The Grotto

An early morning visit to the grotto at my sister's house:

Corn Salsa

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, we've been on a make-it-ourselves Chipotle kick.   My daughter loves the burrito bowls and we were curious about the barbacoa pork and beef, but have not ordered it.

So along that vein, I chose Corn Salsa for the Sweet As Pie Cooking club, because corn was in season and I just knew I would use fresh corn from my father's garden.  Well, the corn didn't do well this year so I used canned.  I made Barbacoa Beef to roll in a burrito with the corn salsa.

We liked it.  It would also work well on chips or as a side dish.

Barn Collective

I've been inspired to resurrect the barn photos, take some new ones and link to the Barn Collective!

It's interesting that some of the white frames frame doors and windows yet others seems to frame nothing.  Apologies for the blur.

Somewhere in Arkansas

Chicken Pie

Easy, peasy!  That's what this Trisha Yearwood Chicken Pie is.  And it taste good, so I'm told.  I didn't try it, I gave it away.  The recipe would make a good dish for family reunions, potlucks, or when kids turn up their noses if they see veges in the pot pie!

Speaking of veges, I plan to make this again and have all these yummy garden veges that are coming in for sides.  Like fried okra, purple hull peas, green beans, tomatoes, vidalia onions......

Chicken Poppy Seed Salad

I like chicken salad.  My favorite is the one we made at the sub shop where I used to work...chicken, egg, celery, mayo....a very basic recipe.   So I was happy to see a chicken salad recipe selection on the Sweet As Pie Cooking Club menu.  

My stepson and his wife came over to help trim shrubs and clean out flower beds.   Those two accomplished more in one afternoon than I could do in a week!  I'm so grateful for their help, and I watched our little "happy face" grandson, while they knocked out the jungle that had grown in my flower bed.  

We had this chicken salad with wheat thins for lunch.  Actually we ate about half the bowl and it does make a BIG bowl full!   With what seems like random tasty ingredients...grapes, celery, almonds, poppy seeds...I was surprised that none of the flavors really stand out so it kind of all just blends together.  

Linking with Sweet As Pie Cooking Club

Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup

Oh yum, this is good!  According to the Pioneer Woman, her Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup is based on a soup from the Olive Garden.  I've never tried the Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana, but I shared this dish with an Italian friend and the feedback was positive.   Definitely fits in the "comfort food" category with all that cream and potatoes, yet it has a healthy dose of kale.  Next time, I'll cut the kale into smaller pieces.  Yep, I'll likely make this again.

Chicken Cacciatore

A friend of mine has a Pampered Chef party every year.  I look forward to going, even though I never win the door prize!  Sometimes I can't make up my mind what to get, but this time I splurged on the deep covered baker.  This was quite an investment in a container so I need to use it often!  The party lady demonstrated how to use it to make chicken fajita filling (minus browning) in the microwave.   Chicken in the microwave?  Yes, it was not tough and tasted good.  As I recall, it took 18 minutes.  I thought it would be perfect for one- dish recipes that I never seemed to have the right container with a lid to go in the oven.  Like this Chicken Cacciatore Pioneer Woman recipe in the Sweet As Pie cooking club.  

After browning the chicken and sauteing the veges, I put all the veges in the baker and placed the chicken thighs on top.  Oops, the baker wasn't quite big enough and the juices spilled over into the oven, ugh!  Other than that, it worked well and the dish is delish!

I served it over egg noodles.  Everyone loved it and it makes great leftovers.

Chocolate Pound Cake

Bake Sale time!

I prepared Trisha Yearwood's chocolate pound cake hoping it would sell, and it did.  Instead of using the bundt pan, I baked it in 2 loaf pans.  As I recall, it took the same amount of baking time in the loaf pans as it stated on the recipe.

One cake sold as a whole cake and the other we sliced and sold by the slice.  The feedback from others that tried it said it was very good.   It's an ok cake, not real chocolate-y though.  Some strawberries and whipped cream would have really topped it off!  

Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce

Before my daughters were big seafood fans, they were first "beach" chicken fans.   Beach chicken is chicken tenderloins browned in a little butter.   That's what they ate while we were at the beach, so we call it "beach chicken"!

I've lost count of the times I've picked up boneless skinless chicken breasts to cook for dinner.  They're quick and easy but often not a lot of flavor!  So adding something different to the boneless chicken breasts became my search for my next selection for the Sweet As Pie Cooking Club.  I discovered the Pioneer Woman's Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce.

The mustard cream sauce was simple to make.  I used white wine instead of brandy and I should have let it reduce so the sauce would be thicker.  It was good for a change of taste, even if this photo is not so appetizing!

But we'll always love the "beach" chicken!

Brownie Batter Cookies

I was happy I had the ingredients on hand to make these Brownie Batter Cookies by Trisha Yearwood.  Nope, no trip to the grocery store required.   The hardest part is remembering to set out the butter for it to soften (and it does need to be really soft or room temp).

My cookies may be smaller than the recipe creator, because I usually end up with more than it says it will make.  More than 2 dozen!

Here are my 2 with a glass of cold milk, as soon as they came out of the oven!  ...then I had 2 more...

It is now 7pm.  Wonder what we're having for dinner?

I bagged a few to share with friends and the rest were mailed to Tuscaloosa as a birthday treat for my daughter's friend.  

The text message read "this is the best chocolate chip cookie I have ever had".   Of course, I'd expect a college student to say that!

They are delicious, a cake-like texture on the inside, with a slight brownie-like crust on the outside.  Great choice for a scratch-made cookie!

Tuscan Bean Soup with Shrimp

I'm enjoying the Sweet As Pie Cooking Club recipe selections that include kale as one of the ingredients.  

This Tuscan Bean Soup with Shrimp soup was simple to put together and makes a lot!  I had purchased frozen scallops at Costco and wanted to try cooking them at home.  Since I had those on hand, I subbed them for the shrimp.

Eat your greens...and tomatoes...and beans...and scallops!  And do add parmesan cheese on top.

Chipotle Chicken Chili

We have tried to like it, but we just don't.  It's not that we hate it either, it's just not our choice.  I'm talking about chipotle chili peppers.

I was looking forward to a different spin on chicken chili with this Chipotle Chicken Chili.  And it just didn't happen.  The Bassman didn't even want to take the leftovers to work with him.

On the good side though, it is hearty, filling and healthy!

Linking with the Sweet As Pie Cooking Club

Spicy Whiskey BBQ Sliders

Hmm, I wonder what happened to the photos of the Spicy Whiskey BBQ Sliders.  Oh well, I'll talk about them anyway and will make them again!

The grill-loving Bassman wasn't excited about fried hamburger patties, or gloopy bbq sauce in a jar, or jalepenos in a jar.  But I made them anyway and we loved them!

The Braves are playing, sounds like a good thing to enjoy again during a night of baseball!

Update:  found the photo, I'm sure everyone was wondering what it looked like ;)

Linking with the Sweet As Pie Cooking Club

Ty's Thai Salad

Ty's Thai Salad was probably the prettiest salad I've ever seen!  I made it back in January and it was a nice change from all the holiday and winter comfort food.
 

It makes a big bowl full, so be prepared with your largest bowl and plenty of people to eat it!

After reading the reviews on the Food Network site, I cut back on the olive oil to 1 cup.  I don't like salad swimming in dressing, just a light covering works on this salad.  And the dressing is good!

Eat a big bowl full now.  I think the leftovers will likely be a soggy mess!

Linking with the Sweet As Pie Cooking Club

Pepper Jelly Glazed Carrots

Last summer, we enjoyed every jalepeno we could!  Not wanting to waste not even one, I searched for recipes that used jalepenos.  Most recipes used only 1 jalepeno, maybe 2.   Except pepper jelly.  Should I make pepper jelly?  Hmm.  I don't even think about pepper jelly except at Christmas, poured over that hunk of cream cheese and eaten with crackers.  One can only eat so much of that.

I made pepper jelly anyway.  Thinking I would give most of it away so that everyone could pour it over that hunk of cream cheese.

Then, November's Sweet As Pie Cooking club selections were published and you would never guess what was on it.  These Pepper Jelly Glazed Carrots.  Wow, it was just meant to be!  Haha!

It made a bright dish with just a touch of zing from the pepper jelly.  Not too sweet and not hot at all. Definitely a different variation from the ususal glazed carrots.

Feeding the college kids

Two Sweet As Pie Cooking Club dishes were perfect for those weeks when the college kids are in and out.  Who knows what the schedule is going to be during those weeks.  And I don't want any of them eating out ALL the time.  When they're at my house and we can enjoy some of these good recipes!  

Both of these make large 9x13 size casserole dishes, plenty for dinner and leftovers for the next few days.

Crispy Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Turkey, Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna

Instead of "where are we going to eat?", I heard "let's eat some of this".  

Creole Beef Grillades and Cheese Grits

Let's see, where was I?

Creole Beef Grillades and Cheese Grits was my selection waaaay back in November for the Sweet As Pie Cooking Club.   I wanted to make one of Chef John Besh's dishes.  I saw his show on APT and he prepared this dish using pork.  When I searched the internet to check out the recipe, I ran across the beef version and decided to give it a try.  A grillade is a traditional dish of south Louisiana.  I saw where Emeril and Paula Deene also have a version.

I was concerned about the beef being tough, but it cooks a while so it turns out tender.  I just threw together some cheese grits and didn't try John's version.  The sauce is good stuff and the star of this dish!

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup, a Sweet As Pie Cooking Club selection, has so many things I love...tomatoes, basil, cheese and pasta!  

Last year, during tomato overload at my house, somewhere between the marinara
and the tomato jam , I made my own "sundried"  oven roasted/dried tomatoes.  Of those new things, the roasted tomatoes is the one I'd do again, given lots of fresh garden tomatoes.  Why I didn't share it here, I don't know.   Anyway, I used the last of those tomatoes in this soup.

If I make it again, I'll try substituting one can of the tomato soup with tomato sauce so it's more tomato-ie and not so creamy. 


Not pictured:  Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

Why I didn't take a picture to share it here, I don't know!

Jo Jo Potatoes

I think it was back in the 80s that I first had Jo Jo potatoes.  They were at a local convenience store deli counter...actually more like a fried chicken counter than a deli.  I thought they were named after the owner "Joe".  Ha ha, I am so gullible like that!  Anyway, they were GOOD.

Since I liked them so much, I was excited to see them appear on the Sweet As Pie Cooking Club selections.    AND, thanks to the people at Cook's Country there is a simpler process to prepare
 Jo Jo potatoes than I had seen in the past.  Much lighter too, than the breading of the 80s.

Lizzie's Strawberry Cupcakes

These strawberry cupcakes showed up on the September Sweet As Pie Cooking Club menu.  Being in a mood for fall food, they didn't catch my attention until I realized I had local strawberries in the freezer.  And I had been saving them for some reason...not sure what...maybe just the right recipe to come along.

Trisha's photo shows that she used paper cupcake liners.  The recipe doesn't say to use them, and I'm not a big fan of them, so I didn't use them.  I didn't want to take a chance of half the cupcake sticking to the liner.  Have you ever tried to eat cupcake off the liner?  Oh, just me?  Ok, nevermind.

If the strawberries don't have syrup, just add a sprinkling of sugar and let them sit in the bowl for a few minutes while they make their own syrup.

The kitchen smells like one big strawberry as these bake!  Yum!

As for the icing, comments in the review say that folks had trouble getting it to blend well.  The butter needs to really be at room temperature and even then mine didn't come out looking as glossy as the photo.

They are VERY good!

Here have a bite.