steak au poivre!

steak au poivre is usually made with a thicker cut of meat such as a filet, but my fav is rib eye so rib eye it is!

this steak is super simple and super elegant !

4 steaks
kosher salt
fresh cracked peppercorns
1 stick of butter
1 cup of heavy cream
1/3 cup plus 1 tsp of cognac


take your steaks out 30 minutes prior to cooking. season really well with salt and pepper. melt one stick of butter into your cast iron skillet and add steaks once butter has turned a tad brown.

once steaks are cooked about 2-minutes per side depending on thickness. take you steaks out and place on a plate. with a tented piece of foil. turn off your stove and to the pan (brown bits and all) add the cognac and ignite the alcohol and shake pan until the flames are gone. return the pan to the stove and add cream. bring to a boil and reduce heat, and cook for 3-4 minutes until sauce has thickened. serve over steak and serve with the potatoes.

creamy tartiflette !

4 large potatoes 
1 block of havarti cheese 
Butter 
Heavy cream 
Black pepper 
Thyme 
5 slices bacon 
1 large onion 
2 slices of potato bread (for fresh crumbs )

I peeled and diced 4 large potatoes and boiled them in salted water until tender . 

Drain from water and set aside .
Next I cut up some bacon about 6 slices and one large onion .
In a fry pan . Cook onion and bacon until golden brown season with black pepper .
Once onion & bacon are done add potatoes to the pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes .

To make bread crumbs , just put two slices of potato bread in your food processor .

To assemble :
In a casserole dish or individual ramekins spoon in some potatoes and top with a layer of havarti cheese then another layer of potatoes topped with another layer of cheese .
Pour in some heavy cream and Top with fresh potato bread crumbs and melted butter . Bake at 400 until cheese is melted, bubbly and golden brown !
Garnish with fresh thyme and fresh cracked pepper .

split pea and ham soup!

• 16 oz yellow split peas
• 1 smoked ham hock or shank
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 carrots, sliced
• 6 celery stalks, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional
• 8 cups of reduced or no sodium chicken broth or water
• 20 oz frozen green peas
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

 Combine all the ingredients in a large soup pan over high heat.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and continue cooking over medium low for 1 hour or until the peas are tender.  10 minutes prior to serving, remove the bay leaves, add the froze peas, ham from the shank (diced) and season to taste with salt and pepper.

creamy chicken and corn chowder!

For the soup : 
1 whole chicken (roasted ) or you can buy a rotisserie 
1 onion 
3 stalks celery 
3 carrots 
2 cans corn 
4 garlic cloves 
4 cups chicken broth 
4 cups half and half 
1 cup cream 
Salt and pepper to taste 
8 tablespoons butter 
1/4 cup flour 
2 tablespoons olive oil 

Toppings :
Sour cream 
Cheddar cheese 
4 pieces bacon cooked and chopped 
Fresh parsley 
Fresh black pepper 

Cut up chicken .
In a Dutch oven put 2 tablespoons of olive oil to 2 tablespoons of butter . Sauté veggies until tender . Season with salt and pepper . Add in chicken and corn . Then add chicken stalk and simmer for 15-20 minutes . Next add the half and half . Cover and simmer on low . 

In a separate pan melt 4 tablespoons of butter and add a little less than 1/4 cup of flour to make a roux Then add to the soup followed by the cup of cream. And let it thicken for about 5 more minutes 

To serve put a dollop of sour cream , some cheddar cheese , bacon crumbles , parsley and fresh black pepper . 

This also goes well in a bread bowl . Which you can get at panera or make one . 

For the biscuits I use a DIY of bisquick . Or you can use bisquick . 

2 cups of all purpose baking mix 
1 can of corn 
3/4 cup of cheese . I used cheddar , Parmesan , and Asiago - but you can use any 
2 tablespoons of melted butter 
1/2 cup of milk . 
And a pinch of salt or two 
Mix all in a bowl and drop into a lined baking dish . Bake for 8-10 minutes on 400

My diy bisquick is super simple and can be used for anything bisquick can :

5 cups of all purpose flour 
1 cup of shortening 
3 table spoons of baking powder 
1 teaspoon of salt 

Mix flour , baking powder and salt and cut in shortening . Store in an air tight container .

Cinnamon-honey pumpkin butter !

Yesterday  after making that french toast I had  a ton of pumpkin left over so  I decided to whip up this super simple, super Delicious pumpkin butter ! Which goes on almost anything you can think of :) 

1 stick of room temp butter 

2 tablespoons of honey 

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon 

3 tablespoons of pumpkin 

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla 

Beat on high speed for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy !

the best pumpkin french toast!

i feel bad for you non-pumpkin lovers out there because you are indeed missing out! i saw a "official" recipe for this on pintrest but my phone died so i decided to wing it and it came out soooooo good !! its basically fall for breakfast!

1 loaf of fresh french bread
1/4 cup of half and half
1/4 cup of canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 tablespoon of sugar -or two ;)
1 heaping teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
4 table spoons of butter

(for cream)
beat 1 cup of heavy cream and a few teaspoon of sugar until stiff peaks form.

heat your griddle to 350
slice bread into 1 inch thick pieces
in a bowl mix, eggs, half and half, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and pumpkin. until combined and dip bread covering both sides.

cook on griddle for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown. top with fresh cream and an extra sprinkling of pumpkin spice and let your taste buds take you away! (don't forget the maple syrup)

creamy tomato & curry butter lobster pasta!

phew that title was long. but boy oh boy does it describe everything in this dish! if you've never made lobster before this is a fool proof recipe and one of the tastiest too! the pasta is super simple to put together , and whats best is the pasta cooks in the sauce! if you can look past all of the ingredients in this recipe you will see it is quite simple to make and its totally loved by all who try it! start to finish this amazing lobster dinner was done in  under an hour. 

here's what you need :

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried basil & oregano (plus more basil)
• salt and pepper, taste
• garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 (28 ounce) crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 pound long cut pasta
• 4 lobster tails
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon spicy yellow curry powder + more 
• salt, to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped + more for serving

heat your pan with olive oil and saute garlic and red pepper flakes. be-careful it doesn't burn (just until fragrant) then add tomatoes, salt, pepper, basil, curry, oregano & sugar. let it mix for a minute and then add wine & water. next add pasta and let it simmer on low until the noodles are tender and cooked through. once pasta is done add cream and cream cheese. taste to adjust seasonings if necessary.

then season the lobster tails with salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil and curry powder. and set aside. heat a cat iron skillet to high heat with 8 tablespoons of butter. place the lobster tails belly side down and cook for 4 minutes. turn them over for another minute or two until shell turns fully pink. 

to plate serve pasta in a bowl with lobster on top. drizzle the top with any remaining curry butter from cooking the lobster (optional) 

also if you want those fancy grill marks you can totally throw them on the grill after cooking (just brush with olive oil) but totally not needed ! and that's it folks ENJOY!

DIY kitchen menu board!

so i had a chalk board in my kitchen. and it was cute but it couldn't hold the whole weeks menu without being super squished and too tiny to read. so i scrolled to pintrest to get some inspiration to make my tiny little kitchen wall into a life size menu board. im so thrilled with the results! it adds a color and character all at the same time. 

within 30 minutes i went to home depot bought the chalk board paint and painted the wall . it took no time at all to paint (maybe 8 minutes?) the hardest part was waiting for the paint to dry so i could write one it. (which i did as soon as i opened my eyes this morning) hints the late breakfast we had today. lol anywho if you have a few bucks to spare this is a easy project that the whole family will enjoy!!

i bought the paint at home depot -$14

chalk at big lots- .50 cents

menu letters from walmart- $3

stencils from walmart - $1.49

paint for letters- .50 cents

pumpkin spice ice cream !

as we all know by now, i'm obsessed with all things pumpkin! and today its pumpkin spiced ice cream & its served in its own tiny little pie crust cup! this recipe follows the same directions as the ice creams i posted about last week. super simple and super delicious !! here's how i did it :

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla
1 can of sweetened  condensed milk.

in your mixer beat 2 cups of heavy cream until stiff peaks form. in a separate bowl mix pumpkin, vanilla, condensed milk and pumpkin pie spice until combined. then fold mixture into the whipped cream and freeze for 6 hours in a tupperware container. serve in pie crust and drizzle with caramel (optional)

you can buy a pre made pie crust or follow this easy recipe :)

1 3/4 C flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 C vegetable oil

2 tbsp water

 

In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt.

Stir in oil and water and mix until just combined.

Form dough into ball and place it in a greased pie pan.

Press dough out evenly until it covers entire pie pan including the sides. Make sure you press it thin where the side and bottom meet. Crimp edges if desired. 

 

Bourbon sweet potato cupcakes with bourbon cream cheese frosting !

WOOOOOOAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! these cupcakes are delicious! but before i get into that let me take a step  back . today i went to the christmas tree shop and found these adorable cupcake liners. i didn't realize at the time that they were texas style (aka jumbo) so i had to re think my whole idea of making simple cupcakes today. go big or go home right??? well the other day i came across this recipe for burbon sweet potato cupcakes. these cupcakes are so unbelievably rich and tasty i don't even know how to describe its wonders ! i changed this up a bit from the recipe i based it off of because it had a glaze vs a frosting and since they are so big in size i thought i needed something more substantial, and oh my heavens i couldn't of been happier with the results! 

for the cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup whole milk
1 cup cooked sweet potatoes
1/3 cup bourbon

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line cupcake trays with 24 baking cups.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a large bowl.
• In another large mixing bowl, mix brown sugar, butter and eggs until fluffy.
• Add sweet potatoes and vanilla. Mix well.
• Add 1/3 of flour mixture to sugar mixture until combined. Add bourbon. Add second 1/3 of flour mixture. Add milk. Add final 1/3 flour mixture.
• Mix well with each addition.
• Fill baking cups.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes or until done.
• Cool completely.

for the frosting :

4 ounces of soft cream cheese

1 stick of soft butter

1 tsp vanilla

4 tbsp burbon

1/2 bag of powdered sugar

beat the cream cheese, butter, burbon and vanilla until combined. add sugar little at a time and beat until light and fluffy.

california style eggs benedict !

oh my gosh do i love eggs benedict! its one of those timeless breakfast dishes. its made so fast and can be served everyday or for the fanciest of occasions. 

4 eggs 
4 pieces of Canadian bacon
2 English muffins
1/4 cup of cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh spinach
1/2 avocado 
fresh cracked pepper 
fresh parsley 
salt and pepper to taste

to make tomatoes- saute tomatoes in olive oil/ salt and pepper to to taste until tomatoes caramelize and blacken a bit. 

for the hollandaise- In a small saucepan, melt four tablespoons of butter. Do not let it brown. In a bowl, beat together four egg yolks, two tablespoons fresh lime juice, one tablespoon heavy cream, freshly ground pepper, and salt.
Next, you need to combine the eggs with the melted butter . If you add the eggs to the melted butter, the eggs will curdle, and you'll end up with a chunky, runny sauce when you want a smooth and creamy sauce. When you temper eggs, you warm them up slowly by adding a little bit of a hot liquid to them, and this keeps them from curdling. To temper the eggs, take a spoon and add a teaspoon of the melted butter to the egg mixture and beat with a wire whisk. Keep adding the melted butter to the egg mixture slowly until you've added about five tablespoons or so, whisking the entire time. Now you're ready to add the egg mixture to the saucepan. Turn the heat to low and cook the egg-butter mixture very quickly - only about ten to fifteen seconds or so - whisking vigorously. If your hollandaise isn't thick enough, cook it a little bit longer in five second increments, whisking vigorously, until it reaches the consistency you desire.

poach 4 eggs, toast 2 muffins and spread 1T of butter on each. layer with spinach,avocado, bacon, egg and holindiase sause. top with roasted tomatoes, parsley and fresh cracked black pepper. 

banana pumpkin bread

Fall is here!!! not really, but almost ;) if it were up to me it would be fall every day! its my absolute favorite time of the year. and though i love to cook all days its these next few months you will find me glued to my kitchen cooking all things pumpkin! banana bread is a staple in my house. i make about 2-3 loafs a week! today after going to my friends house and having her blueberry-banana bread (which was DELICIOUS!) i decided to change it a bit and make a pumpkin bread. but as i was about to mix it, i noticed i had bananas that needed to go too so i tossed them in there and oh my heavens ! its now one of my new favorites!  :)

2 bananas 
3 eggs 
1 1/2 cup brown sugar 
1 stick soft butter 
2 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice 
1 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon baking powder 
2 1/2 cup flour 
1 can of pumpkin 

Glaze 
2 cups powder sugar 
1/4 cup maple syrup 
3-4 tablespoons of pumpkin spice creamer or however much you need to loosen

Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick come out clean

cake batter blondies!

the other day we were invited to a birthday party but it didn't start until later in the day. and all i could think about was cake and ice cream. i didn't have time to make a cake nor did i really want to but i did however have enough time and all of the ingredients to make some cake batter blondies and it was so so good! served warm with vanilla ice cream with a caramel drizzle it was to die for. best part is you probably have all of the ingredients sitting right in your pantry already ! 

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• Directions : 
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• 1 box yellow or vanilla cake mix

• 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

• 1 large egg

• 1/3 cup of milk

• 1/2 cup sprinkles

• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.  Spray 11x7 baking pan with nonstick spray.

1. Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl. Add the milk slowly. You want to cake batter to be as dense & thick as possible. Mix in the sprinkles and white chocolate chips.  Pour into prepared baking pan, sprinkle a few more sprinkles on top, and bake for 25-30 minutes until edges are just turning brown.

1. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes so the center sets, before cutting into squares.

salisbury steak meatballs!

if you love salisbury steak you will love all of the flavors in these meatballs. its simple, easy and perfectly delicious. this is comfort in a bowl.

For Meatballs

• 1½ lb ground beef

• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs 

• 1 egg

• ¼ cup ketchup

• ¼ cup coarse grain mustard

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tsp seasoned salt

• ½ tsp pepper

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 2 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp butter  (for frying)

For Gravy

• 6 tbsp butter

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 2 cup beef broth or chicken broth

• 4 tbsp cornstarch

• 1 tsp seasoning salt

• 2 tbsp ketchup

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• parsley for garnish

For Mashed Potatoes

• 5 large potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes

• 1 stick unsalted butter

• ¼ cup half and half 

• ¼ cup cream cheese

• salt and pepper to taste

1. Add all the meatball ingredients (excluding the olive oil and butter) to a large bowl and mix well, use your hands. Shape into 1 inch meatballs. You should get about 40 meatballs.
2. Add the olive oil/ butter  to a large skillet and heat over medium to high heat. Add meatballs and cook. If you're using a large skillet all meatballs should fit in one batch otherwise, you might have to fry them in a couple batches. Cook the meatballs on all sides, add more oil if needed. Remove meatballs from skillet and set aside.
3. To the same skillet add butter and melt. Add onion and cook until onion is soft and translucent. In a bowl add the cornstarch and beef broth and whisk. Add broth and remaining gravy ingredients to skillet, and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, sauce should thicken. If the sauce is too thick add a bit more beef broth. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
4. When the gravy is done add the meatballs back to the skillet and toss them around so they're covered in the gravy. Garnish with parsley.

For Mashed Potatoes

Peel the potatoes and cut them in 1 inch cubes. Boil them on medium heat until potatoes are tender, for about 20 minutes.

1. Drain potatoes and in a medium bowl, add the potatoes, milk, butter, cream cheese and salt and pepper. Using a potato masher mash the potatoes until desired consistency. You may also use a hand mixer if you wish. Add additional milk as necessary.
2. Serve meatballs over mashed potatoes.

ranch seasoning!

quit spending money on those hidden valley ranch packets and make your own! its easy to make , taste amazing and best part is, you know exactly whats inside!

• 1/3 cup dry buttermilk

• 2 Tbsp. dried parsley

• 1 1/2 tsp. dried dill weed

• 2 tsp. garlic powder

• 2 tsp. onion powder

• 2 tsp. dried onion flakes

• 1 tsp. ground black pepper

• 1 tsp. dried chives

• 1 tsp. salt

refrigerate  for up to 3 months.

3T  of this mix is 1 packet of the store-bought seasoning mix