Maple Bourbon Roasted Chicken Legs with Beets and Butternut Squash

I know a lot of you are struggling through some pretty bitter, cold temps and snowy days. This would be the perfect recipe to warm you up after shoveling snow or trudging through the "white stuff" to pick up your kids at the bus stop. I know that my little snow story here in South Carolina does not compare with what my family in Pennsylvania or a lot of you from up in that area (that are devoted readers) are suffering through. However, last week, we had snow here in South Carolina- a whole inch!! And Yes! I know we become the laughingstock of the east coast every year when this happens, but if you have ever lived in the south you know why. There really are no resources to deal with snow- regardless of the amount. There is also no need to waste tax payers money on the equipment and supplies when there is only a slight chance that a winter event will even occur. And most importantly, for a lot of local kids, why not take a day off to enjoy a once in a year phenomenon.

Anyway, I was cold and had the day off and I wanted to make some comfort food to warm up a little. Unfortunately, I did not want to do a lot of work nor did I have a lot of ingredients. So, I came up with this simple, one pan dish. For me, these ingredients are staples in my house, so that part was not hard and neither was the prep.  I watched the oven as this awesome marinade bubbled away. When it was done I was so happy to cuddle up on the couch with a big bowl, my fuzzy blanket and a few episodes of Sex in the City. Warm, I was!!

Vanilla Extract

So, this is just a simple project that makes great gifts and can save you a little money. I decided to start making my own vanilla extract because as you might guess, I go through a lot of vanilla! I prefer to use real extract, not imitation. As most of you know, that can get a little costly. So, after some research, I decided to start to make my own. I have been really happy with the results. The best part of this recipe is that it only takes 2 ingredients: vanilla beans and bourbon.  You might have to go out to buy the beans, but they are easy to find in any natural food store and you will definitely get your money's worth as they last for a long time.  If you are like me, I am sure you have bourbon or whiskey in your house. If not (let me know, cause I won't be visiting,) go get you the biggest bottle! You will need something to sip on while you are waiting for your extract be ready to use!

Cheers!

Bourbon Balls

 

What is better than spreading a little holiday cheer with an alcohol laced cookie?

This recipe is one of my family's official Christmas party foods. This is my Gram H's recipe. She started this tradition by taking these to her family events and Christmas parties. My Mom also made them and took them along to her holiday gatherings. I remember her taking them to her faculty Christmas party every year because fellow employees were waiting on them. Some years, when I got a little older, I actually made them for her to take. Now, I continue to carry on that tradition. Every year, I find myself making these little cookies because they are easy and people request them. Usually, at a party, they are one of the first things to go! I already made one batch of these this year, but will be whipping up some more for this weekend. They are a good thing!

This year, say "Cheers!" to your friends and loved ones with a cookie!

Peach and Basil Bliss Cocktail

Welcome to Bonbons and Biscotti "Peach Week!" I am really excited to share some of these recipes with you. Here in South Carolina, peaches are the fruit of summer. They are sweet and fragrant and just beautiful. Since I moved here 14 years ago this October, I have learned how to truly love the peach. In the summer, I frequent the local peach farm which is about 4 miles down the road and buy peaches, blackberries, cantaloupe and all things summer that I do not grow myself. I love going to Fisher's Orchard to get my local produce. When I get there, they have a large section of fruit that is called "soft peaches." AKA- they have seen better days or they are marked up in some way (hail damage usually.)  I love this section. Most times, if I am shopping to bake or mash peaches up in drinks, it really does not matter what they look like. On any given day, in the soft peach section, you can find me and at least 2 other elderly women collecting peaches for our baking. It is always makes for an interesting conversation and some true local baking knowledge. This past week when I went, they had half bushels of these beautiful peaches you see in the pictures half off cause they were judged to be too small for sale. I instantly felt sorry for them.... I was worried they would get a complex due to this judgement. I decided to turn their fate around. I bought them, took them home and turned them into all things wonderful.

Baked Turkey Thighs with Baked Bourbon Sweet Potatoes

Baked Turkey Thighs with Baked Bourbon Sweet Potatoes

So, I know, where have I been again?? Well..... this time I have a legit excuse- actually multiple excuses! First, I had a death in my family and had to go home to PA for services and family responsibility (more to come about this in a future post.) Secondly, as some of you already know, I went into battle with a new mandolin and the mandolin won. Three Fridays ago I decided to cut some beet chips with my new mandolin that I got for my birthday. As I proceeded, I thought this is not so hard and that I needed to be careful as my Mom just sliced off the end of her finger in a mandolin accident just a few weeks before. As I thought this, I tilted my hand back to avoid cutting my fingers and in one swift motion, shaved off a huge piece of my palm.... yep down to the muscle. (Insert SCREAM here!!!!) So off to the ER I went. Sparing you the painful, bloody details, I have been in a huge bandage for weeks now. I have not been able to cook, type, see patients, write or even wash my hair, so blogging was completely painful and out of the question. My friends and family have stepped forward in a huge way to take care of my daily duties and hand wrapping, but certain things you just have to do yourself.

This is one of the first recipes that I have made since mauling myself and it felt so good to be back. I love to be in the kitchen.  Being able to make food again was a great relief. There is something to being able to sustain yourself that is empowering to me. I like making things with my hands, and as you all know, that is one of my big stress relievers- baking, knitting, gardening. Moving my hands quiets my mind. Needless to say, in a time right now when I could use stress relief the most, I have been without the ability to quiet my mind and make something beautiful or delicious. It has been depressing.

I hope that you make this recipe and enjoy it. It is something I threw together with ingredients I had at home. The sweet potatoes are amazing. Just a suggestion though- cut them by hand!

Is there anyone out there interested in a mandolin?

OUCH!!!

Gram's Tea (aka Grog)

Next time you are feeling under the weather, cuddle up with a blanket and my Gram's tea

For the past three days this girl has been S-I-C-K. Yes, I have caught whatever crap has been going around and it is a doozie! My symptoms have ranged from cough, congestion, body aches, and worst of all a fever of 101. Aside from being sick I am now officially bored to death. I have slept, knitted, watched every House Hunters Episode on HGTV and bubble bathed my way to raw skin. I am an active person and this is depressing!!!

OK enough complaining, right? You all have probably already had this bug and recovered.

When I was a little girl and got sick, I was very privileged to have my Gram and Pap H come to the rescue. Since my mom was a teacher it was not often that my sister and I got to stay home from school. As in most families, since both of my parents worked it made it hard for one of them to take off of work to stay with us at home. So those rare moments when we woke up a little ill, my mom would come in and take our temp, bring ginger ale and the bathroom trash can (in case of barfing emergencies) and head off to the phone to call my Gram. My Gram was a nurse for the majority of her life but by the time we were children she was retired. She worked in all wings of the Miner's Hospital but loved pediatrics the most. They lived about 30 minutes away, so after my mom called we waited for Gram. When she arrived, she was stern but sweet and I knew not to mess with her.   As I sat on my pallet, that was then made up on the couch in front of the TV (Strawberry Shortcake pillow and all,) Mom would begin telling her my symptoms.  Shortly thereafter, Mom would leave for work and Gram would take over. She was a nurse of the old school variety and a lot of it was very holistic. (Most of it is being prescribed now because more and more modern medicine is failing.)  If a fever was involved, she believed in sweating it out. So the footie PJs would be put on as well as multiple blankets. She kept us hydrated and she always made us this special tea.  Of course, at that age there was no whiskey in it, but as I grew up, this is the one ingredient that she added to the mix. As a kid,  I hated this stuff and I hated laying there "sweating it out" but I knew there was good things to come- Chicken noodle soup, a hand of Rummy or Kings on the Corner and of course Price is Right.  If I was real lucky, my Pap would go out and buy me some Cherry Soda. And a the end of the day,  there was always the hope in the back of my head that maybe tomorrow I will still be coughing too much and I will get to spend another day in Gram's care.

My Gram on duty at Miner's Hospital. Isn't she beautiful?

Today, I still make this tea when I am sick and especially before I go to bed. It is sooo much better than any cough syrup that you can buy and while it does have whiskey in it ........ have you ever looked at the ingredients in NyQuil??? Give this a try instead, and if you have a fever throw on a blanket and Sweat It Out!!!

Bourbon Spiced Shortbread Cookies

I am so excited to be participating in the Great Food Blogger's Cookie Swap 2012. I have received some great cookies in the mail from a few very talented bloggers. I have to give a shout out to www.wineandplum.com for their delicious Chinese Chai cookies,  www.travelerinthekitchen.blogspot.com for the scrumptious Peppermint Mocha Cookies and Praline Cookies from www.sweetjeanette.com . I  must admit that this is the first time that I had to send food through the mail and was a little anxious. I typically make soft cookies or something fruit or cream filled which would not have worked for this purpose, considering one of my recipients was in Seattle. I had to put on my thinking cap.... I  asked a lot of friends who benefited from my baking in the past; what cookie that I make is their favorite? I began getting text messages, emails, and people bringing me new recipes that they wanted me to bake because they did not feel that they could. This really gave me a lot of great feedback but once again the "cookie suggestions" were not mail appropriate.

So, last weekend, after Thanksgiving gorging and Christmas tree engineering, I sat down surrounded by manila envelops of family recipes, cookbooks, and my horded recipes that I have cut and gathered over the years. Quickly, after I started digging,  I remembered this simple, little gem. I used to make this cookie every Thanksgiving in little maple leaf shapes. They were so cute and tasty and provided the perfect "not so sweet" alternative dessert.  For the past 2 years in my life's upheaval, I had forgotten this cookie. It had missed Thanksgiving.... but, unfortunately, so had I.

Sometimes, life changes and takes a direction that you don't expect. Mine really has.  From my experiences, I have learned one thing: the great things in life all come back into your life. They are ever-present. In the past 2 years, I have rediscovered great friendships, grown a lot stronger relationship with my little sister and parents, learned to reappreciate the little things and reimmersed myself in things I really love, including this blog. I believe that sometimes this circle of life and change gives you little signs of hope to keep you going. My little, lost cookie is back and although minor to most, it is a great sign.  With every little thing that reappears in my life now, I know that all will be OK. I know that I have come full circle.  I know that there is Hope. And isn't that what Christmas is all about....

Bourbon Peach BBQ Ribs

Bourbon Peach BBQ ribs are for dinner tonight.

So I have been really hungry for some sticky BBQ ribs and by now if you have been following my blog, you probably realize that when I am craving something, I rarely go out and buy it. I usually make it. So this past weekend, a very good friend came over to watch the Olympics opening ceremonies and I took this chance to cure my craving. I made us ribs!
Although this is a long process, it is so worth it. Saucy and delicious! I do admit, sometimes if I am in a hurry, I use store bought sauce but this recipe is quickly becoming one of my favorites so I want to share. I wish that I could share by giving you each a sticky sweet bourbon rib but maybe I will inspire you to make your own!

BTW I refrained from posting the pics of us licking our fingers after dinner!

Bourbon Peach Jam

Jam! What is more reminiscent of summer! I started to make jams and jellys when I was about 15 years old. I thought it would be a great gift to give to friends, my parents and grandparents. My mom was supportive of this effort and while she had some experience, she was not the pro. I began with strawberry jam, then peach. All things went well. But as I have said before I am a self-proclaimed lover of all things cherry. We were at the farmers market and I saw a huge basket of Bing cherries. I thought they would be the best thing for my new jam obsession. We got them and took them home and that weekend I set out to make some fabulous cherry jam. I was so excited so I decided to triple the recipe!!! Big mistake! What I ended up with was amazing cherry flavored syrup. The jam never set up. My mom's first response was to call Grandma Ethel. Grandma quickly told me to never change a jam or jelly recipe. You can make multiple batches but these recipes do not double or triple with great success. I hold that lesson and memory in my head today. This was by far not my last kitchen failure but definitely my first and I will remember it for a long time.