Holy Moley! It’s December 20th!!! And if you’re anything like me, you still have a lot of shopping to do… aaaand you’re finding yourself in a scramble for something at the last minute on your way out the door for another party. Well, these sweet treats are the perfect way to solve some of your gift-finding problems…. they can honestly be thrown together in very little time and they’re suuuper easy, but still give that “homemade with care” effect. Win, win if you ask me.
Ok, today is the day! My first guest cook! I chose my Dad for the first because well, if you’ve ever met him (even for a minute), then you know how unbelievably awesome he is… and you can only imagine my thoughts about the dude having known him my whole life. There is rare a time that I can talk about how great he is without misting up a bit. Truthfully , BOTH of my parents are as good as they get. I don’t know how I could ever deserve the amazing people that brought me up.
Another reason I am posting this recipe is because it’s SO dang good.
Little known fact about my family: Every holiday we have the traditional holiday foods (turkey, potatoes, stuffing etc.) but THEN we also have an entire Italian feast to go with it! [We’re part Italian]. This soup appears at every holiday we share together as part of our Italian side of things… and once you try it, you’ll know why. The best part about it is how light, yet unbelievably satisfying AND comforting this warm bowl of soup can be.
I am posting my Dad’s exact recipe, verbatim. Here is PA’S ESCAROLE & BEAN SOUP AKA “SCHKADOLE & BEANS” <<< which is how we pronounce it in my family.
So it’s December… The season of gifts, giving, glitter, and GUESTS. We all want to impress our guests with great food, but don’t have the time to cook all day for them. This little tip takes your pedestrian lunch sandwich to the next level and allows you to IMPRESS without the STRESS… See that? I rhymed right there.
Regular old bread is for the birds (no but seriously, birds love bread) serve your house guests something warm and delicious… with store bought pizza dough! The greatest thing about store bought pizza dough is that NO ONE will ever be able to tell it was store bought AND you can do a million things with it.
At the end of the day I want you to take one thing away from this post, and that is that pizza dough is super versatile… WAY past regular pizza with red sauce i.e.:
Make a flatbread– top raw dough with a generous spread greek yogurt and parm, then add prosciutto corn and mushrooms, bake until melted and golden brown and add some fresh arugula and a little drizzle of balsamic and honey reduction once it comes out.
Make a quick dessert!– top raw pizza dough with melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon and bake. OR top with just melted butter, chocolate chips, (maybe a few marshmallows?) and a sprinkle of sugar bake, and serve with nutella or peanut butter on the side to spread!
Make focaccia bread for sandwiches or breadsticks (which is what I did in this post)
Anywho, the possibilities are kind of endless, if you ask me, and I encourage you to tailor the dough to your specific entertaining needs! This sandwich is super simple so don’t judge me for not making some super creative sauce and filling, I am really focussing on the bread in this one and the sandwich is pretty darn good to be honest!
The measurements and ingredients of this recipe should be viewed as suggestions- change things where you see fit for YOU- a few scoops of corn casserole instead of plain niblets, a dash of stuffing instead of gravy, beer instead of white wine because it’s all you’ve got left from the party, some veggie that you love that isn’t already in this recipe… mushrooms, peas, zucchini, sweet potato etc.! The world is your oyster!
Oh boy do I love the holidays! And oh boy are they a comin’!!!
I created this r i c h [adult] beverage to get my household in the spirit this year! And when I say “rich” I mean RICH …this is one smooth, chocolatey, flavorful drink that might just win in a competition against velvet itself! This drink is also meant to be sipped slowly, and once you try it you will know why! It’s just too good to gulp.
Those of you who have been following my blog for some time probably know that I have already done a Cotija Corn (on the cob) recipe – A take on the classic Mexican street dish that I altered slightly so that instead of slathering the corn with mayonnaise, lime, and cotija cheese, I made a non-fat greek yogurt mixture. This not only cut the fat and calories by a ton, but it also makes it super refreshing and flavorful.
It was always one of my most popular dishes when I had guests over, but not very portable or crowd-friendly. When I altered it into a salad for a party a while back it turned out to be an even BIGGER hit. SO, with one of the biggest food-friendly holidays coming up I decided to post the updated version. This one is SURE to impress and satisfy at your Thanksgiving Table.
My dear friend Sara, who I’ve known since kindergarten and happens to have an AMAZING blog (click here: glitterandgrace.com), recently introduced me to the most delicious drink from a place called MILK & HONEY in Costa Mesa- the lavender latte. The second I tasted it I was hooked. So comforting and sweet… so knowing me, I had to figure out a way to recreate it. And I did! … well, my version of it at least..
Now, let me explain that making this can range from super easy to more time consuming depending on the ingredients you buy. I chose a middle of the road level of difficulty, but will explain how to make it easier if you choose to go that route.
I promised a recipe to utilize the leftover pumpkin puree from my last recipe PUMPKIN & SAGE ICE CREAM WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS & WALNUTS in a new savory dish so here it is! I definitely suggest tasting this along the way and adjusting as you go since pumpkin can have the tendency of being a bit bland if left alone.
Homemade pumpkin puree, fresh chopped sage, and madagascar vanilla bean? Yep, I’m in. You? This recipe is a little more extensive than some of my others, but it’s super yummy and extremely seasonal… which is the most important thing in the world right now. Duh
This salad is inspired by one of my favorite salads at a nearby restaurant that my husband and I frequent (and when I say “frequent” I mean FREQUENT) –Eat Chow. They make a caprese salad with burrata cheese that is to die for. I, of course, had to figure out a way to mimic it at home so i did! And I added a few things [persimmons and pepitas etc.] to make it my own. Now, if you’ve never worked with burrata cheese, HOLY MOLEY are you in for a treat. This fresh Italian cheese consists of mozzarella and cream…The outer layer is mozzarella and is filled with a mixture of cream and mozzarella, and is absolutely delicious. You can find it in a lot of stores these days in the specialty cheese section… I found mine at Trader Joes. Another unique ingredient in this one is the persimmon- mild in flavor and firm in texture, this fruit is at it’s best in the fall and adds great depth to this salad.