Meghan's Buffalo-less Chicken Dip

I'm sorry I don't have a picture of this amazing dip that Meghan made for Mickey's birthday party a couple weeks ago - it's sooooo good and in case you want an appetizer idea for this Thanksgiving weekend I want to share even without a photo. The recipe is actually for Buffalo Chicken Dip but she made it mild for Mick who doesn't like spicy. For the 'buffalo-less' version leave the hot sauce out and just add more ranch, she serves the hot sauce on the side. 

Here's her recipe, she doesn't have amounts other than for the cream cheese, just mix cooked chopped chicken with ranch until it has the consistency you want and sprinkle the top with the cheddar cheese before baking until heated thru and cheesey. YUM, seriously this is SO good!! 

 Buffalo-Less Chicken Dip

1. BOIL chicken and piece it

2. Ranch and Red hot wings Buffalo sauce - same amounts 

3. Sharp cheddar brick shredded 

4. 1 - 8oz cream cheese

5. Melt together and bake with shredded cheese on top! 

Tip-sy Tuesday: egg shells

Quick tip, and one I use all the time - if you crack eggs into a pan or bowl and a little piece of shell breaks off just scoop it out with a larger piece of shell. Something about the shell attracting shell, don't know why but it does. Much better than trying to pick it out with your fingers! 

The reason lots of cookbooks tell you to break eggs into a bowl before adding to the pan or whatever you're making is in case a piece of shell ends up in your food - but I rarely do that because I will avoid dirtying another dish at all costs hahahah. Most of the time I crack them right into whatever I'm preparing and scoop any runaway shell with a larger shell. 

No pictures, imagine a piece of shell in your scrambled eggs and then imagine scooping it out using a larger shell! 

11.23.20: 🔥week 47

11.23.19: turkey gravy (I'm telling ya - it's foolproof!)

11.23.18: fabric bread basket

11.23.16: make ahead mashed potatoes 

11.23.15: organize your cookie cutters

Baked Brie with Fig Preserves

 Mickey went to her friend Meghan's for Friendsgiving dinner over the weekend and sent me this picture:

Then we had this text conversation - because while it looks good, I had no idea what it is:

This seems like a great appetizer so I wanted to share in case you need one more app for Thanksgiving (or whenever! Her one suggestion is to bake it on parchment paper so it doesn't stick...

Roll out crescent dough, spread fig preserves all over the dough leaving a gap around the edges, fold the dough over a wheel of brie cheese. (She didn't send me a pic before she baked it). Bake at 375' for 25 minutes. Slice into wedges (or scoop out if it sticks haha!). 

11.22.19: Thanksgiving and your dog

11.22.18: mashed butternut and acorn squash

11.22.17: turkey cheeseball (and cranberry relish, green bean casserole)

11.22.16: herb butter

11.22.15: nutella stuffed chocolate chip cookies 

🔥 Around the Campfire (week 47)

Dear Campers ~

Here's a very short recap of what happened at camp last week while I was on a road trip to Florida:

Posts ~

11/14: 🔥week 46

11/15: pinecone wreath with feathers

11/16: tip-sy tuesday: cincinnati chili

11/17: chocolate zucchini brownies

11/18: porcupine meatballs

11/19: cauliflower mac and cheese

11/20: how to roast a turkey

That's it!! Seriously we were in the car for 5 days straight so there's nothing else I can catch you up on - I didn't read, didn't cook, nothing else! Hope you had a good week, stop by next week for more recipes, crafts, etc. Bye!

Sincerely ~

Jill

camp counselor

11.21.20: maple dijon chicken thighs

11.21.19: MSIH: butternut mac and cheese

11.21.18: lightbulb pear

11.21.17: yarn-wrapped bottle

11.21.16: how to make turkey gravy

11.21.15: Sarge's birthday pupcakes

Thanksgiving Prep: how to roast a turkey (re-run)

It's almost Thanksgiving, goodness time flies! I'm re-posting this step-by-step guide on how I do my turkey because it's such a detailed post I feel like I should get at least one more share out of it hahha! 

from 11/20:

How many of you are about to roast your first turkey (thanks to the pandemic and everyone staying at home instead of going to Grandma's where she provides the turkey!)? Last year I took lots of pictures of how I do it, intending to share this year (look at me preparing ahead) before knowing that sucky Covid would be in the picture and more people might need some directions! This is not complicated, I keep my turkey prep pretty simple - yes if you Google there are SO many ways to roast a turkey but this is what I do and it turns out great every year. So read thru these steps, change the seasonings if you want, heck you can even omit or add steps if you want to combine recipes (cuz I've never done that hahahha).  

Oh, a couple things before you begin (if you're making it my way) - you need a thawed turkey, herb butter, olive oil, salt and pepper, veggies and fruits to stuff in the cavity and lay under the bird, and an oven bag. 

To make herb butter: stir chopped herbs into softened butter. See, easy so far! Think poultry seasoning flavors like thyme, sage, rosemary, etc. 

1. This is my least favorite part but just suck it up and do it, don't think about it! When you take the wrapper off the turkey it'll look something like this. The neck and giblets are usually in bags stuffed in both ends of the turkey. Remove both (if the neck isn't in a bag you'll just have to fish it out with your hand, don't get all wussy on me - just grab it!), empty the contents into a large saucepan. Put aside.

2. Rinse inside and out, pat dry with paper towels. 

3. Gently slide your fingers underneath the breast skin to loosen it, creating a pocket between the meat and skin. Try to not rip the skin, loosen as far down as you can go. 

5. Now it's time to add the softened herb butter underneath the skin. I scoop it up with my fingers and push it into the pocket, press down on top of the skin to smooth and spread it around. (note: in case you skipped all my rambling at the beginning of this post, I tell you how easy it is to make herb butter - go back up and look again hahha). 

6. Take a second to make sure your helper is paying attention!

7. drizzle the entire bird with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.

                                            

8.  Insert fruit or veggies into the empty cavity - I just use what I have on hand, usually I'll insert an apple cut in half, or halved lemons, or whole herbs, you can also do chunks of onions, etc. This is really just a wing it step, it's fine if you don't add anything but I feel like it helps to keep the meat moist and adds some additional flavors. Note: I don't usually put stuffing in the bird, if you want that tho I'd use a stuffing bag to make removing it easier, and skip the fruit/veggies.

9. Tesha gave me the tip years ago to roast the turkey in a large oven bag - it really works!

10. From now on I just follow the package directions: open the bag and place in a roasting pan fitted with a rack, add a little flour and shake it around, add a few veggies or fruit that you'll rest the turkey on top of - carrots, celery, onions, apple...whatever you have.

11. Tuck the legs under the loose skin at the bottom if you can. Add the turkey to the bag on top of the veggies. Tie according to package directions.

12. Cut a few slits in the top of the bag.

13. Roast according to package directions for the size of your bird. 

14. While the turkey is roasting make turkey broth for the gravy using the neck and giblets you took out in step one. Put them in a pot and fill it up with water. If you have the time and inclination you can add other things to the pot for additional flavor - like onions, celery, peppercorns...bring it to a boil then reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover, let it cook for a couple hours making sure it doesn't boil over or reduce too much  (add more water if it does). Strain the broth into a glass measuring cup (you need 4 cups for this recipe, if you have more than that you can save it for other uses), discard the solids. Reheat the broth when you're ready to make the gravy. Click here for yesterday's post about how to make gravy. 

You can do it!! Good luck, let me know how it turns out! Happy Thanksgiving!

11.20.20: apple pie and ice cream hack by B

11.20.19: fall tutu wreath (I ended up putting this on top of a basket and it looked so cool!)

11.20.18: make a pumpkin vase
11.20.17: yarn wrapped wheat
11.20.16: Jen's spinach salad
11.20.15: leaf lantern

Cauliflower 'Mac and Cheese'

This title is a bit deceiving - as much as I wanted it to be a substitute for macaroni and cheese it's more like cauliflower in a creamy, cheesy sauce ... and let's be honest, there's nothing wrong with that! This is great, the sauce is delicious and I will make it over other veggies for sure; I used skim milk and light cream cheese with amazing results. Just don't come complainin' when this dish doesn't taste like noodles in sauce hahahah. 

• 8 cups coarsely chopped cauliflower florets
• 1 1/2 cups reduced-fat milk, divided
• 2 T. cornstarch
• 1 t. dry mustard
• 1/2 t. pepper
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1 3/4 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• snipped chives for garnish

Directions:

1. Position rack in upper third of oven. Preheat broiler to high.
2. 2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add cauliflower and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain. 
3. Meanwhile, heat 1 1/4 cups milk in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat until steaming. Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup milk, cornstarch and dry mustard together in a small bowl until smooth. Add to the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce bubbles and thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in pepper and salt, then whisk in cheddar and cream cheese until melted and smooth. Add the cauliflower and stir to coat. Sprinkle parmesan evenly over the top and broil until browned in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. Garnish with chives, if desired. 

Nutrition facts -  serving size 3/4 cup. per serving 215 calories; fat 15g. carb 12g. pro 11g. 

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recipe found at eatingwell.com

11.19.20: loaded brownies

11.19.19: TT: roasting squash

11.19.18: wrapped pumpkin decor (hint - it's toilet paper!)

11.19.17: Al's smoked brisket

11.19.16: glass block 'Fall' 

11.19.15: personalized tote bags for gift giving

Porcupine Meatballs

Tesha mentioned making porcupine meatballs for her family the other day but it didn't click until the following day that I haven't had them in forever and I need the recipe! I texted her while standing in the grocery store googling recipes, she sent hers with a couple notes and I made them that night. Yum. 

11.18.20: loaded cream cheese brownies

11.18.19: scalloped carrots

11.18.18: 🔥weekly recap
11.18.17: how to make a paper box
11.18.16: silhouette art by Brooke
11.18.15: roasted cherry tomatoes

Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

My bad memory can't remember why Ginny asked me to find a recipe for brownies with zucchini in them, but I'm always game to experiment and don't really need a reason hahahah. I do remember she had the best vegetarian zucchini brownies somewhere, I think I'm trying to recreate them - but since I didn't have the best vegetarian zucchini brownies I'm not sure what I'm aiming for LOL! Here is my first try, I followed the recipe to a T other than I used 1/2 dark chocolate and 1/2 mini semi-sweet chips. I think they are pretty good, very cake-y in texture - I wasn't sure I loved them but Dave ate a couple and loves them, doesn't think they are too cake-like. No eggs are in this recipe, wonder if that's why they aren't super dense and fudge-y? idk. I will most likely try another couple recipes before telling her which I recommend, in the meantime these are a winner (in Dave's book) and a great way to use up a couple zucchinis - that reminds me, you cannot tell at all that these have zucchini in them! I shredded them very finely in my food processor and they completely go away once baked. 

One more thing - the batter is dry crumbs until you add the zucchini, don't think there is something wrong - it'll turn into moist batter!

I lied - the last thing is that I really like that these are not overly sweet, if you like them more sweet I'd put frosting on them  :) 

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 2 cups shredded zucchini don't squeeze out the moisture
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 

1.  Preheat oven to 350'. Grease a 9x13" baking pan with cooking spray, set aside. 

2. In a stand mixer, combine sugar, oil, and flour, combine until mixture resembles wet sand. It will be dry looking and that is ok. While mixing, on low, add cocoa shredded zucchini, vanilla, salt and baking soda. Mix until well combined. The mixture will moisten once the zucchini is added. Stir in one cup of the chocolate chips. 

3. Pour brownie batter into prepared pans and sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. Bake for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the brownies are set. 

4. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut brownies into squares and serve. 

recipe found here

11.17.20: TT: cast iron pan info

11.17.19: 🔥 week 46

11.17.18: homemade applesauce

11.17.17: planting tulip bulbs

11.17.16: pet food and holidays - do and don'ts

11.17.15: Thanksgiving tree

Tip-sy Tuesday: Cincinnati Chili Shortcut

I've always put my regular chili over spaghetti and called it 'Cincinnati Chili' but that's not technically what it is - I googled and the 'real' Cincinnati chili has cinnamon and other spices, and no beans. So today's tip is my Cincinnati chili shortcut - just put your regular ol' chili over hot spaghetti. It's delish! 

11.16.20: cast iron pizza

11.16.19: corny corn bread 

11.16.18: pinecone wreath
11.16.17: doggie pupcakes
11.16.16: fall circle garland
11.16.15: DIY cookie stand

Pinecone Wreath with Feathers (re-run)

This originally posted in 2018, I saw it again while writing up tomorrows post and thought I should share it again - it turned out great and I want to make another because after displaying this one for the Fall season I spray painted it silver (which looks amazing btw) but now I don't have a plain ol' pinecone one! Once you paint a pinecone you can't go back hahahah. Check out how pretty this is:

from 11/16/2018 ~

Ok, I realize the last couple days have been all about pinecones with beaks...turkeys, owls, birds, oh my... so today let's change it up with a simple wreath made with a whole bunch of "found" pinecones (note: I may or may not have combed the neighborhood for pinecones...I have a rule to not go into anyone's yard to gather craft materials hahaha, but if it's on the sidewalk it's fair game...or if it's on a pine tree that's within grabbing distance from the sidewalk it's mine. Hopefully Mrs. Williams wasn't watching me jump for pinecones in her tree that was very very close to the sidewalk!). I actually looked at the craft store to purchase pinecones and then had a "what the heck am I thinking?" moment  and just went for a couple walks to gather them! Duh...

Since the pinecones came off the ground and trees, they are surprisingly full of creepy crawly little bugs (you don't want to know how I came to that realization...) so I read about a very easy way to stop that little problem...lay them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and pop into a 220' oven for about 20 minutes. Interestingly enough, baking them for a few minutes not only gets rid of the bugs, it also turned them different colors which made for a pretty cool wreath.

This is super easy - just wire the cones to a wire wreath form. I did a base layer of bigger cones, and then filled in spaces by hot gluing smaller pinecones and small bits of broken cones onto the wreath until I couldn't add any more! There were a couple places where I could still see the green wire, so I added a few little sticks and feathers to cover those up.

I especially love that the pinecones sort of look like flowers when I cut them in half, the one that is anchoring the bunch of feathers really looks pretty. Agree?

I'm thinking I'll lay this wreath on my round dining room table and put a large candle in the center...and then once Thanksgiving is over I'm planning to remove the feathers and spray paint the whole wreath to make it a Christmasy/wintery wreath. I'll show you how that turns out (if it turns out, I'm not very good at spray painting - once again you don't want to know - so we'll see).