Southern Benedict and New Stairwell

√ Check one off the list!

We have happily completed one of the latest projects on our main level of house.  Our home (originally) included a half wall at the front entry.  We have been looking at this wall for two years and finally decided it was time to make the change...bring on the sledge hammer.

So, out the wall went and after many, many, many trips to Lowe's, Home Depot, and wood supplier, we had our plan and ready to go.

However, living in a construction zone for the past couple of weeks is always a bit of a challenge, but so worth it in the end.

My husband has been diligently multitasking even painting after work while on the phone (notice the ear piece).  

The most crucial piece of all this was the post. This had to be installed spot on, as it affected the entire project, aesthetically and structurally.

We were really excited to start seeing progress and the finish line coming closer and closer after each weekend/night of working on this.

This was my contribution, other than being the color consultant...to make sure these little base shoes are installed the correct direction for top and bottom of balusters.

Thank goodness my husband has all the key tools and experience to make these projects come to life.

Here we are with the finished art piece.  Not bad for a couple of amateurs!  We are loving how much this has opened up our home and stairwell area.

Other than being our master stair banister builder, my husband's day job is a Senior Project Manager with a commercial construction company.

He came home a few weeks ago and shared about a restaurant that he was remodeling.  He told me about their menu and this Country Benedict they feature.  At this point, I think I may have started drooling hearing about this dish.

Since we live far from this restaurant, I wanted to try my hand at it to see if I could recreate this at home.  Oh my!!!  Okay, it's a little rich and heavy, but for a special treat now and then, yum!  

The next time I am in the big city, I will definitely come visit them and try out their Country Benedict.  

Enjoy, stay healthy, and sparkly this coming week!

Southern Benedict

Inspired by Chef Zorba's in Denver (Country Benedict)

1 pound Jimmy Dean's Breakfast ground sausage

1/8 cup flour

3 cups whole milk

1/2 t. Lawry's season salt

1 t. pepper

freshly baked southern biscuits (of your choosing)

sausage breakfast patties, cooked 

poached eggs

Cook sausage breakfast patties thoroughly and set aside.  Cover to keep warm.

For the sausage gravy:  Brown the ground breakfast sausage over medium-high heat until no longer pink.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Sprinkle on half the flour and stir so that the sausage is evenly coated and flour is cooked off.  Pour in milk and stir constantly.  

Cook the gravy until it starts to thicken.  Sprinkle in the seasoned salt and pepper and continue to cook until your desired thickness.  If it gets too thick, just add a little more milk.

While the gravy is cooking, poach eggs to your desired doneness.  

To assemble this beautiful masterpiece - Cut one biscuit in half.  Top each biscuit half with one sausage patty, then your poached egg.  Spoon the sausage gravy over the poached egg/sausage patty/biscuit tower.  

Enjoy!!

One Year Ago:  Three Cheese Italian Sausage Rosa Pasta Bake and Terrible Pups

Two Years Ago: The First Snow with Sausage Gravy and Biscuits

Three Years Ago:  No Post  

Four Years Ago:  Pluot Crostada (Galette) and Getting Our Fall On

Five Years Ago:  Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie and the Lodge Room

Six Years Ago:  Spaetzle with Gruyere and Carmelized Onions

Seven Years Ago:  Greek Salsa Chicken and Greek Movie Afternoon

Chocolate-Zucchini Cake Dessert and Drywall

I am pleased to announce that the framing of our downstairs build-out is 99.9% complete now!  My husband contractor has been diligently wiring everything we need to power up downstairs.  We also added our surround sound speaker wiring for the full movie weekends and Friday night dance off experience.

Once the final electrical and plumbing is complete, then we will save up for the insulation.  However, we had to take advantage of drywall pricing before the rates shot up again.  This meant having about 100 sheets of drywalled delivered to our house, way before we were ready for it.

It is amazing how far the construction industry has come since I first started in the business.  They now bring the drywall, complete with a crane and remote control.  They literally had each bundle come straight to the front door.  Very cool to watch how they orchestrated the delivery.

We have dear friends in California that I used to work for.  They told me a story once about when they built one of their buildings.  Their story really stuck with me and I will never forget it.

Before the flooring was installed in their new building, every employee wrote on the concrete floor.  They all wrote something special or meaningful, a Prayer, Proverb, or Psalm.  I love how their building was blessed by all of the people that would be there everyday.

Before one box was moved into our home, two years ago, we said a Prayer and gave our new home a Blessing (which we do whenever one of our daughters move into a new place as well).

I remembered our friends' story and also wanted to give our downstairs a special Blessing...Before our insulation and drywall goes up, I found relevant Prayers and wrote them on the headboard walls of each guest bedroom (for our guests to have peaceful sleep) and one in the new dining room, (to Bless our meals).

Of course our superintendent, Kylo Zen is watching over all the drywall and construction progress each day.  In the meantime, I need to keep my husband contractor happy with sweet treats to motivate and energize him for our project.

Chocolate-Zucchini Cake

Courtesy of Food Network Kitchen

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan

1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg or allspice

1-1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup plus 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 large eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 medium zucchini, grated and squeezed dry

1 tsp honey

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x9 inch square cake pan.  Dust the pan with flour, tapping out the excess.

Toss 1/2 cup chocolate chips with 1 Tbl flour in a small bowl.  Whisk the remaining flour, the cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and nutmeg in a medium bowl; set aside.  

Beat the sugar, 1/2 cup olive oil, the eggs and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and pale, about 3 minutes.  Add the flour-cocoa mixture; beat on low speed until combined, about 2 minutes (the batter will be thick).  Add the zucchini and beat until combined, about 2 more minutes.  fold in the flour-coated chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.  Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.

Make the glaze: Combine the remaining 1/3 cup chocolate chips, 1 tsp olive oil and the honey in a microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave on medium-high power in 30-second intervals, stirring, until the chocolate is melted.  Spread over the cake, then cut into pieces.

Enjoy with a dollop of French vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

One Year Ago: Spinach-Artichoke Dip and Spoopy Season

Two Years Ago:  Home * Sweet * Home

Three Years Ago: No Post

Four Years Ago:  Pluot Crostada (Galette) and Getting Our Fall On

Five Years Ago:  Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie and the Lodge Room

Six Years Ago:  Spaetzle with Gruyere and Carmelized Onions

Seven Years Ago:  Greek Salsa Chicken and Greek Movie Afternoon

This is what happens when I leave the house for craft night while the cake cools, 

before I had a chance to frost.

Homemade Minestrone Soup and The First Snow

 

We had quite an interesting September.  It was mostly in the 90's all month and unfortunately, very smoky due to the devastating fires.  They did however, make some incredibly photo worthy sights.

One weekend it was 99 degrees with overnight snowstorm in the forecast.  Let me repeat that...99 degrees with snow that night!  You can't make this stuff up.  Only in Colorado!

This time we did listen to the weather channel as we saw the storm hurry in with a vengeance.  We spent the entire Sunday hauling in all the cushions, covering the roses, pulling the remaining vegetables and herbs, turning off sprinklers, empty out the hoses, insulate the gas and water pipes, and hunker down for the night...to wake up to this.

Our dear friend Carole has started purging some of her recipes and sending me an email every Friday, titled "Weekend Recipe".  I look forward to these every week now and cannot wait to make each and every one of these family honored recipes that are so, so good! 

Carole couldn't have picked a better weekend to send me her Minestrone soup recipe for our quick blip of a blizzard.

Homemade Minestrone Soup

Courtesy of Carole

1 cup olive oil

1-1/2 cups diced carrots

1-1/2 cups diced celery

1-1/2 cups diced onion

1 handful sun dried tomatoes

1/4 tsp salt

10-12 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch fresh spinach

2 (16 oz.) cans diced tomatoes

2 large boxes, chicken stock

2 cans chickpeas

2 cans kidney beans

2 bay leaves

2 c. (pre-cooked) chicken breasts, diced

3 cups pre-cooked macaroni

1 bunch chopped escarole

1 cup fresh basil

Heat olive oil in a large soup pt.  Add carrots, celery, and onions.  Cook 10 minutes.  Add sun dried tomatoes, salt, garlic, and canned tomatoes and mix well.  Add chicken stock, chickpeas, kidney beans.  Add bay leaves and bring to a boil.  Add the diced chicken and macaroni.  Add spinach, chopped escarole, and basil at the end.

Serve with crisp green salad and garlic bread.  

I also added a spoonful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top of soup.

One Year Ago:  Spinach-Artichoke Dip and Spoopy Season

Two Years Ago:  Home * Sweet * Home

Three Years Ago: No Post

Four Years Ago:  Slower Cooker Chicken Tortellini Soup and Losing My Mind

Five Years Ago:  Ribdemption and BLT Macaroni Salad

Six Years Ago:  Tee Shirts, Tacos and Ice Cream Cake Treat

Seven Years Ago:  Apple Of My Eye Dumplings

Eat your soup, stay well, healthy and sparkly this week!

Street Corn Quesadilla and Craft Time

Hello everyone, I have missed you all this past month and am happy to be back!  

I actually don't know what happened to September...it was here...and then it wasn't.  I had so many intentions to sit down and blog and the next thing I knew it was "the 21st night of September" (an ode to my favorite Earth, Wind & Fire song).  Seriously though, my month was ridiculously crazy and at that point I just thought...oh well, these have next month written all over it.  

So, that being said, I have a que of great recipes and stories to share this month...buckle up and hold on!

First, let's just set the record straight...Fall is my favorite color!!!  The beautiful oranges, reds, and golden yellow trees right now are breathtaking.  I am loving our cool mornings and warm afternoons as well.  Let us not also forget the decorating!

This year we have family coming to visit for Halloween and Thanksgiving.  I fully intend to Pinterest the heck out of my home this year! (Who am I kidding...I do that for every holiday each year).

Last week my friends and I decided to skip "drunk yoga" and do a fall craft for our homes.  How cute are all these little pumpkins.  We had a blast making them and already are making plans to do pallet snowmen for Christmas!

Last week "Baby A" was doing some new recipes and sent me a photo of her Mexican Street Corn that she absolutely loved.  It looked so good, I thought I would try it out.

Coincidently the same weekend, I was cleaning up the kitchen while Food Network was on and saw Pioneer Woman's "Street Corn Quesadilla".  It also looked amazing.  I wasn't feeling up to masking up and hitting the store for her ingredients, so I improvised with what I already had in the refrigerator and it was a win...win!

Street Corn Quesadilla

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

1/8 cup mayonnaise

2 large flour tortillas

1/2 cup guacamole

1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese

1 cup frozen roasted corn, thawed

1/2 cup crumbled Cojita cheese

salsa, for serving

sour cream, for serving

Place large skillet over medium heat.

Spread half of the mayonnaise on one of the tortillas and place in the hot skillet mayonnaise-side down.

Spread half of the guacamole on tortilla side that is facing up.  Top with half of the Pepper Jack cheese.  Add the corn and Cojita.  Sprinkle over the remaining Pepper Jack cheese.  

Spread the remaining guacamole on other tortilla and place on top of cheese, face down.  Carefully spread the remaining mayonnaise on face-side up of tortilla and press.  Cook until the bottom tortilla is golden and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes, then flip the quesadilla and cook until the second side is golden, and additional 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer the quesadilla to a cutting board and slice into triangles.  Serve with salsa and sour cream.

One Year Ago: Slow Cooker Steak Enchilada Soup

Two Years Ago: Home * Sweet * Home

Three Years Ago: No Post

Four Years Ago: Apple, Bacon and Blue Cheese Fall Flatbread

Five Years Ago: Ribdemption and BLT Macaroni Salad

Six Years Ago: Tee Shirts, Tacos and Ice Cream Cake Treat

Seven Years Ago:  Weeknight Ravioli Bake For A Very Special Week

Kylo Zen thought he would try to put his red Kong in the harvest basket, while photobombing!

Yellow and Red Tomato Pico De Gallo and Pictures

Summer continues to heat up here, however I am starting to see a few trees turn their magical leaves that fall golden color...I have very mixed emotions about this...very mixed.

We are needing to use up everything in the garden before we lose it all.  It is an interesting challenge and I have never Googled so many..."what to make with..." fresh veggie/herb recipes in my life!

The fruits of our harvest that desperately needed a home...pico de gallo it is!

Yesterday was the girls' first day of "16th Grade", aka, the start of their University Senior year.  Oh my goodness, I was just putting them in Pre-Pre-K yesterday...

Now that they are both settled in their new places, my husband is back at his city office, and things are quieting down here at home.

I have started making my own blank greeting cards.  My grandma was known for her DIY recycled cards.  Now mine don't even come close to her creations.  However, I love photography and thought these would be fun to make, using my my leftover photo paper and scrapbook pages.  So fun, easy, creative and very relaxing for me.

I hope you enjoy this pico del gallo as much as we did...it's super easy and great blend of flavor!  Stay healthy and keep on sparkling!

Yellow and Red Tomato Pico De Gallo

Courtesy of HealthySeasonalRecipes.com

3 cups diced yellow and red tomatoes

3/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 cup minced red onion

2 Tbl minced jalapeno (with seeds to taste)

2 Tbl lime juice

1 tsp salt

Stir tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime, and salt together in a medium bowl.  Serve immediately or chill.

Great to serve as a dip for chips, or top your favorite tacos, salad, or enchiladas!

One Year Ago:  Basil and Black Pepper Brined Chicken and The Lost Kitchen

Two Years Ago: No Post

Three Years Ago:  No-Bake Ombre Blackberry Cheesecakes

Four Years Ago:  Grilled Shrimp, Corn and Avocado Salad...Surviving Roadtrips

Five Years Ago:  Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce...School's In Session

Six Years Ago:  Volleyball Cookies and Lessons in Icings

Seven Years Ago:  Puttanesca Pasta Night

Raisin Bran Muffins and Butterflies

Like many places in the U.S. right now, we are also experiencing devastating forest fires.  It's been terribly smoky and eerie skies all day and night.  Our local paper has let everyone know that many animals, birds, and insects are all coming down from the mountains, so to be aware and cautious.

Last night we dined at one of our newest restaurants and here was our sunset view.  Incredibly sad to see the smokiness, but yet such a rare sight to see.

Among my grandma's many wonderful recipes and memories are her Raisin Bran Muffins.  They are so good, fulfilling, and I love how she added an option to her recipe to add melted butter, cinnamon, and sugar to the top before baking.  

Grandma always started and ended her days with a little something sweet at her meals and I just love that!  Why not, right?!

Grandma also loved butterflies.  I will never forget when she taught me about her "butterfly kisses" that she would give my daughters when they were babies.  They would laugh and giggle when she delivered her special kisses to them.

This was one of my grandma's morning cups.  She would enjoy tea or hot cocoa out of it.  I am so grateful and blessed to have it now.  It gives me so much joy and happiness in the mornings and always touches me with memories.

I have been seeing many butterflies around our area and backyard.  It could be because of the surrounding fires, but I like to think it's my grandma stopping by to say "hello".

I had forgotten until I was in the middle of making these beauties how many muffins this recipe actually makes.  It was too late for me to turn back, so now I have enough muffins (which had to be frozen) to last me until the end of this year!

I hope that these bring a little sunshine and happiness to start your day like they do for me.  Enjoy!

Raisin Bran Muffins

Courtesy of GGMa

*This recipe makes 6 dozen muffins (portions can be cut in half)

5 cups all-purpose flour

3 cups granulated sugar

5 tsp. baking soda

1-1/2 tsp. salt

7-1/2 cups (15 ounces) Post Raisin Bran cereal

1 quart low fat buttermilk

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a very large (restaurant size) bowl, blend flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.  Stir in cereal.  Add buttermilk, oil and beaten eggs and blend until dry ingredients are moist.

Fill muffin tins 2/3 full.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

*** If desired lightly brush melted butter over batter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar before baking. 

One Year Ago:  Quilts, College, and Kleenex

Two Years Ago: No Post

Three Years Ago:  One Skillet Parmesan Chicken and Zucchini and One Day

Four Years Ago:  Seniors, Shrimp Skewers with Pesto and Cheddar Polenta

Five Years Ago:  "Eat The Cookie...Buy The Shoes"

Six Years Ago:  BBQ Ranch Grilled Chicken

Seven Years Ago:  Puttanesca Pasta Night

Copycat Fuzzy's Fuzzy Peach

One of our favorite taco stops is Fuzzy's Taco Shop.  Luckily there is not one too close to me, because I would probably go there every day!  Their Queso dip is out of this world and I would be perfectly happy just to sit and eat that for lunch...and won't apologize for it. ;)  Along with their chicken tacos, which I also love, is their Fuzzy Peach drink!  

This week I delivered a meal train to a friend recovering from surgery and brought her my Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas and BLT Slaw with Cilantro Lime Crema.  I made half a pan for her family, and half a pan for me and my husband to have that night for dinner.

The Fuzzy Peach drink came to mind and I thought it would perfectly compliment the enchiladas...it did!

Unfortunately it was not easy to even find the drink ingredients online, as they don't post their drink menus on the website.  It actually took me while to find that (thank goodness) someone posted a photo of it...thank you whoever you are!

My daughter and I played with the ingredients and realized their menu was missing the peach juice (must be a secret ingredient, like KFC chicken seasonings, right?)  Anyway, we tried the first batch and it tasted like sun tan oil (figured out too much Malibu rum).  So, I backed off on that and we made another batch.  Nailed it the 3rd time...you're welcome!

Copycat Fuzzy's Fuzzy Peach
Serving Size: 1 Drink

1 shot Peach Vodka
1/2 shot Malibu Rum
1 shot Simply Peach Juice
Sprite
ice

In a shaker, add ice, peach vodka, Malibu rum, and peach juice.  Shake well and pour into a tall glass.  Top with Sprite and stir until completely combined.

*Enjoy responsibly, or even better to drink this at home, as it packs a bit of a punch...one and done!

One Year Ago:  Peach Mustard Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Two Years Ago:  No Post
Three Years Ago:  Drumstick Pie and Dorm Survival Baskets
Four Years Ago:  Zucchini Pie and School Week Meal Prep
Five Years Ago:  "Eat The Cookie...Buy The Shoes"
Six Years Ago:  BBQ Ranch Grilled Chicken
Seven Years Ago:  Flat Iron Steak Salad After A Day At Flatiron Crossing Mall

Sheet Pan Lemon-Chicken and Asparagus with Hollandaise

I don't know where you live, but here it's been a cook'n hot summer.  I'm not going to complain because as I told my husband last week...enjoy it now...you're going to have your snow blower fired up and working again to clear the driveway and sidewalks before you know it.

It's been so warm that I had to purchase two small kiddo pools for the pups and they are loving it!  While they rest from their pool time, I head over to our community pool for an hour or so, for some self-care me time...actually I'm just trying to beat my husband's golf tan!

So between the heat, and trying to cook for our empty house again, I am loving this sheet pan dinner and look forward to trying out other test sheet pan meals.  So easy and so delicious!  Honestly, clean up is the best part though.

I hope you are all staying healthy, happy...and sparkly!

Sheet Pan Lemon-Chicken and Asparagus with Hollandaise

4 small chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup honey

1 Tbl soy sauce

1 Tbl garlic, minced

1/2 tsp herbs de provence

1 Tbl parsley, fresh, finely chopped

salt and pepper

1 bunch asparagus, ends removed, rinsed and dried

1 lemon, sliced

hollandaise sauce, prepared

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Place chicken breasts on sheet pan and season lightly with salt and pepper.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the lemon juice, honey, soy sauce, garlic, herbs de provence, and half of the parsley.  Pour half of the mixture over the chicken and place the lemon slices on top.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.  Remove sheet pan from oven and set aside.  Set oven to broil setting.

Uncover and place the asparagus around the chicken.  Pour the remaining lemon mixture over the asparagus.  Season the asparagus with salt and pepper.  Return sheet pan to oven and broil until the chicken is golden and the asparagus is cooked.

Drizzle the chicken and asparagus with a small amount of warmed hollandaise sauce, sprinkle with remainng fresh parsley, and serve with rice pilaf.

Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Peach Mustard Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Two Years Ago:  No Post

Three Years Ago:  Caprese Chicken Lasagna

Four Years Ago:  Seniors, Shrimp Skewers with Pesto and Cheddar Polenta

Five Years Ago:  Greek Chicken Salad and Greatest Whitewater Trip

Six Years Ago:  Spinach, Chicken, Bacon Pizza...Back To School Shopping

Seven Years Ago:  Snickerdoodles At End Of Summer

Quick & Easy Refrigerator Pickles

We have a new challenge in our home, which is never a good thing.  To say that our family is competitive would be a tremendous understatement.

Our garden, with the addition of overflowing dill, we now have an abundance of pickling cucumbers.  My husband was going to make his annual pickles, but the cucumbers are maturing so fast, we cannot keep up with them.

I had a bowl of cucumbers freshly picked that needed to have something done to them, before they spoiled.  I thought I would try my hand at pickles while my husband was at his away office, so I could surprise him (with my challenge) when he returned home.  I didn't want to go through the whole day project of boiling, chopping ingredients for 30 jars of pickles...I just wanted to use up these veggies.

This recipe is awesome!!  Super, super easy and they turned out amazing.  I am loving these little beauties.  I even just grab a couple pickle chips at a time to snack on.  Yummy!!

Stay healthy and sparkly this week!

Quick & Easy Refrigerator Pickles

Courtesy of Once Upon A Chef

1-1/4 cups distilled white vinegar

3 Tbl kosher salt

2 Tbl sugar

2 cups cold water

1-3/4 to 2 pounds Kirby cucumbers (about 6) cut into halves for spears

2 Tbl coriander seeds

6 large garlic cloves, peeled and halved

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

16 dill sprigs

Combine the vinegar, salt, and sugar in a small non-reactive saucepan (such as stainless steel, glass, ceramic, or Teflon) over high heat.  Whisk until the salt and sugar are dissolved.  Transfer the liquid into a bowl and whisk in the cold water.  Refrigerate brine until ready to use.

Stuff the cucumbers into two clean 1-quart jars.  Add the coriander seeds, garlic cloves, mustard seeds, red pepper flakes, dill sprigs, and chilled bring into jars, dividing evenly.  If necessary , add a bit of cold water to the jars until the brine covers the cucumbers.  Cover and refrigerate about 24 hours, then serve.  Cucumbers will keep int eh refrigerator for up to one month.

One Year Ago:  Red Wine-Braised Beef with Peppercorn Cream Sauce

Two Years Ago: No Post

Three Years Ago:  S'Mores Bark...National S'Mores Day

Four Years Ago:  Key Lime Jalapeno Cake

Five Years Ago:  American Chop Suey and Traditions

Six Years Ago:  Spinach, Chicken, Bacon Pizza...Back To School Shopping

Seven Years Ago:  Snickerdoodles At End Of Summer