Honey Bacon Potato Pops
Today is our gathering of the communal table for Thanksgiving for the FN Dish on Food Network. Please take a moment when you are done reading this post to visit the other links below and enjoy other dishes at our communal table. To follow along on Twitter please use the hashtag #PullUpAChair. You may also join in by having a look at our communal table on Pinterest. My recipe for Honey Bacon Potato Pops is below.
Thanksgiving is a time of togetherness, family, and the season that prepares us for Christmas. Fall is my favorite season of the year! The trees change colors, everyone is cooking or baking, and the air is busy with cheer. The pumpkin, which is a super squash, decorates yards with a multitude of colors and scarecrows dance in the wind! Most of all, I love the Macy’s Day Parade! I love picking out my favorites and feeling like a kid again with my teenagers. It is very important to always have a bit of kid left in you.
I hope you will all #PullUpAChair and enjoy my appetizer recipe for Honey Bacon Potato Pops. These are perfect to munch on while waiting on the turkey. Please feel free to leave me a link in the comments to your favorite Thanksgiving dish.
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Soak bacon in honey and wrap over potatoes. Secure bacon with toothpicks.
Bake until potatoes are tender and bacon is cooked. Pull them from the oven and remove toothpick; add lollipop stick. Careful not to break potato. Drizzle potatoes with honey and serve warm.
http://mooshujenne.com/honey-bacon-potato-pops/
Cocktails, Appetizers, Salads and Breads:
- Haute Apple Pie: Apple Jack
- Cooking With Books: Spiced Couscous and Walnut Salad
- Mooshu Jenne: Honey Bacon Potato Pops (pictured above)
- Food For My Family: Roasted Beet and Lacinato Kale Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette
- Big Girls, Small Kitchen: Super Seeded Cornbread
Main:
Sides:
- Feed Me Phoebe: Cornbread and Wild Rice Stuffing With Hazelnuts and Cranberries
- Napa Farmhouse 1885: Chorizo, Cornbread and Tortilla Dressing
- Sweet Life: Apple Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing
- And Love It, Too: Paleo Green Bean Casserole
- Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Sweet Spiced Winter Squash Casserole
- Red or Green?: Corn, Peppers and Onion Saute
- Simple Bites: Honey Pomegranate Glazed Brussels Sprouts
- Virtually Homemade: Fresh Orange and Cranberry Sauce With Toasted Walnuts
- What’s Gaby Cooking: Sweet Potato Gratin
- The Heritage Cook: Cauliflower Gratin
- Creative Culinary: Creamy Mushroom Bake With Parmesan and Panko
- Bacon and Souffle: Spicy Carnival Squash
Desserts:
- I Am Baker: Pumpkin Bars in a Jar
- Add a Pinch: Caramel Pie
- Chez Us: Pumpkin Cheesecake With Chocolate Swirls
Frito Pie & Chili Con Carne
After months of searching and preparing to make a decent Chili Con Carne (sauce/chili) I finally decided to give it a shot. I wanted the taste to be similar to what Taco Cabana uses on their enchiladas and what Sonic uses on their frito pie. Well folks, I have to admit my family said it tastes just like Sonic’s frito pie which is a plus; however, they never eat the enchiladas at Taco Cabana so that was up to my taste buds and it is pretty close.
On another note, who’s planning on seeing Ice Age this weekend? My daughter and I are thinking of going Friday morning. I love Diego! Who’s your favorite character? My daughter says I’m five. Oh well! She’s twelve and still wants to see it, so I will be five and take her 
If you like it with more heat then just add more cayenne and chili powder; just reverse it for less heat.
Ingredients
Instructions
In a medium stockpot (8qt), add in ground beef and onion. Bring to a medium heat and fry for about 8 minutes. Add in the cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir well and fry for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add one cup of tomato sauce and one cup of beef broth; stir well. Lower heat to a medium-low heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until you reach the thickness you prefer. Serve over frito pie, hot dogs, or enchiladas.
Line a basket with paper or use a dish. Add a hand full of fritos and top with cheese. Ladle the chili con carne over the top and serve.
http://mooshujenne.com/frito-pie-chili-con-carne/Grass Bread – Zucchini Bread
I have heard of Zucchini bread many times but never tried it until a friend of mine from college mentioned it as “Grass” bread. With a quick spin and What? She was laughing. I said do you really put grass in it? She said no of course not and said it is just something her and the kids call it. The next day she brought me a piece. Of course I was hooked. Now, I love any way that I can possibly take an ingredient like zucchini that people generally go “Eww” and turn that into a “Oh wow”! With that being said, I hope you do a “Oh wow” when you try this recipe.
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of two 9 by 5-inch loaf pans. Set aside.
Grate the zucchini in to a medium bowl. Toss with 2 tablespoons of sugar and transfer the mixture to a fine-mesh strainer set at least 2 inches over a bowl, press firmly, and allow to drain. In a large bowl; add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and whisk until combined. Set aside.
Whisk together the 2 ½ cups sugar, yogurt, eggs, lemon juice, and melted butter until combined. Set aside. Stir in the zucchini and the liquid mixture into the flour mixture. Pour batter, which will be thick, into the loaf pans and smooth the surface with a rubber spatula.
Bake until the loaf is golden brown and a butter knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 60 minutes. Cool in the pan for about 5 to 7 minutes and remove to cooling rack. Serve with honey butter.
http://mooshujenne.com/grass-bread-zucchini-bread/Recipe adapted from Brown Eyed Baker
Cap’n Crunch Cookies
Everyone in my household simply loves Cap’n Crunch. For a few years now, I have been baking some simple cereal cookies out of cake mix and cereal. The cookies are good but the texture was soft and just not like a traditional cookie. The creativity bug hit me smack dab in the face. Ooh! What if I took a butter cookie (basic) recipe and just tossed in Cap’n Crunch! To my surprise, I manage to have them come out perfect the first time. Pure luck!
I sent these bad boys to a few guy friends of a friend for taste testing. Hopefully, they will comment here and let us all know their opinion on these super dunking cookies.
After completing these cookies and being oh so proud of myself, watching everyone devour them, I headed over to Cap’n Crunch’s website to see that they actually have a different recipe. Yes, folks this is not their recipe. I am in the future planning on trying the Cap’n Crunch French Toast!
The perfect dunking cookie
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325F.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until fully combined; to aerate.
Melt butter completely in a microwave safe bowl. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream together the brown sugar, white sugar, and melted butter. Beat in the vanilla and eggs. Continue beating until batter is light and creamy. In increments, add in flour mixture, mixing after each addition.
In a small bowl, crush 1 cup of the Cap'n Crunch with a potato masher. If you do not have a potato masher, put the Cap'n Crunch into a small zip lock bag and smash. Add crushed Cap'n Crunch to the dough mix, stirring by hand. Then add in the other cup of non-crushed Cap'n Crunch and mix well by hand.
Roll the cookies into 1/2 balls and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. These cookies spread a lot. You want to make sure to make the cookie balls small. Place a dozen to a sheet.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes until the edges are a light golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes and then remove to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.
http://mooshujenne.com/capn-crunch-cookies/Apple and Carrot Hearts Salad
This morning I came across a site that gave me the perfect inspiration for a recipe involving carrots for the Fall Fest at FN Dish on Food Network. V’s family is from Prague and they make a wonderful salad involving carrots and apples. The dish is scrumptious but generally not visually appealing. I wanted to put a twist on the dish but I wasn’t sure just what to do till I stumbled upon this interesting carrot art “how to” at Sophistimom. For a tutorial on how to cut the carrots in hearts as featured below please check out her website. This is a simply fresh way to serve up carrots and apples with a cuteness factor. Our family loves this recipe and even eat it at breakfast!
Ingredients
Instructions
Sliced up all of the carrots and apples and place in a medium size bowl. Squeeze lemon juice over apples and carrots. Drizzle sugar over and toss to coat.
http://mooshujenne.com/apple-and-carrot-hearts-salad/
For more Fall Fest Recipes please visit the FN Dish – Fall Fest on Food Network or check out the list below for more recipes from the Fall Fest including carrots.
Thursday Night Dinner: Pickled Carrots
Virtually Homemade: Roasted Red Onions and Carrots With Pomegranate Gremolata
Haute Apple Pie: Carrot, Apple and Radicchio Slaw
What’s Gaby Cooking: Thyme and Honey Roasted Carrots
Glory Foods: Honey-Carrot Bread
Daily*Dishin: Carrot Cake Hawaiian-Style
FN Dish: Quick Carrot Sides for Thanksgiving
Cooking With Elise: Spiced Carrot Marmalade
Dishin and Dishes: Roasted Honey Balsamic Glazed Carrots
Daydreamer Desserts: Carrot Cheesecake
Mooshu Jenne: Apple and Carrot Hearts Salad
The Sensitive Epicure: Maple Bourbon Glazed and Braised Carrots
Daydreamer Desserts: Carrot Martini
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Carrot Slaw
Radish and Chive Salad ‘Retiisi-Ruohosipulisalaatti’
Through Foodbuzz, I’m super excited to have the opportunity to enter to win a trip to Greece, sponsored by FAGE. I have always wanted to travel to Greece, such a spiritual place. This post is about the Greek tradition of “good living,” and what it means in my life. Scroll to the bottom of this post for more details and find out how you can also enter to win a Greek getaway!
My first experience with Fage Original Greek Yogurt was wonderful, but my recipe kind of just went kaput! Good living is the importance of staying true to who you are and your family. My loving honest kids told me they liked the recipe but it is just wrong to mix potato and pasta. Yeah, they are a bit eccentric when it comes to food. My other half told me that is was to bland and needed more spice. See, what kind of good cook would I be without them being my subjects.
One fantastic point about my family, that lives in my household, is that they are supportive of me. When I decided I wanted us all to stop eating unhealthy “boxed” foods and eat fresh ingredients they supported the idea. Though sometimes they are bit reluctant about their potato chips but they have found organic candy to be just as tasty. Good living is about eating healthy and exercise. In addition, good living is how you appreciate friends and family. That is why I picked a Finnish recipe to mix with Fage’s Greek original yogurt; because I wanted to mix some of my heritage with Fage. I promise to add a picture soon of the salad.
Ingredients
Instructions
Slice radishes and place in a medium bowl. Chop your green onions and place in same bowl. Add the yogurt and toss. Add sugar and salt and stir. Serve immediately as the salt will wilt the vegetables over time by drawing out the liquid.
http://mooshujenne.com/radish-and-chive-salad/Disclosure: *As part of the Foodbuzz Featured Publisher program, I have been entered for the chance to win a trip to Greece courtesy of FAGE. You too can enter to win one of three trips to Greece by entering the FAGE Plain Extraordinary Greek Getaway here: http://www.fageusa.com/
No Flour Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookies
After eating my first no flour peanut butter cookie I have decided I will never go back! Flour really does bland out peanut butter cookies and it makes them crunchy. Ewe! I just cannot handle crunchy cookies. I like the edge to have crispiness to it and the centers to melt away in your mouth.
My son and I, he is 14, had fun making Halloween cookies. I just love to tease him about the time he made chocolate chip cookies and he thought the recipe stated that the salt was 2 cups. Oi! Was it funny when my family went to dig in. Needless to say we double check now. In fact, two nights ago when we made these cookies, we explained that salt should never be more then a teaspoon to a tablespoon in any recipe. I promise you though he will always read the recipe at least twice. Ha Ha!
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, add in sugar, peanut butter, and eggs. Mix well till mixture is well integrated and thick. Stir in mini Reese's pieces. Roll small balls of dough and flatten with your hand to the size of what you would prefer the cookies to be.
Line your baking sheet with parchment paper and set cookies 1/2 inch apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes till the sides are lightly brown. They will be tender when you remove them. It is best to pull them and let cool then move to a tray or cooling rack.
http://mooshujenne.com/no-flour-reeses-peanut-butter-cookies/Brown Bag Challenge – Grape Tomato Parmesan Salad
We’re teaming up with fellow food bloggers to host a Brown-Bag Challenge, a month-long initiative to eat consciously and save money by packing a lunch each weekday instead of eating out. Join us here and share what you’re eating on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #brownbag.
This is a simple lunch recipe that you can use any reusable container. I generally make this and chill the night before allowing the dressing to set in. As a part of the Brown Bag Challenge I am trying to make something healthy and that is also inexpensive. I want people to know that it doesn’t cost or take as much time to bring lunch as it is to buy it premade. This recipe below will cost you less then $8. I can spend that on a sub sandwich at any local sub shop. The $8 for the recipe below will feed you over three days. When I made this at home I used it as a side for dinner then refrigerated the rest and took it for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
Instructions
In a medium bowl, slice your cucumbers lengthwise in half and take those pieces and slice lengthwise in half again. Now group together cucumbers and slice into quarters. Put cucumbers in bowl. Add in your halved grape tomatoes. Add in your chopped spring onions. Add in the rounds of red onion. Toss with cheese and dressing. Chill for about an hour.
http://mooshujenne.com/grape-tomato-parmesan-salad/Check out the other posts!
Organic Gardening’s This Imperfect Plot: Day 1 of the Challenge
Between City Limits: Brown Baggin’ It
Virtually Homemade: Mixed Greens and Nectarine Salad
Essentials of Nutrition: What I Bring Everyday
City Life Eats: Brown-Bag Challenge
The Brown Bag Chronicles: Lunch On-the-Go
Cooking Channel: Daily Lunch Box
Diary of a Fat Kid: Refrigerator Salad
Not Your Church Cookbook: Enough With the Urban Chickens (and a recipe for 2-Grain Apple Salad)
I Brown Bag: Brown-Bag Challenge, Days 1 and 2
Eat, Sweat, Smile: Leftovers No More
Healthy Kitschy Vegan: Cheater’s Curry
Healthy Plates: Pesto Penne Primavera
Boys n’ Berry: A Mad Dash for Leftovers
Adventures in my Kitchen: Brown-Bag Challenge, Day 1 (and a really cute Smurfs lunch box)
Nutritious Daily: Brown Bag: A Basic Ensemble
Chick Bike: Brown-Bag Challenge, Days 1 and 2
Brown Girl, Brown Bag: Fishing for Compliments
The Adirondack Chick: Brown-Bag Challenge, Week 1
Adventures in Every Day: Brown-Bagging It
The Undercover Cook: Take It Tuesday, Crispy Halloumi Cheese Salad on Flatbread
Pick Your Heat Salsa
Salsa is just not something that stays very long in my house. It seems that a jar of good salsa at $5 a jar is just not worth the cost when you can make triple that amount with this simple recipe. Of course the guys (Chance & V) in the house were not sure if this salsa would be as good as the jarred variations. Of course I told them it won’t be as good, it will be even better because the salsa is fresh, all except the canned tomatoes of which you can eliminate, and just use fresh tomatoes in the place of them. However, I love the taste of the fire roasted tomatoes the best. So, if you are going to use some fresh tomatoes do not forget to throw them on the grill or roast them in the oven.
As far as picking your heat! If you want a spicy burn use more jalapenos. If you want a soft heat add more serranos. When I make this for people who can’t handle the heat I use one jalapeno and two serranos. If you want a bunch of heat then leave your seeds in the jalapenos. Now off to make some yummy cold desserts to beat this 100 degree month of heat in Texas!
Ingredients
Instructions
In a food processor drop in your garlic, cilantro, and peppers. Pulse till garlic is minced and cilantro is fine. Add your onion and pulse. Squeeze the juice of the lime and add in the two cans of fire roasted tomatoes. Pulse for a few second and then add in the large can of tomato sauce. Salt and pepper and pulse till well mixed. If you would like this to stay longer then a week just add a half of a cup of vinegar to your salsa. Vinegar will act as your preservative. Store in large container in fridge.
http://mooshujenne.com/pick-your-heat-salsa/Beer Battered Onion Rings
I am such a huge fan of onion rings! I know they are not quite everyone’s favorite fried food but they make a great addition to a burger or on a burger. I generally like to eat them on a burger, the mock edition of the Western Bacon Cheeseburger from Carl’s Jr. basic burger with onion rings, bacon, cheese, BBQ sauce and sesame seed bun, OH YUM! I am just going to go with step one today and that’s the onion rings. I will have to do another post soon for the full burger. These are very crispy but not crunchy; however, if you would like them crunchy just add panko (Japanese bread crumbs) to the batter.
Ingredients
Instructions
In a frying pan put in vegetable oil a little less then half way and turn on heat to medium. If you have a deep fryer set it to about 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl add the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper then stir. Slice your onion in thin rounds and push through slowly separating the rounds. With electric mixer, mix in the beer slowly till you get a thickened batter but not to thick as you want it to run of your spoon a little. If it is to running to stick to the onion just add a little flour to thicken. Toss your onion rings in the batter and then drop them into the fryer. You can fry about five at a time without burning. Pull out and drain on paper towels when onion rings are a golden color.
http://mooshujenne.com/beer-battered-onion-rings/
