Fried Ravioli

Need a quick appetizer for the holidays?  I attempted this one tonight so that I can make it later this week for a dinner party (I get nervous trying new recipes the day of).  It turned out great, was simple and fast!

Ingredients:
1 bag of frozen ravioli (I used cheese)
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 eggs 
1/2 cup milk
olive oil for frying
your favorite marinara sauce 

Cook frozen ravioli in boiling water for about 5 min
Remove and allow to cool
Meanwhile mix together in a bowl breadcrumbs, oregano, salt, and parmesan cheese
In another bowl mix together eggs and milk
Heat olive oil in a small saucepan for frying
Drop cooled ravioli (they don't have to be completely cool just not really hot or your eggs/milk may cook) in the egg/milk mixture then coat with the breadcrumb mixture
Drop into the oil and fry until golden (make sure to only fry a few at once so the temperature of your oil doesn't drop)
Remove from oil and drain on paper towels
Serve with warmed marinara sauce

That's it!  So simple!  I wish I had a picture but unfortunately they were all gone before I even had a chance.
Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Sopapilla Cheesecake Pie

This is one of the husbands FAVORITE desserts and it is incredibly simple.  If you look online you will find several recipes for this (don't believe me just google sopapilla cheesecake pie) that all have slight variations.  After trying several and finding some too sweet and some without cinnamon (which I love) or some not sweet enough.  I decided to combine the best from each recipe I found to make my perfect recipe (in my humble opinion).  Here it is - 

Ingredients

2 packages cream cheese, softened (8 oz container)

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls (8 oz container)

1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/4 cup honey

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Carrabba's Scotty Thompson Appetizer Recipe

I love places that have an incredible history. I love the Italian way of life. I love the food. I love the people. I love the attitudes of Italians.

Elton John

Cinque Terre, Italy

The above quote is exactly how I feel about Italy.  I went to Italy about 3 years ago and I think I fell in love.  I too love the way of life, attitudes and people, but most of all I love the food.  I loved the way they used really fresh ingredients to make really high quality meals.  Ever since I went I've been in love with a freshly baked bread dipped in great olive oil, a caprese salad drizzled with a balsamic glaze and most of all a really good tomato sauce. Since then, I love to try these basic flavors in any kind of recipe.  Along with loving to make Italian food, I also love to eat Italian food.  My current favorite restaurant is Carrabba's and whenever the husband and I get a chance to go we always order the "Scotty Thompson" appetizer.  You won't find it on the menu but any Carrabba's will make it if you ask for it.  It is basically a fresh tomato sauce with slices of goat cheese on top of it served with grilled garlic bread....mmmmm  Recently I decided to use my tried and true tomato sauce recipe to attempt to make this appetizer and it turned out so simple and great I had to share!  Buon appetito!

Pumpkin Dip with Gingerbread Chips

"I have the biggest sweet tooth. After the holidays, I gotta start working out."

The above quote is so true for many of us... including myself sometimes. However, I recently stumbled upon a recipe that's healthy, tasty and festive.  I'm currently at my best friend Amanda's house (you may remember her from 2 prior posts here and here) and she had some of the Stacy's gingerbread pita chips which are amazing!!!  She had read about a recipe for pumpkin dip on Pinterest (we're slightly addicted to that site).  So we decided to experiment and try it out for ourselves.  The result was an amazing, quick and cheap dip that's perfect for the holidays.  Not only will it save you some calories but it will also save you some cash to spend a little more on that someone special.  While the dip was good we did say it would also be great if you cut the cool whip in half and added a block of cream cheese instead.  As is it is a little sweet (great if you're looking to satisfy the sweet tooth) but the cream cheese might help balance out the sweetness.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Popcorn

drizzled choc. popcorn

"What you see before you, my friend, is the result of a lifetime of chocolate." - Katherine Hepburn

Well I had planned to attempt to make the caramel popcorn the other night and got home from the grocery store only to realize that I had forgotten corn syrup.  So I attempted another one of my favorites… chocolate drizzled popcorn.  This is something I tried the first time I went to NYC and fell in love.  When I went back the store that had sold it had closed down and I haven’t been able to find it since.  I will admit Target carries a pretty amazing white chocolate/cinnamon popcorn but it still didn’t compare to the chocolate drizzled popcorn.  So I made my own chocolate drizzled and sprinkled with sea salt.  It was the perfect combination of sweet and salty.  I was surprised by how incredibly easy it was to make and couldn’t wait to pass it on!

A recipe I can’t wait to try – Caramel Corn!

I'm someone who believes the only way to see a movie is in a big theater, on a big screen, with a big bag of popcorn. 

Dan Glickman 

If you asked me to pick my favorite food my response would probably surprise you.  Granted my favorite foods change a lot but one that has always stayed is popcorn.  I absolutely love popcorn, any kind of popcorn.  From microwave, to movie theatre, to chocolate drizzled, I love them all.  However, most of the time I have to buy whatever kind of popcorn I want because I don’t know how to make creative kinds of popcorn.  However, after seeing this recipe I’m hoping that will change and I will be posting many new creative popcorn recipes.  My hopes are high for this recipe… can’t wait to try it!

Easy Summer Berry Cobbler

Seize the moment.  Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart.

Erma Bombeck

Vintage Butterprint Pyrex

I thought the quote above was cute.  I am one of those people who cannot keep desserts in my house.  I honestly will eat them until they are gone.  There might have been an occasion or more than one during our first year of marriage when my husband held up an empty dish in shock to ask if I had ate all of the brownies, because he had only had 2. I try to practice willpower but when it comes to brownies it's just like everything else goes out the window.  That is why I try to give away any desserts I make.  My waistline and running time cannot afford to have dessert every night (especially if I eat the whole pan).  I also hate going over to someones house to hang out and not bringing anything.  S0 a lot of times I'll bring a dessert along.  That way I get to bake some, I get to have some and I get to leave it there to tempt them (evil laugh).  In all honesty though I do like to bake I just try not to do it too often.  However, this past weekend when we were going to a friends house I realized I had no butter, no cake mix, no brownie mix, nothing just a few bags of frozen blueberries I'd picked a month ago.  So I tried mixing a little of this and a little of that and I had an amazing cobbler result from all that experimenting.  I had to share it because summer is the perfect time to make berry cobblers as the berries are so fresh.  I also think these would make great mason gar desserts.  Mini cobblers in Mason Jars topped with vanilla ice cream... sounds like a perfect southern summer dessert to me! Speaking of berries, thank you to everyone who filled out the survey last week.  It showed that the overwhelming majority considers cherries their favorite summer fruit!  I completely agree!!! Enjoy your summer dessert, don't eat too much!

Cute Mason Jar Strawberry Shortcakes



Mason Jar Strawberry Shortcakes

Babies are such a nice way to start people.

This past weekend I had the privilege of hosting my best friends first baby shower!  For the shower we had a pink theme (I'll try to get photos from her later).  I was in charge of dessert and decoration and wanted to come up with a really cute dessert.  Last week on twitter I noticed a picture someone had posted of a cake in a Mason Jar and I go the idea for Strawberry Shortcakes in Mason Jars.  If you've been to any major chain restaurant in the past year you've probably seen the cult obsession with dessert shooters, but what I loved about the mason jars was that it was just a little bit larger so it allowed for a more impressive and filling dessert.  It was such a simple process that turned out amazing and I just had to share it with you!  They were simple and quick to make.  To make them a little more festive I printed out labels with a little baby graphic and cute baby sayings and stuck them to the front of the jars.  For some other cute "dessert shooter" recipes that you could easily make into mason jar treats check out Pillsbury's dessert shooter recipes here or Betty Crocker's recipes here.  I'm thinking my next attempt at making up another recipe for mason jar treats will be cobbler mason jars with layers of cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream and a crumb topping... YUM!



Mason Jar Strawberry Shortcakes

Ingredients

With Label

1 angel food cake

1 lb strawberries

1 large tub of whipped cream

a few cherries (or other topping)

10 Mason Jars (Jelly Jar Size)

Cut angel food cake into bite sized pieces

Slice strawberries

In a mason jar layer some of the angel food cake

Then layer some of the strawberries

Top with whipped cream (*see tip below)

Top off with a cherry

*if you place whipped cream in a sandwich bag and snip off one end it allows you to "pipe" the whipped cream in which allows for great presentation

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A recipe I can’t wait to try… Strawberry-Avocado Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

A girl told me my lips looked like somebody had pressed strawberry yogurt against my face.

Katherine Heigl quotes 

I love chips and salsa.  I mean to the point where my husband makes fun of me.  In fact if you asked me my comfort food I would probably that it’s tortilla chips with melted cheese and salsa.  I try not to eat it that much because I really can’t stop.  I love them.  So when I came across this creative recipe for unique chips and salsa from Cooking Light I knew I had to share it with you.  I can’t wait to try it… in fact I may just have to stop and pick up the ingredients on the way home from church today so I can make it. However, I may be making a few changes like using non-stick spray on the tortillas instead of oil and using high fiber tortillas as I’m doing weight watchers right now and want to bring the points value down a little bit.  In case you’re wondering current the recipe (as is) has a points plus value of 4.  Along with being great it sounds like a wonderful summer party appetizer.  So without further ado… here’s a great recipe idea. 

A Healthier Muffin

"How can you sit there, calmly eating muffins when we are in this horrible trouble, I can’t make out. You seem to me to be perfectly heartless."
"Well, I can’t eat muffins in an agitated manner. The butter would probably get on my cuffs. One should always eat muffins quite calmly. It is the only way to eat them." 

- Oscar Wilde from the Importance of Being Earnest

I must start by saying that contrary to the above quote if you would like these muffins to be healthy you must refrain from adding butter to them.  However, these muffins are so moist I do not think that butter is needed.  When I travel I have one habit that really makes my flight so enjoyable.  Before I leave I stop by the airport bookstore and buy a book that requires absolutely no thought.  On a flight I don't want to read something that requires me to analyze the way I act, change my diet or attitude, or cause me to cry over the state in which our world exists.  If I'm already going to have to go through an outrageous security line, endure sitting next to an absolute stranger, and feel cramped (I have long legs) for the next several hours I at least want to read something that is mindless.  I love reading a really great fiction story that can transport me to another place and time.  The book I picked up wasn't my favorite but definitely had the best layout of any book I've seen.  The book was called How to Bake A Perfect Life by Barbara O'Neal and everything from the turquoise cover (we know how I love that color) to the fact that almost every chapter was finished with a recipe made me absolutely ecstatic with the layout.  I mean why haven't they combined fiction and recipes before this?  So when I saw the book I read about 2 sentences regarding what it was about and bought it.  My thought process was even if the book is awful I can still use the recipes. 

A recipe I can't wait to try - cake ball cookies!!!!

"COOKIES!!! UMM-NUM-NUM-NUM-NUM!!!"
-Cookie Monster

get ready for a fabulous recipe!

I've got to admit when I stumbled across this recipe I completely agreed with cookie monster.  As you may have figured out from two previous posts (here and here) I am a fan of cake balls and cake pops.  If you aren't sure what they are make sure to read this post because you are missing out!!!  A while back I was looking up different food blogs to try to find a new recipe for dinner and I got a little sidetracked, thanks to a whole blog dedicated to chocolate!  During my sidetracked adventure I found a few blogs dealing with desserts only and stumbled across an amazing one called SugarDerby.  She has come up with what I believe to be one of my favorite creative desserts ever!  The cake ball cookie!  Yep you heard right.  Imagine a fabulously gooey chocolate chip cookie stuffed with an extremely moist cake ball.  Oh, I can't wait to make this.  I just need to find something to make them for otherwise I'll eat them all myself!  So I just absolutely have to share!  I'd love to hear your thoughts or see pictures of how they turn out for you.  I promise I'll post pics when I make them as I can't wait to see what they look like!

Greek dinner with friends

“I bought a doughnut and they gave me a receipt for the doughnut... I don't need a receipt for the doughnut. I give you money and you give me the doughnut, end of transaction. We don't need to bring ink and paper into this. I can't imagine a scenario that I would have to prove that I bought a doughnut. To some skeptical friend, 'Don't even act like I didn't get that doughnut, I've got the documentation right here... It's in my file at home. ...Under "D".”

 - Mitch Hedberg

Ok so the quote has absolutely nothing to do with this post but it made me laugh so hard that I had to use it!  Yesterday we had two good friends come over for dinner, Kaylee and Jay.  We've been planning to get together with them for a while but never got around to it until now.  We decided the best thing to do would be to hang out at our house for dinner and walk over to this cute little gelato shop after for a sweet ending.  

The evolution of the cake pop!

"Life is unsure, always eat your dessert first" 

I love experimenting with new recipes and decorations.  So when my mother in law mentioned having a birthday party for my husband and his grandfather (they celebrated their birthdays within a week of each other) I knew I wanted to try something new.  I told the MIL I would make the dessert and began to try to come up with something creative that they would both like.  I knew they were both Chicago Cubs fans so I wanted to try to incorporate that somehow.  The Cubs theme combined with my husbands love for cake balls slowly evolved into the Cubs cake pops.  There was definitely some trial and error along the way (I threw out 3 lbs of chocolate!) but the end result was perfect!  The cake pops were delicious and such a difference from your typical cake or cupcakes for the birthday.  This post will be a little different as it will have pictures along the waybut I wanted you to be able to understand what they looked like.  If you are new to the cake ball/cake pop world you are probably wondering what I am talking about.  Imagine a moist cake rolled up and dipped in chocolate and made just the perfect size so that you can eat quite a few without feeling like you've ate a lot - almost sinful right?!?!?  They are definitely an addicting little addition to your baking collection. 

A recipe I can't wait to try...

Prosciutto: dry-cured spiced Italian ham usually sliced thin

What a beautiful tablescape!

I am not a ham lover.  For as long as I can remember my mom has gotten honey baked hams for Thanksgiving and every year she also has to make a turkey because I refuse to eat the ham.  I just do not like the way ham tastes.  However, I do like Prosciutto.  I know, it is probably just a mental thing as to why I like it but not regular ham but for some reason I do.  I think it goes back to 2 year s ago when I went to Italy with the husband's family. While we were there I began to acquire a taste for some of the Italian staples that I didn't like before including olive oil, tomatoes, and prosciutto.  If you have never been on a trip where they serve the local far fresh, you probably don't understand what I mean.  But there is just something about eating the fresh food that really changes your palette.  I began to like pineapples when I visited  markets in Hawaii, began to like plain bread when I visited Paris bakeries, and the above foods when I visited Italy.  I also am madly in love with goat cheese.  I could honestly eat it straight out of the package (but due to its cost, I don't).  So when I saw this recipe that combined goat cheese, prosciutto, lemon, olive oil, and arugula I knew it was a match made in heaven.  I haven't tried it yet but decided to go ahead and post it so that you could have the joy of attempting it also.  This recipe is from Saveur magazine and was passed on to me in an email.  When I opened the email and began reading the recipe I was instantly in love.  Not only is it a great combination of ingredients but it would make a lovely appetizer for a shower, girls party or any other event where someone would enjoy the great ingredients.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I imagine I will.  

Happy New Year!!!

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day. ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Martha Stewart Recipe Box

Happy New Year!!! This year has been wonderful, crazy, stressful, busy and scary all at the same time.    This year I became Mrs. Latter - yep that's right I'm no longer Courtney Greer I'm now Courtney Latter.  Still sounds a little weird but I'm getting used to it.  Probably the biggest shock was that it was easier than I expected.  I know weird right?  Honestly though, people had me completely freaked out.  I kept hearing "the next 5 years will be the worst years of your life, but don't worry you'll be fine after that".  I was honestly so freaked out that the week before the wedding I kept having to tell myself "it's ok, they say that's only 5 years, just look forward to year 6".  All I can say now, is that if this is "hard" then year 6 is going to be awesome!!!!  I love that Shale and I are so compatible and that he supports every passion I have.  During this year I also had the wonderful privilege of figuring out some of my passions in life.

Christmas Goodies and Coffee Creations!

Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas.

Dale Evans Rogers

Don't you love this turquoise wreath?

I cannot believe Christmas is this weekend!!!  Last week I got the stomach flu and was sick for a whole week!  This made for absolutely no cooking during the week.  (I think the husband was a little tired of canned chicken noodle soup for me and "fend for yourself" for him)  However, my best friend is leaving to go to NYC and I had her Christmas party at my house on Friday night which meant I had to cook. I had decided to do "Caitlin's Favorite Things" for the menu and they turned out really well so I wanted to share... enjoy!

Christmas Catering Concoctions

Traditional Christmas Dishes from the countries my family originated from:
Ireland: Turkey with whiskey glaze - whiskey and honey together with a splash of orange will give an impressive and great tasting twist to the traditional bird.
Germany: The Germans tend to have a game feast on Christmas day, usually wild boar or venison. According to German tradition, partaking in a roast of pork dinner on Christmas Eve will prevent evil and promote prosperity in the New Year.

Martha Stewart KitchenAid Mixer

In case you haven't figured it out yet, I LOVE to cook. One of my favorite stress relievers is coming home and trying to make up a new dish out of whatever I have on hand (by the way the husband finds this very strange that I actually enjoy this but he can't complain as it means food for him). However, in the last 2 years several older ladies that I know have recognized this joy I get from cooking and have enlisted me to cater and/or assist with their Christmas parties. This is so fun for me because I get to try out a ton of new recipes and have tons of people to share them with when I'm done! Plus I absolutely love the preparation that goes into putting out really nice food for a party, so I get so much joy out of doing this. Last year I did a party for a very sweet lady and she asked me to come back and do this party again. Now hers is a little different as she orders several gormet finger sandwhiches and desserts from a local bakery so for her I make just a few simple side dishes that she requests but I thought I would share some of them as they are good and simple to help make your holiday party a feast!