Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

Butternut squash happens to be one of my favorite vegetables, and yet I hardly ever cook it.  For some reason it only occurs to me to make it around the holidays, and then I forget about it for the rest of the year.  So, I recently decided I need to incorporate it into our lives more often.  That's when this soup came to mind....well, that and the fact that it was 5 below zero the other morning and cold weather always makes me crave soup.  Soup always hits the spot on a cold winter day. 

I love the combination of squash with the apples in this soup.  I also like that it's thick and filling.  One bowl for lunch and I'm stuffed, which in my book that makes it perfect!  It's also a wonderful soup for a first course when having company.  Since I've fallen off the wagon when it comes to eating healthy lately, I think this soup will make an appearance on my table more often in the coming months.    

 Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 apples, peeled & cored and cut into chunks
2 1/2 lbs butternut squash, peeled with seeds removed and cut into chunks
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup water +
1/2 cup apple cider
1/2 cup half & half
1 tsp salt
1/4 pepper
1/2 tsp coriander 
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat, then add the diced onions.  Cook until onions are tender, stirring occasionally. 

Add the cut squash, apples, coriander, garlic powder, salt, pepper, cider, water and chicken stock and 1/2 & 1/2 to the pot.  Bring to a boil, cover and cook on medium-low for about 45 minutes or until squash and apples are soft.  Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to puree it until almost smooth (you can use a food processor if you don't have an immersion blender).  After it's blended you may want to add more water or stock to get the consistency you prefer - I added another 3/4 cup of water.  The soup should be thick, but you can thin it out if that's how you like it. 

Rolo Stuffed Cookies

Sugar cookies are the one type of cookie I never make.  I like them, but for some reason I never think to make them.  So when we were asked if we'd like to buy cookie dough  for a fundraiser I decided on a box of sugar cookie dough.  They actually came in handy the last couple of weeks!  Then one day I saw a bag of Rolos stuffed in the cabinet and I knew right away I needed to try using them with the sugar cookies (I saw them somewhere....Pinterest probably).

When my son saw me putting them together, he said he didn't think it was a good idea.  He said he prefers the sugar cookies just plain.  My husband on the other hand....he was excited when he came home and I told him what was inside the cookie.  After trying them he said he preferred it to just the plain cookies, and I have to say I agree!  My son stuck to his guns though and opted to eat the plain sugar cookies.  That's OK, more for us!

Rolo Stuffed Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookie dough (use your favorite homemade recipe, or go ahead and use store bought)
Rolos

Preheat oven to 350, and spray your cookie sheets with cooking spray.  Take about a 1/4 cup of cookie dough and form it around one Rolo, then place on the cookie sheet.  Repeat until you've made as many as you want.  Place in oven and cook for about 12-14 minutes.  Remove from oven and let the tray set for a couple of minutes.  Then remove cookies and place on a wire rack to cool completely.  Doesn't get any easier than that!  You really could use any kind of cookie dough you want - snicker doodle dough, regular chocolate chip cookie dough, etc. 

Pecan Sticky French Toast Casserole

Ok, so who doesn't love sticky buns?  I love them, but if I'm going to make rolls/buns I usually opt for regular cinnamon rolls.  That's why this recipe is so perfect.  I get the pecan sticky bun deliciousness, but in an overnight casserole dish!  So quick and easy to put together, which makes it perfect for when you are having company for breakfast.  Just pull it out of the fridge in the morning, toss it in the oven and 25 minutes later you have an AMAZING breakfast!  Perfect for Christmas morning too....in fact it may become my go-to Christmas morning breakfast from here on in.  Look at that french toast dripping in caramel pecan yumminess - it doesn't get any better than that!  Merry Christmas everyone ♥

Pecan Sticky French Toast Casserole (adapted from Betty Crocker)

Topping:

1  cup packed brown sugar

6  tbsp butter

1/3  cup heavy cream

1 tbsp light corn syrup

¾ cup chopped pecans

French Toast:

3 eggs

1/2 cup half & half

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

8, ¾” thick slices French or Italian bread (or however many pieces fit in your dish)

Spray 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. In a small saucepan, add all the topping ingredients and mix together. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth - DO NOT BOIL. Spread topping in baking dish.

In shallow bowl, whisk eggs together. Beat in half & half, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Dip bread slices into egg mixture, making sure all egg mixture is absorbed; arrange over topping in dish. Cover, and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400°F. Uncover baking dish and cook for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and bread is golden. Remove from oven and let stand 3 minutes.  Place a large platter upside down over the baking dish, then carefully turn platter and baking dish over. Lift and remove baking dish, being sure to scrape any extra caramel topping onto toast. Serve immediately.

Roasted Garlic

Roasted garlic often falls into the category of "So good, but never think to make it".  Every time I've ever had it I always love it. This is the time of year where entertaining is at it's highest point, so it's fun to pull something like this out of it's forgotten corner and to give guests a little treat.  

I personally love garlic anyway, but the sweetness that roasting it produces gives it a flavor that is just like no other.  There's a million things you can do with it, but most people really enjoy it on bread, either mixed with butter and toasted of just smeared on a fresh slice of bread.  It's amazing when used in salsa, mixed in with mashed potatoes, tossed with vegetables, etc.  The list is never ending.  Try it, saveur it, share it...you just might want to refrain from kissing afterwards ;)

   
Roasted Garlic

Whole Garlic Bulbs (as many as you want)
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Preheat your oven to 400.  Take your garlic bulbs and cut the entire tops of them off.  Place in a baking dish, and drizzle a decent amount of olive oil over each garlic bulb.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cover baking dish with aluminum foil.  Place in preheated oven, and cook for 1 hour. 

Honey Nut Granola

This past weekend we had a family breakfast get together.  A few days prior to that my husband and I were discussing what to serve, and that's when we realized we hadn't had a breakfast get together before!  We've had company for breakfast, but not a big breakfast get together with all of our kids and grand-kids!  That's a total of 13...#14 is on the way, and I'm sure the number will continue to grow in the next few years.  I really am in need of a bigger house!  Well, more like a bigger living room and dining room, the rest of the house is fine the way it is I guess.

Anyway, when we have company I like to serve a variety of dishes so everyone can find something they like.  We figured with 4 kids in the mix we needed to keep it pretty simple.  We decided on pancakes, sausage, homemade cinnamon roles, scrambled eggs, toast, fruit, yogurt and granola.  I decided to experiment with the homemade granola this year (I get bored with the same old recipes sometimes).  As a general rule, I don't like to try new recipes when I'm about to have company in case it turns into a disaster.  However, I've made a lot of granola over the years, so I wasn't too worried that it would be a total flop.  Lucky for me it actually worked out perfectly.  I might even like this version more than my favorite granola recipe given to me by my friend Becca (sorry Becca, yours is still awesome, this one just has a different flavor)!  I don't know how anyone else felt about the granola, but I do know that I can't keep out of it!  I will definitely be making this one again!

Honey Nut Granola

1 cup Honey Bunches of Oates cereal
1 cup Honey Nut Cheerios
2 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup cashews, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3 tbsp ground flax seed
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Mix the cereal, flax seed, and oats together, and pour onto the cookie sheet.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile in a small saucepan, melt the butter, maple syrup and honey together on medium-low heat.  Add the vanilla and stir until everything is well combined and the butter is melted, then remove from heat. 

Pour the oat mixture into a large bowl.  Add the butter mixture, cashews and cranberries to the oat mixture and stir until everything is evenly coated.  Pour it back onto the baking sheet and spread it out evenly, while pressing down firmly.  Place in oven and cook 20-30 minutes or until golden brown (do not overcook), stirring occasionally.  Remove from oven and let it cool completely before breaking it up.  I like mine as clumpy as possible, but you can crumble it all up if that's your preference.  Store in an air tight container.

Rolo Turtle Treats

A lot of times I find that after a big holiday meal people are too stuffed to eat much dessert.  So, depending on the holiday and/or meal, instead of making a big dessert I will put out a variety of smaller things - like a different types of cookies, chocolates, or things that are more of the bite size variety.  When we have a lot of people over for dinner I like to have options for desserts in hopes that everyone will find something they like to munch on. 

There are also times when I am in a pinch for something to bring to a holiday party, either I am short on time or I just want to bring something other than sugar cookies! This is the perfect little treat that fits the bill for all the above scenarios. Super quick and easy to put together, and super tasty little treats to boot!  My son loves these things and always asks me to make more every time I make them.  Try something new...you won't be sorry!

  Rolo Turtles

Waffle shaped pretzels
Whole pecans
Rolos

Preheat oven to 350.  Line a baking sheet with pretzels (how many depends on how many you want/need to make).  Top each pretzel with a rolo, then place cookie sheet in oven for 3-4 minutes - you just want the rolos to be softened, not melted!  Remove from oven and gently place a whole pecan on top of each one and press down just slightly.  When you've added all the pecans, place tray in refrigerator for about 30 minutes to set.  Store in air tight container, in fridge or at room temp (I prefer room temp because they are best eaten at room temp).

Bacon Jam

It sounds weird right?  Have you ever tried it?  OH.MY.GOODNESS.  I think I have found a new obsession!!!  Where has this stuff been all my life?  Sweet, salty, deliciousness.  What more can you ask for?!?!  The last couple of years I've gotten sick of making the same old holiday baking giveaways, so I decided this year I wanted to give something different.  I tried this jam at some country store this fall as a sample, and I knew right then that I had found something special.  I found a recipe and after I fooled with it a little I decided this is the homemade item I am giving away at Christmas.  More people need to have this goodie in their life.

The possibilities for what this incredible jam could be used on are endless.  Lots of people serve it on bread or crackers as an appetizer, but I've tried it on grilled cheese & meatloaf and both were amazing.  Next I want to try it on pizza and on a burger....my mouth is watering at the thought!  

Bacon Jam (adapted from Martha Stewart)

3 lbs applewood smoked bacon
4 onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, peeled & smashed with the side of your knife
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp dry mustard
1 1/2 cups brewed coffee
1 tsp Tabasco 

Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces and cook in a large skillet until it's lightly browned and fat is rendered off.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.  Remove all but 2 tbsp of bacon fat from the pan, add the onions and garlic and cook for about 10 minutes or until onions are translucent.  Add the maple syrup, vinegar, sugar, coffee, dry mustard and Tabasco and bring to a boil while stirring for about 2 minutes.  Add the bacon back to the pan and stir to combine.

Transfer mixture to the bowl of your slow cooker and cook on high, uncovered, for about 4-5 hours or until liquid becomes syrupy.  Transfer to the bowl of a food processor and pulse two times or until it's just slightly chopped up.  Cool completely, then refrigerate in an air tight container.  Stays good for about 4 weeks.  I like to warm mine a little in the microwave before using it, that way you can really taste all the yummy flavors going on!   Makes about 5-6 cups, depending on how long you let it cook down.