Simple Smoked Salmon Wrapped Asparagus

A simple recipe that's one of our a favorites.

What You Need
   Fresh asparagus spears ( about 20  with ends trimmed)
     2 Tbsp olive oil ( not extra virgin)

     1 Tbsp  fresh rosemary leaves (chopped)
    1/4 tsp salt
    1/4 tsp black pepper
    6 oz thinly sliced smoked salmon (you need one for each asparagus spear)
Non stick cooking spray

baking sheet


Before You Start Preheat the oven to 400  and spray the baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray


Let’s Make it! Lay the asparagus onto the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with rosemary, salt, and pepper. Roast until cooked ( about 10 minutes) Look for nicely browned edges. Let cool. Once the asparagus have cooled, wrap each spear in a slice of smoked salmon.  Yum!

Serves 4

Veggie Recipe Potato Pie

What You Need
1 ½ cup cheddar cheese (½ coarsely grated, ½ cut into small chunks)
¾ cup sour cream (crème fraîche works best)
Premade pie crust (from your markets refrigerator section)
2 lbs potatoes, (thinly sliced)
2 medium white onions thinly finely sliced)
1 bunch spring onions- about 6 (roughly chopped)
1 ¼ tsp nutmeg (grated)
1 tsp paprika
1 egg (beaten)
Salt and Pepper
10 x 10 baking pan
Non stick cooking spray
Basting brush
Baking sheet

Before You Start: preheat oven to 375˚ and spray inside baking dish with non stick cooking spray.

Lets Make It! In a small bowl, mix the grated cheddar with the crème fraîche, then set aside. Roll out one pie crust on a lightly floured surface until large enough to line the baking dish with a little over hang. Place into baking dish and begin filling with one layer of potatoes evenly distributed throughout, then a layer of onions, spring onions and chunks of cheese. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and paprika. Repeat layering over more potatoes, onions and cheese, then spread over half the crème fraîche mix. Repeat with 2 more layers (the potatoes will come up way above the pastry), pushing the filling down slightly, then finish with the remaining crème fraîche mix. Roll the remaining pastry so it fits over the potatoes. Brush the sides with egg, then lay the pastry over the top. Squeeze the edges together and trim with a knife. Crimp the sides and brush the top all over with egg. Place the pie on a baking sheet, bake for 30 minutes then reduce the temperature to 325 and continue baking for 1 hr until golden, If it starts to get to dark cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent burning. Leave the pie to rest for 10 minutes and serve
Serves 4
*Katie’s Tid Bit try using phyllo dough and make small individual tarts. Reduce cooking time to about 40 minutes.

Yummy Holiday Gingerbread Loaf Recipe

You saw it in the wordless Wednesday post above, now you can make some too.

What You Need

     1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

     3/4 cup whole wheat flour

     2 tsp baking powder

     1 tsp ginger (ground)

     1/2 tsp baking soda

     1/4 tsp salt

     1/4 tsp cardamom ( ground)

     1/4 tsp cinnamon (ground)

      1/4 tsp nutmeg (ground)

     1 cup low-fat milk (warmed to 100° to 110°)

     1/2 cup molasses

     1/4 cup canola oil

     3 Tbsp prunes (puréed)

     2 large eggs (lightly beaten)

     3/4 cup dark brown sugar (packed)

     1/2 cup golden raisins

    Non stick cooking spray

     2 Tbsp finely chopped walnuts

    Large Mixing Bowl

   Medium mixing bowl

   Whisk

    9x 5 loaf pan

   Wire cooling rack ( optional)

    Thermometer

Before You Start : Preheat oven to 350°. Spray inside of loaf pan with cooking spray.

Let’s Make It! In a large mixing bowl combine flours, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix together. In a medium mixing bowl combine milk molasses, canola oil, prunes, and eggs. Mix well with a whisk stirring until well blended. Add sugar, stirring until well blended. With the back of a spoon or your hand make a well in center of flour mixture. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until combined. Stir in raisins. Scrape batter into loaf pan .Sprinkle walnuts in a 2 1/2-inch-wide strip down center of loaf. Bake about an hour ( or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.) Cool loaf in pan (on a wire rack works best)

Serves about 12 slices

*Katies Tid Bits-try using a jar of prunes baby food instead of the puréed prunes

Wordless Wednesday Gingerbread

Let's Play With Our Food

The holidays are the perfect time to play with your food. I hope you'll enjoy this delicious macaroon recipe, and these food craft ideas. They should all help to make the season bright and add some wonderful memories too. Enjoy!


Macaroon Snowmen
What You Need
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
3-1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
3/4 cup macadamia nuts ( finely ground)
16 (5-inch) wooden skewers
16 mini gift boxes ( available in  the bakery dept)
Cookie sheets
Parchment paper
Cooling racks
Electric mixer
Pretzel sticks
Ribbon or fabric scraps

Before You Start : Preheat oven to 350 ˚Line 3 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Let’s make it! Beat egg whites in a large bowl on high speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Add sugar, extract, and salt, beating to stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Gently fold in 2 cups coconut, then the nuts, until just combined. Roll with damp hands into 32 balls (3/4 inch in diameter) for bottom and middle of snowmen, and 16 balls (1/2 inch in diameter) for the heads. Roll balls in remaining 1-1/2 cups coconut, coating well. Carefully transfer to cookie sheets, placing 1 inch apart. Bake macaroons in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching positions halfway through, until bottoms are pale golden ( about 12 to 15 minutes) Transfer macaroons from cookie sheets to racks and cool completely.
To assemble snowmen: Push 1 skewer into the center of each box and carefully thread 2 of the larger macaroons through the skewer to sit on the box; top with a smaller macaroon for the head. Add pretzels, ribbon,fabric, etc for embellishments if desired. Fill the box with cookies. Makes 16 snowmen.

Gum Drop Trees

What you need
Styrofoam cones
Plastic wrap
Gum drops
Tooth picks
Lets Make them
Wrap the Styrofoam cones with plastic wrap. Insert tooth picks into the gum drops, poke the toothpick covered gum drops into the plastic wrapped trees. Be creative, use different colors add frosting for ribbon. It's edible fun.

Edible Snowman ( post from 2009) Click Here