food

Turkey Cranberry Quesadilla

/ Jodi / 43 Comments

Turkey Cranberry Quesadilla.

Today is December 9th.
Hopefully your leftover turkey and cranberry sauce is long gone from Thanksgiving.

But Christmas is right around the corner.
And more turkeys will be on the menu.

This Turkey Cranberry Quesadilla is so so delicious, it is worth roasting a turkey for!

Remember the Cranberry Jalapeno Holiday Dip recipe I shared that I made for Thanksgiving?

Turns out – it is an AMAAAZZZING sandwich spread and Quesadilla Filling!

With the last of our turkey, a generous slathering of Cranberry Jalapeno Holiday Dip, and some shredded cheddar cheese, I made this Turkey Cranberry Quesadilla last week that I am still “jonesing” for right now.

It is pretty hard to beat any type of protein (turkey, chicken, beef, pork) topped with some veggies or fruit and cheese, pressed between a couple of tortillas and toasted up crisp on the outside, but warm and gooey on the inside.

Here is how I made my Turkey Cranberry Quesadilla.

Turkey Cranberry Quesadilla

Ingredients1/2 cup chopped or shredded cooked turkey

Directions

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Butter one side of each tortilla.  Place one tortilla on skillet.  Top with Cranberry Jalapeno Holiday Dip, turkey and cheese, followed by remaining tortilla.  Top with cast iron press and grill for 2-3 minutes.  Flip tortilla and grill for an additional minute.

Cut into wedges to serve.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Turtle Thumbprint Cookies

/ Jodi / 59 Comments

Turtle Thumbprint Cookies.

I decided this past weekend to start my holiday Christmas cookie baking.

Every year, I make several of my same, tried and true faves, but I also like to try one or two new recipes, so I couldn’t resist the visions dancing in my head when I came across  these Turtle Thumbprint Cookies I discovered through a Pinterest search.

And – oh boy – they did not disappoint!

If you love the flavor combo of chocolate, caramel and pecan that makes the classic “turtle,” you are going to go nuts over these!

Hope you will give them a try.

Turtle Thumbprint Cookies

  • Servings: approx. 6 doz.
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. (4 sticks) salted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 2 2/3 cup sugar
  • 4 eggs (divided – yolk for cookies, white for topping)
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract (please only use pure – not imitation)
  • 1 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp. salt

Topping:

  • 2 – 2 1/2 cups chopped pecans
  • Egg whites (from divided eggs above)
  • 1 jar caramel sauce (your fave – I used Smuckers)

Directions:

Beat butter and sugar in mixer on medium-high speed until well blended – about 3 minutes.  Add egg yolks, vanilla, and almond extract, while continuing to beat.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt.

Reduce mixer speed to low-medium, and add half of the flour mixture.  Beat until incorporated, then add half of milk, followed by other half of flour mixture, and finally other half of milk.  Beat until all ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat.

Place dough in Ziploc plastic bag or cover bowl tightly, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk egg whites until fluffy.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls.  Coat each ball with egg white, then roll in chopped pecans.  Place on baking stone (the only thing I bake cookies on) or cookie sheet.  Using a small spoon (I used a baby spoon) or your finger, indent each cookie ball in the center until a circle is formed.

Bake for 12-13 minutes.  Cookies will still be soft when you remove from oven.  Allow to cool on baking stone/cookie sheet.

Once cooled, remove to cooling rack, and spoon in caramel sauce.

Enjoy right away or pack in single layers in Ziploc freezer bags and freeze until ready to serve.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

 

Herb and Garlic Roasted Spaghetti Squash

/ Jodi / 50 Comments

Herb and Garlic Roasted Spaghetti Squash.

Simple.
Healthy.
Amazingly Delicious!

I thought I was going to make something a bit more extravagant when I decided to roast some spaghetti squash by simply drizzling with olive oil, sprinkling with coarse ground pepper and salt, and topping with some garlic cloves and fresh herbs.

But when it came out of the oven looking like this….

And I took a teensy taste when scraping the flesh with a fork….

I ended up eating an entire half for my lunch!

I adore spaghetti squash, and have made it a number of ways that I’ve shared here:

Four Cheese Garlic Spaghetti Squash

Parmesan Garlic Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Italian Spaghetti Squash

But this super simple, quick and easy way is my new fave…..   at least for today!

Here is how I made it:

Herb & Garlic Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:

  • 1 Spaghetti Squash
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 4-6 cloves garlic
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Fresh Herbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut spaghetti squash in half, and scoop out seeds.  Place in cast iron skillet.  Drizzle liberally with extra virgin olive oil, toss garlic cloves and fresh herbs on top (I used fresh parsley and rosemary), and sprinkle liberally with fresh ground pepper and salt.

Roast for 45-55 minutes.

Remove from oven, and scrape flesh with fork to create spaghetti.  Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

Cranberry Jalapeno Holiday Dip

/ Jodi / 36 Comments

Cranberry Jalapeno Holiday Dip.

When I was asked to bring an appetizer to my new Daughter-in-Law, Liz’s family Thanksgiving, I knew I had to make this after being told by my BFF, Jill that everyone was “jonesing it” when she made it for a party.

First I had to laugh at our 50+ year old selves using urban slang, then I had to make it and see if it was so!

Well – Yep!  It was a hit! One sister asked if the recipe was on the blog, because she wanted it (here it is Laura!), and another said she normally doesn’t like salsas, but she really liked it.

It is sweet, and it is spicy. It is crunchy, and it is creamy. All of this in a bite!

Thumbs up from all, except for hubby, who said it was… meh… He preferred the other appetizer I made – Pumpkin Pecan Baked Brie – which was pretty amazing too!

But will you make this and let me know and prove him wrong? <wink>

So secret revealed here.  I did not take pictures of the batch I made for Thanksgiving, so I made it again this past week just to get pictures <whistles and rolls eyes… not owning up to the fact that I ate a quarter of it for lunch one day…..>

And guess what else I did with it this week?  I made a leftover cold turkey sandwich and slathered some of this on the Smart Bun first.  YUM!  Who knew it would make a great turkey sandwich spread too??!!

This will be a hit at any holiday gathering, and it is so easy and pretty!  Here is the recipe as I slightly tweaked from a recipe I found through Pinterest:

Cranberry Jalapeno Holiday Dip

Ingredients:1 12oz. bag fresh cranberries

  • 1/3 cup sliced green onions
  • 1/4 cup sliced jalapeno pepper slices in a jar (or 1-2 fresh if you like it HOT!)
  • 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
  • Juice of 1 fresh lemon
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 16 oz. cream cheese, softened

Directions:

Chop cranberries (I used the Pampered Chef Food Chopper, and it worked wonderfully, but you can also chop by hand.  Do not put in a food processor as they will become too mushy), and place in a medium bowl.  Add chopped green onions, jalapenos, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and sugar, and stir gently, but well.

Cover, and let refrigerate overnight.

When ready to serve, strain or squeeze liquid from cranberry relish.

Spread cream cheese in bottom of a pie plate or serving dish.  Top with cranberry relish mixture.

Serve with crackers, tortilla chips, pita chips, celery sticks, or your favorite “dipper.”

Enjoy, and let me know if you and your friends are jonesing it too!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Cheesy Bacon Ranch “Crack” Dip

/ Jodi / 43 Comments

Cheesy Bacon Ranch “Crack” Dip.

It’s party food time of year!

Time for dips and spreads, puffs and cups, hors d’oeuvres and crudites, balls and logs… Time for bits and bites in every color and shape and flavor.

When you are looking for an easy, crazy addictive, crowd-pleasing recipe, give this warm, cheesy, bacony, ranchy dip a go.

It’s sure to be a hit!

Cheesy Bacon Ranch Crack Dip

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 Less Fat)
  • 16 oz. sour cream (I used Light)
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 lb. bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions (reserve a few for garnish)
  • 2 Tbsp. (or one 1oz. envelope) Ranch Dressing mix

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients in bowl, reserving a bit of cheddar cheese and a few green onion slices for garnish.

Transfer dip to a pretty oven-proof serving bowl, fand back 20-25 minutes, uncovered until browned and bubbly.

Remove from oven, and immediately garnish with reserved shredded cheddar cheese and green onions.

Serve warm with tortilla chips, pretzel sticks, carrot or celery sticks, crackers, or your favorite dipper.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

 

S’More Cookie Bars

/ Jodi / 41 Comments

S’More Cookie Bars.

What S’more fun than S’mores?!

And what s’more perfect with hot cocoa or coffee than s’mores.

And what s’more delicious than campfire s’mores?

S’more cookie bars any time of year!

I love these adorable little cookie treats I learned from my daughter-in-law, Colleen, who first served them at a holiday cookie exchange she hosted a couple years ago.

They are simple.   They are fun. They are beautiful.  And best of all, they are SCRUMPTIOUS!

The teeny tiny miniature dehydrated marshmallows totally make them!  I purchased them locally at Make a Cake, a local, charming little cake and candy decorating shop, but they are also available online if you can’t find them near you.

Here is how to make them.

S'more Cookie Bars

Ingredients:

Directions:

After breaking all graham crackers and chocolate bars into rectangles, place one chocolate rectangle between two graham cracker rectangles forming a sandwich.

Melt Merckens milk chocolate one pound at a time in microwave.  Heat for 1 minute on high.  Stir well.  Heat 20-30 more seconds.  Stir well until smooth.

Dip each graham cracker and chocolate bar sandwich into chocolate – coating 1/2 – 2/3 of cookie.   Let excess drip, and place on sheet of wax paper to cool and harden.  Dip 4-6, place on wax paper, and sprinkle with marshmallows.  Working in groups allows the marshmallows to stick to the melted chocolate before it cools to harden.  Continue until all are coated and sprinkled with marshmallows.  Allow to cool and harden.

They are ready within 20-30 minutes to enjoy or store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

P.S.  If you are local, I made these to share at the Berry Vine Gifts Christmas in the Woods Open House, which starts today, Friday, November 17th (10-6).  It also runs through the weekend, Saturday, November 18th (10-6) and Sunday, November 19th (12-4).  Come munch on one with a cup of cocoa while you browse the beautiful holiday handmade crafts, antique furniture, and gifts in this one-of-a-kind shoppe (including my art and Colleen’s rustic pallet signs!) 

Butter Pecan Cookies

/ Jodi / 61 Comments

Butter Pecan Cookies.

When it comes to Butter Pecan….. I am an absolute FANATIC!

The way some people feel about chocolate………..
That’s my butter pecan.

Can anyone relate?

As early back as I can remember – even as a child going to Kerber’s Dairy with my grandpap for ice cream, I chose Butter Pecan.

Not chocolate, not strawberry, not chocolate chip, not vanilla……

But creamy, buttery, salty, crunchy, nutty Butter Pecan.

So when I came across this recipe at BakerbyNature for Butter Pecan cookies, I had try it, and O M G!

BROWNED Butter is the secret to these little delights.

And I will not be baking these often, because these – I cannot resist!

Make them if you dare!

Butter Pecan Cookies

Ingredients:

Cookies

  • 1 lb. (4 sticks) butter (salted), melted and browned
  • 2 cups brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 4 1/2 cups flour
  • 4 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  •  2 tsp baking soda

Buttered Pecans

  • 3 cups pecan halves, chopped
  • 3 Tbsp butter (salted)

Additions for Decorating:

  • 50-60 pecan halves
  • Coarse raw sugar

Directions:

Prepare Buttered Pecans by melting butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add chopped pecans and cook, stirring occasionally for 4-5 mins, until lightly toasted.  Remove from skillet to a bowl to cool.

In same skillet, melt 4 sticks of butter for cookie batter.  Bring to a boil until butter just begins to brown, and then remove from heat.  (Watch carefully, as butter can turn from browned to burned quickly.  It takes about 5 minutes over medium-high heat, but it is so key to get it to the “browned” stage.)

Using electric mixer, combine sugars with browned butter on slow speed until fully combined.  Add vanilla and then eggs, one at time, beating until fully combined.

Add flour, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda – folding in with rubber spatula until fully incorporated, and then fold in the buttered pecans.

Cover bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

If you have refrigerated overnight – let dough sit to room temperature to become scoopable.

Place golf-ball sized scoops of dough 1-2 inches apart on baking stone or cookie sheet.  Flatten slightly and press a pecan half in center.

Bake 8-9 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with coarse raw sugar.  Let sit on baking stone/cookie sheet for 10 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

ENJOY!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

*Recipe slightly adapted from BakerbyNature

Butterscotch Haystacks

/ Jodi / 59 Comments

Butterscotch Haystacks

Butterscotch Haystacks.

It’s a cookie?
It’s a candy?
Not quite sure what you call it….
but it is a scrumptious little treat!

Does anyone remember these little gems from their childhood?

A simple mixture of crunchy chow mein noodles, butterscotch chips, peanut butter, and dry roasted peanuts make a treat that looks like a tiny little haystack and is just the right mixture of sweet and salty, crunchy and creamy.

I made these for a “Wizard of Oz” party, thinking they were just the thing to do with the leftover “straw” that fell out of Scarecrow.

There are a variety of ways people have made them through the generations…

With our without the peanuts… with or without the peanut butter.
Some add a bit of vegetable oil.
Some add a a mixture of chocolate and butterscotch chips.

How about you?

Here is how I made them.

And if you haven’t tried them, they are definitely worth a try!  Super easy and super yummy!

Butterscotch Haystacks

  • Servings: approx. 3 dozen
  • Print

Ingredients:

Directions:

Melt butterscotch chips in a large microwavable bowl in microwave on high for 1 minute.  Stir.  Microwave an additional 30 seconds.  Stir again.  Add peanut butter.  Microwave 30 more seconds, and stir well.  At this point, mine is completely melted.  Add 30 second increments if necessary according to your microwave’s power until all is melted and smooth.  (If necessary, you can add a teaspoon of vegetable oil to create a smoother texture, but do not overcook or it will create a thick, gunky texture that will not work.)

Add bag of chow mein noodles and peanuts and stir gently until all noodles and peanuts are coated and ingredients are well combined.

Working relatively quickly before mixture cools, drop by tablespoonfuls onto wax paper or parchment paper.  Allow to set for several hours.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature or serve.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

Double Crumble Apple Crisp

/ Jodi / 52 Comments

Double Crumble Apple Crisp.

Nothing says Autumn like the taste of sweet, tender baked apples layered with cinnamony, nutty, crunchy oat crumble in a divine Apple Crisp.

Right?!

So of course I had to bake one with a bunch of apples I was gifted with from a local farm market.

Hubby likes his warm with creamy vanilla bean ice cream melting on it for dessert.

I like mine refrigerator cold for breakfast with steaming coffee flavored with Italian Sweet Cream.

However you like it, this is a classic worth making at least once each Autumn – just because!

Here is the recipe I like best, which is slightly tweaked from a recipe found at Creations by Kara.

Double Crumble Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup oats
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 Tbsp + 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
  • 7 large apples, peeled and sliced
  • 1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

Combine oats, brown sugar, flour 1 Tbsp cinnamon, salt, and butter to crumble consistently.  Add chopped nuts and combine.

Press 1/3 of the mixture into the bottom of a round or square baking dish (9-11″).  Spread peeled, sliced apples on top.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.  Top with remaining crumble mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes until apples are tender and crumble is browned.

Serve warm with ice cream or cool whip or cold for breakfast (wink!) – however you prefer!

Enjoy

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Turkey Kielbasa, Brussels Sprouts, and Potato Skillet

/ Jodi / 31 Comments

Turkey Kielbasa, Brussels Sprouts, and Potato Skillet.

We all find ourselves on those days when we just need to throw something together quick for dinner – right?

We want it to be easy, but healthy and delicious if possible.

The other day I threw this together and really enjoyed it.  We had it with a cucumber salad on the side for a healthy delicious meal in 30 minutes.

I’m sure there are many options for different proteins and veggies and spices, but here is how I made this one.  Do you ever throw together quick “skillet” meals like this?  What do you like to use?

Turkey Kielbasa, Brussels Sprouts, and Potato Skillet

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb Turkey Kielbasa, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 lb fresh Brussels Sprouts, cut in half
  • 1 lb petite yellow fingerling potatoes, cut in half (or your favorite)
  • 1 sweet red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 Tbsp fresh minced rosemary

Directions:

Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet.  Add Brussels sprouts, potatoes, red bell pepper,  onion, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for approximately 20 minutes or so beginning with high heat to brown and then reducing to medium and covering with a lid until Brussels are becoming tender and potatoes are almost cooked through (you can test with a fork).  Stir occasionally.

Add additional Tbsp of olive oil, garlic, turkey kielbasa and fresh rosemary.  Cook approximately 10  more minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally until all is cooked and flavors are blended well.

Serve immediately.

Stores well to reheat for leftovers.  

Enjoy!

(I ate leftovers for breakfast the next day and LOVED!)

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi