Buns for Breakfast

Yum! I have wanted to make a homemade breakfast for Christmas morning for years. We usually make the Pillsbury Grands Rolls, but this year I tried the homemade version. This recipe was an two-day process. First I made the dough, put it in a greased bowl, and let it rise. It took over four hours to rise because it was so cold. Then I rolled out the dough, layered the top with brown sugar and cinnamon crumble, rolled the dough into a cylinder, and cut the rounds. Next I put the rolls in a buttered casserole dish. They rose in the fridge over night. Christmas morning I took them out for the next step. I put a pan of boiling water on the bottom rack of a cold oven, then put the rolls on the rack above and closed the oven. The steam rising reactivates the yeast and the rolls rose a little more. Then I took the two pans out, preheated the oven, and baked the rolls. I mixed up the icing and gave the rolls a hearty slathering. They were pretty good for my first try. I thought the icing was not quite sweet enough and the bread part was a little tough, but overall a good experience.

Happy Hanukkah

This Sweet Challah Bread was so fun to make... and I learned something along the way. When you've just finished making something and you realize after the fact that the ingredient you thought you put in, is not what you put in, panicking is beside the point. In other words completely useless. I made this bread out of self-rising flour instead of plain flour, which turned out to be not such a disaster after all. Also for those of you who don't know what Challah bread is, traditionally, it is made for Jewish holidays. Two loaves are made for breakfast on two of the three Sabbath days. I am thinking of making french toast with it in the morning. I can't wait to try more bread recipes. Feel free to send your favorites my way.

Now This Is Shrimp Done Right!

I have found a great way to cook shrimp! Grill 'em all the way. They were marinated in terriyaki, lemon, garlic, and orange. Then grilled over charcoals for about 7-8 minutes. Absolute perfection. They were flavorful and tender. And the pineapple was a perfect compliment. After a great dinner, I had an emotional melt down, whether or not I was actually on the right path, Culinary School. I guess only time will tell. Here goes nothin'!

Christmas Time Bakin'

Last Christmas I made these apple turnovers for my family. I just love to bake and try new desserts. Crunchy granny smith apples, orange juice and zest, spices, and a little flour made up the filling. The recipe called for dried cherries, but I decided to leave them out. Puff Pastry made it super easy. Although they were nice and crisp and flaky when I first pulled them out the oven, this dessert does not travel well. They were soft, and just not the most desirable texture. This dessert is perfect for a dinner party, maybe served with vanilla ice cream, but not the best for an out-of-towner. If anyone has a good on-the-road dessert for Christmas time, send them my way.

Shrimp???

Shrimp. I'm still trying to figure them out. I sauteed them in a little olive oil and butter, salt, pepper, and parsley. I added a little white wine at the end. They were served with steamed spinach and egg noodles. The dish looked pretty but it was mediocre. I think I overdid the shrimp, they were slightly tough and chewy. How long should you cook shrimp anyway? If anyone has a good shrimp recipe, do share!

Southern Simplicity

I'm not one to brag, but this is as close to perfection as I ever want to get. This was a meal of firsts. Never having had full reign of the grill, this was quite a new experience for me. I first did a dry rub on the chicken thighs, then a citrus marinade. After hang'n out for five hours, I grilled it up, without burning the house down, at that. The coleslaw was too simple: cabbage, carrots, red onion, with a spicy mustard dressing. And the sweet potato fries were just scrumptious. A light bath in olive oil, salt, pepper, and nutmeg baked in the oven, and YUM! What a great evening spent with family.

My First Omelet Ever!

Ain't she a beauty! Cheese (extra sharp cheddar and provolone) and dill omelet. This was a new endeavour, and there are definitely some changes that I would make next time. A different cheese combo, maybe parsley instead of dill, and some tomatoes too. And I'd go a little lighter on the bacon drippings.

And...My lovely mother made herself some blueberry pancakes. Delightful! What a nice quiet morning (Dad and brother were out fishing).

Cream of the Crop...Sorta

Last summer I tried my hand at a vegetable garden, after a failed attempt with sunflowers the previous year. My onions are small not because they're supposed to be, but because Home Depot decided to sell the seedlings out of season. Onions, I later learned were planted in late August (not May) and Harvested in the Fall. Oh well, I'll try them again soon.

My squash was short lived. At first an absolutely blooming plant, after my one and only squash was harvested the bush keeled over and died. Just like that, gone, somethings just remain a mystery.

My tomato bushes, just flourished, but many of the fruit never ripened. My mom say that may have been from the lack of H2O. The ones that did turn out to be food for us and not the caterpillars, were a bit tough and dry. I tried two different varieties, Early Girl and Celebrity. Any suggestions?

My cute little butt-shaped strawberries. Oh they were pretty to look at but, very tart. On the other hand superbly juicy. Maybe I'll just try another variety next time. At some point I thought I had a strawberry thief. Nice, almost-ripe strawberries one day and a bare bush the next. Overall, such a fun experience. This upcoming spring I have another garden in the planning: an Herb garden. Oregano, Thyme, Basil (my second attempt), Lemon Verbena, Rosemary, Parsley, and for a pop of color, a Butterfly Bush. My small plot has already been cleared for my next gardening adventure.

It's Just the First Taste

Hi, So this is blogging. I feel a little funny writing about myself, but I guess you might want to know a little about me. I am 17 years old, born and raised in Savannah, Georgia; with a brief stint elsewhere. I am going through the what-I-thought-would-be-stressful process of looking into college. All eggs in one basket so far, I am pulling for Johnson and Wales. Looking back, the signs are quite clear. I was meant to cook, and meant to eat. When life gives me lemons I turn to the Food Network for a fabulous lemon tart recipe. I can't wait to get started and I hope to get feedback, comments, advice, criticism, etc. Cheers!