Sausage Stuffed Wonton Wrappers

It seems like I was in only 2 places this weekend ~ the pool & the kitchen. But it was awesome! My normally cautious 5yr old son who hasn't had swimming lessons yet decided to take off his life vest & just start swimming. He started out by just going a few feet but by the next day my angel was all over the pool, going the entire length with me close by. You can imagine how proud we were.

As for kitchen duty, I was just on a roll. There were a few recipes I was dying to make, these being one of them. I served them both days for our parents who came to see all the work we're having done in our bathroom, hence, the reason for us staying close to home this weekend. These were not only fun to make but pretty to look at as well as delicious. We all enjoyed them, including the nice gentlemen working on our bathroom!!!!

AND for all of my pork hater friends, I think these could go well with an Asian chicken mixture.

1 pound bulk spicy pork sausage
2 medium carrots, finely shredded
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) finely shredded pepper Jack cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) finely shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
36 wonton wrappers
1 tblsp butter, melted
1/8 tsp garlic powder
Sliced cherry tomatoes, optional

In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. In a large bowl, combine the sausage, carrots, onion, peppers, cheeses, sour cream, garlic & lemon-pepper.


Press wonton wrappers into miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Spray wontons lightly with more cooking spray. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake at 350° for 8 to 8 1/2 minutes or until lightly browned.

Spoon sausage mixture into cups. Bake 5-6 longer or until heated through. Garnish with tomatoes if desired. Yield: 3 dozen.

{My Thoughts}

The filling made a lot more than 36. I had halved this recipe & still got 36. I saved leftover filling for the next day & made them again. Just to freshen up the batch, I threw in a tad more onion & lemon pepper. Also, instead of brushing the edges with melted butter on the 2nd day batch, I sprayed lightly with cooking spray & sprinkled with garlic powder, around the edges and inside. They were even better!!!!!

Also, the wonton wrappers can be made ahead of time & stored tightly in a container. How easy is that?!

{Click Here to Print Recipe}

~~ For more TMTT recipes, please visit Lisa at Blessed with Grace ~~

Baked French Toast Cups

I kicked off the July 4th weekend with a little visit from my best friend Tam & her kids. They came over to hang by the pool & while the kids played, well, we played. Let's just say that the Beaujolais was not the only thing chilling.

{LOVE my bucket. Comes in handy}

We had such a good time that I convinced Tam to bring her kids back over to spend the night while she relaxed with her hubs. I made this yummy treat for breakfast the next morning. So much fun to make, adorable on the plate, & a healthier alternative too! The kids enjoyed it as did Tam when she came to get the kids in the morning.

4 slices whole wheat bread, cut into cubes
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk (I used fat free)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
dash of ground nutmeg
For the apples:
1 large apple of your choice, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

In a medium skillet, saute apples with butter & cinnamon for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Set aside. In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon & nutmeg until well combined. Add bread cubes & mix together until all the bread is saturated. Add the apples & mix until well distributed. Using a regular size muffin tin, scoop bread evenly into 6 greased muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until set & lightly golden brown.

{Just before going into the oven}

{Just fresh out of the oven}

{Food for Thought}

The original recipe, here, had drizzled icing over them but I opted for regular light syrup instead. As with any french toast or pancakes, in my opinion, alone they could be a bit sweeter but with the syrup alongside or the icing, if you prefer, it's just the right amount.

{Click Here to Print Recipe}

Chocolate Hazelnut Sauce

This weekend was the reprieve I needed before the craziness begins these next few days. I took a quick trip to Ft. Lauderdale to surprise my sister for a 40th birthday dinner arranged by her beau, at the very popular LaBamba. I highly recommend this place if you have one near you. The skirt steak was to die for!!!

My BFF Tammy & I spent a couple of hours yesterday evening at one of my favorite spots in our downtown area. A coffee & wine bar with the most charming of atmospheres. We shared a bottle of wine as we exchanged our gifts. Most of it was food-related of course & part of her gift box included this jar of chocolate hazelnut sauce I made. So quick & easy to make, it lasts up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. So if you're looking for a last minute gift idea, this is a good one!


CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SAUCE

2/3 cup fat free chocolate syrup
1/4 cup chocolate hazelnut spread, such as Nutella

Stir chocolate syrup & Nutella together in a small saucepan over low heat until smooth & warm. Serve at room temperature. If giving as a gift, cover & refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.

My Thoughts:

I tripled this in order to fill a pint sized mason jar. I also learned that when decorating these jars with fabric it really is easier & nicer to use a square shaped piece rather than a circle. Since this sauce lasts for a certain amount of time I wrote the date it will be good until.

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.

Click Here to Print Recipe

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!

Click Here to Print Recipe

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.

Click Here to Print Recipe

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!!!!!

Saturday Suitcase of Stuff

I am not a huge weekend blogger but it gives me good opportunity to post things I normally don't. Tristan just wanted to say good morning & thank everyone for prayers for his grandpa who is out of the hospital & being watched closely. He also wanted to show off his two birthday presents from my best friend Jen from NY. A super cool apron & baseball hat. Yes, my boy is going to know how to cook & play ball! He wants to make the ladies happy already. 

I am 2 chapters away from my heart breaking the end of Breaking Dawn. Really, I have been savoring this end for a while. I even stopped last night purposely & thought when will it be best to break down & cry. So, this afternoon, I have scheduled the conclusion of this sexy, crazy, beautiful love story & the start of my mental breakdown. Actually, while I KNOW there will be tears, I think I am going to be happy with the ending!

I made a dish last night that was a flop. Just nothing special at all like I thought it would be. So, hopefully the rest of the weekend will yield some tasty items!!!

Recipe for Party Fun

You start with a beautiful Ben 10-lovin' 4 year old going on 14, patiently awaiting all his friends & family to come over for his 5th birthday party.

(Click on pictures to enlarge)

Then you throw in some family & friends.


Add in a bunch of fun.

This wet slide was amazing!!! Once the party ended I was on it like white on rice, since we had it for the whole day. Some kids went into the pool as well with close supervision but this was the main draw of the party & kept everyone cool!

Then sprinkle on lotsa sugar.

For the favors, I printed some Ben 10 labels & affixed them to the party favor bags. Inside was a little notebook with pen for the kids to doodle as well as some fishies, raisins & M&M's.

My biggest creative contribution to the party was the fruit kebabs. They were so much fun to put together & instead of just putting them on a platter I thought the kids would get a kick out of them hanging vertical through pieces of cut fruit, ahem, planets. I picked up some crystals at the crafts store which acted as meteor pieces from another galaxy & matched the green color scheme of the party. 

As for the cake, since the market didn't carry any Ben 10 designs I drew up something very simple & had them decorate accordingly. I also bought some Ben 10 cake toppers online. For food, I kept it easy for myself as I usually do for Tristan's parties & made a pasta salad as well a spinach dip. I also had platters of Cubanitos, sandwiches & chicken tenders brought in from Publix. 

This was one super fantastic party. We had a blast, kids & adults alike. While it ended at 2 for most, the party went on until 7! Tristan got some beautiful gifts & really enjoyed his day. 

For some other fun birthday celebration pics please also visit Chronicles of a Mommy who had a big bash going on as well this weekend. I know you'll find a lot of good ideas her way if you have a party coming up. 

Chicken Florentine Sandwich

What a wonderful weekend!!!

Disney on Ice was very nice, will post pics soon ~ Laughed hysterically at What Happens in Vegas, it's a must see, new favorite romantic comedy ~ Park with Tristan on a beautiful Saturday morning ~ Shrimp rolls from seafood market, oh my ~ Fall cleaning frenzy & crazy mad mission to do ALL laundry AND even put it all away, felt amazing ~ Made 4 post-worthy dishes, 3 new ones & 1 old favorite ~

And Twilight, pg 245, speechless, in love with Edward's character already, read it at all the red lights on the way into work this AM. Funny - I was ready to call my co-worker to say I'd be late, to stop at a coffee place to have a cup while I read some. Just then, she texted me to say she'd be late. I laughed & decided I would still make it happen in the next day or so. You were all SO right. My biggest question is are they ever going to kiss. Ohhhhhhhhhhhh......................

Chicken Florentine Sandwich

This is to die for, a favorite for over 6 years, adapted from a lady who won a bunch of money for it in a recipe contest. Originally made with pizza crust & called a panini, I've adapted it to be even easier & faster by using rolls instead. We ate this for dinner last night with an amazing Asian slaw which I will post this week.

2 chicken breasts, flattened for uniformity
Italian seasoning
Garlic powder
Light Mayonnaise sprinkled with garlic powder
2 kaiser rolls
3 slices provolone cheese
1/2 box frozen spinach, thawed & cooked, all water drained
1 cup onion, chopped
1 tblsp white vinegar, cider or apple
1 tblsp sugar

Sprinkle chicken breasts with Italian seasoning & garlic powder. Grill on George Foreman (or your own method) until cooked through. Meanwhile, saute onions until softened. Add sugar & vinegar & cook through until liquid is evaporated. When done, push to side of pan. Place spinach in pan to keep warm. Mix together & set aside.

Get rolls ready - cut rolls but not completely through. Spread mayo garlic mixture on both sides. Place 1 slice provolone cheese on one side & 1/2 slice on other side (one's not enough, two's too many). Place onion spinach mixture on one side & chicken breast on top. Close sandwich & place on George Foreman grill to press together for 45 seconds.

Thoughts:

It's important that if you use a slanted grill like the George Foreman, to place the closed part of the sandwich closer to you because it will keep the filling from sliding out. I may even start pressing my sandwich in a pan. This is a must try. A yummy sandwich you'd think you ordered at a sidewalk cafe!

Labor Day & Burger Sliders

The holiday weekend was great! Started out with some Kenny Chesney on Friday. While I had a great time hanging out & tailgating with hubby, it was a reminder that concerts are just not my thing unless the circumstances are perfect. Meaning, good seats & actually being able to SIT in them. We did have good seats (bottom left pic) but I was so disappointed that everyone stood from the very 1st song to the very last.

The rest of the weekend was relaxing. Quality time with just Terry & Tristan as we swam together while listening to some good music. Terry surprised us when he came home with a beautiful new guitar. As he walked in the door, Tristan said "daddy, you're in a band?" No, he's reviving a hobby from long ago & I'm really glad for him. And while I finally bought the Twilight book everyone is raving about, the only reading I did was of an entire Goosebumps book yesterday with Tristan. He is not even 5 but loves this series.

Saturday, we enjoyed family & friend time with our BBQ. Tristan had a ball with Tammy's girls, Tiffy & Tori, as well as his cousins as they enjoyed their last day in Florida. We caught lizards on the patio & hung one from my ear. I won't even mention & post the pic of me trying to hang him from my lip but it was so cool to see Tristan & the kids amused. 

We played superheros (above right of Tammy, me & sister Andrea) & when it finally stopped raining we watched the kids play in the pool until I jumped in clothes & all. Good times! My heart swelled a bit watching the kids (middle pic), ages ranging from 3 to 9, as they sat & put a puzzle together & played a board game. The clouds & rain did not stop us from having a beautiful day!

SlidersThese little burgers were great, inspired by a recipe from Emeril. They were fun to make & a nice change from the regular sized burger. One was a bacon cheddar mixed in with the meat & the other was regular. I didn't feel like mixing up my own meat so I re-shaped store bought pre-made patties into 3 inch patties & just sprinkled them with some garlic powder & salt & pepper. They only took 5-6 minutes on the grill. I served them on little Hawaiian rolls & topped them with some creamy horseradish mayo.

Creamy Horseradish Mayo from Emeril

In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream and horseradish and season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Place in a nonreactive bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 3 days in advance.

Hurricane Tuesday/Weekend Update

Just came into work for a few hours while we all wait for this hurricane & want to post a few more pictures from the wonderful weekend. I can promise tomorrow that I will have some yummy recipes because I plan on cooking tonight since I'll be home early. So, we will be back to our regularly scheduled food program. I also received my wonderful martini set & took quite a few photos of that last night while I made mojitos.

Another couple pics of Peanut. You can really see how small he is in
the pic above as I am holding the bowl for him to eat out of.

Below is one of my favorite beach bars, the Patio Bar & Grille in
Deerfield Beach, FL. This place just recently experienced a major makeover & it is beautiful. I loved it before when it was just a hole in the wall.

My new profile picture. Very appropo I think. I love the Blue Moon.

The 4 of us: Terry, Me, Tom & Tara. I would have fun with them in a cardboard box.

Me & Terry

Above: One of my all time favorite beach side lunches. Light & delicious & most importantly, leaves lotsa room for the drinks.

Below: I LOVED the way our drinks were served at our late night dinner. Anyone in the Boca area should visit Abe & Louie's Steakhouse. It was outstanding!

The appetizers were to die for. Stone Crab out of the shell served with a mustard sauce, and ahi tuna. We were all in heaven!

It's easy to see why I wasn't so disappointed we didn't make it to Islamorada. It was a weekend of best friends, delicious food, great cocktails (I never even mentioned Tom makes the best cappucinos), the salty air & the beautiful beach. Good times, good times!!!!!

MOnkey MOnday!

Because of the weather threat to the Keys, we decided to stay at our friend's house in Boca Raton for the weekend. Tara has been my best friend since 7th grade in New York, so spending the whole weekend with her & her husband was a blast. The weather was beautiful as we knew it would be the calm before the storm. We were more concerned with traffic, gas shortages, pending Keys evacuation & just thought it best not to go TOWARD the issue.

Tara & Tom are huge animal lovers so in addition to two dogs & a few sugar gliders, they have a pet monkey I was so excited to meet. In addition to monkeying around with Peanut, we had a delicious breakfast at an outside cafe, went to the beach, ate at one of my favorite open air beachside bars, napped, tried a couple martinis, laughed until I cried, enjoyed an outstanding late night steak dinner (first time having a bone-in filet mignon & dinner at 9pm) & realized just how much I missed Tara. The weekend ended up being just as fantastic as we had set it out to be, it was just in a different locale.

Here's Peanut sporting her diaper. She is actually much smaller than she appears in this photo. She won't ever get to be more than 1 lb. So small in fact that she sits comfortably on the bill of my husband's baseball hat. We know!

Tomorrow, I will post photos of our weekend including my

new profile picture!

Happy Monday all!!!

Islamorada & French Fries

Hello, this is Stephanie, I can't come to the phone right now so please leave me a message & I'll get back to you just as soon as I come back from here...

Islamorada, FL is one of my favorite places because I always feel like I am in the Bahamas yet it's just a short drive away especially when the drive is broken up by stops to my best friend, Tara or my sister Lauren, who are also coming along with their guys. This weekend will be my 5th time there but just my 2nd time at the Full Moon party below & the 1st going as a couples weekend.

Islamorada means feeling laid back with a boat ride to the sandbar, visits to the tiki bar, breakfast on the water, seafood.......

Every Full Moon, Pierre's Restaurant (above) hosts a large beach party with multiple bonfires in the sand & many different specialty drinks available at indoor & outdoor bars. You can find couples as well as families relaxing on adirondack chairs, tropical colored tiki tables & stools, or on blankets, enjoying the Reggae band in the center of the beach, while DJ's maintain the dance & party vibe. There's also Brazilian Capoeira dancers, Bahamian Junkanoo Parade, a circus thru the beach (stilt walkers, fireblowers, acrobats, etc.), face painters, balloon artists, giant screen TV’s & fireworks.

I bought these red baskets at a restaurant supply store along with the waxed paper which I no longer have. They're perfect for hot dogs & french fries.

Just as I like to always have a cocktail while cooking, it's the same for when I am packing for a trip. So, last night while having my solo night & before watching the last bits of Serendipity, I put the iPod on high, poured a nice cold Blue Moon. Then, I noticed 2 lonely potatoes on the counter & felt the need to make french fries. It's been years since I've made french fries at home. French fries are my chocolate....if I could have them everyday I would. I'm almost regretful they came out so good because now I am going to want to do it again. So simple:

Potatoes, skin on
Vegetable Oil
Peanut Oil

Heat oil in a deep pan. I only put an inch or so of oil & since I ran out of veggie oil I added some peanut oil. I really think it contributed to the taste so next time I will purposely do the same. Cut the potatoes into uniform ¼ inch sticks. Place in oil & fry for 10 minutes, turning periodically. Drain on paper towel & sprinkle with sea salt, pepper & a tiny bit of garlic powder.

The good news is there was sooo much oil left in the pan so how much could have really gotten into the french fries ?

Happy Weekend All!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Weekend Update, Italian Feast

On Sunday I made an Italian meal for my & Terry's parents. So, the weekend was built around that, what with all the cooking & cleaning. I was proud of myself though because in the midst of all we had to do, the 3 of us spent beautiful quality time together in the pool, with mojitos in hand.

We have Sunday family dinners often, mostly in the winter, but what specifically prompted this one was the challenge Terry posed to me to make my very own meat sauce for spaghetti. This is not something I had ever done before because I am not a huge red sauce kinda gal & opt for the white sauces or garlic/olive oil types. So, after a week of research - exploring why some use tomato paste & red wine, maybe beef but not pork, & simmer for hours upon hours while some don't, I came up with my very own sauce. It was a hit. Needless to say, it made me so happy that my husband along with everyone else loved it. So, into my book of favorite recipes it will go. That recipe, I will post tomorrow to give me some time to put together my notes.

I also made a baked fettucine with asparagus, lemon, pine nuts and mascarpone and for dessert I made the Grilled Bananas but this time served it with a Creme Fraiche I made from scratch. I will post the recipes for both the fettucine and creme fraiche later.

Here are some pictures. Click for more detail:



The table set before dinner. I love these pasta bowls Terry bought for me from the Harry & David store.



The sink after dinner.




The dog I love but never talk about - Tucker freshly groomed












My little superhero