Everyday with Rachael Ray

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If you're a Rachael Ray fan, then you'll appreciate this. Right now on Tanga you can get a year's subscription (11 issues) to her "Everyday with Rachael Ray" magazine for $4.99! That's only $0.43 for each issue. To get the deal, enter code "EVERYDAY" at checkout.

A good friend gave me a subscription as a gift several years ago, and I loved how easy (and quick) the recipes were. So much so, that I may have to renew it for myself.  But then I'd have to explain to Spencer why we're getting Bon Appetit, Cooks Illustrated, Garden & Gun, Southern Living, Conde Nast Traveler, Atlanta Magazine AND Rachael Ray.  Come to think of it, maybe I should have it delivered to the office.

Just please. For the love. Don't say "yum-o". : )

Big thanks to Southern Savers for the heads up!

B is for Baby Shower

Yesterday, I hosted a baby shower for my sweet sister-in-law, Sarah.

Isn't she the cutest pregnant lady ever? I think that means Spencer and I are in for a super cute niece or nephew, come about a month from now.

Sarah and her husband aren't finding out if their little one is a boy or a girl, so finding appropriate shower decor was a bit of a challenge. Everything "neutral" was either boring or really more for a boy or a girl. So, I did what any resourceful gal would do.  Called Mom and scoured Pinterest.

It looks sunny in these pictures, but less than an hour before the shower started, our tornado sirens were going off. The rain couldn't put a damper on the festivities, though, even if it did manage to mess up my little welcome banner. Poor thing got wrinkle-y right off the bat, and by the end of the shower it read "WE  OME". Spencer found the missing "C" on our way to church this morning. Somewhere out there is a lonely "L". My apologies to whomever finds it in their front yard.

Despite the rain, everyone was able to make it and we had a lovely time celebrating with Sarah and showering my sweet niece or nephew with gifts.

If there's anything I love as much as friends and family, you know it's food. If you come to my house, you will not leave hungry. I had as much fun planning the menu as anything else! Click below for recipe links.

• Chocolate Filled Strawberries
• Spencer's favorite Cheese Pennies (a cute little variant of cheese straws)
• Pasta Salad with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Roast Chicken
• Mini poppy seed Ham & Swiss Sammies
• Baked Brie with Apricots, Cranberries and Pecans

And last but not least, my first attempt at fondant cupcakes.  Sweet little baby faces inspired by Planet Cake.

Too cute to eat. Well, almost.

I think she's giving me the stink eye.  Good thing Grandmother finished her off shortly after I took this shot.  Sorry shug, you were meant to be eaten all along!

Anyway, recipes to come soon for everything but the cupcakes. (For that, you'll need this, which I got for my birthday from Kates.)

Sarah, we love you and can't wait to meet your sweet little one soon!

It's never too late.

I've been thinking a lot about goals lately. (It is January, after all. And I have a sweet friend who completed an Ironman last year. Hello, major accomplishment. Yay, Nicole!) Sometimes I start to noodle on a goal only to talk myself out of it. Usually in the "if you wanted to do that, you should have started a long time ago" or "people like you can't do that" vein.

But today I came across a little wisdom from my favorite Miss Julia.

Say what?! I mean, I saw Julie & Julia. But somehow I missed the fact that this woman, who for many is first to mind when asked to name a famous chef, started from scratch on a skill in her thirties.  And she didn't just dabble. Girlfriend mastered it.

So there. It's never too late. You're never too old, too out of practice or too out of shape.

I have to admit, I like the last part of the sentence best. "Up until then, I just ate." In other words, my life wasn't as full. My experience wasn't as rich. Until I discovered something new, I didn't know what I was missing.

Everyone has to start somewhere in this buffet of experiences we call life. Why shouldn't we start now?

Want s'more?

Confession: this probably doesn't count as a recipe.  But it's so delicious I can't not share. Behold, the ultimate s'more.

See the gooey stuff?  There's more than a marshmallow in there.  We're talking about a Ghirardelli Caramel Square.  Quite possibly the world's most perfect form of chocolate.

Start with a graham cracker square, top it with the chocolate and pop it in the microwave for 15 seconds so the sweet stuff can get good and soft.

Now, find a metal skewer or plain wire hanger and a fireplace. Or a gas stove burner. Or maybe an Aim & Flame. (Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures.) Roast that marshmallow like it's going out of style.

Marry the marshmallow and our softened chocolate...

... and top with remaining graham cracker square.  Squish, eat, and repeat.

Oh, and if you have any full-size Reese's cups laying around, they work beautifully.  I made one... but ate it without taking any pictures. And it was the last one. Oh well. You'll just have to take my word for how delicious it was.

Come to think of it, I want some more... perhaps a trip to the store is in order.  BRB.

Monkey Bread

I love Monkey Bread.  Cinnamon, sugar, biscuits.  What's not to love?  I made it for my in-laws on Christmas Eve, made it with my parents on Christmas Day, suggested it to a friend who asked if I have a go-to sticky buns recipe... you catch my drift.

And since we're spending the weekend at a little house in the big woods (and since my husband special-requested it for about the zillionth time), I made it again.  Not that I'm complaining.

Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside.  No wonder they call it Monkey Bread.  I could pick at this stuff all day.

And it's so easy to make.  All you need are:

• 2 cans jumbo refrigerated biscuit dough (ex: Pillsbury Grands; I recommend Homestyle)
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar

On the equipment front, it isn't much either:

• Cutting board
• Small knife 
• Bundt pan
• Large zip-top bag
• Saucepan
• Whisk

Start by preheating the oven to 350*.  Then, after opening the biscuits, cut each one into six equal pieces.

Now, here's the hard part.  (Just kidding.)  Mix white sugar and cinnamon together in a large, zip-top plastic bag.  Add biscuit pieces and toss well to coat.

Then take a good sniff of that cinnamon-y aroma and get excited.  The best is yet to come.  Arrange coated biscuit pieces equally around the pan and discard any leftover cinnamon sugar.  (The biscuits won't fill it all the way to the top, and that's a good thing.  They'll rise a good bit while baking, and take my word for it... cleaning up the overflow isn't fun.)

Cut butter into rough tablespoons and melt in saucepan over medium heat.  (The slices will help it melt faster.) Paula Deen would be proud.

When the butter is melted, add brown sugar to saucepan and stir well.  Increase heat to medium-high and allow to come to a boil, whisking well.

Gently pour brown sugar and butter mixture evenly over biscuits.  Make sure you get some all the way around.  This is the stuff that dreams are made of.

And finally, pop the whole thing into the oven for 35 minutes.

Set aside and allow to cool for five minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.

Serve warm and make sure your afternoon allows for a nap.  Mine's going to be right here...

... because this is what it looks like outside.

Also.  This cabin still thinks it's Christmas.

I took that as a sign that Monkey Bread was meant to be.  Enjoy the long weekend!

Crustless Breakfast Quiche

The start of a new year usually means one thing for me: get my appetite back on track.  From Thanksgiving until Christmas, I am no stranger to indulgence.  (Come to think of it, indulgence and I are friends all year.)

I like food.  Love, even.  Always have.

You may or may not know that when I graduated from high school I weighed about 40 pounds more than I do now.  I was sluggish, had little energy and quite honestly was uncomfortable in my own skin.  And the teasing didn't help... why are girls so mean to each other?

But, I started to make better choices after graduation and slowly but surely I lost the extra weight.  No real "diet", just eating well and getting my tail off of the couch.  It took more than a year, but it's been gone (and stayed gone!) for almost a decade.  One of my greatest fears is that it will come back.

My strategy?  Moderation.  Balance indulgence with smart choices.  Starting with breakfast!  This is one of my favorite high-protein ways to start the day.  The recipe is an adaptation of "Vegetable Quiche Cups To Go" in The South Beach Diet: Supercharged.

Quick, easy, and perfect to freeze!  Just pop two in the microwave and you've got a hot breakfast.

Crustless Breakfast Quiche

One box (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach
3/4 reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup garden vegetable flavor egg substitute (such as Egg Beaters)
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup finely chopped cooked turkey sausage
Hot sauce to taste (5 drops recommended)

• Preheat oven to 350*.
• Grease a muffin pan with cooking spray.
• In a microwave safe container, cook spinach on high for 2.5 minutes.  Drain well.  (Too much liquid will make for watery quiche!)
• Combine spinach and all other ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix well.

• Spoon mixture into muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes or until well set.
• Run a thin metal spatula or knife around the edge of each indentation to loosen quiche.
• Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
• Freeze or refrigerate to store.  Serve warm.

Here's to happy and healthy 2012!

Welcome... and snag some swag!

Yay!  You're here.  And I'm glad.  Take a moment and look around... Sharon at Redbud Designs did a great job, don't you think?

I can't wait to see what 2012 holds... but to start things off on the right foot, how about a serious deal from Concentrics restaurants? (You know, One Midtown Kitchen, Two Urban Licks, Murphy's, etc.)

Just join the Concentrics email database, follow them on Facebook or visit their website and you'll get $12 off at any of their five participating Atlanta-area restaurants during the month of January.

Not a shabby way to start the year.  Now, to peruse the menus for something that works on Phase I of South Beach.  (Poor Spencer.  This happens every January.  He's probably already over the lack of carbohydrates in this house...)

Up next... revamped South Beach friendly Crustless Quiche!