Halloween Recipes
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays if not my ultimate favorite. I love the decorations, costumes and food! In the past, I’ve been known to throw a rockin Halloween party, but this year one of my good friends is hosting and I’m trying to find a fun and festive recipe to bring. Here are some recipes I’ve been contemplating.
Spooky Spider Eggs
I love deviled eggs and these Spooky Spider Eggs are so cute! They will be a little time consuming to prepare but your guests will love them. This is a recipe from Sunset.com and they are part of a great slideshow with tons of recipe ideas. View the slideshow here.
Bat Bites
These Bat Bites are fun and also great finger food that do not require plates or utensils.
Tombstone Cookies
If I were hosting the party at my house I would definitely make these Tombstone Cookies and put them in pudding cups like this. You could also buy Pepperidge Farm Milanos instead of making your own cookies.
Spider Bites
These are from Sandra Lee and they look hard to make but are actually very easy and relatively quick. Get the recipe here on foodnetwork.com.
Floral Apron!
One of my best friends who is a fashionista and now lives in Los Angeles got me this apron from Anthropologie for my birthday this year and it’s definitely my favorite. Shh!!! Don’t tell my other aprons…. But seriously, how cute is this? Thanks Jer Bear!
And in case I haven’t told you, like shoes and handbags, I have a thing for aprons so stay tuned for many more to come. 😉 Oh,and for those readers who don’t know me, I have finally revealed my identity!
Crispy Chicken Tacos
I’ve been trying to stay dry and not get caught out in the Tropical Storm Lee this weekend so I’ve been spending the majority of the weekend at home (which is very unusual for me by the way). But staying home means plenty of time to try new recipes!
I found this recipe for chicken tacos from one of my favorite blogs, “The Pioneer Woman,” by the talented Ree Drummond. I have been following her blog for a couple of years now and she is so popular and successful in her blogging that she now has a show on The Food Network and has her own cookbook. And her recipe section always has my mouth watering. These tacos are a recipe from her brother called “My Brothers Chicken Tacos” but they are actually VERY similar to my mother’s taco recipe. The trick is, frying the shells. Period. My mom is half Mexican and I grew up on fried taco shells like this so you know this is good. My mom’s recipe uses beef – which is equally as good if not better, (sorry Ree, can’t diss my own mother’s cooking : )) and I will share it with you at another time. This recipe uses chicken cooked with great Mexican seasonings and green chiles. My Mom’s frying technique is also a little different than Ree’s – she fries the meat in the shell and I stuff it in afterwards. I’ve adapted this recipe a little to blend both styles.
You starting by frying the chicken, seasonings and green chiles in a pan.
Next, you fry the shells – preferably in a cast iron skillet, but any will work.
I used to just set mine on a bed of paper towels like this but now I tried Ree’s shaking technique and it makes the shells much crispier once they cool.
Then you stuff you tacos with all the fixins starting with the chicken.
And voila! Authentic Mexican Crispy Chicken Tacos!
Ree’s blog taught me a few new tricks like fully shaking the taco shells in a paper towel to get rid of excess grease and to stuff them with cheese to create a great gooey texture in the shell.
I love taking a recipe and giving it a different spin or taking two and melding them together.
Recipe:
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt, Cumin, Chili Powder To Taste (or Use Taco Seasoning)
- 8 whole Corn Tortillas (small Size)
- 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
- 1 can (4 Ounce) Diced Green Chilies
- 1 cup Finely Grated Cheese (cheddar Or Cheddar/jack Mix)
- Sour Cream
- Hot Sauce (I uses La Victoria Hot)
- 2 cups Thinly Sliced Romaine Lettuce (or Any Lettuce)
- Canola Oil, For Frying Tacos
To fry the tacos, heat a couple of inches of canola oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high. Place the tortilla in the pan – the oil should sizzle. Poke a couple of holes in the tortilla with a fork to stop it from bubbling up. Flip the tortilla after about 30 seconds and watch for it to slightly start to brown. Once the tortilla starts to turn golden clamp it shut with a pair of heat-proof metal tongs to form a taco shape. Turn tacos after 30 to 45 seconds, or when each side gets light golden brown (not too brown.)
One at a time, remove tacos from the pan with tongs, holding sideways as you remove them to allow oil to drip out of the sides. Place the taco in the stack of paper towels. Fold the sides and corners around the taco to tightly hold it, then give it three or four shakes to remove excess oil. Remove it from the paper towels and place on a plate. Repeat with other tacos in the pan.
As you continue frying the other tacos, have someone carefully place some grated cheese inside the tops of the tacos (gently pry them open just enough to place the cheese in). Then just let them sit until ready to serve—the cheese will melt as it sits in the warm taco.
To serve, garnish in this order: chicken, a smear of sour cream, dashes of hot sauce, shredded lettuce, and more cheese if you are a cheese lover like me. You’ll need to slightly open up the tops of the tacos to get all the garnishes in there.
Enjoy and let me know what you think!
Pet Pose Of The Week: Upside down Tuna
I don’t know how much catnip Tuna had this day but she was feeling frisky and decided to get a little crazy under my desk while I was watching TV. I looked over from the couch to find her staring at me like this. The best part is….she stayed in this exact position long enough for me to grab my camera, kneel down and get some good shots of her. Look at her mouth! She must take after her mother (me)….crazy like a fox! I promise next week I will not feature my cats!
New Obsession: Rosanna Inc. Tableware
I first discovered this tableware collection called Rosanna Inc. by designer Rosanna Bowles a few months ago on Gilt Group. In case any of you don’t already know, Gilt Group is an online shopping site that features daily sample sales. Although it is mainly clothing, they also sell home decor and housewares. Rosanna Inc. tableware is often featured on sale on Gilt Group and this was my first purchase.
I love these handpainted, Italian pasta bowls that are part of the Pasta Italiana Collection. They are shallow enough for large servings of pasta and so cute! They have authentic Italian pasta recipes written on each bowl that I am determined to try someday. Stay tuned! 🙂 I also love the box that they come in!
I am hoping to get the large serving bowl soon and invest in other collections to add to me tableware collection. All of the Rosanna collections are precious but take a look at Boho, Classique Glass and Kings Road Redux. Here’s adding to my never-ending wish list!
New Series! Pet Poses!
Hi guys, I’ve been meaning to start this new series of photos because my boyfriend and I are OBSESSED with sending each other photos of our cats. So you will notice that most of these pictures will be of my infamous cats, Whiskey and Tuna, but PLEASE feel free to send me photos of your pets and I would be happy to post them for you. All it entails is sending along a cute, funny or ridiculous photo of your pet(s). Also, be sure to send me their names and maybe a little caption. I hope this series brings as much joy and happiness to you as it does to me.
Here are the first two!
Whiskey (a.k.a. Mr. Whiskers) sleeping soundly in the Big Easy.
This is what Tuna thinks of Whiskey.
Grilled Watermelon and Feta Skewers
I love the flavors of summer and what embodies seasonal summer flavor more than fresh watermelon? This recipe is two-fold because it started as a skewer recipe I saw in the June 2011 issue of Martha Stewart Living, and then it evolved into a salad that was inspiration from a dish I had recently at Lilette Restaurant here in New Orleans.
Lilette’s dish was a fried pork belly, watercress and watermelon salad with a lemon vinaigrette which I can confidently say was one of the best summer dishes I’ve ever had. Seriously! Even my boyfriend thought so. The crispy, fatty pork belly was balanced by the fresh watercress, tangy dressing and sweet crunch of chunky watermelon. My mouth is watering just thinking about it right now.
For my dish, it began as the Martha Stewart Skewers. However, the feta cheese did not stay on the skewers very well so I grilled it individually and let them cool then tossed with the watermelon, basil and spinach in balsamic and olive oil. I used spinach instead of watercress because it was what I had on hand.
I highly recommend this one for a light side on a hot summer night or to impress your guests if you have them over for a cookout. Grilling the watermelon over charcoal really gives it an extra smokey flavor and great texture. Enjoy!
Recipe
- 16 1-inch cubes peeled seedless watermelon
- 8 large basil leaves
- 8 cubes (3/4 inch) feta cheese (6 ounces)
- 2 Cups Fresh Baby Spinach
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
As Easy As Grasshopper Pie
First off, let me apologize for not posting in over a month, but sometimes life gets in the way of blogging. 🙂 However, that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped cooking so I have a very nice archive to add the blog at this point.
Now lets get to this scrumptous looking piece of pie above. Although this isn’t true grasshopper pie, which commonly uses cream and creme de menthe liqueur, it is equally delicious and takes half the time. This recipe is so easy you could make it in your sleep – or if you are like me, after a couple margaritas!
I made this for my birthday party this year where I had some friends over for a pool party with lots of great food, of course. All you have to do is buy the pre-made oreo crusts and then fill with ice cream, chocolate syrup and top with cool whip. See the photos of the process below.
This pie was a hit at the party and one carton of ice cream makes 2 pies. You can use any type of ice cream you prefer like chocolate, chocolate chip cookie dough, chocolate peanut butter etc.
Recipe:
- 2 Oreo Pie Crusts
- 1 1.75 Quart Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
- Chocolate Fudge Topping (the hardening kind or glaze)
Greek Summer Salad
I make this recipe year-round but it is perfect for hot weather. I don’t know how the weather is where you live, but here in New Orleans, it’s hot, humid, and basically unbearable at times. That’s why this recipe is perfect for a cool and refreshing side. It also only takes a little bit of chopping and few ingredients.
The recipe pictured here only has 3 main ingredients but I often add feta cheese. Try this recipe for your next outdoor dinner or on a weeknight after a long day.
Recipe:
- 1 English cucumber
- 2-3 tomatoes (Roma, Campari, Creole etc.)
- 1 red onion
- 3-4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Indoor Herb Garden Goes Outdoor
About a year ago I planted Basil, Parsley and Rosemary while living in Birmingham, AL. Since I didn’t have a yard at the time, I planted them in pots with drainage and put them in the window in my house with the most sunlight. They did really well and were great for adding flavor to my recipes, however, I knew they would eventually require larger pots and more space.
I moved to New Orleans this past December and you better believe I took my herbs with me. They actually rode in the front seat for the drive because I wanted to make sure they weren’t damaged. After a year of TLC, I couldn’t let all of my time I spent tending them go to waste. It was cold when I first moved so I kept them indoors for about 2 months, then spent another month shuffling them in and out of the house every morning and night so they could get the appropriate amount of sun. Eventually, I had to replant the basil and the rosemary in larger pots and since then, they are doing better than ever. It is very important for all plants to have the proper amount of space for growth and drainage.
Rosemary is a very hearty herb and can withstand all kind of climates and soils. It is like a shrub and eventually will require pruning because its branches get so big.
The Basil loves the humidity in New Orleans and the frequent rainfall. It requires a lot of sunlight and plenty of water. It also is important for the Basil to have good drainage.
The Parsley has been a little more fickle lately and if you compare the pictures it was actually doing better indoors. I think it might be overwatering it, based on what I’ve read so I’m going to give it a break for a while and see how it goes.
My favorite herb to cook with is Basil and since my plant is doing so well right now, be on the lookout for new recipes showcasing this wonderful, aromatic and flavorful herb.
Domestic Wannabe 
