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HERBED PORK TENDERLOIN 1024 768 Mari Bickmore

HERBED PORK TENDERLOIN

I have to own up to the fact that I have become a full-fledged couch potato and am still using this cold as an excuse.  I’m still watching the Australian Open and wonder if my cold will end miraculously when it is over.  Maybe my foot will be miraculously healed at the same time.  Now that would be
herb pork 8fabulous.  Then I could play tennis instead of watch it.  More fabulous still, indeed.

While I am laying here watching TV, I am also surfing.  I always say that somewhere on the earth there is an atrocity being committed by Islam every single day, so I thought I would actually look that up.  There is absolutely a site that posts these happenings by the “religion of peace” and I was pretty much correct.  Every single day.  Sometimes more than once a day it seems.  Was I surprised?  Not at all. It is funny that our current administration won’t even call them terrorists? That politically correct nonsense is certainly evocative of Russia and China many years ago, when many people were killed for speaking their minds.  Hmmmmm….

So, in honor of Islam, I am giving you what is possibly my favorite pork recipe that will make everyone think you are chef of the day!  A winner for certain, and so easy you won’t believe how good it turns out!  It so great with or without the sauce, but I’m a sucker for a cream sauce.

INGREDIENTS

  • Two pork tenderloins
  • Herbes de Provence
  • Kosher salt
  • Pepper
  • Olive oil

Sauce:

  • 1/3 cup White wine
  • 1-1/2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
  • 3/4 cup Heavy cream

PREPARATION

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2.  Rinse tenderloins with water and pat dry with a paper towel.

3.  Roll in Herbes de Provence pressing to get coated well and then sprinkle fairly liberally with salt.  Then sprinkle with pepper.

4.  In a skillet over medium-high heat sear the tenderloins on all sides in olive oil.

5.  Place tenderloins in a roasting pan coated with olive oil and roast for 35 minutes.

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Sauce:

1.  Using the skillet that you seared the tenderloins in, heat the skillet over medium heat

2.  Pour white wine and balsamic vinegar into the hot skillet and reduce until only about 1 Tbsp remaining.

3.  Lower heat and stir in the cream, stirring until it thickens slightly.

When the tenderloin is done, let it rest for about 8-10 minutes.  Slice into 1/2-inch slices and serve, drizzling some of the cream over the medallions.herb pork 5

See how simple….and so delicious!

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Quick and Tasty Cannellini Bean & Sausage Soup 1024 768 Mari Bickmore

Quick and Tasty Cannellini Bean & Sausage Soup

bean sausage stew 7I am still under the weather, still relying on DayQuil to pull me through and get some things done.  I am getting a lot of couch time, and the Australian Open is still keeping me company.  I am thankful for my freedoms today, just the freedom of watching tennis on TV without some Islamic maniac executing me for watching it, like those poor teen-aged boys who were executed by ISIS for watching a soccer game.  I think we should give Africa to the Muslims and never let them set foot on another continent.  Send them all there.  Okay, I’ve ranted.

How does one segue from that to soup?  Okay, there is no segue so I’ll just move right along.   What can I say? This is a great, hearty, aromatic soup…real comfort food.  The hubby loved it, it’s simple to make and, except for the sausage, it’s pretty darn healthy.

ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 1-1/3 pounds Italian sausage links
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp thyme (fresh or dried)
  • Three 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed
  • 3-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
  • 5 ounces baby spinach (about 10 cups)

preparation

1.  Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Remove sausage and set aside.bean sausage soup 2

2.  Heat remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat . Add onion, garlic, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5-8 minutes.

3.  Add beans and broth, crushing a some beans with the back of a spoon to thicken sauce.  Cook until slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes.  I like it thicker so I mash a decent amount of beans.

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4.  Season with salt and pepper.  I used a fairly spicy sausage so I didn’t use the pepper.

5.  Add spinach and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes.

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6.  Slice sausage and stir into stew; add water or broth to thin, if desired.

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See how easy!

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Chorizo and Mushroom Fritatta 1024 768 Mari Bickmore

Chorizo and Mushroom Fritatta

fritatta 9I have been a little under the weather for a few days, so just laid in bed yesterday and watched a bunch of British mini series.  Caught up on what Lizzy and Darcy have been up to on Death Comes to Pemberley and seven (yes, count them — 7) episodes of Bletchley Circle.  That is seasons 1 and 2.  I don’t know if there are more. Oh, and I topped off the evening with an episode of Luther.  All I have to say is that DayQuil was my friend yesterday and is holding me up today, too.  I didn’t even have my laptop in the bed with me, just laid there not moving.

Today I have at least moved to the sofa and am watching the Australian Open.  I am also trying to catch up on things.  Still being disgusted by the Paris shootings and terrorist attacks worldwide by evil people.  Je Suis Charlie!  Did you know that on January 9 some of those same people attacked a worshipper  in Italy and commenced to destroy a large statue of the Virgin Mary and urinate on it??  Aren’t you disgusted?!  I am not Catholic and this disgusts me.  Well….off on a tangent again.

A few days ago I had a recipe laid out to make for that night and when I started pulling out my ingredients I found that I was missing a few things that I thought I had.  I was not a happy camper, but necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention.  Taking stock of the ingredients that I did have here is what I came up with.  Now knowing what constitutes a basic fritatta, you will be able to do the same thing!

Chorizo Frittata

Ingredients 
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 small potatoes, sliced very thin
8 ounces crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup green onions, chopped
8 ounces bulk chorizo sausage
12 large eggs
1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1-1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. Place a rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 350°.
2. Heat a Tbsp of olive oil in a 10-inch cast iron or nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat and cook chorizo until done and evenly crumblet.  Remove chorizo and set aside.fritatta 2

3.  Add 2 Tbsp of olive oil to skillet and then add potatoes, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

fritatta 44.  Add mushrooms and onions to skillet and cook, stirring often, until softened and all liquid has evaporated, 8-10 minutes. Remove and set aside.fritatta 6

5. Meanwhile, whisk eggs, crème fraîche, and parsley in a large bowl; stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Season with salt (about 3/4 tsp) and pepper.
fritatta 7

6.  Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Arrange potatoes to cover bottom of skillet, then pour mushrooms evenly over the potatoes, then do the same with the chorizo.
7. Pour the egg mixture over the the potato, mushrooms, chorizo layers and evenly distribute mixture. Cook the frittata, without stirring, until its edges begin to set, about 5 minutes. fritatta 8
8. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup cheese over eggs and transfer skillet to oven.
9. Bake frittata until golden brown and center is set, 25-30 minutes.

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Coq au Vin – In a slow cooker! 1024 689 Mari Bickmore

Coq au Vin – In a slow cooker!

coq au vin 9

I would have to say one of my favorite places to visit is France, from the eastern Atlantic shore to Paris down to Provence (especially in the lavender season), along the coast and over to the Dordogne, which is where I would love to live. So who else to take inspiration from but Julia Child. This is certainly not her classic coq au vin recipe, but I think a good adaptation. Sitting here in chilly winter weather, the rich, filling and flavorsome goodness of Coq au Vin just fit the bill. I made it fairly easy to make it in my slow cooker, yet it remians very close to the original. In the words of Julia Child “You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients.” The only thing wrong with this recipe is that my kitchen window is not overlooking the Dordogne River.  The  sauce turns out so rich and wonderful! I love it served with mashed potatoes.

Ingredients
3-1/2 pounds skinless chicken thighs & legs (or a breast also if you like)
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp gluten-free flour or all-purpose flour
salt & pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
4 slices lean bacon
36 very small pearl onions peeled and left whole (or 18 larger ones – can use frozen)
½ lb sliced button mushrooms
½ lb sliced baby bella mushrooms
2-1/2 cups red wine (tested with cabernet sauvignon)
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large sprig thyme (or a generous 3/4 tsp dried)
1-1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:
1. Place the chicken, flour, salt and pepper in a gallon size ziploc bag and shake well. Make sure the chicken is liberally coated with the flour mixture. This may have to be done in divided amounts.coq au vin

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat, then add the chicken pieces. You may have to use more olive oil that stated to brown your chicken.

coq au vin 23. Brown the chicken for about 2 minutes on either side until it turns a lightly golden color.
4. Stir the remainder of the flour from the bag into the browned chicken and transfer to your slow cooker.
5. In the same skillet, cook the four pieces of bacon until crispy. Remove onto paper towels to drain.

6. Also in the same skillet place the onions and mushrooms for about 4 minutes, stirring regularly, until glazed and shiny, then transfer the mixture into your slow cooker.
7. Crumble the bacon and add to the slow cooker.
coq au vin 48. Whisk the wine and tomato paste together lightly until the tomato
paste breaks down then combine with the garlic, thyme, oregano and bay leaf and add into the chicken mixture.

Cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3 1/2 – 4 hours.

The slow cooked chicken will fall easily from the bone into the sauce once done.

coq au vin 7

Excellent served with mashed potatoes and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

“Mise en place” a french culinary term which means organizing the process of cooking by making it more efficient, helping prevent mistakes or forgetting vital ingredients. Line up your spice jars and set out all ingredients before starting the first step. I recommend this for all recipes.

RESOLUTIONS and GREEN ZEN SOUP 1024 768 Mari Bickmore

RESOLUTIONS and GREEN ZEN SOUP

green soup 6

I just returned home from Christmas holiday in Southern California where it was in the 70s and sunny. Lucky when I got home it was sunny….and 23 degrees! Yuch! I just had to say that.

I have been thinking about New Year’s resolutions (better late than never). I typically don’t make any firm resolutions anymore, and that hasn’t exactly changed. However, as the years have begun to race by and I ponder the fact that I don’t feel like I am fulfilling every moment with positives, I figured I’d at least have an outline of resolutions, of a sort. I don’t want to write down things that I cannot accomplish and just feel bad about it, so I’m keeping it fairly simple, so here are my thoughts:
1. Try not to waste so much time; i.e. watching too much TV, spending too much time looking at random things on the internet.
2. Focus on learning, expanding my base of knowledge, self-improvement; i.e. really learning a second language, scripture study and spirituality, take new design classes, or find an entirely new business to try.
3. Make a bucket list and start marking them off; even things that seem unrealistic. Go big or go home, know what I mean?!?! Someone told me that dividing it into categories, such as weekend-type items, week-long items, month-long items, etc. might make the list easier to use.
4. Try to have a healthier lifestyle; i.e. eating, exercise, work hard with physical therapy to get my gimpy foot healed enough to jump back into tennis.
5. Work at relationships; expand my circle of friends, let my family know how much I love them all the time. As an aside to this, I want to perform some type of service for random people as often as possible…I am not great at thinking about this, so it will be a definite process for me. I know “pay it forward” is an old cliche now, but that probably sums it up.

Okay, it does seem like more than an outline and somewhat less than simple. It is doubtful that I will be marking any of these off as complete as they are more of a process, but I hope when the year comes rushing to a close I will look back and see changes and improvement in my lifestyle (and I won’t see 10 more pounds but 10 less). Maybe I will have learned a thing or two and have seen some interesting places and feel like I have and will continue to make a difference in this world, however small it may be.

In the vein of the healthy aspect of my list, this soup is amazingly good for you food! After all the holiday food and eating out I have done since Thanksgiving, I should eat this everyday for weeks to lose those holiday pounds. But we all know that I might post a recipe for donuts next week or a new cream sauce. This is kind of a template recipe, as you can play with your favorite green veggies and make it your own. I don’t think I have made it exactly the same twice, but this is my favorite.

Green Zen Soup

Ingredients
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 large yellow or Vidalia onions
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1-1/2 tsp salt divided
½ cup arborio or long-grain white rice
1 lb greens (kale, green/Swiss chard, or mustard greens – or a blend; my favorite is half kale and half Swiss chard)
12 cups spinach (about 12 oz)
2 cups chopped broccoli florets
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1-1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

1. On high heat, heat oil in large skillet. Add onions and ½ tsp salt.
2. Stir until onions begin to brown; about 5 minutes.
3. Add 2 tsp water, reduce heat to low and cover. Stir frequently and cook until onions are caramelized; about 25 minutes. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the chopped garlic.

green soup 1
4. In the meantime, combine 4 cups of water, the ½ cup rice, and a generous teaspoon of salt in a soup pot or dutch oven and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes.
6. Trim any tough stems or ribs from the greens and chop. Even kale that is already chopped in the package may have tough stems and ribs.
7. When the rice mixture has cooked for 15 minutes, stir in the broccoli and cook on low for 5 minutes, then add the greens and simmer for 10 minutes.
8. When onions are caramelized, stir in 1/4 cup of the broth and add to the greens mixture, along with the spinach, remaining broth and cayenne.
9. Return to a simmer, and cook until the spinach is tender; aobut 5 minutes.

green soup 2
10. In batches, puree the soup in a blender, then add the lemon juice when all the soup is combined together in a large bowl or pot. Garnish with olive oil and/or feta cheese (optional).

Eat that everyday for a week and call me.

green soup 7green soup 5

Luscious Chocolate Truffle Cookies (Addiction Warning) 1024 768 Mari Bickmore

Luscious Chocolate Truffle Cookies (Addiction Warning)

P1030200I don’t care if Christmas is portrayed with lots of snow and people in beanies, coats and scarves, there is something to be said for escaping that and having lots of sun and walks on the beach. Just sayin.’ Christmas lights on palm trees are growing on me. If you like hustle and bustle during the Holidays (holy days for those of you who don’t say Merry Christmas), then SoCal is your place. Try to time your outings so as not to be stuck in traffic for too awfully long. That one can be a bit tricky, though.

I am so happy to be here with all of my children at one time and my two grandchildren too! It is a blessing. It is a lot of cooking too! My plan for Christmas Day is to give everyone a recipe ro prepare. That way no one is stuck cooking all day long, and the day before and the day before that. Namely me. It kind of sucks not to be in my own kitchen right now. I know where everything is and what I have. We are in a rental house and, of course, it does not have everything I need or can find. But we will make it work.

The other day my son brought home some fabulous Chocolate Truffle Cookies from Mrs. Beasley’s in Beverly Hills. Some vendor had given tons of them to the company where he works. I had to figure out how to make them. This recipe is certainly not exact, but at this point I am not sure which I like better. I will have to make them again and buy some more Mrs. Beasley’s and try them side by side. It’s dirty work, but someone has to do it!  They are luscious, scrumptious, melt in your mouth cookies.   Nobody can eat just one.

truffle 6

Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups butter, room temperature
2 cups confectioners sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups all purpose flour (or gluten-free)

UPDATE:  I tried them (inadvertently I might add) with half gluten free flour and the cookie did not hold it’s form correctly, so I do not recommend it
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup cocoa powder (for rolling)
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar (for rolling)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 F
2, Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Cream together butter and sugar in a mixing bowl, adding sugar in slowly.
4. Sift in cocoa powder and salt and mix well on slow.
5. Beat in sour cream (or yogurt) and vanilla extract.
6. Blend in flour on low until no streaks of flour remain.
7. Stir in chocolate chips.
8. Refrigerate the dough for 30-60 minutes.
9. Make 1-inch balls with the cookie dough and the roll in the cocoa powder and place on baking sheet.

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Cookies can be placed fairly close together as they don’t spread much. Do not put on greased cookie sheet as you do not want them to spread. You will not get the desired effect this way.
Bake for 10 minutes. Cookies will just barely be set. Let cool on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.After about 30-45 minutes, roll them in the powdered sugar until completely coated. Then try not to eat them all at once.

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Mini Red Velvet Whoopie Pies (gluten free option 567 1024 Mari Bickmore

Mini Red Velvet Whoopie Pies (gluten free option

I would like to say that I have everything taken care of for Christmas…everything wrappedwhoopie 8 and Christmas cards sent, and menus made for everyday. However, that would not be true and the Christmas cards will probably get skipped this year, just like the last two years. I have great excuses….injuries, moves, really bad subcontractors. I feel bad about it. Maybe I will send out New Years cards. Maybe. I hope you have all your stuff done, though, and can just sit back and enjoy.
Tomorrow I will pull recipes for seven days while I am with all my children and grandchildren. I am so very thankful that I will be with all of my children for Christmas this year. I know that will not always happen.

A couple of nights ago I went to my first bunco group in years. I only knew two of the ladies. That was the reason I asked one of them to get a group together, so that I could meet some people in my new home. They seem like a great group of ladies and we should have some jolly fun. We all brought a little something to munch on. I tried to stay in a Christmas theme – red and white, plus a twist on a great Southern dessert (red velvet cake).  Yummy!

MINI RED VELVET WHOOPIE PIES

INGREDIENTS:

For the cookies:
2 cups gluten-free flour ( or all-purpose) I use Namaste and won’t vouch for any other brand turning out perfectly
2-1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-1/4 cup firmly packed, light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk

1 oz bottle red food coloring

For the filling:
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
7 oz jar marshmallow cream

DIRECTIONS:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

2. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

whoopie 1
3. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar on low speed until just combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy and smooth, about 5 minutes.

whoopie 2

4. Add the egg and vanilla, beating well and then add the food coloring and mix well.

4. Mix half of the flour mixture and half of the buttermilk, beatt on low until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining flour mixture and remaining buttermilk and beat until completely combined.

5. Grease your hands with a bit of oil, form teaspoon-sized balls and gently flatten down to form a disk onto the prepared cookie sheets.  Try to be as uniform as you can so you will having matching cookies at the end.

whoopie 4These are not very forgiving, so the smoother the balls the smoother the cookie.spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for about 7-9 minutes each, or until the cakes spring back when pressed gently. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cakes cool on the sheet for about 3-5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

While the cakes are cooling, prepare the filling…

1.  In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter on medium speed.

2.  Add the marshmallow creme and fold into the creamed mixture.

3.  To assemble: Spread or pipe the creme filling onto the flat side of one cake using a knife of spoon, or you can use a pastry bag with a round tip (I used a #12 Wilton tip) to pipe the filling onto the cookie. Top it with another cake, flat-side down. Repeat with the rest of the cakes and filling.

whoopie 7

Simple Yet Elegant Pumpkin Pie Trifle 768 1024 Mari Bickmore

Simple Yet Elegant Pumpkin Pie Trifle

pumpkin trifle 14

I’m still on a cinnamon kick!  Trying to remain festive, whilst being without children at home!, so I wanted to make something to put me in the holiday mood.  A dessert that had pumpkin pie flavor but was a more elegant presentation, as I never think a pumpkin pie is very pretty.  This is what I came up with. It’s really simple and looks pretty good in small trifle dish.  Something you can serve to guests that tastes really good and looks good too.   I’m not very good with New Year’s Resolutions, but I hope that I will start working out in January to help me get past this baking kick that I’m on.  Maybe all my new recipes next year will be lite and healthy.  I’m not putting money on that, as I kind of have a love affair with cream and butter.  But who knows…stranger things have happened!

PUMPKIN PIE TRIFLE

You will need pumpkin pie mousse (below), whipped cream (recipe below), a box of gingersnaps (or homemade if you like – I used Nabisco Gingersnaps), and crushed Heath bars or bag of Heath English Toffee Bits.

Mousse

1 envelope unflavored gelatin powder

1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin (not pie filling)

1 cup Bakers sugar (or granulated sugar)

1½ cups well-chilled heavy cream

1-1/2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

1.  Pour ¼ cup cold water in a small heat-proof bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it and let sit for 10 minutes for the gelatin to soften.

pumpkin trifle 1

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin and sugar.

pumpkin trifle 2

3.  Put the bowl of softened gelatin over a pan of simmering water and cook until the gelatin is clear. (If you have a double boiler you can use that).

4.  When the gelatin is clear, immediately whisk the hot gelatin into the pumpkin mixture.

5.  Using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form.

6.  Fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin/gelatin mixture and chill for about 3 hours or overnight.

Whipped cream

When you prepare your whipped cream like this it is stabilized, meaning it will last without melting for quite a while!

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

4 teaspoons cold water

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar

Instructions:

1.  In a small pan, combine gelatin and cold water; let stand until thick.

2.  Place over low heat, stirring constantly, just until the gelatin dissolves.

3.  Remove from heat; cool (do not allow it to set).

4.  Whip the cream with the confectioner’s sugar, until slightly thick and while slowly beating, add the gelatin to whipping cream.

5.  Whip at high speed until stiff.

Makes about 2 cups of whipped cream.

Gingersnaps:  Break several cookies into small, bite-sized pieces.

Heath bars:  Either crush three heath bars or use a bag of Heath English Toffee Bits which are already crushed.

Now all you do is layer the pumpkin, cookies, toffee bits, whipped cream, pumpkin, and top with whipped cream and toffee bits.

pumpkin trifle 9pumpkin trifle 11

My first prototype for this recipe I used spice bread that I had put pineapple in (below).  I diced the bread and used it in place of the cookies and put cinnamon ice cream with spiced pecans on top.  It wasn’t quite the pumpkin pie theme I was going for, but it was very good.  I think cinnamon ice cream would work very well on top of the above recipe as well!

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Tis the Season for Cinnamon and There’s Always Room for Ice Cream! 1024 768 Mari Bickmore

Tis the Season for Cinnamon and There’s Always Room for Ice Cream!

EASY! Cinnamon Ice Creamice cream 1

I was in the mall the other day and smelled cinnamon! I knew I didn’t need it, but I figured what the heck I would get a small Cinnabun.  I just knew that’s what that warm aroma had to be!  The food court was upstairs, so up the escalator I went in search of warm, gooey deliciousness.  Turns out there was no Cinnabun or anything else up there remotely cinnamon.  Now I truly believe it was some kind of plug-in Glade or something they were piping in.  There was just the spot in the middle of the mall, underneath the food court, that had that scent and nowhere else.  Just a little something to tickle your taste buds and send you up to the food court.  That was wrong, but it saved me a couple of thousand calories.

Cinnamon does zone in on the holidays; however, it also brings me back to younger years. I had some great friends who I hung out with in Houston back in the day.  We ate out a lot and listened to a lot live music (a lot of Shake Russell).  Oh, those were the days my friend.  One of the best ice cream places in Houston, in my humble opinion, was the Udder Delight, right next door to Marini’s Empanada House (also a fav) located in the lower end of Westheimer.  They made their own ice cream fresh, daily.  Boy does that bring back a floodgate of memories of a lot of good restaurants, or at least I remember them as being great!  But back to the ice cream…one of my favorite flavors at the Udder Delight was the cinnamon. As I was feeling a little nostalgic the other day, and it is near Christmas, I decided to try to replicate that ice cream.  If I do say so myself, I think it turned out darn close,  though a few years have gone by so I might be delusional. Maybe one of my old buddies will make this and let me know if I hit the mark.

I have a small Cuisuinart counter-top ice cream maker.  After I made this ice cream, I ordered the larger, 2-quart  model…because if you are going to make ice cream, you may as well end up with enough to last awhile.  This recipe is so easy and turns out incredibly well.  I used organic cream and 1/2 and 1/2, but it won’t make a difference if you don’t.  It’s just the way we roll.

Ingredients

1 cup ½ and ½

2 cups heavy whipping  cream

1 cup Baker’s sugar (or white granulated sugar)

2 tsp cinnamon (You can adjust this to your taste)

1 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

Instructions

1.  In a medium bowl, mix together ½ and ½, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and salt.ice cream mix

2.  Whisk well and then place in the freezer to chill for a couple of hours.

3.  Place this mixture into an ice cream maker and process until set; about 20 to 30 minutes.

4.  Scoop into a plastic or glass container that you have cooled in the freezer while the ice cream was processing, then freeze for a few more hours or until set.

ice cream to freezer

When I get the larger ice cream maker, I will update with new ingredient amounts.  You can subscribe to this blog just up there on the left!

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For Thousand Island Dressing Lovers! No Fail Dressing. 1024 756 Mari Bickmore

For Thousand Island Dressing Lovers! No Fail Dressing.

1000 island 2So my husband was complaining that I was trying to kill him lately because I wasn’t having enough salads and veggie-only dinners, so I decided to have a salad for dinner.   Not quite sure this is going to salvage my character though…bacon, eggs, cheese.  However, I did temper those with carrots, spinach, and green beans…oh, and Thousand Island Dressing.  I have had a love affair with Thousand Island since I was a little girl, but we won’t go into how long ago that was.  I have been playing with this recipe for awhile now, and I’m not saying I won’t tinker with it again, but this really works for me now.  I could even use it for a veggie dip and definitely on a sandwich.

1 1∕2 cup mayonnaise
3–4 tbsp.chili sauce, the Heinz type
2 tbsp. finely chopped yellow, Vidalia or sweet onion
2 tbsp. finely chopped sweet pickles
1 tsp. juice from sweet pickles
1 tbsp. chopped, drained, jarred pimientos
1-1/2 to 2 tsp prepared horseradish
dash hot sauce
½ tsp paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste, shouldn’t take much salt at all

This is so easy! Just combine all the ingredients into a medium bowl and stir
until well combined. Dressing will keep, covered, in the refrigerator at least a week.   I have had it refrigerated for at least a couple of weeks.  Other ingredients you might to throw in and play with are:  worcestershire, chopped capers, lemon juice, cream, chopped boiled egg.  If you use your own home–made mayo that is great!

1000 island 3

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