White Chocolate Trail Mix

This mix does not stick around too long in my family. It's the perfect combination of sweet & salty. Also, it's completely addicting. Try this super-easy recipe and you and your guests will not be disappointed!

Ingredients:

5 cups of plain cheerios

5 cups of corn or rice chex

3 cups of pretzel sticks

1 large bag of peanut M&M's

1 bag of white-chocolate chips

2 tablespoons of canola oil

Recipe:

Melt the white chocolate with the canola oil over a double boiler. Put the cereals and pretzels in a large bowl and pour the white chocolate over the cereals and pretzels and mix. Once the cereals, pretzels and white-chocolate is combined, add the M&M's. Spread it all out on a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and let it dry.

Enjoy!

Cheesy Eggs

Every summer down the shore, my mom makes breakfast for everyone (naturally). She usually just asks everyone want they want and then makes that. One time, for the sake of our growing family and my moms sanity, we told her to combine all our favorite things--and here we are--cheesy eggs! I am NOT an egg person, something about them always made me nauseous, but I even ask for them when I'm home. Try it out for yourselves!

Ingredients:

1 dozen eggs

1/4 pound of Muenster Cheese

1/4 pound of Yellow American Cheese

1/4 pound of Mozzarella Cheese

1/4 pound of Provolone Cheese

2 tsp. of Salt

1 tsp. of Pepper

1/2 tablespoon of Butter

1 Medium sized onion diced

Prep:

Heat & grease your skillet. Cut all your cheeses into small squares.

Recipe:

Crack all your eggs in a large bowl and scramble. Add salt and pepper. Place your diced onion in the skillet and saute. Then add your scrambled eggs cook until almost done then add your cheeses and stir. Serve immediately, because who likes cold eggs?

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Sandwich

One of my favorite parts about the Thanksgiving holiday is the leftovers. Now, this is a popular sandwich at Lenny's but I swear we've been making these for years! Try it out with your leftovers!

Ingredients:

Toasted Bread

Left-Over Turkey

Left-Over Stuffing

Mayo

Cranberry Sauce

Recipe:

Apply Mayo and Cranberry sauce to toasted bread as a spread. Then comes the stuffing and then the turkey!

Enjoy!

Cranberry Sangria

We always try to think of new festive drinks to compliment our huge meals during the holidays. One of our favorites is a "Pointsetta Martini" that we make during Christmas time. One of my moms co-workers reccommended this new drink to compliment our Thanksgiving menu. I have to say it was delish and refreshing. Also, who doesn't love Sangria?

Ingredients: Makes about one pitcher of Sangria

1 bottle of Bourjelay

1 cup of orange juice

4 cups of cranberry juice

Cut wedges of oranges, apples

Handful of cranberries

Recipe:

Combine all ingredients and set for 2-3 hours to let the fruit absorb the alcohol.

Enjoy!

Oh my god Turkey

Okay. So we just finished a marathon day of cooking naturally we're exhausted but I promised my amazing friend, Sarah (HI SAR-BEAR) that we would blog about our turkey and I always keep my promises!

So! Here we gooooo...

*A quick note when choosing your turkey. After many years of trying various brands, and types of turkeys, the brand that has never left me down is Butterball. It's consistently excellent in quality and juiciness. I purchase a turkey that's big enough for the number of guests that I have, including lots of left-overs and goody bags for everyone to take home. Follow the instructions provided by Butterball for handling and cooking times. Remove the packaging from inside each end cavity of the turkey. Wash turkey inside and out in salted water.

Ingredients:

One parsnip (cleaned and chopped)

One turnip (cleaned and chopped)

One large onion (cleaned and chopped)

Four carrots (cleaned and chopped)

Four stalks of celery (cleaned and chopped)

Two leeks (cleaned and chopped)

Six sprigs of thyme

Four sprigs of rosemary

Two tsp. of thyme leaves

Two tsp. of chopped parsley

2 tsp. of salt

1 1/2 tsp. of pepper

Prep:

Line the bottom of a roasting pan (large enough to fit the turkey) with all the vegetables that have been cleaned and chopped. Place half the rosemary and half the thyme on top of the vegetables. Place turkey on top. Sprinkle outside of the turkey with salt and pepper. Run your hands between the turkey skin and the turkey meat to loosen the turkey skin completely from the breast and legs. Use remainder of rosemary leaves chopped, thyme leaves, parsley mixed together and liberally rub the seasonings between the skin and the turkey meat. Any remainder seasonings can be placed inside the cavity of the turkey.

*Tip: cut a large peace of heavy duty foil fold in half creating a tent-like cover for the turkey. This allows for the heat of the oven to circulate through and around the turkey.

*Tip: by removing the foil for the last hour of cooking it allows the skin to become crisp and golden.

Cook the turkey to butterball instructions. Also, you can serve the root vegetables as a side dish.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Ravioli

So, there's really no recipe for this. We picked up pumpkin ravioli's from our favorite Italian store Corrado's and added our own homemade tomato sauce and here we are.

The pumpkin with the tomato sauce was an interesting surprise, try it out!

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie

As promised...

Ingredients:

1 & 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin

2 eggs well beaten

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 & 1/2 cup evaporated milk

Prep:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

Recipe:

Prepare your crust, whether you buy a pre-made crust or make your own. Then line a glass pie dish with your crust. Combine all ingredients in a mixer. Pour the batter into the crust and bake for 1 hour. When you take out your pie it may be a little "jiggle". Don't be alarmed, let the pie sit for about 30-35 minutes to set.

Top with some whipped cream or a scoop of fresh vanilla ice cream and as always...

Enjoy!

Sylvan Street

Every year at Christmas a man who lives in a big white house at the end of my block puts up tons of lights and decorations all over his house. My family always complains about it, says it's "tacky" and "over-the-top". Today I found out that he once had a son who died when he was very young, maybe 6 or 7 years old. Every year at Christmas, the man who lives in a big white house at the end of my block puts up tons of lights and decorations all over his house so his son can see the lights from heaven.

No matter how crazy my family is, stories like these remind me just how lucky I am to have them.

*I promise no more sappy stories! I just had to share this with you!! Pumpkin pie recipe up next!

Peppermint Bark

Should we pay $24.00 for a box of peppermint bark? Try this recipe instead! ;0)

Ingredients:

1 package (12 oz.s) of semi-sweet chocolate (we used Ghirardelli but Nestle works just as well)

1 package (12oz.s) of white chocolate

6 crushed candy canes

Prep:

Line 1/4 of cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Using a double boiler, melt semi-sweet chocolate. Pour semi-sweet onto prepared cookie sheet. Place sheet in refrigerator for 5 minutes to set. Using double boiler, melt white-chocolate. Pour white chocolate on top of the semi-sweet and spread it evenly. Then sprinkle crushed candy cane onto the mixture, gently press the candy cane into the mixture so it will set. Place tray in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Once completely chilled, break apart into chunks with your hands!

Enjoy!

*This is the perfect "nosh" to bring to a holiday party or to sprinkle on top of your coffee in the morning!

Not Your Mama's Mac n Cheese

Ok. So I have this thing with Mac & Cheese and my Mom HATES it about me. I can't stand homemade Mac & Cheese. Whenever she makes her homemade Mac & Cheese I always make a Kraft blue box on the side...

This recipe is really really tasty though!

Give it a whirl!

Ingredients:

Salt

1 pound elbow pasta

4 cups skim milk

2 sprigs fresh thyme

3 garlic cloves minced

3 tablespoons flour

4 ounces pepper jack cheese grated

4 ounces sharp cheddar grated

6 slices bacon

2 tablespoons butter

1 to 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce

Prep:

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare one large baking dish with cooking spray. (or 4 small for individual servings)

Recipe:

In a large pot cook elbows until al dente about 5 minutes. Drain elbows and set aside. Bring pot back to burner on medium high and cook bacon until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels and set aside. Add 2 tablespoon butter to bacon drippings and add thyme leaves and garlic, cook for 2 minutes. Add flour and stir for 2 minutes. Add 3 cups of milk and stir with whisk cook until thick and bubbly. Add remainder of milk 1/4 cup at the time if needed. Add cheese's and stir until combined. Stir in Tabasco sauce. One teaspoon for a kick, 2 teaspoons for a punch. Add elbows to cheese mixture and stir until combined. Place elbows in baking dish and top with crumbled bacon. Bake until sides bubble about 25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Crostini with Gorgonzola, Carmelized Onions, and Fig Jam

We adapted this recipe also from "The Best of Cooking Light". Great appetizer, if you're looking for something crunchy and flavorful!

Ingredients:

Fig Jam

2 Tbs. of Canola oil

2 cups of sliced yellow onions

1 tsp. of balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp. of fresh thyme

1/4 tsp. of salt

1/2 cup of water

4 oz.'s of Gorgonzola cheese

24 slices of french bread baguette lightly toasted

1 tsp. of fresh parsley

Recipe:

To prepare the onions, heat a large skillet and add your canola oil. Add onion, balsamic vinegar, thyme, 1/4 tsp of salt cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook for 20 minutes or until the onion is a deep golden brown. While the onion is cooking, add 1/2 cup of water at 1/4 cup at a time into the frying pan where the onion is cooking-this is to keep the onion from sticking to the pan. Spread a small amount of Gorgonzola cheese over each baguette slice. Then top each slice with caramelized onions and top the onions with 1 tsp. of jam. Sprinkle the top with chopped parsley.

Enjoy!

Endives stuffed with goat cheese and walnuts

This recipe was adapted from "The Best of Cooking Light" cook book. We recently brought it to a party for an appetizer dish and it was a crowd favorite!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts

2 tbs. of honey

cooking spray

1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar

3 tbs. of orange juice

16 Belgian endive leaves (about two heads)

16 small orange sections (each segment of oranges, we used mandarin oranges)

1/3 cup of goat cheese

1 tbs. of minced chives

1/4 tsp. of black pepper

Prep:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Recipe:

Combine chopped walnuts and 1 tbs. of honey and spread on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes and stir after 5 minutes. In a small sauce pan, combine 1 tbs. of honey, balsamic vinegar and orange juice bring to a boil over a high heat and cook until reduced to 3 tablespoons. Fill each endive leave with 1 orange section and top each section with 1 tsp. of goat cheese and 1 tsp. of walnuts. Drizzle vinegar mixture over the leaves and sprinkle with chives and pepper.

Enjoy!

Paris, je t'aime

Bonjour!

Ok so we apologize for not posting for a little bit--

My Mom has been sending me texts around the clock about our Thanksgiving menu, be sure to stay tuned for our posts all throughout next week!

I saw "Coco Avant Channel" at the Paris theatre yesterday with my lovely roommate Aileen. She was such biggest risk taker when it came to her style. I loved the movie and of course it brought back memories to when we were abroad.

Check out the photos above of Coco and a few from our weekend in Paris.

Enjoy!

Aunt Mae's Broccoli Rabe

I've had the opportunity to cook with some incredible women in my life. This is one of my Aunt Mae's (Justine's great Aunt) recipe's. She will always be one of the most brave women I've ever known. Aunt Mae would not have Thanks Giving without "rabe's". Aunt Mae was at my dinning room table for many holiday's and special occasions. This is my 2nd thanks giving without her and I miss her very much. She contributed so much to my life and I think of her often. This is one of her recipe's that she showed me. Nothing was written down until now.

Ingredients:

2 bunches of Broccoli Rabe
4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon evoo

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper

Recipe:

Wash broccoli rabe and remove about 2 inches of bottom stems. Prepare a large deep frying pan with one inch of water and bring to a boil. Add washed rabes to pan and steam for 10 to 15 mins. until bright green in color and just tender, turning once or twice while steaming. Place rabes on serving platter and discard and remaining water. Return pan to medium high heat and add evoo, garlic and red pepper. Saute for 2 to 3 mins. Carefully add rabe's to oil mixture and saute for 6 to 8 mins. turning until rab's are coated with evoo mixture. Add salt and black pepper. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Garlic Mashed started popping up in Restaurant and what could make mashed potatoes better than some roasted garlic--so we tried it at home.

Ingredients:

1 whole garlic clove

5 pounds of potatoes

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup of heavy cream

2 tsp. of salt

2 tsp of finely minced chives

Prep:

Cut a very small tip off the top of the garlic clove, then place the garlic clove in some aluminium foil on a tray- put a pinch of salt and pepper on the top and drizzle the top with 1 tsp. of olive oil. Briny up the sides of the foil but do not cover the garlic completely, leave some room for the steam to escape while roasting. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. You'll know it's done if you press the garlic with a spoon it will have a smooth texture. Once it's finished let it cool. Squeeze the garlic to remove the individual cloves and set aside.

Peel the potatoes and wash. Cut the potatoes into a medium size cube (once down the middle, once down the side). Place potatoes in a pot with water that covers just about 3 inches above the potatoes. Add one tbs. of salt to the water and boil the potatoes for about 25-30 minutes or until they're tender. Drain the potatoes.

Recipe:

Cut the butter into cubes. Add the butter to 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Warm butter and cream in microwave for 30 seconds. Add butter and milk to the potatoes and two tsp. of salt in your Kitchen aid mixer. Mix on low until combined. Taste potatoes for seasonings and for texture. Add more salt or heavy cream if needed. Add the garlic and mix again until combined. Add your chives to the top to make it look pretty and add a touch more flavor.

Enjoy!

Rav.'s

Ok so I know we posted something about a cupcake earlier, but in a perfect world we would have dessert before dinner.

Our next recipe is inspired by my lovely roommate, Aileen. Aileen also comes from a very loud and loving family like ours. She always tells me that her earliest memories involve seeing her grandmother make homemade "rav.'s". She said that she would see trays and trays of dough laying out on tables, couches, anywhere.

The rav.'s that we made were sadly not homemade but they were tasty! So go for it, grab a package of ravioli's, a can of tomato sauce, and someone you love.

Enjoy!

Ca-UTE

I couldn't just pass this up without sharing with you...

Lucky

As hard as it is being away from home & family I never take this beautiful city for granted. I few weekends ago I took my big, scary camera out for a walk in central park and this is what I found.

Hope you enjoy these pictures and this perfect fall day.

Brownies and Vanilla Ice Cream

Hey Everyone!

So as we mentioned before, sometimes yeah, we do use boxed recipes. Sue us. When it comes to brownies, we usually use any kind of brand and then add our own touches like chocolate chips or a dollop of fresh vanilla ice cream. MmmmMmmm.

Bake away and enjoy!

ps. please don't leave that bowl unlicked--that's an insult. haha.

mmm...cornbread

This weekend my Mom made Chili soup again. Now I know we already blogged about that recipe, but we didn't tell you about our cornbread. This is such a treat to dip into the chili soup--try it!

Ingredients:

1 cup of corn meal

1 cup of flour

1/4 cup and 2 tsp. of sugar

3 tsp. of baking powder

1 tsp. of salt

1/4 cup of canola oil

1 cup of buttermilk

1 egg beaten

1/4 cup of shredded cheddar

Prep:

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees

Grease 13 X 9 pan.

Recipe:

Combine all of your dry ingredients. Mix egg, oil and milk together and then add your dry ingredients to this mixture. Stir completely.

Pour into your prepared pan. Sprinkle the top of the mixture with cheddar cheese.

Bake for 15-18 minutes. Use the toothpick test*.

Cut into squares.

Enjoy!

*Place a toothpick into the center of the pan, when you pull it out it should come out clean- if there's still some batter left on the toothpick-leave the cornbread in for another 3-5 minutes and test is again.