grease and alcohol dripping in your oven).  Bake for 7 minutes, then flip and bake for about 5 more minutes.  Remove the bacon to a plate coated with non-stick cooking spray to cool.  Chop bacon when cool.

Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add macaroni and cook until al dente. Drain pasta; set aside.

While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add flour, and whisk to combine.  Add 1 tablespoon Jack Daniel’s and whisk into roux. Whisk in 1 cup milk until combined. Add remaining milk. Whisk frequently until sauce thickens and begins to bubble. Add cheeses; whisk until cheeses melt and sauce is smooth. Add paprika and salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over pasta, and add chopped bacon. Stir until pasta is completely coated in sauce.

Bake for 30-40 minutes uncovered until top begins to brown and cheese sauce is bubbling.

ENJOY!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Lemon Chicken Parmesan

/ Jodi / 2 Comments

lemon chicken parmesan cover

I love chicken.

It is so versatile, and I am always looking for different ways to create chicken dinners.

Especially for a hot summer day, I loved this LEMON version of Chicken Parmesan.  It is a lighter version of the typical red-sauce chicken parmesan.

I found the recipe from The Recipe Girl’s Blog, and we enjoyed it Sunday evening for dinner.

Delish with angel hair pasta, fresh lemon juice and zest, fresh basil, freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and some bubbly fresh mozzarella on top.

Here is the recipe as I slightly adapted from The Recipe Girl:

Ingredients:

PASTA:
1 box angel hair pasta, cooked and drained
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (or your favorite Parmesan)

CHICKEN:
4 chicken breasts – pounded to tenderize and make thinner for more even cooking
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (or your favorite Parmesan)
1 tablespoon fresh basil (or as much as you like)
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic

TOP:
1 small ball fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
salt and coarsely ground pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Mix the cooked pasta with the butter and lemon zest. As soon as the butter is melted and mixed in, stir in the Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.

3. Blend the Panko, Parmesan, Basil, Lemon Zest, Salt and Pepper in a medium bowl.

4. Heat the butter, lemon juice and garlic in a large, oven-safe skillet.

5. Dip the chicken in beaten egg, then Panko cheese mixture, and place in the pan. Cook on both sides until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side (depending on thickness of chicken). Remove the chicken to a plate.

6. Spoon the mixed pasta into the skillet. Place the cooked chicken breasts on top followed by the sliced mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle top with salt and pepper.

7. Bake 15 minutes (or until the chicken is cooked through) covered.

8. Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes until the mozzarella is bubbly and brown.

Serve and ENJOY!

Lemon Chicken Parmesan

We sure did.

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Biscoff Blondies with Cinnamon and White Chocolate Chips

/ Jodi / 8 Comments

biscoff blondies title photo

OOOO  LA LA!!  Have you ever tasted Biscoff Spread?

O… M… G…

It kinda tastes like those little teddy graham cookie crackers, but in a peanut buttery-like spread.  (Can you imagine?!)

biscoff

It is amazing on toast, bagels, English muffins…..

It is heavenly licked from a spoon!

Add it to a blondie with some cinnamon chips and some white chocolate – and it is magical!

biscoff blondies 2b

Remember – I was recently cleaning out the baking shelf??   Well – I had some Biscoff Spread, had some cinnamon chips, and Biscoff Blondies came to my imagination.

So, of course, I googled Biscoff Blondies to see if anyone had thought of it yet or if there was a similar recipe; and lo and behold, the amazing Sally from Sally’s Baking Addiction, had just the recipe!

I thought it needed cinnamon chips, so that was just the way to “Jodi” it up.

biscoff blondies 4

I simply followed Sally’s recipe, but subbed 1/2 cinnamon chips and 1/2 white chocolate chips for her 1 1/4 cups of white chocolate chips.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup  flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 5 Tbsp  butter, melted
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup Biscoff spread
  • 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup cinnamon chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line a 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray (I used a 9 x 9 square baking stone).

In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, mix the melted butter and brown sugar until combined. Whisk in the egg and egg yolk, then add the vanilla. Stir in the Biscoff spread. Gently fold in the dry ingredients.

(Per Sally – be careful not to overmix, as it will result in crumbly, hard blondies.).

Fold in the cinnamon and white chocolate chips.

Spoon the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes. The blondies may appear very soft, but they will set up as they cool.  Always UNDERBAKE for yummy goodness.

Allow the blondies to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Makes 16 yummy, awesome blondies.

biscoff blondies 2a

Betchya can’t eat just one!

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Drink More Water

/ Jodi / 5 Comments

water

We hear it everywhere – right? We know it is good for us – right? But do you drink enough water?
I know I don’t myself.
Coffee all morning – many cups… Wine in the evening – (ahem) no comment…

All dehydrating.
So I TRY to drink a couple of glasses of water in between.
I was watching a show on Food Network recently that took muddled honeydew and coconut water and lime juice that they made look like a cocktail!
Fruit Infused Water seems to be all the rage.
So I thought I’d try my own version.
I must say – DELISH!
water 2
For my water “cocktail,” I simply mixed some muddled fresh red raspberries and lime juice to some sparkling water over a tall glass of ice.
water 3


Another really refreshing way to drink water that seems all the rage is with freshly sliced cucumbers; and with all the cucumbers I’m harvesting (YAY!), I tried this too – with simple tap water.  Nice when you don’t want something “sweet.”  And it is amazing how quickly it infuses.

cuke water

It’s not quite cucumber vodka (which – – have you tried yet?  with tonic – YUM!) …… but – I so easily digress – we’re hydrating now – remember?!

And it always tastes better with a cute straw – right?

Drinking Water…
At Life in Between.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

How does your Garden Grow? With Prickly Cukes and Juicy ‘Maters and Spicy Peppers all in a Row

/ Jodi / 4 Comments

Ok – so I’m not quite the “Mary Mary Quite Contrary” Nursery Rhyme Poet that Mother Goose was…

But OH How I LOVE to watch my Garden Grow!

tomatoes

I only started vegetable gardening – again – a few years ago – and my garden is just a tiny, manageable patch…

tomatoes2

with enough tomatoes and cucumbers for fresh salads by mid to end of summer (and OH I just can’t wait for these to turn RED! – and my Orange Pineapple Heirloom tomatoes to emerge!)

cukes

and some spicyJalapeno peppers to zip up fresh salsa!

jalapenos

and some banana (Hungarian Wax?) peppers to stuff with spicy sausage!

bpeppers

and I love how fresh and clean everything looks in the morning after a night of nourishing rain.

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

 

 

My Favorite Recipe

/ Jodi / 4 Comments

happy home

Yep – this is a good one!  One of my favorite recipes!

Not sure if it is because of the sweet young-child writing  from my now married, 26 year old son on the gingerbread  and heart-shaped candy cane recipe card,

or the wonderful meaning of the words in the simple message,

0r the fact that I love my home and family so much….

No matter the reason, hope you will also enjoy this FAVORITE recipe!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

 

Grilled Mini Pizzas

/ Jodi / Leave a comment

We all like our pizza a little different, so why not make personal mini pizzas?  I had some Mama Mary’s 3-packs of mini crusts that were just perfect for throwing on the grill on a warm summer day.p1

The topping choices can be as endless as your imagination and taste. buds.  Chicken would be wonderful (but I think we had it 4 or 5 times already this week 🙂 ).  Ham and pineapple,  steak and mushrooms….

p3For us this past Sunday afternoon, I just chopped up some sweet red and orange and yellow peppers, Vidalia and green onions, added a sprinkle of salt, and sautéed it all with some garlic in olive oil…

p4

I sliced some pepperoni and thick chunks of fresh mozzarella and goat cheese.   Fried up some thick-sliced salty bacon…

p2

Put out a jar of marinated artichoke hearts and sliced banana peppers…

p5 and we put together our own faves, threw them on the grill for about 8 minutes – keeping OFF the direct flame for best results!

And guess what – we all LOVED our own pizza!

(I’ll bet they would even be fun to make with cinnamon and sugar and apple or peach slices or tart cherries and cream cheese!)

Enjoy whatever way you like best for a quick and easy and satisfying meal.

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi

 

“Instants” I Just Don’t Get….

/ Jodi / 3 Comments

macncheese

… INSTANT Mashed Potatoes

Seriously???!!
NEVER bought them.
What is more instant that peeling and boiling and mashing REAL potatoes?  A no brainer, and SOOOOO much better!

… INSTANT Coffee

GAG!  No more words necessary!  Should not even exist.

… INSTANT Iced Tea

Is it really that much easier than putting a tea bag in hot water and cooling?

… INSTANT Macaroni and Cheese

GROSS!

(I do have to admit to buying this “food” in a box in my younger years when the kids were little. And then there is Nick’s first experience with “cooking” boxed mac’n cheese! You’ll have to ask him about that!)

I’m not sure why I bought it????
I don’t think I was ever taught differently.
But – another – SERIOUSLY??  – What is so difficult about whisking together some butter, flour, milk and cheese and mixing it with a box of macaroni?
Pretty instant I think.
And pretty yummy too!  Who can resist the creamy, gooey, cheesey center contrasting with the browned crusty goodness on the edges?!? – Num Num Num!
Made some for Marty this past week.  Macaroni Salad and Mac and Cheese are a couple of his favorite indulgences I don’t make that often.
But when I do – it’s a big hit!

(especially goes over well a day after I serve him “CHICKEN AGAIN?!” – and even more especially with teriyaki sauce! 🙂 )

I know many of us are busy and enjoy INSTANT things, but I’m liking them less and less….

Then again,

I am at

Life In Between.

Do you have any INSTANTS you LOVE or HATE?  Would love to hear about them 🙂

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi