Happy Christmas!!!

Happy Christmas, everyone!!! I had a fun, exciting but very busy Christmas holiday!! I hosted Christmas Eve for the Fillback clan at my house, which went quite smoothly. Entertaining has never been my strong suit, but it seems to get better each time I do it. Now I just need to do it a little bit more. Ha!! I was even comfortable enough to try out a couple of new recipes, which I was a bit nervous about. The Fillback clan can be a tough crowd! I made a new tortellini pesto appetizer and a new bourbon ham glaze. Both turned out well and were a big hit. (I'll post the recipes soon!)

I received some great gifts that evening...a Hanley's gift certificate, wine, a running shirt & a nice Craftsman 16 gallon Wet/Dry vac with a detachable blower. Oh my! I never thought I'd be excited about such a manly toy!! I actually had to try it out that evening due to the crazy rain we received for the prior 48 hours! Thanks, Dad!

Christmas Day I headed to my mom's for fun, food, drink and loads of Hand-and-Foot (a card game that is popular with this side of the fam.) We had an yummy dinner which included chicken spedini and some great red wine shipped in from Napa (courtesy of John's sister, Laurie) that was left over from Turkey Day! I received another round of wonderful gifts...a subscription to SELF magazine, Saw V, and two of my favorites...Super Mario Bros Wii and wait for it...wait for it...my own Guide to Homebrewing. I also received some cash to purchase some of my homebrewing supplies. Yes, folks! You got it! I'll be homebrewing before you know it! John used to homebrew with his friends and is going to teach me how! I'm stoked! Now if I could only find the time to read the book.

This coming weekend we are exchanging gifts with John's daugther, Calyn...her husband, Ben and Lehni-girl! They couldn't make it on Christmas day because Ben's sister and her family were in from Paris, France. So were celebrating a bit late...but who cares!

Hope you all had some happy holidays! I'll post recipes and pics soon!

Another yummy recipe...

Well, I took a small hiatus from cooking, but I'm baaaaaack! Sunday night Chad and I celebrated our Xmas together (since he goes home to NY for the holiday.) I thought it would be nice if I threw something together instead of going out to eat. Here's what I came up with. Pretty yummy...and not too bad for my first attempt at risotto!!!! Enjoy!





Drunken Risotto with Sausage and Spinach
Courtesy of Rachel Ray

Ingredients:

• 3 cups dry red wine
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 Tbsp. EVOO
• 3/4 lb. bulk Italian sweet or hot sausage
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1.5 cups arborio rice
• 1/3 lb. spinach leaves, stemmed & chopped
• 1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup grated pecorino-romano cheese
• Salt & pepper
  

Directions:

• In a large saucepan, combine the wine & chicken stock. Keep warm over a low flame.
• In a large, heavy pot, heat the EVOO over medium-high head. Add the sausage and cook, crumbling the meat, until browned (about 2 min.)
• Add the onion & garlic. Cook until softened (about 2 min.) Stir in the rice and season with salt & pepper.
• Add the warm wine-stock mixture a couple of ladlefuls at a time...stirring vigorously after each addition and letting the liquid evaporate before adding more...cooking the risotto for 18 min.
• In the last 5 min of cooking, stir in the spinach, a handful at a time, to wilt. Stir in the nutmeg.
• In the last minute of cooking, stir in the butter and then the cheese.
  

Busy, busy weekend

Phew! This weekend was a blur but very fun...and a good release! Something I really needed after the last couple of weeks!!!

Friday night Judy and I hit up Jefferson's for some grub before heading over to Nick's Pub for a grade school friend's bday party. I'd never been to Nick's before Friday. It looks like a complete dive, but I'd have to say it's substantial. It has a great selection of beers on tap...especially for a smaller place. The drinks are well mixed. The food looked good too...even though I just snacked off of everyone else's plates. Ha! Bad habit of mine. There was even a little one-man band kind of thing with fairly good music.
Check 'em out. http://stlouis.citysearch.com/profile/5739206/st_louis_mo/nick_s_pub.html

Birthday girl...Jennifer!

Another good friend...Cari

Saturday night was Vicki's Ugly Sweater Xmas Party. This was another first of mine. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it turned out to be a lot of fun...good childish-adult fun! : )

It was a chore finding an ugly sweater though. I searched all over Fairview and Belleville...retail stores, Goodwill, etc. I ended up with a Kmart/Gordman's combo. I think Vicki bought up all the snazzy attire at Goodwill!! : )
Chad's attire was another story! I couldn't find anything good holiday clothing for men. Check out the pics below to see what he ended up with.

I had to drag Chad kicking and screaming to dinner in his studly attire! Just kidding...but I did have to coax him a bit. I think it was the promise of yummy Mexican food that got him to agree finally. For those of you that don't know Chad well...he hates Halloween and loves Xmas. So this was quite a confusing party for him...like a Halloween Xmas. Ha!

Check out this hot couple! Hilarious!
Chad's tie was musical and quite sensitive. It kept playing all night.

Chad was first to pick his White Elephant gift? However, once he chose it, he couldn't open it! Ha!

How many men does it take to open a White Elephant gift? Two?

Three?

Phew! Finally! It's a Schlitz beer lava lamp! Kick ass!

Can you believe the lava lamp was stolen from him??? I think Judy ended up with it.
This is what Chad ended up with!? A Miller Lite t-shirt & hat.

I had my hands on a nice bottle of Captain Morgan run at one point during the gift exchange...but that didn't last long. I ended up with 3 pairs of men's socks. Ha! No point in taking pics of that!

Leftover Turkey

I get soooo tired of eating leftover turkey sandwiches, so I decided to try something new this year...something more refreshing & appetizing. Here's what I made...and it ROCKED!!!


Turkey Posole
A Rachel Ray recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. vegetable oil

• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded & chopped
• 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
• Coarse salt & pepper
• 1 cup beer
• 16 tomatillos, peeled & coarsely chopped
• 15 oz. can hominy
• 1 quart chicken stock
• Any left over gravy (optional)
  
• 1.5-2 lbs. light & dark cooked turkey meat, chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• Cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• Corn chips of choice

Directions:

• Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil. Then add onions, garlic, jalapenos, cumin, thyme and salt & pepper to taste. Cook 5-6 min to soften onions. Then add beer and cook it off for about 1 min.
• Stir in tomatillos and cook 5 min more. Then stir in hominy, chicken stock, any leftover gravy (up to 2 cups) and the turkey.
• Heat through, adjust salt & pepper and simmer posole 10-15 min over low heat. Stir in lime juice and remove from heat.
• Garnish soup with cilantro and serve with corn chips to dip.

Just a quick note...I used 4 jalapeno to make it a bit spicier and canned tomatillos (which were sooo much easier since they're already peeled.) Very good!

Food, drink & cards...

Thanksgiving weekend is always a blast at Mom's house. We eat tons, drink lots and play Hand and Foot all weekend. Ever heard of it? We get loud and rowdy...talk a lot of smack...and don't forget the ongoing "table talk". Here's a couple pics of us...

You gotta love the Evan Williams "spiked" eggnog!!!

We also held a 3rd birthday party for my niece. What a cutie! There was limbo, a tea party, a tiara and a huge Hello Kitty cookie. Take a look...

Post-Thanksgiving Bliss...

First of all let me say that both desserts were very well received! Yay! I'm always kind of nervous when I make a recipe for the first time. Phew!

Yesterday, I got up quite early with the rest of the hard-core shoppers to attack the Black Friday sales. I don't, however, wait in line for hours prior to a store opening. That's where I draw the line!! If I have to freeze my booty off for hours and hours, then it cannot be worth it. I got just a good of a deal...if not better...Wednesday evening on www.newegg.com. We bought a 46" Sharp LCD TV with all of the specifications we wanted for $699! Crazy deal!!! Take that, crazy Best Buy shoppers that were lined up all the way to the street yesterday morning!!!! AHHHH HAHAHAHA (evil laugh)!!!!!

One of these days I'll have my Xmas list in order and stop shopping for myself on Black Friday! I did purchase 3 Xmas presents yesterday! That's a record!

Happy Shopping!!!

My first attempt at a trifle...

PUMPKIN GINGERBREAD TRIFLE

Ingredients:

• 2 (14 oz.) pkg. gingerbread mix
• 1 (5.1 oz.) box cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
• 1 (30 oz.) can pumpkin pie filling
• 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
• 1/3 tsp. ground cardamom or cinnamon
• 1 (12 oz.) container frozen whipped topping
• 1/2 cup gingersnaps, optional

Directions:

• Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions. Cool completely.
• Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar and cardamom into the pudding.
• Crumble 1 batch of gingerbread into the bottom of a large, pretty bowl.
• Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread.
  
• Then add a layer of whipped topping. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding and whipped topping.
• Sprinkle of the top with crushed gingersnaps, if desired. Refrigerate overnight. Trifle can be layered in a punch bowl.
  

Pie...Pie...Pie!!

GLAZED APPLE CREAM PIE

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. + 1 Tbsp. milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. + 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tart apples - peeled, cored & sliced
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 (15 oz.) pkg. pastry for double-crust pie.
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup cream & 1/4 cup butter. Heat until butter is melted, stirring occasionally.
   
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, 2 Tbsp. milk and 1 tsp. vanilla. Stir into saucepan. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the apples, flour and cinnamon. Mix well.
4. Line a 9 inch pie pan with pie dough. Pour thickened filling mixture into pastry-lined pan. Arrange apple mixture evenly over filling. Top with second crust, seal and flute edges (or get fancy with a lattice top). Cut slits in top crust.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown and apples are tender. Cool for at least 30 min.
6. In a small bowl, combine confectioner's sugar, 1 Tbsp. milk, 1/4 tsp. milk, 1/4 tsp. vanilla, and 1 Tbsp. softened butter. Blend until smooth. Pour evenly over warm pie.
7. Refrigerate for AT LEAST 90 min before serving...longer is better.
   

Gobble Gobble!

I hope that everyone has amazing Thanksgiving filled with family, friends and tons of yummy things to eat...and drink. I'll be posting a couple of the things that I'm be chowing down on today in addition to the turkey.

Have a great one!

Apple Brownies...more like Apple-Cinnamon Cake

Courtesy of allrecipes.com...again.
Another yummy recipe I made last weekend. I was a bit busy!! Ha! Anyway, these yummy bars are nothing like brownies (except made in a brownie pan) and much more like yummy, moist apple cake. Let me know if you like them.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 medium apples - peeled, cored & thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
  
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9 inch baking dish.
• In a large bowel, beat together the melted butter, sugar and egg until fluffy. Fold in the apples and walnuts.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.
  
• Stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture until just blended. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking dish.
• Bake 35 min...or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  

Crazy Good Pumpkin Bread!

So last weekend I tried out this new recipe. Crazy good...and super easy! Hope you like it!

DOWNEAST MAINE PUMPKIN BREAD (courtesy of allrecipes.com)
Ingredients:

• 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup water
• 3 cups white sugar
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 3 7x13 inch loaf pans.
• In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended.
• In a separate bowel, whisk together the flour, baking soda, sat, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger.
• Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
• Bake for about 50 min. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
  

Halloween - Springfield, IL Trip

Halloween weekend Chad and I took a weekend trip up to Springfield, IL to take in a showing of Tap Dogs. Tap Dogs is a street-like tap dance production that Chad's brother, Ryan, participated in for about 10 years...and the reason that Ryan ended up in S. Africa. So, of course, I had to see it! One of the best things about it was that one of Ryan's friends, Sheldon, was playing the lead role. I first met Sheldon in S. Africa for Ryan's wedding and was excited to see him again!! The Tap Dogs rolled into Springfield on Saturday evening. We met up with Sheldon at a local sports bar and helped him ring in his 40th birthday. Happy Birthday, Sheldon! The show was Sunday afternoon, and it was amazing! Sheldon reserved great seats for us. Thanks again!


We also took in some sights around Springfield that weekend....the Dana-Thomas House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright (pic below) and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. The museum was revamped in 2005 and is quite amazing now! Very interactive. The Dana-Thomas house is also quite unbelievable! Check it out if you get up that way! Have a horseshoe for me...D'Arcy's Pint was closed...the only downer of the entire weekend. Guess we'll have to make another trip...