Bite-sized Baked Brie. My hair is straight today. My hair is straight today only because a woman spent about two hours pulling, tugging, blowing, and spraying my hair into this state. It’s still curly on the bottom. It’s also still frizzy on the top. It would appear as though the outside of my head is as stubborn as my inside brain. I should just let my hair be how it lives. Also… it’s raining today.
These bite-sized treats come together with puff pastry. It’s buttery. It’s totally buttery. I cut the sheet of puff pastry into 12 rectangles… then each rectangle in half. That was math. I brush half of the squares with egg wash, a little nibble of cheese (do not be afraid of the brie rind!) It’s happening! Yes. You don’t need popsicle sticks. Sweet little cheese pockets. A lot of brie was eaten in the making of these pockets. Egg washed and a sprinkling of salt. Major magic. Baked and puffed and sometimes they bleed jam and cheese.
These bites are best served warm… but I sure did eat several of them at room temperature. Guacamole Bruschetta. Mac and Cheese Cups - Cupcakes and Cashmere. Share this image Share It Pin It When I first graduated from college, and was living in a dreary little apartment, mac and cheese was one of my few specialties. Granted it was straight from a box, but it was one of those meals that made me feel like I was home. I shared a gussied up truffle version a couple of years back (here), and since the Academy Awards are just days away, I thought I'd make it more party-friendly. Bacon-Wrapped Li’l Smokies in a Brown Sugar and Maple Glaze. Personally, I do not like to use toothpicks to keep the bacon attached to the smokies. If you prefer to use toothpicks, as many other similar recipes do, by all means do so.
Empty the smokies onto some paper towels and blot them dry. Dry smokies will allow the bacon to adhere better. Place the dried smokies in a single layer (keeping them separated) onto a small cookie sheet. While the smokies are in the freezer, cut the bacon into thirds. When it is nearly time to take the smokies out of the freezer, preheat the oven to 350F. Wrap a piece of bacon around each smokie, pressing firmly on the final edge of the bacon to better ensure it does not spring open during baking. Bake the smokies for about 35 minutes or until they are lightly brown on top. Recipe courtesy of Cooking Ventures at. Saucy asian meatballs. I probably should have poured a nice stiff drink recipe for you all on this loveliest of lovely tax days.
Especially for my fellow small business owners who just gave half of their revenue back to the government. Good grief, I won’t even go there. Instead though, I thought I’d offer my idea of a more comforting alternative. Pasta. When life is good, and when life gets crazy, I turn to pasta. And this pasta recipe is one of my all-time favs. And just as it has for years, this one hit the spot. Read more This past Friday night was meant for celebrating. The weather was sit-out-on-the-deck-in-the-cool-evening-breeze perfection.
And a very special birthday girl turned the big 3-0. Friends, meet Stacey. Read more TGIF, friends. Hope that you all have had a lovely week, and that a relaxing weekend lies ahead. Read more Ever since my friends and I met for a tapas happy hour at our neighborhood Spanish restaurant a few weeks ago, I’ve had sangria on my mind. Read more Read more Read more Happy day, friends! Framed Cooks: Mini Caprese Bites. My brother and I have been partners in crime for more years than either of us are prepared to admit. We fought like cats and dogs when we were growing up, and one of the proudest moments of my life is still the time during a loooooong car ride to Vermont when I tricked him into finishing his McDonalds fries before I finished mine…and then stretching mine out for the remainder of the four hour trip.
(“Boy, these fries are SO good. I bet you wish you still had some. Mmmmmmmm.”) You’d think that after that he wouldn’t have my back…but he always does. Through ups and downs, thick and thin. (Okay, I owe my sister-in-law for that too! Anyway, I do have a point with all of this, and here it is: he also turned me on to the best, and I mean the BEST mozzarella cheese I have ever tasted in my life. Now mix up some balsamic vinegar with some olive oil and some fresh ground pepper and drizzle it over and around the caprese bites. Ingredients 1 pt. cherry tomatoes, halved 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil. Baseball Bats in the Backyard - Squash Fries. It is an idyllic summer morning. The sun has barely beamed above the eastern horizon, some honeybees are making an early start for the cutting garden, and the air is soft and sweet. You peek your head out the door to make sure the coast is clear, that the quiet and privacy of the moment allow you to pad quickly across the dewy grass to your little patch of nirvana, your vegetable garden.
Barefoot and still in your robe, you feel as carefree and lithe as a child, clutching your trug by its handle and zeroing in on the harvest to come. Considering your breakfast options, you feel around for a nice, robust squash and travel your fingers up its smooth length to snap it off at the blossom end. You meet with resistance, a lot of resistance, and begin twisting and tugging until a victorious last pull throws you off balance and onto your backside. You look at the monster clutched in your hand. It is not so robust as you had thought; it is beyond robust. So Very Blessed...: Cheesy Quinoa Bites. A new year always brings new resolutions.
And I do have new resolutions (in a post to come), but this would be the same resolution I’ve had pretty much every year that I can remember – get healthier. Hopefully this is the year that sticks. It has to stick through January, because I’m in a group of ladies trying to lose 10 pounds by February 4th. Even if it doesn’t stick all year, a month of healthier eating/exercising is better than nothing, right?
So far this year, I’ve exercised everyday (*cough* ignore that the grand total is only two days)! That’s a success rate of 100%! But eating is the other half of the equation. Enter Cheesy Quinoa Bites. These babies are amazing. I may try to play around and sub fresh parsley for the cilantro at some point, but they were delicious as is! Ingredients Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Notes: The dipping sauce pictured is Kraft's Light Honey Dijon salad dressing.
Soft Pretzel Bites. Honey Glazed Chicken and Bacon Bites. I had an idea. Actually, it was more like my three hundred and forty-sixth idea for this month and I now have the hips to show for it. No biggie, I consider it a small sacrifice for eating food that tastes this good. So I asked myself: “Would it be a really crazy idea to wrap loads of bacon around chicken strips and brush them with a spruced up honey marinade?”.
Why yes, Kay, it would be. But frankly, I like crazy. I’m all for crazy. See, now that’s what happens when you blog from your desolated home or kitchen (in the burbs). Anyway, it turned out nothing short of a phenomenal idea that I simply have to share here in my little corner of the www. Ingredients: 1 pound boneless chicken breasts 20 thin bacon slices 3 tbsp honey 2 tsp coarse mustard fresh lemon juice Optional: salt Directions: Cut the chicken breasts—or fillets, as we call them here—in thin strips.
Note: I’m using the Dutch equivalent to bacon in this recipe. Grab a bowl and combine 3 tbsp honey with 2 tsp coarse mustard. Get ‘em while the gettin’s good! « These will not last long…take them to a party or a potluck and they will disappear before your eyes! Handsome little devils, for sure. High-protein eggs filled with creamy good-for-us avocados…WOW. Make lots. (Prepare these not too long before serving, as the avocados may turn dark.) 6 hard boiled eggs 1 medium avocado, diced small 3 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste Salt to taste Cut boiled eggs in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out yolks.
Mash yolks with a fork. Per Serving: Calories 90; Protein 4 g; Fat 6 g; Carbs 1 g; Sugar 0 g; Sodium 75 mg Like this: Like Loading... New Year's Eve Party Ideas: Parmesan Pigs In A Blanket Appetizers. I bet that if someone asked a large population of people, ‘What is one of your favorite finger or party foods?’ , many would answer with ‘pigs in a blanket’. What is it about having a hot dog wrapped and baked in a puff pastry or some sort of breading that makes adults and kids alike come running? Trust me, that you should probably make a double batch of these Parmesan Pigs in a Blanket… 1 egg 1 tablespoon water 1 package Puff Pastry Sheets, thawed 32 cocktail hot dogs (should find at grocery or warehouse store) 1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Cookbook Recipe: Matt Armendariz's Caprese Sticks | Apartment Therapy The Kitchn. Matt Armendariz's new book, On a Stick, inspires us to skewer anything edible! Oh boy, we're glad we put our favorite salad, um, on a stick. Read on to find out more about this wonderful new cookbook and the global flavors it encompasses! Matt Armendariz, acclaimed blogger and food photographer extraordinaire, has just released his first cookbook of his own original recipes (he's photographed many other authors' cookbooks).
On a Stick will leave you full, happy and pondering just how many foods you may be able to throw onto a skewer. After I made a few of the recipes, I found myself looking at my kitchen pantry anew, with crazy 'put it on a stick' potential. Matt's cookbook is written with plucky irreverence and humor. It's comprised of 80 internationally inspired sweet and savory recipes. Matt's Caprese Sticks were quick to assemble and delicious. The individual pieces were easy finger foods and perfect for the party I brought them to. Related: Recipe: Cherry Tomato Bites. Cherry Tomato Bites | Apartment Therapy The Kitchn. Smoky Deviled Eggs with Greek Yogurt | Apartment Therapy The Kitchn. Previous image Next image If it's a classic deviled egg you're looking for, you best keep on moving.
There's no mayonnaise or mustard here, and we haven't even bothered with any fancy piping. What we do have, though, is one pretty delicious bite. These deviled eggs are made with creamy, tangy Greek yogurt, flavored with smoked paprika and sun-dried tomatoes, and topped with crispy frizzled shallots. Easter in our house isn't complete without a tray of deviled eggs. But, I've never been a great fan of the classic deviled egg. This recipe swaps out the mayonnaise for Greek yogurt, which adds some lightness and a wonderful tang. These would be great for Easter brunch, but they're festive and fancy enough for just about any party. Smoky Deviled Eggs with Greek Yogurtmakes 12 6 eggs, hard boiled and peeled1 cup Greek yogurt2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped1 teaspoon smoked paprika1/4 teaspoon salt1 shallot, thinly sliced1/4 cup oil In a small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.