French Silk Pie

I saw this pie and had to make it. It's pretty much like chocolate mousse in a pie crust and then whipped cream to make it even better. 

This was my Beau's birthday pie. 

Before we get started let me tell you not to make this in the heat it won't set up right. I'm speaking from experience. 

WARNING: contains raw eggs 

This is what you need:

4oz unsweetened baking chocolate 

1c salted butter softened

1-1/2c sugar 

1t vanilla 

4 whole eggs

1 graham cracker crust ( I use store bought and if you can get the one that serves two extra slices that's best) 

Also heavy whipping cream and three tablespoons of sugar for whipped cream... Freeze the bowl 

Melt the chocolate then let it cool completely! Be patient! 

Then beat with an electric mixer (whisk attachment) the butter and sugar for a couple mins 

Mix in the COOLED chocolate trust me it has to be cooled. 

Add vanilla and beat to combine 

Then on medium speed add one egg keep beating for 5 mins then add the next egg and do the same thing for a total of 20 mins. Be patient. I'm not....

Pour into pie crust and whip the cream to top it. Then just leave it as is or shave some chocolate over it (semi sweet) or if you're fancy make some chocolate curls! 

Then it the whole thing as you hide in the closet and don't share with anyone. 

Pioneer Woman

It's no secret I like the pioneer woman. I post a lot of her recipes that I have tried.

Well today at 6am I woke up and headed out for a three hour drive to eventually meet her at 6pm. It's been a long day.

I rushed to the Barnes and noble to get a wrist band then I went to grab something to eat. And I dug into it to find a sticker still on one of the vegetables.... Yuck! 

Then I decided to go try to find some nail polish in the mall and I went to sephora. Well someone didnt put the lid back on one of the testers and I went to pick it up and purple nail polish went all over my favorite lucchese cowboy boots! I cried right there and I'm pretty sure the irks working there thought I was a nut for crying over a pair of boots. They probably thought I got them at Payless. 

However, I did get it pretty much off with nail polish remover And then I threw on some saddle soap. 

After shot- looks pretty good compared to what it looked like before the clean up.

Oh yeah and I got a cold sore. I haven't had one in months. 

Oh yeah and after I got there my momma and sister decide to be like I can't believe you wore that to meet pioneer woman. 

You tell me this now!?!? Ah 

Is it that bad???

Oh yeah did I mention that the nail polish fiasco of 2013 ruined my favorite jeans?? Shucks it was a bad day! 

I don't know what I was doing looking at purple nail polish anyway. I had no business being there. 

In the end the day wasn't half bad... Just kidding it was great! 

Ree is hilarious but if you have read her book you already know that. I can't believe I met pioneer woman it's practically a blur to me. 

Comfort Food for Fall - sour cream noodle casserole

Fall is the time for comfort food. Yay carbs! 

After a weekend of camping I needed something warm and Filling. 

This sour cream noodle casserole was perfect because it was like a spin on a family favorite. Plus it is super easy. 

All you need is: 

8oz wide egg noodles 

1-1/4 c cottage cheese

1/2 c sour cream 

1/2 c green onion chopped 

1-1/4 lb ground beef 

1 can tomato sauce 

1 c or more cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350

Boil the noodles 

Brown meat and add sauce 

Drain noodles and add cottage cheese, sour cream and green onions 

Pour in dish and top with meat mixture and cheese 

Bake for 20 mins 

 

Happy fall y'all 

Store Open Baking Ingredients In Jars

I don't like open bags of half used coconut and brown sugar. The same goes with opened boxes of powdered sugar and packages of almond bark and bakers chocolate. I like everything sealed and I also like everything pretty. 

I mostly use mason jars but I also save my marmalade jars for smaller things like cocoa powder. 

It's pretty and organized. 

I also recently rounded up my cupcake wrappers and stacked them in a jar. So pretty! 

I find satisfaction in weird places.. :) 

Pumpkin Chicken Chili With Pumpkin Ale Bread

It's fall y'all! 

Chili is good all times of the year but for some reason it tastes best in the fall. 

My sister loves pumpkin chili and since Sleepy Hollow was on last night we had to have it. 

Chili is something that you can play around with which is a good thing an a bad thing. I often come out with a chili that has no flavor but once you swallow it your mouth is on fire. 

Sooo I started using the awesome McCormick packets of seasoning. They have an amazing one for white chicken chili. The recipe is on the back but I didn't really follow it because I added pumpkin and some other stuff. 

This is what I did

Add oil to a large pot 

Sauté a chopped vidalia onion (why not?)

Add chicken cook until no longer pink 

Add 2 packs of seasoning 

Then 2 cups of water 

I also added a 12oz beer (I used shiner bock) 

1 HUGE can of white beans 

1 HUGE can of kidney beans (yea that crazy giant one.... I love beans in chili) 

Then add 4 serving spoons of pumpkin pie mix or until you think it tastes good

Then simmer until its time to eat. 

I served mine with cheese lots of cheese.

Now the bread 

I love corn bread with beef chili but I think beer bread is yummy with chicken chili 

Just get the box mix at the market it's really good and easy.

 All you do is add a 12oz beer. I used pumpkin ale. Then mix those beer into the box mix and pour into a loaf pan. 

Next just pour 3T of melted butter over the top and bake for 50-55 mins 

Let cool in the pan. 

I LOVE FALL FOOD :) 

Cookies That Stay SOFT!

I had to go to a family party last weekend and brownies are my cousins thing so I had to come up with something else. I decided to make cookies but there's a lot of great cookie recipes in my family and I needed something that was a little different. 

These were thin, soft and delicious! 

Here is how I made them: 

1c salted butter softened 

3/4c packed brown sugar

3/4c sugar

2 eggs 

1/2c malted milk powder(makes them stay soft)

2t vanilla

2c flour 

1-1/4t baking soda 

1-1/4t salt 

12oz bag chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 375

Cream together butter and both sugars until fluffy

Add one egg at a time while mixing 

Add malted milk powder 

Add vanilla and mix 

Sift in flour, baking soda and salt (or if you're like me just throw it all in) and mix 

Finally add in the chocolate chips 

Bake for 10-12 mins 

I use a little ice cream scooper to make these cookies. I never thought I needed one but it is amazing! Just get one. No more rolling it in your hands.

If you have one you can make these cookies into little yummy ice cream sandwiches. Just take a little scoop of ice cream and stick it between two cookies. 

Tres Leches Cake

In high school I went to a Spanish dance studio on a field trip with my Spanish class. While we were there we also ate some amazing food. Tres Leches Cake was one of the things we ate. It was so good but someone told me it had goat milk in it so I figured I wouldn't be making it any time soon. 

Maybe that cake did have goat milk in it but this one doesn't and it is so good. 

This is what y'all need: 

1c flour 

1-1/2 t baking powder 

1/4 t salt 

5 large eggs separated 

1c plus 3T sugar 

1/3c whole milk 

1t vanilla extract 

1 can condensed milk 

1 can evaporated milk 

1pt plus 1/4c heavy cream 

Preheat oven to 350 

Grease and flour 9x13in pan 

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl and set aside

Add egg yolks and 3/4c sugar in mixing bowl - beat until very light in color 

Add milk and vanilla and combine 

Pour the liquid over the flour mixture and stir to combine

Then clean the mixing bowl and add egg whites and 1/4c of sugar 

Beat until stiff but not dry 

Fold in the egg whites 

Pour into pan and bake for 35 mins or until golden brown 

Let it cool completely

Then combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and 1/4c heavy cream 

Poke a million holes in the cake with a fork and pour it on

Then make the whipped cream topping

I put my mixing bowl in the freezer for this 

Then I add 1pt of heavy cream and 3T of sugar and whip 

Put it on like icing 

Top with maraschino cherries if you like. 

So moist and so yummy! It's really easy but really impressive to your guests :)

Dress Up Your Boots

So I went on Pinterest and I noticed that someone repinned my little boot thingies. I made these a while back at about 3 in the morning. I really can't remember what inspired these but I thought I would blog about them.

I don't know about you but I have a ton of Mexican blankets so this one will not be missed. I just cut some strips. 

First I cut them stripes that I liked an then I cut the diamond pattern out and sewed it over the stripes. 

It's nothing fancy and my seeing skills at the time were very bad but it worked. 

Remember that if u cut a Mexican blanket it will unravel so when you see it in a circle overlap the ends a little bit and it will help. 

They don't have to be perfect. Mine definitely aren't but I always have people wanting to know where I got them. 

They are just fun and kinda cute for the winter. 

Southern Party Planning

Puttin' on the Grit's is a guide to southern entertaining. I saw this book. Few years ago at a used book store and I didn't get it. I don't know why. I went back a few days later but it was no where to be found. I finally ordered it online and I can't believe I went all this time without having this book. I love it.

My favorite part of this book would have to be the excuses to have a party. The book lists occasions for each month but it includes fun days most people wouldn't even think of. 

Another thing I like is that the book not only tells you how to be a good host or hostess but also how to be a good guest. 

And of course it includes Awesome tips and recipes! 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

I've got some family in town this week so on the weekend we did a boil and I made an Italian cream cake because I'm Obsessed with it. However, my beau doesn't know coconut so I made him his favorite pie. 

This is what you need

1-1/2 sticks of butter

1/2c sugar  

1/2c brown sugar 

1/2c flour

2 large eggs 

1c chocolate chips 

1c chopped nuts 

First beat the eggs until they look foamy

Then had in butter and both sugars 

Next mix in the flour 

Then the chocolate chips and nuts. 

Bake in 350 oven for 55-60 mins

It's that easy. 

That's how I like it but for my beau I do no nuts and this time I just dumped the whole bag of chocolate chips in. It was so chocolatey and gooey. It was over the top yummy. 

3 Ingredient Little Smokies

I love the smell of brown sugar in the fall and the smell of bacon any time. These are so delicious that they are sure to impress your guests. 

It's hard to believe how easy they are. All you need is little cocktail sausages, bacon and brown sugar. 

Take your bacon and cut it into thirds. 

Wrap each sausage in a little piece of bacon. 

Then sprinkle 1c of brown sugar over. 

Bake at 350 for 30 mins or until it is bubbling and the bacon is crisp. 

This recipe is one one pack of sausages. But you might want to double this recipe. They are so good that I didn't even get to try one until the third time I made them because they go so fast! 

Crockpot CHEERWINE Brisket

Hey y'all 

I really hate those cooking shows that show you how to make something with only the things you have in your pantry and fridge. I never have those things! I don't stock fresh fancy cheeses but maybe that's just me. 

Here's what I do have: 

Chili sauce! This stuff is really good and I usually have it because I use it to make these yummy little meatballs for parties. 

I also tend to have onion soup mix because when I buy some for a recipe, it comes in a box with a couple more packs. 

And of course I have soda. 

So anyway, a couple days ago I wake up and see these defrosted beef cubes and I knew I was supposed to put it in a crockpot. I love my crockpot! No I was not the woman who peppersprayed someone for a crockpot on Black Friday. (My momma called to ask) 

So beef cubes. I know we had them to make a stew of beef burgundy and we had none of the stuff to make a stew because I had just mad my Pefectly Hearty Fall Soup. 

Then I remembered the chili sauce and I was pretty sure I didn't have onion soup mix but I ran to the pantry and when I found it I actually did a victory dance because chili sauce and onion soup mix ate magical together. 

Then I went downstairs to get an RC Cola. I had my hand on the RC but then I saw the cheerwine and it was all over. 

Yep, cheerwine "brisket" it's happening! 

If you make this actually use a brisket or a chuck roast it would be a lot better than my defrosted beef cubes. (That's why there is no picture... It wasn't very pretty) 

Put your meat in the crockpot

Pour on the onion soup mix 

Then add the chili sauce 

Finally pour on the Cheerwine

 

Then just let it cook on low for 6-8 hours or you know until you get home. 

I served mine over rice because it is what I had and it was really good. The sauce coated the rice and it was the perfect comfort food! 

Gypsy Soul

Yesterday I wanted to be comfy. I dug out am old shirt. Old shirts are pretty much like comfort food... I'm always thinking about food... Anyway, I wore it with these destroyed Jeans, my Junk Gypsy hat, and my Justin Gypsy boots. 

I love my JG hat, mainly because I love all thinks Junk Gypsy. If you don't know the Junk Gypsies and their awesome style check them out at gypsyville.com 

I also love my Justin Gypsy boots. They are come comfortable than sneakers, they are inexpensive and they are stirrup friendly. I love these boots! 

EASY Soft Pretzels

They don't look perfect but they tasted amazing. 

Every person that had one took a bite and looked at me and said "Is this all the pretzels? Did you make more?" They were all worried we would run out. 

What made my pretzels so yummy is this stuff 

Due to my lack of pretzel twisting skills I panicked and grabbed Janes Krazy Mixed Up Salt! It is really good stuff. 

Now lets get back to the pretzels. I always want to make them but I hate yeast. I only break it out once a year to make Easter bread or cinnamon rolls for Easter breakfast. 

HOWEVER these pretzels use that FRESH pizza dough you can get at the market. 

There's what y'all need: 

Fresh pizza dough 

Baking soda 

Janes Krazy Mixed Up Salt or your own secret ingredient :) 

Lots of melted butter 

Take out the dough and kneed it for a minute or two 

Then coat with melted butter and place in a bowl to rise in the fridge for an hour 

Next take it and twist it all up how you like.... I should probably braid it next time.

Then boil water and add a dash of baking soda to the water. 

Gently lower pretzels into the water one or two at a time. Cook for 10 seconds on  each side. 

Then place on parchment paper lined baking sheet and brush with butter 

Next add your salt or sesame seeds or cinnamon sugar. 

Finally bake for 12-15 mins or until they start looking brown like a pretzel at 425

Perfectly Hearty Fall Soup

              

Okay y'all, I am trying to get better with my recipe posts. So far they have been a little hard to follow, I think. 

Last night I made my first soup of the season. I made chicken tortellini soup. I don't know about y'all but I love tortellini. You can add it to pretty much anything to create a fun twist on a classic like chicken noodle soup. 

I added a TON of chicken to this soup and it came out very hearty like a stew. It is perfect for a fall night. But what made this dish even better is what I served with it. On my grocery list I wrote down to get some French bread to serve along side of this soup but I made a last minute change and decided to make soft pretzels. 

It was my first time making soft pretzels and I think the fear and time crunch caused me to run to the spices and look for something to save my pitiful little pretzels. I ended up grabbing my new secret ingredient. The pretzels were a huge hit! Stay tuned I will post my pretzel recipe tomorrow and reveal what sets my pretzels apart from the rest.

Okay there's the soup!

3T olive oil 

1lb carrots chopped

1c celery chopped 

1T minced garlic 

1 sweet onion chopped

3 quarts chicken stock

1 shake of garlic powder

2 shakes of oregano 

1 bag frozen peas

1 package of tortellini.... Or two! 

Okay y'all here it comes! The meat of TWO rotisserie chickens chopped. 

First add the olive oil, carrots, celery, garlic and onion to the pot. Cook for 10 mins stirring occasionally.(medium heat)

Then add the chicken stock, garlic powder and oregano. Bring to a boil. 

Next add the tortellini, turn heat down low and cover the pot for 10 mins. 

Finally add the peas and chicken. Cook until chicken and peas are heated through. 

YUM. This is the perfect fall soup!