Little Lifesavers

Simple things make my life easier. One of my favorite kitchen items is my acrylic cookbook holder, a gift I received from my mom many years ago. As you can see, mine will hold a cookbook, recipes marked in magazines, recipes sent via email, grocery lists, high altitude baking adjusts, and a cookie recipe I received in the mail today from my mom! You can find these cookbook holders in many stores, including Barnes and Noble.

All Things Pasta

 

I have been on kind of a pasta kick lately.  Not actually eating a lot of pasta but talking about it a lot. Vodka pasta, spaghetti pies, refrigerated tortellini, stuff like that. With all that talk,  I have decided to make this for supper tonight.  It looks good to eat and quick and easy to make, and it has bacon in it.  How can I go wrong?

 

Spaghetti Carbonara

From the March 2006 EveryDay Food page 95

1 pound spaghetti

8 oz bacon (8 slices)  cut 1 inch thick crosswise

salt and pepper

3 large eggs

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

1/2 cup half and half

1.  Set a large pot of water to boil (for pasta).  In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

2.  Salt boiling water generously; add pasta and cook until al dente, according to package directions.

3.  Meanwhile in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, Parmesan, and half and half.  Set aside.

4. Drain pasta, leaving some water clinging to it.  Working quickly, add hot pasta to egg mixture.  Add bacon; season with salt and pepper, and toss all to combine (heat from pasta will cook eggs).  Serve immediately, sprinkled with additional Parmesan cheese. 

Another Quick and Easy Dessert

 
I had almost everything on hand for this quick and easy dessert. Another big hit at Ladies Bible Study.

New Orleans Food Dictionary

Gumbo is a stew or soup originating in Louisiana which is popular across the Gulf Coast of the United States and into the U.S. South. It consists primarily of a strong stock, meat and/or shellfish, a thickener (roux), and the vegetable "holy trinity" of celery, bell peppers, and onion. The key ingredient is okra. Gumbo is traditionally served over rice. There is also a traditional meatless lenten variety.

Boudin (bōō-dān' ) describes a number of different types of sausage used in Creole and Cajun cuisine. Crawfish boudin, popular in Cajun cuisine, is made with the meat of crawfish tails added to rice. It is often served with cracklins (fried pig skins) and saltine crackers, hot sauce, and ice cold beer.

A po' boy (also po-boy, po boy, or poor boy) is a traditional submarine sandwich from Louisiana. It almost always consists of meat or seafood, usually fried, served on baguette-like Louisiana French bread.

Red beans and rice is an emblematic dish of Louisiana Creole cuisine.

Crawfish Boil: Shrimp, crab, and crawfish boils can be found across southern Louisiana, but it is the crawfish boil that is most closely associated with the region. A Crawfish Festival is a showcase for Cajun music and culture.

A beignet (pronounced [bɛ.ɲɛ] (which is the French word for fried dough)) in American English refers to a pastry made from deep-fried dough and sprinkled with confectioner's sugar. It is a kind of French doughnut. In the US, beignets are associated with the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. They are served at the well known restaurant Cafe du Monde.

So Many Parties, So Little Time

Hostess With the Mostess is pretty much the best all around party planning site out there.

They have the cutest ideas, the best resources and they cover pretty much any kind of party you might want to throw!

Here are a couple of my favorites.

A Bright and Cheery Summer Wedding

Mostly just for this!

 
 

And I like this one a lot too!

Japanese Washi Tape

And they used that tape here too!

See what I mean? Too much cute stuff and great ideas.

What a Combo!

How about this, birds and cucpcakes, two of my very favorite things!

Chicken Pot Pie

Once again, the Pioneer Woman has convinced me to try something new. This time…it is pie crust. Just for the record, I have made pie crust before, and I was not very successful, so I gave it up.

But chicken pot pie is another thing. I love chicken pot pie. I have never made a chicken pot pie…for fear of the crust. But her pie crust recipe looked rather simple and so I tried it. The crust was easy to make and so I continued on with the chicken pot pie. I am sure the butter and heavy cream added to the wonderful taste of this pot pie. If you have this cookbook, you will find the step by step directions/pictures on page 126. I very carefully followed step number 10 which notes that the rustic looking crust is a good thing. Here is her recipe for the perfect pie crust.

Ingredients

1-½ cup Crisco (vegetable Shortening)
3 cups All-purpose Flour
1 whole Egg
5 Tablespoons Cold Water
1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
1 teaspoon Salt

Preparation Instructions
In a large bowl, with a pastry cutter, gradually work the Crisco into the flour for about 3 or 4 minutes until it resembles a coarse meal. In a small bowl, beat an egg with a fork and then pour it into the flour/shortening mixture. Add 5 tablespoons of cold water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir together gently until all of the ingredients are incorporated.

Separate the dough into halves. Form 2 evenly sized balls of dough and place each dough into a large Ziploc bag. (If you desire a thinner crust, divide dough into thirds.) Using a rolling pin, slightly flatten each ball of dough (about ½ inch thick) to make rolling easier later. Seal the bags and place them in the freezer until you need them. (If you will be using it immediately it's still a good idea to put in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes to chill.)

When you are ready to use the dough to make a crust, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw for 15 minutes. On a floured surface roll the dough, starting at the center and working your way out. (Sprinkle some flour over top of the dough if it's a bit too moist.) If the dough is sticking to the countertop use a metal spatula and carefully scrape it up and flip it over and continue rolling until it's about ½ inch larger in diameter than your pie pan.

With a spatula, lift the dough carefully from the surface of the counter into the pie pan. Gently press the dough against the corner of the pan. Go around the pie pan pinching and tucking the dough to make a clean edge.