Best Cocoa Brownies

Cocoa Delight. 

This is short and sweet, literally. 

I'm going to let the following accolades convince you that these are some of the best brownies that you will ever make.  If you are looking for a simple, yet fantastic dessert for the upcoming holidays, this is it.  If your coworkers are stressed out, this is for them.  If you are going to your in-laws for the first time and don't want to overshoot, this is what you need.  If you have no other reason than you are craving the dark, rich cocoa flavor and fudgy texture that these brownies have, this is for you.  Cut them into little bites and they make perfect shots of chocolate. Not kidding.

Going...

Just listen to this praise!  When I brought the brownies to work and a bunch of college-age boys got their hands them, in addition to my boss, you would have thought their tough guy exteriors melted away to reveal a delightfully fudgy interior.  I took that way too far, but you get the idea.  Their resistance was down and one after another succumbed to my dark brownie temptation:

____________________________

"Oh...oh-oh-oh. [insert rubbing of tummy here] These remind me of my grandma.  My grandma makes brownies just like this.  These remind me of home. I want to go home!"

"Oh wow.  This is the point where if you were single, I would ask you to marry me."

"I don't even like fudge. Like, at all.  But these brownies are fudgy and awesome."

lin a southern twang] "Mmm these are good right here."

[and then there's always my boss who comes back for one, then another, then another, both quietly and pleasingly.]

___________________________


I'll let these accolades speak for themselves.  MAKE THESE BROWNIES!

{And thanks toSmittenKitchen.com who posted them!  Read what she has to say, but my favorite line is: "The result is something that could convert those that believe that all roads to fudgy, dark and rich brownies must be paved bricks of tempered chocolate."}

Going...

Best Cocoa Brownies


[From SmittenKitchen.com's 1.30.2010 entry and Adapted from Alice Medrich’s Bittersweet]
Makes 16 larger or 25 smaller brownies (the size you see pictured yielded 25ish)

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks, 5 ounces or 141 grams) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (9 7/8 ounces, 280 grams) sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 7/8 ounces, 82 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
1/4 teaspoon salt (or a heaping 1/4 teaspoon flaky salt, as I used)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, cold
1/2 cup (66 grams, 2 3/8 ounces) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup walnut or pecan pieces (optional)

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.
Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water. (My note:  I know this step sounds funky, but trust me, give it a few minutes and it works like a charm). Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test. Remove the bowl from the skillet and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot. It looks fairly gritty at this point, but don’t fret — it smooths out once the eggs and flour are added. [SmittenKitchenNote: many people who have tried this recipe have found that this step works just fine in the microwave.]

Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Stir in the nuts, if using (I left the nuts out). Spread evenly in the lined pan.

Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes is Medrich’s suggestion but it took me at least 10 minutes longer to get them set. Let cool completely on a rack. [SmittenKitchenNote:  I go further and throw mine in the fridge or freezer for a while; it’s the only way I can get them to cut with clean lines.] (My note: I did put them in the fridge after they had thoroughly cooled to spend the night.  It made them very easy to cut the next morning before work.)


Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares. (My note: I cut mine into two-bite sized pieces since they pack a punch.  I also flipped the brownies upside-down when I put them on the plate to make use of the smooth texture and dark color on the bottom.)

Gone.

Pizza in July? A rant.

Our favorites: spinach, red onion, ground beef, mushrooms, mozzarella

Someone poke me and remind me what season it is.

 These are the things I know to be true:  I know Thanksgiving is coming this month.  I also know Christmas follows Thanksgiving. I am also aware that I live in Mississippi.  But come on, people!  It's 80 degrees today and over the weekend Hobby Lobby had a 50% off Christmas sale.  Christmas SALE?  Did I miss CHRISTMAS??  Maybe it's Spring and nobody told me? My capris say Spring! Can you tell my stubborn northern patience has worn thin??


 [I know people comment all the time on the majorly screwed up timeline that our retailers provide America regarding the holidays and believe me, I work in retail, so I'm inundated with Christmas cookie cutters already.  I also realize I'm probably preaching to the choir when I say, LET ME HAVE MY THANKSGIVING BACK.  And you know what? I WANT MY LONG PANTS BACK TOO.   I know I'm demanding, but if you skip Thanksgiving, then you skip my birthday, so not only am I offended that you {corporate America} have forgotten the most important meal of the year, but you {corporate America} have also taken away my presents.  Yes, I'm an adult, but I still love my presents.  And now, my soap box is accounted for until this time next year...]

turkey bacon, red onion, mushrooms, mozzarella

<b r e a t h e>

With all that said, I'm ready to talk about what tastes good to me no matter what time of year, what temperature it is outside, which state or country you live in, or what holiday season you're told it is:  PIZZA.  Ask my husband, but I make a pretty mean homemade pizza, though I can't confidently say they are completely homemade since most have a secret ingredient that starts with "Great" and ends in "Value."  I almost don't want to say it out loud, but *Wal*Mart* (insert bad words at the *) makes it way into my kitchen almost every time I make a pizza.  I wish it weren't the case, but my opinions on that subject are better shared another day. ANYWAY, you can't argue with a 48 cent bargain of a mix that creates a mean thin and crispy crust.  I've made homemade crusts before and don't mind doing them; heck, I've even taught a class on it, but these little crust mixes work wonders when you only have 30 minutes on a weeknight to feed your hungry man.  And as my iPhone picture gallery shows, I take pictures of them every time they come out of the oven because they are so darn good lookin'.  They are all different in toppings, but all wonderful.

Black Bean Fiesta Pizza (vegetarian)

I guess, but am not sure, that the purpose of today's post is to rant about American "consumerism" during a boisterous time of year, and then here I go raving about pizza crust mixes bought only from a monopolizing American corporation. 
{---S-o-r-r-y---} 
Regardless of this vicious trap, here are some pretty tasty pizzas to admire while you ponder what *Wal*Mart*, Christmas, Thanksgiving, means to you.  My next post will be full of (appropriate) holiday cheer, I promise!

Can you tell we like red onion? Along with feta, spinach, and turkey bacon.

This is my homemade crust w/pepperoni, spinach, mushrooms, onion

October & Pumpkin Spiced Oatmeal Pecan Cookies

Where have you been?!  Well, really, where have I been?!  It's been a crazy month of October and this long post reflects just that.  I wish I could say our leaves are changing to beautiful hints of red and yellow, but if you know the south at all, you know they turn a nice shade of autumn brown and drop dead to the ground.  Something about the rains and the heat and something or other, but it's not pretty.  Regardless, our brown October has involved a lot of weddings, travels, and friends, and has added a lot of miles to our new little zip around.  It's a lot easier making road trips when you get 30mpg as opposed to 17. Believe me, it was time for an upgrade.

Pineapple-Cilantro Margarita

Cafe du Monde

So, I'll give you a taste of where my husband and I have been this month with the pictures below.  The first trip was to New Orleans which included fried green tomatoes (how very southern of us), beignets, and the freshest margaritas I've ever tasted:

Fried Green Tomatoes!

The second trip took us to fields of Mississippi Delta cotton and the joining of two do-it-yourself-creative friends in marriage:

Mr. and Mrs. Hodges!

Where's Waldo??

The third trip involved a best friend's wedding in the middle of the Midwest (literally, the geographic center of the country) where I was honored to stand as witness to this couple's testament of love.  My mightily talented husband was the photographer, capturing every happy moment: 

Yellow and Grey Wedding!

Roomies :)

www.sullyclemmer.com

The fourth trip took us back to the Mississippi Delta where we played in a good ole fashioned croquet tournament.  Both my husband and I made it to the finals, but didn't bring home the bacon. :(  Here's one of our hosts demonstrating his unique form <<<(ha!).

I'd say this month was one of those do-laundry-when-you-can-because-we're-taking-another-trip-tomorrow, try-to-cook-more-than-cereal-tonight, where's-that-pair-of-shoes, wait-I-have-to-work-tomorrow-morning? type of months.  I'm ready to stop....drop....and roll... into the holiday season! 

Now, food.  That is the idea here, right?  I didn't plan on blogging about these treats because I really didn't think this "healthy" recipe would be that good tasting.  You know, when you read recipes or labels that contain words like "half-fat Splenda wheat substitute", all I can conjure up in my mind is a mass of something that tastes like wood with the texture of play-dough, the kind of thing you put in your mouth with your eyes closed and your nose all scrunched up, all for no good reason except, "it's good for me, it's good for me, i think i can, i think i can."  This recipe does not include "half-fat Splenda wheat substitute", but it could be a Weight Watchers recipe for those that count points or a health-conscious recipe for those that count calories, or beyond all that, a taste and smell of fall that I've been craving.  With the busyness of this month, it was hard to find time to enjoy the kitchen.  Most nights it was something quick and the weekends were away, so that left little time for creative cooking, let alone a reason to blog about the latest quick meal.  Anyway, the night before our final October trip presented an opportunity to bake these little pumpkin gems and after observing my husband's wide-eyed reaction to his first bite, I knew I found a winner!  And, they're healthy!

On another note, I'm not sure about you, but when I read "1 tablespoon-sized cookies" I thought in no way was that big enough for me.  But trusting the recipe's instructions, I used a tablespoon to measure out the dough and plop them on the baking sheet.  I made exactly 32, the number on the recipe, and these cookies were not too small!  Just the right size actually. Because I did not plan on blogging about these until after they were baked, I have one picture of my own to show you, but the website where I found them has many others to capture the process.  Check it out for lots of other skinny recipe ideas.  These are too good not to share!  Happy Fall!

Pumpkin Spiced Oatmeal Pecan Cookies

"Chewy, low-fat oatmeal cookies made with quick oats, pumpkin, and chopped pecans."

Recipe from Skinny Taste, a great website for skinny recipes!

Servings: 16 • Serving Size: 2 cookies • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories:  165.2 • Fat: 6.3 g • Protein: 3.3 g • Carb: 26.3 g • Fiber: 1.6 g • Sugar: 13 g
Sodium:  149.4 mg
Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups quick oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unpacked brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 6 tbsp canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°; line two baking sheets with parchment paper or use a silpat.
In a medium bowl,  whisk together flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice and cinnamon. In a large bowl, with a mixer, cream together the butter and the sugars on medium speed.

 Add the egg, followed by the pumpkin and vanilla extract.

Working by hand, stir in the flour mixture and the oats until just combined and no streaks of flour remain; stir in the pecans.

Drop 1 tablespoon of the dough at a time onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until cookies become light brown at the edges.
Cool on baking sheet for 3 or 4 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 32 cookies, 1 tbsp each.

(If you must)

Splenda Lovers: Substitute all the brown sugar with 1/4 cup Splenda brown sugar blend, and all the white sugar for 1/4 cup Splenda sugar blend. Points remain the same.

It Must Be Love

The U.S. Open is over (*tear*), so what's there to do?  I love tennis and this year's open theme was "It Must be Love."  That theme sets the framework for today's post:

You tell me:  If you were to entertain/teach fourteen sets of curious, attentive eyes the ins and outs of Roman-style pizza, spending roughly 3 hours from prep to clean up and many more hours in studious thought, what would you go home and do after all was said and done?  Watch tv? Take a nap? Swear off the oven forever (or maybe just pizza)?!  Nope.  Not here.  After I completed teaching my first Technique Class at Williams Sonoma this weekend (you missed out!), I went home, changed into comfy clothes, took a shot or two of vitamin C (OJ) for a boost, and got back in the kitchen. (what?!?)  I baked granola.  I baked pumpkin bread, because after all, my fall wreath is on the door and its time for pumpkin in the oven.  I replenished our supply of salad dressing by making a quick red wine vinaigrette.  And none of this was dinner.  I'm cuh-razy, but really, I think it's just that I love it. 

Cooking and baking are definitely a science, which is what I spent the middle part of my Sunday teaching.  I answered factual questions like, "How long do you "proof" yeast?"  "What consistency do you desire in your pizza crust dough?"  "What temperature is 'lukewarm'?" And then I went home and found myself "unwinding" by getting back in the kitchen and stirring up what I love: the warm spiced pecan pumpkin bread that brings thoughts of autumn colors and cool weather, the crunchy, healthy granola from my favorite Amish cookbook-reminding me of growing up near the Amish community up north, and the vinaigrette? just a practical addition to my fridge needed to feed my family heart-healthy salads with ingredients I know how to pronounce.  Also, I can't bear to part with my granola recipe just yet, but this one looks pretty awesome.

Rhubarb

A long, rainy Labor Day weekend is now behind us (thanks Tropical Storm Lee, for dumping your rain on everyone's plans across the south-central and southeastern United States!), and with that, the official end of summer.  While this is sad to some, this northern girl is pumped for fall!  Where have you been, sweaters?  Hoodies?  Long pants?  Seriously, my wardrobe is changing the second I can feel the frizz in my hair relax.  Anyway, I realized that even though my blog was a late summer addition to my life and yours, I really should have something in here about quite possibly my favorite food, one which shines in the late spring/early summer of the north:  Rhubarb.  Rhubarb is the odd man out.  It's paired with fruit, typically, looks like a vegetable (think red celery), yet acts like a root, above ground.  It has leaves the size of elephant ears sometimes, though you don't eat them (really, they're toxic!).  You crunch down on its bitter stalk only to awaken your tart-sensitive taste buds that are long dormant after a winter of crock pot stews and Christmas-coated sweets.  Pucker up!! This "vegetable" is versatile and adds a crisp, distinct tartness to any dish.  It's BFF? The Strawberry.  Nothing compares to a fresh-from-the-oven strawberry-rhubarb pie, oozing with sweet strawberry juices, countered with the red tart chunks of glorious rhubarb.  MMhMM!   My second favorite concoction?  Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam.  My mother and grandmother make it best.  It’s a freezer jam so there’s no playing around with “popping” jar lids, seals, etc.  I need to find that recipe.  It’s so good, it ended up as the favor at my wedding reception.  I’m not kidding!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam

*Disclaimer: The following pictures, except for the first and final shots, were taken off a general site full of rhubarb images. I felt kind of like a rhubarb stalker (I crack myself UP), especially considering I found a picture of a young girl holding stalks of rhubarb. I'm sorry, it's weird! But, I needed to give you a sense of perspective, and know that this is probably what I looked like as a chillin' holding the red stalks as I carried them to the butcher, a.k.a. mom, to be chopped into all kinds of goodies.*

My earliest memory with rhubarb takes place on the farm where I grew up.  We had a rhubarb patch that seemed to have a life of its own, producing the most beautiful ruffled leaves and sturdy, candy-apple red stalks without much touch of a human hand. 

  

We, as young curious gardeners, were allowed to cut up the rhubarb into chunks, while sneaking a few bites into my little brother’s mouth (“See? You’ll like it! Trust us…”).  And so he did, and then proceeded to run and tattle on my sister and me for “making” him enjoy this tart pleasure.  How could we possibly be in trouble? This always baffled me.  I loved the stuff.  I dipped it in white sugar (ah, that was what my little brother was missing…) and gobbled it up.

There is a picture of my sister and me cutting away with our smiles and pigtails.  ‘Twas a happy day that usually concluded with a fresh pie, fresh jam, or even fresh rhubarb sauce.

There are lots of recipes out there for strawberry-rhubarb pie, jam, and sauce.  Take a look around!  Since I’m such fan of SmittenKitchen that I have used hers.  I’ve used my mom’s.  I’ve used Betty Crocker’s.  Let me know what you discover!  Pictured below is a strawberry-rhubarb pie made with the help of the lovely and skillful hands of my mother during their visit this past July.  Even though it was mid-July, she was able to find over-priced fresh rhubarb in a northern grocery store, safely and carefully transport it to the south, and kept it alive until it was time to make the pie!  Thanks, mom!!

I love the lattice top!

Jacked Up Banana Bread

I’ve had a few firsts in the last week:  poaching eggs, joining Pinterest, cooking with leeks (ok, it was my second time after a long absence but I’m really coming around to them!), carpooling to work, making Vegetable Chow Mein for dinner, watching Mad Men while I spin (Oh Draper...), and last but far from the least, having an “unplanned” Saturday.  Perhaps this last item is most pertinent to today’s post.  What else do you do with your first unplanned, non-working Saturday in weeks but take stock of your freezer, realize you’ve got 15 (count ‘em, fifteen) frozen bananas, and turn them into five (count ‘em, five) loaves of banana bread, varying them with or without dark chocolate chips and walnuts.  But of course you do!!

Mr. Jack

So, the following happened on this unplanned day of days:  I didn’t put on make-up, turned up the tunes, donned my apron, and baked.  I know I sound like a real life homebody, but I have to say that I could not have asked for a better day.  The hubby was working in his shop/"creative space”, so I worked in mine.  We make a great team. :)

FIVE! Notice chocolate on some, walnuts on others.

Chocolate Walnut Banana Bread

I have a hard time dirtying up my pretty aprons!

Brother from another mother.

 This is my favorite banana bread recipe thus far, and there are many, many out there.  It uses booze and I like that. ;)  Thank you, Smitten Kitchen, for this version of a classic!  You may add fill-ins such as chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, walnuts, pecans, etc, or add cream cheese frosting to dress it up as a dessert.  I highly recommend freezing the bread in greater quantities, like I did.  Let the loaves cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap followed by foil.  Label with a date and stick them in the freezer, especially before the hubby comes home!   

Eggplant and Ricotta Rolls

Eggplant and Ricotta Rolls became a natural choice for my planned themed "Italian Night" last week.  I think, like most cooks I know, I was getting into a rut.  How many ways can one brown ground turkey?  Construct a panini?  Fry an egg?  While all of these are relatively fast and tasty options, this cook was tired of the obvious.  I scored a great deal on a Williams Sonoma cookbook recently and used it to jump-start my dinner repertoire.  Since this cookbook features recipes from all around the world, I flipped to the Italian section, recalling our trip to Italy six months ago, and was pumped to find a simple vegetarian/low-carb twist on a classic cannelloni (tube-like pasta) dish.  My husband was enthused when I announced that we would have "world cooking theme" nights, featuring recipes from this cookbook (well, enthused mostly that he would be fed something other than eggs for the next few weeks).  Hey, I'll take a chance on any recipe that builds on affordable, common ingredients to make a meal a little less predictable.  Our first theme night featured this meatless dish using summer eggplant wrapped around three types of cheeses and topped with a basic red pasta sauce.  How can you go wrong with cheese? And three types? With marinara sauce?  My man was all thumbs up after this one.

To make this recipe with meat, while staying within the boundaries of Italian cooking, I recommend adding prosciutto, like they did HERE.  Prosciutto is anywhere and everywhere in Italy, so it only makes sense to utilize this common sliced variety of ham.  Unfortunately, while it's cheap in Italy, it's not so cheap in the U.S.  If you buy prosciutto, please (I beg of you), please do not buy the prepackaged, already sliced version.  Blech.  It's slimy.  Go to a reputable meat counter and ask to get it sliced for you.  A little bit of effort goes a long way.  So, grab a glass of red and go Italian!

Eggplant and Ricotta Rolls, from Williams Sonoma's "The World Kitchen," p. 69:

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant (1 1/2 lb), trimmed

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 c. (8oz) whole-milk ricotta cheese

1/4 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded

4 T. (1oz) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 T. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Olive Oil for brushing

 2 1/2 c. (20 fl. oz) Pasta Sauce (any variety)

1. Cut the eggplant crosswise on the diagonal into slices about 1/4 in. think.  Layer the slices in a colander set over a plate, sprinkling each layer with salt, and let stand for 30 minutes to drain.

2. Preheat the over to 450 degrees F.  In a bowl stir together the ricotta, mozzarella, 2 T. of the Parmesan, the parsley, and pepper to taste.

3. Rinse the eggplant slices under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.  Brush the slices on both sides with olive oil and arrange them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.

4. Bake the eggplant until lightly golden brown on the bottom, about 10 minutes.  Turn the slices over and continue to bake until browned on the other side, 5-10 minutes longer.  Remove the eggplant from the oven.  Reduce the oven temp to 350 degrees.

5. Spoon a thin layer of the tomato sauce into a 9-in square baking dish.  To make each eggplant roll, place a spoonful of the cheese mixture near one end of a slice and roll up the slice.

As each roll is formed, place it seam side down on the dish.  Spoon the remaining sauce over the rolls, then sprinkle evenly with the remaining 2 T. Parmesan.

6. Bake until the sauce is bubbling hot and the rolls are heated through, about 25 minutes.  Divide the rolls among individual plates and serve at once. 

By the way, this savory dish was served alongside home-baked (in a breadmaker, I cheated) Italian Herb bread, like so:  

Oh, and don't judge.  I know you can see the blue glow from the TV in this final picture.  Yes, we eat in front of the TV, but listen, Italian is still Italian even while eaten in front of a riveting episode of The Bachelorette.

 


 

The Help

If you live in the South, you know about the book.  You might even have a friend of a friend who was an extra in the movie, as it was filmed in Jackson, MS.  Or, you may even know the Stockett family who has roots in central Mississippi, like, in my neighborhood.  Kathryn Stockett, author of the phenomenal book, The Help, was born three minutes away from where I live and lived in a house just a few blocks away from me for the first part of her life.  In fact, she lived right beside the iconic Southern author, Eudora Welty. Ironic? Yes.  Is she destined to become a great figure in literary history like Ms. Welty?  I have yet to see it, because after all, this is only her first novel, but I believe her honest and eloquent writing will propel her into a solid future.  How would you like for your maiden novel to be turned into a major Hollywood production with a passionate following all across the country?  Now that's impressive, y'all.

I so wished I could have afforded the $500 price tag to sit next to the stars (Emma Stone, anyone?) and experience the premier of the film in Mississippi, but alas, I settled for a $9 ticket a couple short nights ago to see the movie on its official opening day.  It was magical.  Our group settled in at the 10pm showing to avoid the crowds and found a whole row to ourselves.  It pays to go late, people! With that said, I would be lying if I didn't admit that I needed three cups of coffee and a shot of espresso to get through the longest Thursday of work ever.  I know it.  I'm old.  Anyway, go see it!!  The Help gives you such an exquisite and revealing look at life in Jackson, MS in the 1960s and depicts the stories of black help that raised white children.  I had been a fan ever since I read the book (for the first time) and was counting down the moments until the movie hit the silver screen.  This novel-turned-movie provokes tears, laughter, hate, and love through the tales of lives lived not that long ago.

And now, a side recipe to snack on!  The night of the movie, some chatty ladies and I got together over wine, cheese, and other yummy sides.  Need a quick, mid-busy-work-week, healthy appetizer?  I brought these:

Turkey Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

I'm telling you, this is so deceiving.  Its reception at parties usually contains the phrases, "Oooh! Who made this?" "These look lovely!" "So green!" "Healthy", etc.  To do: 

Cut strips of turkey bacon in half, the short way.  Wash and clean a bundle of asparagus, cut off the ends, and snap them in half.  Bundle two "tops" and two "bottoms" and wrap in a half strip of bacon.  Season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic, or whatever your taste buds are craving.  I think lemon juice would bring out the green and the freshness of the veggie.  Bake at 350-375, depending on your oven, for about 20-25 min, just until the bacon browns and the asparagus starts to appear heated through.  It will have a good bit of give to it, but it makes for a solid bite.  If you like softer stalks, bake longer.  Tada! Done!  I don't use a recipe for this; I just like to throw it all together and when baked, display on a silver tray.  Hey, you gotta dress to impress.

Birthdays All Around!

Two very sweet ladies in my life have birthdays this week and I can't not (excuse my grammar) acknowledge them.  In fact, I'm pretty sure they are sweeter than any sweet tea I've ever sipped (gasp!).  I should have a piece of cake in your honor, right?  These two have meant so much to me throughout my life, one having grown up with me (duh) and one I did a little more growing up with in college and beyond.  My sister and one of my dearest friends happen to share birthday weeks so of course I'm sending my hugs across the miles to each of them.  My sister remains harbored in the north while my friend (and also a bride-to-be!) has transplanted too many times to count, but calls Kansas her home, for now. :) Happy Birthday, loves!

Grad Day 2011.  Look at all those cords!

Turkey Day 2010: Her first southern Thanksgiving! 

The Market

{First of all, welcome! This is such an adventure for me. Thanks for visiting my blog!}  Really, I'm not just going to discuss fried foods on here (I know, I know).  In fact, I'm quite the health nut, which has produced some tricky impasses along my way through the South.  I respect traditional "Southern cooking" and now have favorites I never knew I had, like purple hull peas, warm sweet potato biscuits, and creamy shrimp and grits, but I’d much rather walk through a Whole Foods (please come to Jackson!) or Fresh Market store for their organic, go-green, local, buy in bulk, health-friendly products.  This blog will feature Southern recipes on occasion, but I will more often portray scenes from an active life as I try to make smart food and fitness decisions for my husband (a Southern boy!) and me.
    

My favorite place to shop right now is the Mississippi Farmer’s Market.  Check it out HERE and become a fan.  Every Saturday morning from early spring to the end of our sweltering summer (like, November) they serve countless folks from all over the area the freshest goods from local farmers and artisans.  Last weekend I bought my weight in yellow squash and zucchini, took it home, and cooked up a delicious summer squash and zucchini casserole for dinner.  These soft cooked veggies, along with a hint of sharp cheddar cheese and topped with crunchy-baked cracker crumbs, was the perfect side dish to feed my northern parents on their visit.  The Market hosts vendors like dear Ms Betty who brings a variety of home-canned jams, jellies, curds, slow-simmered tomato sauces, Sicilian capanatas, salsas, chow-chow, etc., with samples of each to spare.  If you’re like my husband, you’ll sweet talk her into not one, not two, but three samples of her black bean and corn salsa (medium hot) in one visit.  The Hummus Queen sits a few places down on her throne as she loudly proclaims her love for all things hummus.  Ever tried boiled peanut hummus? She makes it.  My top pick?  Black Bean.  With all that said, see you at the Market!