Festive Cranberry Gin & Tonic

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My “go to” cocktail for this pandemic year is one that I thought I had concocted myself. It was based upon my love for gin and tonic, the excavation of cranberry juice in the back of my fridge, and the over purchase of limes (I thought I was buying one and ended up with a bag of them). I Googled to see if I had indeed created a new cocktail, but instead became sadly aware that I wasn’t the genius that I thought I was, as a version can be found on the blog A Nerd Cooks. Great minds, obviously. I have adapted mine to include Fever Tree tonic. If you’re going to make a cocktail, do it right and use the best ingredients available. For tonic lovers, there is no other. Try it; it will make a world of difference.

 

Festive Cranberry Gin & Tonic

Slightly adapted from A Nerd Cooks

 1.5-2 oz. gin*

2 oz. cranberry juice

½ lime, juiced

2 oz. Fever Tree tonic water

Lime wedge and fresh cranberries, for garnish

 Pour the gin, cranberry juice, and lime juice over ice in your most festive holiday glass. Top with the tonic water and garnish with a lime wedge and cranberries.

 *I use Hendricks gin. Feel free to have a heavy hand with it. I won’t judge you.

 

Trader Joe’s Inspired Roasted Pecan Blue Cheese Spread

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I have always felt that there is good and bad in everything, even a pandemic. One of the good things is that I can get my favorite food, from my favorite restaurant, brought right to my door. I have to admit that, initially, I went a little crazy ordering food (my hips will back me up on this).  But, that can get to be a little expensive, which caused me to wonder why I couldn’t re-create some of these dishes on my own.

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, then you know that my favorite food is a cheeseburger. I like any kind of cheeseburger with any kind of cheese, single patty or double, broiled or grilled, topped with a variety of condiments, or plain, as long as there is meat and cheese on a bun, I’m a happy girl. I do have a particular liking for the bacon bleu cheese burger at Red Robin, and that got me thinking. Why not make my own delicious burger, top it with thick slices of Applewood-smoked bacon, and a dollop of blue cheese spread? The blue cheese spread that I had in mind was the kind that is sold at Trader Joe’s. Sadly, TJ’s doesn’t deliver, so I was determined to make my own. The result of that effort is the recipe below. It makes a fabulous blue cheese bacon burger, but it’s also very tasty on its own with fresh fruit and crackers. Perfect for a snack, perfect to top a burger or steak, easy to make, and keeps in the fridge for 7-10 days. What are you waiting for?

Trader Joe’s Inspired Roasted Pecan Blue Cheese Spread

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup chopped pecans

4 oz. container blue cheese crumbles

2 T. sour cream

1/8 t. Worcestershire sauce 

Pinch of salt

Few gratings freshly ground black pepper

 In a 9-inch sauté pan over medium heat, toast pecans until fragrant and golden.

 Place remaining ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until well blended. Turn into storage container and chill at least an hour before using.

 Use it as a dip or spread on its own with fresh fruit and potatoes, or as a topping for steaks and burgers.

 

 

Decorating with lamps can be illuminating.

I tend not to be the kind of person who dwells on things, and I’m talking about loss. I tend to be the kind of person to buck up and carry-on, because life is just too short not to. But, during the month of December, I find I am really missing my mom. Mother loved Christmas. She shopped for people all year long, carefully considering their personalities, wants, needs, and senses of style when buying gifts. She was also the person to whom I would turn whenever I had a decorating dilemma. She would shoot from the hip, and tell me if my idea was a good one, or stank on ice.

So, my friends, I turn to you with a query… Is this too much? My builder, Joe, installed an electrical outlet beneath this (mother’s) table today. I was considering a light over the picture, and then remembered this pair of lamps that used to belong to my parents. I love the lamps with their tall bases and leather shades. I would like to use them somewhere, and am wondering if this is the place. It is a dark corner that needs illumination, but am I overdoing things here? What are your thoughts? Here are a couple of views from various angles to give you the lay of the land.

A final note, the table also belonged to my parents, and the silk floral arrangement stays. It was made for my mother by the daughter of a long-time family friend who was killed in an automobile accident the following week. Lots of feeling and sentimentality here, as in most of my house.

 Shine a light on my darkness. (Sorry, cheap shot, but I couldn’t resist.) ;-)

 

Nostalgic Holiday Sparkle

I still, occasionally, run into a box of my parents' things. Not too long ago I found the box of ornaments that my mother had used on her loft tree. Mother would put up a tree in every room of the house; each tree had a different theme and color. The loft tree was nostalgic and sparkled with gold. I decorated this tree with all of my mother's beautiful, long-collected ornaments, and, in doing so, relived those wonderful days of her legendary Christmas brunch, mounds of packages, rooms filled with candlelight and trees, and best of all, friends and family.

What is your favorite Christmas memory?

 

Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup

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Years ago there was a brilliant comedy called Seinfeld. It was a show about nothing, and ended up being a show about everything. In one episode, the main characters were ruminating over whether or not a bowl of soup could be considered a meal. Finally, it was decided, that if crackers were crumbled into a bowl of soup it can, indeed, be considered a meal.

I got to thinking about soup garnishes, and I decided to get a little crazy with mine. If you’re going to turn soup into a meal, why not begin with a simple, nutritious, fan favorite like cream of tomato soup, and go crazy with the garnishes. You can be as creative as your imagination allows.

Here, on top of this delicious roasted tomato soup, I have added chopped parsley, chopped bacon, toasted ravioli, and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Hearty and delicious, this was definitely a meal. As I was eating it, I started to think about other garnishes that would work equally well. Here’s what I came up with:

Tater tots
French fries
Popcorn chicken
Popcorn shrimp
Popcorn
Mini grilled cheese sandwiches
French fried onion rings
Full sized onion rings
Mini sliders

See how many you can come up with on your own and be sure to tell me about it. I am definitely open to suggestion. Meanwhile, make yourself a bowl of this delicious and warming soup, and enjoy it in front of the fire.

 

Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup

2 T. olive oil

1 3-oz.pkg. Melissa’s shallots, chopped

½ c. diced celery

½ c. diced carrots

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 14.5-oz. cans of fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juices

2 14.5 oz. cans petite-diced tomatoes with juices

1 c. beef broth

½ c. heavy cream

1 bay leaf

¼ t. dried basil

1 t. smoked paprika

1 t. kosher salt

 Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large stockpot. Add the shallots, celery, and carrots, and sauté until tender, about five minutes. Reduce heat to medium and stir in garlic. Add remaining ingredients, give it a stir and simmer over medium/low heat for 15 minutes.

 Remove the bay leaf and use an immersion blender to blend the soup to your desired consistency. If you don’t have an immersion blender, well, get one, but in the meantime you can use a food processor or blender. If the soup is too thick, thin with more cream, beef stock, or tomato juice.

 

 

Christmas Cheese Ball

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Back in the 70s, cheese balls were the thing. No matter the decade, I love them, always have. They were not, however, as full of flavor as the cheese ball concoctions of today. I was thinking about the red and green colors of Christmas, and came up with this one. Festive and delicious, it’s good with crackers, of course, but it’s also wonderful spread on slices of crisp apple, or in the crevices of celery. If you’re making social distancing appetizers, this cheese ball can be turned into four mini cheese balls for individual plates.

 Christmas Cheese Ball

1 large green onion
1 small clove garlic
⅓ c. Melissa’s dried cranberries

3 pieces cooked bacon, crumbled
Pinch cayenne
1 t. freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Pinch garlic salt

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
½ c. shredded white cheddar cheese

¼ c. chopped pecans, roasted
3 pieces cooked bacon, crumbled
½ t. dried parsley

Crackers, apples, or crudités, for serving

In the work bowl of your food processor, place first eight ingredients. Pulse until finely chopped. Empty mixture into a medium mixing bowl. With a hand mixer beat in cream cheese and cheddar cheese. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Place roasted pecans, crumbled bacon, and dried parsley into a bowl. Stir together. Form the cheese mixture into a ball, and roll in the pecan/bacon/parsley mixture until covered. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

 

 

 

Scalloped Corn

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I mentioned earlier in the week that I tried a new vegetable for Thanksgiving. I was very pleased when I learned that my daughter-in-law absolutely loved corn; I’m always happy to please and surprise people at dinner. It happens to be one of my favorite vegetables as well. I love the versatility of corn, and routinely add it to fresh salads as well as enjoy it hot with melted butter. We all thoroughly enjoyed this easy casserole. It’s a snap to put together, you can make it a day ahead of time, and it is light enough to serve at brunch, yet satisfying enough to serve for dinner. I could eat it as a main course. It’s that good.

 Scalloped Corn
foodnetwork.com

3 T. unsalted butter
3 large eggs
¾ c. whole milk

¾ c. heavy cream
1 T. sugar
2 14.5-oz. cans corn

½ c. grated carrots
1 ½ c. coarsely chopped Ritz crackers
1 c. shredded smoked Gouda cheese
1 t. salt

1/8 t. white pepper 

Preheat oven to 325° F. Spray a 2-quart oval gratin or baking dish with PAM.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and cream together until well blended. Add the sugar, corn, carrots, ½ cup of the Ritz, ½ cup of the Gouda, and salt. Pour the mixture into the baking dish, spreading to make an even layer.

Bake uncovered until the edges are set but the center is still wet, about 35 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small dish in the microwave. Toss butter with the remaining 1 cup crushed crackers and remaining ½ cup cheese. Pour cracker mixture evenly over the top of the corn, and continue baking until the edges are browned and the top is set and golden, 20 to 25 minutes more. Remove from oven and let stand five minutes before serving.