Graham Cracker "Gingerbread" House

Dan and I spent our Sunday building this "gingerbread" house made out of graham crackers. We followed the template from this blog but we added our own decorations. Using graham crackers was a little easier because we could skip the step of baking gingerbread. We used a lot of different candies and treats to decorate the house. The top of the house is covered with frosting, gum drops, and snow caps. We used square pretzels to make windows, and a small piece of graham cracker to make the door.

We even made a patio in the back of the house surrounded by green "hedges" aka gum drops.

The trees were made from icecream cones that we dipped in melted white chocolate. We used shredded coconut and green sprinkles for the leaves, and M&Ms for lights. We continued the green sprinkles and coconut on the ground to make it look like snowy grass.

I also found these really cute gingerbread men peeps which we put in front of the house. We had a great time putting this together!! I hope you like the pictures!

Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta with Bacon and Veggies

Hi everyone! I'm Sarah - I blog over at Fantastical Sharing of Recipes. I'm excited that Lauren was willing to let me take over the blog for a day :) Fantastical Sharing is my way of documenting (and sharing) all the recipes I test out. I'm a cooking/baking maniac. My family strives on variety and I try to stay away from prepared or boxed meals as much as possible.

I have been exploring foods lately that I have never tried including "weird" cheeses like Gruyere and super secretive things like pesto. I always thought pesto was some kind of concoction that only vegetarians ate. Don't ask me where I got that from - I don't have an answer.

Anyways, one day I stumbled across a blog post sharing a pesto recipe (I think on Chef in Training). I looked at the ingredients and my jaw dropped. Everything in pesto was something I would eat and something all of my family would eat. So now I'm definitely trying to be careful of what I assume of foods. Most likely it isn't true!

This recipe combines some of my favorite things, like pasta, broccoli, and bacon, with pesto, beans, and chicken. It's fantastic. There are many different textures and flavors in each bite - it was such a hit at my table!


Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta with Bacon and Veggies (Print)


from Picky Palate

What you need:

• 2 Tbsp. EVOO
• 2 chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper
• 1 lb. mini bowties
• 2 Tbsp. EVOO
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 2 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 15 oz. white beans
• 15 oz. chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup prepared basil pesto (I used this one from Savory Sweet Life)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions:

1. Heat 2 Tbsp. EVOO in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken for 4 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Remove to a plate and set aside.
2. Cook bowties al dente, rinse, and drain. Set aside.
3. Heat 2 Tbsp. EVOO in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, pepper, garlic, and broccoli. Saute for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, slice chicken into strips, cubes, or bite-size pieces - whatever you prefer. Set aside.
5. Stir in beans, broth, cream, pesto, and Parmesan. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to heat everything through.
6. Add bacon, pasta, and chicken. Heat through.

Hot and Spicy Tuna Melt

Anyone that knows me knows that I LOVE spicy food. I found this tuna melt recipe and altered it slightly so that every part has some spice in it. Of course, if you're not a lover of spicy food you can swap out the ingredients for something more mild. Either way this is a really fun way to have a tuna melt. It makes a perfect lunch.

Recipe Source: Sweet Potato Chronicles

Ingredients:

• 1 pita bread
• 1 can tuna
• 1/3 cup chopped celery
• 1/8 cup chopped banana peppers (Swapping these out for pickles would be find if you are not a fan of spicy peppers.)
• 2 tablespoons light mayo
• 1/2 cup habanero cheese (I used cabot habanero cheddar cheese. Now, this stuff is potent even for a spicy lover. I'm warning you! You can always swap for regular cheddar cheese if the habanero scares you). 
• Siracha hot chili sauce (You can find it in the asian section of your grocery store.)

Recipe:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a large bowl combine drained tuna, celery, banana peppers, and mayo
• Take your pita and poke small holes throughout the pita with a fork. This will prevent the pita from bubbling up.
• Spread the tuna on one side of the pita leaving a small border around the edge.
• Sprinkle cheese over the tuna.
• Place pita on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges are golden brown.
• Remove from oven and cut pita into quarters.
• Drizzle Siracha sauce on top and serve.

Holiday Red Wine Sangria

I love trying new Sangria recipes. I made this Sangria for Thanksgiving and I really liked it. This sangria recipe would be great for any holiday party. I served the sangria cold so that guests could serve themselves. The original recipe served the sangria warm which I think may be nice  if you are having a small get together on a cold winter day. I would recommend making the sangria about 6-8 hours before the party. This will allow all the flavors to blend together. I find that if you make the sangria too far in advice, the fruit rinds will make the sangria too bitter. Hope you like!

Recipe Source: Food Network

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle red wine
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1 orange, sliced into rings
• 1 lemon, sliced into rings

Recipe:

• Fill a pitcher with ice
• Combine wine, orange juice, brandy, and fruit slices in the pitcher

Update and Cranberry Jalapeno Dip

Well I am back!!! It has been almost 3 weeks since I wrote up a post. I've missed my blog! So much has happened these past few weeks. Don't worry, I've had my share of fun too! Overall, it was a great month. It was so nice to have a few days off last week to spend time with my family and friends. I ended the week in Stowe Vermont to celebrate my friend Sarah's birthday. It was beautiful up there!

 We even ended up going to the Ben and Jerry's factory which was so much fun!

While we were there, we got to sample Jimmy Fallon's icecream: Late Night Snack. It is a vanilla based icecream with a caramel swirl and get this...chocolate covered potato chips...WHAT?! I know that sounds crazy but it totally works. Its just like chocolate covered pretzels...the salty and sweet combo is amazing.

On Thanksgiving I tried this new dip. It is delicious and it is PERFECT for the holidays. The cream cheese balances perfectly with the sweet and tangy cranberries. Don't be afraid of the spice! Even though it has jalopenos in it, it is not spicy at all. As a heat lover I may even try to add another jalopeno in it to give it a kick.

I loved this dip so much that I'm planning on making it again for Christmas. You'll want to make this for your next holiday party. Everyone will LOVE it.

Source: www.instructables.com

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces fresh cranberries
• 4-5 green onions, chopped 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 1/2 cup sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• fresh lemon juice from one lemon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
• crackers or tortilla chips for serving

Recipe:

• Pulse the cranberries in a food processor until coarsely chopped.
• Add the green onions, cilantro, jalapeno, sugar, cumin, lemon juice and salt to the cranberries. Pulse until combined.
• Transfer the cranberry mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for a few hours so flavors can blend together.
• Serve the cranberry mixture on top of cream cheese with your favorite crackers.

(Note: You'll probably have more cranberry mixture left over. I made extra because its so good I can eat it on its own..almost like a cranberry salsa..yum)

Caprese Skewers with Balsamic Reduction

Between GFC and my email subscribers I've hit well over 100 followers. When I started this blog, I completely underestimated the sense of community that can exist in the cyber world. I've met so many nice people, and I'm looking forward to meet more of you. Thanks to all :) This has definitely been a crazy year and I'm so glad that I made the decision to start this blog and document it. All these recipes are connected to memories with family and friends which is nice to reflect back on from time to time. 

I made these skewers for a family party this weekend. The recipe was all over pinterest so I thought that I would try it out. It is pretty basic and can be made ahead of time which is helpful when things are busy. The balsamic reduction which I drizzled on top is a tad tricky, but I think I have the technique down. I didn't get a picture of the balsamic reduction but it has the same look and texture as maple syrup. I drizzled it over the entire platter right before I served it.

Ingredients:

• Tooth picks
• Cherry tomatoes
• Basil
• Mozzarella Balls (Try to get the tiny ones)
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp brown sugar

Recipe:

• Cut basil into small pieces
• Place tomato, basil pieces, and mozzarella balls on a toothpick. I decided to put 2 tomatoes, 2 pieces of basil, and one mozzarella ball on a toothpick, but you can choose to put on whatever you like based on your taste. Repeat until you have the desired amount of skewers.
• Place balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in a sauce pan over medium-high heat.
• Bring to a boil.
• Simmer for about 3-4 minutes. 
• Take sauce pan off the heat (it will continue to thicken after you take it off the heat).
• Wait for balsamic reduction to cool. 
• Once you are ready to serve, drizzle the balsamic reduction over skewers. 

This website gives you a good visual of what the balsamic reduction should look like throughout the process: Cook Think

Pumpkin Pie Martini

So no work for me today! Massachusetts got hit by Hurricane Sandy. Thankfully we haven't had it as bad as New Jersey or New York, so fingers crossed that we don't loose power!

This weekend we went to our friend's annual halloween party. My friend Sarah and I dressed up as price is right contestants. Sarah's boyfriend Dave dressed up as a model (haha) and my boyfriend dressed up as Bob Barker. It was a great time! While we were at the party Sarah introduced me to these delicious pumpkin pie martinis. They were just so good I had to share! It would be a perfect drink for any fall or holiday party.

Ingredients:

•  Pumpkin Pie Cream liquor (I bought Fulton's Harvest)
• Vanilla Vodka (I didn't have any on hand so I used fluffed vodka instead)
• Rum Chata (A creamy rum)
• Ice

 

Recipe:

• In a shaker combine ice, 2 shots of vodka, 2 shots of rum chata, and 3 shots of Pumpkin Pie liqueur.
• Serve in a martini glass rimmed with cinnamon

**Note: 1 shot is approx 1.5 oz of liquid**

Happy Halloween!!