Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos & Secret Santas

I have seen these around for awhile & thought it was time to try them this past weekend. With only 3 ingredients, they were easy & excellent! I'm even debating whether these will be an appetizer for Christmas. The bacon really pulls it all together but beware, if you don't like the heat, step away from the peppers. In my thoughts below I have linked to a very short story about an extremely painful experience I had when I first worked with these little peppers. I laugh about it now. Now.

Please visit Lisa at Blessed with Grace for more Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays!

10 jalapeno peppers, halved & seeded
1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened (may only use 1/2)
1 package regular bacon, cut into halves

Halve jalapenos & take out all seeds. The more you leave behind the hotter these will be. I do this with a 1/4 tsp measurer which fits perfectly. Be careful not to come in direct contact with the seeds & oils on the inside of the pepper. Stuff each half with about a teaspoon of cream cheese. You don't need too much. Wrap with a half piece of bacon & secure with toothpick.

Cook in pre-heated oven at 350 degrees until bacon in done, about 20 minutes. If bacon needs to crisp up a bit more then put under the broiler for 1-2 minutes as you don't want to overcook the peppers. Mine were done in 20 minutes in the oven & 2 minutes under the broiler.

My Thoughts

Be careful! I had a personal experience with very bad burns from jalapenos when I first worked with them 6 years ago. Read the short story here. Also, when wrapping the pepper with bacon, try not to overlap the layers. This way, the bacon cooks evenly & there is more than just one strip on top of the pepper.

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SECRET SANTA REVEALED

For more Secret Santa stories, please visit Kori who coordinated this entire shindig. Thanks Kori!

I also wanted to share what my Secret Santa sent me for Christmas. When I opened the box this weekend, each present was individually wrapped & they seemed to keep coming & coming. Thank you so much Alicia, over at Yaya Stuff. I was in kitchen heaven.

A Rachel Ray recipe book I have already marked up, mini snowman & Christmas tree silicone baking pans I have already used for banana bread, cookie cutters, recipe cards, baking sprinkles, Christmas themed mitt, potholder, dishtowel, spatula & whisk, initialed pad, magnetic grocery list.

I loved it all so much that I started putting a lot to use & just realized what's missing here is the LAUGH sign I already put up in my spare bedroom. Alicia aka Yaya put a little note on it saying that's all that seemed to be missing within my LIVE.LOVE.EAT. So true.

Lo Mein with Stir Fry Vegetables

Hi all. The upside to being sick is getting better, and with a vengeance! I think my bedroom is the cleanest room in America. The carpet was steam cleaned & dust was eliminated from every single surface including fan, walls, curtain rods & above the door trims. It even smells & feels healthier.

And speaking of healthy, I found this recipe in a magazine & knew I wanted to make it right away. But instead of using napa cabbage, carrots & Teriyaki I changed it up to suit our tastes better. It was really good & even better over the next day or two!

8 oz thin spaghetti
3 tblsp vegetable oil
1 lb ground chicken
Salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced including white parts
1 pkg sliced white mushrooms
1 pkg broccoli slaw
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup water
1 jar Thai Chili Sauce

Cook spaghetti as directed. Set aside. In 12 inch skillet heat 1 tblsp oil on medium high until hot. Add chicken & 1/8 tsp of salt. Cook until no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Transfer to bowl with slotted spoon. To the drippings in skillet, add garlic, scallions & 1 tblsp of oil. Cook 1 minute. Stir in mushrooms, cook 5 minutes. Add broccoli slaw & ground ginger. Cook for 5 minutes until veggies are tender, stirring often. Add the remaining tblsp of oil if needed.

Add Thai chili sauce, spaghetti & chicken to the veggie mixture. Cook 2 minutes to blend flavors & heat through.

My Thoughts:

I changed the original recipe so much to get to what is above so I really have no additional thoughts. If you're not a mushroom lover, these can be substituted with red & green peppers. Teriyaki sauce can also be used in place of the Thai chili sauce. This dish was awesome as lunch for the next 2 days.

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And for a little sweetness to round out the meal...

Photo of Tristan by the fireplace, used for this year's Christmas card.
Tristan (right) & friend Angel on last week's playdate.

Spice Up Someone's Holiday

Thank you to those who checked in with me yesterday. I stayed home sick from work with a variety of issues so I did nothing but rest, watch my shows, nap & finally watch Sex & the City. Awesome movie although I have never & will never understand the fashion trends they started. Anyway, I can't even label what's wrong with me at the moment. Neck pain, sore throat, headache. Just fun stuff.

Anyway, here is one of my first homemade goodies I wanted to share with you. While I've given the recipe for this Tuscan Spice Rub to a few who have requested it, I also wanted to share how I am presenting it. It's so simple & hardly takes a crafty person to pull it together yet I am so happy with how it came out. In under 25 minutes this became a gift that will put a smile on someone's face!

I sterilized a small empty wine bottle, filled it with a variety of spices & herbs. The reindeer came from an old Christmas card I had & just pulled off, so it already had a square sticker that gives it a little dimension. The square frame & tag came from a package of self-adhesive glitter clears from Target. Brand name is Falala. Some have holes for tagging & others just stick on for decorations. They were perfect for this.

TUSCAN SPICE RUB

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

6 tablespoons dried basil

3 tablespoons garlic powder

3 tablespoons coarse salt

2 tablespoons dried rosemary

2 tablespoons dried oregano

Grind fennel seeds in a spice grinder (such as a clean coffee grinder) or a mortar and pestle until coarsely ground. Combine with basil, garlic powder, salt, rosemary and oregano in a small bowl. Place in a nice jar. Makes approximately 1 cup. Use on chicken, salmon or lamb. Keep for up to 6 months.

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Have a wonderful weekend everyone. I will see you around today but I also plan to stay home & rest more!

Beautiful Buffet

Today's Wordful Wednesday is a hodge podge of things I want to share. Life's Buffet, the things I'm diggin'. I try to keep things simple on recipe days to avoid much too lengthy posts, so Wednesdays are a good day for me to deviate, to give you more of me & what's behind the apron. Not that you asked or anything.....hah.

Getting an unexpected little treat in the mail from not just a bloggy friend but also simply a ...

Thank you Kacey!

And remember the island I was waiting for? It came a while back & I'm loving it!

Scary Mommy sent me that cute little dishtowel after I entered a contest I didn't even win. Thanks again Scary Mommy!!! The Island wanted to dress up for the holidays...

Tristan's 1st tree. What fun not to have any rules. Anything goes on this one unlike the formal one in the living room. Both favorites but for different reasons!

Lovely handmade organic soap made by the amazingly talented Nazarina over at Giddy Gastranome. These will make perfect additions to homemade goodies in a gift basket! Thank you Nazarina. Go visit her here ! Everything she makes is beautiful & with lots of care & love.

The perfect Poinsetta to dress up the dining room!

And lastly, perfecting my newly acquired napkin folding skills for my Christmas table setting. Decisions, decisions. The one on the left or the one on the right? Visit here to see how you can fold napkins for your next gathering.

Brought to you by Angie & Wordful Wednesdays from:

Thai One On

We love Thai food. Just went out for it last night actually in our quaint little downtown area. But a couple of weekends ago, these 2 recipes from 2 ladies made for a very nice dinner at home. Thai Turkey Tacos from Newlyweds & Spicy Cucumber Salad with Peanuts from Pam at For the Love of Cooking. These were simple & quick enough even for a weeknight meal & the tastes can be adjusted easily whether or not you're looking for a little more heat.

SPICY CUCUMBER SALAD WITH PEANUTS

2 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise & seeds removed
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 cup of water
3 tblsp sugar
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tblsp minced sweet yellow onion or red onion
1 tblsp chopped dry roasted peanuts

Peel the cucumber then cut in half lengthwise. Take a small spoon & scoop out the seeds from the cucumber. Cut into bite size pieces & place in a colander, sprinkle with salt & toss well. Drain 1 hour. Rinse & pat dry on paper towels.

Combine vinegar, water, sugar & pepper in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cook until reduced to 1/3 cut (about 10 minutes). Remove vinegar reduction from heat; cool. Stir in onion. Combine cucumbers & vinegar deduction in a medium bowl; toss well. Sprinkle with peanuts.

My Thoughts:

I didn't have much time so I didn't drain the cucumbers for that long & I also didn't rinse them. I did just pat them a bit to get off any excess salt. But the idea is that the salt draws out the excess water in the cukes & then you want to rinse them & pat them dry. I do this with zucchini when I am making stuffed zucchini boats. I also added a tad more crushed red pepper & peanuts because Terry likes it with a little heat.

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THAI TURKEY TACOS

1 lb. ground turkey
2 T grated ginger or ¼ tsp dry ginger
2 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed
1 small onion, thinly sliced
16oz pkg coleslaw mix with carrots
Cilantro for garnish
Thai Cooking Sauce below
Combine: 2 tsp sesame oil, 6 tblsp of soy sauce, 4 tblsp of lime juice, 2 tblsp of honey, 1 tsp of crushed red pepper, 1 tblsp of ground coriander or cumin

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add turkey; cook, crumble & stir until meat is no longer pink, about 3-4 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, onion & slaw mix; stir-fry with meat for 2 minutes until vegetables are wilted. Add Thai cooking sauce, stirring constantly to blend all ingredients, about one minute. Serve on warm tortillas & garnish with cilantro.

My Thoughts:

We really enjoyed this for a healthy meal but there needs to be more texture to the filling, more of a crunch. So, next time I plan to add some more slaw mix once everything has been combined so it doesn't become wilted. And definitely a dollop of sour cream & perhaps some diced tomatoes.

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For more Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays visit

Lisa at Blessed with Grace

A Little Sweetness

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAMMY!!!!!

Go give her some birthday wishes!

That's what this weekend was, sweet! It was balanced & it was lovely, not to mention the weather is just so invigorating here in FL right now. The Christmas show at the church was nothing short of spectacular. A real heartfelt reminder of the reason for this season. And while Tristan played with an old friend on his playdate, I made a new one! We have known Angel & his mom Tanya for awhile but this was the first time we got together, just the 4 of us, & it was a wonderful thing!!

So, to celebrate all the sweetness here is some banana bread I made Saturday morning. I found this recipe from Emeril where he had 188 reviews & a 5 star rating so I was intrigued. It had a great banana taste without it being too sweet! Perfect for breakfast or snack. Everyone loved it.

BANANA BREAD

10 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon butter
2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4 bananas)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup toasted, chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 1/4 by 5 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan with 1 teaspoon of the butter. Puree the bananas, sour cream, eggs & vanilla in a bowl using a mixer. Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder & salt into another bowl. Add the remaining 10 tablespoons butter & mix on medium-low speed until blended, about 30 seconds. Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture in 3 batches, scraping the sides of the bowl & mixing on medium speed between each addition. Fold in the nuts.

Pour into the loaf pan. Bake until lightly browned & bread bounces back to the touch, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove from the oven & cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire rack to cool completely.

My Thoughts:

I made this in a bundt pan for looks & it only took 35-38 minutes. I question the time above, even for a loaf pan, so keep checking after 40 minutes if you're using one. I also sprinkled mine with a little confectioners sugar for presentation.

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I also made this sangria for our playdate because I know Tanya loves red wine. We noshed on a couple of appetizers, watched the boys play in the bounce house, & sipped our sangria as we constantly digressed from one thing to another. A sign of a great conversation. Like the banana bread, this had the perfect amount of sweetness without going overboard!

RED WINE SANGRIA

1 orange, sliced
1 orange, juiced
1 lemon, sliced
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Cointreau or Triple Sec
750 ml Red Wine

In a pitcher, combine the sliced orange, sliced lemon & sugar. Mash gently until sugar is slightly dissolved. Add orange juice, Cointreau & red wine. Mix well & let sit in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, pour over ice & garnish with a lemon or orange slice. Or top off with some club soda for a little spritzer.

My Thoughts:





I used Carlo Rossi Burgundy for this recipe. For a cheap wine, we enjoy it very much so it goes to show that expensive wine isn't always better. You can add any fruit you like to this sangria. All you need is a friend to sip it with & enjoy!

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Meet Me In Charleston

Scallops Charleston that is. This recipe by Paula Deen has been on my list to try for quite some time. Last week when family was over, I made it as an appetizer rather than the main dish it was intended to be in the recipe & it went over well. I love scallops so this was a nice treat & would also be perfect as an appetizer for Christmas.



1 1/4 lbs fresh sea scallops
Salt & pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Basil
Flour, for dusting
3/4 cup sherry or dry white wine
1 shallot, finely chopped
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup grated Gruyere

Season scallops with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika & basil. I didn't measure these but just made sure each scallop had seasoning. Dust scallops with flour. Saute in a pan that has been lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray & a small amount of olive oil. Cook scallops on both sides until browned. Remove scallops from pan. To the drippings in the pan, add sherry, shallots & mushrooms; cook for approximately 3 to 4 minutes.

In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium heat & add 3 tablespoons flour. Mix well & cook for 2 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly (may be too thick to even "stir" but just go with it), Pour shallots, mushrooms & liquid from scallops into flour mixture. Mix well. Stir scallops into sauce. (If too thick**, you can thin with clam juice or fish or chicken stock.)

Transfer to 4 individual baking dishes, top with cheese & broil for 1 minute, until browned. Serve with wild rice. Or as an appetizer, serve with slices of a fresh baguette.

My Thoughts:

The flour & butter mixture was definitely thick. I actually felt that it was too much flour for the butter so I increased the butter from 2 to 3 tblsp. And after stirring everything together I added some chicken stock & mixed it very well. Just roll with it & if once everything is combined it is too thick add some liquid. The process was a bit weird for a minute there but the result was worth it.

I also made this as one appetizer in a round casserole dish rather than individual dishes but either way would work. I use Gruyere, which is insanely expensive, but use Swiss if you'd like. And if you hate mushrooms you can easily omit them without taking away from the dish.

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Hope everyone has a nice weekend. Ours will be a busy & festive one, already kicked off by Tristan's Christmas show last night. He was awesome as a Wiseman in what marked his 5th & final program at his school. Tonight we will watch our beautiful little town light up for the holidays & tomorrow is our church's annual Singing Christmas Trees Show (above) which has been going on for over 30 years. It is quite the event with two 40ft Christmas trees!

And to cap off the exciting weekend, we have our 6th year wedding anniversary on the 7th but in the morning Tristan will have his 1st ever official playdate with another boy at our house. We've had playdates with his girlfriends over the years but I never found a chemistry with both another boy & his mom until now. We plan to put up the bounce house, perfect for 2 boys, & share in some sangria once it hits noon. Or 11:50. Have a great weekend all!!!!!