Bourbon Pecan Pralines

Recipe from Taste of Home

What you need: 1/4 cup unsalted butter (cubed) 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream 1 cup pecan halves (toasted) 1/2 cup chopped pecans (toasted) 1 TBsp bourbon How to make them: Grease two baking sheets, set aside. In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in the sugars, then cream, cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until candy thermometer reads 236˚ (soft-ball stage), about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the pecans halves, chopped pecans, and bourbon. Immediately drop by tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets. Let stand until pralines are set up and no longer glossy. ENJOY!

Joyeux Mardi Gras!

     So Mardi Gras has been going on for awhile, but I usually just celebrate it with the kiddos on Fat Tuesday.  It's a day with beads, masks, purple, green and gold, yummy food, and festive treats!  I usually make the traditional Red Beans & Rice, Gumbo, Dirty Rice, Okra, yadda yadda.... but this year I wanted to do something a little different.  So, I went on Pinterest and found some yummy new recipes to try out on the family.  They are awesome and got the thumbs up!  These were definitely blog worthy!

Here's the Mardi Gras lunch I came up with for Liam 

Purple, green & yellow Gold Fish,

PB&J with sanding sugars,

Grapes & Apricots,

and a King Cake Bar (I made)

While Liam was in school, Kinley and I dressed up!

For dinner I made some finger lickin' Cajun BBQ Shrimp

and some Bacon Collard Greens!

For dessert we enjoyed some King Cake Bars

and Bourbon Pecan Pralines!

Hope you had a fun festive Mardi Gras....

now that we filled ourselves on Fat Tuesday, it's time to fast for Ash Wednesday for Lent!

King Cake Bars

Recipe from The Christian Science Monitor

What you need: Crust- 2 cups all purpose flour (sifted) 1 cup unsalted butter (cold and cubed) 6 TBsp sugar 2 Tbsp milk Filling- 2 (8oz) blocks cream cheese (room temperature) 1 cup sugar 1 egg (room temperature) 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp cinnamon Glaze- 1 cup confectioner's sugar (sifted) 2 Tbsp milk colored sanding sugar or sprinkles (purple, green, yellow) How to make them: Preheat oven to 350˚F. Spray a 9x13 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. In a bowl of an electric mixer, mix flour and sugar. Drop in the butter cubes and beat on low speed until mixture is crumble and looks like wet sand. Add the milk and beat until it starts to stick together. Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared baking dish then press it in to form an even layer, making sure there are no holes or gaps. Clean the mixer bowl and paddle, then make sure it's dry. Beat the filling ingredients together until completely smooth. Spread the filling evenly over the prepared crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the crust is golden brown and filling is set. While the bars are cooking, whisk together the confectioner's sugar and milk until completely smooth. As soon as you remove the bars from the oven, spread the glaze in an even layer across the top. Immediately decorate with the sanding sugar. Leave the bars to cool completely. To serve, cut into bars then ENJOY!

Bacon Collard Greens

Recipe from Taste of Home

What you need:

2 lbs collard greens

4 thick sliced bacon strips (chopped)

1 cup sweet onion (chopped)

5 cups chicken broth

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil, chopped)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

How to make it:

Trim thick stems from collard greens, coarsely chop leaves.

In a Dutch oven, saute bacon for 3 minutes.

Add onion, cook for 8 to 9 minutes or until onion is tender and bacon is crisp.

Add greens, cook just until wilted.

Stir in remaining ingredients.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45-50 minutes or until greens are tender.

Then ENJOY!

Cajun BBQ Shrimp

Recipe from The Catholic Foodie

What you need:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 onion (finely chopped)

1 TBsp dried rosemary

1 TBsp dried oregano

4 Tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley (minced)

4 to 5 cloves of garlic (crushed)

kosher salt to taste

fresh ground black pepper to taste

cayenne pepper to taste

Louisiana Hot Sauce, to your preference, optional

2 to 3 TBsp Worchestershire Sauce

extra pats of butter

4 lbs large/jumbo shrimp (16/20) count 

warm French bread (for sopping up the juice)

How to make it:

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

In a large frying pan, melt the butter together with the olive oil.

Add the onion, rosemary, and oregano, sauté until the onion is translucent (about 8 to 10 minutes).

Add the garlic, sauté for an additional 2 or 3 minutes.

Then stir in parsley, add in the salt, black pepper, and cayenne.

Remove from heat.

Rinse the shrimp and arrange them in rows in a shallow baking dish.

Pour the sauce over the top and put the pats of butter on top.

Put the dishes in the oven and bake 30 minutes, making sure to stir the shrimp up every 10 minutes.

Serve the shrimp immediately in bowls with some warm French bread.

ENJOY!

Laissez les bons temps rouler

     This year for Mardi Gras I didn't get the kiddos all dressed up like I did last year, however they did wear the traditional colors violet which stands for justice, gold which stands for power, and green that stands for faith.  Then added some beads and some masks and they are ready!  So here's a little impromptu photo shoot of the kiddos!

I love this picture!

My silly boy

Happy Mardi Gras Everyone!