Hi all! Everyone asked for this recipe after our party at Tracery last night. I called Jeff Dungan of Dungan Nequette Architects because he always has good cocktail recipe up his sleeve. He suggested this and it was so delish!

I made a big version for the party. Main thing is there is equal parts alcohol to cranberry juice plus the other ingredients.

Make simple syrup
2 cups water
6 cups sugar

Dissolve the sugar in the water over medium heat. Then muddle in two large pieces of Rosemary.

In a large container mix in
1- 1.75 millimeters of grand mariner
1-1.75 millimeters of Gentlemen’s Jack
2- 64 oz bottles of cranberry juice
3 cups of freshly squeezed lemon juice
Simple syrup and rosemary mixture

Make it ahead of time and let the Rosemary really flavor the drink. Serve over ice!

XO,

Paige

Corn Tortilla Pizza
Corn Tortillas
Mozzarella Cheese
Parmesan Cheese
Pepperoni (or your topping of choice)

Place corn tortillas on cookie sheet and top with cheese and pepperoni. Bake on 425 for 8 to 10 minutes or until bubbly and browning on edges. Then serve hot!

Chicken Cilantro Soup

2 16oz boxes of chicken broth
2 bone in chicken breasts
1/2 cup uncooked rice
4 cups water
1 bunch of cilantro
1/2white onion
4 TBSP of green Tabasco
Black pepper
salt

Serve with
Monterey Jack Cheese
Avocado
Tortilla chips

Boil 32oz of Chicken Broth. Boil 2 chicken breasts for approximately 30 min in chicken broth. Remove chicken. Save broth. Add 4 cups of water to broth. Bring to a boil. Add 1/2 cup of uncooked rice, salt and pepper. Boil for 20 min. Add 1/2 onion diced and the boiled chicken shredded. Boil for 25 minutes. Add cilantro diced and boil for 5 more minutes.

In a bowl to serve place diced avocado sprinkled with Monterey Jack cheese and then pour soup over and serve. Serve with tortilla chips on the side.

Recipe
2 pkgs of cream cheese
1 cup of sugar
5 eggs
1 tsp of vanilla extract

Beat all together in a large bowl. Fill cupcake tins with HEAVY duty aluminum cupcake liners. (do not use the lightweight ones. Pour (I use a measuring cup) to fill the tins (fill almost to the top. Place in an oven that had been preheated to 350. Bake for 35 minutes.

While baking mix the sour cream topping.

Sour Cream Topping
8oz sour cream
1/4 cup sugar

Mix together. After cheesecake cups have baked remove from oven and place a dollop of the sour cream mix on top of each one and return to oven for 5 more minutes.

Cool and place in freezer. Once frozen remove the aluminum liners. Serve with fruit on top.

One great advantage to these is you can make ahead and just remove from freezer about 1 hour before serving to allow to thaw.

Here are the photos of the process.

XO,

Paige

First mix the butter and sugar.

Then mix in the eggs one at a time.

Then slowly blend in the 3 cups of flour.

Then bake in a bundt pan for 1 hour and 15 minutes or 2 loaf pans for one. Enjoy!

XO,

Paige

I went to the farm

At home I cut the okra in 1/2″ pieces soaked it in skim milk for approx 5 min. Then I dredged it in a mixture of half plain flour and half Ezra fine corn meal with salt and pepper. Once the okra is thoroughly covered I placed it in hot canola oil and cooked until brown. Don’t turn but once! And then serve hot. One of my summer favs.

Enjoy!

XO,
Paige

I stopped by the family farm on the way back home from a meeting out of town. The guys on the farm were shucking corn so I brought some home…

I put some of it up for the winter.

For dinner I cooked some fresh corn. Here is the recipe…

6 ears of corn
Cut the corn off the cob
Place the corn in the skillet with olive oil (approx 1 tablespoon)
Add salt and pepper to taste
Sautée the corn for approx 7 min
Chop one jalapeño finely
Sautée jalapeño with corn in skillet for approx 3 minutes
Place corn on plate and grate manchego cheese on top of corn
Serve hot

Here are my photos of the process

It is super yummy…

Enjoy!

XO,

Paige

Truffle Butter and Herb turkey

A 10-14 pound Turkey(I have read and figured it out once on my own that over a 14 lb Turkey does not cook evenly)

Sage

Thyme

Sea Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

2 sticks of salted butter

truffle oil

1/2 bottle of chardoney

2 red apples

1 white onion

aluminum foil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  First make sure the turkey is fully defrosted, this is really important.  Read the directions on the package of your turkey.  I like to buy an organic free range turkey but whatever you buy most turkeys have thawing directions. (If you have never cooked a turkey… it takes several days or at least overnight)  Take 1 stick of butter (at room temperature) and whip with a few drops of truffle oil (to taste).  Set aside.  Then take fresh sage and thyme and chop finely.  About 4 stems of each.  Mix with the truffle butter.  Set aside.  Take the turkey.  Tuck the wings under the turkey.  Turkey should be breast side up.  salt and pepper the entire outside of the turkey.  Then take the other stick of butter and coat the outside of the turkey.  Chop the apples and onion.  Stuff the turkey with both the apples and onions.  Then take the truffle butter, sage, and thyme  and rub under the skin of the turkey.  Take the aluminum foil and cover the breast only.  Bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours and remove from oven, remove aluminum foil, and pour the half bottle of wine over the turkey and return to the oven for an additional 1 and 45 mintues to 2 hours.  The total cooking time is approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes to 4 hours.  Always use a meat thermometer for your turkey.  The internal temperature must reach 180 degrees.  After the turkey is finished let it stand 10-15 minutes prior to carving.

Enjoy your turkey.

XO,

Paige

I went to the farmer’s market Saturday to pick up some of our Thanksgiving veggies.  Sweet potatoes are a Thanksgiving must.  Here is my simple sweet potato casserole. 

Ingredients:

8 Sweet potatoes

1 stick of butter

3 TBSP of honey (use local honey if you can)

1/2 cup brown sugar

 1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Wash the potatoes and place on a cookie sheet.  Bake the potatoes for approx 1 hour (until the potatoes are soft) and mushy.  Let the potatoes cool.  Scoop out the inside of the potatoes.  Mix with all other ingredients with a mixer on low for 2 minutes.  Place in a casserole dish.  Bake for 30 min on 375 to warm before serving.

Here are the potatoes last Thanksgiving along side the mashed potatoes, gravy, and turkey.

XO,

Paige

1 pan of cornbread
1/2 a loaf of French bread
1/2 sleeve of saltine crackers
2 cups chopped celery
1 large white onion, chopped
2 sticks of butter
2 cups of chicken stock
Salt
Pepper
1 tsp sage chopped
5 eggs (beaten)
1 quart raw oysters drained
1tsp minced garlic
I tsp cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350 Mix and crumble cornbread, French bread, and crackers. Set aside. Sautée onion and celery in butter until transparent(about 8 min). Place the onion/ celery mixture over the dry bread mixture. Add all the rest of the ingredients (except oysters). Add oysters at the end and mix. Place entire mixture in pan (greased) and bake for 50 minutes.

Happy Thanksgiving!

XO,

Paige