Artichokes - Amazingly easy and delicious!

Artichokes are great!   They're easy to prepare, easy to cook and look fantastic served.   We eat them all the time when they're in season.  We always serve with a side of our homemade dipping sauce which I've included in this post but you can use your imagination and create something just as delicious.

Steamed Artichokes with dipping sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 fresh artichokes, prepped 
• water
• salt and pepper
• lime juice

Directions:   In a large pot with liner, add enough salted water to give the artichokes a good steam, but not covered.   To prep the artichokes, remove any bottom leaves that are damaged and then trim the stem.   With scissors, snip the tip of each leaf off, as much as you want, removing the sharp tip.   Additionally, trim the top of each artichoke about 1/2 inch.   Place in pot, salt and pepper and give then give them a squeeze of lime juice and steam until tender, 15-20 minutes.

While the artichokes are steaming, prepare your sauce...

Ingredients:

• 1 T butter, melted
• 2 T lime juice
• 1/2 C prepared Mayonnaise
• 1 t. Cavendar's Seasoning
• 1 T Parmesan cheese

Melt butter and let cool for a minute or two then add the remaining ingredients and whisk until blended together.

Once artichokes are steamed, plate with the sauce on the side and what your family devour them!

'Happy Mothers Day'

'Happy Mothers Day'

I'm on a mission...

I am going to make homemade Croissants!

I've been gathering recipes and looking at accompanying images and I'm just going to dive in today!

My dream would be to open the cutest little bakery called Le Croissant - sunny and bright,  french music playing in the background with an incredible array of sweet and savory croissants.   Wrought iron cafe table and chairs would adorn the front so patrons could dive right in and eat their purchases!

Waking up now... task at hand... jumping in... here I go...

Can't wait to show you the fruits of my labor!   More to come (this is not my image, thank you istock).

In the garden...

I love this time of year and wanted to share the beautiful pictures of my Meyer Lemon Tree.   While not a recipe, the lemons are a key ingredient I love to use often.   I tried to count and so far seem to have about 30 lemons the size of cough drops.  So this fall I will be able to make some truly inspiring recipes!   Enjoy!

Cake Balls - simple yet scrumptious!

Have you ever had cake balls???   I wasn't aware of this phenomena until my friend Susan Spense of HWA mentioned it to me.   I ran home and had to make my own version of this - which I did!   WOW do they taste good and are so easy to make.   I love the endless possibilities you have in creating different things to roll them in over the standard dip in chocolate.   Since the cake balls are fairly sweet, I tried making a coating that was yummy but less sugary.   Here is my version!

Cake Balls rolled in cocoa pecans

Ingredients:

• 1 box yellow cake mix, prepared as directed
• 1 container buttercream icing
• 1 C. pecans
• 2 T cocoa powder

Directions:

Prepare the cake per the package instructions.   Cool completely.   Once cooled cut the cake up and transfer into a large bowl.   Crumble the cake with your clean hands and then add the complete container of buttercream icing.   Mix well until the frosting is completely incorporated into the cake.   Place the bowl into the refrigerator for an hour to cool.   Roll cake mixture into 1 inch balls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

In a food processor,  process the pecans until fine.   Gently mix in the cocoa power and put into a pie plate.   Roll each cake ball through the pecan cocoa powder to coat and place back onto the parchment lined cookie sheet.  

Keep refrigerated until you are ready to serve.   Store in an air tight container.   Use your imagination to create different coatings such as coconut, white or milk chocolate or sprinkles.

New Give-Away

Just posted a great new give-away on my other, non Foodie blog... so check it out!

Sagacity of Stacey Hurley-Rider

Fabulous Filled Coconut Cupcakes

I love cupcakes!   A little bit of cake, a little bit of frosting, a few bites and pure heaven!   My  husband is gone on a fishing trip and I've got a house full of girls!   We are very girly and these cupcakes are completely in-line with our home manicures, white wine and ridiculous romantic movies!   Enjoy!

Fabulous Filled Coconut Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 C sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 t. vanilla
• 2 t. coconut extract
• 2 1/2 C cake flour
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 C. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and use cupcake liners in your cupcake pan.   Cream butter with sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs, vanilla, and coconut extract.   In a separate bowl, sift together your cake flour, baking powder and salt.   At low speed, add a scoop of flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture, then mix at medium until incorporated.   Continue until batter is very thick, then add half the buttermilk, then the last bit of flour, then the rest of the buttermilk and blend well.   Spoon into cupcake cups (about 2/3 full) and bake for 22 minutes.

While the cupcakes are baking, make the coconut filling.

• 1 pkg vanilla instant pudding
• 1 C. milk
• 2/3 C. half and half
• 1 T coconut extract

Mix all ingredients and keep in the refrigerator until set and ready to fill into cool cupcakes.

Frosting:

• store bought butter cream frosting
• organic unsweetened coconut shavings

In a separate bowl, mix a little coconut extract with store bought butter cream frosting. Set aside until ready to assemble.

Once the cupcakes have cooled completely - it's time to assemble.   Fill a pastry bag with the coconut filling and a large open tip.   Stuff the tip into the top of each cupcake and fill as much as you can.  Some of the filling will ooze out, but that's perfectly fine.   Frost each cupcake with the coconut laced butter cream.   Then, I roll them in organic and unsweetened shaved coconut!   It adds a level of chewiness to the soft cupcake and the unsweetened version plays well with the sweet frosting.   Then serve and watch out - they will be gone!

Give-Away, Cooking Demo and a Fantastic Recipe!

Re-visiting my Beer and Beef Slow Cooker Stew as this Sunday is my live demo/tasting and the Give-Away!   Please join me on Sunday, April 18th at 1:30 p.m. at Faraday's Kitchen Store for this fun event.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. bottom round, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 3 T. flour 
• 1 med. red onion, cut into med. wedges 
• 4 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch slices 
• 3 potatoes, peeled and cubes
• 3 celery stalks, cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 T rosemary, minced & crushed
• 2, 15 oz cans diced tomatoes, drained 
• 2 bottles brown ale beer 
• 2 T. granulated beef bouillon 
• 1 bay leaf 
• 1 t. caraway seeds 
• salt and pepper to taste 
• Ciabatta bread, sliced and toasted

Directions:

Making sure your beef is patted dry, dust all pieces with flour. Place beef, onion, carrots, potatoes, celery, garlic and rosemary into your slow cooker. Stir in tomatoes and beer. Add beef bouillon, bay and caraway seeds. Cover slow cooker and cook 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high, without removing the lid - no peeking!!!

Check for tenderness of meat at the end of the cooking time, salt and pepper to taste.

Slice and toast the Ciabatta bread, serve the stew in bowls and enjoy!