Food Blogger Cookbook Swap

Hiya!


































I recently participated in a Food Blogger Cookbook Swap, hosted by Alyssa of Everyday Maven and Faith of An Edible Mosaic. I've told you about my love of hoarding collecting cookbooks, right? 

Well the idea behind the group is for bloggers to swap things... we've swapped props before. And now we're swapping cookbooks. Why not share a gently-used beloved cookbook with another dear food-loving soul?? Or you could send a brand new cookbook. You send a cookbook and receive a cookbook in return. Of course I had to jump all over that!!!

I received 2 cookbooks from Mary at Sifting Focus! She's from KY like my family. Just try to go to her blog and not leave drooling. Seriously. Mary sent me 2 cookbooks: The Splendid Table's How To Eat Supper by Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift + the Gather Journal with seasonal recipes for fall and winter. 

How To Eat Supper is not just about supper. It has small plates, breakfast recipes, sides, and sweets too! I've got my eye on that Supper Tart of Red Onions, Greens, and Grapes + those deviled eggs (both pictured above) but also Wine-Braised Carrots with Fried Sage Leaves, Luxury Scrambled Eggs, and more. The cookbook also gives different variations on the recipes included.... not a fan of Hoisin Noodles? Well how about some Hoisin-Scallion Fried Rice with Egg? I also really appreciated the little cooking tips throughout, like how to know if fish is fresh, brining tips, and more. I already bought the ingredients for a fancy sorbet too. If all goes well, that'll be on the blog soon :)

The Gather Journal is a soft cover cookbook with recipes I'm eyeing like Baked Pasta Hive, Sticky Toffee Pudding, and that Herby Souffle pictured above. I really hit the jackpot here with not one, but two cookbooks. Both of which I'll be using soon and very soon. Like tomorrow soon.

I sent Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook to Stefani at Cupcake Project. Be sure to check out her post and some muffins she made from the cookbook.

Thanks, Mary. I LOVE the cookbooks and can't wait to get cookin. And now I've got a new blog to follow too!

I know you wanna join in the Food Blogger Swaps too. Head on over so you'll be in the loop when it's time for another swap  :)


Check out the other bloggers who participated in the Food Blogger Cookbook Swap.

A Baker's House
An Edible Mosaic
avocado bravado
Blue Kale Road
Blueberries And Blessings
Cheap Recipe Blog
Confessions of a Culinary Diva
Create Amazing Meals
Cucina Kristina
Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Cupcake Project
Dinner is Served 1972
Done With Corn
Eats Well With Others
Everyday Maven
Flour Me With Love 
From My Sweet Heart
girlichef 
Great Food 360° 
Healthy. Delicious.
I'm Gonna Cook That!
Je Mange la Ville
Karen's Kitchen Stories
Kitchen Treaty
Olive and Herb
OnTheMove-In The Galley
Our Best Bites
Paleo Gone Sassy
poet in the pantry
Rhubarb and Honey
Rocky Mountain Cooking
Shikha la mode
Shockingly Delicious
Sifting Focus
Spiceroots
Spoonful of Flavor
Tara's Multicultural Table
The Not So Exciting Adventures of a Dabbler
The Suburban Soapbox
The Whole Family's Food


Peace, and bacon grease!

Obsessions + Confessions

Are you ready for my latest obsessions + confessions? Where I tell you about all things I'm currently obsessin over, and share my latest confessions and things going on in my little ole life.


Finally getting over negative degree temps, but I'll still take a warm, comforting bowl of this Buffalo Chicken Chili.

Blood Orange-Champagne Crème Brûlée. So so so pretty. 

Banana Split Cupcakes on my mind!

Still got Girl Scout cookies on the brain? How about some Simple Samoas Bars?

Homemade Velveeta. Yes, homemade.

I'm sure by now you guys know I'm not much of a salmon fan. I really want to like it. And I feel like I could with the right recipe. This could be that right recipe. Or this. Or both. 

This looks like the perfect breakfast... eggs, bacon and spice.

Bye bye, Jay Leno. You're cute for this. I didn't really watch the show much but I always loved when he did the "headlines"  :)

Prepare yourself for cuteness + inspiration. That little girl brightens up my soul.

10 of the coolest food jobs. They definitely need to add Food Blogger to that list!

All done with two more Saturday clinical classes! Woohoo! I had to celebrate with fried food and beer, and sushi too  :)  

♥ Love these ladies ♥

Peace, and bacon grease!

  

Eggs Diablo

Secret Recipe Club time!

 





























































 
This month I was assigned to Jamie's blog, Our Eating Habits. It sure was hard to pick one recipe, as Jamie has a vast recipe archive chock full of alluring recipes from sweet to savory. How can I choose just one??!! Ultimately, I chose her Eggs Diablo recipe.

































































These are some jazzed-up deviled eggs! I was nervous about the salsa in the yolk mixture, but it, along with the green chiles, added a nice kick. And I love green onions in pretty much anything.

I'm so used to my deviled eggs having mustard, but these didn't even need it. With all those other flavors happening, you won't even miss the mustard.





Eggs Diablo
seen on Our Eating Habits, from Southern Living Homestyle Cookbook

• 6 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled
• 2 tablespoons shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 tablespoons green onions, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons canned green chiles
• 2 tablespoons mayo
• 2 tablespoons chunky medium salsa
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• green chiles or salsa, for garnish

Slice eggs in half lengthwise and gently remove yolk to a bowl. Place egg whites on serving plate.

Mash egg yolks together with fork. Add remaining ingredients, except garnish, and stir until well combined.
Scoop yolk mixture into egg whites. Top with garnish of your choice.



Printable Recipe

Thanks for the great recipe, Jamie! I love trying different deviled egg recipes and this one did not disappoint :) 


Check out my past Secret Recipe Club posts!

An InLinkz Link-up

Peace, and bacon grease!

Bacon Wrapped Potatoes with Queso Blanco Dip

♥  Happy Valentine's Day, my loves! ♥

While I'm not sharing a Valentine's-related recipe today, I do love you. So I had to bring you something good to eat to show you just how much I love you.  

No those are not bacon-wrapped apples you're seeing. Though that's not a bad idea....

 

























































Those are bacon-wrapped potatoes.

 

Bacon + Potatoes + Cheese. These are a few of my favorite things. *In my Sound of Music singing voice. 

Side note, I watched like 5 minutes of the new Sound of Music musical and man, I like Carrie Underwood and all, but it was pretty bad. Can't replace Julie Andrews.

Anyways, back to my favorite things.... Bacon + Potatoes + Cheese.

We made these for Super Bowl and I'm just now posting them! Silly me. I've been holding out on you guys. Sorry bout that. 

But they're worth the wait. I mean, can you really go wrong with bacon-wrapped potatoes dipped in a queso cheese dip? 

The answer is no.

Bacon Wrapped Potatoes with Queso Blanco Dip

adapted from Southern Living December 2012

• 2 medium red potatoes, cut into 8 wedges each
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• *16 center-cut bacon slices (we used 8 long slices, cut in half)
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 12 ounces Velveeta Queso Blanco pasteurized prepared cheese product, cubed
• 1 (8-oz) block pepper jack cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1 (4-oz) can chopped green chiles
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Line a baking sheet or jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Lightly grease a wire rack and place it in the foil-lined baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle potato wedges with salt. Wrap each potato wedge with 1/2 or 1 bacon slice (your preference). Arrange potato wedges in a single layer in prepared pan. Sprinkle with pepper.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until bacon is brown and cooked through.

Meanwhile, saute onion in butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from heat.

Combine queso blanco, shredded pepper jack cheese, half and half, green chiles and onion mixture in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 2 and a 1/2 minutes. Stir and microwave 2 and a 1/2 more minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth, stirring at 1-minute intervals.

Stir diced tomato and cilantro into queso blanco mixture. Serve dip with potato wedges. 


Printable Recipe


















































I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I used less bacon than the recipe called for. **GASP!** I know, I was in shock too. I don't even know who I am anymore. I use center-cut bacon that are really long slices so I just cut them in half and wrapped them around each potato wedge, so I only used 8 slices of bacon instead of 16. A grad student's gotta save on money when she can! But there's also no such thing as too much bacon. Next time I think I'm gonna splurge and try each wedge with one whole slice of bacon each.

I burnt my potatoes a little bit because I just baked em for the whole time without checking them first, plus I baked them for the full 45 minutes the recipe called for. I changed the timing in this recipe to 35-40 minutes. Even if they burn a little bit, they're still good. But you don't want that bacon to get too dried out. Even cooked the whole 45 minutes, these were still gobbled up in no time.

I could seriously eat the bacon-wrapped potatoes alone, but the queso dip definitely brings it up a notch. See for yourself.


Linking up here.


Peace, and bacon grease!

Last Minute Valentine's Day Recipes

Thinking about cooking your sweetie a romantic, heartfelt meal? Or are you making some treats for family, neighbors, teachers, or coworkers? 

You're in the right place!

To me, nothing says "I love you" more than good food. Flowers? Mushy cards? Those are good and all. But give me a nice home cooked meal, some chocolate, maybe a cocktail or some wine and it's official. I love you.  

Here's some delicious Valentine recipes to show that special someone you care. Prepare for all things romantic and PINK and RED!


Grilled Filets with Bourbon Butter
(you can sear them on the skillet since it's not really grilling weather)




Strawberries and Cream Crunch Parfaits

Chocolate Cherry Chunk Brownies

Glazed Donut Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry Margarita Squares

Valentine's Marshmallow Pops

Valentine’s Day Egg in the Sandwich Basket

Um going back through past recipes, I realize how many old posts don't have pictures anymore! Grr, so frustrating. That's from way back when I reached my photo limit on blogger and accidentally deleted tons of photos from my posts. I've been meaning to go back and add photos to those posts again, but there's so many. Hopefully I still have the pics saved on a memory card! One day, one day. 

Happy Valentine's Day, my loves!

Peace, and bacon grease!

Football Deviled Eggs

Why hello there.

 
























































Did you guys watch the Super Bowl? I did, kinda, for awhile... not a very exciting game, huh? Seattle's defense looked great though! I didn't mind who won either way really, but I have always been a Peyton Manning fan.

Despite the boring game and meh commercials, there was food to be had.

Why am I posting a football recipe right after the Super Bowl? Because I'm crazy like that. Or lazy/procrastinator/too busy/lame/all of the above. We made these on Super Bowl Sunday and I'm just now getting around to posting about them. That's ok, it's goin in the archives. It'll be here waiting for you when football season starts back up in September.

Grab your favorite deviled egg recipe + some chives and you can so make these cutie little football deviled eggs. So easy and cute. I love themed food!



Football Deviled Eggs
idea from Southern Living September 2004

• 1 dozen large eggs, hard-cooked and peeled
• 6 tablespoons mayo
• 1-2 tablespoons mustard (I used Private Selection Fire Roasted Chipotle Mustard)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• a dash or two of hot sauce
• fresh chives, chopped

Cut eggs in half lengthwise and carefully remove yolks. Mash yolks in a medium bowl; stir in mayo, mustard, salt, pepper, and hot sauce until blended. Spoon yolk mixture evenly into egg white halves. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with chives to make the football laces. Chill until ready to serve.


Printable Recipe 




























































Can't wait for September to get here so I can make these again for the start of football season! But wait, September would mean I'm one step closer to 30... so scratch that. What I'm trying to say is, I love these little guys.


Linking up here.
 

Peace, and bacon grease!