S'mores Dip

It's summertime and one of America's favorite desserts this time of year is S'mores! Nothing will ever really take the place of the "old fashioned" way - toasting marshmallows on a clothes hanger over a cozy firepit. But this way is super fast and will feed in a crowd in just a few minutes. Definitely worth trying when in a hurry, you're without a fire pit, or you just want a pretty, yet tasty summertime treat!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or a combo
• 15 jumbo marshmallows, halved
• Graham cracker squares

INSTRUCTIONS:

Adjust oven rack to center position and place a cast iron skillet onto it. Preheat oven to 450 degrees with the skillet inside. Once oven is preheated, use a pot holder to remove it from the oven. Put one tablespoon of butter in the skillet and swirl the skillet until the melted butter coats the bottom and sides. 

Pour chocolate chips (or really any kind of baking chips you'd like; I like to mix chocolate with caramel:) in an even layer in the bottom of the pan. Arrange marshmallow halves over the surface of the baking chips, until they are touching sides and completely cover the chocolate. 

Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until marshmallows are toasted. Pay attention to them - they can go from white to crisp in no time! Carefully remove skillet from oven and allow to sit on counter (but not hot stovetop) for about 5 minutes.

Serve hot with graham crackers, vanilla wafers, or even apple slices!

Enjoy!

- Staci

Rotisserie Chicken, 4 ways!

Rotisserie chickens have become popular for the home cook, like me! 

Probably first made a "star" by restaurants such as Boston Market, this "gourmet" whole chicken has not only spawned other fast-food, but good-for-you food, restaurants, as well as making it super easy for the at-home cook get a quick and delicious meal on the table for the family!

One $6.99 grocery store rotisserie chicken can provide the base for a whole week's worth of mealtime recipes! And all without feeling like you're eating the same thing for 4 nights in a row!

Monday: Take your whole chicken and carve off one breast, slicing it into serving sizes. Serve it with seasoned roasted veggies and maybe brown rice (or - if you're like me - riced cauliflower!) and a simple salad.

Tuesday: Separate the leg and thigh meat and shred for amazingly delicious chicken tacos. Add seasoning and/or a marinade to the shredded chicken and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours before dinnertime. (All day is good too:) Serve hot with all the taco trimmings: shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, salsa, and guacamole. I would eat it Mexican salad-style, but Taco Tuesday for most homes usually means warm tortillas and/or crunchy shells!

**Alternate Tuesday meal choice***: Warm the whole thighs in a non-stick pan with a splash of olive oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, and a touch of sugar or sugar substitute. Add some fresh minced garlic and green onions. Sautee all until the onions are opaque. Serve with steamed rice (or riced cauliflower!) and broccoli.

Wednesday: Remove the 2nd chicken breast and shred it over crispy oven-baked sweet potatoes "chips." Thinly slice sweet potatoes using a mandolin. Toss with a bit of olive oil, garlic pepper, and sea salt. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until desired crispiness. Top the chips with the chicken and whatever topping you desire! 

Thursday: Take leftover shredded chicken breast and serve it over a huge homemade salad! Drizzle with desired dressing, salt and pepper. (I am loving a good homemade ranch and avocado dressing at the moment!)

Spicy Meat Lovers Breakfast Casserole for (1) x 2

Happy summer, y'all!

I've been behind in blogging due to a cRaZy end of year in the classroom, plus a frenzied effort to pour every ounce of leftover energy into organizing things around my house to help ease the transition into working/officing from home.  (More about all THAT in a future post:)

We have cabin guests here at the B&B who are staying for 3 nights. Whenever we have guests who stay multiple nights, I always try to alternate savory and sweet "main dishes" for breakfast. This morning it was all about the savory!

It actually started last night since this dish is soooo much better after spending the night in the refrigerator. This gives all of these powerful flavors to mingle and marry nicely, all the while absorbing into the cubed French bread that lines the dish.

Ingredients:

6 oz of pork sausage ( I used hot, but you can use regular or even Italian sausage)
4 slices of bacon
1 cup of seasoned cubed potatoes (You can either boil your own and then saute with a little onion and green or red pepper, garlic pepper, and salt OR you can use Ore-Ida Potatoes O'Brien)
2 medium eggs
3/4 cup of milk (I used half and half for a bit more richness)
salt, pepper and/or garlic pepper to taste
2 cups of French bread, cubed (you can also use day old brioche or English muffins)
1/2 cup shredded cheese (any kind you prefer)

Instructions:

• In a medium-skillet, cook the sausage, drain, and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate
• In same skillet, cook the bacon, drain, and crumble or chop into desired size pieces
• Prepare potatoes 
• In a small bowl, beat the eggs.
• Whisk in the milk, salt, and pepper.
• Spray (2) individual oven-safe dishes with cooking spray. Line the dishes with the cube bread
• Layer the sausage, potatoes, bacon, and cheese.
• Pour the egg mixture over the entire dish. 
• Cover securely with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate overnight.
• The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Keep dishes covered with foil and place both on a cookie sheet. Bake covered for 30 minutes, until eggs are set.
• Remove foil, sprinkle with a bit more cheese - if desired - and cook for another 5-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown.
• Garnish with parsley or thinly sliced green onions, salsa, and/or sour cream.

Enjoy!

REVIEW: Whiskey in a Teacup :)

"Dorothea always said that it was a combination of beauty and strength that made Southern women "whiskey in a teacup." We may be delicate and ornamental on the outside, she said, but inside we're strong and fiery." 

- Reese Witherspoon

To borrow a line from Jerry McGuire,  Reese had me at HELLO, or - as is the case here - at the front cover! From that point until I slowly turned the last, beautiful page late last night, I was held willing captive, charmed by the casual elegance that embodies each and every carefully selected photo, gorgeous layout, and the "voice" of Reese herself. Almost as though she sat right next to me, having a conversation, one where you meet a soul sister face-to-face for the first time and you know - instantly - that you would be "sisters" for life. 

Whiskey in a Teacup is a book that you want to make your way through slowly because it is just. that. beautiful. And just that well-written. And the attention to detail, y'all...if ever there was a perfect "lifestyle" book for a Southern woman (or a Southern wannabe), this is it. It draws you in and, most nights, my 30 minute reading time would turn into an hour or more because - as much as I wanted to go slowly to savor it - I was equally as excited to get to the next chapter, the next story, the next recipe.

With chapter titles like Hot Rollers, Red Lipstick, and Steel Magnolias, If It's Not Moving, Monogram It, and My Did-Do Language & Notes on Southern Conversation, this gem of a book is all things girly and heart-warming, but also thought-provoking and inspiring. Sandwiched in between these delightful chapters, are also titles like The Family Table, The Beauty of Female Friendships, and Do Gooding - all things I believe in, strive for, root for. 

And bless the person (in this case a girl, but bless anyone) that credits their high school English teacher for her love of books and storytelling enough to give said teacher their VERY OWN SIDEBAR as a tribute! "Her name was Margaret Renkl, and in my junior year of high school she made me love literature." Reese goes on to say how reading Shakespeare and To Kill a Mockingbird, taught her about character analysis, conflicts between characters, narrative structure and "how to compare characters to real people in history." (For you non-teachers who may be reading this, THAT, folks, pretty much sums up the TEKS for a high school English teacher. Kudos to Ms. Renkl!) 

As you can see below, I went through quite a little stack of dainty little tabs, some inserted to remind me of a thought, others to mark a recipe I can't wait to try out. From her heartwarming stories of summers with her grandparents and traditional Christmas photos with her husband and children all the way to her words on manners and common courtesy and giving back when you've been blessed...I loved every single word of every single chapter. 

This is one book that won't be put on a shelf and forgotten. I know I'll return again and again. 

Now for a giveaway!! In honor of all things ladylike and Southern, as well as strong and "fiery," I have this beautiful teacup and saucer, very similar to the one on the book cover, that I want to send out to one of YOU! Every time you take a sip from it, or maybe just glance at it on a shelf somewhere in your home, I hope you'll remember that you, too are whiskey in a teacup - beautiful yet strong, delicate yet fiery.

***Click on the Amazon link in the sidebar to order your own copy!!!***

The first lady to comment on this post, this teacup is headed in your direction! 

 

RECIPE: Triple Berry French Toast Casserole

I've had several requests for this recipe, so I thought I'd share it here. I was searching for a really delicious, yet really simple and fast sweet dish to add to the B&B breakfast menu when I came across Mom on Timeout and this delicious casserole!

Due to ingredients on hand and last minute B&B guests, I've at times made a few variations. Each version is just as yummy as the original. I used English muffins once instead of the normal French bread, just cut them into cubes as well.

During the spring and summer I kept gallon-size freezer bags filled with the 5-6 cups of fresh fruit, including strawberries. Lately, I've been keeping the large frozen bags of triple mixed berries from Walmart on hand.

We've eaten this casserole with the syrup and without (it IS truly scrumptious with warm maple syrup though:) but we always include a liberal dusting of powdered sugar after placing on serving platters. Be sure to use the almond milk; it adds a rich, sweet, decadent element that elevates the flavor.

Enjoy! And be sure to visit Trish for lots of great recipes!!

Ingredients:

 1 16 oz loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
 4 eggs
 1 cup Almond Breeze Vanilla Almond Milk
 1 tsp vanilla extract
 1 tbsp granulated sugar
 ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
 5 cups frozen berries (raspberry, blackberry, blueberry blend)
 ½ cup granulated sugar
 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
 1 tbsp cornstarch
 1 tbsp granulated sugar

 Instructions :

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. set aside.
3. Place bread cubes in a large bowl
4. In a medium bowl, combine, eggs, milk, vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and cinnamon and whisk together until blended.
5. Pour egg mixture over the top of the bread cubes, stirring to coat. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
6. In a medium bowl, combine frozen berries, ½ cup of sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch. Stir to combine
7. Pour berries into prepared baking dish.
8. Spoon bread over the top.
9. Sprinkle the top with 1 tablespoon of sugar.
10. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown.
11. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and top with fresh berries, whipped cream, or maple syrup if desired.

Recipe by Momontimeout