Smoked Whole Chicken

 

So this is something that I have wanted to try for a long time! I love smoked meat of all kinds and for the past few years I have wanted a smoker. Well, this summer I joined one of those Facebook online garage sale feeds to get rid of a few things from my past life- an huge area rug I have no use for, some golf clubs that never inspired me to actually play and a few pieces of clothing that were brand new and too big (Yes!!!)  I needed to purge and as most of you know when that feeling hits, you gotta do it! So I had a pretty successful run of getting rid of my crap and making a little extra money. The thing is when you join these sites, you also get front row seating and first dibs on other people's no-longer prized possessions. (I think you are beginning to see how this ends.)  As most of you know, these garage sale sites get quite a bit of attention and if you do not have a knee jerk reaction to an item you lose! So this smoker popped up and I quickly typed, "I want it."  I then pressed send and held my breath!  I was first in queue!! Whoohooo! After much negotiation of where to meet, when to meet and which gas station had an outdoor electrical outlet so I could see it work, I was the proud parent of a new electric smoker. And the best part is, I paid seventy-five percent off the retail price. Cha-ching!!

So now my adventures in smoking have begun. Yes, I know BBQ and smoking purists, I did say it is electric! And you can argue that this is not the "pure" smoker's technique, but this first timer is having a ball learning the basics. Perhaps next year, I will be cruising Facebook garage sale ads and find one of those huge pull behind, (a dually truck, of course) full pig smokers!!! Then you better watch out!! I might take this blog on the road!!

Congee

At times throughout my life, bad things happen- stress, illness, sadness, etc. When it does, I, like a lot of women I know, begin having digestive problems. As though all the crap (no pun intended) that life hands us is not enough to deal with, now I need to feel like I have food poisoning or some horrible flu! Well, this week I do! Stress and sadness have reappeared in my life in a BIG way and they have their hands tightly around my digestive system (and my heart) and they are not letting up!

For most of you that know me, you know that aside from the occasional adult beverage, I do not like to put chemicals or foreign things (medication) into my body.  I am a strong advocate for health through whole foods, nutrition and supplements.  I am also a firm believer in listening to your body and using the symptoms it gives you to make a change. There is more and more proof that stress brings down immunity. In these hard times, it is best to listen to what your body is telling you and give it what it needs to reestablish health. That is what I am trying to do now. Does it make the stress go away? Or change a sad situation? No! Sometimes only time will do that, but I have learned first hand over the past few years that without your health you have nothing.  At times you have to step back, rest and nurture YOU! No one else will do it for you! The hard times will come and go and then come again, but as I have proved to myself before, I will still be standing when they do!

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

OK y'all, next week is Cinco de Mayo. And this year it falls on a Monday. A Monday... Uggg!! Well, what does that mean? It means we don't let the "Monday Blues" get the best of us!! We rally!! So, in my opinion... we have two options.
Option 1: You can sit back and celebrate on Sunday afternoon with a large back porch fiesta and make this awesome taco recipe to impress all your friends. Margaritas and Modelo required!! Live it up, but remember work starts very early on Monday morning!!
Option 2: You throw all these ingredients in your crock pot Monday morning and have tasty tacos waiting on you and your friends when you get home from work. This will assure that you have adequate time to mix large batches of margaritas before the party starts. (Those Coronas should be chilling in the fridge before work too!!)

It is not too late to send out those E-vites!! A little planning goes a long way. Due to this gentle reminder, you now have no excuses for missing out on this holiday!!  And don't forget, once you have impressed all your friends with this easy recipe and an awesome party, toast the host/hostess. Yes, I know that is YOU!! That is the point!!!

Cheers!!

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!!

Melon & Chicken Herb Pasta Salad

 

Melon & Chicken Herb Pasta Salad

What is better summer eatin' than a pasta salad?  I woke up this morning to make a fab pasta salad for a friend and I to snack on while we were downtown at the Fidelity Moonlight Movie in Falls Park. I love this event. Every Wednesday night in May and September here in Greenville, SC they transform the park downtown into an outdoor movie theater. It is a BYOP (bring your own picnic) and BYOB event and it is tons of fun. A few friends introduced me to this event last year and this year my goal was to go as often as possible. Unfortunately, due to the gloomy, cold weather we have been having here in SC we never made it to the movie but we did eat some awesome salad!   I was so excited with the results that I had to share them with you. I plan to go next week though so if you are there, let me know and we can share some good eats.



Lemon Balm in my backyard

When I got my issue of  Eating Well Magazine this week, I was so happy to see a whole section on healthy pasta salads. I grew up eating pasta salad at every summer cook out or picnic and while they were tasty, they were laden with pepperoni and tons of cheese. The concept in this magazine is: 1. Pick a Pasta, 2. Load Up with Veggies, 3. Add Lean Protein, 4. Boost Flavor and 5. Dress It. It is really so simple and can be as healthy as you want. In this recipe, I chose to use quinoa pasta which was a personal choice since I am trying to limit my wheat intake but you can choose any pasta that you might love. I chose fresh herbs that I have on my back porch and chicken that I had grilled the night before. This recipe really was so easy and quick. I look forward to using this concept to make many pasta salads this summer. Tune back in for my latest creations!

Herb de Provence Roasted Cornish Hens

Herb de Provence Roasted Cornish Hens

In movies and on TV, they always make Valentine's Day look so glamorous. They show couples clad in red, chatting in romantic, cozy cafes where they are virtually alone, holding hands and making coy eye contact over a dish of steaming pasta or a chocolate delicacy. After the meal, over a glass of champagne or cappuchino, there is the ever present gift of something glittery or gold. I am swooning .... sign me up!!!! There are only a few things missing in this scene: the required reservation time that has now passed by at least 45 minutes, the restricted special event menu with non-restricted prices, the over-cooked "steak briquette," and the server that is MIA because he is at the bar trying to retrieve your specially advertised $15  "love potion" of the evening. Yeah, for those of us in the know..... You DO NOT go out for Valentine's Day (Attention: New Year's Eve also follows this rule.)

As soon as you step into most restaurants on February 14th, the lure of going out for Valentine's Day dies just about as quickly as those roses they shipped in half frozen from some distant locale.  It is all a lie people; a carefully marketed and advertised scheme to make us feel warm and fuzzy so we collectively pay millions of dollars each year.

So here is my ??? to you. Why not stay home, open a bottle of your favorite wine, turn on some Frank Sinatra and cook something really special together? It doesn't have to be hard. It doesn't have to take all day. It just has to be something that you both love and that will allow you to spend time together. Isn't that what Valentine's Day is all about? Being with your loved one? Get your hands dirty, laugh, make a mess.... There is something to be said about the close proximity of working in the kitchen... You  might find that you are so happy and relaxed that while your dinner of choice is in the oven, you feel the need to play "your song" and dance like you did when you first met.  What is better than that?  This year make Valentine's Day truly your day!

Remember the motto here at Bonbons and Biscotti- Love begins in the Kitchen. And on February 14th that is exactly where you will find me and my honey... in the kitchen, with a little Tony Bennett playing in the background.

XOXO

Rebecca

Grilled Rosemary Lime Chicken (Green Chicken)

Rosemary Lime Grilled Chicken

This past weekend, I had a few friends over to celebrate summer and my move to by new house. It was a huge success. We all had some great food, conversation, and cocktails followed by some ladder ball and a few more cocktails. Life on the porch is how I grew up and how I love to spend my summer evenings. If you knock on my front door and there is no answer come around to the back porch and more than likely you will find me and Charlie (my golden retriever) in the garden or sitting on the back porch.

The next few recipes that I am about to post are going to be my party fare. I came up with a unique menu with few recipes I had stashed away for a later time. The full menu consitisted of:

Signiture Drink:
Strawberry Riesling Slushies
Woo Woos

Appetizer:
Beet Hummus, Goat cheese Mint Crostini
Hummus Goat Cheese, Basil Crostini

Entree:
Rosemary Lime Grilled Chicken
Grandma Ethel's Calico Baked Beans
Rosemary Deviled Eggs
Minted Couscous Salad- (Provided by my friend Ginny)

Dessert:
Cannoli Cupcakes

Feel free to use one or all of these recipes for your July 4th cookout or your next get-together.