Apple Sangria

Posted on 11/16/2015 by
I like them apples!

I like them apples!

This drink is perfect for a crowd, but also light enough that if you just happen to finish the whole pitcher with the help of your lovely spouse you won’t be hurting the next day. You can make it the night before or just a few hours before. We know fridge space is valuable on holidays.

Apple Sangria

  • 2 cups thinly sliced apples
  • 1 cup Lillet Blanc
  • 2 cups apple cider
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • cinnamon stick
  • half lemon
  • 1 750-ml bottle of light white wine or sparkling wine

Mix apples with lemon juice and honey in a two- to three-liter pitcher. Throw in cinnamon stick, cider and Lillet Blanc. Refrigerate four hours and up to overnight. When ready to serve pour in wine. Put a few apples in the bottom of each glass before serving.

Posted in Recipes, Spirits | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Cranberry Orange Punch

Posted on 11/14/2015 by

spirits00052

This is drink is pretty, simple and serves a crowd. What more could you ask for the holidays?

Cranberry Orange Punch

  • 4 cups cranberry juice
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, pulp strained
  • 12 oz ginger beer or ginger ale
  • 2 cups vodka
  • 1 oz Grand Marnier
  • 1 orange, thinly sliced
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1/4 cup sugared cranberries (optional)

Mix juices, ginger beer and liquors together in a punch bowl. Top with cinnamon stick, orange slices and sugared cranberries (if using.) We like to keep the ice separately, so use chilled juice if possible and have ice nearby.

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Cranberry Sauce with Pears

Posted on 11/11/2015 by
This may be the limit on different ways to make cranberry sauce

This may be the limit on different ways to make cranberry sauce

We’ve had a plethora of pears this season so it seemed only right to incorporate them into cranberry sauce. For other cranberry sauce ideas from mulled wine to ginger spiced go here.

Cranberry Sauce with Pears

  • 12 ounces cranberries
  • 2 cups unpeeled pears, cored and cut into chunks
  • 1 cup water
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a 4-quart sauce pan. Set over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until cranberries have burst and the sauce is thickened. This may take longer if using frozen berries. Let sauce cool before serving.

Posted in Dinner, Food, Recipes, Sides | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Fried Eggs and Ham

Posted on 11/08/2015 by
food00329

Hope you like your yolks runny.

Technically this is fried eggs and mortadella, but that just doesn’t have the same ring. To recreate this sandwich at home: Fry up a few slices of baloney, ham or mortadella, (about 30 seconds over medium heat should do it), cook an egg over easy and layer the eggs and meat between pumpernickel bread slathered with sweet mustard. Viola! Breakfast of champions. Or in our case lunch. Hey, can I have your pickle?

 

Posted in Breakfast, Food, Recipes | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Baked Apples with Ginger and Marsala

Posted on 11/05/2015 by
That pan is the star in the next dish soap commercial

That pan is the star in the next dish soap commercial

We find a lot of apples in the sale bin this time of year. To us paying a third of the price make up for a few bruises. That said we try to use them up as quickly as possible, which means making one of our favorite fall desserts — baked apples. We never seem to make them the same way twice. Below is our latest version. For other versions go here. If you don’t have pear ginger jam, use apricot, pear or apple.

Stuffed Apples with Ginger And Marsala

  • 2 large apples, peeled and cored (Your favorite variety will work)
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp melted butter
  • 2 tbsp pear ginger jam
  • 2 tbsp marsala
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar

Using a sharp knife slice the tops off each apple and hollow out the inside cavity leaving 1/8″ of flesh intact. Remove core and peel. Place in a small casserole dish. Mix remaining ingredients together in a small bowl. Scoop enough mix into the apples to fill the cavities. Make sure to get any nuts and chunks into the cavities. Pour the remaining mix over the apples and into the bottom of the pan. Bake uncovered at 350, basting every 15 minutes or so, until apples are tender or about an hour.

Posted in Dessert, Food, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

In Our Kitchen: Turkey Day is When

Posted on 11/02/2015 by
Not as many peppers as normal

Not as many peppers as normal

This year was tough on the hot peppers, but I was able to get one good harvest with enough for a batch of pepper jam and a couple containers of pickled jalapenos. For awhile I was hoarding the last of the jam from 2014 but in celebration we got some blue cheese and did this.

take advantage of the day old fancy bread at the supermarket for crostini.

take advantage of the day old fancy bread at the supermarket for crostini.

Still looking

Still looking

We went to a closeout auction for a local antique shop and found a few ceramic crocks. I still want a really large one for sauerkraut, but these two should work well for fermenting tepache and red wine vinegar.

The glass is from somewhere else

The glass is from somewhere else

A BJ’s brew house just opened in North Little Rock. Even though they are a chain restaurant, their beer is pretty good and I can now get growlers to go any day. Finally I can get alcohol every day of the week again and don’t have to overstock beer for the weekend. The food is mediocre though.

Oh and here is a great idea for breakfast lunch or dinner.

A true breakfast sandwich

A true breakfast sandwich

To get a peek inside other bloggers’ kitchens hop on over to Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for her monthly roundup.

 

 

 

Posted in Garden, Rants | Tagged | 8 Comments

Dove with Yogurt Sauce

Posted on 10/30/2015 by
That is a plate of finger food

That is a plate of finger food

This will work well for quail and pigeon as well. The recipe is adapted from The Silver Spoon.

Dove Breasts with Yogurt Sauce

  • 8-12 whole dove breasts still attached to the bone
  • 1 lime
  • 1/2 cup onion finely diced
  • 3 tbsp garlic minced
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill chopped
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
  • Salt/pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Wash dove well, pat dry and season with salt and pepper. In a bowl zest lime and mix with garlic, paprika and lime juice. Add dove and mix well. Let marinate for 30 minutes. In a large saute pan heat olive oil over medium low heat. Add onion and saute until golden.  Add dove and brown on all sides then add marinade and stock. Bring to a simmer and then cook until dove is done, about 15 minutes. remove dove to a plate and add yogurt and dill to pan. Cook sauce stirring often until thick. Serve sauce on top of dove.

Posted in Chicken, Dinner, Food, Italian, Recipes | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments