Post Christmas Blues

Can I post about Christmas and Post Christmas Blues at the same time?

I realized that I haven't had time for any Christmas posting . . . huge Bloggin' Fail.
But . . . I have managed to run my clinic full time, Get the gift-buying and gift-wrapping done, Enjoy having a housefull for the holidays, Get a few batches of sweets made, AND be private duty nurse to Bill after his total hip replacement.

Can I get a hallelujah ?

It is already time to pack it all up ~ I am looking forward to a bit of R&R.
I will be posting photos of the cute grandbaby (once I can find my camera).
I reluctantly swept up cherios and glitter . . . the markers of a bit of LuLu time..
Memories of a wonderful Christmas Holiday surrounded by family and Grateful for the blessings we have.

Now I am gong to sit back and think about my Promises for the New Year ~


Don't forget to check in at Smiling Sally for more blues and Boogie Board Cottage for her Masterpiece Monday.
Y'all enjoy ~

Sandi

PhotoHunt ~Shimmer

The PhotoHunt for this weekend is Shimmer.

Tis the season to Shimmer~

Check for all the other Shimmery Photos on The Saturday PhotoHunt
Happy Hunting y'all~
Sandi

PhotoHunt ~ Mellow

The PhotoHunt for today is Mellow

This would make you mellow for sure ~ Grappa and contucci.
Yummy. . . with a mellow yellow label from Martin Del Nero.
Check for all the other Mellow Photos on The Saturday PhotoHunt
Happy Hunting y'all~
Sandi

Southern Pecan Pie

This is the 'new' Southern Pecan Pie from the pages of Southern Living. (I had to go all the way to Boston to see a copy of Southern Living) 

This pie is really different ~ and really yummy.
The sweet and salty topping that is poured over a chocolatey brownie filling is rich and filling . . . this ain't your grandma's pecan pie.

Salted Caramel-Chocolate Pecan Pie
Chocolate filling
1 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweeteded cocoa
1 Tbs corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup chopped pecans
1 9inch piecrust
Salted Caramel Topping
3/4 cup sugar
1tbs lemon juice
1/3 cup heaby cream
4 Tbs butter
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups toasted pecan halves
corse sea salt
Preheat oven to 350

Stir first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Incorporate eggs, stirring until well blended. Fold in chopped pecans.

Pour into pie shell. Bake for 35 minutes. The brownie filling will be soft. 
For the topping: Bring sugar, lemon juice and 1/4 cup water to a boil over high heat.
Do Not Stir. Bring to a boil, gently swirling for about 7 minutes until it becomes the perfect caramel color. Remove from heat, add butter and then cream and salt, stirring until it stops bubbling and is smooth.

Arrange pecan halves on the top of the baked pie.
Top with warm caramel.
Cool and top with sea salt.

Like I said. . . this ain't your Grandma's pecan pie.  It is still a hit!
Maybe even a New Holiday Tradition.


I am also joining Our World Tuesday
Y'all enjoy the ride~
Sandi

Saturday PhotoHunt ~ Burst

The Saturday PhotoHunt is 'Burst'
My favorite Burst in the kitchen. . .  is when I finish my crème brûlée
With a Burst of flame to brown the top.

This is a recipe from the Pioneer Woman ~ who has gone from blogger, to blogger extraordinaire with a cooking show and everything.
 
Crème Brûlée
4 cups Heavy Cream
1 whole Vanilla Bean
10 whole Egg Yolks
¾ cups Sugar
6 Tablespoons Superfine (Baker's) Sugar Preparation
Instructions Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Pour the cream into the saucepan. Add vanilla (whichever product you’re using) and simmer over medium-low heat. Whip egg yolks with the sugar until pale yellow and thick. Strain cream using a fine mesh strainer. Whip yolks while you very slowly drizzle in 1 cup of warm cream. Go slowly so as not to cook the eggs! Once the first cup is added, you can add the rest of the cream slowly. Place ramekins onto a rimmed baking sheet. Pour custard mixture into ramekins. Pour water in bottom of baking sheet until it comes halfway up the ramekins. Bake for 30 minutes, or until just set. Do not allow to get brown. Cool ramekins on countertop, then chill for at least 2-3 hours, covered in plastic wrap. To serve, sprinkle 1 tablespoon over each ramekin of custard. Use a kitchen torch to quickly (but carefully) brown the sugar. There should be a thin, crisp surface of burned sugar on the top. Serve immediately!
I like to top mine with a bit of fruit or chocolate . . . or both ~

Check for all the other Burst Photos on The Saturday PhotoHunt
Happy Hunting y'all~
Sandi

Chunky Gingerbread Cookies

This is a repeat of a post I did 6 years ago (yes. . . 6 years of blogging ) This is my favorite cookie and mi amici Gail of  Gail's Great Escapes introduced me to them.

We have been known to share a pinch of a cookie from the Fickle Pickle. They have a gingerbread cookie that had me dying for more. Since we are a long way from Roswell, I got out my apron and started adding a pinch of dis and a pinch of dat.

It may not be the real thing~ but I'll bet my Georgia lotto ticket you will love these

Double Chocolate Ginger Cookies

1 box gingerbread mix*
1 Tbs cocoa powder
6 Tbs butter
1/4 cup diced ginger
1 cup chopped dark chocolate
Pre-heat oven to 350°

Combine mix with melted butter and water. Add cocoa powder and stir until well combined. Add diced ginger. Combine flour and chocolate chunks and stir until blended. Using a small ice cream scoop place rounded scoops of cookie dough about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-9 minutes. Cool on a rack.
* I used a different kind of mix this time and added the amount of butter that was called for on the box. The secret is the chunky ginger and chunky chocolate.

I also got a bit of  Christmas decorating done . . . Y'all will love my blue kitchen candy-cane and cookie cutter tree.

Don't forget to check in at Smiling Sally for more blues and Boogie Board Cottage for her Masterpiece Monday.
Y'all enjoy ~

Sandi

~ Creativity ~

The PhotoHunt for today is 'Creativity' ~
These oysters are at the condo in Orange Beach.

They are a piece of original artwork by Bellamy out of Savannah (follow her link for a peak at her creativity). Holly contacted her when she'd seen her work. They talked about colors of the beach and memories of fun family times.
She Created this . . .

I think it is the perfect touch for a beautiful retreat.
It makes us smile everytime we see it.

That's Creativity ~

Check for all the other Photos of Creativity on The Saturday PhotoHunt
Happy Hunting y'all~
Sandi

Cooking Light ~ HealthyHolidays

I saw a funny pin today that said
"The holidays are almost here . . . Have you turned your scale back 10# ?"
That is about the truth.

For our Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club we decided to try to keep the holidays healthy . . . I found This Recipe  for a flavorful Pork Tenderloin that would be perfect for a main dish or thinly sliced for a breakfast biscuit on a buffet.

Apple Cider Glazed Pork Tenderloin
3# pork tenderloin
2 Tbs rosemary
1 Tbs minced fresh ginger
1 Tbs orange zest
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
6 garlic cloves minced
3 cups apple cider
3 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
1 cup chicken broth

Combine the first 7 ingredients; rub evenly over pork. Place pork in a dish; cover and chill 1 hour.
Combine cider, cloves, and bay leaves in a large pot; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to 1 1/2 cups (about 10 minutes).

Add pork; cover and simmer 20 minutes or until done. Remove pork from pan. Bring cooking liquid to a boil. Cook until reduced to 3/4 cup (about 8 minutes). Strain cooking liquid through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Spoon liquid over pork. Cut pork into thin slices

I used my trusty meat thermometer because I like my pork at 145° . . . still pink and juicy.
The only other thing that I would have done is to sear the pork before adding it to the liquid to cook, so it would have had a prettier brown crust.

 
Now . . . let's see what everyone else has brought for our Healthy Holiday feast.
Jerry has dessert with a Rustic Apple Tart
Val is baking a Burratta which looks amazing
Susan is bringing Creamy Sweet Potato Soup
Sara is making a pot of Beans and Greens
This looks like a meal I would really love to eat . . .

Y'all enjoy ~
Sandi

PhotoHunt ~ Game

The PhotoHunt for this weekend is 'Game' This is the weekend of the BIG Auburn/Alabama football game. This year the steaks are higher than ever. . .  one of us will be going to the National Championship.  Once again Auburn is going in as the underdog.

Y'all know that we live in a divided household . . . I am an Auburn Orange and Blue Tiger.
Bill's family hollers Roll Tide.
I think it is a good thing that I am in Boston for the holidays.

We'll see if I need to take a cab from the airport on Sunday.

Check for all the other Game Photos on The Saturday PhotoHunt
and War Eagle !
Happy Hunting y'all~
Sandi

Travel Tuesday ~ countdown to Boston

Do y'all have plans for Thanksgiving?
I am headed up to Boston with my bag full of real grits and pecans.

I should get there just in time for a New England style Southern Turkey dinner . . . and most importantly, time with family.

I just hope the weather holds out . . .  I'm packing my long johns for sure.

Happy Thanksgiving ~ We hope that each of you are surrounded by love and cornbread dressing. Y'all enjoy ~
Sandi

PhotoHunt ~ Over

The PhotoHunt for this weekend is 'Over'
What do you do with fresh cranberries, with sugar and orange zest over the top?

This is a quick and easy recipe for a Cranberry Sauce for Thanksgiving that I found at Epicurious. It calls for just a quick puree of the berries, but I prefer to cook them until they pop.

Fresh Cranberry Sauce
1 navel orange (zested)
1 bag fresh cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 tsp cinnamon
Zest the orange. Cut the sections from the orange, removing all the membrane. Pulse cranberries with the orange, sugar and cinnamon i a food processor. Chill covered for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to develop.

This can also be used over a round of brie (baked with a few pistachios) and served with pears or gingersnap crackers.

Check for all the other  Photos OVER on  The Saturday PhotoHunt
Happy Hunting y'all~
Sandi

Blue Monday and Travel Tuesdays

It's hard to get exticed about Traveling on Tuesdays . . .
When I am stuck at the office.
That makes it a Blue Monday.

This says it all ~
Y'all enjoy ~
Sandi

PhotoHunt ~ NEAT

I was PhotoHunting for 'NEAT'
and came across these photos . . .
I see where these dunes are kept neat by the Dune Doctors.

I wonder if they are looking for a good Nurse Practitioner ?

I could certainly keep these beaches neat and tidy.

Check for all the other Neat Photos on The Saturday PhotoHunt
Happy Hunting y'all~
Sandi

Happy Veteran's Day!

I don't know if you have seen the USAA commercials . . .
The ones where people talk about how they earned the right to use this military insurance.

 

I can say that I earned my USAA status in a U2 over Cuba.

Happy Veteran's Day!
and thank you for your service.

Sandi

PhotoHunt ~ $ale

The PhotoHunt for today is Sale ~ Did you know that you can find some of our WhistleStop products at Whole Foods?

A few years ago, Bill and I were doing Cooking demo's.
Frying up a mess of green tomatoes ~
They were awesome (of course)

You can also find our other products at your local market or on-line at WhistleStopCafe.COM .

( How's that for a $ales pitch? )

Check for all the other Sale Photos on The Saturday PhotoHunt
Happy Hunting y'all~
Sandi

Cooking Light ~ Under 300 Calories?

This month for our Virtual Supper Club, Jerry challenged us to make a dish for under 300 calories . . . or was that 300 calories for the whole meal??
I'm not sure, but with this Cooking Light Recipe I am well under the mark either way.

Except. . .   I could eat a whole pan of these.
I do like the idea of serving each on an individual spoon ~ one bite appetizers.

Chinese Scallops
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 Tbs sesame oil
1# large scallops
1Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs chives
1 Tbs toasted sesame seeds
Fresh cilantro
Sriracha chili sauce (optional)
Heat oils in a large (not nonstick) frying pan over high heat. Add scallops and cook, turning once, until starting to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Set each scallop on a spoon and drizzle with 1/4 tsp. soy sauce; then sprinkle with some green onion and sesame seeds.
Top with a cilantro leaf

The secret with scallops is to get a good sear. Don't be tempted to crowd the pan, and the oil should be hot. Turn them once!

These are only 70 calories per serving. The optional sriracha is 5 calories per teaspoon . . . but a little dab 'L do ya.
These little bites are packed with flavor.

 
Now . . . let's see what everyone else has brought for our lo-cal feast.
Jerry has made Chiang Mai Pork Patties
Val is making a Double Tomato Soup
Susan is bringing Two Potato Gratin
Sara is making a Pumpkin Pie Pudding.
Y'all enjoy ~
Sandi